sandhill larry
Well-Known Member
That makes me feel better. I thought I was losing my memory {even worse than I am}.
Good Morning/Weather Report Suite
- Thread starter Larry {the} Gardener
- Start date
sandhill larry
Well-Known Member
After a cool start {59F at 0600}, it's going to be another warm one today. At 0945 it's sunny, 78F with 71% humidity. The forecast calls for a high of 90F with no chance of rain today, and a low of 71F tonight.
Hope everyone is having a good Saturday.
Hope everyone is having a good Saturday.
sandhill larry
Well-Known Member
It must be smelly.
I got out on Thursday and dug 6 holes. I'm trying pots for the first time this year. I have more strains than I really need, so I won't be upset if they stay pretty small.
eddy600
Well-Known Member
I have three 45 gallon smart pots and three raised beds,went out a picked up more kellogs raised bed soil to cover the stench. the plants seem to like the soil i had delivered I was wondering if it was a bit hot only sitting for a few months.I ended up with five strains with 3 extra males and 3 females.
sandhill larry
Well-Known Member
Two Gorille de Raisin's are the only good seeds I have popped so far. They are still seedlings. I'm putting more down tomorrow. I've waited this long so my grow season will be shorter. I'll pop 16-20 seeds every good planting day for the next couple of months.
I've had a good deal going at Lowe's for the last couple of years. The Jobber at the contractor's checkout would cut the price of all my soil building stuff. But Lowe's has put a stop to that {price matching} practice. I have enough stuff left for a couple more of my 45 gallon mixes, but will have to buy more soon. I do hate paying full price for anything.
I'm looking into buying a dump truck load of mushroom compost. It is too hot to use right away, but is stupid cheap. After two years aging, it works well mixed 50/50 with peat moss with some amending. I do use it fresh in my mixes, but only 10 gallons in a 45 gallon mix. I've been talking to the wife about getting a bucket for my middle sized tractor so I can move it out to the woods easier. A couple of years back we were looking to buy another tractor, so buying just the bucket is like saving money. Or that is what I've been telling her.
eddy600
Well-Known Member
It gets expensive to fill large holes but anything you can buy in bulk is way cheaper.The only bulk i can get is organic compost,i'm mixing it with worm casings and perlite. A backhoe would be nice to dig and fill holes with and that scoop on the front rips threw most things. I have a shovel and a few hand tools so 6 plants is plenty for me to handle by myself.
sandhill larry
Well-Known Member
Yes, all my weed growing tools are One Larry Power. I do have a backhoe, but doubt I will ever need it to dig holes. {but if our laws ever change. . . .}
Something I might do is dump a scoop of mushroom compost on the ground, then till it in with my little Kabota. It's only 15 bucks a scoop {almost a cubic yard. As much as you want to carry in a half ton truck}, so the cost is not a big deal. Getting the tractor and trailer back in the woods where I would be growing is. I try hard not to make trails, so if I ever do do it like that, I will do the work in the Fall or Winter, then plant the next Spring. Or maybe do it in the Summer, then mow the trail going in. The weeds and briars should grow up thick enough by the next Spring to hide the trail. I just couldn't use that area the year I did the work.
The six holes I dug this week were all in waist high briars. I did flatten them down around the holes to get more light in. But they will stand back up pretty quick. I used 45 gallons in all 6 of them. But some are 3 gallon pots and will be transplanted into a bigger hole or pot. The ones put in the 15 gallon pots will most likely stay there. I will have to put some thought into what goes where.
eddy600
Well-Known Member
Hauling all the soil and water should should get you in shape for that trail hike. hot and dry here but anything less than 20 gallons would need watering twice a day on them hot 105 plus days. I'm transplanting a few now in 20 gallon pots that i'm going to fit in out back,i figure i can move them around as the season changes to get a bit of sun.
sandhill larry
Well-Known Member
I'm going to stay closer to water sources this year. {my wife has retired, and my woods time is half what it used to be} I have built a pretty good rain catcher for the JP patch. An inch of rain gave me about 75-100 gallons. I will build one near the PP and PPS patches I used in the Spring crop. The FP patch where I dug the holes this week has water nearby. I'll have to use 5 gallon buckets, but the walk will be a short one.
Do you use fabric pots? Above ground? That would be tough in that kind of heat. The wife's cousin has a nursery and I get plastic pots free. I've never grown weed in them before, but plan on sinking them flush with the ground. Should help with water retention and stealth. Although when I was digging the hole for the 15 gallon one, I ran into some hard ass clay. The last two inches took about fifteen minutes. I got the pot to within 3-4 inches of flush and just piled up dirt around, then covered everything with leaves. That hole should hold water real good.
ttystikk
Well-Known Member
A good mulch over the top of the pot and soil is also very helpful.
sandhill larry
Well-Known Member
I try to rake up a couple of buckets of leaves when I go to a patch. In the beginning for camo, then mulch. I will add a little all season. The ones that cashed on me last fall didn't have as much mulch as they should have.
ttystikk
Well-Known Member
There's a thread on here somewhere about outdoor SIPS, 'sub irrigated pot system'. Some of them run their setups outdoors and they all say they cover their soil.
A good mulch would provide enough shade and cooling to inhibit evaporation while still letting rain through. Some even advocate for specific types of mulch, like alfalfa straw, to add nutrients- in this case triacontanol.
sandhill larry
Well-Known Member
One of the Oregon guys, Humanrob has a thread on outdoor sips. I don't think he is running it this year. Have you seen my Redneck Rain Gutter Grow System? I bet it would work good with herb. It rocks tomatoes. And if I can find my float valve, all I will have to remember to do is pick tomatoes.
rsbigdaddy
Well-Known Member
How good does that Mr greentrees work
sandhill larry
Well-Known Member
I've had folks in the building all day, and I haven't been able to take my usual safety meets. So I ate a slice {or three} of canna banana bread. I'm kind of high.
ttystikk
Well-Known Member
I tried something very much like that and it was not successful for me. I'm guessing soil choice may have had something to do with it.
sandhill larry
Well-Known Member
The bottom 2-3 inches that are in the water is about 50/50 peat moss and my Adult Tomato soil mix. The rest is the straight mix. But when I get to running short for my weed soil, the tomatoes do get the short end of the stick. Some of them are in 50/50 peat moss and mushroom compost, with just a little amendments.
Peppers can't have more than about half an inch of water, or it will kill them. They are a dry weather plant. I learned this the hard way.
sandhill larry
Well-Known Member
This is my first year using buckets. I used all 3 gallon plastic pots the first year, then a mix of cloth and plastic last year. Getting them out of the trench I had dug, and on level ground will make picking much easier. I'm going to turn the trench into another pepper pit. I dumped all the soil in the kiddie pools from last year into my underground greenhouse and planted it full of peppers.
eddy600
Well-Known Member
this is the first time i am using this so i am not sure how it works yet.I top dressed about 10lbs into 8 plants and watered it in they seem to like it so far.