2021 Gardening Thread

[Doc8404]

Put down clear poly, it will burn out everything.
Then start over building the soil.

great idea. I’m doing an old pool cover over the winter and into spring.

hopefully will kill or prevent those squash vine borers and warm the soil.

I’m going ape shit with Sevin in the spring.

 

[TEOTWAWKI inc.]

When I have a larger property, I will let the chickens have the garden from fall through spring.

 

[fresch]

Soil Solarization

Soil solarization is a proven, chemical-free way to control weeds and soil pests. This free 2-page guide explains this safe practice that reduces weeds and pests. Download your copy today!

agrilifeextension.tamu.edu

Take a look.

 

[S&W Fan]

Figured this would be a good place to ask how to "close" my garden.

So I moved and my new place had an overgrown garden. I weed whacked it down and tilled it and within days it was a forest of weeds and stuff. Whacked again and raked crap out. My father in law came and helped me till it good because my tiller did a shitty job. Had some plants that did well for being planted late and with my lack of knowledge. Now they are pretty much done for except pumpkins and the entire garden is covered with weeds again.... so I'm asking the garden gurus what I should do to come out in best shape for next spring? Spray something to kill everything growing? Weed whack and till again? Burn everything? Do nothing? I'm very new to gardening if you haven't figured it out and would like to be somewhat prepared for next spring.

Firts and for most, Stop weed whacking. You’re just spreading the weed seeds around that way. Once you are done for the year follow the weed eradication process already suggested here. Then come spring bring in a good load of compost and till it in. Then as a final procedure I would bring in a load of wood chips, enough to cover your garden at least 3” -4” deep. This will keep a vast majority of the weeds from coming back and will sustain your soil when it decomposes.

 

[fresch]

You will need to amend the soil for the wood chips depending on the ph, etc of your soil.

 

[S&W Fan]

I’ve been following this guy for a while and use a lot of his ideas and recommendations , in addition to what I already know and do.

 

[Saltwater60]

My pear tree is bare this year. Last year we had more than we knew what to do with. The opposite is true for our peach tree. Last year, nothing. This year, we were loaded with them and ended up blanching, pealing, and freezing a LOT.

At least you have it staggered so you get one or the other.

 

[Saltwater60]

I’m not a fan of plastic at all. I use cardboard with huge success. Then you just till it in.

I would burn it down and burn the ground to kill seeds then cover with cardboard and aged wood chips of at least one year. Compost in the spring that has been treated to kill weeds or composted chicken manure. Till well. Much compost will bring weed seeds with you to germinate. Preen can work to stop seed germination but if you’re starting plants from seeds avoid it.

 

[Criticalt]

Most of our vegetables are in but my hot peppers are just starting to ripen. We have been picking Jalapenos for a few weeks but the rest are lagging.
Habaneros looking good.

 

[Criticalt]

Carolina Reapers starting to turn.

 

[camper4lyfe]

Anyone have a recipe for shelf stable pickled green tomatoes? We have a TON of green cherry tomatoes, and I'm thinking pickling them is the way to go, but I don't have the fridge space for the amount that we'd have. All the recipes I'm finding need to live in the fridge.

 

[Criticalt]

Jalapenos picked over but still producing.

 

[Saltwater60]

Anyone have a recipe for shelf stable pickled green tomatoes? We have a TON of green cherry tomatoes, and I'm thinking pickling them is the way to go, but I don't have the fridge space for the amount that we'd have. All the recipes I'm finding need to live in the fridge.

Make sure you find a shelf stable one so you don’t get botulism and die.

I didn’t read it all but it seems like you treat them like red tomatoes for canning.

Tomato home canning considerations: colour, variety, ripeness

When you are home canning with tomatoes, does the colour of the tomato matter? Can you use cherry tomatoes? Can heritage tomatoes that ripen to green be used in recipes that call for green (unripe) tomatoes?

www.healthycanning.com

 

[S&W Fan]

The Mrs. and I are finishing up the last of the garden harvest for the year. Roasting the remainder of our acorn, butternut and buttercup squash. Once roasted we scrape out all the goodness and put it in a large stock pot to blend with an emersion blender to make a stockpile of soup to freeze for the winter months.
I’m