Tomatoes

[CdnChelsea]

If you are going to make a raised bed out of rocks, be sure to put some landscaping fabric under the rocks and up the inside of the rocks to keep the grass out. The fabric will also stop the soil from leaching out.

Within the garden, I also place some flat rocks to step on . This way, whenever I want to step into the garden, the earth does not compact down and stays light and friable.

[Dumbo]

Yeah I have a bunch of that fabric, the previous home owners left it here for me... but what's strange is that there is no garden in sight that they used it on, heh. I think they may have used it under patio stones along the pool. Not sure.

Will get pricing on it. I won't be moving rocks today lol

Today I will finish up what I started, get pricing, then I have one more little garden to dig... Going to make a Cat Garden! :p I have all this catnip I grew and a dozen of that cat grass seed packets. I have a little chair for the cat he likes to doze on in the summer that will go in the middle of it. And voila! Cat Garden. haha

[Eeyore]

UGH! Don't like the sounds of those fungus gnats in your soil. I wonder whats rotting in there.....

[Dumbo]

UGH! Don't like the sounds of those fungus gnats in your soil. I wonder whats rotting in there.....

I haven't a clue.

I know every time I ever bought earth from walmart (miracle grow) my house always got overrun by those little teeny tiny gnats. grrrr

These ones are bigger... I can smell the manure in the soil mix so I don't know if this is normal or not. I'm a soil virgin and clueless on this stuff. But I read this is normal. Did I read wrong?

Like I said yesterday, I never in my life saw a swarm of bee's. I sat there yesterday watching them go at the soil. It attracted them and they were all over it like flies on poop.

I've been outside since about 5:30 this morning and I haven't seen many of those gnats like I did yesterday when I dumped the earth. No clue if that is what those swarm of bees were after.

So how bad is this?

uhg I can barely move...

EDIT:
I may be wrong on the bug nomenclature here.

This site says fungus gnats are at most 2.5 millimeters.
http://www.learn2grow.com/problemsolver ... gnats.aspx

These things were more like 2cm. Sort of like winged ant size. Maybe I'll spot one and grab a picture. Any bugologists in the house?

[Mostly Weeds]

I too plant up to their armpits. I put mine into the ground just today, my seedling were about 12" tall, all were started in my shop probably the last week of March I think? I added bonemeal and epsom salts this year to each hole. I'll be adding some sweet rich compost as soon as I can to the base of each plant. I gave them a big drink of compost tea last year which did wonders for my yields. My tomatoes blew the doors off of any other friend's crops last season so I will definitely be brewing compost tea in huge amounts this summer.

On the subject of raised beds... why not Hugelkultur system as an option too? If you've got a big ol' pile of wood or sticks and such you could save yourself the cost of stone and in the process set yourself up with amazing soil quality, water retention and great raised beds. That sod you cut out would have a home in there too! Just a thought.

[Dumbo]

Well that's a new one to me.
http://www.richsoil.com/hugelkultur/

Interesting.

Have you ever done this?

I started mine at the beginning of March... They got big and out of control fast. Lesson learned.

[Mostly Weeds]

Well that's a new one to me.
http://www.richsoil.com/hugelkultur/

Interesting.

Have you ever done this?

I started mine at the beginning of March... They got big and out of control fast. Lesson learned.

I have not made my own hugelkultur bed yet, no.

I'm waiting till I pick up the family and move back to the country to live on a small organic permaculture hobby farm in a few years. Oh, they don't know yet lol, that's just between you and me~

[Dumbo]

lol good luck with that.

Let me know how your wife reacts when you explain to her how you will be saying, "Honey, can you go in the barn and put your hand under the chickens butt and grab us a few eggs"?

I want the picture of when you explain this to her.

[Mostly Weeds]

LOL, you have no idea!

You know the saying "opposites attract"? Well I'm the country-raised construction workin' shovel swinging punk-rock and roll type. That makes her the... well, the "not picking eggs out of that chickens ass if it were the last thing to eat on earth" type.

The hens will be easy fun job on my fantasy farm anyways, the kids will love that one. Wait till I get her to try milking my goat!

[Dumbo]

k so here's the deal. You have to stay on this forum for the next 3 years just so you can upload the pic of her expression ...and heck, may as well record all the verbs that will be tossed at you....

Planning my giggles for the future.

haha milk the goat.... bet you fall asleep giggling tonight.