23,948 Garden Web Discussions | Vegetable Gardening

Thanks tishtoshmn, I'd rather make our own then buy a kit, too.
Seysonn, I haven't figured out what I'm doing for supports or cold frame covers. It's not that I know something that pvc in the bed is going to be detrimental, I don't. I just have lived long enough to have thought a lot of things were safe, until 20 years later, when they figure out it's not. So instead of figuring out what is safe and what isn't,, I just try to stick with natural materials as much as possible.

PM,
You can make them from wood too. PVC is just so simple and economical.
For cold frame top, I have used, plexi glass, clear plastic and some corrugated clear plastic ( called tuff(something)) You can also use common window glass. Then it can break easily.. Plexi glass is the best option but it costs more.
BTW: I make the top of my cold frame flat (not bowed). I think both cold frame and the hoop covers are dandy. Once you have them you cannot live without them. They are the next best thing to greenhouse.



I have always found legumes/beans to be very intolerant of N fertilizers of any kind. It is commonly recommended to avoid using N around them, even going so far as to plant them separately from nitrogen using crops to increase production. So that may be what "burned" his beans if indeed it was the cause of the problem. There are many other possible causes.
This of course assuming it was properly composted manure in the first place - 60-90 days before planting and 90-120 days prior to harvesting when used around consumables. If it wasn't well composted prior to application. then yes, it could easily cause problems for beans and anything else.
So if you spread it last fall and it has been composting for at least 60 days since then it should pose no problems for you now. But I still wouldn't use it around legumes.
Dave



Sounds like you have a pretty good grouping along the hoses. Now if you can only figure out how to keep the water where you put it. :)
A rough comparison of volumes needed for various vegetables below but keep in mind the type and tilth of your soil will affect frequency and amounts will increase during periods of hot weather. Also most crops will require some extra water at critical development periods such as when tomatoes when setting fruit, broccoli and lettuce when developing heads, filling pods for peas, etc.
So check out the link below (scroll down) for some classification of heavy water needers like beans and onions and the lesser water needers like herbs. It also cover the ones that need consistently moist soil vs. those that prefer to dry out between watering.
Dave
PS: Farmer's Almanac has a basic chart too you might want to check out.
Here is a link that might be useful: Critical Water Periods for Vegetables


duplicate thread with a 2nd image =
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/cornucop/msg0416590818918.html?1
Here is a link that might be useful: duplicate thread



I know it's very exciting to see those little spears emerge, but you have to let them grow for a couple of years before harvesting!
Let them fern out , then cut them back, probably around Thanksgiving in your area.
Compost the area, maybe plant some stuff that you don't have to dig around (garlic, onions hmmmm) chives????
Then the next year you will be amazed by these thumb sized gus!
We have so much in our 4x8' bed, that we eat it 2x per week, give some to the neighbors and make soup! I haven't tried freezing yet!
Be patient! It will come! LOL Nancy

I dated a girl as far back as `89 that worked for a newspaper company and was curious as to the ink that they used then. She asked a guy that ran the printing department about what the ink was made from, and from what he told her, it was all soy based.
I wouldn`t have any problems shredding paper and mulching it nowadays. I shred anything junk that shows up in the mail. Color or not, no worries here. Just my opinion on this.

I'm a printer by trade and all most all printing inks are soy based even color inks. I personally think glossy paper is fine to use, it's all the same ink. It's metallic inks and special inks like laser safe or inks for printing on vinyl label stock that I would worry about. But we're not mulching our gardens with anything printed with those inks as long as your using news print. I've done it and it works great for weed control. I usually put straw on top and it keeps it from blowing away. But now it just use the straw and skip the newspaper. You can till it all under when done.

The methods you have described are so out-of-the-ordinary that it is difficult to know where to start.
How about first letting us know where you live or at least your gardening zone? That would help a great deal.
The peat pellets are notorious for mold and fungus problems so it is important to NOT over-water them and "white fuzz" is usually fungus growth so cut back on the watering and let them dry out on the surface a bit and it will go away. Some suggest watering them with some peroxide in the water but that only makes them wetter.
The seeds are not ruined unless they have rotted from being too wet and if they survive there is no reason why you couldn't eat what they grow.
I don't understand all the putting them in or on the car part. Either put them in the GH and leave them there or in the house and leave them there.
You might want to go over to the Growing from Seed forum here and read the many good FAQs and discussions there about how to do this.
Dave
Here is a link that might be useful: Growing from Seed forum







Thank you both for the responses.
McKenzie, that was a good suggestion about the metal straps instead of the 4"x4" corner posts. I'll look into that.
My climate is pretty hot and dry in the summer so some shade is actually welcome. And yes the north fence gets a lot of sun, even in winter. I'm planning to adapt the beds with hog panels to create some type of cold frame so I can grow greens along the north fence in the cooler months. For the west fence, which gets the afternoon shade, I was thinking blueberries.... I still haven't given up on growing blueberries lol! My current garden is in the northwest corner so it gets some shade and in comparing notes with my neighbor, who has his garden on the opposite side of the yard, we notice that he grows the best melons and peppers and I have better luck with tomatoes, greens, etc. I was hoping by having beds all along the perimeter that it would give me options so I could try to plant different crop where they would do best (though I also want to rotate crops so that gets a bit more challenging!) I am originally from Canada where pretty much everything I learned about gardening had to go out the window and I had to learn to garden all over again in this new climate.
Seysonn, thank you for the good advice you provided also. Sounds like you have about the amount of gardening space I'm hoping to end up with, 200 square feet or so. (The perimeter beds would give me about 170 square feet, and adding the two 4'x8' beds would provide about another 100 square feet.) I would love to see a picture of your garden if you don't mind sharing.
You are welcome, canokie.
I am still making few more beds.
I will take a few pictures tomorrow. We have a relatively small backyard. So I have narrow walkways just wide enough to walk ( No lawnmower etc.)