Suburban Gardening

I posted a discussion thread on the Modern Victory Garden's forum asking the best spacing for garden hoops. While I know I live in Texas and have about a zero percentage chance of snow in the winter (don't be jealous), but we do get some freezing rain and some nights that it will drip just at the freezing level. I am thinking a little protection would not hurt.

I am also thinking that these will also help me at of the times of the year. Such as in the late spring when the birds are attacking all of my tomato plants, a little bird netting would not hurt. Also in the summer in the blazing heat (we have 60 days over 100 degrees in the past 3 months) a little light shade cloth will go a long way.

I am starting this a little early, as I know that while the weather is a little warmer, the PVC will bend a little easier. When PVC is cold, it doesn't really bend, and really tends to shatter! Pieces of PVC flying at your eyes is never a good thing.

HERE IS THE PLAN:

○ Drive 2 foot rebar into the ground just on the inner edge of the raised beds

○ Every Four Feet, based on the advice received above.

○ Carefully bend the 8 foot pieces of the into place.

I put in one to see if this will work "as planned" and seems to be good. Here is a quick picture of it.

I will post the finished product next weekend, when I pick up the rest of the supplies and get them into place.

Until Next Time!!

SG

I have been working a ton of hours at work, so I have been a little behind on all the home chores (which I was reminded of last evening)....so I am playing a little catch up on my harvest updates.

MY FIRST TOMATO!!! 

This was Wendesday's harvest.  The tomato came in at 6 oz..  I harvested the three canalopes (actually one fell right off the vine as I was standing there, so I figured it was time and they were quite heavy.  They weighed a total of a womping 14 pounds, 10 oz. .  Then two large okra.  This put me well over my annual goal of 20 lbs. 

The tomato was delicious!!!!!  a little warm, sliced up with a tiny bit of salt.  It was perfectly ripe.  The melons were so juicy that they were even dripping on the counter top in the picture.

My Goal was only 20 pounds, as it was my first year really, really tending to my garden, so I will just have to continue on to see my total year end weight, and add 10% to 20% to it for next year's goals.....

I apologize for the imagine, my digital camera went AWOL, so this came from a camera phone, not the best quality, but it does show the harvest.  Also forgive the dirty counter, I literally just finished cleaning and chopping up the harvest....sorry mom!

Thursday night's harvest include kolrabi and 2 small yellow pear tomatos, and one green tomato that I accidentally knocked off the vine while attempting to fix them...I'll explain in a moment.     This harvest included 10oz of small kolrabi, 1oz Yellow Pear Tomatos and 6oz green tomato.  TOTAL FOR TODAY:  17oz.

In the garden, all my tomato plants, cages and all, fell over, in the process creating a domino affect (or is it effect, I always get confused).  All 6 tomatos were basically laying on the ground on top of each other.  I got them all straightened back up and tied the cages to the fence for added support.  In the process knocked off one green tomato....it is ripening on the window sill for now.

On Saturday evening, we harvested basil (6 oz of it!!!!, I am not sure what I am going to do with all of it), 1 single yellow pear tomato, and 2 more okra (1oz).

I have only two okra plants, but each are kicking off an okra every four days or so...I think I am going to have to start pickling some to give to friends. 

So another item we finished yesterday is we vacuum packed a Ham & Bean soup for the freezer.  We will love this in the fall and winter.  While I can not take credit for all the ingredents in the soup, it is taking fresh items, and saving it for later.

2 bags of fresh Balck Eyed Peas, from our favorite farmer's market stand (Oak Hill Farms at the Pearl Brewery's Farmer's Market)

1 left over ham bone, I threw in the freezer last Christmas

about a dozen or so "pearl onions" or at least that is what I call them from my garden.

All thrown in the Crockpot all day with a little water.  in the end, we ended up with three large food saver bags weighing in at almost 7 and a half pounds of soup. (It only cost us $2.00 for all the beans).

UPDATE ON TROPICALIZATION

We also continued the "TROPICALIZATION PROJECT"  yesterday evening.  I will give you a little preview in the picture below.....I will post details tonight or tomorrow.  Other than some of the banana plants, this whole thing is RECYCLED AND/OR REUSED!!  It is not close to being done yet, but we are working in 102 degree heat, so everything is in spirts.

Until next time!!!!

I did it. I built the Compost Bin!!!

It was actually fun, and once I had all the materials; it only took me about 30 minutes. I will upload some photos also.

Basically, I "recycled" a tile crate that was sitting next to a dumpster, and added some chicken wire I had at the house, along with a couple of hinges so I can open the top ( to add the new material) and to the front, in order to allow me to turn the pile. In the end, it is completely encased to avoid a few pests from getting into it.

Best of all, it cost me a couple of hinges, the rest was recycled from others?.

I also have to admit; I was a little anxious to get this pile going, that I even "borrowed" a bag of leaves from my neighbor to start the pile. As I already use a composting blade on my lawnmower, I do not have any grass clippings for it, but I will watch in the neighbor hood.

ONE ITEM CROSSED OFF THE TO DO LIST!!!!

And here is an update....full of leaves, some kitchen scraps....and another bag of grass (borrowed from the house up the road)....