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Sunday, July 20, 2008

Lasagna vs Square Foot Garden Update 07/2008

The podcasts are lagging, but the garden keeps on growing. Snow peas are going strong, producing approximately four pounds so far from two twelve foot rows. Got tired of stringing them so the third row that should be ready soon is going to climb up a trellis.
The small strawberry patch (about 15 plants) produced five and one-half pounds of strawberries, of which I ate approximately seven strawberries, and my wife ate four... I'll be expanding the patch so the parents can get a better chance at them for next year.
In the Lasagna vs Square Foot Garden Mix competition, the Jersey Ramapo tomatoes are neck and neck, as are the onions, the big difference at the moment are the bell peppers: they're doing great in the Sq. Ft. Garden mix, and looking sickly in the lasagna garden. A pH test may give us the answer since peppers can be more sensitive.
The "Smart Grow Mat" vs "Aunt Tilly's Sweater" is showing mixed results, with the melons out of the race (one died), the corn showing no preference, the potatoes hidden under the foliage, the cauliflower preferring the sweater, the brussel sprouts just tirying to survive. preferring the ?? -
The Japanese Tomato Ring vs the Wilber method is showing some interestiong results so far: The Early Girls are close to the same size, while the Cherokee Chocolates are doing great so far around the JTR, and the Wilbur method is now just starting to take off, though it's looking like a dwarf. I've fertilized them all the same amount, using natural fertilizer (5-3-3) and some comfrey leaves poked into a gallon jug and fermented - wow - they don't smell as bad as the septic system being pumped, but you don't want to entertain near it either.
A couple of good reference sites for tomatoes include "The Tomato Doctor" and "Disorders of Tomato Leaves". Both sites offer good pics of diseased leaves and possible cures. I'll be off, or at least not nearby a computer I can blog on for the next few weeks, so I'm hoping to have a lot to write about with the competitions once I return.
Posted by Andrew at 10:17 AM
Edited on: Sunday, July 20, 2008 4:34 PM
Categories: Dirty Hacks