Round cages are easy to use, but a pain to store. Using this simple two-step process, you can make a cage that can accomodate large tomato plants (as a square), smaller spaces for vining plants (triangle) or a row of peas or beans (fence). The podcast goes through the simple two step process.
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.
The King Harry Potatoes are avoiding most of the ravages of outdoor
living, with the exception of the occasional bug and slug, and they're
taking over my row. My scheme of companion planting has been thwarted by
their vigorous growth
Meanwhile, in the rest of the garden, there's more hair - in the shape
of a Pac-Man shaped mat named "SmartGrow"
Grow mats. These are made from human hair imported from China, where
dying is reserved to wearable items. They report up to a 35% increase in
growth. I'm a little skeptical but I decided to buy a couple of sets and
pit them against my "Aunt Millie's Really Loud Wool Sweater that I will
NEVER wear again": yes, I cut up an old wool sweater in the same shape
and size, and used them around several plants to see if a $5 sweater
from the Salvation Army would give the same or similar results. 100%
wool, they're made of almost the same material, just a different animal.
You can see the Podcast at: youtube.com
- search for Gardenhacker. Or, you can click on the embedded video below:
Meanwhile, in the rest of the garden, there's more hair - in the shape
of a Pac-Man shaped mat named "SmartGrow"
Grow mats. These are made from human hair imported from China, where
dying is reserved to wearable items. They report up to a 35% increase in
growth. I'm a little skeptical but I decided to buy a couple of sets and
pit them against my "Aunt Millie's Really Loud Wool Sweater that I will
NEVER wear again": yes, I cut up an old wool sweater in the same shape
and size, and used them around several plants to see if a $5 sweater
from the Salvation Army would give the same or similar results. 100%
wool, they're made of almost the same material, just a different animal.
You can see the Podcast at: youtube.com
- search for Gardenhacker. Or, you can click on the embedded video below: