Breaking ground in winter: pros/cons?
zone4newby
11 years ago
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11 years agoMNTwins
11 years agoRelated Discussions
Rows or Raised Beds - Pros and Cons
Comments (27)I garden in lower framed beds (10" deep), taller raised frame beds (20" deep), lagsana gardens framed in old concrete chunks and also frame free raised beds. I have lots of options, and find that there is a place for all. My annual vegetables go in the framed beds or at church in the unframed raised beds. The lower beds are best - they drain very well and seem to stay disease free. The taller beds hold more wet soils and were filled mostly with compost which both depletes quickly and can carry disease for long periods if disease gets into the soil (soil choice wasn't mine). The few issues with the frameless raised beds in our garden is that they get very weedy because matting weed grasses have taken over in walkways, and the walkways between beds are far too narrow for some people (we have a variety of people who garden with us). The framed beds are much easier to keep grass free and it's just easier for people to move about them we find. I love my concrete edged lasagna beds for perennial vegetables. The soil stays more moist in them yet drainage is excellent, I can keep layering inside the frames easily while building the beds and the beds "look" like something even when they are filled only with green manures or mulches. I can create any look I like with the chunks of free concrete and it always looks like rock in a few years and it always looks more planned. A nice idea if you have a front yard garden and want your vegetables looking more like ornamental gardens. I think everything has it's place, it is really what you prefer, what you can budget for....See MoreAny Ideas on How to Break Ground?
Comments (16)Petalpatsy - what do you mean by growth medium? I see your seedling bed is on a steeper slope than mine, so maybe it won't be as dire as my hubby predicts. (The more daylilies I have, the less he likes them.) Why do you suggest greensand? What are the benefits of it? How close do you plant your baby seedlings? Would 12" be O.K.? I planted about half of last year's seedlings that close, and now I've got to move them. The other half I spaced at 2' intervals and they have really multiplied, although they are just a year old. The bed is 30' by 100' - a little much for me to handle with a fork. Cynthia, I do like that U-Bar fork - that looks like a great idea - haven't seen one like that. greenbean, thanks for the info on the San Angelo bar, because we do have some bare spots on our clay hill upon which nothing will grow -- not even weeds. BTW, I used to live in San Angelo, too - many years ago. My dad was the resident engineer (Corps of Engineers) over the construction of the SA Dam and Reservoir. We lived out by the site. I remember the tarantulas, and especially those little red velvet spiders that used to come out after rains. I've never seen them anywhere else in Texas. I also remember my mother sending me out in the winter to hang the wash on the clothesline. The bed linens and towels would be frozen stiff within a minute or two. In the summer, there were no ACs back then, just evaporative coolers. Our local landscaper returned my call today -- he told us to scarify the plot with the teeth on a box blade, running it in all directions, including diagonally. He said that had to be done first, before using a disk. My helper got that done this afternoon. Now I have a nice big garden spot with very black gummy soil. He also told me to add gypsum. I hope it doesn't rain before we can get it disked....See MoreTrim off lower branches on Pine Trees? Pros and Cons?
Comments (39)I just feel like it drags on the ground and needs some space under. ??? ==>> actually ... given a big enough garden.. many conifer collectors specifically collect trees the 'skirt' ... that is.. grow to the ground and spread out ... but then.. i have 5 acres ... and space for such ... besides... once you lift the canopy.. you have to weed and mulch in the bare ground you created .. all that said ... its your plants.. do whatever you want with them .. make yourself happy ... and who cares what the rest of us say .. or think ... ken btw:.. a horticulturist walks into a bar and sees a biologist .. and says to himself.. who cares ..lol ... and his friend says.. but hes a professor ... and the horticulturist says... so what ... well this is an epic fail...lol: https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffnt&q=conifer+skirts&iax=images&ia=images somewhat better: https://duckduckgo.com/?q=pendulous+conifer+that+grow+to+the+ground+and+create+skirts&t=ffnt&iar=images&iax=images&ia=images do whatever you want to your trees ... ken...See MorePlanting Bougainvilleas in ground. Pros & Cons
Comments (6)I have several in three gallon pots. I tie up the long stems by winding a cord around them and take them into what I call an overwintering house before the first freeze. They lose most, but not all their leaves in the winter. I water them occasionally. In spring they are set back outside, the stems untied, the few that broke are cut off, some fertilizer pellets are added, and they are ready to go for another season. I've done this for years. Every three years or so I yank them out of the pots, shake off as much dirt as possible and put in fresh potting soil. They are the most dependable plant that I have for season long color....See MoreAnnie Deighnaugh
11 years agofrozenelves
11 years agozone4newby
11 years agoUser
11 years agotheisma
11 years agoMNTwins
11 years agozone4newby
11 years agoworthy
11 years ago
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