Gardening chat

[MrsJ]

Vi, since you're my neighbor maybe we can work together on some things. I have a very large net that was used to keep pheasants in a backyard. It might keep birds out if that would help you. I also am going to try potatoes again this year and we could compare notes. I've had some success in the past and have done a lot of study on the internet so I have some new ideas that might help.

On another note: any chance you would want to sell that round pen? I figure Marion used to use it a lot but don't know if you work with horses now. You could PM me. Thanks.

Thanks for mentionong the netting.  I have some that I use to cover my raspberries every year.  If I don't cover them I don't get any berries, the birds get them all.  Richard got the net out today and covered my beans with it.  I then sprayed with Malathion because some very hungry creatures are eating them to a nub.

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There is a lot of things you can do to help your garden. One of the best things is to till your leaves into your garden in the fall. When I had a big garden, I'd till in 20 of those big leaf bags into my garden each Fall. I'd also put some nitrogen in with the leaves to help with the process. Then I'd leave another 5 bags on top and not till them in until Spring. I also put all my grass clipping around my plants to keep the weeds down, during the Summer. When my plants are little, in the Spring, I sprinkle a little nitrogen around them. It helps them grow faster but I never do it more than once and never after they start to blossom. Having sandy soil really helps too, especially with potatoes. Here are some pics of the sweet potatoes I grew the year before I lost my big garden spot.





This was 2017, if I can find the rest of the pics I have some that are even bigger that I grew in 2018.
There are many variety of Potatoes that are great for growing in poor conditions. I even grew a variety that was purple. I ordered a lot of mine from different seed and potato catalogs.


Those are some nice looking sweet potatoes.  I have grown them other years, but not this year.  

I always put all my leaves into the garden in the fall, and would also put chicken straw or horse or cow manuer in with the soil.  I also put all my grass clippings around my plants that don't have plastic under them.  I fertilize with 10-10-10 before planting each year. I fertilize corn and onions with extra nitrogen, and that's all

I read somewhere that potatoes need extra phosphorus and not much nitrogen.  This year I am trying that to see if I get any better yield.  My potatoe plants look pretty good so far.  I spent the day replanting beets, carrots, cucumbers, and cabbage.  I then sprayed my entire garden in hopes the ants don't carry away all the seeds again.  This is my 3rd package of beets, and I have 1 plant after a month.  I hope my efforts today pay off.