Garden Thread
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ncnurseryman
Gold Member
Been slow getting my garden going this year. Got a few tomatoes, peppers going and just sowed some corn. Small garden though, I'd like to increase the size and I have the tractor, disc, 2 bottom plow and one row cultivator, but lack the time and too many deer.
I just got done putting in 250 strawberry plants... with that many more left to put in the ground. Sure could use the above mentioned harrow and plow, both are very high on my shopping list. :thumbsup:
OP
jmurray01
Veteran Member
That reminds me, I do have to go and buy some strawberry plants sometime.
I've never grown any, but would like to.
For your own use consider "day neutral". They're less work and produce all sesson. (About a pound, or 1,1 Litre, per plant.) I also planted 20 of those earlier this year.
:licking:
Plus you get berries this year; the 500 which I'm planting toward starting a pick your own won't do anything until next year.
ncnurseryman
Gold Member
What do you do to keep the deer away?
We don't have enough deer up here to be much of a problem. This year is just a practice run anyways. Next year I'll put up 2 strands of electric fence around the entire 2 acres which I plan to use.
We've been increasing each year over the past few years, more area and trying new stuff. We're scaling back this year as our hands our pretty full with our first born who is three and a half months old now.
We're sticking to things that we've had better luck with - 1.5 dozen tomatoes, a row of green beans, a couple rows of patty pan squash and a section of corn (20'x30'). The two main obstacles are going to be squash bugs and racoons. I'm going to try spraying the squash plants with Surround WP to keep the squash bugs away. Last year, the racoons probably got >90% of our corn so I picked up a solar power electric fence that I'll be hooking up soon.
Our next door neighbor came over on Saturday with his 4' Befco tiller and tilled the section where we're planting the corn. 3 passes over the entire area in 15 mins or less. Last year I did that area with a walk behind tiller. What a difference....
Keith
We're sticking to things that we've had better luck with - 1.5 dozen tomatoes, a row of green beans, a couple rows of patty pan squash and a section of corn (20'x30'). The two main obstacles are going to be squash bugs and racoons. I'm going to try spraying the squash plants with Surround WP to keep the squash bugs away. Last year, the racoons probably got >90% of our corn so I picked up a solar power electric fence that I'll be hooking up soon.
Our next door neighbor came over on Saturday with his 4' Befco tiller and tilled the section where we're planting the corn. 3 passes over the entire area in 15 mins or less. Last year I did that area with a walk behind tiller. What a difference....
Keith
Luremaker
Veteran Member
Are your strawberry plants bare roots? Only 18 cents per plant in 500 counts. I've also thought of planting a small pick your own berry patch.
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hunterridgefarm
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I plant about 3 acres. Currently have 3 rows of potatoes, 4 rows of peas, 2 of greenbeans, 1 cantaloupe, watermelon, 125 tomato plants with more to set out, plus squash and cucumber.
I found a great buy on a 14x14 greenhouse and was able to start plants in early March this year. Hope to get a thread started soon about the green house.
I have most of my irrigation system ready to install, will mainly use sprinklers this year. I have the pump and hose, got a great buy on the 2" flat hose, 300' for $90.00. TSC has the same thing for $1.49'
.
Since I have the irrigation system I will plant 1 acre of pumpkins this year and depending on how they do, will increase next year.
Strawberries: I rent a 29ac farm to a full time farmer a couple of counties south of me. He grows about 6-10 of it in strawberries. He plants them in September/October for harvest starting in May. This year due to the warm weather they were ready to start picking mid to late April. He picked 850 gallons last Friday:drool: I visit every weekend to get 2-4 gallons...there free... to me. He usually picks 300-500 gallons a day and sells for $9.00 gallon. Cost around $36,000.00 to put them in...raised rows in plastic and irrigrated. If I can remember I take a few pictures this weekend.
David
I found a great buy on a 14x14 greenhouse and was able to start plants in early March this year. Hope to get a thread started soon about the green house.
I have most of my irrigation system ready to install, will mainly use sprinklers this year. I have the pump and hose, got a great buy on the 2" flat hose, 300' for $90.00. TSC has the same thing for $1.49'
.Since I have the irrigation system I will plant 1 acre of pumpkins this year and depending on how they do, will increase next year.
Strawberries: I rent a 29ac farm to a full time farmer a couple of counties south of me. He grows about 6-10 of it in strawberries. He plants them in September/October for harvest starting in May. This year due to the warm weather they were ready to start picking mid to late April. He picked 850 gallons last Friday:drool: I visit every weekend to get 2-4 gallons...there free... to me. He usually picks 300-500 gallons a day and sells for $9.00 gallon. Cost around $36,000.00 to put them in...raised rows in plastic and irrigrated. If I can remember I take a few pictures this weekend.
David
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I paid about 30 cents plus shipping. Another place had them for less, but were sold out by the time I ordered in March.
I figure with 500 plants I'll let a few people I can trust come in to pick, so I don't need to be there. I eventually hope to work up to about 1/2 acre, some ladderless apples for PYO, plus another 1/2 acre of asparagus.
i checked out your link; but by the time I paid the export fees and phyto certificate it would add another $125.00.
Luremaker
Veteran Member
I plant about 3 acres. Currently have 3 rows of potatoes, 4 rows of peas, 2 of greenbeans, 1 cantaloupe, watermelon, 125 tomato plants with more to set out, plus squash and cucumber.
I found a great buy on a 14x14 greenhouse and was able to start plants in early March this year. Hope to get a thread started soon about the green house.
I have most of my irrigation system ready to install, will mainly use sprinklers this year. I have the pump and hose, got a great buy on the 2" flat hose, 300' for $90.00. TSC has the same thing for $1.49'
Since I have the irrigation system I will plant 1 acre of pumpkins this year and depending on how they do, will increase next year.
Strawberries: I rent a 29ac farm to a full time farmer a couple of counties south of me. He grows about 6-10 of it in strawberries. He plants them in September/October for harvest starting in May. This year due to the warm weather they were ready to start picking mid to late April. He picked 850 gallons last Friday:drool: I visit every weekend to get 2-4 gallons...there free... to me. He usually picks 300-500 gallons a day and sells for $9.00 gallon. Cost around $36,000.00 to put them in...raised rows in plastic and irrigrated. If I can remember I take a few pictures this weekend.
David
I hope he has help to pick all those strawberries. Pictures would be great!
Luremaker
Veteran Member
What variety of "day neutral" did you plant? Are the fruit as tasty as the June bearing varieties. Also what kind of in-row and row spacing do you use for your strawberries?
This is my first year, I planted 'Seascape" for day neutral, on a 1 foot grid.
I hope they're as tasty; that's zll i'll have this year.
My june bearers are in raised beds 5 feet on center; rather wide, but that's determined by my tractor.
It should be interesting how they turn out; if it goes well I'll try to narrow up my wheels and put more in next year on a 4 foot spacing.
