Garden 2017

[Pokem807]

So nice and tidy, no weeds. I hate your guts.!

Like the Zinnias, such an easy splash of color to add to the garden.

Those Zinnias have gone absolutely crazy. I'm glad the tomatoes had such a head start, or they might have gotten taken over.

 

[dennishoddy]

Our above ground garden, has been mostly a disappointment. We have a few tomatoes and peppers but the yield has been less than impressive.
Not enough minerals in the soil. Used crap bagged garden soil from HD, but mixed Nitrogen, phosphorus and Potassium but not enough. Will be adding homemade compost this winter.

Don't do anything until you take a soil sample and have it analyzed. You will save yourself a lot of time, and money.
I found out I didn't need nitrogen in my soil last year. Only P and K. Its amazing how much more produce I got off the plants.

 

[dennishoddy]

That is a Hoss wheel hoe, and it's the best money I've spent in a while. I haven't had the tiller out of the shed in a couple of months. With the wheel hoe I can weed the whole garden in an hour or so, and it only needs it about once a week. Beats the heck out of fighting with a cultivator or tiller, and it's good exercise. Highly recommended!

If I think of it, I'll post a pic of my "back hoe" tomorrow to take out weeds.

 

[steelfingers]

Don't do anything until you take a soil sample and have it analyzed. You will save yourself a lot of time, and money.
I found out I didn't need nitrogen in my soil last year. Only P and K. Its amazing how much more produce I got off the plants.

Thanks. We have a very good OSU extension office here, and will do that. Do I need to take the sample like core sample, or will just a sample from the top. (All this soil was vigorously tilled prior to planting)

 

[lasher]

i just added all the nutrients i could, and then turned the ground white with agricultural lime, tilled it in and had the best garden with that mix, i used to buy all my compost from the place off agnew in cow town, comes from the feedlots. i was having bottom black spot on the maters but the lime stopped that

 

[dennishoddy]

Thanks. We have a very good OSU extension office here, and will do that. Do I need to take the sample like core sample, or will just a sample from the top. (All this soil was vigorously tilled prior to planting)

Even though you tilled it, take the samples at root depth. Take a dozen samples from all over the garden, mix in a bucket and save a gallon zip loc bag full.

 

[steelfingers]

Even though you tilled it, take the samples at root depth. Take a dozen samples from all over the garden, mix in a bucket and save a gallon zip loc bag full.

Thanks. Should I wait till the end of the season? Too late to have much difference at this point. Shame because the tomatoes we have picked are Very good.

 

[magna19]

Thanks. Should I wait till the end of the season? Too late to have much difference at this point. Shame because the tomatoes we have picked are Very good.

I would do the soil sample as soon as the season is over. Most times it is easier to adjust soil if time is on your side. Just in case you get your soil to hot with manure or adding lots of compost. Time will be your best friend

 

[steelfingers]

I would do the soil sample as soon as the season is over. Most times it is easier to adjust soil if time is on your side. Just in case you get your soil to hot with manure or adding lots of compost. Time will be your best friend

Thanks. Plan on building two other small above grounds this winter and learning from the first will benefit me on the other two.

 

[dennishoddy]

I would do the soil sample as soon as the season is over. Most times it is easier to adjust soil if time is on your side. Just in case you get your soil to hot with manure or adding lots of compost. Time will be your best friend

You're correct. It takes time for anything to happen especially the soil PH. Do it now or later in the fall, and you will see a marked difference next spring and with another sample then, you can tweek it to where it really needs to be.