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2016 - JoeFish Arkansas Grown

I have wanted a garden for awhile now. So Sept. 2013 I picked out a spot and started working on my spot.  All the rest is history.
 
My grow list... Since I was skeptical about starting seeds I ordered plants.  Hopefully I will start everything myself next year.
 
A Picture of my Garden spot.  It is about 21' x 27'
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And my soil test....
http://postimg.org/image/n09oi22fn/
 
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JoeFish said:
She is not in any pain anymore. Jumping around like the hooligan she is. Thanks for asking!
She is not in any pain anymore. Jumping around like the hooligan she is. Thanks for asking!
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Checking everyones sobriety?
 
JoeFish said:
She's back to 10/10 for sure! They said it would take a little longer but she is hard headed... Don't know where she gets that from.

So let me spill the beans on a stupid mistake I made a couple days ago. I wanted my plants to green up a little and being a compete dummy I mixed myself a foliar spay made up of water and miracle gro quick start fertiliZer and spayed all my plants with it. It crinkled all of them up and they are starting to bounce back. I'll post pics soon. I almost made my first year Without incident but I just had to go and overthink things, as usual. At least I didn't mess them up.
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Good to hear they are coming back, cant remember did you top/trim them this year?
 
I am considering using Garden-Tone by espoma in my garden this year.  Has anyone used it before?  I was going to buy everything separate and make my own but @ $40 for 40 lbs and free shipping I don't think I can beat it.  It has all the good organic stuff in it and ready to go. 
 
I was going to try that Garden-Tone stuff too, but when I went to Lowes to get some I saw Jobes organic Fast Start.  It also has calcium/Magnesium and 13 different strains of soil micro-organisms in it.  I'm going to give it a try.
 
Jusplayn said:
I was going to try that Garden-Tone stuff too, but when I went to Lowes to get some I saw Jobes organic Fast Start.  It also has calcium/Magnesium and 13 different strains of soil micro-organisms in it.  I'm going to give it a try.
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Yeah Ive been reading up on some stuff too and I think Im going with the tomato-tone just to be sure I get some of that goodness to them.
 
beerbreath81 said:
Gearin up for a great season, looks like the little one is ready to lend a hand!!
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I hope so BB!  Yeah she is ready.  My second one just tramples them.  Found out Monday that my 3rd one is in the oven!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  WOW.......
 
Looking great Joe! I haven't tried the Garden Tone, but have been using the Espoma Tomato Tone and the plants have been loving it so far. Not sure how different the garden tone is to the tomato tone but I'm sure your plants will love it. Espoma makes some great products.
 
Congratulations! 
I've used the Espoma stuff too and it seems to work well.  It's organic and I think I found it on sale, so I just have it in my collection of stuff I can add if things are looking a bit off.  I think if you used that and your mulch you should be fine.  If you're investing in this stuff, you may want to do a soil test.  If you've got a decent garden center in the area or an ag school nearby that would be worth checking out.  I've done one of the cheap $5 tests and didn't think that was worth it at all.  If I do one again, I'm having samples sent in someplace and getting a good read out.  If you do that, then you'll really know what you have to work with and if you need to add anything or not.  I think the goal of all the composting and mulching you are doing is to build the soil to the point that you don't have to add the store bought ferts to it.  Just my 2 cents.
 
I had a soil test done last fall, I have a copy of it on the first page. Please take a look and tell me what you think. I thought that maybe I would use the tomato tone for the micros and bacteria if nothing else.
 
JoeFish said:
I had a soil test done last fall, I have a copy of it on the first page. Please take a look and tell me what you think. I thought that maybe I would use the tomato tone for the micros and bacteria if nothing else.
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Sorry, I totally forgot you had that. 
I'm not expert on reading those, but here's what I noticed:
You've got a silty loam soil at a slightly acidic pH with above optimum P and K.  These are all great things, imo.  Peppers prefer slightly acidic soil, I don't know what the bottom end is, but I'm pretty sure you're in the range easily.  Silty loam is ideal.
I looked for some information on your calcium levels, as I've not read a test on that and don't know the amounts, I'm going blind.  But I do know that Calcium is very important and from what I've heard in some permaculture podcasts, it can even help the plants uptake the right level of other minerals, so it really is key. 
I looked at this webpage: http://www.spectrumanalytic.com/support/library/ff/Ca_Basics.htm
And the ratio of Ca, Mg, K should be 65%, 10%, and 5% according to that page.
Your report has a base saturation % of those minerals of Ca - 47.4%, Mg - 14.2%, and K - 7.8%.
Which seems to me to be not too bad at all.
 
The main thing I couldn't find, but may have just missed, is your Nitrogen levels.  I noticed that the recommendation for your garden that they give you is to basically add a high Nitrogen fertilizer (34-0-0).  I don't think this means that you're in bad shape with Nitrogen, that's just probably what you are behind on if anything.
 
I think your soil looks great from what I can tell.  You are doing the best thing possible adding wood mulch and compost.  Those things will increase your microbiological life, and the wood will gradually add to the mychorrhizal life, which will help your plants take in the nutrients as well.  If you plant a bunch of beans and peas around your peppers, they will fix nitrogen in your soil as you go as well. 
 
That tomato tone won't hurt for sure, it will only help.  But from what I can tell, your soil looks great and should only get better as you continue to build it like you are.
 
How much did that soil test cost you?  I should really get one done for my new place when we move in.  That's got some helpful stuff on it.
I bet your plants will take off once it warms up.  You should have a great season ahead of you.
 
Thanks for checking it out you defiantly know more about what it says than me. I got my fingers crossed for the season, I've been putting in some work and hope it pays off.
 
Pulpiteer said:
How much did that soil test cost you?  I should really get one done for my new place when we move in.  That's got some helpful stuff on it.
I bet your plants will take off once it warms up.  You should have a great season ahead of you.
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My soil test was free in Arkansas with the extension office.  Sorry I just read that and thought I would let you know.
 
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