Devv's Dirt Grow-Almost done..

Weekend March 2-3:
I’ve been working on the garden for years; it was dormant for a few years (like 10) while I changed careers. The base soil if you want to call it that is sand. I added heavy black dirt to the upper 2/3 years ago; I’ve since added heavy red dirt (clay ) to half of the lower 1/3. For two years straight I’ve added 4”s of compost to the upper 2/3 and this year 4”s to the bottom 1/3. I clean horse pens for the free manure; kitchen waste is added to the compost. Our property is on a slope and heavy rains cause erosion problems. Above the garden the land is heavily terraced to divert water runoff.
Finished concreting the base of the fence, used 22 80lb bags, the Waskily Wabbits should be done, until they find another way in. They have been a real menace! I tried a hot wire system, it was not too effective and killed birds and squirrels; I didn’t like that.

Planted the Onions January 15th, Garlic was planted September 15th. They took a beating with the 30mph winds, 55 mph gusts last Monday.

Tilled and my wife planted corn, cukes, watermelons, bush beans and cantelope.

Bush Beans above

Cukes, and Melons behind the Rosemary above.

Corn below.

I started these the first week of January; I think I got carried away.

The Potatoes, planted February 15th are coming up. I planted then 8”s deep and I keep covering them up, and will do so until the ground is level where planted.

Never ending mulch pile.

Hmmm.. too many images...

 

[Devv]

Been there done that...then using the peroxide gel to bleach it out. Not a fun process. Dad guided during the winter near Del Rio. Your plants and flowers are looking good so far! I'm so ready for pods!!! Won't be long, but it will seem like eons, oh yeah and then we have to wait for them to ripen.

I just saw your plants, it won't be long!

I have a few starting to bud in the garden, can't wait until they further along..

Take care bud.

Scott

Whoa just used up all my “Like This” catching up, great glog and very nice read. One note, while pineapples do take a minimum of 2 years from tops (btw it can be up to 3 years AFAIK), if you get slips (some people call them suckers) that pop out of the bottom of your pineapple plant they only take 8 months to yield fruit. Don’t ask me how I know, lol … about 10 years ago or more I started growing them as well and started from a lonely top. Now I’m up to 6 plants (space restrictions) and have gifted many but all of the ones I have now but one are slips, so far only one’s pumping out fruit but I expect 2 more to follow within 2 months or so. Keep up dat great grow ^_^

Edit: Kinda makes you wonder how you can buy a $2.99 pineapple at your local store, makes me feel bad for the pineapple farmers. Yea I know they stagger fields but still 8 months is crazy. One thing I love about them is they can run on cruise control the whole time ... have a great weekend

Thanks for the comments, and stopping by. I saw your Pineapples the other day and showed 'em to the wife, now she's even more excited. She's really excited about her first Pineapple and goes to check on several times a day, almost as many times I check the peppers

Those ones we lost 2 years ago were just shy of 2 years old

So how long do the plants live? Do they keep going and producing or just stop?

Take care,

Scott

 

[Devv]

I've been busy working on irrigation, the bubblers worked out fine. I bought 20, and that's not enough. Spent the morning hitting the tomatoes and peppers with some ferts and Calmag.

Everything is growing nicely, but I'm worried about the forcast possible 36-38 the next two mornings.

First Maties!

First pepper blossom! Cayenne

Primo's (left) and Bhut's 6/6 except bhut head is still wearing his crown

Brain Strain possible hybrid from a friend. And that's the last one I plant this season....I swear!

Thai wearing a hat, hope he loses it..I feel better about this one than bhut head.

Note the second true leaves coming out below the first. it never tried to sprout them where they should be. Anyone see this before?

Potatoes ready to flower.

Odies, the pic police are ready to strike. I need a bump.

Thanks,

Scott

 

[DesertChris]

BUBBLERS in action!! Bumpity bump bump...lol

 

[Devv]

BUBBLERS in action!! Bumpity bump bump...lol

Thanks Chris,

I just love them, good flow with little pressure, and little erosion. I hate dragging the hose around! I tried drip irrigation years ago, spent a small fortune and all's they did was clog. I've always planted corn in the trench's and flooded them, peppers and tomatoes in holes or bowls (whatever). I'm working on converting them to trenches.

Things are growing fast, they need to before the heat comes:

Bush Beans

And now some bird food as they get to eat 99% so I just keep planting more....they love to peck each one just once so the bugs get in!

Peaches are setting

So are the Pears

Grapes, we've yet to eat a ripe grape...

Ok I have a corn question, darned worms eat in the core and destroy the tassel before it emerges. I hammer them with BT but they still do alot of damage. Ideas would be appreciated.

That's this weeks update, thanks for coming by and have a great weekend.

Scott

 

[DesertChris]

Not sure if this will help, but I have heard mineral oil on the tassles keeps bugs from going in that direction....Not sure how to prevent the ones going in from the side....

 

[Devv]

Not sure if this will help, but I have heard mineral oil on the tassles keeps bugs from going in that direction....Not sure how to prevent the ones going in from the side....

These are going down the center of the plant and hitting the tassel's before they show, it's way worse in the fall garden which starts here in late July. I should have taken pics last year. This only started after it got so dry a few years ago, whenever I water butterflys flock to the wet areas.

Have a good one,

Scott

 

[DesertChris]

We elected to skip growing corn this year......

I just found this article though, might help a bit

http://pestcontrol.a...wormControl.htm

 

[Devv]

We elected to skip growing corn this year......

I just found this article though, might help a bit

http://pestcontrol.a...wormControl.htm

Thanks,

Good info!

Scott

 

[DesertChris]

It looks like you can squirt the mineral oil in the end before tassles emerge too

 

[Devv]

Well we're getting wind hammered, 20mph steady and gusts to 36. One good thing is we don't have to sweep the Live Oak trash off the porches lol.

Worried about the morning, reports differ but showing 33 to 35 overnight. I'm up at 4:15, so I may be running the wobbler sprinklers and going to work late.

This is pretty rare for here, hopefully it's a sign of a weather change and it will rain this year!.

 

[DesertChris]

Oh, that is way to close for comfort.

We haven't had much rain in the last year either....

 

[annie57]

Yeah, Scott: you guys sent the cold OUR way . . . thanks a bunch but since you'll be up . . . if it's windy, at least around here, we don't have to worry much about frosts but that said, I stayed up until 2am in 2006. Wind blowing like crazy so thought we'd be clear. Took a few precautions, a few covers etc. Woke up at 6am and dang: no wind and frost. Wish stayed up and kept that hose glued to my hand. Peace, sugar. I'd rather be late for work than lose the beautiful stuff you got going on!!! Annie (and I'm outta "likes" for today too!)

 

[Devv]

Yeah, Scott: you guys sent the cold OUR way . . . thanks a bunch but since you'll be up . . . if it's windy, at least around here, we don't have to worry much about frosts but that said, I stayed up until 2am in 2006. Wind blowing like crazy so thought we'd be clear. Took a few precautions, a few covers etc. Woke up at 6am and dang: no wind and frost. Wish stayed up and kept that hose glued to my hand. Peace, sugar. I'd rather be late for work than lose the beautiful stuff you got going on!!! Annie (and I'm outta "likes" for today too!)

Sorry about the cold!

Well so far the Maties have taken quite a beating today, wind burned and broken. I hope they survive the night!

 

[WalkGood]

… So how long do the plants live? Do they keep going and producing or just stop?

Scott I don’t know how long actually but probably long time. I believe they can only product 1 fruit but have read of some producing two or twins. Also it’s possible that some folks get confused and believe that the fruit from a slip is a second fruit for that plant, which is not the case in my book. After I get 1 to 3 slips and fruit from main plant I kill off the original plant to boost the grow on the one slip I leave attached. The other one or two slips I replant separately and water strong till I see them taking off and then its cruse control again. By killing off the main plant I mean cutting all the leaves off and down as close to but not interfering with the slips new growth. The one that I have now bearing fruit is a slip and it's way less than 8 months pass, so I'm stoked about this one. Great updates & pics mon, great place you have there

Edit: if you want I can take a picture of that cut, I believe it's still visible on my plant

 

[Devv]

Scott I don’t know how long actually but probably long time. I believe they can only product 1 fruit but have read of some producing two or twins. Also it’s possible that some folks get confused and believe that the fruit from a slip is a second fruit for that plant, which is not the case in my book. After I get 1 to 3 slips and fruit from main plant I kill off the original plant to boost the grow on the one slip I leave attached. The other one or two slips I replant separately and water strong till I see them taking off and then its cruse control again. By killing off the main plant I mean cutting all the leaves off and down as close to but not interfering with the slips new growth. The one that I have now bearing fruit is a slip and it's way less than 8 months pass, so I'm stoked about this one. Great updates & pics mon, great place you have there

Edit: if you want I can take a picture of that cut, I believe it's still visible on my plant

Thanks for the comments, been here 24 years and it's still a money pit! I guess we wouldn't do it if we didn't like it.

Sure post the pic, I'd love to see it.

Thanks for coming by Ramon!

 

[WalkGood]

Scott, shoot me … I forgot to take the picture today :/ I’ll shoot one mañana. Read back a little and wanted to comment great job on the irrigation, looks first class. Hope that cold weather didn’t hit you that hard.

Your first matoe pics are awesome, funny I can’t recall shooting pics of my little Everglades wild tomatoes on da vine but I did cut off. I’ve found they’re extremely resilient to the local bugs, guess if something can make it in the Everglades it better be tuff, lols. Now I need to find an Everglades pepper, that would be killa … BTW what’s your first pepper blossom? Looks like a Jalapeño to me but that could be because I’ve been around them too much today, hehe. The new sprouts and seedlings all look great too!

While I have never grown corn or dealt with the bug issues, I believe Chris is onto something with that mineral oil recommendation. It’s a key ingredient in some organic stuff I bought to beat broad mites and it seems to work but they do come back eventually. So I’ve been spraying the oil once a week, couldn’t hurt so I’d give it a try. Everything looks great, have a good week ^_^ and boot me tomorrow if I don't show the pineapple picture of the cut where I killed off the original plant ...

 

[WalkGood]

Scott, shoot me … I forgot to take the picture today :/ I’ll shoot one mañana. ...

I didn't forget today

Here’s the pineapple plant at a little distance, if you look at the lower right, you’ll see a brown stump. That is where the original plant was, this specific original put out 4 slips (3 planted separately and one left to grow where it was). Slips look just like a bromeliad pumping out a new stalk or baby right off the main plant. You can cut that slip off as I did with the others and replant them, they will yield fruit in 8 months VS a pineapple top (2 to 3 years). In this specific case I cut down the original plant after the slip looked good so there would be more focus on it and that paid off as this one’s only 6 ½ months old and bearing fruit.

Closer up to the stump, again lower right. If you look close you can see how she's growing out the side of the stump.

Here’s what the fruit looks like as of 5 minutes ago … can’t wait to eat this sucker. Not sure if you read in my glog but I like to pick them 2 or 3 days before they’re ready to eat, leaving as long a stalk under the fruit as possible. I then put that into water so the pineapple sucks up as much as possible. Not sure if it’s true or not that they can suck up that water but I’d swear they’re so much juicier than any store bought one I’ve ever had.

 

[Devv]

Ramon,

That's cool! The wife walked by and let out a squeal, she can't wait until her's is ready to pick. She goes out and looks at it everyday

Hopefully it will do the same and slips will grow, right now it looks a little weather beaten as we leave them outside unless it frosts or freezes.

Yours looks picture perfect!

Here’s what the fruit looks like as of 5 minutes ago … can’t wait to eat this sucker. Not sure if you read in my glog but I like to pick them 2 or 3 days before they’re ready to eat, leaving as long a stalk under the fruit as possible. I then put that into water so the pineapple sucks up as much as possible. Not sure if it’s true or not that they can suck up that water but I’d swear they’re so much juicier than any store bought one I’ve ever had.

I did see that in your glog, we''ll give it a whirl when it's pick time.

Thanks for the post and take care,

Scott

 

[WalkGood]

Scott even if you don't get any slips and you pick the fruit, I'd leave it in the ground a few months to see if you do. I can't recall exactly but I believe I did have one plant one year that did not produce them till a few months later. It's certainly worth a try if you have the space to leave it in. These things are tanks so even if they do get weather beaten I'd let it run the course. only 8pm here and I'm all out of "like this" again, lol ... I'll hit you up on next visit.

 

[stc3248]

Mineral oil works...I used it along with aspirin last year trying to rid of pest and strengthen the plants. It's about as effective as Neem...you just gotta hit the bugs with it.