JCW's 2015 Glog

Sawyer · Apr 3, 2015

There's really no good way to work with sticky clay. I hate the way it sticks to the inside of a post-hole diggers blades. There is a local business, Nitron Industries, who has a product, A-35, that works pretty well as a long-term treatment to loosen up clay. Clay's not my biggest problem, but it's a good general soil conditioner, too. I bought a gallon yesterday. Also bought a gallon of humic acid and a 44# bag of Azomite. (I have no interest in the company except as a satisfied customer.)

D3monic · Apr 3, 2015

Yea when I built my garden fence I spent more energy getting the clay off the post digger than I did actually digging. Could be worse though. If we was in Arizona we could be trying to dig through caleche. That clay is basically stone fired in the heat and hard as a rock.

jcw10tc · Apr 3, 2015

Sawyer said:
There's really no good way to work with sticky clay. I hate the way it sticks to the inside of a post-hole diggers blades. There is a local business, Nitron Industries, who has a product, A-35, that works pretty well as a long-term treatment to loosen up clay. Clay's not my biggest problem, but it's a good general soil conditioner, too. I bought a gallon yesterday. Also bought a gallon of humic acid and a 44# bag of Azomite. (I have no interest in the company except as a satisfied customer.)

I did some brief research into what I could do, but decided not to even try. Not sure how much longer will be in the house. Once kids are gone, I want to downsize so don't want to put too much effort into something that might only be for 5 - 8 more years. Wife keeps on me about raised beds so might just break down and put in a bunch of those, just don't like the cost and time that would take to do. I just keep a board handy and push the clay out of the digger. Its good just to get out and something I can do in the yard when not much else to do yet outside.

Ozzy2001 · Apr 3, 2015

Just use 2x4 or flip a shovel over hit the post holes on it. It knocks the dirt/clay off pretty easy.

PaulG · Apr 4, 2015

Lots of great progress since my last visit, Justin!

Raised beds are a good option. Used 2x4 corner posts and recycled cedar
fence boards work pretty well as an inexpensive alternative. Filling them
with compost/soil is another matter. Do you have a compost pile/bin?

D3monic · Apr 4, 2015

PaulG said:
Lots of great progress since my last visit, Justin!

Raised beds are a good option. Used 2x4 corner posts and recycled cedar
fence boards work pretty well as an inexpensive alternative. Filling them
with compost/soil is another matter. Do you have a compost pile/bin?

I had some pretty decent compost/soil delivered last year for like $170 for a dump load full. Pretty decent stuff. Also ordered 2 loads of mulch from the guy. Did most my landscaping with all that.

Trident chilli · Apr 4, 2015

Great start Justin ... loads of healthy plants ready for your dirt ... all the very best for this season

jcw10tc · Apr 4, 2015

PaulG said:
Lots of great progress since my last visit, Justin!

Raised beds are a good option. Used 2x4 corner posts and recycled cedar
fence boards work pretty well as an inexpensive alternative. Filling them
with compost/soil is another matter. Do you have a compost pile/bin?

Thanks. They got off to a weak start, but most of them are looking pretty healthy now. Still month and a half to go so should be in good shape. I have raiesed bed on the right side of my property where a handful of peppers and all the other stuff goes. It is 4x4 corner posts and left over 2x6 boards from kids dismantled swing set. Was out at the local community college the other day at their ag site. They used standard concrete blocks and then they even fill the holes in the blocks and plants onions and herbs and stuff in there. Might look at that in the future, just not now.

D3monic said:
I had some pretty decent compost/soil delivered last year for like $170 for a dump load full. Pretty decent stuff. Also ordered 2 loads of mulch from the guy. Did most my landscaping with all that.

I probably need to shop around see if I can find some. Only one place close to me that might have it, others will be 30+ miles away, probably high delivery charges. Have unlimited source for top soil, but the quality is not the best, pretty thick sticky stuff, but could get almost free.

Trident chilli said:
Great start Justin ... loads of healthy plants ready for your dirt ... all the very best for this season

Thanks. Hope its good but not as good as last year. Would be happy with half the pods and half the plant size.

D3monic · Apr 4, 2015

I found my dude on abbies list.

PaulG · Apr 5, 2015

The concrete block thing is a great idea.

jcw10tc · Apr 7, 2015

Have 6 flats with 18 3.5" pots now in the kitchen living mostly off the sunlight now. Working on getting the rest potted up and ready. Then will start alternating between kitchen sun and basement lights.

Hadn't looked at these guys in a few days. I think they grew 2 - 3" some of them since Friday. They are growing up too fast, I am running out of room quickly.

This white fatalii is starting to bud already. I didn't have anything bud in the house last year now I have one starting with way over a month until plant out.

Some more of the bigger ones still looking pretty good.

Can anyone tell me about MOA plant size. All my MOA, Red MOA, and even SB7J's seem like short little guys compared to others sprouted about the same time. The picture below doesn't depict it well the they are 2 MOAs and they are about 3-4" tall where everything else in the flat is 6 to 9 inches.

Not sure if a criitter at that leave or I tore it. I am hoping it was me.

The plot on the east side of the house is almost ready, just waiting for plantout now there pretty much.

Damn squirrels keep burying walnuts in my loose dirt in the raised beds. I had raked this dirt perfectly flat a few days before this picture.

And after a little digging, I find.

D3monic · Apr 7, 2015

Plants are looking great, nice and uniform in size... mine are all over the place. Glad I don't have any trees big enough to seed or support squirrels. Just the damn rabbits.

My MOA are pretty short as well. Staying low to the pot all 3 of them.

Ozzy2001 · Apr 7, 2015

Ditto on the MOAs. I've stripped a lot of lower leaves hoping they go up a little.

Scorched · Apr 8, 2015

D3monic said:
Plants are looking great, nice and uniform in size... mine are all over the place. Glad I don't have any trees big enough to seed or support squirrels. Just the damn rabbits.

My MOA are pretty short as well. Staying low to the pot all 3 of them.

I've got a bunch of rabbits around as well. I've got myself a couple bottles of fox urine at the ready to keep em away as well as one of those fake owls with the bobble head. First time trying the owl but I know the fox piss works. Just have to apply a bit after each rain. Doesn't take much

Plants are looking really great Justin. You're gonna have trees by the time plant out comes around lol.

grispa72 · Apr 8, 2015

Beautiful plants! Here in Italy we say "bravo"!
Congratulations!

Paolo

Ozzy2001 · Apr 8, 2015

Scorched said:
I've got a bunch of rabbits around as well. I've got myself a couple bottles of fox urine at the ready to keep em away as well as one of those fake owls with the bobble head. First time trying the owl but I know the fox piss works. Just have to apply a bit after each rain. Doesn't take much

Plants are looking really great Justin. You're gonna have trees by the time plant out comes around lol.

Where does one acquire fox urine? I'm just curious.

D3monic · Apr 8, 2015

Most home depot or similar places have rabbit sprays with it. Never worked for me. I got a hawk, neihbor an owl. I spray, have dogs, patch fences, shoot at, chase, even poisoned one. They are persistant.

Scorched · Apr 8, 2015

Walmart usually carries pure fox urine in the hunting section. Spray it on your boots to mask your scent during deer hunting. I've never tried the keep away critter sprays but the pure urine has always seemed to work for me. Just have to reapply after rain.

Hahaha. Damn you've got some persistent rabbits man. That's crazy. I'm glad the ones around here aren't like that

PaulG · Apr 8, 2015

Plants look very nice, Justin. My MoA last season was a shorter bush, as well.
In fact, all the bonnets I've grown with the exception of the TFM have been
smaller in stature. The TFM was in an 18-gallon container, however.

It's good that you have some sunny windows to put the overflow in!

Trident chilli · Apr 8, 2015

Great looking plants Justin ... Love the Rabbits .. Fox pee ... in Middle England all we have to worry about is a stray cat in the green house or the window cleaners ladder topping our plants ... ditto on the MoA my last seasons Yellow's were bushy and compact