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StettoGro 4: Spredner Tin 2020

Welcome to another chapter in the great series of the Stettomans comedic gardening adventures! Come along, follow the antics of a guy makin' it up as he goes, having some luck, some not-so-much, and more than his share of whining about a fleepin' 3 month growing season! No telling what we'll see, Stetto's grows is always full of surprises and absurdities....
 
I almost named the thread the He should Know Better Grow, but I do and I'm going to go through with it anyway....
 
No list yet, but I put these Rocoto Amarillo to plug today to get a head start--I've decided to give them a full row in the half of an 8th acre, which I didn't plant at all last season. It was that bad up here...No corn, no beans, no lettuce, NO TUBERS, fercryinoutloud! All my peppers & tomatoes were container grown...
 
Trying a different route for germinating, at least for the firsters. I'll likely go back to trays with the Anuums and such...
 
20200227_100047.jpg

 
By the time I got the cuplettes ready I found I needed to add three more. Dunno if this was a good idear, but I used a pinch of water soluble Mykos to soak the plugs...
 
20200227_101022.jpg

 
That's all I got for todays episode, besides the Growdown Fatalii, which is doing quite well and the mystery XL Brown, which is purple and likely akin to PaulG's neat little PdN cross...
 
If I don't post a grow list of some kind by the end of the weekend, send someone to check on me, yeh?
 
I appreciate y'alls interest, don't make me regret it....
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Click to expand...
Here's a valuable lesson for me: Whether I plant or not, TILL THE DAMNED GARDEN.
 
I grew nothing out here last season. Everything was container grow. Just one season of fallow and the quackgrass has re-established. This is the hardest weed to eliminate that I know of, a fraction of an inch of viable root left under the dirt becomes a lawn in very short order...
 
I did till twice this Spring, but if I was paying any attention to the masses of root systems those tines were dredging up I would have thought to Roundup first. Until the end of this season I am cursed...
 
Believe it or not this is a row of Rocoto Amarillo, with an OW Giant Yellow Rocoto at the front.
 
weeds1 .jpg

 
Hoeing doesn't cut it, it might as well be mowed. Gonna have to till, again and again...They'll eventually die back, but the garden is surrounded by it, so a dose of Roundup in the fall and spring will be in order to maintain discipline of the plot.
 
My poor tomatoes, Abe Lincoln, Legend, Amish Paste. To the left are my first ever tomatillo plants, and further to the left are my broc and brussels. HGow far the root systems of the quackgrass have encroached is apparent.
 
weeds2.jpg

 
And we're getting very little rain. A half inch over the last couple months. "They" keep forecasting storms, storms never quite show up...
 
Yet we endeavor to persevere....
 
Never heard of Quack Grass, seems like Bermuda in habit. It's a constant battle, see it, kill it, rewind...
 
Tilling here just replants the weeds, which is why I now use a broadfork. The new garden addition was full of Bermuda, and I had to fire up the tiller to get that stuff broken down.
Sad thing is I had to water before I could till, the ground was that hard. That was in October (I think) and I kept after any Bermuda that came back with the BF.
 
I used to flood irrigate, until nut grass came up, and pissed me off. That fall/winter I brought home a bhut load of Cisco, and Dell boxes and covered everything up for a few months. Then I started watering via the wobblers.
Anytime any nut grass came up I dug down and found the nut, followed the roots and got rid of all of it.
 
I still remember Roseanne Roseanndanna...It's always somethin...

 
 
Mr.joe said:
Doesn't wood ash cause soil to become more alkaline? Not sure woodash will help his situation.
Click to expand...
 
depends on how alkaline the soil is, he could always get sulfur amendments too. My suggestion was purely based on what my acid loving trees did after the amendment.  :think:

 
Devv said:
I had my soil tested 2 years ago. 8.2, well water 82.-8.4
 
I've added at least 150, if not 200 yards of organic matter to the 1,600sf  without exaggeration. They say it helps, but not here...LOL
 
After the soil test I started adding Elemental Sulfur to get the Ph in check. I intend to add more after we're finished, and test early next year.
 
Show me a 7.0!
Click to expand...
those testers are nice but they are off, I’ve done more in-depth ph tests and found it off 1-2 whole ph numbers. Maybe try the vinegar or baking soda test if ya want to find out a little better.  :onfire:
 
Ghost Pepper Revolution said:
 
depends on how alkaline the soil is, he could always get sulfur amendments too. My suggestion was purely based on what my acid loving trees did after the amendment.  :think:
 
those testers are nice but they are off, I’ve done more in-depth ph tests and found it off 1-2 whole ph numbers. Maybe try the vinegar or baking soda test if ya want to find out a little better.  :onfire:
Click to expand...
I used Logan Labs and had them test the soil 2 ways. My soil fizzed with vinegar, the AA 8.2 test came back with sane numbers. I did the vinegar test with the basic sand we have it did not fizz. So..it seems the heavy top soil I had hauled in came from someone who probably added Lime to his farm, because someone said so..
No one around here adds Lime..that has a brain..
 
I have a Hanna Ph tester and test the soil myself as well. I add some soil to Ph neutral water shake it and let it set, then test. It has tested the same as the soil test that Logan Labs returned. Previously, I sent the soil to the Texas Ag., and the report was all over the place. Stickman turned me on to the Logan Labs. Check out his glog from 2018, good info there..
 
That makes sense and sounds about right, got same issue with adding lime to my soil so I have to use blueberry acidifier from espoma and mykos just to keep them from ph lockout. I might start adding pine bark now to my cowpost and wood ash pile just to start bringing the ph down before using it next year maybe add ground up sulfur 
 
Um, pH aside (I actually have three testers, including a liquid electrode probe type), but right now I'm too busy dancing around the garden...We got 2 & a quarter inches of rain last night...finally. She really takes off when she gets a good dousing with high voltage electrified rain, and there was no blank sky for lightning last night...
 
And "they" say more tonight. Onliest thing, we have temps in the mid 90s, and the muggy that comes with it. No dry heat in Minnesnowtakstan...
 
After tonight a week of 60s & 70s, I'm sure the Rocotos will enjoy that...
 
I've heard that crushed drywall makes for a good acidifier, the "old people" always suggest it for rhubarb. I need to do some more indepth testing before applying anything, though.
 
Thanks for the input, guys!
 
:cheers:  :cheers:  :cheers:  :cheers:  :cheers:
 
stettoman said:
Two more inches last night, more coming today.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
...all I can add is be careful what you pray for...
Click to expand...
 
 
Sounds like good weather for quack grass.......er I mean ducks.  Wait, ducks quack right?  If ducks quack does quack grass duck?
Nevermind.  
 
So..I've been a lala land the last few days.
 
I did a lot of reading on lowering the soil Ph, Elemental Sulfur is recommended for major changes, like a full point or more. Apply it and turn it under in the spring. Natural bacteria breaks it down into sulfuric acid, which neutralizes the calcium.
It will take several seasons of applying it to see the results you want, without harming anything plant wise. I'm on year 3.
Sulfur powder will not work. It's just different.
 
Hope you don't get the Laramie weather!
 
stettoman said:
Here's a valuable lesson for me: Whether I plant or not, TILL THE DAMNED GARDEN.
 
I grew nothing out here last season. Everything was container grow. Just one season of fallow and the quackgrass has re-established. This is the hardest weed to eliminate that I know of, a fraction of an inch of viable root left under the dirt becomes a lawn in very short order...
 
I did till twice this Spring, but if I was paying any attention to the masses of root systems those tines were dredging up I would have thought to Roundup first. Until the end of this season I am cursed...
 
Believe it or not this is a row of Rocoto Amarillo, with an OW Giant Yellow Rocoto at the front.
 
attachicon.gif
weeds1 .jpg
 
Hoeing doesn't cut it, it might as well be mowed. Gonna have to till, again and again...They'll eventually die back, but the garden is surrounded by it, so a dose of Roundup in the fall and spring will be in order to maintain discipline of the plot.
 
My poor tomatoes, Abe Lincoln, Legend, Amish Paste. To the left are my first ever tomatillo plants, and further to the left are my broc and brussels. HGow far the root systems of the quackgrass have encroached is apparent.
 
attachicon.gif
weeds2.jpg
 
And we're getting very little rain. A half inch over the last couple months. "They" keep forecasting storms, storms never quite show up...
 
Yet we endeavor to persevere....
Click to expand...
 
On the contrary, NEVER TILL your garden!
 
Read up on Charles Dowding's No-Dig Website. He also has a Youtube channel, which is very informative.
 
ahayastani said:
 
On the contrary, NEVER TILL your garden!
 
Read up on Charles Dowding's No-Dig Website. He also has a Youtube channel, which is very informative.
Click to expand...
 
Solid7 advocates this too, but I'm going to take a risk and assume that you don't have the aggressive types of grasses that will encroach and establish faster than even Roundup can keep up. 
 
Besides, I've done quite well by tilling and cultivating. I till no more than 5-7 inches (local farmers disc their soil much deeper than that), because I have a solid clay layer @ 12 inches.
 
I appreciate the link though, good read!
 
Gee, I guess an update could be presented today, the way you folks are scatching and clawing at my topic.... :woohoo:
 
So.....The garden after a total 4.5 inches of highly electrically ionized rain these last few days--
6-10-20.jpg

 
I had corn, beans Touchon carrots and peas planted before the dirt turned to unnavigable muck, and some o' tha' shi' be spoutin'!
 
Peppers are finally waking and showing signs of life, the tomatillos actually over a foot tall and filling with blossoms...
 
On the deck, then...
 
Here is my CaneDog-sourced Large Brown Rocoto, also decided to like it here in a five gallon bag.
Had a worm that I caught and killed early by simply aggitating the dirt at the stump where they hide during the day--
Giant Brown Rocoto 6-10.jpg

 
Here is a PaulG Aji Amarillo that was Peru-sourced and I suspect to actually be an Aji Limo. It continues to give me that suspicion...
Aji LimaRillo 6-10.jpg

 
Next to her is the Aji Oro mutant that un-mutated almost immediately after nestling into her 5 gal--I left the mutant leaves intact for identification confirmation.
Aji Oro Mutant 6-10.jpg

 
And my isolateable Big Jim Chile, this one also under worm attack, until the morning after the first rainstorm.
It was hiding in the new growth at the top of the plant. I crushed-ed it between my little sausage fingers...
Big Jim 6-10.jpg

 
My Throwdown Fatalii, stunted as it is. Sure is flowering itself into a lather though...
TD Fatalii 6-10.jpg

 
Next are true Aji Amarillos, grown from seeds I harvested from my beloved 4 year old plant from PaulG seed.
They too show little enthusiasm, but are lush and healthy looking. Maybe that rain will be the kickstart.
Aji Amarillo 6-10.jpg

 
Of course the overwinters want a little acknowledgement...Costa Rica Red, Aji Largo, Arequipeno...
And a Giant Yellow Rocoto not pictured that has been planted in the dirt. Out of over 20 OWs, this is it...
OW girls 6-10.jpg

 
That's it for peppers, for now...But the Rosemary cuttings that Sobelri sent me are lovin' life here as well!
Gonna be a big-ass bush one day!! 5 gallon ceramic...
Rosemary 6-10.jpg

 
We had no storm damage, but I discovered a downspout I forgot to clean out in the Spring--Completely plugged. So today is gutter day...Again.
 
Then I re-install the mower deck belt and wait for the lawn to finish drying...
 
But first.......asparagus...
Asparagus 6-10.jpg

 
Bye....... :hi:
 
 
 
 
 
PaulG said:
Sounds like you are keeping busy, my friend.
 
Your plants look healthy. Once Summer actually
gets here, they will really take off!
 
Good luck being patient while you wait, buddy!
Click to expand...
 
Thanks Paul! Yeah, I'm not known for my sense of patience when it comes to this stuff, am I...Mostly it comes from watching the weeds outrace them year after year...If I could only isolate THAT gene...
 
PtMD989 said:
Haskorea?
 
Click to expand...
 
Yes Bryan, Haskorea, out there amidst the other Turks & Syrians...There are TWO of 'em! :party:
 
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