What about a collapsible greenhouse for the melon?
i don't have a big lot so no space for a real greenhouse but I found plans on a prepper website for a diy collapsible. works well for my cucumbers & peppers during colder summers
moonshadow0825 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 10, 2020 6:47 pm
What about a collapsible greenhouse for the melon?
i don't have a big lot so no space for a real greenhouse but I found plans on a prepper website for a diy collapsible. works well for my cucumbers & peppers during colder summers
That sounds like a good idea, do you have the link? Or pictures of yours?
I have a greenhouse but it's small and that's where I grow the tomatoes and basil. I have also started sweet potato slips this year...they grew while in my cupboard...and will need somewhere warm for them.
Roberts Creeker wrote: ↑Mon Feb 10, 2020 10:28 pm
That sounds like a good idea, do you have the link? Or pictures of yours?
I have a greenhouse but it's small and that's where I grow the tomatoes and basil. I have also started sweet potato slips this year...they grew while in my cupboard...and will need somewhere warm for them.
ours is put away for the winter, I'll try to remember to take a photo when it's up; but here is the inspiration. we used a thick clear plastic which works really well and is easy to put away for the winter. not expensive either.
moonshadow0825 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 11, 2020 2:31 pm
ours is put away for the winter, I'll try to remember to take a photo when it's up; but here is the inspiration. we used a thick clear plastic which works really well and is easy to put away for the winter. not expensive either.
Has anyone grown nine star perennial broccoli? A neighbour gave me some seeds and said it makes little florets like cauliflower and will produce for up to 5 years as long as you don't let it set seed. Another interesting addition for this year.
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Roberts Creeker wrote: ↑Sun Feb 16, 2020 10:18 pm
Has anyone grown nine star perennial broccoli? A neighbour gave me some seeds and said it makes little florets like cauliflower and will produce for up to 5 years as long as you don't let it set seed. Another interesting addition for this year.
Yummy a little broccoli with a nice cream sauce of your choice, mouth watering indeed.
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Roberts Creeker wrote: ↑Sun Feb 16, 2020 10:18 pm
Has anyone grown nine star perennial broccoli? A neighbour gave me some seeds and said it makes little florets like cauliflower and will produce for up to 5 years as long as you don't let it set seed. Another interesting addition for this year.
those look neat! I think that would work well in our climate, I can do other brassicas but they never get to a decent size. granted for me that probably has more to do with insufficient light (*&^%$ trees keep growing!)
Got out in the garden last week, going for a massive amount of spinach this year, more tomatoes and zucchini and carrots. Our soil is just fantastic so I need to take advantage this year!
Question for those who might know. 3 years ago we took out an evergreen hedge and now have a great bed for planting, at least on the surface of it. for 2 years we planted potatoes and they did okay but lots of bug holes and never quite got large. granted the soil is quite compact, I'm going to guess clayish as we are in Ladner. Hubby has rototilled the soil and we've added steer manure 2 years in a row. this year we are going to add in sandy soil (assuming we can get some today) and compost from our pile.
any other ideas to improve the soil? I was thinking of "marine soil" which has fish fertilizer mixed in it.
our goal this year is to try carrots, beets and pole beans with sunflowers in the back so I've got about 3 weeks to get the soil into better shape.
moonshadow0825 wrote: ↑Sat Mar 21, 2020 9:00 am
Question for those who might know. 3 years ago we took out an evergreen hedge and now have a great bed for planting, at least on the surface of it. for 2 years we planted potatoes and they did okay but lots of bug holes and never quite got large. granted the soil is quite compact, I'm going to guess clayish as we are in Ladner. Hubby has rototilled the soil and we've added steer manure 2 years in a row. this year we are going to add in sandy soil (assuming we can get some today) and compost from our pile.
any other ideas to improve the soil? I was thinking of "marine soil" which has fish fertilizer mixed in it.
our goal this year is to try carrots, beets and pole beans with sunflowers in the back so I've got about 3 weeks to get the soil into better shape.
Check for wireworms. Wireworms love root vegetables! Carrots need deep loose soil, and you have to make sure not to dump/mix hot manure in your bed because that will cause forking of the carrots, and it will also burn seedlings if you put them in relatively fresh manure.
stuffradio wrote: ↑Sat Mar 21, 2020 9:05 am
Check for wireworms. Wireworms love root vegetables! Carrots need deep loose soil, and you have to make sure not to dump/mix hot manure in your bed because that will cause forking of the carrots, and it will also burn seedlings if you put them in relatively fresh manure.
Thank you! I will definitely look for the wireworms and will let hubby know about the soil for carrots. Hubby has planted and then failed to grow carrots for the last 3 years (he seems to think there's some genetic ability from being Finnish/Russian background that automatically confers the knowledge of how to grow root veggies )
manure in bags from the nursery should be okay though?
I've never had much luck with carrots either. I've read they need to be kept moist until they start growing and also need to be planted close to the surface so you have to mist them frequently, like a couple of times a day...I've never managed that. I've heard some people put a board or cardboard over them until they start and that keeps them moist.
moonshadow0825 wrote: ↑Sat Mar 21, 2020 9:00 am
Question for those who might know. 3 years ago we took out an evergreen hedge and now have a great bed for planting, at least on the surface of it. for 2 years we planted potatoes and they did okay but lots of bug holes and never quite got large. granted the soil is quite compact, I'm going to guess clayish as we are in Ladner. Hubby has rototilled the soil and we've added steer manure 2 years in a row. this year we are going to add in sandy soil (assuming we can get some today) and compost from our pile.
any other ideas to improve the soil? I was thinking of "marine soil" which has fish fertilizer mixed in it.
our goal this year is to try carrots, beets and pole beans with sunflowers in the back so I've got about 3 weeks to get the soil into better shape.
I've had trouble with wire worms, they'd make so many holes through the potatoes that I'd end up with tiny slivers after trimming them out. Now I plant them in the fall, cover them with about one foot of horse manure over the winter, and it breaks down in the spring and the potatoes grow in it and no wire worms because it's too dry and fluffy for them. I've had fabulous luck with doing this. I'm not sure it would work with steer manure though.
I wonder about using some lime? I've heard our soil is quite acidic and cedar (if that was your hedge) makes it more acidic?
Roberts Creeker wrote: ↑Sun Mar 22, 2020 11:04 am
I've had trouble with wire worms, they'd make so many holes through the potatoes that I'd end up with tiny slivers after trimming them out. Now I plant them in the fall, cover them with about one foot of horse manure over the winter, and it breaks down in the spring and the potatoes grow in it and no wire worms because it's too dry and fluffy for them. I've had fabulous luck with doing this. I'm not sure it would work with steer manure though.
I wonder about using some lime? I've heard our soil is quite acidic and cedar (if that was your hedge) makes it more acidic?
You also have to be careful about using lime around seedlings as that can burn the seedlings too.
moonshadow0825 wrote: ↑Sat Mar 21, 2020 9:00 am
our goal this year is to try carrots, beets and pole beans with sunflowers in the back so I've got about 3 weeks to get the soil into better shape.
moonshadow0825 wrote: ↑Sat Mar 21, 2020 9:00 am
Question for those who might know. 3 years ago we took out an evergreen hedge and now have a great bed for planting, at least on the surface of it. for 2 years we planted potatoes and they did okay but lots of bug holes and never quite got large. granted the soil is quite compact, I'm going to guess clayish as we are in Ladner. Hubby has rototilled the soil and we've added steer manure 2 years in a row. this year we are going to add in sandy soil (assuming we can get some today) and compost from our pile.
any other ideas to improve the soil? I was thinking of "marine soil" which has fish fertilizer mixed in it.
our goal this year is to try carrots, beets and pole beans with sunflowers in the back so I've got about 3 weeks to get the soil into better shape.
The sandy soil is good to help break up the clay. The marine soil is also good. Those small pieces of woody material will add some texture to the clay soil. While you are working the soil you could add some gypsum, available at a good garden Center. Google gypsum for clay to see why it will help.
North end of Shawnigan Lake. Southern Vancouver island. 500ft
Wrinkle Rockers: 0cm
South Sardinies: 0cm 
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