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Old 28-04-2016, 06:45 PM posted to rec.gardens.edible
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Default Clover in Pumpkin Patch

I tilled the pumpkin patch the other day, an area roughly 40' X 25'. Next week, I'll be planting hills of pumpkins and squash about 6' apart, which leaves a lot of empty space that I'll be tilling to keep the weeds down until the vines start to run.

I had a crazy idea that I could plant clover in the bare areas among the hills, thinking that this could compete with the weeds, improve the soil, and be low enough that it wouldn't interfere with the vines when they run.

Has anyone ever heard of this, or tried something similar?

Paul
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Old 29-04-2016, 02:36 AM posted to rec.gardens.edible
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Default Clover in Pumpkin Patch

Pavel314 wrote:

I tilled the pumpkin patch the other day, an area roughly 40' X 25'. Next week, I'll be planting hills of pumpkins and squash about 6' apart, which leaves a lot of empty space that I'll be tilling to keep the weeds down until the vines start to run.

I had a crazy idea that I could plant clover in the bare areas among the hills, thinking that this could compete with the weeds, improve the soil, and be low enough that it wouldn't interfere with the vines when they run.

Has anyone ever heard of this, or tried something similar?


as long as you plant low growing clover and
keep it well watered it should be ok.

pumpkins have such large leaves that it grows
well over/among other things. the tradition
here is that it grows in corn fields.


songbird
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Old 29-04-2016, 03:24 AM posted to rec.gardens.edible
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Default Clover in Pumpkin Patch

On 4/28/2016 7:36 PM, songbird wrote:
Pavel314 wrote:

I tilled the pumpkin patch the other day, an area roughly 40' X 25'. Next week, I'll be planting hills of pumpkins and squash about 6' apart, which leaves a lot of empty space that I'll be tilling to keep the weeds down until the vines start to run.

I had a crazy idea that I could plant clover in the bare areas among the hills, thinking that this could compete with the weeds, improve the soil, and be low enough that it wouldn't interfere with the vines when they run.

Has anyone ever heard of this, or tried something similar?


as long as you plant low growing clover and
keep it well watered it should be ok.

pumpkins have such large leaves that it grows
well over/among other things. the tradition
here is that it grows in corn fields.


songbird

When I was a boy my father always planted corn, then climbing beans,
then squash, all in the same spot. It was called the "Three Sisters,"
the beans climbed the corn, the squash shaded the roots for all of them.
Dad was half Choctaw, I suppose that planting came from his ancestors.
It worked pretty good in SE Texas.
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Old 29-04-2016, 05:18 AM posted to rec.gardens.edible
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Default Clover in Pumpkin Patch

George Shirley wrote:
....
When I was a boy my father always planted corn, then climbing beans,
then squash, all in the same spot. It was called the "Three Sisters,"
the beans climbed the corn, the squash shaded the roots for all of them.
Dad was half Choctaw, I suppose that planting came from his ancestors.
It worked pretty good in SE Texas.


for freshly flooded river bottoms it was a common
succession planting technique.

more recent experimentation in another climate
uses white clover in combination with rice to
perpetually farm an area. the clover is flooded
to weaken it before the rice is planted and then
it all goes forwards until harvest. after harvest
all stalks are returned the field and the clover
grows until the next rice planting is due, then
flooded again...

there are many ways to do things. many
combinations or ways to interplant and to
grow and harvest. i'd never want to get
stuck with doing the same thing all the time.

yesterday i was out in the back patch digging
up green garlic and eating it while weeding it
from that area. weeds and food. yummy stuff.
i'm about half done. rains and cold today.
also had to get the thistles out of there as
those are no fun to find when walking or
weeding.

the strawberries along one edge will make
their way further into that patch this year.
i'm looking forwards to getting some berries
from the plants that have already established
themselves.

the whole patch is starting to get more
weeds in it and because grasses are hard to
remove from around the roots of alfalfa and
trefoil some areas will be either dug up and
turned over and grass roots removed and planted
with other things or i will let the grass grow
and just keep it from going to seed until i
can decide what else to do with the area. i
still need some of it for green manure so i
won't turn it all under.

the soil back there continues to improve
as i keep chopping it back and letting the worms
work on it.

free food for not too much labor. i'll probably
spend a few days total on the whole area this
year weeding, playing, planting and of course
getting more garlic out of there.

i have mostly finished the path removal project
and took a few pics of the new garden space that
was reclaimed from the pennyroyal and the pathway.
should get those posted sometime... i'm not
sleepy yet so now is as good a time as any. be
back with links in a while...


songbird
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Old 29-04-2016, 08:38 AM posted to rec.gardens.edible
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Default Clover in Pumpkin Patch

songbird wrote:
....
i have mostly finished the path removal project
and took a few pics of the new garden space that
was reclaimed from the pennyroyal and the pathway.
should get those posted sometime... i'm not
sleepy yet so now is as good a time as any. be
back with links in a while...



whups, forgot...


http://www.anthive.com/flowers/p4180...ay_Removal.jpg

http://www.anthive.com/flowers/p4270...ed_Gardens.jpg

http://www.anthive.com/flowers/p4230001_Spring_Mix.jpg


songbird


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Old 29-04-2016, 12:52 PM posted to rec.gardens.edible
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Default new pics at last

songbird wrote:

and make a different subject d'oh!


http://www.anthive.com/flowers/p4180...ay_Removal.jpg

http://www.anthive.com/flowers/p4270...ed_Gardens.jpg

http://www.anthive.com/flowers/p4230001_Spring_Mix.jpg



songbird
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Old 29-04-2016, 02:30 PM posted to rec.gardens.edible
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Default Clover in Pumpkin Patch

On 4/28/2016 10:18 PM, songbird wrote:
George Shirley wrote:
...
When I was a boy my father always planted corn, then climbing beans,
then squash, all in the same spot. It was called the "Three Sisters,"
the beans climbed the corn, the squash shaded the roots for all of them.
Dad was half Choctaw, I suppose that planting came from his ancestors.
It worked pretty good in SE Texas.


for freshly flooded river bottoms it was a common
succession planting technique.

more recent experimentation in another climate
uses white clover in combination with rice to
perpetually farm an area. the clover is flooded
to weaken it before the rice is planted and then
it all goes forwards until harvest. after harvest
all stalks are returned the field and the clover
grows until the next rice planting is due, then
flooded again...

Many moons ago I worked in the rice fields of SE Texas. Opened and
closed levees to flood, waved off crop dusters with a cane pole with a
red flag on it. Pretty good way to make a little money back then. Hardly
any rice fields in SE Texas anymore, some of them are now crawfish
ponds. Arkansas out did us in rice and, now, I hear it's mostly
California rice. I don't care, I like my brown rice.

there are many ways to do things. many
combinations or ways to interplant and to
grow and harvest. i'd never want to get
stuck with doing the same thing all the time.

yesterday i was out in the back patch digging
up green garlic and eating it while weeding it
from that area. weeds and food. yummy stuff.
i'm about half done. rains and cold today.
also had to get the thistles out of there as
those are no fun to find when walking or
weeding.

the strawberries along one edge will make
their way further into that patch this year.
i'm looking forwards to getting some berries
from the plants that have already established
themselves.

the whole patch is starting to get more
weeds in it and because grasses are hard to
remove from around the roots of alfalfa and
trefoil some areas will be either dug up and
turned over and grass roots removed and planted
with other things or i will let the grass grow
and just keep it from going to seed until i
can decide what else to do with the area. i
still need some of it for green manure so i
won't turn it all under.

the soil back there continues to improve
as i keep chopping it back and letting the worms
work on it.

free food for not too much labor. i'll probably
spend a few days total on the whole area this
year weeding, playing, planting and of course
getting more garlic out of there.

i have mostly finished the path removal project
and took a few pics of the new garden space that
was reclaimed from the pennyroyal and the pathway.
should get those posted sometime... i'm not
sleepy yet so now is as good a time as any. be
back with links in a while...


songbird

I'm exhausted just reading how much work you do bird.
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Old 29-04-2016, 03:04 PM posted to rec.gardens.edible
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Default Clover in Pumpkin Patch

George Shirley wrote:
....
Many moons ago I worked in the rice fields of SE Texas. Opened and
closed levees to flood, waved off crop dusters with a cane pole with a
red flag on it. Pretty good way to make a little money back then. Hardly
any rice fields in SE Texas anymore, some of them are now crawfish
ponds. Arkansas out did us in rice and, now, I hear it's mostly
California rice. I don't care, I like my brown rice.


i like brown rice too. they have dryer varieties
now that don't even need flooding. not as much yield
from them, but better than nothing.

wild rice will grow around here.

would like a bazooka for crop dusters and farm
sprayers along with the mosquito control idiots.


....
I'm exhausted just reading how much work you do bird.


not really that much. i've probably been outside a
dozen hours this week. too much rain/snow and cold
windy days still.

and even when i'm out there, i'm as often as not
just sitting there watching the birds and other
critters. takes me a while to get into shape after
winter. dig 5 minutes, rest 10, bird watch 15, ...


songbird
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Old 29-04-2016, 04:18 PM posted to rec.gardens.edible
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Default Clover in Pumpkin Patch

On 4/29/2016 8:04 AM, songbird wrote:
George Shirley wrote:
...
Many moons ago I worked in the rice fields of SE Texas. Opened and
closed levees to flood, waved off crop dusters with a cane pole with a
red flag on it. Pretty good way to make a little money back then. Hardly
any rice fields in SE Texas anymore, some of them are now crawfish
ponds. Arkansas out did us in rice and, now, I hear it's mostly
California rice. I don't care, I like my brown rice.


i like brown rice too. they have dryer varieties
now that don't even need flooding. not as much yield
from them, but better than nothing.

wild rice will grow around here.

would like a bazooka for crop dusters and farm
sprayers along with the mosquito control idiots.


...
I'm exhausted just reading how much work you do bird.


not really that much. i've probably been outside a
dozen hours this week. too much rain/snow and cold
windy days still.

and even when i'm out there, i'm as often as not
just sitting there watching the birds and other
critters. takes me a while to get into shape after
winter. dig 5 minutes, rest 10, bird watch 15, ...


songbird

We're expecting 84F by afternoon today and then the rain starts again.
Hot, humid, sweaty.

Harvested about a dozen sweet chiles this morning, Mostly from the Gypsy
we planted in February last year, it survived our mild winter, we pruned
it back earlier this year and it is really producing. The Swiss chard
from last year is still going strong so there's lots of chard for
cooking and salads.

Unfortunately the mosquitoes are out and about, I get hit about three
times in 20 minutes in the garden. Haven't seen any swallows, red winged
blackbirds, purple martins, etc. for a couple of days. They must be
holed up somewhere waiting for better weather.
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Old 02-05-2016, 01:31 PM posted to rec.gardens.edible
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Default Clover in Pumpkin Patch

George Shirley wrote:
....
We're expecting 84F by afternoon today and then the rain starts again.
Hot, humid, sweaty.


yeah, we've had plenty of rain the past few
days. no warmth yet. average is supposed to be
65F or so, but we'll hit that only twice this
week.

and have captured raccoons and a possum in
the live trap.


Harvested about a dozen sweet chiles this morning, Mostly from the Gypsy
we planted in February last year, it survived our mild winter, we pruned
it back earlier this year and it is really producing. The Swiss chard
from last year is still going strong so there's lots of chard for
cooking and salads.


other than green garlic and onions there's nothing
out in the gardens besides flowers.

we've been moving cedar trees (before the rains came
along) to fill in along a tree line that is thinning out
at the bottom (pine trees). have a few more to go.

way back when we were first putting trees along the
edge they ran anywhere from $5-$25 depending upon the
size. we've already given away about 20 trees from
our tree nursery and have moved 10 of them.

the downside to cedar trees is that the deer will eat
them if the winter gets bad enough.


Unfortunately the mosquitoes are out and about, I get hit about three
times in 20 minutes in the garden. Haven't seen any swallows, red winged
blackbirds, purple martins, etc. for a couple of days. They must be
holed up somewhere waiting for better weather.


mosquitoes haven't shown up in force here yet, they
are usually out in the early morning and evening and
since i don't tend to be gardening at those times i
don't get bit that much. after a really wet spell we'll
have some midday mosquitoes later in the summer. those
can be annoy as i'll spend more time swatting at them
than getting stuff done.

the regular early season birds are here. the later
season ones come along in a few more weeks. we know
warm weather has officially arrived when the goldfinches
and bluebirds come around. i always like watching the
purple martins come through on their rounds. we usually
have a pretty healthy population of bugs/bees with all
these flowers.


songbird
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