"Eggs Zachtly" wrote in message
...
Srgnt Billko said:

"Eggs Zachtly" wrote in message
...
Srgnt Billko said:

Picked my first cucumbers this week - and our first squash and
zuchinni.
Nothing like really fresh veggies.

You musta got your cucumbers in late. I've already picked 4 gallon
baggies
full. =P Picked about 30 ears of Kandy Corn yesterday, too. =) Oh, and
I
don't do squash. =)

Just funnin' with ya, Sarge. I totally agree, there's nothing like
*REALLY*
fresh veggies! Enjoy, man! =)
Eggs


I believe every word I read on the internet !! I first read that as you
don't do "squat". I thought you meant no fertilizer.

Heh. Actually, that's pretty close. Last spring I put in raised beds. The
mix I put in them was:

50% river-bottom top soil, screened through a 3/8" screen
25% compost, also through a 3/8" screen
25% composted manure, through a 1/2" screen

On tomato and pepper transplants, I added 1T of a slow-release (Osmocote)
fertilizer. Other than that, I added absolutely no fertilizer, throughout
the entire growing season, just to see what would happen. I had bumper
crops of everything.

This season, I again only added 1T of Osmocote to the transplants, and
everything has got hit twice with a water-soluable (MG) fertilizer. With
the exception of whiteflies [1] attacking the cuke vines and bean foilage,
I've had few problems. I've again had bumper crops on everything except
tomatoes. I'm now checking corn carefully, daily, and trying to beat the
worm (so far I'm winning, I lose maybe 1/2" of an ear, here and there).

I'm not sure about the tomatoes, but I think the weather has played a big
part, and they don't seem to be getting as much sun. There'll be plenty
for
the table, for sure, but not many jars of Romas will be put up. I'll move
them to a different bed, next season, and will ammend the soil. After two
growing seasons, the nutrients should pretty much be spent. I consider my
"experiments" with the garden to be quite a success.

I'm growing peanuts for the first time, and the plants appear quite
healthy, and have been flowering profusely. What a fascinating plant! I'm
curiously watching them with anticipation. We'll see. =)

Most of the white and yellow onions have been softball size, and the reds
have been burger-bun size. Can't ask for better than that!

[1] Probably escapees from my greenhouse, which sits next to the beds.
They
absolutely decimated the foilage on my tropical hibiscus over the winter,
but it flowered all winter long. It recovered (not fully, the leaves
aren't
quite the color I'd like, and definately not the size they should be), but
it's still blooming, and trying like hell to come back. I used a systemic
insecticide in the GH all winter, but towards the end, it wasn't working
nearly as well. I'm quite sure they were becoming immune. I'd rather not
use sprays in the GH, though. Insecticidal soap has been slowly bringing
them under control so far this summer.
Eggs


Nice to hear things are doin good. My lady manages most of the garden and
she likes commercial fertilizer. But, like you, I depend mostly on compost
and manure. I missed the elephant and tiger poop from Cole Bros. circus
this year. When I got around to going after it they had already packed up
and left. Someone told me years ago that stuff would keep the deer away but
I have not found that to be true.