"gunner" wrote

Until you can tell us what your goal is Steve, any Internet advice it is a
crap shoot of best intended, oft misguided information. billy and Sheldon
have actually given some good advice, past and present (don't ever tell
them I said that) if you can get through their BS and put into your
situation. Yet, as you may have noticed you get a lot of distractive loony
tough talk from the little boys in the back of the fight crowd. Ignore it
as
the old "don't wrestle with a pig" story.

Are you sold on using dirt?

S. Utah wasn't it? Four Cornors or Western side? High coutry or desert
floor?

Ever do a soil analysis? Water tests? If you can't get soil done locally
or
it is costly try UofMass:
http://www.umass.edu/plsoils/soiltest/services1.htm

I have two acres in SW Utah, about twenty five miles in. It is at 3700'
elevation. Soil is sand and lava. Hot for a couple of months in summer,
not too cold in winter, and would be a decent growing season with some
structure. My neighbor built a greenhouse, and really extended his season
and output.

I'm more into storable fruits and vegetables. A couple of tomato plants are
enough. I like them, but don't like when so many come that you can't eat
them all. Same for cukes. I do like melons, and want to have enough of
them so I can have continuous melons through the season. Squash does good.
Haven't had luck with beans. Grapes are good and I have some good
established vines. May try wine and beer making, as Utah has dark ages
liquor laws. Really just would like to have a protected environment to grow
things, and then outside, I can do melons, fruit trees, squash, and things
that take up a lot of room.

I like the dirt idea. My nursery lady says just to add enough amendments
until you get it right, and not many problems. My garden should be there
this coming spring with a few more bales and bags of this and that.

I want maximum yield with minimum digging. I know that's not possible, but
I cannot go out there and do this in the heat of summer, and I'm not
interested in all the tree hugger mentality of recycling everything down to
tampons.

Temperature is a problem here in summer, as it gets hot. Just for a couple
of months, but whoo. In the winter, it gets frosty, down in the twenties,
but is nice during the days. Not a long lengthy snow or cold season.

Don't want to go totally self sustaining, or take on another full time hard
job. Just want to utilize and maximize. Yes, have checked local sources,
co-op, nurseries, etc. Will take soil and have it tested this next spring.

Just making a plan now.

Steve