Baymule’s 2019 Garden

[seedcorn]

On complete damage, we have replacement value. On partial damage, it’s depreciated worth. Tell neighbors, if house on fire, look a different direction. Insurance companies know the percentages and use it for their own value. License to steal.

 

[baymule]

I have been pulling WEEDS!! I hate the weeds, but the sheep love them. I haven't tilled or disced the garden the past few seasons. I ran the tractor and disc over the garden and I think all I did was plant ALL the lambs quarters and giant ragweed seeds--AND they all came up twice. I guess I'm going to have to break down and buy a tiller. It won't be this season, DH's truck just cost us $1500.

Today I planted eggplant, Ping Tung and Rosa Bianca. I planted 26 German Johnson tomato plants and about that many New Yorker tomato plants. We laid down a few more boxes and put mulch over them. I pulled more weeds. I set out some Mizuna plants. I'm tired now.

 

[baymule]

I have been working in the garden, although by all the lambs quarters, you can’t tell it.

It has taken days to pull weeds, put down Feed sacks, cover with mulch and plant tomatoes. I carefully cut sacks and went around Black Eyed Susan wildflowers.

I planted onions down the sides of the tomato trellis.

I picked English peas yesterday.

My poor Painted Mountain Corn. I’ve been hitting it a lick and a miss, gotta get back on it.

More lambs quarters. The sheep are loving the wagon loads of weeds I take them. We put down all the cardboard we had and covered with mulch. Just didn’t have enough cardboard.

 

[baymule]

Today I have jury duty, tomorrow rain is in the forecast and the next day. Great. Water the WEEDS. That's just what I need!

 

[flowerbug]

@baymule i hope you don't get discouraged but wow those plants look healthy and that means your soil is doing great under there. as much as you might not like those weeds they are well worth chopping back and leaving to let the worms have at them in the rows between your veggies when you can get to it. too bad you can't train the sheep to eat only those...

as for weed control. it will help the best to get them chopped back before they get seeds on them. tilling may get rid of the weeds that are growing but it stirs up the weed seeds in the soil so often i don't think it is worth it.

if you can find cardboard to smother them that is much easier than tilling IMO and better because it doesn't move weed seeds around.

if plants have dropped seeds i'll scrape them off the surface into a deep hole and they'll not have a chance to sprout and that hole while it may be disturbing the soil isn't the same as tilling an entire garden area.

Mom and I have this conversation frequently because she just doesn't understand that protecting the soil from the rain, wind and sun is important, but she hates the look of weeds that are chopped and then left on the surface as mulch/worm food, but you can see after a few days how much the worms do hang out under them if given the chance. so to make her happy i have to bury stuff in shallow trenches which i don't like to do, but it is better than hauling the weeds to one of our weed piles.

 

[thistlebloom]

I'm loving your garden pictures Bay. It's amazing that you have used up all that huge amount of cardboard!
Do you ever eat the lambs quarters?
I know you could never keep up with your production, haha, but I think it's very tasty.
I hope your sheep don't feel like cannibals slicking them up.

 

[Carol Dee]

they are a food of the gods/goddesses IMO. we'll stand in the garden and eat them right there. they don't often make it in the house. i'd never desecrate them by canning or freezing. lightly steamed with a little butter. yum.

EXACTLY

 

[flowerbug]

EXACTLY

i was trying not to drool at those pea plant pics...

 

[Carol Dee]

WOW, you are going to have LOTS of produce if it all takes! Plenty for you, the critters and anyone that leaves there cars unattended

 

[baymule]

Our new ram Ringo LOVES the lamb's quarters.

The lambs eating Poor Joe.