Baymule's 2016 Garden

baymule

Garden Master
Joined
Mar 20, 2011
Messages
18,331
Reaction score
34,481
Points
457
Location
Trinity County Texas
This will be my second year garden. Last year was total utter failure. I started with raw land, it rained for several months, then stopped. The sun came out and scorched everything that didn't drown or rot. Grasshoppers attacked and I pretty much would up with a big, fat, nothing.

http://www.theeasygarden.com/threads/baymules-2015-garden-from-raw-land.16897/

I took down the green plastic fence in September, mowed the mess down, and pulled T-posts. My husband watched in frustration, he couldn't do anything to help because he had just had a triple bypass. He finally got well enough to get back in the swing of things and we hauled load after load of pine shavings from a horse event center. We spread them out and then started fencing the garden.

IMG2614.jpg



IMG2639.jpg


Once we got the fence finished, we got 3 pigs. They were so tiny, running around in the garden. The shavings were pretty deep in places and they burrowed down in them. The pigs also loved their Hawg Hut I built for them.

IMG2712.jpg


All winter the pigs have rooted in the garden. They have dug up briar roots, sumac roots and weeds. I got a bucket full of briars twice a week. We dumped in bags of leaves and two trailer loads of leaves and pine straw. They pooped all over the garden and grew bigger and bigger.

IMG_0453.JPG


Today we loaded the pigs up in the trailer, in the morning we take them to slaughter. We dragged the Hawg Hut out, hitched the disc to Marigold and I played in the dirt for over two hours. HUGE holes! I dragged the disc around and around. Sometimes I had opposite wheels in the air spinning and got no traction. I got the dirt fairly smooth, but need a good rain to settle the dirt, then I'll disc some more. I can't wait to start planting!

IMG_0451.JPG
 

Carol Dee

Garden Master
Joined
Apr 28, 2011
Messages
12,961
Reaction score
20,355
Points
437
Location
Long Grove, IA
WOW :ep I love the space you have for a garden. I Think besides the pig wallows, the pigs did a great job for you. ;) I am anxious to see how it goes. Has to be better than last summer! I will be watching :caf
 

catjac1975

Garden Master
Joined
Jul 22, 2010
Messages
8,945
Reaction score
8,883
Points
397
Location
Mattapoisett, Massachusetts
This will be my second year garden. Last year was total utter failure. I started with raw land, it rained for several months, then stopped. The sun came out and scorched everything that didn't drown or rot. Grasshoppers attacked and I pretty much would up with a big, fat, nothing.

http://www.theeasygarden.com/threads/baymules-2015-garden-from-raw-land.16897/

I took down the green plastic fence in September, mowed the mess down, and pulled T-posts. My husband watched in frustration, he couldn't do anything to help because he had just had a triple bypass. He finally got well enough to get back in the swing of things and we hauled load after load of pine shavings from a horse event center. We spread them out and then started fencing the garden.

View attachment 12213


View attachment 12214

Once we got the fence finished, we got 3 pigs. They were so tiny, running around in the garden. The shavings were pretty deep in places and they burrowed down in them. The pigs also loved their Hawg Hut I built for them.

View attachment 12215

All winter the pigs have rooted in the garden. They have dug up briar roots, sumac roots and weeds. I got a bucket full of briars twice a week. We dumped in bags of leaves and two trailer loads of leaves and pine straw. They pooped all over the garden and grew bigger and bigger.

View attachment 12216

Today we loaded the pigs up in the trailer, in the morning we take them to slaughter. We dragged the Hawg Hut out, hitched the disc to Marigold and I played in the dirt for over two hours. HUGE holes! I dragged the disc around and around. Sometimes I had opposite wheels in the air spinning and got no traction. I got the dirt fairly smooth, but need a good rain to settle the dirt, then I'll disc some more. I can't wait to start planting!

View attachment 12217
Getting frustrated will be ann issue. But, don't give up. It takes time for new land to grow well. My chickens stay in the garden all winter eating larvae and leaving their manure. And of course scratching up the soil. A soil test would help to see what might be glaringly missing.
 

catjac1975

Garden Master
Joined
Jul 22, 2010
Messages
8,945
Reaction score
8,883
Points
397
Location
Mattapoisett, Massachusetts
This will be my second year garden. Last year was total utter failure. I started with raw land, it rained for several months, then stopped. The sun came out and scorched everything that didn't drown or rot. Grasshoppers attacked and I pretty much would up with a big, fat, nothing.

http://www.theeasygarden.com/threads/baymules-2015-garden-from-raw-land.16897/

I took down the green plastic fence in September, mowed the mess down, and pulled T-posts. My husband watched in frustration, he couldn't do anything to help because he had just had a triple bypass. He finally got well enough to get back in the swing of things and we hauled load after load of pine shavings from a horse event center. We spread them out and then started fencing the garden.

View attachment 12213


View attachment 12214

Once we got the fence finished, we got 3 pigs. They were so tiny, running around in the garden. The shavings were pretty deep in places and they burrowed down in them. The pigs also loved their Hawg Hut I built for them.

View attachment 12215

All winter the pigs have rooted in the garden. They have dug up briar roots, sumac roots and weeds. I got a bucket full of briars twice a week. We dumped in bags of leaves and two trailer loads of leaves and pine straw. They pooped all over the garden and grew bigger and bigger.

View attachment 12216

Today we loaded the pigs up in the trailer, in the morning we take them to slaughter. We dragged the Hawg Hut out, hitched the disc to Marigold and I played in the dirt for over two hours. HUGE holes! I dragged the disc around and around. Sometimes I had opposite wheels in the air spinning and got no traction. I got the dirt fairly smooth, but need a good rain to settle the dirt, then I'll disc some more. I can't wait to start planting!

View attachment 12217
Soil LOOKS nice!
 

Smart Red

Garden Master
Joined
Jan 10, 2012
Messages
11,303
Reaction score
7,395
Points
417
Location
South-est, central-est Wisconsin
That last year was bad was to be expected considering you'd just moved into the property and had no time to prepare for a garden.

This year I expect to be a great year. It sounds as if you've done everything right -- other then a soil sample check -- and you should be ready to rumble. . . er. . . go.
 

Latest posts

Top