Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
ALMOST BEEKEEPING - RELATED TOPICS => GARDENING AROUND THE HOUSE => Topic started by: doak on February 25, 2009, 11:05:03 pm
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Today, planted onions, shallots, purple top turnip, Swiss chard, sugar snap peas, and that other thing that has a turnip above the ground.
Got to get some more ground fixed if it doesn't rain too much.
Broke the belt on the Tommy hawk.
Breaking new ground.Ye!Pee! :roll: :)doak
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and that other thing that has a turnip above the ground.
Breaking new ground.Ye!Pee! :roll: :)doak
Doak, now isn't that just ding dang cool!!! We are yet a couple of months away from that last frost, end of April. Don't want to set seed to ground until then, those frost heaves are bad things. Nice that you can work the ground.
Those turnip thingies above the ground most likely are called "kohlrabi" ....silly.....have a beautiful and most wonderfully awesome day, health. Cindi
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Well, It's been snowing here for about three hours. Not really that cold, 32o. and calm. :roll: :)doak
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Lucky. My ground is still frozen aside from 2" of mud over the top. :roll: I'm getting impatient.
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Hiya Doak!
I've got 2 and a half rows onions that I transplanted a month ago, I've got purple top turnips and kohlrabi and lettuce that have sprouted and are a couple inches in heighth, and I've got sugar snap peas that just started poking up thru the ground last week. I've got swish chard growing that I planted last year, and I've got aspearagus planted 3 years ago sending up shoots. Oh yes, I've also got garlic from planting late last fall doing great. :)
I'm always glad to hear of other peoples gardening adventures and glad to hear of your plantings. May your harvest be bountiful :-D
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I'm finding it hard to till the two to three feet of snow still on the garden. I hope to see it gone soon though, I've had enough allready. :-D
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I'm finding it hard to till the two to three feet of snow still on the garden. I hope to see it gone soon though, I've had enough allready. :-D
I know doak broke his Tommy Hawk. I hope with that frozen ground, you don't break your Roma Hawk.... :roll:
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BjornBee, how did you know I broke my Tommy Hawk?
Was chipping limbs last week and broke the belt :shock: :roll:doak :)
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BjornBee, how did you know I broke my Tommy Hawk?
Was chipping limbs last week and broke the belt :shock: :roll:doak :)
I've got mystical powers that you can only dream about. :-D
It helps to hack into the private messages and read those private messages you guys send back and forth. And some of those comments about John are really shocking... :shock:
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My onions, sweet peas and carrots have been up for about 3 weeks now. 'Maters about 2, isn't living Florida great.
Ducks and runs from the room :-D
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I tilled under the remains of my fall turnip, mustard, and rutabaga patch last Friday before the weekend rain and snow. When it dries out, I plan to plant my taters, cabbage, and broccoli. Sweet corn next month.
Steve
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I just tilled this past weekend! Had to! Just bought a brand new tiller, a craftsman 900(or 9000) counter rotating tines! very cool! tilled at the depest level on the first go round! It got even better after I engaged the tines, too!
Ah, but alas....Its done....I got the hernia operation comin up day after tomorrow,(was supposed to be tomorrow but my blood wasnt thick enuff at this mornings blood test)and Im not supposed to do anything for 6 to 8 weeks!...No LIFTING!......So,...I just kinda look at my tilled dirt and think of "What could have been." :'(
The dirt DOES look good tho! I'll post a pic later!
your friend,
john
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It helps to hack into the private messages and read those private messages you guys send back and forth. And some of those comments about John are really shocking... :shock:
Always, "all things nice, sugar and spice", never say anything bad about anyone behind their back, smiling :evil: 8-) beautiful day, in our great life, to live, and love it like narry a tomorrow. Cindi
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Started tilling today. Bought a brand new Troy Bilt Super Bronco. Made it about 2 hours and it ate the belts. What I did get done looks great though. Closest repair for Troy Bilt is 50 miles away so it looks like I'll just be watching the dirt for awhile too. Anyone else had trouble with Troy Bilt tillers?
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I have a Pony and haven't had any trouble with it.
I got 60 plant starting cups made up and will soak these today and get them planted in a day or two. :)doak
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Got 60 tomato seed in the cups today. Have got to get another 100 or so planted.
Some peppers too, hot and sweet. :)doak
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Ohhh, Bob,...
troybilt bronco...I have one behind my shed.....with the belts both gone!..That sucker jerked me all over the yard! My Bro in law had one too...he finally gave up on it from yanking his back out!
I wrote to Lowes,...to Troybilt...to BBB...This was definitley false advertising on how you can till with one hand...I mean, sure you can, if its been tilled many times before they filmed it in action!
IF you still have the receipt, I'd definitely take it back to the store, cuz it wont get any easier. On another note tho....It does start and runs really good....I had the NON counter rotating tines with my bronco..I think I paid about 300 bux for it several years ago....I paid twice that much on the tiller I just got recently, but, fortunately, I had a nice tax refund this year.
Good luck bob!
your friend,
john
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Wow, I am soooo jealous. I have bad case of cabin fever that only working in the garden will cure but we got a foot of snow dumped on us this past Monday.
2 days before that all the snow that consistently covered our ground had finally melted and we moved around some existing raised garden beds and added several more.
I knew we wouldn't be planting until the beginning of May but it felt good to be able to do something in the yard, then came more snow.
I love living in New England but the winter is a little too long. It would be nice to have more of a growing season, so much to do so little time.
I started some seeds a couple of weeks ago but I am waiting for some tomato seeds I ordered to arrive so I can start those.
I can't believe you guys already have stuff growing outside. I think I am going to make a coldframe this year so I can do some earlier harvests.
I am going to go out tomorrow and do some lasagna gardening though. The snow that has melted is exactly where I needed it to, its in an area that I want to plant a new garden and put in a row of asparagus against the fence.
The rest of the yard is covered in snow but this one area gets alot of sun so this is where the new garden and the bee hives are going to go.
I am going to tear up some cardboard boxes and lay them on the ground and then cover them with compost and chicken and rabbit waste, I will pick up some used coffee grounds from starbucks and add that too. I wish I had saved some leaves last fall to make leaf mold with but I guess I can do that this year and then just till it in to the gardens next spring.
By the time spring rolls around all the grass and any weeds will be gone and I will have some nice new soil to work with.
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I found out, you have to start with the shallow depth gauge. You cannot go deep in the beginning in hard and/or un tilled ground.
The tine to wheel ratio is 1 to 10 on the pony. Tines running 10 times faster than the wheels.
I do a lot of tilling one handed. I will have my son take a video and I think I can post it.
If the tines hit something solid, I let go of the handles and the tiller will stop with the set up the pony has.
Under stand, I am not taking sides with any one. I have worn out several front tine tillers.
I would not have another after using the the Rear tine deal.
Try adjusting the depth gauge and use it in some ground you know doesn't have roots or rocks.
Put it in the first or second notch and make a couple passes. then move the depth gauge to the third or fourth notch. I one hand mine most of the time except at the end where I have to turn around. I like to look back and see no foot prints.
Wish every one well on their tilling. :)doak
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Started tilling today. Bought a brand new Troy Bilt Super Bronco. Made it about 2 hours and it ate the belts. What I did get done looks great though. Closest repair for Troy Bilt is 50 miles away so it looks like I'll just be watching the dirt for awhile too. Anyone else had trouble with Troy Bilt tillers?
I've had the exact same tiller for about 1 year and haven't had any problem with it, but it isn't nearly as well made as the old troy built that it replaced - stolen. I must say though that the reverse rotation does work better, and faster than the old one did.
BTW, we've been getting salads out of the cold frame just about every day for 2-3 weeks. In the last three days I've planted potatoes, peas, lettuce, spinach, carrots, chard, fava beans (good with liver and a nice Chianti), have onions coming up, and over wintered garlic just starting to grow again. Broccoli, cauliflower, and more salad greens in the green house (http://doorgarden.com/10/50-dollar-hoop-house-green-house).
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Don't think I mentioned, breaking belts.
If you till standing stalks, you will have a bigger problem.
I would pull the stalks up and through to the compost pile,"you do have one, don't you"?
Or, run the mower over them. They cause less trouble when they are lying flat.
I have had my pony for about 9 years and haven't replaced a belt yet.
But I did have to add some gas :roll: :shock: :)doak
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Ohhh, Bob,...
troybilt bronco...I have one behind my shed.....with the belts both gone!..That sucker jerked me all over the yard! My Bro in law had one too...he finally gave up on it from yanking his back out!
I wrote to Lowes,...to Troybilt...to BBB...This was definitley false advertising on how you can till with one hand...I mean, sure you can, if its been tilled many times before they filmed it in action!
IF you still have the receipt, I'd definitely take it back to the store, cuz it wont get any easier. On another note tho....It does start and runs really good....I had the NON counter rotating tines with my bronco..I think I paid about 300 bux for it several years ago....I paid twice that much on the tiller I just got recently, but, fortunately, I had a nice tax refund this year.
Good luck bob!
your friend,
john
I have the counter rotating tines. It does till easy. I was tilling unbroken pasture at the shallowest depth and could do it with one hand. When I changed the belt I found the motor was mounted off center. I loosened the bolts and readjusted and now it looks like it will be OK. Troy Bilt calls for a 4x25.375 belt but I found a 4x25 at the hardware store and it seems to work fine. One problem I find is that you have to help it pull forward against the counter rotating tines. Either not enough weight in the unit or under powered. I would return it but I ordered it from Troy Built and shipping back is a killer.
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Now I have about 200 tomatoes planted.
Did I say I planted taters yesterday. :)doak
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I spent all day prepping soil for this spring. I am doing the lasagna gardening, so I layed down cardboard and then compost, leaves,leaf mold, coffee grounds,etc. on a large part of my yard that I am turning into one big flower garden.
I am not even close to planting here, we don't get our last frost until the beginning of May.
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Natalie, our last frost date here is end of April, pretty close to you, at the beginning of May, smiling. Spring comes fast and hard here, suddenly, it's planting time, smiling, I am going to still plant some stuff, even though it may be in vain because of the move. BUT......it will worth its weight in gold with the fun that I am gonna have, getting my knees, hands and feet all dirty and muddied right up, yeah, oh man, I just can't wait!!! Love our life, live it so, it loves us too. Cindi
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Don't let my postings rush anyone or make you feel bad.
Sometime I get in a rush and do some things a little too early myself.
Just hang in there and do what you would do on a normal basis, don't rush it.
:)doak
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Doak, oh you know you love to make us drool!!! We are picturing you outside, warm soil, planting and heeling in your plants. Wow, tell us what you do with so many tomato plants. I cannot grow tomatoes here unless it is under cover, and even then sometimes we get that late season killing blight, it is a nasty one. Where we are moving to, well....shiver me timbers!!! I know for a darn fact that it is dry, I can grow tomatoes outside, not under a plastic cover. It is just because here in my climate the nights are so moist and cool that they cause that blight to come. We get dew here in summertime, the moment that the sun goes down. By 11:00 at night, even in summer, you would think that it had rained. There is not a single way on this good green earth that when one sleeps outside that they could sleep without something over the top, like a tent, or a tarp, the dew would soak you to the bones. Now that is one wet climate here. Yeah for the growing of the tomatoes!!! Beautiful day in this great life. Cindi
My Sister and a weird tomato that she grew last year.
(http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/9616/tomatobignose2.jpg) (http://img24.imageshack.us/my.php?image=tomatobignose2.jpg)
(http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/396/tomatobignose.jpg) (http://img24.imageshack.us/my.php?image=tomatobignose.jpg)
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No wonder your tomatoes dont grow well...They turn out OBSCENE!! :shock:
But,....That kind of tomato is what cameras are made for!!
your friend,
john
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No wonder your tomatoes dont grow well...They turn out OBSCENE!! :shock:
But,....That kind of tomato is what cameras are made for!!
your friend,
john
John, your minds always in the gutter. Its an heirloom, called the Jimmy Durante!
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:-D
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I have sugar snaps and turnips up.
I grow enough tomatoes to can and sell.
This year I want to can maybe 100 quarts.
I had rather can than freeze. I can keep them longer and don't have to worry
about the power going off.
Which happens here too often, summer and winter.
Lightning, wind and ice. Yes Ice, we lost it during our little snow a couple weeks ago.
As for the weird looking tomato, not so uncommon when you have more than a few dozen plants.
Never new it to affect the taste.
doak
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No wonder your tomatoes dont grow well...They turn out OBSCENE!! :shock:
But,....That kind of tomato is what cameras are made for!!
your friend,
john
John, your minds always in the gutter. Its an heirloom, called the Jimmy Durante!
Yeah, Jimmy Durante. The hairdo is a dead give away.
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Bwa, ha, ha, ha, ha, so funnneeeee, C.