Re: Mark's first SFG

yolos 10/9/2019, 9:41 pm

markqz wrote:
yolos wrote:Or plastic ear plug containers used in manufacturing business. Re-purposed as cloches.[/img][/url]

Yeah, but yours looks beautiful. Mine looks like trash.

I suppose I should ask how one obtains mega quantities of ear plug containers. Debris after a rock concert?

TIL: Cloche

Ha, Ha. No I worked for about 15 years for a manufacturing company. OSHA required the workers in the factory to wear ear protectors. So we purchased them by the plastic container and I kept the empty containers for a few year.

**sanderson** 10/10/2019, 5:04 am

Plastic milk cartons and 2 liter soda bottles as clothe. If you don't have either, look for a neighbor with kids (milk) or teenagers (soda).

**AtlantaMarie** 10/10/2019, 8:03 am

countrynaturals wrote:
sanderson wrote:Re-purposing at it's finest! I think gardeners become hoarders because we think, "I'm sure I can use this in the garden, somewhere."
I'm not a hoarder! I'm not, I'm not, I'm NOT!

No, no... We're packrats. And the first rule of being a packrat is to learn how to pack. We can get LOTS of stuff in SMALL places....

markqz 10/10/2019, 11:42 am

It's trying to escape ...

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markqz 10/10/2019, 2:41 pm

I'm being ungrateful, but after the squash grew in a virtual explosion, I had high hopes for the pickles/cucumbers. But this is the first one, 10 days late. I let it grow to cucumber size (I'm pretty sure it's not going to get longer).

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**sanderson** 10/12/2019, 1:40 am

Mark

markqz 10/19/2019, 2:58 pm

This is actually from a week ago. At this point I have 3 squash that are in "hammocks."

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markqz 11/6/2019, 10:33 pm

It's coming down to the end. Looking kind of sad. I'll probably take out the gentry squash, spaghetti and cucumbers this weekend. I've already over-planted the peas with kohlrabi, cauliflower, and bok choy. Give the pumpkin another month. Give the corn another week, though I don't have much hope for it. Did I plant the corn too close? The carrots never did well, so I'll probably just pull them and use their greens in stir fry. Let the eggplants over-winter. For a lot of things, it wasn't a fair test because they were shadowed by squash.

The zucchini, meanwhile, is still producing flowers and fruits, albeit increasingly tiny ones. Makes it hard to decide to tear out.

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markqz 11/6/2019, 10:37 pm

Meanwhile, SFG #2 is getting a splash of color ...

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**Scorpio Rising** 11/6/2019, 10:55 pm

Wow, Mark! You had a great first run! Did you keep notes? I learn so much every year, and each one is different.

markqz 11/7/2019, 1:58 pm

Scorpio Rising wrote: Did you keep notes?

I've got a system in progress, but need to update the notes. I wonder if there's much of a market for SFG smart-phone app? Hmm, might already be one ...

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**Scorpio Rising** 11/10/2019, 4:38 pm

Oh wow! That’s very high tech, Mark. I have handwritten notes, mostly the “plan” for the year. Then I tend to make “Notes” on my iPad based upon year...each year is different as far as rain, temps, pests, etc. You are way ahead of me!

markqz 11/13/2019, 11:50 pm

Should I start a different thread -- "Mark's second SFG" ?

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**sanderson** 11/16/2019, 4:14 am

Nope. You are just expanding your SFG, so this thread is fine. Nice bridal tulle!! What size did you buy? And, what did you plant, and what are those mystery hieroglyphs in the bed? Razz

markqz 11/16/2019, 2:58 pm

sanderson wrote:Nice bridal tulle!! What size did you buy?

It was kind of gifted. 54" by 7 yards. This was nearly perfect for the "Wagon wheel" plan in the book. About a half yard leftover.

sanderson wrote:And, what did you plant,

sanderson wrote:and what are those mystery hieroglyphs in the bed?

It's just science. Hieroglyphs are well-known to attract RA the sun god, promoting good plant growth sunny

Actuallly ... they're wooden skewers I use to help me see where I've planted things. Drawing lines didn't work so well for me, since they tended to get washed out during watering. They have other uses too.

Thanks!

**sanderson** 11/16/2019, 5:37 pm

Purple of Sicily Cauliflower!! This was my first attempt. Ate it as snacks in one day. Very Happy

markqz 11/23/2019, 9:07 pm

sanderson wrote:Purple of Sicily Cauliflower!! This was my first attempt. Ate it as snacks in one day.

That is beautiful. How did subsequent attempts go?

markqz 11/23/2019, 9:14 pm

Fort Tulle was viciously attacked overnight. Several holes were dug, damaging some of the young sprouts. The critter wasn't interested in the plants -- apparently it was digging for grubs or bugs, which I hope there aren't any of.

My leading suspects would be either a rat or a skunk. Skunks migrate from backyard to backyard over a period of a month. The hole cut into the tulle was too small to be a skunk, but I'm not sure that it got in that way. All it would have to do is snuffle under the tulle. I repaired the hole with some clear packing tape.

Anyway, I'm adding reinforcements around the perimeter (green netting, in progress). I'm hoping that all it found were pill bugs and not worth the bother of coming back.

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yolos 11/24/2019, 12:08 am

I have had to put fences around every bed I have. Something gets in and digs around the bed. Someone said it was probably an Armadillo digging for grubs. They are also digging in my Bermuda grass digging for grubs also we think. The yard guys said we should probably treat the lawn for grubs this year to help keep the creeps from digging in the turf.

**sanderson** 11/24/2019, 3:15 am

Oh, no. I have a reverse problem. A squirrel has been burying small, tight pine cones in my beds and 5-gallon buckets for the past year.

markqz 11/26/2019, 9:51 pm

Young sprouts in box 2 catching the rays of the setting sun.

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**sanderson** 11/27/2019, 2:29 am

Aren't they cute!

markqz 11/27/2019, 4:13 pm

I swear, I'm sure this arugula stem was not there blocking the baby bok choy when I did the morning harvest:

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**sanderson** 11/28/2019, 2:46 am

You are having so much fun with your new garden. bounce

markqz 11/28/2019, 4:22 pm

Here's the clamps I've been using to hold tulle in place. I was going to take a picture of my actual clamps, but it's pouring cats and kangaroos so I'll stick with a stock photo:

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Very inexpensive from Harbor Freight (don't forget your 20% coupon).

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