2020 SFG Adventures in Hampstead, NC

ralitaco wrote:It's personal this time...@#$%@#$% Squirrels!!!!

The commercial!

I had a squirrel that buried a lot of pine cones in my beds, pots, buckets and and even the 1'x50' BTE strip. Last fall and this spring, I kept finding them.

Okay, this is getting personal!  Rocky the Squirrel got into my new bed.

Those dang rats with cute tails are wreaking havoc this year.

ralitaco wrote:Those dang rats with cute tails are wreaking havoc this year.

+1

Maybe we can build this to keep them out of the beds.

OMG!!! That is hysterical.
I just may have to do that.

So far this year I have done more in my SFG beds than all of last year and most of 2018 too.
Earlier this week I added some Black Kow manure to my beds.
I also started making my hoop house skeleton.

And tonight (drumroll please)...I started my planning for what to plant. WOOHOO!!!!  

I may even try starting some seeds inside - questions to come

Amazing what a plant can do when it has room to grow...



I have high hopes that I will get some good berries this year. I have 16 in the center TT. I also have 10 in the front yard and 36 directly in the ground.
This will be interesting to see how the SFG performs vs the ground.

Oh, I forgot...I actually planted some seeds in my beds!!!!!!!
I put in some beans, peas, lettuce, carrots, and a few others.

Now I am thinking about starting some tomato seeds and pepper seeds inside. So any tips for someone that has never started seeds inside and has no grow lights, etc.? I just plan to pop some seeds in small trays with vermiculite and some leaf compost and hope for the best.

Sunny window sill during the day?  Once they germinate, take them outside on sunny days when it is 60*F.  ??

When I first started back in 2013, my husband made 2 seed boxes from scrap wood.  I stapled 4 mil plastic to the bottom and sides, with a removable plastic lid for sunny days.  It was important to check the temps so they didn't fry. I brought them in each night and took them back out each morning. That's how I sprouted everything that March.

Thanks for the tips Sanderson. I picked up some clear plastic, but I do have some clear panels...maybe I will make a mini greenhouse...hmmm.

I did get some netting over the beds to protect from the (&#%*($ squirrels.

Making progress:
A Sugar Pea which I am glad to see because the aforementioned varmints dug in that square.
BTW-it is the little speck of green to the right of the marker near to the pvc.


A Sunflower


Some Pole Beans

Won't the squirrels bite through that netting.

yolos wrote:Won't the squirrels bite through that netting.

They could, but so far have not.
I also added a cat to the mix, so maybe that will help too.

ralitaco wrote:I also added a cat to the mix, so maybe that will help too.

Most folks try to keep cats out of the Mix.

"Mix" was the wrong choice of words for this crowd.

Just an update:
My strawberry plants are producing berries. The plants are not getting much taller though.
A few of the peas popped up but only about 3 or 4 out of 30.
The Carrots are starting to sprout.
Only about 1/2 the pole beans have sprouted.
None of the Romaine, poblano, Rapunzel nor the Tromboncino have sprouted yet either.

So, I am soaking some pole beans, sunflowers and tromboncino seeds.

I may try to build that little greenhouse over the weekend.

Hello all. Hope everyone is surviving 2020. I thought I'd post a few pics to show the little that has transpired in my SFG's. I have really neglected the garden because I am focussing on remodelling my master bath. I am glad I got to do some in the garden, so any success is great. My lack of attention to the garden and the success I had is a tribute to the SFG method.


I guess the strawberries I planted in the ground served an unexpected purpose: bait to keep the squirrels out of the SFG's:

It is hard to see, but if you look closely, you can see the red berry in his paws.



This one shows the rascal stashing the uneaten berry in the fence for later.



So I did have some (and by some, I mean a little) luck with the veggies.


Of the 30 or so seeds I planted only 3 or 4 grew to vines. I did get 1 harvest from them.



The Tromboncino squash were a flash in the pan...again. They sprouted, produced a few flowers then died.



I planted 3 squares full of carrots and in 2 other planted Rapunzel tomatoes. Well, only some of the carrots sprouted and the tomatoes I planted did not sprout. Well at least not the ones I planted in their own squares. Apparently, I dropped a seed in with the carrots and that one took off.
We did get quite a few tomatoes and a handful of carrots.







The Kentucky Blue Pole beans that came up did okay. I planted 4 squares with 4 per square but got only 3 vines. Those 3 vines did produce quite a few beans. At least until the plants shrivelled up from not being watered. They even survived being swarmed by kudzu bugs - nasty little creatures. You can see one in the 2nd pic.

Here are some pics of my biggest success - a Sunflower. I have to admit, I was shocked at how big they grow.
I only planted 2 in the SFG bed and about 12 or so in the ground. Only 1 in the SFG came up and the ones in the ground would get up about 4-6" tall then die off. Either the cats or dog ran through them OR they died of something else, maybe not enough sun. Regardless, I will plant more next year.

06-06-2020






06-30-2020




07-15-2020

That sunflower is beautiful. Will you be eating them or putting them out as winter feed?

sanderson wrote:That sunflower is beautiful.  Will you be eating them or putting them out as winter feed?

It ended up in the compost bin. There were not really any seeds in the shells.

Hello Ralitaco - welcome back.   Are you growing a garden this year.

Not sure, but I started my annual thread:
2021 SFG Adventures in Hampstead, NC