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Square Foot Gardening Forum
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Mountain View CA Toplef10Mountain View CA 1zd3ho10

Hello Guest!
Welcome to the official Square Foot Gardening Forum.
There's lots to learn here by reading as a guest. However, if you become a member (it's free, ad free and spam-free) you'll have access to our large vermiculite databases, our seed exchange spreadsheets, Mel's Mix calculator, and many more members' pictures in the Gallery. Enjoy.

Mountain View CA I22gcj10Mountain View CA 14dhcg10

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Mountain View CA

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Mountain View CA Empty Mountain View CA

Post  Grandma'sBoys 6/14/2011, 1:57 pm

Hi, This is PNG_Grandma introducing my grandsons...P, N, and G! They live with their mom (my daughter) in Mountain View, CA. Al and are spending a few days with them to help set up their first SFG boxes. We hauled a pickup load of compost from Modesto and right now Al and V are buying some soil to add to the compost...and all the other stuff we need for the MM.

Al grew plants from seeds beginning way back in Feb and we brought them with us...about 18 plants, almost all having produced something while still in their pots! Two different eggplants, with one on each plant, a bunch of different pepper plants (none hot, darn!), several different tomato plants, and some squash that he just started a few weeks ago.

We tried a regular garden in the backyard last year, gave P the new version of Mel's book for his birthday because he's the garden guy in this bunch, and then watched sadly as the squirrels and the gophers dined throughout the rest of the year! This year is different! This year we have raised boxes...this year we have raised boxes with MESH on the bottom to keep the critters out! (we hope...but if they've learned to use wire cutters we're in trouble!)

The gophers in the backyard are resilient, they are numerous, and they are out for revenge! As we sat on the patio this morning having our coffee and planning for the day two of the critters were creating new holes only a few feet away from us...the nerve of those guys!! We've put smoker things down the holes, planted a solar powered thingy that sends out an irritating sound every few seconds...and nothing is working! The irritating sound seems to only affect me!

Here are the pics of what happened yesterday...

Al and V are working really hard trying to break up the ground...
Mountain View CA Al_and10

This is REALLY HARD STUFF!
Mountain View CA Really10

Al begins building two 4x8 x 10" boxes.
Mountain View CA Al_beg10

Boxes are built, now Al has added the weed block cloth and is nailing the 1/2" mesh in place...gonna foil those critters this year!!
Mountain View CA Al_det10

Now to unload the compost so the pickup can be used to purchase the soil to add to everything!
Mountain View CA Unload10

...and here are the plants! We kept them on the patio table to hopefully protect them from the squirrels...didn't think the gophers would climb up there...but ya shoulda seen all the snail tracks on the patio under and around the table this morning!!
Mountain View CA The_pl10

We plan to build a few more boxes between these two and the fence you see in the background...probably 3' x 6' for the squash and other things, like lettuce and spinach, and a few herbs to round out the meals that are sure to be harvested in the coming months!! Oh, the two white roses you see in the background came from the area where the Apollo Garden now grows. I just couldn't allow them to be destroyed last year...so we stuffed them, pots included into the back of our minivan and they've survived nicely here in V's garden.

More updates to follow...Al is ready to plant and needs some suggestions as to where each plant should be placed!


Grandma'sBoys
Grandma'sBoys

Male Posts : 5
Join date : 2011-06-13
Location : Mountain View CA, USDA Zone 8b, Sunset 15, AHS Heat Zone 4

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Mountain View CA Empty Re: Mountain View CA

Post  Furbalsmom 6/14/2011, 5:38 pm

Have Garden, Will Travel, or at least will travel to build a new garden.

V and PNG will love working in the SFG, once the hard work of building and filling is done, they get to watch things grow and harvest dinner from the back yard. How exciting.

You and Al are great parents to go to all this effort for your daughter and grandsons.

Looking forward to updates.
Furbalsmom
Furbalsmom

Female Posts : 3141
Join date : 2010-06-10
Age : 77
Location : Coastal Oregon, Zone 9a, Heat Zone 2 :(

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Post  Grandma'sBoys 6/14/2011, 11:31 pm

(This is PNG_Grandma again)...as the day worn on we wore out...only two boxes were built, filled with all the goodies for the plants, and planted with only 4 toms, 2 eggplants, and some strawberries left from last year's garden. We had to move them for one of the boxes so Al just planted them in the same place, just inside the box now! V and the boys don't eat many peppers so Al will be taking home about a dozen beautiful plants...maybe we'll find a home for them soon. V and boys want to plant pumpkins, watermelon, Swiss chard, spinach (the boys LOVE spinach!), bush beans, and a few herbs. Oh, yeah...the lettuce too, probably under the shade of the eggplant leaves.
More tomorrow!
Grandma'sBoys
Grandma'sBoys

Male Posts : 5
Join date : 2011-06-13
Location : Mountain View CA, USDA Zone 8b, Sunset 15, AHS Heat Zone 4

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Post  PNG_Grandma 6/15/2011, 3:03 pm

RE: Grandma'sBoys garden
I think the gophers are winning. Last night Al "planted" two gopher traps, supposedly the best available...yeah, right...did anyone tell the gophers they were being treated with the best?? This morning one trap was missing and the other had a gopher. Al tried to be a bit discreet, asked for a plastic bag, and attempted to dispose of the thing before one small grandson could see it. Again, Yeah, right...ever know of an 8 yr old without his "eeewwww" radar turned on??? Of course he had to see it, and then he had to drag his 11 yr old brother out to see it, and he wanted to discuss it, in great detail...and I'm sure that's what the dinner discussion will be tonight...unless his Mommy can somehow stop him mid-word!

Back to the gophers...one had the nerve to dig a hole, or at least push up the dirt RIGHT NEXT TO THE SIDE OF THE GARDEN BOX!!! There is now a trap in that burrow, with a string attached to the trap, and the string is tied to the shovel. The war is escalating!!
PNG_Grandma
PNG_Grandma

Female Posts : 297
Join date : 2010-06-20
Age : 76
Location : Modesto CA, Central Valley, USDA Zone 9b, Sunset 14, AHS Heat Zone 8, whew!

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Post  Lindacol 6/15/2011, 11:45 pm

PNG_Grandma wrote:RE: Grandma'sBoys garden
I think the gophers are winning. Last night Al "planted" two gopher traps, supposedly the best available...yeah, right...did anyone tell the gophers they were being treated with the best?? This morning one trap was missing and the other had a gopher. Al tried to be a bit discreet, asked for a plastic bag, and attempted to dispose of the thing before one small grandson could see it. Again, Yeah, right...ever know of an 8 yr old without his "eeewwww" radar turned on??? Of course he had to see it, and then he had to drag his 11 yr old brother out to see it, and he wanted to discuss it, in great detail...and I'm sure that's what the dinner discussion will be tonight...unless his Mommy can somehow stop him mid-word!

Back to the gophers...one had the nerve to dig a hole, or at least push up the dirt RIGHT NEXT TO THE SIDE OF THE GARDEN BOX!!! There is now a trap in that burrow, with a string attached to the trap, and the string is tied to the shovel. The war is escalating!!

Hope you put wire bottoms on the boxes. That is the only way I can have a garden(or plant in gopher cages) the gophers are so bad here. I've trapped about 20 so far this year, setting up to 4 traps at a time but only doing it occasionally. You need have a piece of wire attached to each trap and stake or run something like a piece of rebar thru it or you will lose traps
Lindacol
Lindacol

Posts : 777
Join date : 2011-01-23
Location : Bloomington, CA

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Post  middlemamma 6/16/2011, 3:13 am

When I grew up in So Cal I remember my grandfather fighting the gopher battle. He did so much stuff..I wish I could remember what worked for him. Seems like he stuck hoses in their runs and tried to flood them out...and another remedy used gallon milk jugs....wish I knew more and could help. Instead I will root for your team and cross my fingers and toes!
middlemamma
middlemamma
 
 

Female Posts : 2264
Join date : 2010-04-25
Age : 46
Location : Idaho Panhandle

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Post  PNG_Grandma 6/16/2011, 5:10 pm

Thanks for the rooting as we try to save our roots!!! Here is what I posted about what we've done so far...with some positive results.
https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t7936-gophers-grrrrrrr#72420

So far today, no new holes. One this morning and Al put a trap down the hole...with a string attached to the trap...and the other end attached to the garden trowel. My daughter is less than thrilled with the thoughts of having to re-set the trap each day. And far less thrilled with the images of having to empty said trap if by some small chance it actually works!! I'm sure the 8 yr old in the house will be more than happy to help out!! tongue
PNG_Grandma
PNG_Grandma

Female Posts : 297
Join date : 2010-06-20
Age : 76
Location : Modesto CA, Central Valley, USDA Zone 9b, Sunset 14, AHS Heat Zone 8, whew!

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