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#230303 01/08/07 12:20 PM
Joined: Jul 2004
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Gecko
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Gecko
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Posts: 603
Very clever indeed. I love styro for container gardening. I feel that the evaporation seems less. I have no proof of this, just a sense that there is less temperature fluctuation in the styro.

Using "grey water" from the washer is very environmentally friendly, a brilliant way to keep the water bills down and help reduce consumerism down at the water company.

Enjoy your summer crops!

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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 250
Shark
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Shark
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Posts: 250
Just came back for Lowe's (our home supply guru) and mentally planned the spring gardens. After the move, I had MANY leftover vinyl shelving units and, believe it or not, no place to put them. Boing!!!! Mind alteration to gardening plans.

1. Set up basic shelving, using four legs and one shelf, approx. 18" high.
2. Purchased four (4) [at $.76 - or, $3.04 per unit) each here in USA) concrete metal rods (36" each) per unit to run down through core of each corner with at least 20" pounded into the ground to stabilize shelf.
3. Place containers similar to those I used in Delaware on top of shelving to protect back and easy access.
4. Run support stakes through "holes" in shelving top, or run rows along backside of shelving for runners.

What's great about this type of container is that you can rotate crops so easily. Just note what was planted in which container and don't use it for the same ones for the next couple of years.

I can't wait for February and planting time.



Sharlene Thomas
Career Training Editor, Bella Online
CreativeHandz
StariaMelodies
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Shark
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Shark
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Well, I couldn't wait. Still haven't set up the container over shelving, yet, because those will be the warmer, summer, crops. A little too much exposure to cold, wind, and rain, to be worth taking the time to watch them die.

BUT, did get started on the Lasagna gardening and will NEVER go back to the old way of digging, roto-tilling, and singing rhythmic hymns. . .

So, I will have two new beds by the end of the week, some planted with cold-weather crops and others just waiting for spring warm-up.

Took less than two hours to set up the first garden.

1. Put down two sheets of newspaper in a 4' x 12' rectangle over the section of grass (no digging up) where I wanted the garden.
2. Wet it thoroughly.
3. Covered length with approx. 3-4" each of old leaves, dried plant cuttings, light sprinkling of bone and blood meals, lime, peat moss for airiness*, very old almost decomposed straw, layer of OLD horse manure, some dirt (not much) and any old mulchy stuff in my wooded area; then, repeated layers until the bed was approx. 24" high.

* If you don't have peat moss and want to keep the soil light with air pockets, you can use soft-stem plant cuttings (pampas (sp?) grass, reeds) or old broken soft-wood pieces. That will prevent things from compacting too much while they deoompose.

Right now, the bed has no controlled sides (so isn't, officially, a container garden, yet), while I build the other one. But, plan on putting stakes around the edges and attach black plastic wrapping (bags) to keep everything inside (a half-way container?) the edges while it's doing its thing. Will also cover the whole shebang with clear plastic dropcloths to hurry the process and have little mini hothouses.

Wanted to take pictures and discovered my digital camera died. I lost all my holiday pix, too. Put in brand-new batteries and somehow they corroded and did their damage. Maybe I can use a different camera, then scan the photos, until I replace the digital! (what did we do without them??) Will try that.


Sharlene Thomas
Career Training Editor, Bella Online
CreativeHandz
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Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 603
Gecko
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Gecko
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Oh Sharlene, so sorry about your camera! I know we're all very dependent on our electronics. I know what we did without them...not so much!

I love the lasagne method. It is so intuitively right. I can't wait to introduce it into the game this spring.

Right now I'm working on an article on planting seeds for the fainthearted. I hope I finish it before it's time to plant indoors.

Best,

Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 250
Shark
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Shark
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Posts: 250
Well, I finally got my camera! It does so many things that I'm seriously challenged, for now, but did figure out how to use just the digital part so here are my pix!

gardens2007

Still have to paint the trellis, just wanted to get it positioned. Will put in edging for a mower guide and then enjoy. Putting all my seeds on tissue with flour paint to make planting easy and reduce thinning to naught!

Will add all my water bottles as soon as the rain stops and the sun makes life a little warmer here. (That's about 50 degrees for me!)


Sharlene Thomas
Career Training Editor, Bella Online
CreativeHandz
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 250
Shark
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Shark
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Okay. The container garden is full of spring sproutings and have created three more lasagna beds for the grapes and potatoes. Check them out here: http://www.creativehandz.com/creativehandz/gardens2007.htm


Sharlene Thomas
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CreativeHandz
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 27
Newbie
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Newbie
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Posts: 27
Hey everyone! I have this old run down wheel barrow that I am planning on growing our watermelon in this year. It will have room to run over and I'm hoping it will look really pretty. I'm even thinking about putting a support in the middle of the wheel barrow so it has something to climb.

What do you think?

Jackie Lee smile

Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 27
Newbie
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Newbie
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Posts: 27
Have you ever done Lasagna gardening in your containers? I just reviewed the book Lasagna Gardening last week and noticed she has written a lasagna gardening for small spaces/containers.

I'm thinking of doing potatoes in a bag using lasagna method. I have all the "stuffing" for lasagna gardening and think it would be so much easier than using soil for my containers.

Jackie Lee smile

Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 250
Shark
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Shark
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Yes. Lasagna Gardening works for everything. I'm even doing it for the new fruit trees. They'll be raised a bit off the ground and will get surrounded with pretty florals as ground cover.

Everything is growing so fast, now. My sister (she lives with me) can't wait to get home from work, at night, to see the changes.

You're going to hate me but I've created self-watering containers for my tomatoes, this year. They hold about 1 gallon of water in the bottom and insure that the soil stays moist not wet.

Will try to get some sequential pictures taken and put them up, soon.



Sharlene Thomas
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Posts: 55
Amoeba
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Amoeba
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I started a slightly raised garden last year. Very small yard space/poor soil so rather than dig down into rock we put in new soil. Anyway, newbie that I am, I have heard that there are flowers I can mix with my veggies that critters don't like. Do any of you know what they would be? I have a garden space 6'X19' most of which I want to plant w/veggies. Ideas?


To learn is to live, follow your path, trust your faith and be true to yourself.
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