How does your garden grow ?

[SunnyInCO]

I got back into gardening a few years ago after a many year hiatus. It gives me a feeling of self sufficiency not unlike putting a deer or an elk in the freezer.

I have built hail protection over most of my raised beds. Wouldn't be worth gardening at 6,000 feet without it.

Would you mind sharing a picture or two of the hail Protection you have built? Thanks. I'm at 6050' feet so need to build something for my beds.

 

[wy-tex]

I just have chicken wire cages I put over them then cover that with sheets or tarp.

 

[CoHiCntry]

Would you mind sharing a picture or two of the hail Protection you have built? Thanks. I'm at 6050' feet so need to build something for my beds.

You can buy shade cloth to cover your garden that hail won't penetrate. Or shouldn't...

 

[CoHiCntry]

I'm at 8500 ft. & this year is my second attempt at raised gardens. Learned a lot last year and had little yield. This year I got good soil/ manure for the beds and built a PVC and plastic sheeting cover with a strip of shade cloth on the top for ventilation. I think I cooked it last year without any ventilation. It gets hot under the plastic! So far I've got good looking zucchini, squash, beat & tomato plants. Will be awhile before I get anything though.

Did a second lettuce box with just shade cloth over the top, no plastic. Planted 3 kinds of lettuce, spinach, radishes & a pumpkin just for the heck of it. Been harvesting lettuce & spinach like crazy, probably planted too much! Getting radishes too. Not to sure about the pumpkin although it's a big healthy looking plant. Really hoping the rest of the stuff provides a good harvest too!

 

[Matthoek21]

If y'all want good fertilizer try using chicken manure vs anything else. It does the trick! Better than anything else. Try it next year and compare to this year. You will be impressed.

 

[Slugz]

If y'all want good fertilizer try using chicken manure vs anything else. It does the trick! Better than anything else. Try it next year and compare to this year. You will be impressed.

Second for the bird manure. I got a buddy who runs a big cattle operation California, area has limited to no rain and in the spring they spray a mix of water and turkey manure. Literally a line of grass that comes in thick compared to the no sprayed area.

 

[highplainsdrifter]

Would you mind sharing a picture or two of the hail Protection you have built? Thanks. I'm at 6050' feet so need to build something for my beds.

Here is a picture of hail protection I built over some potatoes:

 

[wy-tex]

Yesterday's wind didn't do any damage but last nights low of 43 made my peppers droopy this morning. Two more days down into the low 40's at night. July in Wyoming. My hail protection is not as pretty, but it works. Since most of my plants are in containers I just make a cage for each one then throw a cover over all of them if needed.They started off as squirrel protection, they were taking down the peppers as soon as I planted them.View attachment 16803

 

[swampokie]

Yesterday's wind didn't do any damage but last nights low of 43 made my peppers droopy this morning. Two more days down into the low 40's at night. July in Wyoming. My hail protection is not as pretty, but it works. Since most of my plants are in containers I just make a cage for each one then throw a cover over all of them if needed.They started off as squirrel protection, they were taking down the peppers as soon as I planted them.View attachment 16803

Really wish I had that problem

 

[go_deep]

Been eating lettuce, radishes, and some jalapenos. Tomatoes are a week out or so, peas have blossomed, pumpkins have blossomed, hoping the kids got a few to carve, and maybe a homemade punkin pie

 

[dustin ray]

slow start this year squirrels eating all peppers carrots beans a red tail hawk has been hanging around my garden win win

 

[Jrod]

Got some tomatoes, peppers, and watermelon going. You other pepper guys I have a question. I have been growing habaneros for 3 years now and the first year I couldn't pick em fast enough, the second year was okay, growing in the same exact location and this year I moved em. Every stinking blossom blooms, closes and withers and falls off. I have put Epsom salt spray once to twice a month in the hopes it would stop but it hasn't. Any other ideas. I have also fertilized with with Epsom salt and an organic fertilizer. Not to much either so they aren't over fertilized and I don't think under fertilized either. Just curious if you guys have had similar problems and what to do. Pretty hot where I live, above 90 most summer days and upper 50's low sixties at night. Conditions seem ideal minus humididty. My bell peppers and poblanos are fine and my tomatoes are off the hook but I like em hot. Cheers

 

[wy-tex]

Could have been cool weather. One of my plants is doing the same but started after we had a 43 degree night. Fertilizer could also be an issue.

 

[wy-tex]

View attachment 16871Looks like good beer in our future. After some intensive bine management, removing the male bines, we've got cones forming. These hops will go into a great beer this winter at The Library in Laramie. Anyone up on a late cow elk hunt might get some.

 

[ScottR]

Tomatoes are starting to grow in ours. Pretty slow, but we got them in pretty late too.

 

[Bonecollector]

I've got a few pumpkins in the 100lb range with plenty of growing season left.

 

[wy-tex]

Wow ! Can't even get okra to grow up here.