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View Full Version : Raised Bed/Enclosed Gardening Update (pics)


DougGuy
05-25-2014, 09:58 AM
A few pics of this years garden. We grow in raised beds here because all the soil is red clay. Works better, can compost and mulch it in easier, and not as much bending over. The netting is to keep birds and squirrels from decimating the fruits of our labor, had to put some chicken wire around the bottom of the walk-in enclosure, something (possum) was chewing holes and getting in.

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/DougGuy/2014%20Garden/20140507_191924_zpsecfb74ed.jpg (http://s1202.photobucket.com/user/DougGuy/media/2014%20Garden/20140507_191924_zpsecfb74ed.jpg.html)

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/DougGuy/2014%20Garden/DSC02428_zps491387bb.jpg (http://s1202.photobucket.com/user/DougGuy/media/2014%20Garden/DSC02428_zps491387bb.jpg.html)

Maters coming along:

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/DougGuy/2014%20Garden/DSC02425_zpsfa96b705.jpg (http://s1202.photobucket.com/user/DougGuy/media/2014%20Garden/DSC02425_zpsfa96b705.jpg.html)

Strawberries been giving up almost a quart per day, time to pick some more this morning:

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/DougGuy/2014%20Garden/DSC02426_zps6da26422.jpg (http://s1202.photobucket.com/user/DougGuy/media/2014%20Garden/DSC02426_zps6da26422.jpg.html)

Some unknown soft neck garlic, ALMOST ready to dig! Waksupi, this is the hot garlic you wanted some seed from, so far it looks good!

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/DougGuy/2014%20Garden/DSC02427_zpsf1a9d710.jpg (http://s1202.photobucket.com/user/DougGuy/media/2014%20Garden/DSC02427_zpsf1a9d710.jpg.html)

Black raspberries with the bird nets drawn down, they are just starting to ripen and I do not want birds sh*tting all over the berries so I build cages out of 2x2 and staple the netting to them, leaving the sides so they can be lifted to harvest berries. These canes are really loaded this year..

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/DougGuy/2014%20Garden/DSC02432_zps8e879ef4.jpg (http://s1202.photobucket.com/user/DougGuy/media/2014%20Garden/DSC02432_zps8e879ef4.jpg.html)

Thornless blackberries, L@@K at all the berries! Can't believe how loaded they are! I am having to tie back the canes to keep them inside the net.

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/DougGuy/2014%20Garden/DSC02431_zps8fbe5b88.jpg (http://s1202.photobucket.com/user/DougGuy/media/2014%20Garden/DSC02431_zps8fbe5b88.jpg.html)

Music garlic making some nice scapes, you snap these off when they get about a foot long, they are super good to eat raw, grilled, or sauteed in stir fry with deer meat!

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/DougGuy/2014%20Garden/DSC02429_zpse12d53f6.jpg (http://s1202.photobucket.com/user/DougGuy/media/2014%20Garden/DSC02429_zpse12d53f6.jpg.html)

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/DougGuy/2014%20Garden/DSC02430_zps266991da.jpg (http://s1202.photobucket.com/user/DougGuy/media/2014%20Garden/DSC02430_zps266991da.jpg.html)

Still got my nighttime predator, this is either a possum or a coon doing this, tore an 8"x12" hole in the bird netting. What animal in it's right mind goes through this much trouble for green blackberries? I mean besides the human that is growing them? I have a Harbor Freight wireless ding dong alarm set up and it goes off in the middle of the night, I put out some peanut butter and put a better scope on the pellet rifle, only a matter of time now before he comes around...

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/DougGuy/2014%20Garden/20140523_1213461_zpsb61c3881.jpg (http://s1202.photobucket.com/user/DougGuy/media/2014%20Garden/20140523_1213461_zpsb61c3881.jpg.html)

Hope you all have a great holiday weekend, remember our veterans and the veterans of our allies who gave all so that we could enjoy our freedom! Let's see some other member's pics!
JonB_in_Glencoe
05-25-2014, 10:08 AM
Wow, Lookin great.


I have a Harbor Freight wireless ding dong alarm set up and it goes off in the middle of the night, I put out some peanut butter and put a better scope on the pellet rifle, only a matter of time now before he comes around...
I'm not sure if you have a nearby streetlight or security light...BUT, I mounted a 2cell AA minimag flashlight with a pressure switch on a cord, on my pellet rifle. While it's not enough light to see 'much' at 25 yards through a scope, It does light up their beady little eyes. I like the idea of an alarm, I'll have to dig into my HF catalog...feel free to post a link for me if you have it handy ;)
farmerjim
05-25-2014, 10:17 AM
In the picture of you holding the unopened seed head on the garlic, are you getting ready to break it off to make the plant put its energy into the bulb instead of the seed. I have to do that on all of my elephant garlic, or I get small bulbs.
Try an electric fence for the critters. Your garden looks great.
Three44s
05-25-2014, 10:31 AM
440v. AC on the wire should net you an MRE! ....... and no more marauder!


Nice job on the garden! Very nice!!


Best regards

Three 44s
oneokie
05-25-2014, 10:35 AM
Impressive.
DougGuy
05-25-2014, 10:47 AM
Here you go JonB, these are supposed to go on sale June 5-6 for $13.99: http://www.harborfreight.com/wireless-driveway-alert-system-93068.html

I had one false alarm on the HF ding dong last nite, no possum and no coon sightings. Odd because I put out fresh bait, fresh cat food AND peanut butter (yellow arrow and also inset) in the bait station area. I took a head shot on the possum the other night and hit it pretty good but didn't recover it because it ran under the low deck. I'm pretty sure it's dead but might have went down the hole left by a previous tenant, a groundhog, and that's why it isn't visiting the bait and also why it isn't smelling.

This pic is taken from my shooting position (window) and there is a 40w light overlooking the bait (red arrow). The ding dong transmitter sits in a window sill overlooking the bait from about 3 yards. The distance to the bait from the shooting position is 12yds. It's a decent setup where none of the neighbors can see the open window and in the mornings it produces quite a few opportunities for squirrels.

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/DougGuy/Air%20Rifle%20stuff/BackyardBaitStation_zpsf0b51d54.jpg (http://s1202.photobucket.com/user/DougGuy/media/Air%20Rifle%20stuff/BackyardBaitStation_zpsf0b51d54.jpg.html)

This is what's in the wooden bait that you can see in the photos but can't see much detail. I put it behind chicken wire to slow the varmint down and make them work for it, and hopefully the direction will point them in my direction for a clean head shot.

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/DougGuy/Air%20Rifle%20stuff/20140513_200618_zps0a6b5b56.jpg (http://s1202.photobucket.com/user/DougGuy/media/Air%20Rifle%20stuff/20140513_200618_zps0a6b5b56.jpg.html)
DougGuy
05-25-2014, 10:58 AM
In the picture of you holding the unopened seed head on the garlic, are you getting ready to break it off to make the plant put its energy into the bulb instead of the seed. I have to do that on all of my elephant garlic, or I get small bulbs.
Try an electric fence for the critters. Your garden looks great.

Thanks! Yes the scapes get snapped off but I like to let them finish looping because if you break them off before they get done, they will still grow a couple inches so the energy is not all going to the bulb if they do that and also we love to eat them! Leaving them to finish produces bigger scapes to grill or saute and put in stir fry.

These looked ready enough, last year I was digging garlic on Memorial Day weekend, this year because the winter was a colder winter, lots of things got off to a slower start. Garlic included. Still, a nice handful of scapes to throw on the grill with some baby backs! Happy Memorial Day!

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/DougGuy/2014%20Garden/DSC02435_zps75b15d22.jpg (http://s1202.photobucket.com/user/DougGuy/media/2014%20Garden/DSC02435_zps75b15d22.jpg.html)
JonB_in_Glencoe
05-26-2014, 12:25 PM
This is what's in the wooden bait that you can see in the photos but can't see much detail. I put it behind chicken wire to slow the varmint down and make them work for it, and hopefully the direction will point them in my direction for a clean head shot.

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/DougGuy/Air%20Rifle%20stuff/20140513_200618_zps0a6b5b56.jpg (http://s1202.photobucket.com/user/DougGuy/media/Air%20Rifle%20stuff/20140513_200618_zps0a6b5b56.jpg.html)

All great ideas...and great photos, especially the Bait box...thanks
farmerjim
05-26-2014, 02:06 PM
I never thought that the scapes were good to eat. I always have a strong garlic smell on my hands after breaking them off. They are all gone for this year, but I will try them in my stir fries and grill some next year. Thanks much for this bit of information.
MaryB
05-26-2014, 07:39 PM
Trapped my garden raider today, had a wood chuck digging under everything, got him in a live trap and moved him 1 mile out of town near an abandoned grove.
DougGuy
06-05-2014, 12:02 PM
Trapped my garden raider today, had a wood chuck digging under everything, got him in a live trap and moved him 1 mile out of town near an abandoned grove.

Good one! I had one here but it backed into a .22 caliber boolit and hurt itself... Rather seriously I might add..

Updates.. These first year blueberries made a little fruit this year, so this is the first handful of blueberries that *I* have ever grown, just in time for some blueberry/pecan pancakes with venison sausage!

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/DougGuy/2014%20Garden/20140605_110233_zps537cd4e1.jpg (http://s1202.photobucket.com/user/DougGuy/media/2014%20Garden/20140605_110233_zps537cd4e1.jpg.html)

Might be a few more by the weekend..

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/DougGuy/2014%20Garden/DSC02500_zps0d295d39.jpg (http://s1202.photobucket.com/user/DougGuy/media/2014%20Garden/DSC02500_zps0d295d39.jpg.html)

Black raspberries were calling me! "Pick me, pick me, come pick me Doug!" :bigsmyl2:

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/DougGuy/2014%20Garden/DSC02488_zps49a8ddd2.jpg (http://s1202.photobucket.com/user/DougGuy/media/2014%20Garden/DSC02488_zps49a8ddd2.jpg.html)

Will get a good 2 cups/day out of these canes for the next week and a half or so..

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/DougGuy/2014%20Garden/DSC02489_zps1b94aabb.jpg (http://s1202.photobucket.com/user/DougGuy/media/2014%20Garden/DSC02489_zps1b94aabb.jpg.html)

BLACKBERRIES coming in next! Garlic coming OUT soon!

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb374/DougGuy/2014%20Garden/DSC02495_zps36e78c67.jpg (http://s1202.photobucket.com/user/DougGuy/media/2014%20Garden/DSC02495_zps36e78c67.jpg.html)
Col4570
06-08-2014, 02:44 AM
http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s452/livebattery/002-33.jpg (http://s1052.photobucket.com/user/livebattery/media/002-33.jpg.html)
Got my Onions a Garlic on the go now,they are not as advanced as yours Doug,here in England we have had lots of rain,The Jalapenos are doing well in the Greenhouse.
Col4570
06-08-2014, 02:51 AM
http://i1052.photobucket.com/albums/s452/livebattery/004-5.jpg (http://s1052.photobucket.com/user/livebattery/media/004-5.jpg.html)
These are a few Potatoes that had chitted so I just put them in fingers crossed,they must like being where they are.
Doug your stuff looks good,i might try Raised Beds next year.
wvmedic
06-13-2014, 01:16 PM
Looking good, we didn't get to start ours this year. Though I plan to be ready next year, I did some raised beds at our old place and they did well.