"
Q. If one were to begin anew - from a previously untilled field covered in an assortment of vegetation, including grasses, broadleaf weeds, etc., what is the best course of attack? Kill everything that grows with a short-term herbicide like round-up, then till and proceed from there?
A. THE HERBICIDES WILL ONLY KILL LIVING TISSUE THEY REACH SYSTEMICALLY WHEN APPLIED TO LIVING LEAVES. THIS CAN LEAVE MUCH OF THE ROOT SYSTEMS VIABLE. NEARBY PLANTS CAN ALSO BE DAMAGED OR KILLED. APPLICATIONS OF 2-4-D TO WEED CEREAL CROPS HAVE TRAVELED A MILE OR MORE ON THE WIND AND KILLED OTHER VALUABLE CROPS, SUCH AS TOMATOES.
Q. Alternatively, should we Till the entire plot and fight the good fight with the runner type
vegetation like knot grass?
A. IF YOU HAVE AN INFESTATION OF PERENNIAL WEEDS, YOU SHOULD REMOVE THEM, INCLUDING ROOTS, RHIZOMES, AND RUNNERS. FAILURE TO DO SO WILL DOOM YOU TO MANY YEARS OF FIGHTING THEM.
Q. Or should we use some other method, perhaps cover the plot with black plastic and smother/cook the vegetation and then till?
A. BLACK PLASTIC WILL WASTE A GROWING SEASON WHILE IT DOES ITS WORK, AND WILL NOT KILL ROOT SYSTEMS THAT GROW MORE THAN A FEW INCHES BELOW THE SURFACE. AND TILLING WILL BRING A FRESH BATCH OF WEED SEEDS TO THE SURFACE TO GERMINATE AND MAKE YOUR LIFE MIZERABLE.
Q. How about if we concentrate on the grow-beds and leave the pathways covered in grass and mow them so they do not provide weed seeds?
A. LEAVING WEEDS OF ANY KIND IN THE AISLES PROVIDES "BUG HOTELS", SO THE BUGS (AND DISEASES) CAN ATTACK YOUR PLANTS EASILY. ALSO, THE WEEDS WILL GROW INTO YOUR BEDS, AND YOU WILL BE OVERRUN WITH WEEDS IN THE ENTIRE GARDEN.
THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR PROPER PREPARATION OF A GARDEN, AND ELIMINATING ALL WEEDS IS A MAJOR INGREDIENT OF THAT TASK. WE RECOMMEND YOU START WITH A MUCH SMALLER GARDEN THAN YOU PLANNED ON; PREPARE THAT SMALLER SPACE RIGHT AND COMPLETELY, AND YOU WILL GROW MORE IN THE SMALLER SPACE THAN YOU WOULD HAVE DONE IN THE LARGER SPACE YOU ORIGINALLY PLANNED. THEN, NEXT YEAR, IF YOU STILL WANT
MORE VEGETABLES THAN YOU HAD LAST YEAR, PROPERLY PREPARE ANOTHER SECTION OF YOUR GARDEN PLOT BY ONCE AGAIN ELIMINATING ALL WEEDS, INCLUDING THEIR ROOT SYSTEMS.
CONSIDER USING A SOD CUTTER TO REMOVE MOST OF THE WEEDS’ ROOTS, RHIZOMES AND RUNNERS, AND TAKE EVERYTHING AWAY FROM THE GARDEN ENTIRELY. DO NOT TRY TO COMPOST IT AND RE-USE THE COMPOST IN THE GARDEN. WITHOUT SUSTAINED HEAT OF 140+ DEGREES FAHRENHEIT FOR THREE WEEKS YOU WILL NOT KILL EVERYTHING.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Watering – Every Week or Every Day?
I'm a brand new Mittleider gardener this year, and my garden is doing SO
well!! It is really amazing. I've never had such success. Even my
seasoned Pro gardener Grandma is impressed with my garden. Thanks so much
for everyone's help and expertise.
Here's the question. I was reading the message about watering
tomatoes, and I'm confused. I thought that tomatoes needed deep watering
less often. I've only been watering twice a week, but really deep. So
far it appears to be working pretty well, but then again it hasn't been
all that hot (low to mid 80's most days). So should I be watering every
day? And if so, should I be watering everything every day or just
tomatoes? Are there vegetables that need watering less often?
Traditional watering is for deep watering once a week or thereabouts. I believe
- at least in the West - that it originated with the irrigation turns that were
every 7 or 8 days.
Remember that we are doing "The Poor Man's Hydroponic Method", and that
hydroponic growers obtain about 10 times the yield that a good tractor farmer
gets.
Remember (or learn) that hydroponic growers water something like every 15
minutes, and the fertilizer is in the water! So just consider the yield you
want and water accordingly.
Plants need water at the root zone all the time. If the ground dries out the
plant will spend energy sending its roots further into the ground following the
water. We want the plant using its energy growing fruit.
We recommend you do not let the soil surface dry out, which may even require
watering more often than once per day on very hot days.
An interesting observation about the amount of water required with this method
of gardening: People here in Armenia water by flood irrigation, and not very
often. Our neighbor is the Village Water Master this year, and when he saw our
watering procedures he was amazed! He has informed the entire village not to
deny us water any time we want it, because we use so little. he said "you can
even water with a few buckets!", and another time he said something like "You're
only using a drinking glass!"
Water every day.
well!! It is really amazing. I've never had such success. Even my
seasoned Pro gardener Grandma is impressed with my garden. Thanks so much
for everyone's help and expertise.
Here's the question. I was reading the message about watering
tomatoes, and I'm confused. I thought that tomatoes needed deep watering
less often. I've only been watering twice a week, but really deep. So
far it appears to be working pretty well, but then again it hasn't been
all that hot (low to mid 80's most days). So should I be watering every
day? And if so, should I be watering everything every day or just
tomatoes? Are there vegetables that need watering less often?
Traditional watering is for deep watering once a week or thereabouts. I believe
- at least in the West - that it originated with the irrigation turns that were
every 7 or 8 days.
Remember that we are doing "The Poor Man's Hydroponic Method", and that
hydroponic growers obtain about 10 times the yield that a good tractor farmer
gets.
Remember (or learn) that hydroponic growers water something like every 15
minutes, and the fertilizer is in the water! So just consider the yield you
want and water accordingly.
Plants need water at the root zone all the time. If the ground dries out the
plant will spend energy sending its roots further into the ground following the
water. We want the plant using its energy growing fruit.
We recommend you do not let the soil surface dry out, which may even require
watering more often than once per day on very hot days.
An interesting observation about the amount of water required with this method
of gardening: People here in Armenia water by flood irrigation, and not very
often. Our neighbor is the Village Water Master this year, and when he saw our
watering procedures he was amazed! He has informed the entire village not to
deny us water any time we want it, because we use so little. he said "you can
even water with a few buckets!", and another time he said something like "You're
only using a drinking glass!"
Water every day.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Aisles, Paths, Walkways etc - Moving "improved" soil
Everyone please remember that 90-95% of the work of growing healthy plants is done by the process of photosynthesis using 3 elements that come from the air, and made possible by sunlight and the attendant warm temperatures, plus water.
5%+ of the work is done by the other 13 essential nutrients, which man can control and supply.
Soil provides 6 functions, including
1) Anchoring the plants,
2) Holding moisture,
3) Storing nutrients,
4) Allowing oxygen to reach plant roots,
5) Allowing for drainage, and
6) buffering the temperature.
All 6 of those functions can be adequately provided by the worst of soils, if the gardener uses level, raised, ridged beds, and provides water and small amounts of balanced natural mineral nutrients.
Therefore, amending your soil is not essential to having a good and productive garden.
Furthermore, adding organic materials to your garden soil, while it can improve soil tilth and add small amounts of nutrition, may also introduce diseases, weed seeds, and destructive insects into the garden. For these reasons we recommend you exercise care and caution in trying to "improve" your soil.
Moving existing "improved" soil to another location may provide a benefit, if none of the 3 negatives are present, but it is a lot of work, and is not necessary. Plus, it leaves the existing garden area with beds that are 4-6" higher than they should be from the aisles. This may make it difficult to keep moisture in the beds, and thus require much more water, or leave your plants suffering for lack of it. All things considered, I can't recommend it, but just know that your plant roots will reach out into the aisle area somewhat (depending on water availability there), and can thus benefit from the soil.
5%+ of the work is done by the other 13 essential nutrients, which man can control and supply.
Soil provides 6 functions, including
1) Anchoring the plants,
2) Holding moisture,
3) Storing nutrients,
4) Allowing oxygen to reach plant roots,
5) Allowing for drainage, and
6) buffering the temperature.
All 6 of those functions can be adequately provided by the worst of soils, if the gardener uses level, raised, ridged beds, and provides water and small amounts of balanced natural mineral nutrients.
Therefore, amending your soil is not essential to having a good and productive garden.
Furthermore, adding organic materials to your garden soil, while it can improve soil tilth and add small amounts of nutrition, may also introduce diseases, weed seeds, and destructive insects into the garden. For these reasons we recommend you exercise care and caution in trying to "improve" your soil.
Moving existing "improved" soil to another location may provide a benefit, if none of the 3 negatives are present, but it is a lot of work, and is not necessary. Plus, it leaves the existing garden area with beds that are 4-6" higher than they should be from the aisles. This may make it difficult to keep moisture in the beds, and thus require much more water, or leave your plants suffering for lack of it. All things considered, I can't recommend it, but just know that your plant roots will reach out into the aisle area somewhat (depending on water availability there), and can thus benefit from the soil.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Keeping tomatoes beyond the first frost
Does everyone know what to do with your green tomatoes in late fall? Pick them before it freezes, obviously, and then place them one layer deep in a cool part of the house out of the sun. They will ripen over the next several weeks, thus extending your season for fresh fruit. Some of the smaller ones will not ripen, and you may want to learn to appreciate some of the green tomato recipes, so they don't go to waste.
Have you all seen the picture of the Zoo Garden tomatoes growing up strings using T-Frames? It's on the home page of the MittleiderMethodGardening@yahoogroups.com group. I recommend you look at it, especially for the PVC "roof" I put on it. In late September I covered the whole thing, consisting of about 80 tomato plants, with 6 mil greenhouse plastic. With just a little heat during freezing weather this Should let you continue to grow and harvest fresh tomatoes at least into November, and maybe even December!
Beyond that, by covering it in the spring, you can transplant your tomatoes into the garden a month or so earlier - thus extending your harvest season on both ends! And the entire thing, including T-Frames, costs only about $200.
Have you all seen the picture of the Zoo Garden tomatoes growing up strings using T-Frames? It's on the home page of the MittleiderMethodGardening@yahoogroups.com group. I recommend you look at it, especially for the PVC "roof" I put on it. In late September I covered the whole thing, consisting of about 80 tomato plants, with 6 mil greenhouse plastic. With just a little heat during freezing weather this Should let you continue to grow and harvest fresh tomatoes at least into November, and maybe even December!
Beyond that, by covering it in the spring, you can transplant your tomatoes into the garden a month or so earlier - thus extending your harvest season on both ends! And the entire thing, including T-Frames, costs only about $200.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Avoiding or eliminating disease in your garden or greenhouse.
Our new friend GT from Indonesia has shared some really sad news with me. He has a large number of beautiful young tomato plants that are suddenly dying. First one or two leaves wilt very quickly, and within a day or so the entire plant wilts and dies.
The worst news is that there seems to be little he can do to remedy the situation - for these plants or for any others he might want to plant in the same location.
There are several diseases that can do this - the one he showed me looked like Bacterial Wilt - but there are several fungus diseases that are just as bad.
The only effective solutions seem to be avoiding getting them in your garden or greenhouse, or a complete and thorough disinfecting of your entire operation with something like Methyl Bromide, or perhaps solarization.
Methyl Bromide is a restricted chemical in most places now, and you will have to get a licensed pesticide applicator to do it for you, unless you become one yourself (as I have done). It is an expensive product and an expensive and time-consuming process, but so necessary if you become infected. Therefore, avoiding the problem is very important, and I will devote a separate post to discussing a couple of ways you can do this fairly easily, with almost no cost.
The worst news is that there seems to be little he can do to remedy the situation - for these plants or for any others he might want to plant in the same location.
There are several diseases that can do this - the one he showed me looked like Bacterial Wilt - but there are several fungus diseases that are just as bad.
The only effective solutions seem to be avoiding getting them in your garden or greenhouse, or a complete and thorough disinfecting of your entire operation with something like Methyl Bromide, or perhaps solarization.
Methyl Bromide is a restricted chemical in most places now, and you will have to get a licensed pesticide applicator to do it for you, unless you become one yourself (as I have done). It is an expensive product and an expensive and time-consuming process, but so necessary if you become infected. Therefore, avoiding the problem is very important, and I will devote a separate post to discussing a couple of ways you can do this fairly easily, with almost no cost.
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