greenmonster714
Well-Known Member
I'm seeing some dead soldiers in my patch. Kinda expected a few to not make it. Oh well, I can live with a few open spaces. More room for the others.
deluxestogie Grow Log 2017
- Thread starter deluxestogie
- Start date
- Status
Inglorious Floating Row Cover
It's just not as thrilling to look out on sheets of Agribon AG-15 spread on the ground. It won't evoke phrases such as, "They're looking good."
This stuff pretty much eliminates attacks from above--by mammal or by bird. Once the plants look rugged enough to take care of themselves, then the laundry comes off.
Agribon AG-15 from last year, being re-used.
High-tech row cover anchors.
Bob
It's just not as thrilling to look out on sheets of Agribon AG-15 spread on the ground. It won't evoke phrases such as, "They're looking good."
This stuff pretty much eliminates attacks from above--by mammal or by bird. Once the plants look rugged enough to take care of themselves, then the laundry comes off.
Agribon AG-15 from last year, being re-used.
High-tech row cover anchors.
Bob
greenmonster714
Well-Known Member
Nothing wrong with preventive measures. We all work to hard not to do all we can to protect or crops. I hope that works for ya.
Inglorious Floating Row Cover
It's just not as thrilling to look out on sheets of Agribon AG-15 spread on the ground. It won't evoke phrases such as, "They're looking good."
This stuff pretty much eliminates attacks from above--by mammal or by bird. Once the plants look rugged enough to take care of themselves, then the laundry comes off.
Agribon AG-15 from last year, being re-used.
High-tech row cover anchors.
Bob
Seeing those covered beds brought back a old memory of mine .
Back before we used float beds , I would sew outside plant beds . I would put tobacco cottons on after seeding . We would peg them down with electric line wire . I believe it was 9 gauge . It was stiff and hard to bend . They would not rust in the ground . I would cut them around 16 inches long and bend one end over about 4 inches long . I would put those pegs in holes in the sides of the cottons pegging them to the ground .
We also used bows in our beds . Bows was made of the same stiff wire as the pegs . . They were around 36 inches long .You would stick one end in the ground and bow it up in the middle and stick the other end in the ground making a arch up . . We would make two rows per bed and placed about 8 ft apart . Half on one side of the bed and half of the bows on the other side . This held the cotton up off of plants when they were sprouting . Wind blowing would cause the cotton to rub off and kill the plants . After the plants got bigger then the bows was not needed . Tobacco beds , If I remember right was around 12' W x 100'L or 10'W X 100L"
As my plants grew , I would have to loosen the pegs to allow for plant growth . If you left the pegs too tight they would crook the plants a little .
The Agribon AG-15 is so lightweight that you can see your hand through it. Most plants will lift it easily as they grow. That's the "floating" part of the description. It's made of spun polypropylene.
But it's the same idea as the cottons: protection from many bugs, hard rains, and harsh sunlight. Water and air go right through it. The AG-15 provides only about 2ºF frost protection.
I use the same fabric for sewing bud bags.
The only source I know for it is http://www.johnnyseeds.com/tools-su...-250-9051.html?cgid=insect-repellents#start=1 $67 for 118" x 250' (or $27 for 118" x 50'). Although I never re-use the bud bags, I do re-use it for row cover, until it falls apart (~3 years).
Bob
EDIT: If you do a Google search for Agribon, you can find many sources.
But it's the same idea as the cottons: protection from many bugs, hard rains, and harsh sunlight. Water and air go right through it. The AG-15 provides only about 2ºF frost protection.
I use the same fabric for sewing bud bags.
The only source I know for it is http://www.johnnyseeds.com/tools-su...-250-9051.html?cgid=insect-repellents#start=1 $67 for 118" x 250' (or $27 for 118" x 50'). Although I never re-use the bud bags, I do re-use it for row cover, until it falls apart (~3 years).
Bob
EDIT: If you do a Google search for Agribon, you can find many sources.
The old cotton covers we used is lighter / softer than the Agribon . I would roll mine up and use them for two seasons before I tossed them away .
I can buy Agribon 16' by what ever length I need them . I used them on my outside float beds for covers . I had four outside plant bed to keep covers over .
I can buy Agribon 16' by what ever length I need them . I used them on my outside float beds for covers . I had four outside plant bed to keep covers over .
Brown Thumb
Well-Known Member
Wow, there looking Super
Thank you. You're a man of discernment.
Bob
Bob
ChinaVoodoo
Moderator
I need to revisit basic soil science because when I see all the different colors out there, I often have a moment of "how could anything grow in that?" Your soil color reminds me of places like construction zones and parking lots where nothing grows. Florida soil looks like the moon. Gavroche's looks neat though, with the red, but still.
Soil Science 101:
Lesson 1: Soil looks darker when it contains more water. Soil is lighter in color when drier.
Bob
EDIT: It was a considerable effort for me to remove (by hand, over a period of 6 weeks) all the grass and weeds and their entire root systems from their winter growth in these previously cleared beds. Then, after waiting for new season weed and grass seed to germinate, I torched the surfaces with a propane garden torch.
Lesson 1: Soil looks darker when it contains more water. Soil is lighter in color when drier.
Bob
EDIT: It was a considerable effort for me to remove (by hand, over a period of 6 weeks) all the grass and weeds and their entire root systems from their winter growth in these previously cleared beds. Then, after waiting for new season weed and grass seed to germinate, I torched the surfaces with a propane garden torch.
Get a broadfork Bob. One pass and you can rake your weeds out whole including the entire root system sans dirt.
I have both a turning fork and a rectangular tread shovel. I've dug these beds various ways for years. The best thing in the world is this 6" stainless steel hand hoe/cultivator.
It cost about $10 at Lowe's. It was so wonderful, the first season that I used it, that I bought a spare, just in case they stopped carrying them. The original one has lasted about 6 or 7 years so far, and the spare still has its wrapping.
Using the hand hoe requires about 20% more time to complete working all the beds, but at about half the total energy outlay of using a shovel and fork. Then, when it comes time to layout and dig the holes for each transplant, the hand hoe is again the perfect tool for planting.
The larger tools leave a lot of small root segments that can re-sprout (like Creeping Charlie), unless the soil tilth is ideal--which isn't often. The little hand hoe gets everything, and allows me to work close to the soil, saving my crumbly back. One other significant benefit is that I actually can see and remove most of the cutworm larvae that have overwintered in the soil. When I used larger tools, I seldom saw them.
Unlike many of the young bucks on the forum, who set aside a day to till, I set aside a month and a half. For me, it's a gentle, meditative process--a Zen-like experience, preparing one 5' x 12' bed at a time. As the tortoise in the race, I am satisfied with the process. (In a strange way, my stainless steel hand hoe reminds me of Buffalo Bird Woman's hoe, made from a deer scapula. It uses persuasion, rather than brute force.)
I know this all sounds pretty soppy, but I love my hand hoe.
Bob
It cost about $10 at Lowe's. It was so wonderful, the first season that I used it, that I bought a spare, just in case they stopped carrying them. The original one has lasted about 6 or 7 years so far, and the spare still has its wrapping.
Using the hand hoe requires about 20% more time to complete working all the beds, but at about half the total energy outlay of using a shovel and fork. Then, when it comes time to layout and dig the holes for each transplant, the hand hoe is again the perfect tool for planting.
The larger tools leave a lot of small root segments that can re-sprout (like Creeping Charlie), unless the soil tilth is ideal--which isn't often. The little hand hoe gets everything, and allows me to work close to the soil, saving my crumbly back. One other significant benefit is that I actually can see and remove most of the cutworm larvae that have overwintered in the soil. When I used larger tools, I seldom saw them.
Unlike many of the young bucks on the forum, who set aside a day to till, I set aside a month and a half. For me, it's a gentle, meditative process--a Zen-like experience, preparing one 5' x 12' bed at a time. As the tortoise in the race, I am satisfied with the process. (In a strange way, my stainless steel hand hoe reminds me of Buffalo Bird Woman's hoe, made from a deer scapula. It uses persuasion, rather than brute force.)
I know this all sounds pretty soppy, but I love my hand hoe.
Bob
ChinaVoodoo
Moderator
I have both a turning fork and a rectangular tread shovel. I've dug these beds various ways for years. The best thing in the world is this 6" stainless steel hand hoe/cultivator.
It cost about $10 at Lowe's. It was so wonderful, the first season that I used it, that I bought a spare, just in case they stopped carrying them. The original one has lasted about 6 or 7 years so far, and the spare still has its wrapping.
Using the hand hoe requires about 20% more time to complete working all the beds, but at about half the total energy outlay of using a shovel and fork. Then, when it comes time to layout and dig the holes for each transplant, the hand hoe is again the perfect tool for planting.
The larger tools leave a lot of small root segments that can re-sprout (like Creeping Charlie), unless the soil tilth is ideal--which isn't often. The little hand hoe gets everything, and allows me to work close to the soil, saving my crumbly back. One other significant benefit is that I actually can see and remove most of the cutworm larvae that have overwintered in the soil. When I used larger tools, I seldom saw them.
Unlike many of the young bucks on the forum, who set aside a day to till, I set aside a month and a half. For me, it's a gentle, meditative process--a Zen-like experience, preparing one 5' x 12' bed at a time. As the tortoise in the race, I am satisfied with the process. (In a strange way, my stainless steel hand hoe reminds me of Buffalo Bird Woman's hoe, made from a deer scapula. It uses persuasion, rather than brute force.)
I know this all sounds pretty soppy, but I love my hand hoe.
Bob
That's great Bob. Although I can be classified as a young buck, I've really enjoyed the pace this year so far. I've had a number of short work nights. I come home as the sun is coming up, go outside with my spade and a beer and gradually turned every inch, added my amendments, and turned it all a second time. I have all these memories of sunrises, but also a stronger feel for what's going on in the different parts of the garden.
I'm concerning myself with (soil improving) cover crops these days. Some spots have been worked on for years, yet again and again the ground hardens to a bricklike consistency. But a notable difference is made by compost heaps. Over the course of a year or two the soil underneath a compost pile becomes workable and crumbly, and not just on the surface. So I started to build composts in locations of future beds. Into the current ones I'm going to seed sunflowers, Phacelia, buckwheat and flax after the harvest. A couple of really useless spots are already covered by such seedlings, so I hope to get an idea of the potential results quite soon.
greenmonster714
Well-Known Member
Torch...yeahhhh. fire!!!!! Love that idea. So you just tie a small tank to a stick n go?
My soil has so may colors. Since starting this project I've dug up toy guns, bike kickstand, old sewer pipe, tin roof, wrenches, sockets, a truck mirror, and numerous other unidentifiable items. Every time it rain I have new stuff show up. Other than the unusual items I think the soil is okay.
My soil has so may colors. Since starting this project I've dug up toy guns, bike kickstand, old sewer pipe, tin roof, wrenches, sockets, a truck mirror, and numerous other unidentifiable items. Every time it rain I have new stuff show up. Other than the unusual items I think the soil is okay.
Tobacco is In the Ground!
Well, there it is. All done. Almost. I'll wait a few more days on the ravaged Prancak N-1 to see what is truly dead, then place the remaining 6 plants.
The Besuki comparison isn't exactly as I had initially planned. I had hoped to transplant 6 each of Besuki Kesilir and Besuki Ambulu, with 4 Besuki tabakanbau, but adjusted the numbers based on the seedlings that were ready. So 4 each from Indonesia, and 8 from Germany.
Each transplant gets 2 cups of water, to settle the soil around the roots, and tide them over until it rains. I marked a 5 gallon bucket with marks at 2 gallons. This is 2 cups each for 16 plants (a full bed). For each bed, I filled the bucket to 2 gallons, then added 3 ounces of the "Bayer Advanced Fruit, Citrus & Vegetable Insect Control" formula, which is a special dilution of imidacloprid. Two cup of this potion was then used for each transplant. It is a single dose for the season, to control aphids, earwigs, flea beetles and any other early season bugs. It does not prevent hornworms.
I'll hand-pick the hornworms. Just prior to bagging the blossoms, I spray the bud head with permethrin, to kill any bud worms that manage to emerge within the bag (from eggs laid before bagging).
The Vuelta Abajo has been assigned to my peculiar bed alongside the house. It gets about a half day of sun, but that includes reflection from the white siding--a double dose for every half day of sun. This is the bed that grew my 14-foot-tall Colombian Garcia two years ago.
Since all the transplants have been clipped many times, they are transplanted with stubs for leaves. This reduces the water stress on the new transplants. In the past, a comparison with unclipped transplants demonstrated that the clipped ones catch up in about 3 weeks, and are indistinguishable by the time the plants mature.
This evening, I'll cover two newly planted beds with Agribon AG-15. I have learned not to cover the bed beside the house, since that particular bed gets chewed to pieces by bugs and slugs (even with slug bait) if it is covered. So I leave that one to fend for itself.
Lest forum members worry that the rectangles of Agribon are just smoke and mirrors, hiding empty beds, I've included the photo below--proof of life.
Bob
Well, there it is. All done. Almost. I'll wait a few more days on the ravaged Prancak N-1 to see what is truly dead, then place the remaining 6 plants.
The Besuki comparison isn't exactly as I had initially planned. I had hoped to transplant 6 each of Besuki Kesilir and Besuki Ambulu, with 4 Besuki tabakanbau, but adjusted the numbers based on the seedlings that were ready. So 4 each from Indonesia, and 8 from Germany.
Each transplant gets 2 cups of water, to settle the soil around the roots, and tide them over until it rains. I marked a 5 gallon bucket with marks at 2 gallons. This is 2 cups each for 16 plants (a full bed). For each bed, I filled the bucket to 2 gallons, then added 3 ounces of the "Bayer Advanced Fruit, Citrus & Vegetable Insect Control" formula, which is a special dilution of imidacloprid. Two cup of this potion was then used for each transplant. It is a single dose for the season, to control aphids, earwigs, flea beetles and any other early season bugs. It does not prevent hornworms.
I'll hand-pick the hornworms. Just prior to bagging the blossoms, I spray the bud head with permethrin, to kill any bud worms that manage to emerge within the bag (from eggs laid before bagging).
The Vuelta Abajo has been assigned to my peculiar bed alongside the house. It gets about a half day of sun, but that includes reflection from the white siding--a double dose for every half day of sun. This is the bed that grew my 14-foot-tall Colombian Garcia two years ago.
Since all the transplants have been clipped many times, they are transplanted with stubs for leaves. This reduces the water stress on the new transplants. In the past, a comparison with unclipped transplants demonstrated that the clipped ones catch up in about 3 weeks, and are indistinguishable by the time the plants mature.
This evening, I'll cover two newly planted beds with Agribon AG-15. I have learned not to cover the bed beside the house, since that particular bed gets chewed to pieces by bugs and slugs (even with slug bait) if it is covered. So I leave that one to fend for itself.
Lest forum members worry that the rectangles of Agribon are just smoke and mirrors, hiding empty beds, I've included the photo below--proof of life.
Search the big box sites for "garden torch."
Bob
Brown Thumb
Well-Known Member
Lest forum members worry that the rectangles of Agribon are just smoke and mirrors, hiding empty beds, I've included the photo below--proof of life.
Who needs Proof.
I wish I could lay in the grass and pick away at the dirt for a month or so.
Too freaking hot up here to even water the little ones.
Who needs Proof.
I wish I could lay in the grass and pick away at the dirt for a month or so.
Too freaking hot up here to even water the little ones.
greenmonster714
Well-Known Member
Nice pic. That clears things up.
Prior to transplanting, I provided each 60 ft[sup]2[/sup] bed with 1-1/2 cups of low-chlorine 10:10:10 fertilizer (which is the recommend application rate for tomatoes).
In the past, I used Black Kow composted cow manure, which is rated at 0.5: 0.5: 0.5. Each bed received 2 bags (50 pounds per bag) of Black Kow. I no longer use this, since the cost comes to $12 per 60 ft[sup]2[/sup] bed. In comparing the N
:K application rates between the two different approaches to fertilizer, the 1-1/2 cups of 10:10:10 is roughly the same as only 1/2 bag of Black Kow. But the low-chlorine 10:10:10 significantly outperformed the 2 bag application of Black Kow to each bed.The composted manure definitely improves the structure of the soil, but the cost of Black Kow for all ~900 ft[sup]2[/sup] of my garden beds was over $160 per year, or, excluding the vegetable beds, ~$120 per year. (That comes to an alarming $3 fertilizer cost per pound of cured tobacco!) The low-chlorine 10:10:10 vegetable fertilizer cost me about $6 per year (less than $0.15 per pound of cured tobacco).
So the warm and fuzzy "natural" fertilizer (the Black Kow) has lost the competition, mostly due to cost. Another issue for an old guy like me is the physical effort required to purchase, load, unload, position, and disperse so many 50 pound bags of stuff--about 3/4 ton.
Bob
- Status
