Leverhead's 2019 Grow

[leverhead]

I lost most of my notes from '13, but I think that I was close to 3" for the Izmir. I need to go look and see if I have a decent picture of it.

 

[leverhead]

Izmir in 2013. In the right hand picture, Izmir is on the left.

 

[deluxestogie]

Those Izmir Ozbas are really beautiful. Since I plant on a hex grid, with no between-the-row spacing (I have no "rows"), the space between your rows--the aisles--on the 1st image would have had an additional 3 staggered rows in my approach. Even though your aisle is affected by some soil compaction from walking there, it still offers a fair amount of additional root space. I'm sure that your way of spacing the Turkish varieties is a better representation of the way it's actually done in Izmir. [Istanbulin went bonkers when I informed him that I allowed no additional space between the rows. I don't think he was into double-dug, French bio-dynamic, bio-intensive gardening practices.]

From my own experience, I would estimate that a between-the-plants distance of 6 to 8 inches is about the practical minimum for planting on a hex grid. But I believe that hex grid planting produces a higher yield per total garden space than row planting, provided that the beds themselves are narrow enough to allow your arm to reach from the edge of the bed into the innermost plants. But such high density planting definitely increases the water demand.

Homework assignment: At the end of the season, carefully pull up the roots of 3 or 4 adjacent plants, and note the spacial orientation of their roots.

1. Do they tend to spread more toward the foot path, rather than their neighbors?
2. How far beneath the foot path do they extend?

Bob

 

[leverhead]

Homework assignment: At the end of the season, carefully pull up the roots of 3 or 4 adjacent plants, and note the spacial orientation of their roots.

1. Do they tend to spread more toward the foot path, rather than their neighbors?
2. How far beneath the foot path do they extend?

Bob

I think the first part of the assignment might be the most difficult to accomplish. Carefully washing away the soil is easy, but the roots are all going to look alike. Tracking a root back to a particular plant could be a real challenge. Do you think a careful application of roundup, or even salt and vinegar to adjacent plants ( late season, cut stems ) would allow a look at a particular plant's root system? The second part of the assignment would be a simple extension of the washing area.

 

[deluxestogie]

Prior to pulling the stalk stumps, either wait for a soaking rain (?in Texas?) or soak just that area around those few stumps with a hose. Oriental roots tend to be pretty small anyway.

Bob

 

[leverhead]

...wait for a soaking rain (?in Texas?)...

Bob

LOL! Do you mean the ones where we move the out house and fill in the hole to keep from making a big mess?

 

[leverhead]

The grow log has been quiet for a while for some real world reasons. I've been staying with my Dad for a while, his age and sometimers are catching up to him. It's been keeping me busy and there's not alot of humor in a day. When some humor shows up, it stands out.

About a month ago, my Dad got a walker. Thursday morning I tweaked my low back pulling weeds, the day went down hill from there. After supper and a few beers I asked my Dad if I could borrow the walker that night, he smiled and laughed. what difference forty something years makes!

 

[Charly]

The grow log can wait, it's more important to take care if your dad .
Gardening makes my back hurts too... I will think about the walker idea

 

[deluxestogie]

I've been staying with my Dad for a while

You're a good man.

Bob

 

[leverhead]

You're a good man.

Bob

I've got references to the contrary.

 

[leverhead]

The grow log can wait, it's more important to take care if your dad .
Gardening makes my back hurts too... I will think about the walker idea

The walker is a twist of when I used to ask if I could borrow the car, but that was way back in the 1900's.

 

[leverhead]

Things resembled normal today, except for the tobacco patch. The wild flowers have been thick this year as well as the butterflies and the caterpillars, they have done quite a bit of damage. It can't be undone, but it can be stopped. I only had couple of hours this evening and decided to plant 90 Xanthi. Next chance that I get I will get some BT and a sprayer.

 

[leverhead]

I did say that I got the Xanthi planted last night, but it was too dark by the time that I got finished to take a picture. The patch needs weeding and a general cleanup, candid pictures will have to do for now. This is what I have in the ground this morning.



For those that like tobacco porn rather kinky, this is some evidence that the caterpillars have had their way in my absence.

 

[Brown Thumb]

The itch is back for me also.
Is big Bonner doing seedlings yet,I could got for a few hundred or more.

 

[leverhead]

Nothing too surprising, the Bitlis has the first blooms this week. The aphids have come to town, more killing to be done.

 

[Charly]

blooming already ? How old are the plants ?

 

[leverhead]

I planted them 4/15/19. It's been a busy week and I haven't been able to check them often, My best guess would be about 35 days. Bitlis, according to GRIN, is 29 days to maturity.

 

[deluxestogie]

about 35 days

Damn!

 

[leverhead]

It's about what it did in 2013. It's a nice little plant, short season, the wind doesn't seem to bother it and it tastes good.

 

[Charly]

I planted them 4/15/19. It's been a busy week and I haven't been able to check them often, My best guess would be about 35 days. Bitlis, according to GRIN, is 29 days to maturity.

29 days to maturity ! That's some REALLLLY short season !

Is it an oriental strain or a rustica ?