SQWIBS Urban Garden Adventure

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I am going to show my ignorance here, so excuse me. Why to you keep sticking wood pieces in you pots? I though when you dumped them in the raised planter it was to get rid of them and not require as much dirt, a biodegradeable filler.

But now I see them in container pots, If I am not mistaken I think I have seen cherry or hackberry above. I thought maybe he's just cutting back with a vengence. But it doesn't seem to be so. Whatcha doing? Saving dirt?
 
Because I think they look cool
biggrin.gif


They're just extra pieces of wood that will eventually go on the bottom of the planters, I'm switching all my planters to Hegelkultur in the fall, they are shoved in the dirt to wick some water and start the rotting process and were a bit of a windbreak for the early seedlings. Hopefully they wont take up too much nitrogen in the process
 
Kratky Lettuce 2016
 
May 4th, 2016 - Had to place my Kratky lettuce under the eaves of the garage, they were drowning with the 10 straight days of rain we had. The lip of the lid catches the rain so I'm going to have to work on that.
 
Jersey Knight Raised Asparagus Bed

May 5th 2016 - Not a whole lot going on here, it's been too cool, hopefully we will get our lows over 50° by next week.
 




 
 
Raised Bed #5 (Hugelkultur)

May 5th, 2016 - Sweet 100 - A lot of the other plants are just in limbo due to the weather but it does not seem to be affecting the Sweet 100.



Raised Bed #4 (Hugelkultur)

May 5th, 2016 - Anaheim peppers, the one to the left was in the hydroponics Kratky tote, the one on the right was in soil. The twig in the back is actually an Elaeagnus ebbingei ‘Gilt Edge’ plant that I found after tearing out the mother plant for the Raspberry plant. Way to the right of the rock is a "California Wonder pepper" plant that was in the Kratky Tote as well. I scattered all the Kratky Tote plants throughout my entire garden.



 
  • Not sure if this is a "Datil" or "Anaheim", you can see the "Matts Wild Cherry" did not make it.


Fellow gardeners, Do you think I should remove the peppers from the plants or let them go?
 
Garden Towers

May 5th, 2016 - Everything is in here lol...
 



May 5th, 2016 - The Strawberry Plants seem to be doing well, the top right is a "Tabasco pepper" and the Top Left is a "Datil Pepper".
 

 
Raised Bed #5 (Hugelkultur)

May 5th, 2016 - Sweet 100 - A lot of the other plants are just in limbo due to the weather but it does not seem to be affecting the Sweet 100.









Raised Bed #4 (Hugelkultur)

May 5th, 2016 - Anaheim peppers, the one to the left was in the hydroponics Kratky tote, the one on the right was in soil. The twig in the back is actually an Elaeagnus ebbingei ‘Gilt Edge’ plant that I found after tearing out the mother plant for the Raspberry plant. Way to the right of the rock is a "California Wonder pepper" plant that was in the Kratky Tote as well. I scattered all the Kratky Tote plants throughout my entire garden.





 
  • Not sure if this is a "Datil" or "Anaheim", you can see the "Matts Wild Cherry" did not make it.




Fellow gardeners, Do you think I should remove the peppers from the plants or let them go?

I'd leave them on, with this weather I wouldn't want a wound on plant. Looks like it has some stress already, don't want anymore. Looks like some leaf curl happening, have you fed them any cal or epsom salts? Could be from trans shock.
 
I don't expect much from the plants in the Hugel beds this year. They may be nitrogen deficient, due to it being first season with the beds. they're in top soil and composted manure with a handful of Epsom salts.
If it ever warms up I'lltoss on some 10-10-10
 
No disrespect but that soil may be to heavy for peppers. How's the drainage? Your bed really is considered a container planting and should be light. Almost a potting mix consistency with good drainage. Top soil will compact quick and stay to wet. Peppers don't like wet feet.
 
No disrespect but that soil may be to heavy for peppers. How's the drainage? Your bed really is considered a container planting and should be light. Almost a potting mix consistency with good drainage. Top soil will compact quick and stay to wet. Peppers don't like wet feet.
None taking, and I appreciate the feedback, the drainage is more than adequate, been raining for two weeks and predicted another week of rain, everything is growing but extremely slowly, still haven't had more than two days in a row above 50°.

I wouldn't consider the Hugelkultur Beds Container Planting, the entire bed 16' x 15" has only three bags of topsoil. The top soil was added so the plants had something to hold them in place, under that is 4 bags of composted manure, 2 bags of Shredded Mulch, garden soil, twigs, sticks, logs. The next few seasons it will be top dressed with a cover crop in the fall and then a few bags of composted manure in early spring before planting, well at least until the bed is where I want it...maybe three seasons.

And I learned a long time ago, do all the research you can, ask for advice, experiment, but in the end, do what works for you. I have also grown Bells, Jalapenos, and other peps in fairly hard clay soil for many years.

A far as peppers not liking wet feet, I don't believe that for a second, well not in my case anyway.

Wet feet,

Here is a post from my website from last season, these peppers are in a clay soil, dug from the garden and sitting in two inches of water the entire growing season.

June 22nd, 2015 - I am telling you...I can't be happier with these 6 pepper plants, all are producing flowers and fruit like there's no tomorrow.
 




 

The plant far left has one section where there are a cluster of five peppers, I am totally Impressed. Next year I will be using the last slot (currently a calla-lily) for another variety of pepper. The calla-lily will be transplanted to the front.
 


Almost every website discussing peppers always state the same thing,"Pepper plants do not like their feet wet", I call bullshit on this. These plants have been in moist soil since they were transplanted on May 2nd.


 

July 6th, 2015
 


 






July 13th, 2015
 





 
No disrespect but that soil may be to heavy for peppers. How's the drainage? Your bed really is considered a container planting and should be light. Almost a potting mix consistency with good drainage. Top soil will compact quick and stay to wet. Peppers don't like wet feet.
MY bad, the bed with the pepper in that pic is  the 10' x 15" bed... Potting soil, composted manure, top soil, garden soil, logs, twigs and leaves, garden soil, logs.

Although I basically have a clay soil, I put some back in the beds for all the beneficial critters.

But like I said before, I don't expect these beds to fare to well this season and maybe next season.

There is only maybe 6-8" of soil between the surface and the logs.




 
 
With all those layers you would have good drainage. Just thought it was soil and manure off your post. I've been putting up with the same weather since I only live several miles from you. This time last year my hots and super hots were loaded with peppers but these swings have caused some stall and blossom drop. Nights have been wet and cool so they came back in under lights for now. Things look real nice at your place. Good luck this year.
 
With all those layers you would have good drainage. Just thought it was soil and manure off your post. I've been putting up with the same weather since I only live several miles from you. This time last year my hots and super hots were loaded with peppers but these swings have caused some stall and blossom drop. Nights have been wet and cool so they came back in under lights for now. Things look real nice at your place. Good luck this year.
Its supposed to rain till next Thursday!!! The rain isn't too bad but throw in lows below 50° everynight and the plants just stopped dead in their tracks!

Only peppers I struggle with are Habs, not sure if they are slow growing or what but I usually have an OK crop by October.

Some of the plants got a bad start that went in the Kratky Tote for my hydro setup.

They started out fine the just stopped.

Good luck on your growing too... and toss up some pics when you can.

 
Getting some supplemental 42w cfl light this week. Buds are starting to come back.
These are hopefully my first strain of jalabaneros that came from a cross last year. Both plants shown came from same seeds with annuum (jap) leaf characteristics on left and chinense (hab) on right. Can't wait to see what pods end up like. Total 8 plants,4&4.
28 Genovese basil plants from last years seed.
 
 
Raised Bed #5 (Hugelkultur)

May 5th, 2016 - Sweet 100 - A lot of the other plants are just in limbo due to the weather but it does not seem to be affecting the Sweet 100.

Raised Bed #4 (Hugelkultur)

May 5th, 2016 - Anaheim peppers, the one to the left was in the hydroponics Kratky tote, the one on the right was in soil. The twig in the back is actually an Elaeagnus ebbingei ‘Gilt Edge’ plant that I found after tearing out the mother plant for the Raspberry plant. Way to the right of the rock is a "California Wonder pepper" plant that was in the Kratky Tote as well. I scattered all the Kratky Tote plants throughout my entire garden.



 
  • Not sure if this is a "Datil" or "Anaheim", you can see the "Matts Wild Cherry" did not make it.
Pretty sure that is an Anaheim.  Leaves don't look quite like the crinkly ones of the Datil and the bloom is much bigger than what the typical Datil throws.
 
I have always heard the "wet feet" thing about okra and peppers as well.  I no longer believe it.  I have been growing peppers in self watering, self wicking pots for a couple of years now and they are huge!  Their feet never dry out and they get all the water they want - constantly.

Same thing with okra.  They make like crazy when allowed to drink how much they want.

IMO, the old term of "they don't like wet feet" is better expressed "they will put up with slightly drying out in between waterings".  Some people say that by letting the soil dry out it forces the roots to grow more and thus a larger root system to support the plant.  But, if the root system has every thing it needs in X volume, why does the root system need to be 2X in size?

I have had great results with a grow medium that both wicks well and drains well - consistently the moisture level of a damp sponge that has been rung out.
 
I have had great results with a grow medium that both wicks well and drains well - consistently the moisture level of a damp sponge that has been rung out.


Exactly, when I refer to wet feet it is a compact soil that doesn't drain well lacking air space for roots. When you have a medium as you described roots can breathe as it still remains a constant moisture level. Dense muddy soil also sets up for root rot in some plants.
 
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I have had great results with a grow medium that both wicks well and drains well - consistently the moisture level of a damp sponge that has been rung out.


Exactly, when I refer to wet feet it is a compact soil that doesn't drain well lacking air space for roots. When you have a medium as you described roots can breathe as it still remains a constant moisture level. Dense muddy soil also sets up for root rot in some plants.
You nailed it wimpy... One thing about roots is that they need air also. This is definitely the case when growing in kratky type hydroponics.
However it still baffles me that my peppers did so well in my clay soil from the garden in the veggie filter.
 
More on air to roots

My NFT Strawberries went from a deep water culture setup  (most of the roots in the water) to Nutrient Film Technique (roots barely in the water) , in the photo most of the roots you see are taking up oxygen, only the bottom of the roots are actually touching the water, they are sitting in about 1/4" or so of water in these rails, the rest of the roots are getting oxygen.

Side note, I don't foresee these plants doing as well as my Soil plants for the simple fact that I cant load up the reservoir (Pond) with nutrients in fear of harming the fish. And the dogs also drink from this pond.

May 7th, 2016 - Roots were looking good, switched to NFT.


May 9th, 2016 -

 



 
 
I applogize for the hijack, but I have to show you what its like here....... LOL

This is what I planted last Friday


This is what it looks like today.... poor things.


The reason the water is standing in the pot is not poor drainage, its because a 2" hole can't keep up with this weekends rain!

OK, Hijack off.....back to our regularly scheduled program.
Remember me telling you what a tuff plant these seeds came from? Remember the flood I had here and showed the above picture? Well I had just pushed the pot back and wrote off the peppers for this year when my neighbor needed a pot yesterday. Imagine my surprise!


These plants so remind me of the energizer bunny..... or maybe the old Timex commercials. 
 
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