Square Foot Gardening Thread

[JNB]

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this thread.. Commenting to thank you for starting it and for all the wonderful pics......

I am working on our garden/ coop area the soil is very clay like and dries to dust.. I have been telling my hubby that I want to switch to raised beds/ SQF...... He is a hard sell. Im showing him this thread

Thank You very much!!!

 

[Life is Good!]

I am working on our garden/ coop area the soil is very clay like and dries to dust..

Keep adding compost! Just more and more and more - it'll take a few years worth of build up, but eventually, you'll have DIRT instead of clay. Took ours about 5 concentrated effort years.

What helped us the most was to put an insanely huge amount of leaves on the top of the beds this past fall. I cannot tell you how many friends dropped off bags of leaves - how much we took from neighbors - the leaf pile on top of each bed was well over 6" in November. Now, in June, it's less than 1/4"! And mercy, do we have worms. And robins. It's glorious! And lots and lots of dirt. Good dirt too.

Hope it helps you win over dh!

 

[danib]

I have lots of red and black ants. Any suggestion on how to get rid of them (without any chemicals)

 

[Life is Good!]

I have lots of red and black ants. Any suggestion on how to get rid of them (without any chemicals)

If the ants are in an area that doesn't have any plants (or roots), I make a kettle of boiling water and pour into the nest.

If the ants are in an area that does have plants (or roots), I generally disturb them several times a day for a couple consecutive days until they get the hint and move (they will). This is often done best on a 3 day weekend. A long-handled shovel and tall boots are a must. I don't ever do this without high garden willies on - as the ants will quickly attack your ankles, your gloves - whatever they can reach. So I grab the shovel, gear up the boots, go directly to the nest, dig like a maniac, overturning the nest in less than 20 seconds, then dash for the back door, leave the boots on the steps and the gloves too with the shovel - done. Do that often enough, and they'll all be gone. Now, they'll likely pick another location nearby - so in about 20min, go out and find their 'trail' to see where they went. Repeat. Eventually, you'll get them to somewhere you can boil them. Also, in the process of digging them up, if you can find the queen and kill her, the colony will disperse and die. (She's HUGE, generally not very mobile, and attended by several ants).

 

[danib]

If the ants are in an area that doesn't have any plants (or roots), I make a kettle of boiling water and pour into the nest.

If the ants are in an area that does have plants (or roots), I generally disturb them several times a day for a couple consecutive days until they get the hint and move (they will). This is often done best on a 3 day weekend. A long-handled shovel and tall boots are a must. I don't ever do this without high garden willies on - as the ants will quickly attack your ankles, your gloves - whatever they can reach. So I grab the shovel, gear up the boots, go directly to the nest, dig like a maniac, overturning the nest in less than 20 seconds, then dash for the back door, leave the boots on the steps and the gloves too with the shovel - done. Do that often enough, and they'll all be gone. Now, they'll likely pick another location nearby - so in about 20min, go out and find their 'trail' to see where they went. Repeat. Eventually, you'll get them to somewhere you can boil them. Also, in the process of digging them up, if you can find the queen and kill her, the colony will disperse and die. (She's HUGE, generally not very mobile, and attended by several ants).

Thank you for the advice. I am going to have my dh do it this weekend if it doesn't rain. Thanks again. Fingers crossed the red ants get killed off ASAP

 

[droidlizard]

My son discovered this ant colony mowing our yard. I threw the ball down for a size reference. This line of red ant hill is about thirty feet long overall.

We also have carpenter ants.

This unlucky worm didn't make it across the sidewalk:

 

[krcote]

Sorry I have been absent! We had baby number 2 a month ago As the OP I feel like I should be keeping up a little better with the thread! Both babes are sleeping for a few precious more moments so I thought I would get some photos up. As I am posting I am realizing these are now a few weeks old already. Where has the time gone? I will take some updated photos ASAP!



Hubby and Babe #1 turning over the boxes


All planted. Box closest to the watering can is dug out and planted with potatoes.


Babe #2 working hard.

 

[Life is Good!]

Sorry I have been absent! We had baby number 2 a month ago

Congratulations! As one momma to another - when BOTH babies sleep - YOU sleep too! Trust me on this one. It's hard work being a momma to two....as I watch my broody with 6 and another with 7 chicks - I now understand why they'll sit in the same spot and 'rest' with their eyes open while the kiddos run circles and then dash underneath them...they HAVE to! The chicks get the cue to rest if momma rests!

BTW - love your garden helper. Mine's now 14 and 12 - and much more productively helpful - but a whole lot less 'fun' to dig with.....they're concentrated on getting the task done and be gone! Sigh.....although, my 12yo collects worms to feed to the chickens, so I can persuade him to stick around a bit longer usually still!

 

[krcote]

Any one know how to edit the title of the post? I can't remember how to do it since the new baby turned my brain to mush...

After looking around a bit more, seems like there is no little pencil button for editing on post #1 for me. Possibly because I had started the thread on the old site and editing doesn't carry over on old posts? Too bad, I want to update the title each time I add new photos

 

[krcote]

Newest photo update- snapped this one yesterday. All seems to be going well except my 3 hot pepper plants. They may have bacterial leaf spot? I am new to this issue. Anyone have any suggestions to save them? I'll get a photo of them on here when I get a moment.

The plants are just now sending out some new growth but they have been looking terrible. Brown spots everywhere and then the leaf is dropped. I don't use chemicals on my garden, any other suggestions are welcome! Thank you.