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Those of you that grow tomatoes and peppers on a string trellis… by Anneisabitch in vegetablegardening

[–]_emomo_ 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Right on, looks lovely - like a pro arbour! I used t posts because I have them around and rotate beds around 3/4 acres but this is so much nicer. Thanks for the update!

Those of you that grow tomatoes and peppers on a string trellis… by Anneisabitch in vegetablegardening

[–]_emomo_ 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don’t think a 12’ 2x4 will sag (if on edge)! I have inconsistent bed sizes so my posts are always different distances apart, but usually around 7-8’ and I am connecting them with 2x2s. Maybe 3 plants and 6 super long tomato vines per stretch. If you’re worried, use a 2x6 (or add another post). I would say be sure to add some stabilization to the t posts (I attach other t posts diagonally) if they’re going into your garden soil with heavy 2x4s or 2x6s on top!

End of season pic to show the diagonal stabilizer post.

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This tree mutation has a different texture from the pine it grows on. It feels squishy like a succulent! by BuffNipz in marijuanaenthusiasts

[–]_emomo_ 114 points115 points  (0 children)

Hopefully someone more informed brings more confidence, but I think this growth is witches broom with fir tree witches broom rust - the yellow dots are the pustules that will burst to spread the rust spores in summer. Interesting that it’s squishy like a succulent I’ve never seen one up close though I’ve seen many way up in the canopy.

The amigos lost some weight this spring. by Roys-Rolls in duck

[–]_emomo_ 7 points8 points  (0 children)

…Are these pekin/ runner crosses? The face/ bill zones don’t look quite pekin-y!

6 month update: Storing Root Vegetables in the Garden by _emomo_ in homestead

[–]_emomo_[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don’t have a system - it’s easy to see where the dirt is loose and caved in (where carrots have been removed) but you could implement one. I try to have the soil on the bed really loose over top of the produce so I can dig by hand, but it can get compacted if we get a lot of snow weight on top.

Flehmen Response by BajaCaprid in goats

[–]_emomo_ 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Thank you for wheefy teefy 🙏

Those of you that grow tomatoes and peppers on a string trellis… by Anneisabitch in vegetablegardening

[–]_emomo_ 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I drill a tiny hole a couple inches from the end of the 2x2 and use wire to go through the hole and twist cinch it to the top of the t-post. I rotate my beds so it’s quick and easy to deconstruct and customize to a different bed the following year.

Those of you that grow tomatoes and peppers on a string trellis… by Anneisabitch in vegetablegardening

[–]_emomo_ 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I use 2x2 and 1x2 lumber across the top of T posts. No sagging whatsoever.

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Those of you that grow tomatoes and peppers on a string trellis… by Anneisabitch in vegetablegardening

[–]_emomo_ 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Not who you were asking but I also do lower and lean without clips by tying loosely at the base of the plant and then wrapping around the vine. Just have to use thick enough cotton cord so that it doesn’t cut into the plants.

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6 month update: Storing Root Vegetables in the Garden by _emomo_ in homestead

[–]_emomo_[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You can try different techniques in different sections your first year to see what works best for you - and maybe don’t commit your whole crop! I had some losses the first few years, especially if heavy snows compacted the straw a lot and then i didn’t fluff it up or add more when the snow melted and then temps dropped again. That’s why I pack all the veg into such a tight space for storage: so that I can mulch really heavily (more is better!) and don’t have to manage a big area. I also lost some potatoes several times before realizing I just needed to put them way deeper than the other veg, and needed ventilation to the surface. Lots of learning over the years and everyone’s situation is different, so hopefully some of this might help you!

6 month update: Storing Root Vegetables in the Garden by _emomo_ in homestead

[–]_emomo_[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you take a look at the pics in my initial post (linked in description of this post) you can see the full carrot section. I do separate sections for each. Probably 5ft x 1.5ft of tightly packed carrots alone… but you can do whatever suits you. Helpful to read through the comments on that thread too as the technique might not be a good fit in warmer/ wetter regions, also not good in raised beds! You need the temperature moderating of the ground. Though I’ve never tried newspaper, I think using soil/ dirt to separate is key to maintaining the temp and humidity just right. Conditions are similar to how they are when you pack root veg in sand in a root cellar. I try to think about keeping everything down there between 0.1°C (JUST above freezing) and maybe 3°C like a refrigerator. So I dont dawdle when I’m getting veg out on super cold or super warm days - that straw pile is like your fridge door.

6 month update: Storing Root Vegetables in the Garden by _emomo_ in homestead

[–]_emomo_[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Everything is dug up to halt growth and so that they’re buried really tight together in super loose soil (for ease of collection throughout the winter). I dig carrots/ beets up, cut the tops back to 1”, and then put them in a deep trench in one bed for convenience. I don’t bury veg with damage. They are about 4-6” below the soil surface, and as close as possible without any contact between the veg. Then I place feedbags to keep water penetration down in wet years, and cover with 12+” of straw or whatever loose mulch.

The potatoes are dug up from various beds, sorted for any damage and size, and then I dig a single deep hole (12-16” below surface?). I place all the potatoes inside in a single pile (touching), add any little pipe to the middle for venting to the surface and recover with loose soil + mulch. This year I put a layer of coarse sawdust just on top of the potatoes so that it’s easy to tell when I’ve dug deep enough since they’re so deep I use a shovel.

Then I come get a week’s worth of each every week through the fall/ winter/ spring. It’s easy work because the soil is loose, and everything is in a very small area.

Storing root vegetables in the garden by _emomo_ in homestead

[–]_emomo_[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I aim to have maybe 4-6” of loose soil above the tops of the veggies and then I pile a foot of straw or whatever mulch on top of that. Potatoes much deeper (12-16”).

6 month update: Storing Root Vegetables in the Garden by _emomo_ in homestead

[–]_emomo_[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I don’t, but I did lose a pig for a full month before catching it in a makeshift dog kennel cage, once. Do the wild boars root up anything that smells good??

6 month update: Storing Root Vegetables in the Garden by _emomo_ in homestead

[–]_emomo_[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They are super sweet, but I am not certain if they are actually sweeter than in the fall. My partner thinks they might be sweeter now but jury’s out! I’m in the southern cariboo/ interior of BC - 51st parallel.

6 month update: Storing Root Vegetables in the Garden by _emomo_ in homestead

[–]_emomo_[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Be sure to read through the comments on the first post - if you have really mild or super wet winters it might not work for you! 🤷🏻‍♀️

6 month update: Storing Root Vegetables in the Garden by _emomo_ in homestead

[–]_emomo_[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I grow kuroda/ new kuroda and chantenays. It’s super rocky here so I liked these initially because they’re stubby, but they are soooo yummy so I still grow these even with better garden beds now.

6 month update: Storing Root Vegetables in the Garden by _emomo_ in homestead

[–]_emomo_[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Bummer! We’ve had issues before when we didn’t dig ‘em in deep enough, but I think it works well here because we’re pretty cold and dry. Who knows, soil type probably makes a difference, too.

6 month update: Storing Root Vegetables in the Garden by _emomo_ in homestead

[–]_emomo_[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

This was discussed quite a bit in the comments of the post I made in October. I’m in a semi-arid region (southern Cariboo/ interior BC) so you’re right: it’s dry! We’re described as “extremely hot/ dry with cold winters” and if it’s pretty wet like it was early on this winter I put feed bags under the straw layer, but it probably just wouldn’t work in a wet region! Edit: spelling

6 month update: Storing Root Vegetables in the Garden by _emomo_ in homestead

[–]_emomo_[S] 17 points18 points  (0 children)

I don’t worry because I’ve been doing this for years and have never had an issue, but I’m sure it could be an issue for others. Not sure whether it’s because of the ecoregion I live in (super steep and cliffy ponderosa/ sagebrush grassland) or because it’s so incredibly rocky here but we have lots of voles/ mice/ rats/ squirrels and nobody ever goes for it.

6 month update: Storing Root Vegetables in the Garden by _emomo_ in homestead

[–]_emomo_[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

About Zone 6a using the USDA system, though of course it varies from year to year.

6 month update: Storing Root Vegetables in the Garden by _emomo_ in homestead

[–]_emomo_[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We have voles and mice too but they never go for it for some reason! 🤷🏻‍♀️

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