Fall Planting

[BilletHead]

Well since things were going contrary it was time for getting the beds going for lettuce. Pulled the tomatoes, and cleaned and removed the trellises.

Got the little toy tiller and turned the soil. I did my best before to clean all the tomato mess from pulling so hopefully no baby tomatoes come up.

Mixed a conglomerate of different lettuce seeds in a shaker bottle and shook out a seed bed. Took the back of the rake and tamped the seeds into the soil.

Used the sprinkler to wet down the soil and seeds,

My work is done and it is now up to the good lord and mother nature for the rest.

BilletHead

[jerry241]

Billethead. Are your beds painted 2x6 or are they composite deck boards?? Raied beds are gonna be my fall project. I know that comp. deck material is expensive but it will last longer just trying to gather info and I really like your set up

[BilletHead]

Jerry they are the composite deck boards. Our Sutherlands had a pile of assorted boards discounted and I got enough for one bed. Liked it so much went back the next day for more.

BilletHead

[jerry241]

Thanks for the info I think that's the way I'm gonna go....

[Justin Spencer]

A few years ago we put some raised beds here behind the campstore. Loved them, but forgot we lived in a flood prone area, now raised beds are in Norfork Lake.

[tho1mas]

A lot of people dry stack 8" concrete blocks (2 high). Nice to sit on while picking & weeding.

[jdmidwest]

I am going to raised beds next year. I have too much trouble control moisture and soil content with my current setup. I started a few a couple of years ago and they have done well. May save the main garden for flowers and corn.

I have tossed some lettuce, radishes, mustard, and turnips in the last few weeks. I watered and all come up. Cool spell coming on Monday, fall is not far off.

[Quillback]

How long does it take for fall radishes to mature? Will they survive a frost?

[BilletHead]

Lettuce fall bed update,

When I got these two beds planted it was still so hot and dry. I thought they would never sprout up. The intense sun and heat kept the bed really dry even watering every day. It would dry out completely between watering so the seeds really had no chance but I kept watering and watching. Some cooler nights with a natural rain or two and up it came. Now going like crazy. I know too thick as I just broadcast the seed. Had so much seed left from spring so I went a bit crazy. There is a couple of weeks difference in the two beds. I mixed varieties so picking is like a grab bag. So thick in fact when picking instead of pinching off leaves we Pull the whole plant and just snip off the bottoms with scissors or a knife thus opening room for others to grow. Also had a variety pack that had some weird types in it. Probability some heirloom types? I know it is sure good stuff. Will have this until a hard freeze and may cover to make it last longer,

BilletHead

[ness]

Looking good, BH. The speckled (stippled?) one looks like an heirloom I grow called Forellenschluss. That's one of my faves. Takes heat and cold well. The name is supposed to be Austrian for 'speckled trout', which just makes it all that much better.

I've got bush beans, snap peas, lettuce, radishes, beets and collards in the ground. My mater's are still spitting out one or two a week. The cherry tomatoes are still going crazy -- I brought in ~7 pounds week before last and made some salsa with them. Tastes good, but they're orange and the salsa isn't very appetizing looking. Brought in a bunch of banana peppers and a few poblanos and Anaheims this weekend. I'll dry the poblanos and roast the Anaheims and freeze them. I've got a recipe for sauerkraut-stuffed pickled banana peppers that I like a lot. Sounds weird, but it's got a nice sweet/sour/spicy thing going on that's pretty good.