my garden plans, sort of...

I used to keep pretty good records.
I burned them before our last move and went with experience and intuition.
It was cathartic.

For the last several years I would just lay out the whole seed cabinet on the table and sort jars and bags according to season and try to get them in the ground or flats in time.

This year, as I sometimes do, I scribbled a time line of plants and seeds, etc that I already have...cuttings to root, sw. potato slips to start...

Every year I think I will do less and then the seasons change and here we are...I mostly save seeds and order a few ..take cuttings and stratify more saved seeds...I don't think I can stop

This thread is to hopefully keep me on track to see if  I can accomplish this 'plan' with a lot of help from my guy.

(and it's also to keep me out of political discussions) 😏

I've never been good at record keeping. I've resolved lots of time to do better at it, but I never have so I'm officially abandoning the idea and just go by memory like I always have. The only exception is my sweet potatoes which I breed from true seed. I have a very detailed little book on them with lots of photos and notes.

Overall, I'm scaling my garden down some, not really in area planted, I'm just focusing more on the things I know I can grow and dropping most of the more novel and experimental stuff. I am trying to plan a little better this year so as to maximize production of staple crops.

I don't get into the political stuff much, don't see the point in it. Plus, I don't have any pies and don't really want any as I don't like cooked fruit, but I am real fond coconut cream.

Mark, We are finding that things that were staples at our other property do not grow as well here although this is the first land we've worked since '73 that has no rocks! Sometimes I kind of miss them.

I've had sweet potatoes bloom but always harvested before seed set...it's been only the purple that I've noticed flowering.



rain, no ice, high 38F

expecting more flower seeds from Baker Creek any day now...did not need them but am working on an assumption that the more flowers the better!

First up to plant, february 8, just to get something in and hands in soil were my three largest amaryllis bulbs...I've lost track of colors.  I've been growing them for a few years and store indoors after they finish leafing out in order to force some early blooms late winter.
The smaller ones won't bloom this year so I'll wait and set them out after it warms up some.

Sea 90 as recommended by our own Dr.Bryant Redhawk  " If you can find it, Sea-90 is a super addition, it only takes 1/2 cup per tree and you add it once a year or once every two years. This stuff is very interesting, it really improves flavor as well as providing lots of trace minerals (over 95) for tree health.
This stuff also seems to help trees hold on to more fruit. I now have to pick off extra fruit so branches don't break from excess weight on the branches."

...this is the first I've bought a big bag and am spreading it over the whole acre...usually I just sprinkle around the fruit trees.
$10.00 for a 25# bag through Azure.

and this...also from Azure....used more sparingly only in potting soils and more special plantings as it's more expensive.

Manufactured from the highest quality Volcanic Basalt Rock, starting with massive stones pushed from deep within the earth, Cascade Minerals grinds these stones to produce a finely ground product for use as a soil amendment.

Volcanic Basalt Rock, finely ground, mimics the slow process of the earth’s own method for producing healthy soil by releasing essential minerals and trace elements that your plant need to flourish. As your soils are continually used the available minerals can become depleted resulting in your plants having to fight harder to maintain optimal vitality and maximum potential. Cascade Minerals can aid in the regeneration of your soils and work to kick-start the biological processes required for optimal plant growth.  

rain, no ice, morning low 34F

https://www.sea-90.com/

 FEED SOIL MATRIX

Sea-90’s mineral nutrients feed soil microbiology, enzymes, and fungi to create a more productive soil matrix.

UNLOCK “LOCKED UP” NUTRIENTS

Seeing a decline in fertilizer efficiency? Sea-90 helps to unlock existing fertilizer nutrients and make them more available to pastures, plants, and crops.


SUPERCHARGE COMPOST

Add Sea-90’s mineral nutrients to your compost or compost tea to double your microbial populations and increase compost efficiency!  

1.5" of rain over the past few days on previously saturated ground.

Our big garden space, (that was a farm garden decades ago and kept mowed very short as lawn since then until we moved here) is developing towards our version of raised beds.
After a neighbor, who remembered the old garden spot, chisel plowed it once for us, we have spent the past several years working it up with both a broadfork and garden fork to aerate and lift bermuda roots out.

This winter it has austrian winter peas and oats on some beds and rye grain alone on a couple.
We are able to eat the pea tips all winter and the plants will take off in the spring to be scythed for mulch when they are knee high or so.

I have a lot of elephant garlic in because I like the look of the tall flower stalk and regular garlic, a more permanent strawberry bed and sunchokes set in at some edges.

Because this is a sun blasted garden space and very dry over the summer We've added more trees and are letting some volunteers stay...a nice asian pear, mimosas and redbuds.

More established perennials and bi annuals spotted around are blue salvia, penstemon, a lovely patch or two of woad, thornless blackberries, and yes, comfrey!, rose campion, and some winter cress and a dead nettle ground cover in places.

There are always a lot of volunteer cosmos, tithonia and lambsquarters although I like to start more of the flowers in flats to give them an earlier start.


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I had a failure of a bed of turnips this winter. Have you tried sowing the rye or peas late winter for termination in mid summer? Think it would work?

Joylynn Hardesty wrote:I had a failure of a bed of turnips this winter. Have you tried sowing the rye or peas late winter for termination in mid summer? Think it would work?

Our turnips failed also...some years they are the perfect green going into winter.

Our rye grain, not rye grass, is planted on it's own in the fall...any later hasn't worked as well for us.

The peas though
...I've planted periodically all winter some years as long as there's some good rain and a few above freezing days they seem to sprout and grow ok.  By mid summer ours set seed.  Tiny as the seed is we sometimes pick young pods and steam like you would edamame beans...delicious...too tedious to shell like a regular english pea.

I keep trying oats with the peas and the oats freeze back early.

I'm planning to sow some spring oats and might get some more pea seed from the feed store to try late also.

Have you got your Lynx Spider seeds ready to plant?  

Jay Angler wrote:Have you got your Lynx Spider seeds ready to plant?  

haha!  I miss them!

I' m hoping there's a mating pair left from this years brood in the same area next year...I will have the dahlias and blueberry ready
https://permies.com/t/224345/green-lynx-spider-peucetia-viridans

Mark Reed wrote:I've never been good at record keeping. I've resolved lots of time to do better at it, but I never have so I'm officially abandoning the idea and just go by memory like I always have. The only exception is my sweet potatoes which I breed from true seed. I have a very detailed little book on them with lots of photos and notes.

Overall, I'm scaling my garden down some, not really in area planted, I'm just focusing more on the things I know I can grow and dropping most of the more novel and experimental stuff. I am trying to plan a little better this year so as to maximize production of staple crops.

I don't get into the political stuff much, don't see the point in it. Plus, I don't have any pies and don't really want any as I don't like cooked fruit, but I am real fond coconut cream.

First, I've never met anyone else who didn't like cooked fruit, so I got a lot of satisfaction reading that!  I'm also not a fan of traditional pie crust either, though I love making them and do when I make pies for others.  But, a cream pie with a graham cracker or cookie crust?  Oh my days!  Those are so good they'd bring Jesus back early.

My garden is sure to be smaller than most folks here, too.  Moving to Appalachia, I may get thrown out in my drawer tail for not growing/liking green beans - a staple as much as bread is.  I plan to have two gardens.  Maybe three.  One will be the stuff I eat.  The second will be experimental things for specific recipes and produce I give away to others.  A third, small garden may be grown at the edge of the woods for the wildlife.  We'll see how ambitious I feel when the time comes.

beginning the list of links to my garden related threads:
https://permies.com/t/92625/root-crops/growing-dahlias-eat
https://permies.com/t/256947/Monarch-caterpillars-activity-milkweeds
https://permies.com/t/17569/perennial-vegetables/sweet-potato-propagation-harvest
https://permies.com/t/71148/growing-Dwarf-Moringa-pots
https://permies.com/t/265051/bean-seed-ID
https://permies.com/t/222576/Dipsacus-fullonum-fullers-teasel-common
https://permies.com/t/15888/dyeing/growing-harvesting-natural-dye-plants
https://permies.com/t/23607/Propagating-Blood-cling-Peaches
https://permies.com/t/256256/periodical-cicadas
https://permies.com/t/273903/berry/hardwood-blueberry-cuttings-freeze
https://permies.com/t/16133/permaculture/host-local-plant-exchange-source
https://permies.com/t/37159/dyeing/Indigo-blue-growing-harvesting-processing
https://permies.com/t/226763/gross-Gathering-persimmon-pits-animal
https://permies.com/t/163758/scythes/Blade-repair
https://permies.com/t/241785/plantain-salve-methods-recipes
https://permies.com/t/231623/identifying-bean-varieties-select-seed
https://permies.com/t/247594/berry/Thornless-blackberries-wrong
https://permies.com/t/84964/dyeing/Madder-growing-harvesting-dyeing
https://permies.com/t/221602/experiment-potting-soil
https://permies.com/t/17089/american-persimmon-drought-resistant-delicious
https://permies.com/t/231649/Corn-questions-type-storage
https://permies.com/t/214408/Peach-tree-borers
https://permies.com/t/222434/hazelnuts-ready-pick
https://permies.com/t/218774/method-deal-rock-hard-clods
https://permies.com/t/26576/Summer-Arkansas-Ozarks
https://permies.com/t/15770/striped-BLISTER-BEETLES-tomatoes
https://permies.com/t/188285/root-crops/sweet-potato-vine-blooming
https://permies.com/t/179996/Sprinkler-pumps
https://permies.com/t/48211/sheep-clean-grasses-garden
https://permies.com/t/35987/shiitake
https://permies.com/t/149842/figs-frog
https://permies.com/t/115849/scythes/scything-grasses-blades-angles
https://permies.com/t/151673/pollinates-luffas
https://permies.com/t/94640/scythes/scythe-arrived
https://permies.com/t/21305/Lovage-Levisticum-officinale-leaf-miners
https://permies.com/t/147024/butterflies-garden
https://permies.com/t/26828/Guinea-Fowl-Ticks-Honey-Bee
https://permies.com/t/101094/types-shoes-shoveling-types-shovels
https://permies.com/t/125151/favorite-hand-tool-cutting-bermuda
https://permies.com/t/116358/won-american-passion-flower-vine
https://permies.com/t/18887/paper-poisoning-permaculture-produce-soil
https://permies.com/t/18095/Edibles-humans-country-deer-urban
https://permies.com/t/89460/breed-sheep-absolutely-loves-bermuda
https://permies.com/t/68636/hypothetical-land-offer-Ozarks-RESOLVED
https://permies.com/wiki/41870/Pressed-Plant-Andrea-DiNoto-David
https://permies.com/t/39732/permaculture/Reviving-homestead-wisteria
https://permies.com/t/16417/Selling-Part-Forty
https://permies.com/t/55403/cordless-electric-Kobalt-lawn-mowe
https://permies.com/t/35594/pictures-flowers-Happy-Day
https://permies.com/t/32716/Yearly-perennial-Plant-Seed-exchange
https://permies.com/t/47251/tree-ears-brown-ear-fungus
https://permies.com/t/47479/copperhead-camouflage#379053
https://permies.com/t/46194/sweet-potato-blight#368525
https://permies.com/t/36229/permaculture/STUMPS-roots-basis-fruit-tree#282904
https://permies.com/t/32716/Yearly-perennial-Plant-Seed-exchange#254915
https://permies.com/t/35231/transition-homestead-small-town#275856
https://permies.com/t/33774/update-SOLD-forty-acres-Arkansas#264223

https://permies.com/t/40316/ripe-figs-splitting#313829
https://permies.com/t/27314/figs-tree-bigger#214458
https://permies.com/t/34128/pumpkin-recipes-soups#266927
https://permies.com/t/37323/SPORTS-odd-plant-growth-pictures#291486
https://permies.com/t/38424/groundwart#299878
https://permies.com/t/20374/permaculture/Permaculture-projects-Ozarks#169528
https://permies.com/t/36283/advice-planting-sprouted-pecan-seeds#283177
https://permies.com/t/25759/FREE-curly-dock-Rumex-crispus#203655
https://permies.com/t/26745/alliums/elephant-garlic-questions#210142

The soil here is black and deep, sticky when wet and some areas like a brick when dry....almost what I've heard called 'gumbo'.
We are in a creek bottom... https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alluvium

The soil is mostly clay with pockets of looser soil.

We keep as much of the gardens as we can covered in vegetation and mulches.

There's an optimum stage for broad forking, not too dry and not too wet.
Bermuda grass is a constant so besides aerating the soil the broadfork helps loosen bermuda runners to remove.
We sprinkle with rock dust preliminary to forking if I have it on hand.

We have a Meadow Creature broad fork ⁰that is wonderful and a round tined one from Johnny's years ago that Steve just replaced the handles on so I've been using it more since it is lighter in weight.

Last year we hauled tubs and tubs of wood chips from a local city's wood chip production and plan to do the same this year.  Those go in the paths to get walked on and when somewhat broken down added to the beds themselves.
We don't use them as mulch right off since even a thin layer interferes with my  volunteers

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4 mile hike for 'heart' day and my Baker Creek seeds arrived!
nasturtiums, coleus, butterfly pea, long beans, dahlias and zinnias

working list of plantings in yard and gardens now...

Perennials and Biannuals:

grown from seed:
american hazelnuts
pecan...needs a partner
peaches
persimmons
mulberries
sorbus
mimosa
red bud
echinacea
weld
woad
madder
pippen apple
lemon grass...potted plant stored indoors over winter
moringa...roots stored indoors over winter
dahlias...tubers stored indoors over winter
rosa ragosa
passion flower vine
common milkweed
butterfly weed
mullein
goji
blue salvia
sage
garden sorrel
teasel
lavender
thyme
hops

grown from cuttings:
elderberry
roses
figs
rosemary


grown from divisions:
strawberries
thornless blackberries
red locust
rose campian
iris
daylilies
horseradish
yucca
penstemon
chrysanthemum
soapwort
phlox
creeping charlie
3 types of comfrey
mugwort
mints
roses
spirea
sunchokes

bought
three asian pears...all great and bear well unless a late freeze gets the blooms
anjou pear...died from fire blight...letting root stock grow
bartlett pear...died from fire blight...letting root stock grow

two asian persimmons...alive so far, the new growth keeps freezing back although one is growing from root stock and I hope it is american persimmon.

3 apple varieties...at 7 yrs two dead from apple maggot, one died young from fire blight...hoping for root stock growth

5 blueberries as one year old rooted cuttings...at more than 5 yrs. only two are producing ok...none are thriving


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Isn't the high bush blueberry thriving? Is it producing? I bought different blue berries three times and although the soil is acidic, they still died.

May Lotito wrote:Isn't the high bush blueberry thriving? Is it producing? I bought different blue berries three times and although the soil is acidic, they still died.

We had several varieties grown by a reliable local grower, 20 young rooted cuttings...after more than five years there are five left.
Of the ones in the ground the Blue Ray is the only one that is producing.
It is not sending up lots of new growth as it should be though.

When a neighbors dog broke off one of it's branches I was able to root it and potted it in a very large tub on the east side of the house...half the sun that the others get and it is sending up healthy new growth.  (it's the one in many of my spider photos)...it produces huge delicious berries.

The difference is less sun and possibly holding moisture better because it's in a tub?
We use only rain water and all get frequent, regular waterings over the summer.
I planted each originally in the half pear moss/half soil recommended and we've always mulched heavy with sawdust and sometimes pine needles although both encourage the bermuda grass to grow and it becomes a thick mat all through the mulch.

We once lived where there were established huge highbush varieties...sawdust mulch and prolific berries.  I don't remember watering them but we must have?

I'm focusing on this one good plant to take cuttings from and try some layering.

here's more info about that variety...

 Blueberry : Blueray

Very large, classic berries, heavy producer, Chill Hours: 1000+
Chill Hours: 1000+

An old favorite and heavy producer, Blueray performs particularly well in areas with hot summers or very cold winters, and produces high quality berries with outstanding dessert flavor. The stunning rosy pink flowers turn bright white when in full bloom.

Ericaceae Vaccinium corymbosum

I tried to keep a garden diary for a few years but when things get busy, I'm usually too exhausted to think of writing down notes when I should.

Your list looks similar to mine especially when I see GTS abbreviation.  I made a planting calendar to keep track of the frost dates and ideal planting windows to further keep myself on track and hopefully I can keep up with it this year

I also created a sheet to keep track of when I start my indoor transplants and I've found it to be extremely useful.  I record the variety, date down, date germinated, whether or not I used heat, and date transplanted.  I come back periodically and add a few notes throughout the season too.  I also participate in a few seed trials and used the same sheet to keep track of them even though I'm mostly direct seeding.  I'm on the third year of this system and I can look back and see what worked and what didn't.

Michelle Heath wrote:I tried to keep a garden diary for a few years but when things get busy, I'm usually too exhausted to think of writing down notes when I should.

Your list looks similar to mine especially when I see GTS abbreviation.  I made a planting calendar to keep track of the frost dates and ideal planting windows to further keep myself on track and hopefully I can keep up with it this year

I also created a sheet to keep track of when I start my indoor transplants and I've found it to be extremely useful.  I record the variety, date down, date germinated, whether or not I used heat, and date transplanted.  I come back periodically and add a few notes throughout the season too.  I also participate in a few seed trials and used the same sheet to keep track of them even though I'm mostly direct seeding.  I'm on the third year of this system and I can look back and see what worked and what didn't.

hi Michelle!
I did similar for years and yes, it can be helpful especially if it's the same piece of land for decades.
We have had three very different growing areas during the past 50 years and after almost ten years here seeing that  this one is even more unique....past info is good but not always applicable to these new growing conditions.

But, mostly I am tired of record keeping
I thought writing here might work as a sort of diary maybe....a place to put my lists and thoughts.
but as you mentioned things will get busy and writing them down is less likely to happen.

I have stopped growing any indoor starts and decided not to cover the hoop houses this year with plastic.  I'm finding them more useful as shade houses over the summer.

I've been seeding starts in flats outdoors when the soil temps are right and either repotting to get some size before setting in the garden or transplanting from flat to garden bed.
I do direct seed quite a bit but some things get lost in the chaos of my gardens.  I find it easier to water the flats to get good germination rather than watering seeds planting in the garden

I do intend to keep a better account of my GTS plantings this year!



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Judith Browning wrote:Mark, We are finding that things that were staples at our other property do not grow as well here although this is the first land we've worked since '73 that has no rocks! Sometimes I kind of miss them.

I've had sweet potatoes bloom but always harvested before seed set...it's been only the purple that I've noticed flowering.
rain, no ice, high 38F

I'm finding that things that used to grow well here, don't grow as well here as they used too. Potatoes especially, used to you stuck them in the ground and a bit later they bloomed, the vines started dying down and you could dig up a bunch of potatoes. Now they don't bloom hardly at all, and you have to keep them watered all the time. That's partly, well largely, why I got so interested in sweet potatoes. Other things too like peas, and even common beans are more difficult to grow now. I've been migrating to some of what I always thought of as more southern crops like cowpeas and peanuts which along with the sweet potatoes seem be doing quite well. I'll keep growing the old things but maybe in a bit a smaller plots because of the extra attention they seem to need now days.

My garden plan for this year is to focus more on staple things and things that don't need processing to store. Dry beans and cowpeas, dry corn, peanuts, sweet potatoes and so on. Along with a lot of stuff for fresh eating during the growing season. Also, lots of herbs for seasoning and greens like mustard and brassica's that I've managed to adapt to being sort of feral. Some of those, if I plant and tend them need constant attention, especially with watering but seem to find their own way, if just left alone to plant themselves whenever they get in the mood.

I have a tread here on Permies  about my sweet potatoes but haven't updated it for a while. Reed's Sweet Potatoes, if you read it keep in mind that some of the older stuff may not be completely accurate. They are genetically complicated critters, and I learn new stuff all the time, sometimes it conflicts with what I thought I knew then. I've talked a lot about them on the OSSI forum too and just posted a little update there. Reeds Sweet Potatoes OSSI Same with it, older stuff may or may not be my current thinking. For the most recent you can just jump to the last post.

And I have a little, occasionally updated YouTube channel with some videos about my sweet potatoes. Reed's Garden Youtube

Another thing that I look for in any crop is that it makes true seeds. With those things traditionally propagated by clones some have largely forgotten how to make seeds, sweet potatoes is one of them but when I discovered one that did make some seeds I started on a quest, (fell in a rabbit hole) of restoring that ability to ones that make nice roots to eat. The original seeds came from a plant that only had stringy worthless roots. It's taken over a decade but, now I have them to where more than half of sprouted seeds make nice plants and a nice harvest in the first year from seed. Unlike potatoes that just make little tubers that you have to keep alive till the next year. Eliminating the necessity of keeping plant material alive over winter is what I see as the biggest advantage. If we have to eat them all or critters break in and ruin them all, or if the heat goes out and they freeze, just get out the seeds and start over.

Ugh.  The new location would create a dilemma.  Congratulations on no rocks to deal with!  I wouldn't know how to act if digging a grave for a pet or a post hole didn't involve rocks.  

Edited the above post as autocorrect evidently decided I was digging graves for a person instead of a pet.  😳

I actually found enjoyment in keeping records for GTS crops last year, especially the sweet peppers.  I let my mom be the official taste tester and would deliver her a dozen different varieties in separate mushroom containers on every visit along with a list to keep track of the flavor.  I would take a moment every week or so and notate the fruit size, shape and growth habits.  Maybe if I'd record the rest of my crops with such diligence....

 My garden plan for this year is to focus more on staple things and things that don't need processing to store. Dry beans and cowpeas, dry corn, peanuts, sweet potatoes and so on. Along with a lot of stuff for fresh eating during the growing season. Also, lots of herbs for seasoning and greens like mustard and brassica's that I've managed to adapt to being sort of feral. Some of those, if I plant and tend them need constant attention, especially with watering but seem to find their own way, if just left alone to plant themselves whenever they get in the mood.

Mark,  
this is always my intent and then I let myself get sidetracked by 'more'  and 'different'
Sweet potatoes are one of our staples and we never grow enough.
I've only done slips though and have never tried to save seed...I might try this with one of the purples that flower every year and see if there's time for viable seed?
Thanks for the links to your information.  I remember reading it in the past but need a refresher.



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10F
3" snow
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guess I'll order some more flower seeds.
🌸💮🏵️🪻🌻🌼🌺

Lows in the low teens and sunny afternoons this week hitting 40's F.
Jonquils have been blooming throughout...

Expecting snow to melt this week and looking forward to a warm up.

This is when I miss the plastic on the hoop houses...that was the place to go to warm these bones on a sunny afternoon... the penetrating heat was wonderful 🌞

winter green things...

Our winter green things are still under snow. This has been the longest lasting cold spell and longest lasting snow cover we have had in a very long time; the snow has been here since the first of January. It's just the end of February now but I feel way behind. I've grown used to having everything ready to plant by now, and my cold frames and seed starting supplies ready. Last year I had already planted some things by now. Today is supposed to be the first one in weeks well above freezing and tomorrow the first night above freeing but the rest of the week it just gets warmer. Now the period where melting snow on the still frozen ground makes a layer of sloppy mud on top.

Our snow has come and gone twice now and this past week 3" plus lows in the teens but well above freezing in the afternoons so mostly melted.  
Looks like we're well on our way to a nice warm up.

Since I didn't cover the hoop houses this year I'll be waiting on warmer weather to start seeds in flats.
I have to resist starting sweet potato slips until the first of March...

Mark, have you started your sweet potato seeds yet?

Judith, no I haven't started sweet potato seeds. I don't do that until late April to mid-May. That's about when I start slips too. In the first couple of years, I started seeds inside on a heat mat. Then I moved out to unheated cold frames, then to beds in the ground under plastic. They started coming up volunteer, and soon enough to make nice roots, so now I've started direct seeding.

I may not start any seeds this year but instead focus on backcrossing the best of the best clones with each other to produce a more refined generation of seeds.  I'm sure there will be some volunteers too, so I'll keep some of them.

May Lotito, this may explain why we  are having trouble growing blueberries.
https://permies.com/t/14396/mycorrhizal-fungi-blueberries#128230

We bought our young rooted cuttings from a commercial grower here locally who likely used commercial fertilizers.

The plant I have from my own rooted cutting that is in a large tub and doing great has a mix of old red oak wood chunks and rotted wood from the same well rotted tree remains and soil and some peat moss.
I was crediting it's health to shade/ less sun and better water retention but now I think the rotted oak might have as much to do with it's health?

Absolutely beautiful weather lately so I'm outside as much as possible getting ready for spring plantings.

Today I'm lining my wooden flats with brown paper from our oatmeal bags in preparation for warmer weather to start a long list of things from seed.

I made the flats originally to fit certain reservoirs for watering from the bottom but the flats themselves have out lived the plastic tubs, etc. so I'm shopping the thrift stores again.

They are made with store bought lumber, 1"x4"s nailed together then quarter inch rabbit wire on the bottom.  
I also bought wooden screen trim to finish off the bottom and cover edges of cut wire but also to raise the flats just a bit from what ever surface they are resting on.

I have one of the oldest that is going to Steve's shop for repairs...might be salvageable and he's the guy

I many times let things grow in these and transplant straight to the garden and other things go into pots for later transplanting.

I would rather direct seed and do with many things but bermuda grass gets a head start and smothers more delicate seedlings.

The oldest flats are 6-7 years old or more...they last well and then are compostable except for the wire and nails

Broad forking some beds with the lightweight fork from Johnny's bought years ago.
It has tines that work well in previously forked ground rather than blades like the Meadow Creature which is better for breaking new ground.
The paths have wood chips we hauled tub by tub in our car last year.

cane cut and stored last year for use as garden trellis.
There is a runaway patch a block from our house where we are encouraged to harvest all we like and are able to drag it home by the arm load.

If only your furry supervisor could do the job for you!

I don't know if there are any second hand restaurant equipment stores within reasonable distance, but if you could score some of the full size steam table trays, they would make reservoirs that would out last plastic by a huge margin.

I needed some of the half size ones because they need to fit on my window ledge and we have no place to look for second hand, so Hubby splurged and bought me a few new ones for my birthday (actually, he said B-day, Valentine's Day, and Christmas but we'll see)  I have been using plastic food containers we'd got for free, but they started getting brittle so I had to double them up, and now even doubled up, I can't quite trust them when I need to carry them from the house to outside down a flight of stairs.

 If only your furry supervisor could do the job for you!

That would be Olive
She loves being with us in the garden and does seem to be attracted to what ever work is going on...if we are weeding she starts chewing on near by grass.

Peaches the other garden cat usually comes out with us and finds a cozy place to sleep, sun or shade, depending on the weather.

I wish I could find those restaurant pans you mention...they would be perfect.
I did find a nice sized deep aluminum pan that has fit some of the larger flats.

My additional problem has been my heavy home made potting soil...I have to fix that this year as some were just too heavy when wet.
https://permies.com/t/274867/lime-bring-peat-moss-potting

I realize it's not very permi-ish, but I buy coir to help in my potting soil. It's not as hydryphobic as peat, and doesn't seem to cause the pH problem. That said, wouldn't wood ash shift it for you? Although if you have the lime already, it should also work. Yes, you absolutely don't want to shift it too far, or your growies won't be happy - I speak from experience there!

However, if you have a way to make some biochar (we use a metal container with holes in our wood stove) it will also help lighten the soil.

I totally recognize that wet soil seems to get heavier as I get older!  

Jay Angler wrote:I realize it's not very permi-ish, but I buy coir to help in my potting soil. It's not as hydryphobic as peat, and doesn't seem to cause the pH problem. That said, wouldn't wood ash shift it for you? Although if you have the lime already, it should also work. Yes, you absolutely don't want to shift it too far, or your growies won't be happy - I speak from experience there!

However, if you have a way to make some biochar (we use a metal container with holes in our wood stove) it will also help lighten the soil.

I totally recognize that wet soil seems to get heavier as I get older!  

Wood ash yes, we aren't burning wood anymore but I could get all I want at the bakery...it's just that I have this stupid bag of agricultural lime...finely ground limestone...not what I wanted but what I was sold.
I use a bit of it on our bean rows and a few other things but it's a life time supply at this rate.
I'm not burning anything here in town so no biochar although there's always quite a bit of charcoal in the bakery's ashes.

I would prefer coir but price wise I can't do it...on the other hand I know the environmental cost of peat...sigh...and then didn't I hear that there are a lot of chemicals sprayed in coconut orchards? so unless the coir is organic would I want it🤔  
The pulp and milk might be protected but I suppose the coir would have some residue.

Judith Browning wrote:May Lotito, this may explain why we  are having trouble growing blueberries.
https://permies.com/t/14396/mycorrhizal-fungi-blueberries#128230

Thanks, I will give blueberry a try. Maybe as potted plant since I have good results with citrus so far. Do you need two different varieties to have better pollination? Last time I bought Blue Ray  and Patriot.

May,
Other than the Blue Ray we have lost track of varieties.
There are five plants total still and varying amount of bloom so they might cross pollinate?

Tifblue blueberry is one I've wanted to try as it sounds like it would do well here
It is a rabbiteye.