Posted: 4/10/2013 5:53:51 AM EDT
The boy wants to help. And so he does.
Install the new bed and clean up last years' garden. 
Let the boy pick out all his own seeds and plants; tomatoes, watermelon, peppers, cucumbers, carrots, herbs, beans, corn etc. 
Here is to hoping for a good growing season. 
Guarding the garden from evil squirrels and zombie rabbits 
|
Its good for kids to see how food is produced from beginning to end, both plants and animals. Kids enjoy it because survival is natural to all of us no matter how deep its been buried by technology. They play video games because they're bored and don't have a garden to tend to
|
|
Quoted:
YOU LET YOUR SON PLAY WITH A LOADED GUN?!?!? THINK OF THE CHILDREN! Arfcom and member training activities has taught me good safety practices and I have been passing those on to my son. At 6 he knows most of the major firearm parts and functions. He also knows all guns are loaded, keep your finger off the trigger, only aim at that which must be destroyed and never trust other people with guns unless I am there with hands-on supervision. He knows they are tools and the tool is no good unloaded however we do not keep one in the chamber and he does not yet have the strength to chamber one himself. I am proud of his safety awareness. He does not play with guns but he does shoot with me regularly off the back deck; pellet and 22. Zombie targets help keep his interest. I know you were kidding but it was worth an answer. And those damn squirrels will wipe out my tomatoes if I do not thin the ranks. |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
YOU LET YOUR SON PLAY WITH A LOADED GUN?!?!? THINK OF THE CHILDREN! Arfcom and member training activities has taught me good safety practices and I have been passing those on to my son. At 6 he knows most of the major firearm parts and functions. He also knows all guns are loaded, keep your finger off the trigger, only aim at that which must be destroyed and never trust other people with guns unless I am there with hands-on supervision. He knows they are tools and the tool is no good unloaded however we do not keep one in the chamber and he does not yet have the strength to chamber one himself. I am proud of his safety awareness. He does not play with guns but he does shoot with me regularly off the back deck; pellet and 22. Zombie targets help keep his interest. I know you were kidding but it was worth an answer. And those damn squirrels will wipe out my tomatoes if I do not thin the ranks. benjamin 22 cal pump air rifle with a fixed power 10x scope. i've killed THOUSANDS of tree-rats with one. not one tear shed. not one shit given. |
|
Dude! That is freaking awesome! Both the garden and teaching the boy something useful!
So i gotta ask? Is that pressure treated lumber?I have read the new stuff is safe, but still concerned. And when you coming to consult on my new back yard. First year inn the house and i am not sure what to start with. |
|
I just bought tomato, carrot and corn seed today. This will be my first garden in probably 25 years.
Also bought those little seed starter boxes to get them going inside before transfer to outside. Any recommendations on soil? Honestly I'm not sure whether I'll do a bunch in potters or an actual garden. Advise very welcome. |
|
Quoted:
I just bought tomato, carrot and corn seed today. This will be my first garden in probably 25 years. Also bought those little seed starter boxes to get them going inside before transfer to outside. Any recommendations on soil? Honestly I'm not sure whether I'll do a bunch in potters or an actual garden. Advise very welcome. Tomatoes and corn are a pain in pots. What varieties? Are you in north ga? Oh and op it looks great, did you just buy potting soil to fill them with ? |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
this is relevant to my interests. on the verge now of starting a garden with some unused back yard space. any tips will be greatly appreciated. What do you want in a garden? North ga or south? North Georgia in Paulding county. just basic things to start off nothing specific at this time. |
|
Quoted:
Is that pressure treated lumber?I have read the new stuff is safe, but still concerned. And when you coming to consult on my new back yard. First year inn the house and I am not sure what to start with. I used cedar from THD for the big one. Costs a little more but corrodes slower and the bugs do not like to eat it. I used a kiddie THD kit for the smaller one. Not sure if pressure treated but likely was. Replacing with cedar next season anyway. Call me anytime - we'll pop over. We ended up doing the raised beds because the GA clay is hard to work with even after adding good soil and sand. The only thing in GA dirt this year is watermelons and cantaloupe. (sp) |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
this is relevant to my interests. on the verge now of starting a garden with some unused back yard space. any tips will be greatly appreciated. What do you want in a garden? North ga or south? North Georgia in Paulding county. just basic things to start off nothing specific at this time. The clay is more of a pain to deal with, but raised beds aren't required. Tomato transplants would be pretty easy, BHN640 and Celebrity are good varieties. Corn from seed is easy, peaches and cream is a good variety or silver queen. If you want a yellow sweet corn, bantam hybrid is pretty good. Cucumbers, squash, cantaloupes, watermelons, etc. are pretty easy as well and available as transplants. If you don't do raised beds, till in 10-10-10 fertilizer for a starter fertilizer, and then fertilize plants as needed with miracle gro tomato fertilizer. Don't get regular miracle gro, get the tomato version since it is 18-21-21 fertilizer for the same price. Simplest chemical for insect control is regular sevin dust, I use the liquid version. ACE hardware also sells malathion that you could use as well. |
|
Oh and op it looks great, did you just buy potting soil to fill them with ?
I run a 10 x 10 mulch pit just up hill from the garden past that tree line, Everything from grass to twigs, old crop leaves excess dirt, food all goes in and I turn it now and then. Once a year I run a tiller over it real quick to help break it down. When it rains I grab the worms off the driveway and toss them in there. They help big time. After about 5 years now I have been able to pull great "soil" from it. Then I buy some of that miracle grow dirt at THD and a bag of cow poo to round it out but I don't use much. You can see from one of the pics the GA red clay and black ash. That is because I burn everything at the end of Fall and toss it in the mulch pit. But this does not make me good....... last year I lost 90% of my tomatoes to the black mold plague 
All that dark dirt you see around the bed is just landscapers mulch from a bulk rock store on the 400. It prevents run off and mud etc. |
|
Quoted:
Oh and op it looks great, did you just buy potting soil to fill them with ?
I run a 10 x 10 mulch pit just up hill from the garden past that tree line, Everything from grass to twigs, old crop leaves excess dirt, food all goes in and I turn it now and then. Once a year I run a tiller over it real quick to help break it down. When it rains I grab the worms off the driveway and toss them in there. They help big time. After about 5 years now I have been able to pull great "soil" from it. Then I buy some of that miracle grow dirt at THD and a bag of cow poo to round it out but I don't use much. You can see from one of the pics the GA red clay and black ash. That is because I burn everything at the end of Fall and toss it in the mulch pit. But this does not make me good....... last year I lost 90% of my tomatoes to the black mold plague
All that dark dirt you see around the bed is just landscapers mulch from a bulk rock store on the 400. It prevents run off and mud etc. Looks good, I add my ash from the grill to my garden and the soil tests indicate good things from it. Plant BHN640 tomatoes, if you have tomato or any other solanaceous plant residue in your compost, you are going to have TSWV etc. Celebrity tomatoes are pretty resistant as well. |