tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post8148959079407142784..comments2024-03-27T22:01:59.919-04:00Comments on 5 Acres & A Dream: What's Hoopening in the GardenLeighhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-18323818357764984912017-01-10T14:17:35.714-05:002017-01-10T14:17:35.714-05:00I know I complain about our wiregrass a lot but I&...I know I complain about our wiregrass a lot but I'm very thankful to not have that goats head weed! We do have sand burrs, which are a nuisance, also deadly nightshade. I'm guessing straw bales gardening would really help. I hope you blog about it!Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-44957752435259544242017-01-10T14:15:48.904-05:002017-01-10T14:15:48.904-05:00I would love to know how this works out for you. N...I would love to know how this works out for you. Nice that you could finally get a source of chips! I have noticed that where we've piled brush, it kills the wiregrass, so it's true thickness makes a big difference. It does pull out easier if the mulch is thick, but it seems that about harvest time it really gets away from me because I'm too busy harvesting and preserving to do much weeding. I also know it doesn't grow as well in shade, so when I've had a fairly thick growth of garden plants. <br /><br />This year I'm going to add more phosphorous to the soil, because I found an article that said some types of wiregrass thrive in low phosphorous soil. I'll do a blog post when I get to it with a link to the article. Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-59987995409453048992017-01-09T21:05:39.880-05:002017-01-09T21:05:39.880-05:00Love your blog, Leigh. I live in North Texas and h...Love your blog, Leigh. I live in North Texas and have the same wiregrass issues, as well as having five acres we are learning to farm. However, I also have small mountains of wood chips, courtesy of local tree service companies. I let them dump as often as they like. Consequently, I can put a foot of chips down on my garden at a time, which is about a third of an acre in size. The wiregrass still grows but much less, and is easy to pull up because of how the chips are transforming the soil. Where I have no chips the garden is overrun with grass. Also, just purchased a small flame weeder. Hope it helps keep the grass and other weeds manageable. I think the key with chips is quantity. This will be the first full year with loads of chips on the garden. It has been "chipped' since last spring and we hope it pays off this summer. The ground beneath is springy. The grass is almost the only weed that creeps in. I truly hope they work. Spent a whole season chasing trucks around our rural roads and begging for chips. Have learned so much from your blog. I'm grateful.St. Benedict's Thistlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03960794119006644131noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-57061571009873849272017-01-09T13:22:01.312-05:002017-01-09T13:22:01.312-05:00Interesting! I would like something like that, but...Interesting! I would like something like that, but around here they sell the chips so it's out for us anyway (even if it had been a success in the garden). I'd like to have them for the front yard anyway. Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-19293105843147564042017-01-09T13:20:56.068-05:002017-01-09T13:20:56.068-05:00Nancy, I'd say you've got your hands full ...Nancy, I'd say you've got your hands full with that! Glad your new home has turned out so nice. Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-86882049617247512952017-01-09T13:20:31.338-05:002017-01-09T13:20:31.338-05:00Mark, it seems everybody had some garden nemesis! ...Mark, it seems everybody had some garden nemesis! usually grasses. Certainly keeps things a challenge. Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-19280602740388980942017-01-09T09:52:05.832-05:002017-01-09T09:52:05.832-05:00I signed up for this Chip Drop service last year I...I signed up for this Chip Drop service last year I think. The idea is that people who need chips and tree services who need to get rid of chips are connected. But I'm not sure any tree services ever signed up...if they did, they must have wanted money for the chips. bummer. I need to check and see when my town has recycled christmas trees ready.Renee Nefehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08167893445846427824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-30831113836990444712017-01-08T22:46:06.917-05:002017-01-08T22:46:06.917-05:00Wow! Gardening going on already! I am still unpa...Wow! Gardening going on already! I am still unpacking boxes and hanging pictures! So cold today but spring will be here before you know it! Nancy <br />Cozy Thyme Cottagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03933769393226611441noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-12449446817012132892017-01-08T20:34:36.138-05:002017-01-08T20:34:36.138-05:00Oh Leigh! Good for you! That is wonderful and lo...Oh Leigh! Good for you! That is wonderful and looks to be a huge success. <br /><br />We've not got a lot of snow at the moment, but were having single digit (F) temps so gardening of any sort is out until March at the earliest and more likely late April or early May.<br /><br />Our garden nemesis is quack grass, and to a lesser extent crab grass. It's fight all year, every year!Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08343134852881572900noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-10795307214212697752017-01-08T17:52:00.722-05:002017-01-08T17:52:00.722-05:00We have heaps and heaps of snow and my chickens ha...We have heaps and heaps of snow and my chickens have finally started laying two eggs a day again, since we moved so that's nice. *smile* We also have those horrid goats head weeds and they hurt the dogs feet, garden, and they get tracked in on the shoes in on the carpet for bare feet inside to be punished. They are horrid! How do you get rid of them other than burning them? I have them everywhere at our new place so was thinking of doing a hay bale garden this year. Have a great day ladies and lovely post of your hoop bed. Thank you for sharing. Sincerely, Mommy of two growing blessings & so much more!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-38865984798572763772017-01-07T20:48:48.089-05:002017-01-07T20:48:48.089-05:00Jaime, thank you for that. It's comforting to ...Jaime, thank you for that. It's comforting to know others have had trouble with this method as well. I recall from the film that it's not a weed-free method, but it seemed like the weeds he was dealing with were pretty easily dealt with with a rake or hoe. He just hoes rows down to the dirt to plant in the mulch, adds manure, and then more mulch after the plants come up. Our wiregrass will completely swallow a mulched area, or even a raised bed. But I'm finding my few raised beds are a little easier to manage, so we may be going with more of those in the future. Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-53064705024146021912017-01-07T20:45:20.332-05:002017-01-07T20:45:20.332-05:00Wire grass is a wild Bermuda, very invasive and ve...Wire grass is a wild Bermuda, very invasive and very tenacious. Even so, it seems all gardeners have something to battle, often a grass, but sometimes something else. <br /><br />I'd say adding litter and manure is doing a very good something for your garden. :)Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-76478324688084322582017-01-07T20:41:27.127-05:002017-01-07T20:41:27.127-05:00A greenhouse sounds wonderful! And you all sound l...A greenhouse sounds wonderful! And you all sound like a great team. :)Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-31286763921708718952017-01-07T20:12:39.910-05:002017-01-07T20:12:39.910-05:00I wonder if there is wire grass here. I need to ge...I wonder if there is wire grass here. I need to get a close look at it. I haven't done much in the garden lately except clean it up and I keep adding litter from where I rake the goat lot and under the rabbit cages. I've also added horse manure. Your little plants really look good. Henny Pennyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05958386938311591314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-10385238219339353902017-01-07T16:58:19.926-05:002017-01-07T16:58:19.926-05:00I tried the wood chip method for a couple years on...I tried the wood chip method for a couple years on a small-ish scale, and found it too labor intensive as well. You need about 12 inches of mulch I think, but of course unless it's composting quickly under that, like you mentioned, the seeds can't germinate. And we have a pretty long winter, so I don't think the decomposition rate was fast enough for me here...I could possibly see it working after maybe a five year period of just building the soil under the base layer of mulch. Nevertheless, I've gone back to raised beds, which is what seems to work best for me - easier to weed, too, especially since I've usually got a kiddo strapped to me ;) <br /><br />Hope you had a wonderful Christmas!<br />-Jaime Ngo Family Farmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15484243776589015749noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-83783377865505359672017-01-07T15:31:05.082-05:002017-01-07T15:31:05.082-05:00Hello from the Great White North, where my gardens...Hello from the Great White North, where my gardens are buried under 2' of snow. I have made noises about building a greenhouse, I even collected 694 windows to that end (may be a SLIGHT exaggeration), but my request is not high on Mr Shoes list... yet. He's a terrific finisher, I'm a really good starter, so I guess it's up to me to get the ball rolling.Mrs Shoeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02636736944375337989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-6584433215215054482017-01-07T11:50:54.933-05:002017-01-07T11:50:54.933-05:00Well, that makes sense because I read that "w...Well, that makes sense because I read that "wiregrass" is actually an uncultivated Bermuda. Bermuda is a popular pasture grass and hay around here, but I'm reluctant to plant it, LOL Good luck with selling your house!Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-55658044451217155662017-01-07T11:49:54.840-05:002017-01-07T11:49:54.840-05:00Mama Pea, very interesting about your experience w...Mama Pea, very interesting about your experience with wood chip mulch. I really like it in my front yard herb beds, because it doesn't blow away. Our yard is pretty much on a crest of a hill, so breezes blow stuff out of (and in to) our yard all the time. The wood chips look nice and stay put! (Although I still have the same problem with the wiregrass. The difference is that with perennials, I can just keep adding mulch on top.)Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-79272356374759663042017-01-07T10:33:54.540-05:002017-01-07T10:33:54.540-05:00Nothing here as I am trying to get house ready to ...Nothing here as I am trying to get house ready to sell. We have Bermuda and wire grass here and they are noxious weeds for sure! Bermuda grass is the same way in it's rooting and traveling underground.....nothing stops it! Good luck and happy gardening! Also, Happy New Year!Sam I Am......https://www.blogger.com/profile/17358633233189452832noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-85689708759753220622017-01-07T09:23:10.839-05:002017-01-07T09:23:10.839-05:00Oh, Leigh, I just don't know how you maintain ...Oh, Leigh, I just don't know how you maintain the energy and enthusiasm to garden with that terrible, awful, horrible, bad wiregrass problem you have! What a battle it makes for you. Gardening is work, no doubt about it, but it shouldn't be so, so hard as you have it.<br /><br />I tried wood chips as mulch one year in our blueberry patch and, I swear, more weeds grew up through it (and were just about impossible to get out) than when using any other mulch. Then, of course, in our northern climate it took forever for the wood chips to decay and break down. I am not a fan of wood chips as mulch.<br /><br />What's happening in my garden? Hahahaha! Not a thing, as you can imagine with the snow covering and our temps below zero. I wondered if you got snow from the storm out your way. It must have been an unusual sight to see the 4" of snow! At least it was moisture for the soil.Mama Peahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03649357184167949247noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-24876593061816408062017-01-07T08:52:28.195-05:002017-01-07T08:52:28.195-05:00Hi Nan, welcome! And congratulations on your upcom...Hi Nan, welcome! And congratulations on your upcoming move! Good for you for growing what you can. Yes, every move means learning anew. It's interesting how big a difference even a small relocation can make. And here's hoping you never see another strand of wiregrass ever again!Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-64382732554246686582017-01-07T08:50:37.374-05:002017-01-07T08:50:37.374-05:00Ed, you're lucky. I've read that even the ...Ed, you're lucky. I've read that even the roundup is only a temporary solution, I'm guessing because the roots grow so deep. Wiregrass is the main reason I haven't gone to no-till gardening. Tilling doesn't get rid of it entirely, but at least I can rake and pull out enough to get to the soil and plant. Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-37152793772869766532017-01-07T08:49:07.547-05:002017-01-07T08:49:07.547-05:00Caroline, I tried that one year and it seemed to w...Caroline, I tried that one year and it seemed to work for, well, about a year. :)Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-70582606265638380962017-01-07T08:48:26.431-05:002017-01-07T08:48:26.431-05:00That counts! Good for you for growing at least som...That counts! Good for you for growing at least some fresh food. :)Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1694364001063554832.post-16938389838747207722017-01-07T08:48:06.653-05:002017-01-07T08:48:06.653-05:00Kate, I planted both. The top picture (with the go...Kate, I planted both. The top picture (with the goats in the background) is garlic growing from cloves, the one in the hoop house is from the bulbils. The bulbils are a new experience for me.<br /><br />From what I understand, scrapes form on hardneck garlic. Hardneck garlic needs cold, where as the softneck tolerates mild winters, so it's preferred in the south. So I grow the softneck and don't get the scrapes. For size, it seems to me that the size of the clove makes the most difference in the size of the bulb. That's not a definitive opinion, just something I'm noticing. :)Leighhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02435811789823712254noreply@blogger.com