Kelli wrote:
I fed my Dad for Father's Day mostly out of my garden. So far we have radishes, lettuce, brussel spouts, carrots, peas etc.

We also had some bbq asparagus from the Farmer's Market.

I've been taking weekly pics of the garden for 5-6 wks now. It's amazing how fast it all grows. Everyday there's new weeds to pull out.

The weeds...

I've stopped pulling them out unless they get invasive. Every three days I pull weeds out I get more the same size in the same place. It's unbelievable. I spend about 20 minutes every two-three days pulling weeds and another two-three days it looks like nothing happened.

Model Sarah wrote:

The weeds...

I've stopped pulling them out unless they get invasive. Every three days I pull weeds out I get more the same size in the same place. It's unbelievable. I spend about 20 minutes every two-three days pulling weeds and another two-three days it looks like nothing happened.

I know the feeling.  I pulled the weeds around the sapling orange tree I planted earlier this year.  And a week later, they came back in full force.  Last pic in OP.

https://www.modelmayhem.com/po.php?thread_id=926890

Lohkee wrote:
Weed mat! The quality stuff works well.

We have one in the front flower beds and after this year we're totally getting them for our herb and veggie garden next year!

Model Sarah wrote:

The weeds...

I've stopped pulling them out unless they get invasive. Every three days I pull weeds out I get more the same size in the same place. It's unbelievable. I spend about 20 minutes every two-three days pulling weeds and another two-three days it looks like nothing happened.

These grow so fast and large and all thru the veg's. They literally come up every single day and I don't want their roots to choke the other roots there. I dig them up from the roots, so not sure why it's so out of control. I have one weed that was growing between my lilacs and I didn't know what it was so I left it. It grew nearly 2 inches each day. My father thinks it's a milk thistle. I don't know if it's a pest weed or a medical one.

Model Sarah wrote:

We have one in the front flower beds and after this year we're totally getting them for our herb and veggie garden next year!

They are wonderful for places where you have permanent plants like flowers and trees. I've been reluctant to use them in my garden because, while they prevent weeds rather well, it make life damned difficult - impossible - when adding compost or turning the soil (not to mention planting stuff where you rotate whatever it is that you are planting between seasons).

It's driving me crazy. I live in a very windy area and most of the weed seeds are airborne. So, unless I cover the rows somehow (in a way that still enables me to turn the soil or add compost), I'm pretty much royally fucked until I can find some solution that addresses all of the issues involved. Paying the neighbor kid works. He's a great kid, works hard, and does a good job (and is more than happy with the meager wages that I can offer him), but I just can't afford that as a long term solution on my retirement. I'd rather save him for the BIG jobs that I just can't do anymore.

What amazes me is that AZ weeds don't seem to need any water at all to grow like wildfire.

Lohkee wrote:

They are wonderful for places where you have permanent plants like flowers and trees. I've been reluctant to use them in my garden because, while they prevent weeds rather well, it make life damned difficult - impossible - when adding compost or turning the soil (not to mention planting stuff where you rotate whatever it is that you are planting between seasons).

It's driving me crazy. I live in a very windy area and most of the weed seeds are airborne. So, unless I cover the rows somehow (in a way that still enables me to turn the soil or add compost), I'm pretty much royally fucked until I can find some solution that addresses all of the issues involved. Paying the neighbor kid works. He's a great kid, works hard, and does a good job (and is more than happy with the meager wages that I can offer him), but I just can't afford that as a long term solution on my retirement. I'd rather save him for the BIG jobs that I just can't do anymore.

What amazes me is that AZ weeds don't seem to need any water at all to grow like wildfire.

Yeah that's why we've been reluctant to add it too. We don't rotate anything but the compost and turning soil we do at the beginning of the growing season so it would make it very difficult.

Like I said, I've just given up on them until they start taking a plant over. Yesterday we saw one growing like a vine into the purple basil so I snatched that one out. Mostly, they don't do that so I guess we're lucky.

Kelli wrote:
My tomatoes are coming along really nice too, but not as many as you have.

I'm getting some green peppers, carrots, lettuce, chamomile etc. The only prob is something, likely the rabbits keep eating only the brussel sprouts, nothing else. Strange.

We only planted 6 but we used compost this year and got three times the yield we did last year. I still can't quite believe it.

T Brown wrote:
mine started out like gangbusters but has slowly just died, we had frost warnings in July...all I have left are a couple of tomato plants and some beans.

Oh well theres always next year..

Frost warnings????? I wanted to go camping in the Manitou islands before October!

Brian Diaz wrote:
I ate the first tomato today.  My kid harvested it (and 3 green ones before I could stop him) and then refused to taste it.

Stop?

You don't like fried green tomatoes?
Been awhile, I should see if I can shag some from my cousin.

Cherrystone wrote:

Stop?

You don't like fried green tomatoes?
Been awhile, I should see if I can shag some from my cousin.

You bring me bacon and I'll give you 'maters.

Model Sarah wrote:
OMG I forgot about this thread!

We're currently in tomato heaven. 203 tomatoes - harvested probably over 100 so far. Early Girl's and Romas. I was gone for a week and apparently Zach didn't stake the tomatoes up so they fell over themselves on their own weight. We lost two or three out of 6 in the veggie garden for future reproducing. However, we have a spare that is over 6 feet tall and has about 20 on it so far and also grape tomato plants that sprung up from last year. They're literally growing out of the sidewalk. Everything is successful this year but the peppers. Two have too much nitrogen in them and the others got overshadowed by the tomatoes for light and nutrients. Have one successful jalapeno plant and two red bell pepper plants so not too shabby. Harvesting potatoes today!

You have too many tomatoes.  Send some here. 

Model Sarah wrote:

We only planted 6 but we used compost this year and got three times the yield we did last year. I still can't quite believe it.

I grew up helping my grandfather in his garden and he had 2 huge composts. My Dad is really particular about what goes into his. I belong to an organic gardening group on fb and they say things about coffee grinds being good for composts. I'm trying to learn what bring the best nutrients out in veg's from the composts because I've been reading from some people that their veg's are lacking vitamins. Any suggestions? I find all the contrasting info a bit confusing.

Kelli wrote:
I grew up helping my grandfather in his garden and he had 2 huge composts. My Dad is really particular about what goes into his. I belong to an organic gardening group on fb and they say things about coffee grinds being good for composts. I'm trying to learn what bring the best nutrients out in veg's from the composts because I've been reading from some people that their veg's are lacking vitamins. Any suggestions? I find all the contrasting info a bit confusing.

Yep coffee grounds are wonderful for acidic plants so we put a bunch of them in our compost. They are a great source of calcium and magnesium as well as nitrogen. Just use ANYTHING that is organic that you eat. In addition to food scraps we used egg shells, and the mash from beer that Zach brewed. I'm convinced that is why we have such a high yield of tomatoes this year.

Cherrystone wrote:

Stop?

You don't like fried green tomatoes?
Been awhile, I should see if I can shag some from my cousin.

Oh my! I sure do hope you meant to say "snag."

Model Sarah wrote:

Yep coffee grounds are wonderful for acidic plants so we put a bunch of them in our compost. They are a great source of calcium and magnesium as well as nitrogen. Just use ANYTHING that is organic that you eat. In addition to food scraps we used egg shells, and the mash from beer that Zach brewed. I'm convinced that is why we have such a high yield of tomatoes this year.

Egg shells is the other one I heard is good, but forgot. My dad is insistent on staying away from banana peels cuz they attract raccoons. I want a healthy garden, but nothing that will attract wildlife. The other side of our yard is a stream, trail, field, forest area where A LOT of wildlife lives and comes into our yard.

I use cayenne and garlic so far to repel them.