Raised Bed Gardening - Cement Blocks > Greenhouse!

INDEX

Split Tomatoes

Mildew

Garden Pests

Soil Additives

De-Chlorinating City Water

2019 Week -4

Family Beds Rebuild

Pantry Beds Prep

2019 Growing Season - Week 0

Tomatoes and the interminable Bacterial Wilt

41.6oz Homegrown Tomato

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.... Spring Planting

Got in 1st beds of Beets, Radishes, Onion sets, and Peas.
This 1st planting is a full 5 weeks before expected last frost.
All chosen vegetables are listed as highly frost tolerant.
Rhubarb is coming up nicely! Never does great because is planted in the native crummy clay soil. Thinking about transplanting to dedicated raised bed along fence.
About time to start Squash and Cucumbers inside, for transplant in mid-May.
Also starting trays of Marigolds and Milkweed, will use Peat disk trays but add Miracle Gro liquid fertilizer.
Note - "Activate" Peat disks with boiling water, to expand and kill eggs, fungus or mold spores. Boiling water with Miracle Gro fertilizer mixed in?

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Added extra heat to the grow tower ... finally, started the Peppers germinating! Will have to make SOP for subsequent years. Nearly all Pepper types have some seedlings with more showing up every day. Tomato varieties are nearly 100% germinated with 3 seedlings per peat pot square. Will maintain 1 Tomato plant per square but 2 Pepper plants per square, as recommended by ... someone, will have to confirm advisability ...
Correction - Plant single Pepper plants with a 12" spacing.

PS Fall planting of Garlic came up and is doing nicely.

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I like your gardens. Living in the middle of a German town I only have a small "Schreber garden" of maybe 220m² within the inner city.

So space is imited, especially space for growing vegetables.

I don't use much grow lights, just for very small plants and cultivate my vegatables in a "cold frame". Living at our longitude of 51° north light is the main limiting factor for growing stuff during winter.

But I'm still able to grow and harvest some salads and radish during late winter and early spring. At end of march there is room for potted tmatoes & Co that like more warmth. I give them a 50W heater for the still sometimes very cold nights, but otherwise they grow very fine now. Grwoing them indoors under artificial light would cost me 10 times more and the plants would not experince UV radiation, wind and sun, as they do now and which hardens them for beeing outside...

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pictures from last years:

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I just found these "Full Spectrum Grow LEDs" last year.
Customized light wavelengths for optimal growth from least watts.
Available in 12VDC, 32VDC and COB 110VAC, 220VAC




Targeted spectrum, yes some UV also, without the wasted green and yellow, means might supply 300% the grow power of grow florescent and 1500% that of the best incandescent. (same wattage)



LED modules do require heatsinking.
12V modules I mounted to NOS Pentium 3 heatsinks with 12V fans, over kill, but I had a whole tray, NOS. (w heatsink paste & aluminum pop rivets)
Also added heatsink compound and popriveted multiple to old florescent light fixtures
 
.
... 2019 Week (-4) (April 18)
April 18 = 4 weeks till Planting day (outside)
Will try for a complete record for this years garden

Grow tent for warmth light and humidity
48" x 20" x 60" fit perfectly over existing grow rack
0417_01.jpg

Exterior is a heavy canvas -like material and the inner is a textured Mylar - reflects light and heat, but accumulates condensation.
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Variety Tomato shelf with some Peppers on right
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"Standard" Tomato shelf
Beefsteak > Rutgers > Deliscious
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Peppers! Large Red, Orange, Yellow and small Red, Orange, Yellow
Plus several hot varities

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Bottom shelf, with Halogen bulbs for heat
Necessary to get Peppers above 70 for germination - shelf is presently too hot for growing, will use for Squash and Cucumbers after I turn off Halogens.
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Also, just started additional flats of Marigolds, Milkweed and some Morning Glories and Lemon Balm

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.
... Family Beds Rebuild - Day 1

Rebuilding the old wooden Family Beds (no longer referred to as "Family Plots" (Grave digger Union objection! LOL)
Includes some leveling and drainage.
Drainage involves digging a shallow ditch, laying a semi-porous ground-weed proof cloth, filling with gravel to ground level then folding cloth over top. Crappy clay soil!!!
Entire area covered with weed proof heavy fabric, then blocks laid down. All beds starting at 1 block height but will build several to 16" (2 blocks), dependent on sufficient blocks.

Old wooden beds
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Wood removed and some drainage added
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1st of the new beds being laid ...
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There will be dozens of new beds available for individual families to grow their own veggies.
Lay out will be variable ... 30' long beds with block separators at 6' or 8' or 10' etc. Will modify and allocate based on family size and enthusiasm. We supply some started plants and seeds.

Getting primo new topsoil to mix with old!

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.
... Family Beds Rebuild - Day 2 - a week later

Rebuilding the old wooden Family Beds (no longer referred to as "Family Plots" (Grave digger Union objection! LOL)
Includes some leveling and drainage.
Drainage involves digging a shallow ditch, laying a semi-porous ground-weed proof cloth, filling with gravel to ground level then folding cloth over top. Crappy clay soil!!!

Will divide 30' beds into differing lengths, dependent on demand. 3 - 4 dozen individual allotments available...
... about 270' of 4' wide beds. Plus 100' of fence bed at ~32" depth, might section, dependent on demand.





Still need to lay bed and path along fence - Left.


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Makeshift drainage installed next to old wood fence bed. Will be rebuilding with blocks.


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... 2019 Week (-3) - April 26
3 weeks till outside planting

Growth explosion in last week!
Turned off heat and added Squash and Cucumbers on bottom shelf

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Variety Tomatoes and Hot Peppers


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"Standard" Tomato varieties 40 - 50 of each.


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Bell colored and small colored with primary leaves, Soaked and re-planted Scorpion and Orange Bells on right tray..


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Various Squash and Cucumbers. Soaked seeds for several days to hasten germination.


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Healthy Tomatoes, thinning to 1 plant per cell. Transplanting some to empty cells, the ones I was able to retain some root ball with.


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Peppers are catching up. Will thin to 1 per cell ... soon.


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Auto light balance on camera so poor picture of 3rd LED light strip, 2 in reflector and 1 free hanging. Mylar interior gives great omnipresent light source, so not worried abot "leggy" growth.

0426_08.jpg

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.
... Cucumber Beetle control!

Last years nemesis, ate and killed nearly every Squash, Cucumber and Melon plant.
2 Stage attack.
#1 Yellow sticky cards, same color as flowers , attract and trap.
Fly strips don't work - not sticky enough, wrong color?

Yellow Card traps

#2 Nematodes, specific varieties attack and kill beetles larva. - must be activated and distributed immediately after received - planned for mid-May implementation.

Nematodes
 
Peat pots are in waterproof trays and now that primary leaves are dominating, will begin watering from underneath to prevent mold-mildew and to promote root growth ... 1-2 weeks before transplant I'll even add soil in bottom of tray to promote root growth through the peat?

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Definitely need to thin the Tomatoes down to 1 per pot.

Dependent on 15 day weather forecast, outside transplanting is planned for May 19. Tomatoes should be perfect size, might delay moving out the Peppers, keep them warm inside till large, and warmer outside.
Final bed prep and seed planting is a week earlier, May 11 - Green and Yellow Beans, more Onion sets, Radishes, Lettuces, Peas, Squash etc.
 
Wow, this is impressive work. My wife manages several raised bed gardens for low-income housing communities. She formally ran the medicinal herb garden and has been the greenhouse manager (along with 1000 other jobs) at our local botanical gardens. Everything she does is volunteer work and I swear she volunteers more more hours a week gardening than she worked before retirement.

I don’t know if you have Extension Master Gardeners there, but she has that certification and helps with that program. She loves to garden, but she makes a serious effort to GROW GARDENERS. The housing community gardens are not just places where veggies are given away. She teaches classes there on how to garden and cook what you grow as well.

I don’t garden directly, but I am an enabler. :) I built her the raised beds and installed irrigation at our home gardens and help her out here and there.

I guess I am just saying, I appreciate all the effort you have put into your own local projects. There are a lot of unsung heroes playing in the dirt.

I haven’t posted on this forum in almost 4-5 years and just had to say something. :thumb:
 
DrkAngel said:
Exterior is a heavy canvas -like material and the inner is a textured Mylar - reflects light and heat, but accumulates condensation.
Click to expand...

Interesting, because Mylar is not an ideal reflector for visible light. Simple white would do better.
 
Left Tomatoes outside for 2 mostly overcast days, doing similar now with Peppers.
Most all plants thinned to 1 per pot and "hardening by limited outside exposure.
Fairly happy except for Squash and Cucumbers ... getting tall too fast ... 16 hour LED plus 24 hour Halogen "heat lamps".

Downgraded "heat" to 2 x 40w Halogen bulbs.
Moved Peppers to top shelves for best warmth. (Repopulated Orange Bell and Scorpion Peppers filled in and doing fine.)
Moved Tomatoes to lower, slightly taller, shelf for more room.
Some Tomatoes will need transplant by next week or will be "burning" leaves on LEDs.

Will post up pictures later ...
 
.
... 2019 Week (-1) - May 10
1 week till outside planting

Nearing limits

1910_01.jpg

Peppers move to top shelf for maximum warmth

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Tomatoes near hitting the LEDs
Left out in the weather for 2 days ... suffered some "sunburn"

1910_03.jpg

Tomatoes getting too big.
Front rows of center tray are replanted Peppers.

1910_04.jpg

Squash explosion!
Might use some as bait, with yellow sticky cards, outside of main garden.

1910_05.jpg

Peppers doing great after 2 days outside "hardening"

1910_06.jpg

Marigolds doing well ... Milkweed ... yet to make any appearance

1910_08.jpg
 
Timing looks good to me. Better to have the roots ready to establish themselves then to have immature plants.

:D :bolt:
 
.
... Pantry Beds Prep going well, got nearly every item done.


Stand up bed (left) lowered 6", as wheelchair and short people (kiddies) access. Test height, before cutting down additional beds.


1911_01.jpg


All Pantry beds horse manured, mulched , more topsoiled and rototilled


1911_02.jpg


Fence bed with weed proof ground cloth under blocks, topsoil added and planted. Herbs in rounded corner with Scarlet Runner Beans. Peas, Green Beans, Yellow Beans, Onions and Lettuce planted along the straight run. Path trenched and graveled in previous wet spots


1911_03.jpg


More beds prepped. Garlic flourishing.


1911_04.jpg


Previous Strawberry swamp weeded and filling with good topsoil. Strawberry plants in wheelbarrow and bin etc will be replanted and surrounded by ground cover fabric


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Main path has reasonable drainage and #1 Tomato bed is full to the brim with fresh prepped topsoil. Still need to hang plastic coated steel cable for Tomato support.


1911_06.jpg


Finishing up Strawberry bed, planting Radishes, Swiss Chard and Squash Sunday.
Possibly, more drainage next to Strawberry bed?

PS Forgot to mention. Built small "lawn roller". filled 6" plastic drain pipe (24" long, about 60lb) with concrete mix, 3/4" plastic pipe through center. Now need to attach handle ... checking garbage day bonanza for lawnmower handle.
For smoothing path's Spring mud footprints under ground cover fabric.
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.
... Cucumber Beetles

3 control methods:
#1 Yellow sticky cards - add Clove oil on Q-Tip as attractant?

#2 Yellow plastic cups coated with Tanglefoot sticky paste
and
Clove Oil as attractant
Might only coat inside if Bees get caught, add cover screen with holes too small for Bees

#3 Nematodes added to soil to devour, from inside out, the Cucumber Beetle larva - a fitting demise!!!
 
.
... 2019 Week (0) - May 19
Outside planting this week

Plants overgrowing their Tower and trays!

1918_01.jpg

Peppers doing beautifully, spent 2 partial days outside in the Sun and wind to imbue hardiness

1918_02.jpg

Tomatoes were hitting LEDs, were left outside to weather a couple days and suffered minimal "sunburn".
Did take a beating from the wind , but no causalities.

1918_03.jpg

Roma Tomatoes, on the right, took wind abuse but no casualties.
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Mangle of Squash and Cucumbers were left outside with no severe damage.

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Plan on planting Wednesday with Cloudy to partial Sun for an entire week and lows in the 50s.
Seems optimal for transplanting!
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... Cement Block Raised Beds - Stage 2

Stage 1 Beds prepped and planted for year #2

Beds E.jpg

Stage 2 complete except for fence beds
Holes to be filled by assigned Bed holders as they are planted - got great topsoil!

Beds N.jpg

Opposite end view

Beds S.jpg

28 10' beds or might divide multiple 30' Beds into 4 x 7.5' for 30+ available planting Beds.
 
.
... 2019 Week (1) - May 25


Harvested Rhubarb, Green Onions and (best tasting ever) Radishes. Most everything in Pantry section planted and Family section getting greener.

Front fence given annual repair. Eventual rebuild postponed for another year.
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More beds prepped and some planted.
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Standing beds readied and found room for 1 additional block bed (4' x 8' next to wheelbarrow).
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190525_4.jpg



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Tomatoes:
Beefsteak - large and meaty
Delicious - large and slightly sweeter
Rutgers - standard size and form

Overhead weighted lines not yet deployed.
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Harvested 10 lb of Rhubarb, Radishes and Green Onions ... plenty left!
2nd crop in top bed
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Piles-o-Peppers
(Hot)
Habanano
Jalepeno
(Sweet)
Small Yellow
Small Orange
Small Red
Large Yellow Bell
Large Orange Bell
Large Red Bell ... some apportioned as ...
... Large Green Bell

Plastic cover is an option, but weather forecast looks very good.

190525_11.jpg


2nd crop of Peas started on left
2nd crop of Green Onions started towards right
Herbs in near blocks, Lettuce in further blocks

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"Herb Corner"
Sage Bush
Oregano and Thyme recovering nicely - transplants
Basil starting in blocks but acquired many small Basil plants, for transplant.

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1st planting of Peas and Beets

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Donated 24" Rototiller perfect size for 31.5" ID block beds!

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A thought.
At Ocean View Farms we periodically chip wood for the pathways. A good dense layer 2 or 3 inches deep make a nice medium for paths. We also have a list of tree trimmers around here who are happy to donate a truckload of tree chips because it saves them the cost of going to a dump.
 
We are debating the use of wood chips, mulch, pea gravel as path alternatives.

Wood chips - to be cleaned up and added to compost annually

Mulch - to be cleaned up and added to beds annually - commercial (colored) mulch = not recommended!

Pea gravel - as permanent solution - requires washing-cleaning to prevent overflow dirt from starting weed growth


We do have an excellent Chipper-shredder-mulcher ...
 
.
... 2019 Week 2 - June 1

Modest harvest of Radishes, Green Onions and Rhubarb.

Pouring rain might dampen our spirits, but the plants are rejoicing!

Most impressive - we had 3-4 inches of rain yesterday and all my "drain operation" pathways are dry and solid!

Southern Tomato edifice
Climbing lines not installed yet.
Will try to duplicate picture angle weekly to produce time lapse
Cherry 100 plant in green bag.
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Herb Corner
Getting green!
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Peppers and Onions
Covered now, for the next 2 nights, forecast has temperature dropping to 40.

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Week 2 - Growing Green
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Norther Tomato Erection
and
Peppers, Squash and Rhubarb, in front

190602_5.jpg
Banner production on freshly replanted Strawberry plants!
190602_6.jpg

Family Beds
From the SW
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Family Beds
from the NE
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Last years Oregano, stole the whole block.
Fresh Dill hitchhiked along.
Marigolds everywhere, mostly in block holes.
190602_9.jpg

Almost cheating when you buy pre-grown plants?
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Small Lettuce
Appears "bruised", we had small hail yesterday. ... ?

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.
... Rain Barrel Woes - Resolved! ... ?

Some were concerned about the rain barrels promoting Mosquito growth, so, after a bit of research ... it seems Goldfish eat Mosquito larva ... and algae, that grows on the inside of the barrels.
Fish "feces" has got to be good as fertilizer ... ?

So, a 2fer ... Mosquito and Algae control.
Will start with 1 small per barrel.
Barrel spigot is up several inches, so there will be 5gal+ water when "empty".
 
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