Gardening Thread - Show me your gardens!

Mosture granules above help. We use them in raised beds and tubs. 1/3 of a cup will absorb almost 5 gal of water, and give water back to soil when it is dry. They need to be 4" to 6" below the surface. Also, mulch the soil. We use pine shavings from Tractor supply. They decompose over winter and enrich soil. 2 to 1 inch thick layer.
Putting soaker hoses or some other type of drip irrigation under mulch is a good idea too.
We have raised beds, made out of 4x4. They are 4'x10'x16" tall. And we have 25 gal plastic tubs. Even with water pearls and mulch in the tubs, beds retain moisture better.

Digging out for garden is not a bad idea. Just need to figure out how to keep weeds out.

PS add moss to the bagged soil for the raised/sunk beds. Moss also helps to retain mosture.

 

Great advice on "consistent" watering, vital to healthy growth. We are in the tropics here and battle sustaining efficient drainage, but do have droughts that test our ability to keep the plants hydrated. During drought periods we focus on mulching and monitoring soil moisture. During the droughts, we rely on 40% shade fabric, the plants tend to burn when theres no moisture/humidity. Sun exposure in those drought/winter-springs months is more intense than it is in summer-fall.

 

We harvested some Soursop fruit the other day. Waited until it softened up before processing into creamy sweet/sour side dish. Added a can of condensed milk to the peeled and seeded fruit. Another sweet and tangy delight.

 

Rain Barrels are your friend. I’ve got 3 & contemplating a 4th. Like you said, can’t have enough water & No Chlorination to boot.

 

I've got 600 gal worth of barrel. But it doesn't do any good when they're empty haha.

 

We made blackberry lemonade

 

Couple green peppers from the garden this morning

 

This morning dragonfruit flowers from our 7 yr old trellis. She's been a workhorse producer for us. Two varieties on this trellis.

 

Can you fill them using the house water line in off season? Doing a 100 gal a month would not kill the budget.

 

I haven't, worried about freeze damage to the container. Summer is 100+ winter is in the negatives

 

Lots of blueberries yet !

 

Maters and sweet corn . If I remember correctly Silver Queen

 

Yep, there would be. Especially to the on/off valve.

 

That owl is on point!

 

The heat and humidity season has been assisting the dragonfruit plants in producing fruit. This morning this 1.5 yr old trellis plant flower. There are 3 different variety growing on this. After this morning flowering, 30 days or so the fruit will be harvested.

 

Do the flowers smell nice?

 

Very slight smell, just a pollen smell. They're beautiful, each variety has slightly different colors surrounding the bright white peddles. The yellow inside is pollen. I occasionally use a small keyboard vacuum to suck up that pollen, to hand pollinate other varieties that need to be pollenated. The dragonfruit flowers usually open up at sunrise. A great way to start the day, walking out to these beauties.

i should be harvesting a couple anyday now, will upload the pic. We're lucky, ours are very sweet compared to store bought dragonfruit. Being, the growers usually pic the fruit early so they dont spoil during transportation. We pic and eat within a day or two.

 

Neat you can grow them

 

yes, we're so lucky/blessed to be here, and in this tropical grow zone. Sure miss the change of seasons you all get though.

Well, couldnt stand it, had to go pick one. Its the first of this season harvest. Dang thing is really sweet. About 27 days from flower to harvest.