This page is constantly under construction.
I am an avid organic gardener. I use no synthetic fertilizer, manure or, pesticides. I have been building my garden soil for 30 years after taking the plot over from my father who did use fertilizers and pesticides but also composted very heavily.
My current compost pile is about 50 by 50 feet by 5 foot high - that's the part that is ready to be added to the garden and flower beds. More is composting. Pretty big huh? I live on a farm in the city. Tree trimmers are anxious to dump wood chips on my farm. I know wood chips is not the best compost source and with no added nitrogen they do compost quiet slowly. I am in no hurry! So it takes 5 years, I do add wood ash from my fireplace to my composting chips.
I have a small John Deer (855) tractor that is my best buddy here on the farm. Sure makes adding the ton or so of compost that I add to my tomato row each year near effortless. The 855 has a 5 foot tiller and a 5 foot bucket. I haul and dump the compost in a long (50 foot) row, then till it in, lay down a soaker hose, cover that with a 4 foot spun bonded fabric row cover and set the plants through that. I place the rows 7 foot apart. I do the same for the second row (maybe peppers, squash, cukes, or whatever) Then I fill the space between the rows (middles - to us Alabama farmers) with last fall's leaves and on occasion partially composted wood chips. Then I drive "T-post", put support cages (home made) around the plants while they are small.
Once this process is completed, rain or shine, I stroll out and pick tomatoes or whatever with no mud to contend with, I do no cultivation or weeding. It does take a little longer but once finished nothing is left to do but harvest tomatoes until the following spring when I tear it all down and start over.
Yes I do leave the tomato cages (and all other vertical supports) in the garden all winter, except where I plant fall crops. Come spring, I don't have to rely on my memory to decide where to plant what for proper crop rotation.
I am a Master Gardener and do volunteer work (or did - I have been pretty inactive of late) at the Huntsville Botanical Garden's Demonstration Vegetable Garden. The below picture is me on the John Deer 855 tractor tilling for the spring Demonstration Vegetable garden. I also use the bucket there at the garden to spread leaves and turn the concrete block compost pile at the DVG.
Don't you think it interesting the things we do for fun after retiring that we would likely never have taken a job doing! Well maybe we would if the pay was the same!
I am also a beekeeper so my cucurbits are never misshaped (more on that in later updates)!
More to come when time permits.
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Last updated 11/29/06 brf