Pictures of Tried Something New in the Garden This Year

[John B.]

I used my hand auger-type posthole digger this spring and dug 12 holes in my garden about 4ft deep. Then I mixed in a little fertilizer as I put the dirt back in the holes. Started my plants indoors and trasnplanted them to the holes right after the sprouted. They're doing great in this extremely hot dry weather we are having. None of the plants have showed any wilting. Some of the Peppers have brown spots on them, not sure what that's caused from. Melons, peppers and pumpkins are doing great otherwise. Enjoy the pictures.

 

[John B.]

I water every evening and each hole now takes a little over 3 gallons of water. AS dry as it is no weeds are growing in the garden except a few around the plants where I water...LOL! For those who have little or no space for a garden digging holes in your yard is a great alternative for putting out your tomaotes..

 

[Steve in VA]

Neat idea. Thanks for sharing along with the pictures. I just put in 50 asparagus plants this sring with help from the CAT mini excavator. Quick way to dig straight deep rows.

 

[bjb in TX from Ne]

The brown ends on the peppers looks like blossom end rot (similar to tomatoes). Might be a vitamin deficiency. I would fertilize them a bit and cut any of the rotten ones off (no use having the plant continue to feed the bad peppers)

 

[Dennis (VA)]

Neat idea using auger and I"ll try that next year. As far as your peppers, they have blossom end rot. Throw a couple of a cups or so of Epson Salts under each plant. Blossom end rot in peppers and tomatoes is caused by calcium deficency in soil. Epsom salts is high in calcium. Used it for years

 

[gitrib]

When we were raising vegetable for the Farmer Market having early produce was important. For several years when the small refrigerator watermelon were new. We would start them in the green house early enough that they were starting to bloom when the weather was frost free. They were in little peat pots. Using a old style hand hole digger They were planted by two men. One making the hole about 6 t0 8 inches deep the second planting the plant in the hole. Irrigation was turned on and not a plant was lost Grass and weed started coming like mad. Contacted horticulture dept at OSU Applied Treflan according to there recommendation Took care of weeds! What about Sunburn? Give them a shot of Nitrogen. Wow Watermelon Vines Knee high and what a crop. Not only did they go to the Farmer market but Super markets wanted them. It was a lot of work but was money maker Do not try unless you have plenty of Labor. gitrib

 

[ldj]

I'm not sure about Epson Salts doing any good for blossom end rot
I have had it some years and then other years not. I have used Epson Salts and some times still have it, other years not use it and no Blossom end rot. I decided it did no good and stopped using it several years ago. Last year I had it bad. Started to use it this year but didn't and no Blossom End rot.????

 

[TomH in PA]

Blossom end rot often happens when the plant gets a lot of water at first, then goes through a drought as the fruit is developing. Calcium helps prevent it as well does consistent watering.

 

[BushogPapa]

Calcium (Diluted Milk) for Tomato rot problems...

Ron..

 

[John B.]

I've heard that epsom salt keeps the tomatoes from splitting but never heard it about peppers. I'll give it a try. Thanks!

 

[Lou from Wi.]

Great Looking Mellon's and plants. we also use post hole digger for tree planting, grapevine planting. Like you we do fertilize the holes before planting. Great advice on lawn tomato plants etc. Regards LOU.

 

[Billy NY]

I have done that before, using a hand post hole digger, into the clay/gravel under the top soil. Thing is you need a cheat sheet on you so you can remember what to toss in the hole for a particular plant.

I would agree on the calcium deficiency, you can look all of this up on the internet, problem I have is trying to remember it all LOL ! Tomatoes will do the same thing. Too much nitrogen, lots of growth, no flowers.

If I am not mistaken or remember correctly, bell peppers like a rich soil, with lots of organics, eggplant too, and or cucumbers, you can take a wheel barrow of that compost, add what a plant needs for each hole, I've had good luck with that in the past, as the roots, once beyond the topsoil, have nothing of any real content for the plant, unlike say an herb like Oregano, that stuff grows like crazy in the worst soil.


I'm a big fan of thick layers of hay or dried lawn clippings, ( only from lawns that are not sprayed like mine ) keeps the weeds down to nothing, you can walk on it when wet, not get mud loaded into your shoes, and it will keep the area moist a long time, then it all gets worked into the soil at the end.

 

[ShadetreeRet]

Never thought of digging holes that way, nor as deep. I'll have to consider that. A few years ago I was setting out tomatoes and decided to try something, I used a shovel and dug holes about 18" across and about as deep. Then ran a bunch of decayed leaves through my shredder, and mixed them about half and half with the soil as I refilled the hole, adding a little fertilizer as well. Had some of the most productive tomatoes I have ever grown.

 

[Anonymous-0]

The capsicum has what looks like brown rot [ blossom end] caused by deficiency of calcium.
Plenty of info on the net about it, looks like the tomatoes in a previous post.