Hi there. (SunnyD has a farm thread)

[highland145]

And....the Easter snap. A lot of plants blooming here.

 

[herm0016]

Here too. Plants started, bunny acquired and turkey shelter built! Of course we are forecasted for 30 inches of snow this weekend also. Ha.

 

[sdifox]

Wait what rabbits are planted?

 

[highland145]

Wait what rabbits are planted?

Dead ones.

Loropetelums....bloom several times a year. A good evergreen plant.

 

[herm0016]

nothing planted yet. Sugar has a date with a buck that a friend has in about a month. we will see if she kicks his ass or lets him plant something. she is much larger than he is.

 

[SunnyD]

Cucumbers have begun to sprout.


The gals finally have a larger area to graze.



Now I just need it to not be cold and wet.

 

[SunnyD]

Yes, that is indeed cattle in the back of my car.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Farmers, I am not a plant guy I need help.
last year I planted some potatoes in a 4 foot by 4 foot box (16 square feet total). They sit very close to a box where we plant tomatoes.
I am not planting Potatoes this year but I did leave some huckleberry gold potatoes on the ground last year. I want to plant some raspberries for my wife this year if it safe to plat raspberries with whatever potato may possibly sprout? I know potatoes are prone to root rot and sort of attract it and raspberries are prone to root rot.
Another option is I build another 4x4 planter box and plant raspberries in the new box, only issue is the new box would be next to the potato box

huckleberry gold potatoes are great if you have never seen them read here:

Huckleberry Gold: The First Low Glycemic Potato!

The Best Heirloom & Gourmet Vegetable, Flower & Herb Seeds

www.reneesgarden.com

Bonus points if someone can tell me what they mean when they say plant two different types of raspberries together like the Joan J raspberries and Polka raspberries. Companion planting is what I am trying to understand do I plant them next to each other or in the same general area?
**as far as I can tell Massachusetts is a zone 5 both of the above are good for zone 4 to 8

 

[brianmanahan]

huckleberry gold potatoes are great if you have never seen them read here

hey, i thought i was your huckleberry

 

[Fanatical Meat]

hey, i thought i was your huckleberry

Dingle Berry

 

[sdifox]

hey, i thought i was your huckleberry

You are just a regular potato.

 

[zinfamous]

Cucumbers have begun to sprout.
View attachment 41462

The gals finally have a larger area to graze.
View attachment 41463


Now I just need it to not be cold and wet.

dude, are you going to have them pumping out piglets, that you feed acorns, and turn into fancy jambon iberico? yummmmm

 

[SunnyD]

Farmers, I am not a plant guy I need help.
last year I planted some potatoes in a 4 foot by 4 foot box (16 square feet total). They sit very close to a box where we plant tomatoes.
I am not planting Potatoes this year but I did leave some huckleberry gold potatoes on the ground last year. I want to plant some raspberries for my wife this year if it safe to plat raspberries with whatever potato may possibly sprout? I know potatoes are prone to root rot and sort of attract it and raspberries are prone to root rot.
Another option is I build another 4x4 planter box and plant raspberries in the new box, only issue is the new box would be next to the potato box

huckleberry gold potatoes are great if you have never seen them read here:

Huckleberry Gold: The First Low Glycemic Potato!

The Best Heirloom & Gourmet Vegetable, Flower & Herb Seeds

www.reneesgarden.com

Bonus points if someone can tell me what they mean when they say plant two different types of raspberries together like the Joan J raspberries and Polka raspberries. Companion planting is what I am trying to understand do I plant them next to each other or in the same general area?
**as far as I can tell Massachusetts is a zone 5 both of the above are good for zone 4 to 8

Raspberries are a perennial plant. eg: You plant once and they will grow year after year. They're like blackberries in that in the spring you cut back the old canes in the spring to promote new growth which will increase your yield while managing the thicket.

Can you plant them where potatoes grow? Sure. The only issue you may have is the thicket crowding out the potato starts and there may be some root contention over time. Odds are that you'll be fine regardless.

Bonus points: That's not really what's called companion planting, but planting multiples is to provide pollinators for the plants. Some plants are self-pollinating while others come in "male" and "female" varieties, and without a suitable companion they will never bear fruit. Another advantage, even among self-pollinators, is having different varieties may tend to give better or more vigorous fruit production - Apples are a good example of this.

 

[SunnyD]

dude, are you going to have them pumping out piglets, that you feed acorns, and turn into fancy jambon iberico? yummmmm

Piglets, yes. Most will be sold for breed, some will go to butcher. And yes, for tree day this year I picked up a couple white oaks, one of which will provide shade and yes - acorns - for the piggies.

 

[herm0016]

we need cow update pics.

 

[bbhaag]

Raspberries are a perennial plant. eg: You plant once and they will grow year after year. They're like blackberries in that in the spring you cut back the old canes in the spring to promote new growth which will increase your yield while managing the thicket.

Can you plant them where potatoes grow? Sure. The only issue you may have is the thicket crowding out the potato starts and there may be some root contention over time. Odds are that you'll be fine regardless.

Bonus points: That's not really what's called companion planting, but planting multiples is to provide pollinators for the plants. Some plants are self-pollinating while others come in "male" and "female" varieties, and without a suitable companion they will never bear fruit. Another advantage, even among self-pollinators, is having different varieties may tend to give better or more vigorous fruit production - Apples are a good example of this.

This is incorrect and should be avoided. Raspberries make potatoes very susceptible to blight and verticillium wilt. Actually any plant in the nightshade family should not be planted next to raspberries this includes plants such as eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes to plus many others. It goes the other way to. Plants in the nightshade family spread many soil born pathogens that attack raspberries.

@Fanatical Meat I know you said you aren't planting potatoes this year but keep in mind if you do decide to plant them in the same space you had potatoes in the prior year is could still affect your raspberry plants.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

This is incorrect and should be avoided. Raspberries make potatoes very susceptible to blight and verticillium wilt. Actually any plant in the nightshade family should not be planted next to raspberries this includes plants such as eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes to plus many others. It goes the other way to. Plants in the nightshade family spread many soil born pathogens that attack raspberries.

@Fanatical Meat I know you said you aren't planting potatoes this year but keep in mind if you do decide to plant them in the same space you had potatoes in the prior year is could still affect your raspberry plants.

That’s what I was afraid of.
If I feel wealthy and buy some wood to set up a separate 4’ by 4’ raised bed would this be a good spot? The bed would be touching the box where the potatoes were but the soil would not touch.

 

[bbhaag]

That’s what I was afraid of.
If I feel wealthy and buy some wood to set up a separate 4’ by 4’ raised bed would this be a good spot? The bed would be touching the box where the potatoes were but the soil would not touch.

That is really hard to say to be honest. Verticillium wilt and a couple of the blights can travel very easily if conditions are right for them to spread. Even though they are soil borne pathogens they can still spread easily due to wind and rain. Over the years I've read a couple of studies from UofI that say the minimum safe distance is 400 feet but 600 is preferred.
It's your call obviusly but just keep in mind there would still be a risk even if you build a separate raised bed.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Farmers, I am not a plant guy I need help.
last year I planted some potatoes in a 4 foot by 4 foot box (16 square feet total). They sit very close to a box where we plant tomatoes.
I am not planting Potatoes this year but I did leave some huckleberry gold potatoes on the ground last year. I want to plant some raspberries for my wife this year if it safe to plat raspberries with whatever potato may possibly sprout? I know potatoes are prone to root rot and sort of attract it and raspberries are prone to root rot.
Another option is I build another 4x4 planter box and plant raspberries in the new box, only issue is the new box would be next to the potato box

huckleberry gold potatoes are great if you have never seen them read here:

Huckleberry Gold: The First Low Glycemic Potato!

The Best Heirloom & Gourmet Vegetable, Flower & Herb Seeds

www.reneesgarden.com

Bonus points if someone can tell me what they mean when they say plant two different types of raspberries together like the Joan J raspberries and Polka raspberries. Companion planting is what I am trying to understand do I plant them next to each other or in the same general area?
**as far as I can tell Massachusetts is a zone 5 both of the above are good for zone 4 to 8

So I got some Joan J Raspberries in, I am potting & I will cover them to make a mini terrarium.
I am a planting moron.
Is this a 6.5(ish) soil ph?
Been a little under 10 minutes.

 

[herm0016]

those stick in things are notariasly unreliable.

we are using the rapitest kit with the little pills and stuff. it is giving us consistent, repeatable results that are much different than the stick in the ground thing. our stick in the ground was saying 7 and the test kit was saying 8.5 to 9. we added a lot of sulfur this winter to get it down a bit.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

those stick in things are notariasly unreliable.

we are using the rapitest kit with the little pills and stuff. it is giving us consistent, repeatable results that are much different than the stick in the ground thing. our stick in the ground was saying 7 and the test kit was saying 8.5 to 9. we added a lot of sulfur this winter to get it down a bit.

Yeah I know, I don’t want to bother sorting out the dirt and getting a color result that to me will be similarly vague.
This stick in had good reviews regarding accuracy. What I don’t do well is understand the meter. That thing is really strange.
I’d much prefer to eliminate the light meter and add ph on that top row.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

those stick in things are notariasly unreliable.

we are using the rapitest kit with the little pills and stuff. it is giving us consistent, repeatable results that are much different than the stick in the ground thing. our stick in the ground was saying 7 and the test kit was saying 8.5 to 9. we added a lot of sulfur this winter to get it down a bit.

I gave up with the stick. Everything I test has the same result as above picture.
I tested
Two indoor potted plants
One out door potted plant
Grass in back yard (the soil)
One raised bed

Every single one had the same result as that makes me suspicious.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Been in for about 30 minutes and changed a little

 

[Fanatical Meat]

This is incorrect and should be avoided. Raspberries make potatoes very susceptible to blight and verticillium wilt. Actually any plant in the nightshade family should not be planted next to raspberries this includes plants such as eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes to plus many others. It goes the other way to. Plants in the nightshade family spread many soil born pathogens that attack raspberries.

@Fanatical Meat I know you said you aren't planting potatoes this year but keep in mind if you do decide to plant them in the same space you had potatoes in the prior year is could still affect your raspberry plants.

Seems my raspberry bare root plants have failed.
I was super excited until Sunday when a brown/black spot started spreading on the leaves. Appears to be classic root rot. Picture isn’t my plants but mine look identical to this


So disappointing started off much better than expected took about a week to see growth then it started growing very fast. Even one of the clippings I took off them was showing good growth.

I probably over watered them

They were potted inside currently they are still potted but outside and not near anything important. Going to give them a day or two then toss them.

 

[Captante]

Been needing a new hobby so I decided to get back into planted natural soil aquariums by resurrecting the 29 gallon long tank I had in storage. Only new expense was an upgraded 84 watt LED grow-light. (weed growing won't be legal till Oct so I'm waiting on that)

This time around however I'm doing it the economical way using basic topsoil and full-size aquatic plants from a local nursery (trimmed down) as opposed to the tiny/overpriced ones in the pet store.

In the secondary planting stage now but fish are still a week/10 days away. I want to be done turning the tank into a 29 gallon mud-puddle before I add them! (planting stirs up a ton of silt)