2018 gardening thread


Billie (my oldest) is a Jack Russell Dacshund mix. She was an energetic puppy for sure. She’s calmed down quite a bit. I didn’t know they weren’t called jack Russell's anymore.
 
AKC isn't happy unless they're changing something. The dogs we all knew as Queensland Heelers are now called Australian Cattle Dogs and if you make the mistake of calling them Heelers to a kennel owner, you will be corrected. And usually not in a nice way.
 
Continue with the dog conversation...

Last year I knocked down the old tin pump building we had out here that my grandfather built back in ... 1950-whatever it was. The tank was intact, and after weeks of using a homemade Venturi using 50 feet of PVC pipe and an air compressor, I managed to clean out the well casing, which was filled with sand, clay, pebbles, and tons of mud. To my amazement the pump still worked, and is still working a year later. Anyway, once the water was clear last year I built a new shed around it. At the time I was only able to get maybe 100 gallons a day before I would start sucking air and be forced to reprime the system. (Twin Jet pumps are outdated technology.)

Today I broke the record: 400 gallons. From a well and pump system that is well over 60 years old now. Although the pump system may have been made in the early to mid 60's. I've never looked it up.

My only logic is that once the debris was cleared and my frequent pumping of the water allowed some erosion to occur around the casing, and the water started flowing in freely again. I'm still amazed. --- If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

I just plug the hose into my irrigation system and let it go to town.

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Continue with the dog conversation...

Last year I knocked down the old tin pump building we had out here that my grandfather built back in ... 1950-whatever it was. The tank was intact, and after weeks of using a homemade Venturi using 50 feet of PVC pipe and an air compressor, I managed to clean out the well casing, which was filled with sand, clay, pebbles, and tons of mud. To my amazement the pump still worked, and is still working a year later. Anyway, once the water was clear last year I built a new shed around it. At the time I was only able to get maybe 100 gallons a day before I would start sucking air and be forced to reprime the system. (Twin Jet pumps are outdated technology.)

Today I broke the record: 400 gallons. From a well and pump system that is well over 60 years old now. Although the pump system may have been made in the early to mid 60's. I've never looked it up.

My only logic is that once the debris was cleared and my frequent pumping of the water allowed some erosion to occur around the casing, and the water started flowing in freely again. I'm still amazed. --- If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

I just plug the hose into my irrigation system and let it go to town.

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I was going to ask if you if you used any irrigation. It can get dry down there. I set up a homemade system of two lengths of six inch PVC with caps and a faucet. Off the faucet I ran old garden hose to each of my raised beds. I drilled small holes in the hose to act as a drip system. When I added more beds that system wasn’t really useful anymore. I don’t have a strong well so I can’t hook anything permanent and leave it on a drip. If a failure occurred it would run the well dry. Then I’m in trouble........again.
 
I was going to ask if you if you used any irrigation. It can get dry down there. I set up a homemade system of two lengths of six inch PVC with caps and a faucet. Off the faucet I ran old garden hose to each of my raised beds. I drilled small holes in the hose to act as a drip system. When I added more beds that system wasn’t really useful anymore. I don’t have a strong well so I can’t hook anything permanent and leave it on a drip. If a failure occurred it would run the well dry. Then I’m in trouble........again.

I basically went the drip route like you. I have some perforated pex tubing that I put in my beds. I just screw in the hose and turn the water on just enough that it works like a soaker hose would. I let it run for a few hours every evening. I'm happy with it so far.

I have plans to put some grapes out here, and I needed the water to irrigate a small vineyard, but I never made it that far because the well wouldn't produce last year, so I set the project aside. We also have a pecan orchard of about 60 trees that wouldn't mind some extra water. I just couldn't afford to run an irrigation system an 8th of a mile from our stock tank to the house. My dad makes homemade wine from the Mustang grapes we have, but I'd honestly prefer something else. The wild grapes are a wee bit sour.

I figured the water table had dropped since my grandparents stopped using the well in the 80's. I'm just happy that I'm getting a substantial amount of water now. That gives me options.
 
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I may have gone overboard today. I found a box of about 1000 seed packets in the garage from 1995. If any of it actually comes up it’s going to be a rainbow. I did about 200 feet of beds when I got home today.
 
we planted 36 German Johnson Tomatoes,6 jalapenos,12 sweet banana peppers,6 white pickling cukes,6 burpless cukes,6 crookneck squash,12 maybe 18 (I forget) various bell peppers plants,6 zucchinis,and about 12 hills of crookneck squash from seed.
one row of popcorn,we didn`t even use half the seeds
it has been a 82 degree day too
 
about wells,looks like you have a good one
I always like to use those submersible pumps here at our place

I looked into pumps when I thought this one might be bad. For my depth, I was looking at around $600 for a submersible system that would suit my needs, and I didn't want to spend that kind of money. When I only could pump 100 or so gallons I figured it definitely wasn't worth the money. Well casings have perforations in them, and the well not being used and allowing the groundwater to flow freely through those perforations could've caused blockage. I'm assuming that's what happened with this one. A year of pumping the well every day until it was empty seemed to have cleared that up for me. I stopped pumping more than 100 gallons a day because I didn't want to risk sucking air into the system and being forced to reprime it. One day I left the hose on for a few hours and came back and it was still going, and I had an "oh sh*t" moment.

Good luck with your garden. I wouldn't mind some grilled stuffed banana peppers right about now. I haven't gotten that far this year. I'm stuck clearing brush for the most part and don't have time for a real garden.
 
there are ways that you can clean a well that our forefathers used that you can't use anymore as they are not ecological, shotgunning a well actually works just be sure to use steel shot. you can also use muradic acid which I have done in the past or I should say overdone I poured 3 gallons down a well and about 5 minutes later there was all kinds of crap blowing out the well it took 4 days of near constant punping to get the ph down to what it was suppose to be but damn was that well clean even the 40 year old casing was rust free.
you can also use an air compressor to clean a well but you got to get enough pipe to get close to the bottom of your well which can get expensive but if you go that route it will damn sure clean your well.
then there is also the option of dynamiting your well, success will vary with this particular way of doing things
 
there are ways that you can clean a well that our forefathers used that you can't use anymore as they are not ecological, shotgunning a well actually works just be sure to use steel shot. you can also use muradic acid which I have done in the past or I should say overdone I poured 3 gallons down a well and about 5 minutes later there was all kinds of crap blowing out the well it took 4 days of near constant punping to get the ph down to what it was suppose to be but damn was that well clean even the 40 year old casing was rust free.
you can also use an air compressor to clean a well but you got to get enough pipe to get close to the bottom of your well which can get expensive but if you go that route it will damn sure clean your well.
then there is also the option of dynamiting your well, success will vary with this particular way of doing things

I used an air compressor and PVC pipe. I ran the compressor line to an input about a foot from the bottom of the pipe. Reduce the pipe from a 1/2 to 1/4 at the top to help create the vacuum and let it rip.

It creates a vacuum and pumps water and debris to the top. 15-20 PSI is enough to keep it constantly forcing crap out. I removed 4 5-gallon buckets of material over the course of a week.

Venturi effect - Wikipedia
 
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i just got all the flowers in this morning. geraniums and some others, that i don;t know the name of.

the geraniums are in a diamond pattern in the garden, and some are in pots on top of the wall.

the 3 veggie plants and the parsley and basil, will go in about another week or two..


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when those geraniums fill in over the next couple of months, i'll snap another picture.
 
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there are ways that you can clean a well that our forefathers used that you can't use anymore as they are not ecological, shotgunning a well actually works just be sure to use steel shot. you can also use muradic acid which I have done in the past or I should say overdone I poured 3 gallons down a well and about 5 minutes later there was all kinds of crap blowing out the well it took 4 days of near constant punping to get the ph down to what it was suppose to be but damn was that well clean even the 40 year old casing was rust free.
you can also use an air compressor to clean a well but you got to get enough pipe to get close to the bottom of your well which can get expensive but if you go that route it will damn sure clean your well.
then there is also the option of dynamiting your well, success will vary with this particular way of doing things
I like all of those ideas, they sound very violent!:thumbsup:
 
We visited some Mom and pop greenhouses yesterday. Picked up some flowers and vegetable
Plants. I’m on a quest to find some Black Krim tomatoe plants.... again. I’m seriously considering building a small greenhouse. (I don’t think I’m going to do bees) We could possibly use it to grow some flowers and arrange them in hanging pots. Maybe see if we can sell a few. We’ll see. Just an idea now.
 
We visited some Mom and pop greenhouses yesterday. Picked up some flowers and vegetable
Plants. I’m on a quest to find some Black Krim tomatoe plants.... again. I’m seriously considering building a small greenhouse. (I don’t think I’m going to do bees) We could possibly use it to grow some flowers and arrange them in hanging pots. Maybe see if we can sell a few. We’ll see. Just an idea now.

If you're short on money, try using cattle panels. I had a greenhouse like this given to me about 2 years ago. The Texas heat gets a little extreme, so we had to put ventilation in it, and finally move it to a spot where it was getting shade during the summer afternoons. Either way, they're easy to move around, but they don't look extremely aesthetic.

Edit: If you enjoy cactus of any kind, and live in a place where it reaches 90-100 every day during the summer, these are GREAT!!! Tropical plants as well. The temperature in one of these can get up to 130 in direct sunlight here in Texas. Certain plants just eat it up. Put a 5 gallon bucket of water in it for added humidity and let the plants go to town.

Greenhouse-2_credit-Nick-Thomas.png
 
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If you're short on money

Short on money is the standard for me since 09. :D
That’s a cool design I like it. I was looking at a 2x4 frame with the ribbed clear panels covering the structure. I have access to left over materials so coming across 2x4’s is pretty easy. I’d just have to buy the panels.
 
I hit pay dirt today! Went to a greenhouse and they had the Black Krim variety of tomato. This is my absolute favorite variety but they can be hard to find. It’s an heirloom for one (which are starting to gain popularity) but also it’s a dark tomato so I guess it turns people off. I would urge anybody to try a plant if you see one. The taste is amazing.

Now, I am a carpet bomber by nature. No matter what I’m doing or what task is at hand. It’s just my nature. I can both use and misuse this character trait at times. So you can imagine the thoughts going through my mind when saw the flat of Dark Krims in the 1 1/2” pods when I’m used to rarely finding them. I want them all. Sandy was with me and she immediately knows what I’m thinking. I start handing her plants. One then another then another then I look at my hands then I look up the hill for a cart and that’s when she steps in.........”we can only eat so many tomatoes Dave and you have limited space.” She knows. :biggrin-2:

So I got six Dark Krims and a dark cherry tomato plant and three squash plants. Yesterday I got a Lemon Boy variety, a brandy wine and a cherry tomato. That’s it I’m done. The rest is going to be Lima bean.
 

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