Would you experts take a look?

[R.R.]

I was wondering, since I've never grown any of these vegetables before, if you'd mind taking a look at my vegetables (pictures taken today) and tell me if you see anything wrong so I can fix it right away. Thanks!

I have 4 elevated beds, 2x4 sq feet each, and I divided them by albums.

Bed 1: https://picasaweb.google.com/100275188776153808700/20141212Bed1?authkey=Gv1sRgCODv6e77yPeOiQE

Bed 2: https://picasaweb.google.com/100275188776153808700/20141212Bed2?authkey=Gv1sRgCLiDzP2J9MfxpwE

Bed 3: https://picasaweb.google.com/100275188776153808700/20141212Bed3?authkey=Gv1sRgCL6bw9KBz6bjdg

Bed 4: https://picasaweb.google.com/100275188776153808700/20141212Bed4?authkey=Gv1sRgCLPq6o2Ar7erJg

 

[zigs]

Looking good RR

Although if I only had 4 beds i'd go for crops that I could rotate rather than nearly all Cabbage family.

Is the Garlic there for some sort of companion planting?

 

[R.R.]

Yes, Zigs, I looked up companion planting guides and since I love garlic, I decided I'd grow some

What other crops would you suggest? I just went by the seeds I had available that were good to grow in winter, but I'm always open to suggestions.

 

[Chuck]

Just keep doing what you are doing and maybe add a little more nitrogen

 

[zigs]

Yes, Zigs, I looked up companion planting guides and since I love garlic, I decided I'd grow some

What other crops would you suggest? I just went by the seeds I had available that were good to grow in winter, but I'm always open to suggestions.

You're right, there's not a lot that grows over winter that doesn't have something to do with the Cabbage family

But for next year you could think about a 4 bed rotation system so you're not building up diseases/pests/nutrient deficiency.

Onion family.

Roots.

Cabbage family,

Legumes.

Might mean you've got a few beds doing nothing for a part of the year, but rotation helps build up the fertility too

 

[R.R.]

I'll try that next year. This year, we built 4 beds and I wanted to use them all

 

[R.R.]

Chuck, would liquid seaweed do the trick?

 

[zigs]

Lots of trace elements in Seaweed, but you can't beat a bucket of Wee Wee for nitrogen

Wait till the spring though, don't want too much sappy growth in the winter.

 

[Chuck]

Chuck, would liquid seaweed do the trick?

LS is great stuff but it doesn't add much N. Bloodmeal is about the fastest way besides diluted urine to add a quick uptake of nitrogen for fast leaf growth. Remember, we now have 90+/- days left before spring planting and those plants are going to need all of the growth they can get to make a crop

 

[headfullofbees]

Chuck, would liquid seaweed do the trick?

Well rotted down animal manure or pelleted poultry manure act to increase the nitrogen too.
I WOULD give some seaweed, for the growth hormone and mineralisation of your soil and for your garlic, which will love the potassium.

Furthermore, rust likes high nitrogen environments, and the potassium in seaweed will help to ward it off your garlic.

It's why I don't grow garlic/leeks and brassicas together.

 

[R.R.]

@zigs, can you explain "sappy growth"? English is my third language...

@Chuck, how much blood meal would you use for 4 beds, 12 sq ft each?

@headfullofbees, I wish I'd known that. It's hard to pick companion plants when you compare different websites and they're all slightly different. For next year, what would you recommend as companions for my brassicas?

 

[Chuck]

@zigs, can you explain "sappy growth"? English is my third language...

@Chuck, how much blood meal would you use for 4 beds, 12 sq ft each?

@headfullofbees, I wish I'd known that. It's hard to pick companion plants when you compare different websites and they're all slightly different. For next year, what would you recommend as companions for my brassicas?

What I would do is mix a big tablespoon of bloodmeal into a quart of compost tea and water in all of the plants well. I find that by doing this the blood meal is immediately transferred directly to the root system. Blood meal will not dissolve but it will suspend in the tea...Also, and you will need this later anyway, go to your organic garden products supplier and get a small bag of Medina GrowingGreen and do the same with it as with the blood meal. It is a pelleted poultry product that I have used for years as my main fertilizer. It is 4-2-3 and is formulated for our alkaline soils

 

[R.R.]

Thanks!

 

[zigs]

@zigs, can you explain "sappy growth"? English is my third language...

Sorry,I was thinking about growing in our winter conditions, where you wouldn't want too much soft growth with the heavy frosts we get, but seeing as you're in Texas I wouldn't worry about it. You're better off going with what Chuck says as he knows the local conditions

It's pretty good for a third language What are the 1st & 2nd?

 

[R.R.]

Native language: Catalan
Forced language: Spanish
Voluntary language: English