Garden 2019

[old jersey girl]

No, its not too early! Where can I buy alfafa meal? I compost, am organic gardener, took Master Gardener course ten yrs ago; still don't know enough. I will try growing garlic and onions this year for first time, which varieties do well here in Cumberland county west of Bridgeton, well-drained slightly acidic soil?

Found prvious garden thread while looking at old posts. My raised beds look pathetic now, that part of the property is throughly waterlogged, which allows me to further procrastinate cleaning them up. Nowhere as neat as your 2016 pics as I'm way too cheap to buy good lumber, I either find supplies at dump or buy clearance wood at store. Wofks fine as long as untreated. My beds are in middle of mowed area. Local nesting raptors provide rabbit control, redtails during day, great horned owls on night shift. I no longer resent the moles since they eat larva of Japanese beetles, which used to decimate plants until the mole population increased.

I plant several varieties of heirloom tomatoes, including Rutgers, Ramapo, Mortgage Lifter, Also broad-leaf old Amish variety. Celebrity as backup for lousy seasons like last summer when weather caused the other varieties to fail. Every time fruit ripened, it rained and skin cracked, critters attacked. Herbs and African marigolds interspersed with vegs.

Only success last year were grape and cherry tomatoes. Sugar snap beans o.k.--never made it back to the house.

Serendipity rules--- started growing salad lettuce in box planters on a table in front of the house (southern exposure) to prevent rabbits eating it. Unforeseen benefit---- no dirt on leaves, I don't have to bend over.

Started gardening decades ago so I'd know what wasn't sprayed on my food. Plus the good feeling when I see "gourmet baby lettuce" for $7 per pound at store.

Any/all input much appreciated.

 

[Spung-Man]

Here's a link back to the alfalfa meal post:

https://forums.njpinebarrens.com/threads/garden-2016-underway.11231/#post-136634​

I'm quite impressed with its utility in improving all NJ soils, including Pinelands soil, although its price has doubled over the last few years. It is available from feed stores like Agway, Butterhofs, and Garoppos. We still have old-fashioned farm markets that sell vegetable plants that do well locally (around Richland). Bertuzzis, C&M Greenhouses, and Levaris come to mind. Find a similar purveyor who is familiar with your backyard, which is probably enriched with silt called loess that blew in off the Delaware during the Ice Age. Loess deposition pretty much never made it this far east, so the name Richland carries as much credence as Greenland does. I'm on a big droughty acidic sand pile. You might want to start at the low end of alfalfa application, say a half-pound per square inch, er... foot.

Good luck!

 

[old jersey girl]

Thanks. Rutgers Ag Extension has tomato seeds for sale, Rutgers, Ramopo, etc. Deleted the email but site comes up if u search "rutgers extension 2019 tomato seeds"

 

[Spung-Man]

Awesome, time to dream of Jersey tomatoes. Nothing comes close to sungold in performance in my garden.