We needed the rain here...I've got extraordinarily good drainage thanks to a number of things...The main being the yard has a gentle slope to it. The garden sets on the edge of a hill, NO clay, and there is some pea gravel mixed in with the soil...Okay, there are some shells, very little true gravel and lots of tiny limestone pebbles, but you get the idea...I could get 7 inches of rain and in 2 days it will be dry enough to walk on without getting mud on my shoes...I wish my garden in Joshua was like this. It would have made my garden a lot more manageable...

That would be my guess...

That reminds me , earlier in the thread some one mentioned black plastic. I read the black plastic was good to use in dec,jan. Cover the garden with it for a few weeks and the heat from the sunshine would kill everything in the garden soil to start the season off with "clean" soil. I will do this next year.

I have not noticed any negative efects as of yet. But, I planted peppers and squash 3 days prior and they still have not come up. My garden is on a slope and I fear my seed may have washed out.

I doctored my corn, peas, bell peppers and tomatoe plants the day before the rain with Miracle Gro plant food and everything doubled in size in just a few days. That stuff is amazing.

I finally got a third of my box filled, bigger than I thought when I built it, but easy to manage, I have 50 yellow onions, 35 pruplr, three Rutgers tomatoes, twelve sugar cherry tom. , a large yellow cherry tom. and 6 Celebrity bigger tom. I also have spinach, blackeyed peas , six Broccoli plants , and I threw in two types of Sunflowers for the birds....should keep me busy, will be setting out Zuccini and Yellow squashes next week , I just got them hardened up good and it rained three inches in one afternoon. I have a couple rows of Radishes and Garlic chives also started. Adding in a sweet Italian pepper plant and some Cilantro....should keep me busy for a while...

I agree, what ever is in miracle grow IT WORKS... I am doing all organic so i wont use miracle grow in MY garden but have set up my father in law and my Mom with miracle grow in theirs. The miracle grow is looking great and easy. I will be sure to do a taste test......

It'll be sterile soil. You won't have any weeds (until the wind blows 'em in there) but you also won't have any beneficial bacteria, nematodes, earthworms, etc.

I've killed 2 cotton mouths the last few weeks, but they weren't in the garden...One was about 10 feet away, but not in the garden...I'll be wearing my big rubber boots when things get to really growing...

Update: The strawberries are doing the best with 4-5 ripening each day and they're a lot bigger than last year 2". I've been going out there about 5min. each night with a headlamp and removing the small slugs and it's made all the difference.

Corn has doubled in size since the rain and I'm already getting several small tomato's budding, all the pepper plants look good with some flowering! Let's hope it rains at least once a week.

Last week before the rains I planted some okra seeds and they are already sprouting. I also used miracle grow before it rained and the tomatoes are starting to grow and get green. However, they look kinda leggy. Everything else is lookin good. Which reminds me. I have to put up the twine for the hops. The chinook is almost 2 feet long

got 8 tomato plants going in 5 gallon buckets and they really don't seem to be doing much. I have about 3" gravel in the bottom, and have it to where it drains adequately.(i think) Wonder what I am doing wrong?

I think I need to move them to where they get as much evening sun as possible now. That my be part of my problem.

Does anyone know how to get rid of voles / field mice??? I'm told that's what my problem might be. I've had strawberries missing as soon as they turn red and my first little tomato that turned red had a big chunk missing out of it yesterday. I've noticed several holes in the ground about 1" to 1-1/4" in diameter and was told it might be vole / field mice? I built a fence 6' tall all the way around it (22' x 25') and bought the bird netting and stretched it out over the top so I don't know what else might get in there? Any suggestions would be appreciated, this is my first year to do a garden.

Looks like it will be rabbit for supper tomorrow. Little turd ate more than a half row of my peas!

Dang, you just reminded me I forgot to close the gate to my garden. And I have wild rabbits...Hopefully the dogs will get to them first.


Still absolutely nothing on the strawberries - I guess I'll try to go get more. What a failure.

One of the tomato plants sprouted a yellow flour - that's got to be a good thing!?