What did you do in the garden today?

[hennible]

We went on a trip a couple weeks ago, and had our friends water it. We were gone for 4 days. It got to 112, so they went up to northern Az. And they left my garden to deal with heat. I have to water 3 times a day, it is so hot here, the soil drinks it up! I trusted her to water it, as she has done some gardening in the past. But everything died. Everything. Now the soil is as hard as a rock. I've watered but the soil underneath doesn't get any water. Any one have this problem with soil and know how to fix it? :/

I know I always say mulch, but mulch, and deep! with whatever you can get, hopefully the mulch will hold water long enough and eventually the soil with absorb it, and losen up again. You could even through plastic over the much and hold the moisture in better, or cook everything to a crisp... I don't really know your climate at all.

 

[nordicacres]

Picked another three quarts of green beans today and blanched and froze them! We are up to 21 quarts in the freezer now.

I also picked some Asian beans and served them with dinner. I can't remember their name at the moment, but they are crazy long. Maybe they were called Mile Long Beans? Either way it is fun to grow different varieties. I've never seen anything like them before!

 

[aggiemae]

We went on a trip a couple weeks ago, and had our friends water it. We were gone for 4 days. It got to 112, so they went up to northern Az. And they left my garden to deal with heat. I have to water 3 times a day, it is so hot here, the soil drinks it up! I trusted her to water it, as she has done some gardening in the past. But everything died. Everything. Now the soil is as hard as a rock. I've watered but the soil underneath doesn't get any water. Any one have this problem with soil and know how to fix it?

drill lots of holes in the soil fill them with sifted compost then and water slowly. In the fall cover the area with wet cardboard and cover it with hay/grass/ leaves/sawdust/manure Keep it damp, keep layering it and covered with burlap or porous landscaping fabric. Don't till it. When the piles(s) are 2 feet deep cut some holes in the cover and plant seeds and plants into the mounds. You can do this inside frames for a raised bed garden. Consider irrigation that waters at the root it uses much less water.

 

[lazy gardener]

Also dug up the garlic, and didn't do very well, so back to the drawing board.

What was wrong with your garlic? Where are you, and what kind of garlic?

We went on a trip a couple weeks ago, and had our friends water it. We were gone for 4 days. It got to 112, so they went up to northern Az. And they left my garden to deal with heat. I have to water 3 times a day, it is so hot here, the soil drinks it up! I trusted her to water it, as she has done some gardening in the past. But everything died. Everything. Now the soil is as hard as a rock. I've watered but the soil underneath doesn't get any water. Any one have this problem with soil and know how to fix it?

For starters, I'd suggest that you do a google search for the Back to Eden video. Mulch, and LOTS of it is the answer to your dry condition, and your rock hard soil. Sorry that your garden died. But, IMO... if it was requiring watering 3 x /day, your crops were shallow rooted, and at more risk to dry conditions. So... lots of mulch (at least 4", if not 6") and DEEP watering should see next year's garden doing MUCH better.

 

[Loc20chick]

Watered my amaranth and african spider flower plants, I use them as vegetables, also watered my bean plants and picked more greens for freezing.

 

[Loc20chick]

It's raining on and off here, The gardens need the rain and so thankful. I planted collard greens and Swiss chard.

 

[Bugseye]

I don't remember which garlic but got it at a local purveyor, so it should be all right for the climate. What went wrong was that last fall when I didn't know what my garden plan was, I dug it into the back corner of the raspberry patch, fertilized it quite well, put a bit of straw over it and left it pretty much. So first, the soil back there is not amended enough to sustain garlic, rather dusty and hard. Second, it was competing with raspberries for nutrients, water and sun. I will put it in the main bed this year, where it will get an abundance of nutrients and a fair amount of sun. Maybe I wrote down the type in my notebook. Will look.

And CuteChick, I second the idea of mulching in spades, even more so in Arizona. It surprises me that you tried gardening during the summer. So hard on plants. Do you have an extension office near by that can load you up on gardening in your area? Given what the soil is there, I'd mulch up to my eyeballs--well, almost because it will break down. Thing is in the desert, I don't know where you will find mulch stuff. I'm thinking ranches: manure, spoiled hay, straw. Anything organic that will break down: leaves, vegetable remains, chicken manure, fur, paper (I use newspaper), wood shavings.

Please pray for rain here in north Idaho. We are surrounded by wildfires, with ash pouring out of the sky. It's so dry. I'm sparing with watering because I don't know how much water there is in the well. The garden gets it but the large lawn doesn't.

 

[Bugseye]

Planted seeds indoors to start for fall: mache, Jericho lettuce, baby Bibb lettuce, pak choi, yo-katta na, arugula. Will transplant outdoors when weather starts to cool.

 

[lazy gardener]

Carried a step ladder into the garden to pick pole beans. Made 9 pints of dilly beans. About enough beans left for 9 more pints.

 

[politicalcenter]

Transplanted some bog plants. Water Lilly, Arrowheads, some wild Elephant Ear,and some Water Pickerel.

Still have a little to do in the pond plants and then back to the dirt garden.