re: The 2021 Garden Thread

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Ok conclusions from messing with ph testing both probe tester and the chemical tests with the pill (don’t have strip tester yet).

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I used my test strips yesterday to check on how my soil pH is doing. Looks like I’m sitting right at about 7. Maybe a tad over. But it has definitely come down from the initial 7.7 pH that it was over a month ago. The sulfur seems to be doing its job. I’ll check it again in a couple of weeks to see if I need to add any additional sulfur.

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I’m 100% sure it’ll be more pure than what comes out of my tap.

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Agreed. I'd imagine any pieces that may come off the shingles can be screened out pretty easily. You may have a couple pieces make it through but they should settle on the bottom of your tank anyway.

I’ve done plenty of reading on the topic and I can only sum up everything I’ve read this way. When used as mulch, it won’t affect your soil pH. When it breaks down and is tilled into the soil it “may” acidify your soil, but it’s a negligible amount.

ETA: Found a couple of surprises this afternoon. Wasn’t expecting any this soon.

Thanks!

My radishes (watermelon and cherry bell), lettuces, arugula, chinese mustard greens, and carrots are rocking.

Finally seeing some sprouts from my green beans and cukes.

Won't be planting my tomatoes and peppers until I head up to the Tomato Man's farm to pick up my starts next weekend. Dude specializes in heirlooms and has a ton of different varieties, so should be an interesting year for maters for me. How I've lived here for five years and never new about him is beyond me, since he's been written up in Garden and Gun, tons of papers, Southern Living, etc.

(no message)

I tried the strip testers as well, they confirmed what I originally thought:

Container soil from last year is 6.5ish

The new container soil mix i made (made same way as last year) is the exact same as pure peat moss , somewhere around 4 - 5.

I’ve been adding hydrated lime and mixed in lime pellets best i could so we’ll see what happens but soil will probably be acidic for most of season and I’ll have same issues as last year.

What I don’t get is I made it the same way Gary instructs (actually I probably put less peat moss than him), and he doesn’t talk much about adding lime.

I will try to add calcium as much as i can to offset it (or maybe make problem worse )

The house we just bought has bamboo and its a disaster. I would never grow it . Now I can put some of them to use thanks to your idea.

You have to either dig bamboo out, burn it out, or cut it as close to the ground as possible and literally drip Triclopyr or Glyphosate into the open cut within 15 seconds or so to make a dent. There are a few variants that don't have deep rhizomes root systems, but makes real sure which one you have before introducing it to your landscape, and potentially your neighbor's, lol. For every 20 bamboo roots you attack, 19 will grow back!