JAP69's Blog

Those worms for the containers

Read a couple articles today where worms in containers may not be needed and more trouble than they are worth. Soil potting mix is already porous enough to let water pass through and let in air circulation. Also the container mix may reach too high in temperature and too much water flooding through them when it rains for them to survive well.

An odd thought came to my mind. I was looking at these containers made of plastic in the garden centers which comes in different sizes. The ones I seen were all black ones. A dark color draws heat wicked bad. No wonder they dry out so fast.

Before next spring I may decide to white wash the outside of the containers to deflect sun rays when it hits the containers on hot SC days. The containers are now a reddish and gray color. I have read you can use those long stemmed thermometers they use for kitchen cooking use.

Entry #3,735

Today's container garden project

Gonna go in the yard and dig for earthworms. Try to find at least four for each container. Should reproduce with four in a box.  Earthworms should aerate the potting mix real nice. Can not find worms I will go to a bait shop to get some.

Vegetables plants are still green. Cheers

Had a decent rain last night. Potting mix is draining very nicely. It should seeing I cut enough 1/4 inch slots in the five inch wide boards I used for the bottom and sides. Want the potting mix moist, not flooded with water.

May go to Walmart at some point in time and purchase an electronic PH and water content meter which comes as one unit.

____________________

Update 3:25 PM

Tried digging for worms. Ground all rooty and hard. Guess I will fuggetabout that. Go to the bait shop.

Entry #3,734

snake, snake, snake

I forgot to mention that I had two other containers that are twenty gallon plastic containers that I had filled with top soil dirt and set them on 2x4s under each container. I had squash in them also that turned into a disaster. While I was emptying them I got them empty and I picked them up to take and wash out. I picked up one of the 2x4s that were under the tub and a snake came scooting out about six inches long. It looked like a baby black racer. Scared the living hell out of me. That was Wednesday of last week.

A couple days after that I was sitting in the back room with a rear door overlooking the back yard having a chew of tobacco. I looked out and I seen a slender shadow moving about ten feet from the door. Opened the door and a snake about three or four feet long stopped and looked up at me. I moved outside the door and advanced toward the snake and it took off to the edge of the yard and disappeared. Looked like a black racer. Seen that snake quite awhile ago in the yard and looked up snakes in SC to identify it as a black racer as it travels likety split fast. Never seen a snake travel that fast before.

Must be the snake has made itself a home in the back yard under the deck or under the AC unit.

May reuse those containers as they are a nice size. Will save me the trouble of building two boxes. May use one for the parsnips filling it up with potting mix using the same procedure I used to to refill the wooden boxes. The other container I was thinking of using as a mulch bin. May decide to get one of those small bales of wheat straw at the garden center. Bust open the bale and shake some of it out on the ground and then take my mulcher mower and shred it up into tinier pieces. Put that in the plastic container as a starter for the compost added as time goes along. The container has a nice cover which I will drill holes in about one inch in diameter to let rain in.

I do not want to use grass clippings or leaves from the yard in the mulch bin as the yard has had nasty chemicals added over the years for bug control. The grass and leaves could take in this nasty crap which would contaminate the containers if I added it as compost to the containers.

Entry #3,733

Container garden[ want to grow these]

I remember a long time ago that I had some yellow tomatoes. They are about the size of a baseball and were very tasty.

Been looking around different seed houses online on where I can purchase seeds not normally carried at the garden centers. There are very tasty vegetables available not normally carried at the food markets. So will grow my own.

Have the yellow tomato seeds on my list and also this one that I find very interesting as a compliment to cooking different things [lemon grass]

All About Lemongrass
https://www.thespruce.com/all-about-lemongrass-2216499

 

Update 11:54

Another thing I would like to grow is parsnips. I can get parsnips at the market but they are not as tasty as I remember them when I was a kid back on the farm. What we did back then was got them up to mature size just before fall time in NY. We left them in the ground and covered them with leaves to prevent the ground from freezing. It got cold enough under the leaves to turn the ground cold. Left them like that for a few weeks before the snows started. I was told when I was younger the cold reacted to the parsnips to make them sweeter and tastier. Delicious tasting that way.
May take one of the containers and grow some parsnips to full size before cold weather comes here in SC in January and February. The cold weather during those months should season the parsnips. Does not get cold enough here to freeze the ground during those two months. Occasionally sometimes below 32 degrees.

Entry #3,732

Something strange did it again

It was the 24X ascending order front pair this time. Repeat of the same number when placed ascending order.

09/12 M 942 __24X__--+
10/05 M 492 __24X__2X9

Entry #3,731

Container garden update

From the original post I made on Sept 17th I built a container 2 feet x 3 feet x 10 inches deep cutting in
enough slots for drainage and air flow. Lined the bottom and sides with burlap, Filled the first five inches with potting mix and the required amount of water storing crystals using formula per 5 gallons. Then I laid down a layer of untreated charcoal that were smashed down to about the size of a quarter or less. I would say about two quarts spread evenly across the mix. Then I finished of the balance of the container with the potting mix containing the amount of ironite needed and a few handful's of black cow blending all this together. Planted a one foot x two foot section with radishes. The radishes are up about two inches now doing well. Then another one foot section with bunching onion transplants I started from seed. The onions are touch and go on those. Onions are finicky little rascals on what they require. Do not know if they are worth the trouble when I can get bunching onions at the store for my salad for like $1.00 a bundle.
http://www.faa.gov.nl.ca/agrifoods/plants/pdf/onions.pdf.

The last one foot section some purple top turnips to see what they will do. planted them pretty thick as I only broadcast sown the seeds. Turnips are up about 1.5 inches and will thin them shortly. Will take the turnip thinnings and use them in a bowl of green salad. Should be nice and tender at that size.

Next I dumped the four 16 x 16 x 12" deep containers of garden dirt and washed them out. Took them to the garage and rebuilt them to 16 inches deep and cutting in drainage and air flow slots. I was doing some research on vegetable root system sizes and found that quite interesting on root sizes for different plants. Containers still may be a little small but that is the biggest I will go. [root systems: http://soilandhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/01aglibrary/010137veg.roots/010137toc.html Then I Lined the boxes with burlap, done ten inches of potting mix with water storing crystals, put a layer of charcoal, filled the last five inches with potting mix, ironite and black cow all blended together. Have two boxes with Rutgers tomatoes and two boxes of bell pepper in them already. Around the outside edge of each box I planted seeds of turnips, carrots, bunching onions and spinach to see how that pans out.

Now I have one seedling of the Siberian tomato up about one and a half inch, one zucchini and one yellow squash they are up about one inch. Will need to build a container for each one of those. See how they survive this time around.

Should have some radishes to harvest shortly if they do well. Must be about 50 or so plants in that one foot section.

Entry #3,730

Container garden update tomorrow

It is progressing along. Transplanted some tomato and peppers in containers which I redone. At least they have not turned yellow or orange yet. Peppers are up about 4 or 5 inches and tomatoes up about 6 or 7 inches, at least they are still green Cheers. Better than my squash in the old container setup which turned to sh!t after reaching a height of about 5 inches.

Will do a full rundown tomorrow. 

It is more of a hobby and challenge at this point.

OHHH, purchased five flower plants already started and put them in 10 inch 10 quart hanging containers for instant gratification. Green laugh Hung them up about five feet above the deck. Got flowers on them too.Big Grin

Entry #3,729

Something strange going on here

According to my tracking records ascending order the last time 09/17 when 0x6 hit ascending it hit as the 026 tracking ascending order.

The 0x6 tracking ascending order hit again tonight it hit as the 026 tracking ascending order again.

I have noticed this with some other numbers that have hit recently. Could be the front pair ascending, back pair ascending or in tonight's case the split pair ascending.

Maybe when I pick one of my ascending pairs ascending I should include the number that last hit with it.

 09/17 E 620  0*6______
 10/04 M 206  0*6______

Entry #3,728

Got around to doing my garden this fall

Made some containers, purchased cheap soil at supply store along with black cow, lime and fertilizer pellets. mixed that together and put in my containers and put my plants in the containers. 

I figured dirt is dirt as long as it had the correct nutrients in it. Not so with container gardening. Need to use potting soil. It is a special mix of this and that with fertilizer already in it for container growing.

Will be throwing  away about 15 cubic feet of dirt. along with black cow mix and fertilizer. 

You would think I would know better growing up on a vegetable farm. Guess I was not interested in it at the time. Plus I would be thinking of gardening at ground level. Stick the seed or plants in the ground and watch them grow.Green laugh

Been doing a lot of research on container growing the last 7 weeks. Container sizes (Had those correct anyhow) Soil needed, watering, fertilizer, PH factor for each type of vegetable,

This past week I dumped the dirt I had in the cuke container 16x16x12 inches and lined the side and bottom with burlap then filled the container with potting mix with fertilizer to about 4 to 6 inches from the top and added a layer of small pieces of charcoal. I purchased natural charcoal and busted it up into small pieces. Then I finished filling container with potting soil. I watered that down good for the first soaking. In the mean time I screened some potting soil through a plastic container with 1/4 in holes drilled to use for seed starter mix. Seeds seem to have a difficult time pushing out of the ground with those little chunky nuggets they put in the potting mix. You can buy seed starter mix but I did not.   Dug down about 1/1/2 inch and replanted my cuke seeds in the starter mix. I planted Bush Crop Cukes. 

They claim burlap around and at bottom will prevent the plant from getting root bound. 

Why charcoal? I was reading and watching you tube about bio-char. My theory is the layer of charcoal 4 to 6 inches down will absorb a lot of water before it leeches out of the container. Now my other thought is using containers require watering often which leeches out the fertilizer in the container. Charcoal is a filter that captures a lot of junk that passes through it. The fertilizer that leeches down from above the charcoal will be captured and stored in the charcoal. So when the plant roots get down to that lever the will enter the honeycomb crevices in the charcoal and have adequate water and fertilizer to draw from stored in the charcoal. Will see if that theory works out.

I have some tomatoes and regular bell pepper plants that I will be building containers for and putting in my burlap, potting mix and charcoal about 6 inches down.

The tomatoes go by the name of Siberian Tomatoes. need to plant those seeds yet. The Siberians are suppose to be  cold weather hardy. Thought they would go good for the fall season which does not really get that cold until January of February. I also have some Rutgers about 3 inches tall ready to be set when the containers are done.

I had four boxes made, 2 for zucchini and 2 for yellow squash. They turned into a disaster with just dirt mix. They will be getting dumped and refilled with what I mentioned. Seed started 1 each of the squash. Will use the other two for tomatoes.

I have some leeks started also. Will need to build a box for those and fill it with the goodies.

Learn as I go, dump the failures and try again.

Entry #3,727

Hee Haw, There is a new President in town

This is the best article I have read in years or maybe make that decades.
Drain the swamp.
I could care less if he works with either party to get what is needed done for the country.
Trump is the greatest President in my lifetime.
Trump said he was for the people. All the people of this country.
Trump is brilliant.
They all have their panties in a wad now.
Primary these old school politicians. Get new blood in DC
__________________________________________
The party's over: Republicans and Democrats are both finished
Entry #3,726

can you see the next number coming

8/01 E 415 215 *** ***        __--*
8/02 M 127 125 *** ***        __--*
8/02 E 957 555 *** ***        __+79   
8/03 M 471 251 *** ***        __--*
8/03 E 409 225 *** ***        __--*
8/04 M 525 525 *** ***        __*55
8/04 E 200 222 *** ***        __---   
8/05 M 201 221 *** ***        __---
8/05 E 636 616 *** ***        __*++
8/06 E 415 215 *** ***        __--*
8/07 M 935 515 *** ***        __*++
8/07 E 356 156 *** ***        __*++
8/08 M 702 522 *** ***        __--*
8/08 E 017 215 21X ***        __--*
8/09 M 125 125 *** ***        __12*__1-5
8/09 E 339 115 *** ***        __--*__
8/10 M 562 562 *** ***        __*56__
8/10 E 622 622 *** ***        __--*__
8/11 M 873 651 *** ***        __*++__
8/11 E 373 151 *** ***        __--*__
8/12 M 112 112 *** ***        __---__1-2
8/12 E 978 556 *** ***        __+++__+++
8/13 E 003 221 *** ***        __---__---
8/14 M 658 656 *** ***        __+++__+++
8/14 E 861 661 *** ***        __*68__-++
8/15 M 872 652 *** ***        __*78__-++
8/15 E 829 625 *** ***        __*++__-++
8/16 M 299 255 *** X55        __*99__-++
8/16 E 987 565 *** ***        __+++__7+9
8/17 M 454 252 *** ***        __--*__4-5
8/17 E 389 165 16X ***        __*++__-++
8/18 M 857 655 *** ***        __+++__5+8
8/18 E 673 651 *** ***        __*++__-++
8/19 M 226 226 *** ***        __--*__2-6
8/19 E 575 555 *** ***        __*++__5+7
8/20 E 048 226 *** ***        __++*__--+
8/21 M 841 621 *** X21        __14*__--+
8/21 E 592 552 *** ***        __*59__-++
8/22 M 837 615 *** X15        __*++__-++
8/22 E 044 222 *** ***        __---__0-4
8/23 M 692 652 *** ***        __*++__-++
8/23 E 822 622 *** ***        __22*__2-8
8/24 M 874 652 *** ***        __*++__-++
8/24 E 583 561 *** ***        __*++__-++
8/25 M 966 566 *** X66        __*69__6+9
8/25 E 208 226 *** ***        __02*__--+
8/26 M 548 526 *** ***        __*++__4+8
8/26 E 107 125 *** ***        __--*__--+
8/27 E 158 156 *** X56        __*58__1+8
8/28 M 532 512 *** ***        __23*__--+
8/28 E 783 561 *** X61        __*78__-++
8/29 M 745 525 *** ***        __*++__-++
8/29 E 904 522 *** ***        __--*__--+
8/30 M 773 551 *** ***        __*++__-++
8/30 E 838 616 *** X16        __*88__3+8
8/31 M 710 512 *** ***        __01*__--+
8/31 E 477 255 *** X55        __*77__-++
9/01 M 111 111 *** ***        __11-__1-1
9/01 E 930 512 *** ***        __--*__--+
9/02 M 090 252 25X X52        __00*__--+
9/02 E 247 225 22X X25        __--*__2-7
9/03 E 308 126 12X ***        __--*__--+
9/04 M 760 562 *** ***        __*67__0+7
9/04 E 330 112 11X X12        __03-__0-3
9/05 M 589 565 56X X65 **5    __*++__5+9
9/05 E 373 151 *** ***        __--*__3-7
9/06 M 542 522 *** ***        __--*__2-5
9/06 E 908 526 *** ***        __*++__0+9
9/07 M 913 511 51X ***        __13*__1-9
9/07 E 084 262 26X *** 2**    __04*__--+
9/08 M 633 611 61X X11 *1*    __--*__3-6
9/08 E 744 522 *** ***        __44*__4-7
9/09 M 751 551 55X ***     157__*57__1+7
9/09 E 893 651 65X ***        __*89__-++
9/10 E 808 626 *** ***      8 __*88__0+8
9/11 M 664 662 66X X62 *6*    __*++__4+6
9/11 E 606 626 62X X26 6*6 06 __*66__0+6
9/12 M 942 522 52X X22 522 24 __24*__2-9
9/12 E 393 151 15X X51 151 39 __33*__3-9
________1___2___3___4___5___6___7_____6

COLUMN 1- LOTTERY DRAW
COLUMN 2- CODE DRAWN
COLUMN 3- FRONT PR EXACT CODE
COLUMN 4- BACK PR EXACT CODE
COLUMN 5- CODE DIGIT BY POSITION
COLUMN 6- LOTTERY DIGITS OUT BY DATE
COLUMN 7- LOTTERY FRONT PAIR 2 LOW ASCENDING, LOTTERY PAIR 2 HIGH ASCENDING
COLUMN 8- LOTTERY SPLIT PAIR ASCENDING

CODE

1-13
2-024
5-579
6-68

 

 
---------------
maybe
12-14 LOTTERY FRONT PAIR ASCENDING 2 LOW

125 11 8.13 Aug 9, 2017 64
127 13 8.13 Aug 2, 2017 77
124 9 8.13 Jul 27, 2017 88
123 10 8.13 Jul 25, 2017 91
126 7 8.13 Jul 22, 2017 96
128 8 8.13 Jun 30, 2017 138
129 8 8.13 Jun 17, 2017 161
*************
148 9 8.13 Aug 21, 2017 42
145 10 8.13 Aug 6, 2017 69
147 9 8.13 Aug 3, 2017 75
149 8 8.13 Jun 13, 2017 170
146 7 8.13 Mar 2, 2017 361

Entry #3,725

Republicans in Congress are sniveling

Brats.

Just over at the Hill and seen the story where Bannon and Trump have Republicans sh!ttin their pants about losing upcoming elections.

They are not going to reach Trump voters with that whinnin. The old school days are numbered. Trump kicked ass in the primary against old school. 

What a bunch of whine ass clods they are.

Entry #3,724

I am stunned, utterly stunned

DiFi says Trump could be a good President and expect him to be there the full four years.

Nancy jumping on that ANTFA violence is bad.

I am in shock.

Entry #3,723

583 fell in S.C. tonight, WTFH

I played 538


Com   Times   Last      Draws
______Drawn   Seen      Since
378 14 8.12 Aug 22, 2017 1
148 10 8.12 Aug 21, 2017 3
048 10 8.12 Aug 20, 2017 4
367 11 8.12 Aug 18, 2017 7
789 13 8.12 Aug 16, 2017 11
256 12 8.12 Aug 10, 2017 23
125 11 8.12 Aug 09, 2017 25
027 12 8.12 Aug 08, 2017 27
145 10 8.12 Aug 06, 2017 30
049 10 8.12 Aug 03, 2017 35
127 13 8.12 Aug 02, 2017 38
169 15 8.12 Jul 26, 2017 50
123 10 8.12 Jul 25, 2017 52
239 11 8.12 Jul 22, 2017 58
467 12 8.12 Jul 21, 2017 59
689 11 8.12 Jul 21, 2017 60
056 14 8.12 Jul 18, 2017 65
135 12 8.12 Jul 17, 2017 67
369 11 8.12 Jul 13, 2017 74
379 12 8.12 Jul 12, 2017 77
179 10 8.12 Jul 08, 2017 83
001 11 4.07 Jun 29, 2017 101
235 11 8.12 Jun 22, 2017 114
478 10 8.12 Jun 21, 2017 115 8/24
346 14 8.12 Jun 16, 2017 125
234 12 8.12 Jun 14, 2017 129
014 10 8.12 Jun 06, 2017 143
347 11 8.12 May 24, 2017 168
358 14 8.12 May 11, 2017 192 8/24
058 13 8.12 May 03, 2017 207
046 12 8.12 Apr 13, 2017 243
138 12 8.12 Mar 28, 2017 273
024 10 8.12 Mar 27, 2017 275
567 10 8.12 Mar 06, 2017 314 
349 11 8.12 Feb 25, 2017 330
________________________
Com Times   Last        Draws
    Drawn   Seen        Since
578 9 8.13 Aug 18, 2017 12
278 9 8.13 Aug 15, 2017 18
359 9 8.13 Aug 07, 2017 33
147 9 8.13 Aug 03, 2017 40
479 9 8.13 Jul 31, 2017 45
124 9 8.13 Jul 27, 2017 53
246 9 8.13 Jun 17, 2017 127
034 9 8.13 Jun 14, 2017 132
589 9 8.13 Jun 07, 2017 146
159 9 8.13 Jun 03, 2017 152
345 9 8.13 Apr 07, 2017 258
247 9 8.13 Apr 04, 2017 265
258 9 8.13 Feb 10, 2017 362
167 9 8.13 Feb 02, 2017 378
Entry #3,722

The eclipse, OHHH NOOOO

Live right in the path of the total eclipse and there were clouds with a break here and there just as the eclipse started. Clouds filled in and blocked out the sun with the moon passing over. Only got to see it get darker as the total occurred. Got dark for a minute or so and started to lighten back to daylight.

Had a sprinkle of rain with a thunderstorm and lightning in the distance.

Did get to let out a couple wolf howls when the total eclipse occurred. 

Once in my lifetime event which I will never see again.

Entry #3,721