Knucklehead's 2022 Prilep and Veggie Container Grow Blog

[Knucklehead]

Last nights (predicted) low was supposed to be 37F and the same tonight. Too close for comfort so the plants are sleeping indoors last night and tonight. After tonight it looks like I'm clear to put them outside in a permanent location.



No sun at the back of the truck so these had their own location until the temp dropped. We're all just waiting for the big day tomorrow.



These eight filled but unplanted bags are waiting for my four Rutgers tomatoes and four okra plants that were reseeded late after the first starts refused to cooperate. I will plant them today.



These tomatoes were raised in the sun and taken in at night. I plan on bare rooting them into their larger home and turning them loose.



I will select the best four okra and transplant them to their grow bags. I ran out of soil but I'm done. Close enough.

 

[GreenDragon]

My experience is that test strips for Chlorine are not very accurate. If you really want to know what is going on, get a test kit from a pool supply store.

 

[deluxestogie]

One part per ten million sounds adequate. How did you count them all?

Bob

 

[Knucklehead]

I built a flake maker/shredder based on a couple of posts by Skychaser a few years ago.

Polish G120, other shredders and gadgets

I have had my Powermatic since 2015. Can't get it to stay continuously on but it still shreds. I am not mechanically inclined so do not wat to take it apart could simply be something in the contact switch so in 4 years may have gone through 10 pounds a year. In order to get to work I have to...

fairtradetobacco.com

Polish G120, other shredders and gadgets

I have had my Powermatic since 2015. Can't get it to stay continuously on but it still shreds. I am not mechanically inclined so do not wat to take it apart could simply be something in the contact switch so in 4 years may have gone through 10 pounds a year. In order to get to work I have to...

fairtradetobacco.com

I had been wanting to try that method for years since I usually just let my leaf dry out in the bags after kilning and a few years of aging. It can take me several days to hydrate my five varieties for my cigarette blend and they all require different amounts of misting or drying back down. I never guess right and I always seem to struggle until all five varieties feed without gumming up the shredder blades. This is stupid simple. Crumble your leaf into 1/4" screen wire and what falls through goes into your pipe or cigarette blend. After the big chunks are broken down, just rub the leaf across the screen and pieces start falling through the screen. No dust. (Mine is slightly overengineered) The box measures 13-1/2 x 8" outside and was built to fit a small storage tub. I can set the whole thing in my lap and not have to bend or reach for anything heavier than a handful of dry leaf. Big shout out to Skychaser. That was brilliant!







I made two separate boxes, stapled 1/4" screen wire to the top of one, then screwed the second box on top of the first box so I don't have to deal with the cut edges of the wire. Two screws hold the two boxes together in case I need to separate them, although I can't think of a reason why I would ever need to.

 

[Knucklehead]

I made about 1-1/2 gallons of blend total using five different varieties. The Top-o-matic cigarette maker handles the 1/4" flake very well. No problem. The cigarette smokes great, the cherry doesn't fall off, and the ash looks nice. Very pleased.

 

[skychaser]

Works great doesn't it. Yours is fancy. Mine is just 4 pieces of 1x4 with 1/4" hardware cloth stapled on, and it took all of 20 minutes to make. I made it to fit over an 18 gallon tote and left the side boards a foot longer so it could sit on a wheel barrow too. I get a very consistent flake with almost zero powder or dust. I can do enough to fill an 18 gal tote in about an hour and a half, which lasts a long time. It's also great for sifting the chunks out of potting soil to make a starter mix. And for sifting out corn seed and washing squash seed. Best 20 min tool I ever made.

Oh, and I thought I was the one who invented truck farming. Also works good. Bad weather coming? Just drive it into the barn. Chilly night? Park it in the barn. Redneck ingenuity. lol

 

[Knucklehead]

I forgot to upload photos from Wednesday. Plants are happier.

 

[Oldfella]

Looking good.
Oldfella

 

[Knucklehead]

Prilep are starting to grow. I planted two more of my back ups a couple of days ago. Far left.

 

[deluxestogie]

I expect your grow-bag Prilep will be stunning, and likely grow to their usual, in-ground size.

Bob

 

[Knucklehead]

Corn, beans, and squash are loving life. I thought things might be going a little too well so I stuck in some more pole bean seed into the corn/bean pots yesterday. Having fun and watching to see how much is too much for three gallon grow bags.



Tomatoes are improving but nothing to brag about. These are two of the better ones. Better Boy and Big Boy.



The early started okra look pretty good, the late starts are sitting there enjoying the scenery but not overly active yet.


I think the Prilep grew a couple inches yesterday. They look bigger this morning.

 

[Homegrowngoodnes]

I think the Prilep grew a couple inches yesterday. They look bigger this morning.

Yeah, don't they just grow up so fast?! Lol

 

[GreenDragon]

Everything's looking good!

 

[Knucklehead]

I invited my buddy and his family along with my sister and brother in law to go fishing at my pond and cook some hot dogs over a fire. My brother in law caught a nice bass and the kids caught several bream. We had a good day.

 

[Knucklehead]

Garden progress.
Chlorine issue resolved with RV filter.



I looked into a water wand as is used in greenhouses and prices were in the $60+ range. Nope. Rednecked it. I didn't need a shower head anyway since I water so slowly. I just needed a way to water inside of my three sisters patch without waving 3-4 feet of limp garden hose at it. Kinda like shooting pool with a rope. I already had some 3/4" pipe and the brass shutoff. I spent a few cents for the slip x female adapter and we're done.



I already had all this stuff. The hard part was finding it and digging it out from behind everything else. The tank is a 26 gal. replacement tank for a 12v sprayer. No pump or sprayer, just the bare replacement tank. It was perfect for what I wanted and saved mucho dinero. I used it several years ago when my parents planted some red maple seedlings at an antique church and community center in the middle of a drought. I hauled water every day for months in that tank to those seedlings. Gravity fed from the back of the Jeep. The seedlings are turning into some lovely trees now.



I will fill the tank with dechlorinated water from the RV filter and water soluble fertilizer and just gravity feed into the veggie's and Prilep. For straight water I will use the garden hose connected to the RV filter at the faucet.

 

[Knucklehead]

Hey everybody! I'm a sho' nuff bean farmer and I can prove it! Lol.

 

[Knucklehead]

Note to self: first full dose of fertilizer May 4. 1 Tbsp per gallon. Showing a little paleness.


Corn, beans, squash.


Some Better Boy and Big Boy tomatoes.



Late planted Rutgers tomatoes. When they poke their heads above the top of the container I will trim the lower leaves and add soil. I think I've already done that once.


Knucklehead pumkins.


Okra are going very slowly.


Prilep. I planted the last of my backups. They're a little pale. Forecast kept predicting rain that didn't come so I kept holding off with fertilizer until today. Will probably flood tonight.

 

[Knucklehead]

A few of my wild flowers are blooming.

 

[Oldfella]

Note to self: first full dose of fertilizer May 4. 1 Tbsp per gallon. Showing a little paleness.


Corn, beans, squash.
View attachment 41614

Some Better Boy and Big Boy tomatoes.
View attachment 41616


Late planted Rutgers tomatoes. When they poke their heads above the top of the container I will trim the lower leaves and add soil. I think I've already done that once.
View attachment 41617

Knucklehead pumkins.
View attachment 41615

Okra are going very slowly.
View attachment 41618

Prilep. I planted the last of my backups. They're a little pale. Forecast kept predicting rain that didn't come so I kept holding off with fertilizer until today. Will probably flood tonight.
View attachment 41619

Don't forget to pick up the hose pipe before you cut the grass. Been there done that, lots of swearing involved.
Oldfella
Ps grass needs cutting, crickets luv baccy lol.

 

[BarG]

I invited my buddy and his family along with my sister and brother in law to go fishing at my pond and cook some hot dogs over a fire. My brother in law caught a nice bass and the kids caught several bream. We had a good day.

View attachment 41546

View attachment 41547

Nice one! Looks fat. I bet that kid had fun .