It's in writing now Ceresone. You'll HAVE to stick to it. I think we're all worn out in the fall and tired of gardening. Spring always brings new energy and enthusiasm. Hope the weather cooperates so you can get it all done.
Do you order regular top soil for your raised beds?

I'm going to try too: I need to simplify. I have some plants scattered here and there that I need to move. I'm sure I need to toss some things but I'm so bad at that. Got to do something to cut down on my weeding though.

I'm NOT going to cut back on my melon patch. We're really enjoying the ripe watermelons right now and I've already been looking through catalogs making a wishlist for next year. My melon patch was almost completely work-free except for carrying in the melons.

ceresone, we will keep reminding you! It is hard to cut back.I said I was going to reduce the flowers and just ordered 12 packets of seeds from Select Seeds. Christie, if you plant them thick enough it really helps with the weeding. The cellar bed that I think I have posted pictures of here requires very little weeding now.

ceresone, are you getting help building the beds? That alone sounds like a ton of work to me.

Hi everyone! Well, I am increasing my work load for next year. Looking at pictures of all of you guys flowers has got me wanting more plants. I have an old shade bed that has been ignored and is over grown, so I am going to use roundup and kill all the vines and get it ready for spring. It is about 3x20 feet. I plan to add compost and chopped up leaves to decay over the winter. Then I am going to make a small garden to plant climbing roses and other plants. When I see plants I like on the forum, I write them down. Thanks to everyone I have plenty of plants to choose from.
Ann

ceresone- everything is subject to change. i am going do do things a little different next yr also. in nov and dec, am going to top all the raised beds with leaves and cow manure. then going to soak all of them with alfalfa/ molasses tea to feed the micro herd.

tomatoes that were good for me this yr were anna's noire, dr wyche's yellow, aussie and brandy boy f1. thanks for the AN seeds. also, will be planting less tomatoes but more determinates with staggered set out dates. bush champion did really good.

green beans will be fortex and emerite.

cool breeze is a great cucumber. very prolific.

i am sure things will change somewhat cause the seed catalogs don't get here till around dec!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

william- in yellville

bunny, if you have them, lay a thick layer of newspapers or other paper under the leaves....you will have no weeds creeping through for a long time. Next spring you can just dig through the partly decayed paper for the plants. I did that with a fence row bed and it worked great....no tilling involved at all.

Thanks gldno! I never thought of that. I have a pile of newspaper that was for recycling. Now I am just going to recycle in my own yard. Hope you have a good day:)
Ann

I I'm going to do a few things different next year as well.
Since I will be moving my beds and adding a few. I plan on laying things out different.
One of the bed type ares I'm going to make is going to be in a low area, planing on a bog type area. (soak up some of that excess water).
Also going to put in a few vegetables next year. Haven't done so since the children grew up.
I already aerated the lawn and over seeded for grass next spring. It looks quite nice now. I need to touch up a couple of spots that the heavy rain a couple of weeks ago washed the seed down.
I plane on putting down cardboarad and newspaper in the bottom of the new beds. They will be in what has been grassy areas.
I am pulling all the old large bark mulch out of my beds and under shrubs and (??) who knows what I will do w/it. Since it is so large chunks I think it harbers more room for fungus, bugs ect and stays wet too long and smells sometimes. Going to replace w/compost and fine mulch.
Too funny William. But I keep getting catalogs for bulbs now. :(

How do you make alfalfa molasses tea? I have heard of using alfalfa pellets for fertilizer, but I don't know where you buy it or what to ask for. The animal feeds seem to have other things in them.

Helen, if you have an MFA near you, they should have it. Just Call first...almost any feed store, if large enough, should have alfalfa pellets. It is fed rabbits.

Thanks, I go to MFA all the time for bird seed. How much alfalfa to how much molasses and water for your tea to make bacteria grow?

i don't know if i do it correctly but i fill a 5 gal bucket with water. put in about 2 8 oz cans of alfalfa pellets and 2 tablespoons of blackstrap molasses. i drop in the aquarium stone from the pump and let it brew 24 hrs. there should be foam on the top of the bucket. be sure you clean your lines and stone with some diluted bleach when you are finished. i do 2 buckets at a time for like 5 days. that will give me 50 gals for our 10 raised beds.

william

Well, the seed catalogs started ariving in Dec. But I only have 4 flats of various vegetables started, my onions are here, I'll plant them Tuesday.
Sweet Potatoes on order.
I've also learned no more BIG compost piles!! I'd have needed a tractor to have turned it properly.
I hunted this thread down, and so far, not doing too bad (must give some Tomato Plants away, LOL)

Ceresone, I think you are wise to listen to your body. Tell us what you are doing this year after a winter of thought about it. Sometimes I forget my age and get after myself for not doing things as quickly and easily as I did when I was 37, 47, 57 ... 6 ... I can't say it. If I'm not stronger, I hope I'm a little smarter!

Helen, I made alfalfa tea for the roses last spring. I didn't put molasses in it, but would have, had I read William's post first. The roses were on steriods for a couple of weeks -- some bloomed that had never bloomed well. And it really smelled bad after a few days of fermenting, but I plunked a lid on it and held my nose. It was worth it. I put the dregs in the compost.

I buy my alfalfa at Wal-Mart, a 10# bag, Small World brand rabbit food. Just alfalfa pellets. I can't carry or store a 50# bag of it that I could buy at a feed store, even though it would be less expensive. I put a handful or so in the compost pile when I think of it. It smells good in the bag.

Sunny

Hi gang, I'm building a new garden this year and I'm wondering what you use the alfa tea for. Is it just fertilizer or ph ballance. I'm building twelve 3'x12' raised beds to start with a 6' fence all around. It's been quite the undertaking for my wife and me. I have 4 boxes completed and will finish the fence today and start on the rest of the boxes. I've filled them with compost and peat moss. I have enjoyed these posts. Mike

Hi, Mike, Welcome to you and your wife.
I'm building my beds different too this year.
I can't answer on the "tea" havent tried it, and want to, sounds as if anything with alfalfa would be a great fertilizer--Come on, William, you know more about this..

i believe the molasses has about 50 trace elements. it is to feed the micro herds. beneficial bacteria and fungi in the soil.
william

Hi, Mike -- Welcome
If you will go to Soil, Compost, and Mulch Forum and put in a search for alfalfa tea, you'll get a lot of information.
Sunny