tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698134075709295915.post7157669983943845740..comments2023-11-17T12:32:11.301-05:00Comments on Daphne's Dandelions: How do you spell PAIN?Daphne Gouldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305049560953735881noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698134075709295915.post-8557929073097099312009-03-21T06:54:00.000-04:002009-03-21T06:54:00.000-04:00Cheryl, luckily I have a strong back. I do have a ...Cheryl, luckily I have a strong back. I do have a bad shoulder, but hard word doesn't seem to bother it as long as I don't lift anything heavy. The only muscle that hurt the day after was the back of the thighs from squatting down so much - well and that annoying hand pain which is almost gone today.<BR/><BR/>Tatyana, Oh I will have to do it again. Several times more this year for the rest of the bed then I will work my way up, at least if my carrots work. <BR/><BR/>Inadvertent Farmer, Yeah there are two ways to do it. I tend more toward the biodynamic methods than the SFG methods.<BR/><BR/>Fugative Artist, That requires monetary input instead of just sweat input. I tend to go for the sweat inputs more. I have my mother's frugal nature in me and I'm not afraid of the hard work, my only requirement is that I can complain about it afterward. Now, with a blog, I can complain to a wider audience which is even more fun :>. I also like the more sustainable route, which means not buying your dirt shipped in from somewhere else when you can make it right on site.<BR/><BR/>EG, yeah I see you as more of a build it guy than a guy that loves to dig. I just wish I had you around. I hate building things. I do it only when I have to. <BR/><BR/>Annie's Granny, Yup the roots are terrible. I keep thinking I need a trashy pair of clippers to just cut them off. You have sandy soil? My last garden, oh so many years ago, was a sandy garden. It was so much easier to dig. It was also warmer in the spring so things could go in very early. At least clay keeps the nutrients in better. It is the only reason I don't hate it terribly.<BR/><BR/>Lzyjo, Thanks. It has taken me years to get it that way. The clay that I started with is bright orange. If you dig anywhere else in my yard that is what you find after the top two inches.<BR/><BR/>Jan, Luckily I don't find too many of those object d'art around here. The place was a blueberry farm before it was a subdivision. That is too bad about your back. I'd go with raised beds if I had a bad back too.<BR/><BR/>Mary, hmm interesting tool. It would be bad for the traditional biodynamic method for turning a double bed. You don't let the soil layers change. You try to keep them intact, but really for my bed that just doesn't happen. All the crap in the soil prevents it and it all gets turned over anyway. For me it would probably work great. Maybe that will be next year's new tool.Daphne Gouldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17305049560953735881noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698134075709295915.post-5000279680175476262009-03-20T19:45:00.000-04:002009-03-20T19:45:00.000-04:00I too feel for you. I would say that you are usin...I too feel for you. I would say that you are using the wrong tools for the job. There are actually digging <A HREF="http://www.easydigging.com/" REL="nofollow"> garden hoes</A> that are a much better at digging than a shovel and fork. <BR/><BR/>Good luck it will be great once you get it done.Mary Q Contrariehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05584539485118571553noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698134075709295915.post-30697353426117242802009-03-20T14:31:00.000-04:002009-03-20T14:31:00.000-04:00I'm so sorry for your pain. I have rocks, clay an...I'm so sorry for your pain. I have rocks, clay and other 'objects'de'art' left here from when the house was first built...I find it difficult to dig but I've done it so much that my back is literally ruined. I did a lot of disc damage from all that digging!! I like the idea of raised beds too...in fact, that's all I'm doing from now on. No more 1 and 2 foot holes for me (although I will beckon my hubby if that needs to be done!). I hope you have good luck with your carrots!!Janhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12844013803699228989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698134075709295915.post-73201214058435943242009-03-20T10:55:00.000-04:002009-03-20T10:55:00.000-04:00Wow, your soil is beautiful! The double digging re...Wow, your soil is beautiful! The double digging really sounds dangerous, but for prize-winning carrots I think it will be worth the effort. I could never attempt it in my soil! I hurt my back just trying to pull weeds!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698134075709295915.post-1715590083716683132009-03-19T22:30:00.000-04:002009-03-19T22:30:00.000-04:00I'm ready for a long soak in a hot bath tonight, a...I'm ready for a long soak in a hot bath tonight, and all I did was dig two long, narrow pea beds...no rock, sandy soil, but tons of roots from the neighbor's hedge and my lilac tree. I love gardening, but I hate roots. I'm glad I don't have to fight rocks.Annie*s Grannyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04772261218172078099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698134075709295915.post-244556148899426772009-03-19T22:01:00.000-04:002009-03-19T22:01:00.000-04:00Oh god....I've never done that before, but as you ...Oh god....I've never done that before, but as you know - I do alot of digging around the property. I hate it! Blech.<BR/><BR/>EGAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698134075709295915.post-10936521031761091012009-03-19T21:13:00.000-04:002009-03-19T21:13:00.000-04:00Instead of killing yourself fighting with rocks an...Instead of killing yourself fighting with rocks and roots and clay, make a raised bed for your carrots. Build a bed 2 feet wide, by 2 feet long and 2 feet high. Cover the bottom of the box with hardware cloth to keep critters from tunneling in and eating your roots. Fill the box with a mix of 1/3 peat moss, 1/3 vermiculite and 1/3 mixed compost. That recipe comes from Mel Bartholomew of Square Foot Gardening fame. Plant your carrots in that box and you will have beautiful long straight carrots that are easily pulled from the bed and no back breaking digging. <BR/><BR/>Take a nice hot shower and have some chocolate. You have surely earned it. Good luck with your garden.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698134075709295915.post-29177283545666510932009-03-19T20:03:00.000-04:002009-03-19T20:03:00.000-04:00I've only double dug for permenant beds like aspar...I've only double dug for permenant beds like asparagus...other than that is it no till for me in raised beds. I would cry if I had to do them ever again.<BR/><BR/>Just think of all the calories you burned!!! KimAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698134075709295915.post-46199669078719926162009-03-19T19:38:00.000-04:002009-03-19T19:38:00.000-04:00I think I know what you mean. Our soil is sand and...I think I know what you mean. Our soil is sand and rocks. Big rocks and small rocks. To plant something, I need to dig a hole with a pick axe and then, remove all the rocks, add a manure or compost. You are right, it's a good exercise. I also hope you don't need to do it for the next 17 years!Tatyana@MySecretGardenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15230255354868127650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3698134075709295915.post-64534596651508759792009-03-19T17:52:00.000-04:002009-03-19T17:52:00.000-04:00OMG. My back hurts just reading about it.OMG. My back hurts just reading about it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com