Three Garden Problems Solved

Three Garden Problems Solved CROPS New Techniques 34-2-34 Joe Earley, Raymond, Wash., recently sent FARM SHOW photos of several ideas he's come up with over the years to solve problems he was having in his garden. "Our garden is located on the roof of our earth-sheltered house. We've always had an abundant supply of weeds and after years of pulling and hoeing, we finally gave up and covered most of the area with 6-mil black plastic," says Earley, who cuts holes in the plastic for plants. Another problem was keeping cats and dogs out. The problem was solved by cutting 3 to 5-ft. lengths of 2 by 4-in. welded wire fabric, using the curve of the roll to form a Quonset-like covering over the bed. "The wire sections can be easily lifted at one side, or even removed, for easier weeding and picking and then replaced," says Earley. "We plant low vegetables at the edges and taller ones in the center to give them more room to grow. The wire doesn't blow off and will support clear plastic the following spring to create a greenhouse effect." He also had a problem with small varmints or birds digging out seeds after planting. "To stop them, I made mini Quonsets out of -in. hardware cloth to cover the newly-planted seeds and blocked the ends with more of the same material. Problem solved," says Earley. To keep mice and voles from tunneling under raised beds, he lined the bottom of each bed with -in. hardware cloth. No more tunneling. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Joe Earley, 124 Meadow Lane, Raymond, Wash. 98577 (ph 360 942-3111).

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