Muddy Acre Farm

21/12/2023

GROW NATURALLY WITHOUT PESTICIDES

The way to stay away from harmful synthetic chemicals and pesticides, and grow Naturally, is to select plants for your garden that will help control and repel your insect pests. This method is called Companion Planting, and will help cut down on your workload in the Garden, It works best when you plant your Companion Herb varieties at same time you plant your Veggies, but you can also plant afterwards. When you are planning your Spring Garden, you can work a few of these in to help with pests.

It is always important that you experiment to find out what works best for your situation. Here are some of the best Companion Plants:

ARTEMISIA - This plant produces a strong antiseptic aroma that repels most insects. Planted as a border, it can also deter small animals like Rabbits and moles.

BASIL -The oils in Basil are said to repel thrips, flies and mosquitoes. Planted alongside Tomatoes, they will help you to grow larger, tastier tomatoes.

BEE BALM- I love this plant because it attracts bees to my garden. It is another plant that you can grow with your Tomatoes.

BORAGE - Borage repels Tomato horn worms and cabbage worms, and also attracts beneficial bees and wasps. Borage also adds trace elements to the soil. Borage flowers are edible

CATNIP - This plant repels just about everything, including flea beetles, aphids, Japanese beetles, squash bugs, ants, and weevils.

CHIVES - Chives are great plants to repel Japanese beetles and carrot rust flies. It has also been said that Chives will help prevent scab when planted among apple trees.

CHRYSANTHEMUMS - When I do use an insecticide I use one made from chrysanthemums called Pyrethrum. This all-natural pesticide can help control things like roaches, ticks, silverfish, lice, fleas, bedbugs, and to control ants in certain parts of the garden. In the garden white flowering chrysanthemums are said to drive away Japanese beetles, and Painted Daisy kills root nematodes.

DAHLIAS - Dahlias repel nematodes and the blooms are great for adding some color to flower borders and fresh arrangements

DILL - Dill is best planted with Cucumbers and Onion varieties. During the cool season It can also be planted with Lettuce. Dill attracts Hoverflies and predatory wasps, and its foliage is used as food by swallowtail butterfly caterpillars. Tomato horn worms are also attracted to Dill, so if you plant it at a distance, you can help draw these destructive insects away from your Tomatoes. Dill repels aphids and spider mites. Sprinkling Dill leaves on squash plants will also repel squash bugs,

FENNEL- Repels aphids, slugs and snails.

GARLIC - In addition to its great taste and health benefits, Garlic planted near roses repels aphids. It also deters coddling moths, Japanese beetles, root maggots, snails, and carrot root fly. When planted alongside Onions, they also deter moles and mice.

HYSSOP - Hyssop is great for attracting honeybees to the garden, and you will need them for pollination of some of your Veggies.

LAVENDER - Lavender is a favorite among many beneficial insects, including bees, and also repels fleas and moths.

MARIGOLDS - The Marigold is probably the most well known plant for repelling insects. French marigolds repel Whiteflies and kill bad nematodes. Mexican marigolds are said to keep away a host of destructive insects and wild rabbits as well. If you choose marigolds for your garden they must be scented to work as a good repellant. And while this plant drives away many bad bugs, it also attracts spider mites and snails--which are good.

NASTURTIUMS- You can plant Nasturtiums with my Tomatoes and Cucumbers as a way to fight off wooly aphids, white flies, Squash bugs, and Cucumber beetles. The flowers, especially the yellow blooming varieties, act as a trap for aphids.

PETUNIAS - They are great to have for color in your garden, and you get the added benefit that they repel Asparagus beetles, leaf hoppers, and a range of aphids, Tomato worms, and a good many other pests.

ROSEMARY-Deters Cabbage moth, Bean beetles and the Carrot fly

SUMMER SAVORY: Plant with beans and onions to improve growth and flavor. Include it with sweet potatoes. Discourages cabbage moths, Mexican bean beetles, sweet potato weevil and black aphids. Honey bees love it when it is in bloom.

SUNFLOWERS - I use Sunflowers as a way to draw aphids away from my other plants. Ants move their colonies onto Sunflowers. The Sunflowers are tough enough that they suffer no damage.

THYME-Deters Cabbage worm

At THE SEED GUY, you can get our 60 Variety Heirloom Seed package that is Small Farm Grown, Fresh from the New Fall 2023 Harvest, has 33,000 Seeds, and contains several of the Companion Plant varieties listed above. You will get 49 Veggie Seed varieties, and then 11 Companion Herb Seed varieties, and Good Pricing Now at $89.

You can click on link to website to see Seed varieties and ORDER at https://theseedguy.net/seed-packages/50-60-variety-heirloom-seed-package.html

We also have 9 other Heirloom Seed packages. and all our individual varieties in Stock Now on our Seed Guy website at https://theseedguy.net/15-seed-packages

You can also Call Us 7 days a week, and up to 10:00 pm each night, at 918-352-8800 if you would rather Order By Phone.

If you LIKE US on our page, you will be able to see more of our great Gardening Articles, New Seed Offerings and healthy Juice Recipes. Thank you and God Bless You and Your Family :) https://www.facebook.com/theseedguy

29/10/2022

29/10/2022

Happy Saturday, enjoy your barn time!

01/10/2022

Just like that!
Source : unknown

10/09/2022

For testing fresh eggs

10/08/2022

This is cool. Would never work in my backyard because of drainage but might work for some of you!

GROW ALL YEAR WITH AN UNDERGROUND GREENHOUSE

If eating Fresh Vegetables and Fruits Year Round is important to You and Your Family, you might consider building an Underground Greenhouse. It will keep the temperatures warmer in the Winter and help prevent overheating in the Summer; making it possible to grow your garden vegetables year round.

For the vast majority of the country, 4 feet below the surface will stay between 50° to 60°F even if the weather above the ground gets to 10°F or colder. This is what they call the thermal constant, and what the Underground Greenhouse is based on.

The original design for an Underground Greenhouse was invented in Bolivia, and was called a Walipini, an Aymara Indian word which means “a warm place.” A Walipini is a rectangular shaped Greenhouse that is dug down 6-8 feet deep in the ground. The longest area of the rectangle will face towards the south (in the Northern Hemisphere) to take advantage of the most sunlight.

The design of the Underground Greenhouse isn’t that complicated, as it can be as simple as a hole with plastic sheets laid on top. The roof seals in the heat and insulates the area to keep a warm, moist environment for your fruits and vegetables.

The location of your Walipini will depend on how big you want it to be. You’ll need enough space to grow your plants and have a small area to walk into your greenhouse. The bottom of the Greenhouse will need to be at least 5 feet above the water table in your area. The recommended size for an Underground Greenhouse is 8 x 12 feet.

When planning where your Greenhouse will be located, remember that your roof will need to receive light during the winter, also. This means that you will have to make sure that trees or buildings don't block it during the winter time when the sun is in the South. In most cases, your Underground Greenhouse should be set up East to West, with the roof facing South to take advantage of the Winter Sun.

Once it's decided where your Underground Greenhouse will be located, you can start digging. Plot out the area above ground to keep track of where you should be digging. While you’re excavating, dig at least 2 feet deeper than your desired depth. Keep your soil close by to help prop up the roof.

The walls of your Underground Greenhouse should have a minimum 6-inch slope from the roof to the floor. This will greatly reduce the amount of crumbling and caving that will occur with the soil. You can also layer the walls with a clay to prevent erosion, or use bricks to stabilize the walls of the building.

While you’re digging the hole, dig an extra 2 feet below the desired depth. You’ll fill this area with stone or gravel and then 8 inches of soil. Ideally, you’d lay larger stones and gravel on the bottom layer and the gravel would become progressively smaller until you reach the soil.

The bottom of the greenhouse should be slightly sloped from the center to the edges. Along the perimeter, you should leave a space of 2-3 feet just filled with gravel. This is designed to help the water drain more easily. Many people have also created open gravel wells in the corners of the greenhouses that allows them to collect the water. This will allow you to draw a bucket into the hole and pull out water if you find you have too much.

Once the floor is filled in with the drainage system, and the soil required for growing, the doors can be installed. Place the door frame at the base of the ramp and fill in the areas around the door as much as possible with dirt and clay. Filling in these gaps will prevent heat loss in your greenhouse.

Many times, people will use 2-inch door frames that have holes drilled into the top middle and bottom of each side. They will then use wooden stakes, dowels or rebar to secure the door frame into the soil wall.

The angle of the roof will make a big difference on the sun’s ability to heat your greenhouse. Ideally, the roof should be facing directly at the winter solstice at a 90 angle. This angle will maximize the heat during the winter solstice and minimize the heat during the summer solstice.

Now, you can use that extra soil that you have left over to create a berm. The berm is basically an extension of the north wall of the greenhouse. This allows you to control the angle of the roof by adding or taking away dirt. Build up the berm to continue the slope that you used on the wall. If you’re using bricks – continue using them on the berm.

The most economical, durable material for your roof is 4-inch PVC pipe. Using PVC elbow pieces, joiners, etc, you can create a flat roof frame that will cover your Underground Greenhouse.

After you’ve created a PVC frame, lay it in place on the top of your hole. Then lay plastic sheeting across the top of the frame and make sure that it extends past the edge of the frame by at least 1 foot. This flap will prevent run off water from the roof from running back into the greenhouse itself.

Once the plastic material is put on top of the roof frame, move inside and tack another layer of plastic wrap along the inside of the roof frame. This internal plastic sheeting will create a 4-inch barrier between the inside and outside of the roof, and will act as an insulator that will keep the heat in more effectively.

You’ll want to make sure that you leave a few inches of plastic hanging down on the lower (south) end of your roof. This will force moisture that collects on the roof to drip off above the drainage system or on top of your plants instead of at the base of the roof. If you allow the moisture to run to the base of the roof frame, it may affect the soil at that location and break down your wall, etc.

Ventilation is always crucial. You have 3 options, such as: Installing two doors, one at each end; installing a vent roughly the size of the door at the top of the back wall; or installing a chimney at the center of the back wall. Good Luck on your Greenhouse.

When you are ready for some great Small Farm-Grown Heirloom Seeds for your Greenhouse, here at THE SEED GUY...we have our 60 Variety Heirloom Seed Package that is Non GMO, all individually packaged, and then put in a 10 x 14 silver mylar bag. There are 34,000 Seeds in the package, fresh from the New Fall 2021 Harvest, with a 89-93% germination rate. You get 49 Vegetable Seed varieties, and then 11 Herb Seed varieties.(This includes the Wonder Herb Black Cumin or Nigella Sativa)

Sale Priced Now at $79. You can see the Seed varieties in this package, and Order on our website at--) https://theseedguy.net/seed-packages/50-60-variety-heirloom-seed-package.html ;

You can also call us at 918-352-8800 to ask questions or Place an Order, and we are available 7 days a week, and up to 10:00 pm every night.

If you LIKE US on our page, you will be able to see more of our great Gardening Articles, New Seed Offerings and healthy Juice Recipes. Thank you and God Bless You and Your Family. :) https://www.facebook.com/theseedguy

10/08/2022

With your harvest this summer. Be sure to save some seeds too. Their is talk of a seed shortage next year!

LET'S WORK TOWARD BEING SELF-SUFFICIENT

With the Increased Instability in the world, and now in our own Country, it is becoming more important for You to be able to grow at least part of what You and Your Family eat--much like our Grandparents and Great Grandparents did with their Victory Gardens. They grew their own Food, Saved their Heirloom Seeds, and were very Self-Sufficient. You would be able to Grow Enough to Feed Your Family with our 60 Variety Heirloom Seed package, 33,000 Seeds, Non GMO, and fresh from the Fall 2021 Harvest https://theseedguy.net/seed-packages/50-60-variety-heirloom-seed-package.html Thank you, Stay Safe, and God Bless You and Your Family. :)

10/08/2022

🤣

10/08/2022

Prepping away. What are some items your canning this glorious harvest? Is there something new you would like to try?

I want to do some coleslaw, bbq sause, ketchup and canned meats.

The pressure canner scared the crap out of me but a food shortage trumps so here I am pressure canning chick peas and later that day Tex mix black beans.

04/08/2022

Wednesday, September 21 to Sunday, September 25
ONLINE AND IN PERSON!
Hours have been updated.

Wednesday, Sept 21 - 9-5
Thursday, Sept 22 - 9-5
Friday, Sept 23 - 9-5
Saturday, Sept 24 - 9-5
Sunday, Sept 25 - 10-3

1200 Denier Insulated Rainsheets $119.95
1200 Denier Turnouts $129.95
1200 Denier Diablo Turnout with detachable hood $139.95

Stock will be available online and in the tent. We will post available online stock the week before the Tent Sale.

04/08/2022

Brilliant

29/06/2022

Birds love bacon fat! Don’t pour it down the sink or waste paper towels putting it in the trash! My family loves bacon (pasture-raised and organic, of course), so we always have tons of bacon grease leftover in our pans. We pour most of it into a mason jar […]

29/06/2022

I’m so doing this this year! Incase you would also like to, the post has a link with instructions

Our great-grandparents used this long-lost egg preservation method before refrigeration existed! Here's how to do it: https://returntonow.net/2022/06/26/water-glassing-unwashed-eggs-preserves-them-for-up-to-2-years/

26/06/2022

TOMATO AILMENTS + TREATMENTS

We are having a bout of very hot weather in most of the States. It might be a good idea to check on your Tomatoes. It is important to be able to identify and treat the common Tomato plant ailments that might crop up.

1) BLOSSOM END ROT--This is one of the most common ailments, and you can tell if your plants have it by looking at where Tomatoes attach to vine. If the attachment appears brown and leathery between the size of a dime and quarter, than that Tomato has Blossom End Rot.

TO TREAT--You will have to take all the Tomatoes off the plants that are affected, and dispose of them. If you don't, it will spread and to all of them. Calcium is required in relatively large concentrations for normal cell growth. When a rapidly growing fruit is deprived of calcium, the tissues break down, leaving the characteristic lesion at the blossom end. Blossom-end rot develops when the fruit's demand for calcium exceeds the supply in the soil.

This may result from low calcium levels in the soil, drought stress, excessive soil moisture, and/or fluctuations due to rain or over watering. Lime (unless the soil is already alkaline), composted manures or bone meal will supply calcium.

2) BLIGHT--There are 3 stages of Blight. Early Blight is black and grey spots on the leaves when Tomatoes are young. Southern Blight is black and grey spots by stem and roots of the tomato plant. Late Blight gets out of hand, and is black and grey spots throughout the leaves, vines, and tomatoes.

TO TREAT--The easiest way is to treat it in it's early stages by removing the parts of the Tomato plants that are infected.. If you don't notice it until the later stages of Blight, you will need to buy an anti-fungal treatment, or you can make an organic one from home. however,

3) CATERPILLARS-- They love to feed on Tomato plants, and should be taken care of right away.

TO TREAT--– There are many treatments available to fight against caterpillar infestations at your local garden store, but you can make your own safe organic remedies at home. An Apple Cider Vinegar spray can be used to keep them away. You can also plant French Marigolds by your Tomatoes to help deter from from coming around

4) FRUIT SPLITTING--This can occur when it is dry, and then you get some heavy rains, or most frequently when there is sudden growth in the tomato plant. It doesn't hurt the Tomatoes, or affect you eating them, they just don't look good after that.

TO TREAT--If it occurs early in the Tomato plants growth phase, it can be reversed. Just water and apply nutrients, as normal, so there's no too dry too wet cycle. If it happens near harvest, it can't be reversed.

5) RED SPIDER MITES-- They are hard to spot, and usually are under your leaves. If you notice cobwebs on your Tomato plants, then you definitely have them.

TO TREAT-- You can always buy treatments at the store to take care of them, but better to make your own organic Apple Cider Vinegar spray, soap spray, or Onion and Garlic spray. Coriander, Dill, and Chrysanthemums are good to plant to deter them.

6) WILT--It is a fungal infection that starts in the roots, and blocks most of the water and nutrients from getting to the plant. It usually causes no problems until Tomatoes are growing on the vines. You will first see yellowing and drying of lower leaves, and then whole plant will wilt during hottest period of day. It will recover some at night, but then wilt again next day

TO TREAT--There really is no treatment when you get wilt that I know of. It is in the soil, so the next time you grow Tomatoes, pick a different spot in the Garden to grow them. It will deprive the Wilt of a host, and it will die out over the next year. Grow seedlings inside in clean soil before transplanting in Spring, and then make sure to pull all weeds that pop up around them

7) SUN SCORCH-- The skin of your Tomatoes will looked bruised and sunken. It sometimes happens when your Tomatoes get too much sun exposure during a real dry and hot period.

TO TREAT-- Don't do any pruning of leaves during hot periods. The extra leaves will shield the Tomatoes. You can also use shade cloth to cover them during these periods Once they get Sun Scorch, you cannot do anything for the affected fruit, but you can provide shade for the unaffected ones.

Please visit our THE SEED GUY website when you get the chance. We have great pricing on 2 of our Small Farm Grown Non GMO Heirloom Seed Packages in Stock Now, and we still hand count and package them, like the old days, so you get the best germination.

Our 60 Variety Heirloom Seed package has 33,000 Seeds, Non GMO, fresh from the Fall 2021 harvest, and has 49 Vegetable varieties and 11 Herb varieties. There is definitely enough Seeds in the package to help Feed Your Family, and what you don't use right away, you can seal back in the silver mylar bag we include for storage https://theseedguy.net/seed-packages/50-60-variety-heirloom-seed-package.html

You can also call us 7 days a week, and up to 10:00 pm each night, at 918-352-8800 if you would like to Order By Phone.

If you LIKE US on our page, you will be able to see more of our great Gardening Articles, new Heirloom Seed Offers, and healthy Juice Recipes. https://www.facebook.com/theseedguy Thank you, and God Bless You and Your Family. :)

21/06/2022

05/06/2022

Can’t say I’ve seen one in action before, have you?

22/05/2022

I sure felt great after getting my green planted yesterday, bare foot and all.

So very true my garden is my own little paradise.