Thanks, mf! You said that you couldn't figure out how to post pictures at PolitiCook. If you'd like, I can reproduce your post over there with your permission. Biscuit says that blogspot crashes her computer, and she's really interested.
Kate Petersen | Homepage | 06.29.08 - 5:58 pm | #

I would LOVE that favor, Kate.

I'd especially like to know the secret of posting pics there!

--mf
Monkeyfister | Homepage | 06.29.08 - 6:20 pm | #

It's done!

I've set you up to be able to upload images at our place. It might be a little tricky, so if you have trouble shoot me an email (kate at politicook dot net) and I will walk you through it.
Kate Petersen | Homepage | 06.29.08 - 8:14 pm | #

Bless you, Kate!

--mf
Monkeyfister | Homepage | 06.29.08 - 11:14 pm | #

Great tutorial! One question about the string frame. Do you use separate frames for each row of beans, or one frame for the whole bed and somehow train all the rows up that?

BTW, I'd sent my mom a link to the previous post about the frame, and she and my stepdad added some to each of their three veggie beds over the weekend. Since they're retro-fitting, they had to add them where the plants already were, but they said they were very easy to make and put into place. They're both looking forward to "doing it right" next year.
PA_Lady | Homepage | 06.30.08 - 11:36 am | #

PA_Lady--

Along the LONG side, under the frame, picture #2, I planted a SINGLE row of Pole Beans-- 32 of them.

The rest are all Bush Beans, which don't vine, and won't need a string trellis.

--mf
Monkeyfister | Homepage | 06.30.08 - 7:30 pm | #

Ahhh! I figured I'd missed something. Thanks!
PA_Lady | Homepage | 06.30.08 - 9:13 pm | #

My pleasure!

--mf
Monkeyfister | Homepage | 06.30.08 - 9:37 pm | #

MF -

OUTSTANDING!

Thank you for providing a succinct tutorial on (what I call) cross-square gardening.

For those in bad climes (me) at least you'll get something. For me, it's ants that are the plague, but I deal....
Sweaterman | 06.30.08 - 10:42 pm | #

Ants--

Get a box of 20-Mule Team Borax, heat up two cups of water to boiling, stir in two cups of the Borax.

Let Cool.

Ever seen a product called TERRO?

You just made it.

It's non-toxic. Demeur will tell you that Borax is used as an eye-wash.

Kills ALL ants, and termites, and roaches dead fast.

Get a tuna can tin, poke some holes a bit above the bottom, dribble in some of this mix, and cover with some duct-tape. Set where the ants are.

Dead-Ant,
Dead-Ant,
...
Dead-Ant,
Dead-Ant,
Dead-Ant...

As a matter of fact, that is going to be the next Garden Problem Solving 101 topic-- ridding the garden of ants.

Thanks, Sweaterman!

--mf
Monkeyfister | Homepage | 07.01.08 - 1:13 am | #

OOPS!!!

I fucked up the recipe...

2 cups boiling water, 2 cups SUGAR, 1 cup Borax. Let cool to thicken.

Sorry 'bout that!

It's midnight, and I'm hard into the homebrew...

--mf
Monkeyfister | Homepage | 07.01.08 - 1:16 am | #