Mary,mary Quite Contrary

[ness]

Where's that global warming when you need it?

[BilletHead]

My thoughts exactly! I am torn because I realize every cool day will mean not a hot day but my garden needs to grow. Will this mean the seasons are moving? Will I be in shorts and flip flops this December waiting for the waterfowl to arrive? Four and a half months until early teal season and we still have birds on the ponds I have been fly fishing. They are getting so tame and used to me they now just paddle to the other side and watch me. They need to go North and do what they do.

Oh the discussion you could bring up from your remark Ness:) I know the world is in a state of flux all the time I want it to flux less though,

BilletHead

Now out to sweep the snow off the plastic and get the mower ready for the season. Quite the oxymoron.

[ness]

Eveything's looking pretty good under the plastic. Low of 35 last night.

[BilletHead]

Everything planted now in the tubs and raised beds. Once those frosts were over and could uncover things went crazy growing inches by the day. Last picking of lettuce cleaning up the crop yielded 7 gallons of fresh greens. Neighbors and friends were treated, that's what we do in the boonies where we live. Replanted in their place some squash. Took some pictures today of the growing and other progress.

Some of the tub plantings of Brussel Sprouts, four types of peppers and assorted tomatoes.

Squash patch

Large tomato bed before supports.

Big bed with supports of fence posts and cut to size hog panels.

BilletHead

[jdmidwest]

Finally tilled mine up today after a day on the local lake in the boat. We caught a few crappie, the 4 year old had a blast, it was his first time out in the boat with his big boy rod.

Planted all my seeds today. Short season sweet corn, okra, beans, more cucs, squash, sunflowers, and pumpkins.

The maters are chuggin along, been down in the 40's the last few nights. I have some cucs and peppers coming along too. Taters in the raised bed are knee high. Picking lettuce. Strawberries are coming off at about a quart a day and looking good. New strawberry beds are looking good.

I like the mineral bucket idea, I have a source for them. I may need to use them to fill up some empty spaces in the yard. At second glance, those buckets aren't mineral buckets. Where did you pick up the tubs?

[ness]

Maters, peppers doing well after the cold and frost. Got more lettuce than I can eat right now. Lots of radishes too. Spinach has been spotty -- again. Third year on the asparagus bed and we had plenty. Strawberrys are all in pots and it should be any day for the early ones. Planted some ground cherries for the first time--anxious to see how those are. Planted lots of beans this year-- pole and bush; cylindra beets fer pickling

[BilletHead]

JD and Ness glad to hear your hard work is paying off. I was so bummed with the plants we started because they were so late and crappy looking. Now they are nice and robust growing well. Worked up a spot this morning and planted some thorn less blackberries. Ness we have a asparagus patch not in good soil. Some of the plants are five or more years old. We get some but not too much. I really need to add nitrogen I suppose to help them. Good thing is we are finding bookoos wild asparagus now. Will be grilling a mess today or tomorrow,

BilletHead

[Quillback]

Tomato plants are finally starting to take off, but not one green tomato on them, Last year I started getting tomatoes in early June. What a difference. Trying some winter squash this year, the plants are up and also finally showing some growth.

[ness]

Everything is coming along great this year with this cool spring. We've had so much rain that I'm afraid of fungus getting a foothold, so I need to get ahead of that. Maters have set a lot of fruit -- should have some in a couple weeks; already have a couple banana peppers to pick in a day or two. Beans took a while to flower, but they've finally done it. Two things that always seem to be a challenge for me -- snap peas and spinach -- were ok, but they are about done.

Built some lightweight wooden frames with bird netting to protect the black raspberries. Within 20 minutes my dog had run through it Got that fixed up, and gave him a little gift today -- a fresh battery for his Invisible Fence collar. Problem solved.

Strawberries are throwing off fruit at a decent pace. I've been doing those in pots, and never seem to have enough. I started some more Alpine strawberries this year. Not much yield on those, but they're as sweet and strongly-flavored as candy -- they never make it into the house. Two red varieties and a yellow one.

My uncles were out yesterday and one of them said one one of my Celebrity tomatoes didn't look right -- maybe it was mislabeled at the nursery. I told him that was impossible -- I started them all from seed. Then I took a closer look and -- it's not a Celebrity. It's got to be a Sungold (cherry), which I've already got two of, which was probably one too many as it was. Oh well.

[BilletHead]

Sounds nice Ness. Ours have grown with leaps and bounds. Like you lots of tomatoes on. Peppers too. Little baby squash forming. Need to post some current photos. Some of the tomato plants are getting yellowish leaves on the bottom. Is this the fungus you are speaking of? Wet here too and even in tubs with holes in the bottom some don't drain too well. What do you do for the fungus?

BilletHead