OA 2015 garden thread

[BilletHead]

Well Ness got the garden thread going last year so I suppose I will get it going this season. JD had shared his valentines failure so lets hope no one has any more debacles. We have three 72 cell trays planted. Sounds like a bunch but any extra non used plants will be going to neighbors, friends and for anyone else that need plants. We have four types of tomatoes, four types of peppers, four types of lettuce and some broccoli. Here we have some of the lettuce and broccoli sprouting,

Kind of been dreading doing the outside thing but the sun and warm breeze got me out there some today. Started by pruning the blackberry shoots that had produced last season. Easy to find and clip but a pain to get out of the hog panels where I had trained them. Easier by cutting them in sections. Then I did some training of the new ones that will produce this year. I then started removing the straw bales from around of the expensive winter lettuce bed. We did have fresh salad on new years but one night after that the bulb went out under the cover one night and that was the end of that patch. The bales were still frozen but I was able to break some apart to mulch under and between the blackberry canes,

Under the hay bales were some of the Mrs. Flowers coming up,

Low and behold in the lettuce patch was a soul survivor,

This got me to looking around the yard,

A crocus and some daffodils. It is time and I am so ready. So as I am working in the front there is a party going on out back of the house. Some of the yard deer and then we have now a hen turkey that has showed up. She came one morning early right out the window during the last snow. We seen her just standing there on one leg then down she went to a laying position. Then back up to both legs and one of her feet was swelled up big. We went outside and she hobbled off to the edge of the woods and she lay back down as it began to snow harder. We went to town and when We got back she was gone but you could see where she had been. I figured she would soon be predator bait if not already. Well she had been here for a few days and may be getting better. I suppose she feels safer close to the house? Don't know but she is fun to watch and is not so afraid of us. So a couple more pictures from today,

BilletHead

[countryred]

Very cool Billet,..looks like the critters are checking out the garden too. We were just down at our Jacks Fork place and spread clover , on top of the snow, and will plant blackberries next trip. Are yours thornless and how many did you plant originally?

[BilletHead]

Mr. Red,

This will be the third year for this patch. Yes they are thornless. Started with a dozen plants. Got almost two gallons of berries last season.

[ness]

I've got seeds started, but I'm pretty far behind from when I usually do it. Some tomatoes, peppers, onions and ground cherry are growing. Just started more peppers, onions and tomatoes, and the first round of lettuce. I've done some cleanup in the yard this morning, including cleaning out the asparagus bed and pruning the black raspberry canes. Taking a break right now, but will be transferring some compost into the beds and planting peas and spinach this afternoon.

I've got some black raspberry canes that have rooted in the ground -- maybe a half dozen. I'm pulling them up but will save them in some dirt. If anybody's interested, PM me your address in the next day or two and I'll mail some to you.

[ness]

Welp, compost bins and raised beds are still frozen....

[jdmidwest]

I watched bees sail out today into the snow to die. It was a pretty mass dieoff. I have read the snow disorients them, when it is white on the ground they lose their bearing and go down instead of up. Of course, the snow freezes and kills them.

We got close to 50 today, about half of the snow melted, puddles of mud and water everywhere.

[ness]

I watched bees sail out today into the snow to die. It was a pretty mass dieoff. I have read the snow disorients them, when it is white on the ground they lose their bearing and go down instead of up. Of course, the snow freezes and kills them.

We got close to 50 today, about half of the snow melted, puddles of mud and water everywhere.

So what's the death toll on the bees? Are they going to bounce back?

[jdmidwest]

Probably just normal attrition, I don't really worry about it much. Some could have been dead already and dropped by undertakers carrying them out. I put a feeder on one at farm today, it was light. I did not expect it to make it thru because of problems last fall. But the stronger one next to it was the one that failed in Nov.

[joeD]

Hmm. Reminds me of "Winters Bone" those pictures. Yet, no Jennifer Lawrence.

Anyway, I'm of the opinion that March, nowadays, is the end of winter, not the beginning of spring. So, why don't you chaps settle down with the plantings and such, because I'm nowhere near anything resembling planting.

Thank you.

[ness]

Mr. Carlin -- time to get Dr. Hartley to up your dosage.