2019 Garden Thread

[BilletHead]

         Sleet and snow on the West side of the state JD! 

BilletHead

[ness]

Curious as to what temps are reached using heat mats. Used my infrared thermometer and took a reading on the cells and the tomato seeds I have presprouting. 

Nice!

That’s pretty warm!

[fishinwrench]

1 hour ago, BilletHead said:

         Sleet and snow on the West side of the state JD! 

BilletHead

Road conditions here right now are bad-bad-Bad.   

Anybody out on the roads around here this evening are not gonna make it home unless they are in chains. 

[BilletHead]

           Finally the tub dirt thawed so I could do some garden work. I am so over the lingering winter. Need to get the indoor started lettuce outside. All of the single non wicking tubs were emptied into the big beds. Moved them over with a two wheel cart and one shovel at a time until all that dirt was moved. I plan on replacing these tubs with the double wicking ones. 

  The wicking tubs worked so well last year. The ones I had tomatoes in I will be using for peppers this season. The new ones will be tomatoes. This way I can rotate each year to help prevent tomato disease at least this is what we are shooting for. So I got two shoveled out into a wheelbarrow and remixed the dirt. I had apprehension of what the paired tub bottoms would look like. With all those little holes in the bottom to drain and wick water up and down I thought there would be dirt and mud in the bottom one. Nope all that was in there were fine roots from the past seasons plants. I felt this was a win. 

     This was enough for the day and still not standing straight this morning. Two days of rain up to three inches forecasted. Rest and project will be picked up later. For what we have invested over the years growing and learning we could of bought lots of commercial raised veggies but the taste of homegrown is hard to beat. For those of you that are in wet areas or bad ground Like we have in our yard I urge you to try a couple of these big wicking tubs. 

   BilletHead

[MOPanfisher]

After a running litany of excuses I am finally on the board.  Planted lettuce,radishes and spinach in my old cold frame.  Didn't get rebuilt like I had planned, too many things and too little time and $.  I also have a bunch of zucchini seeds soaking and ready to go into a starter tray.  Pulled a back muscle at bottom of short ribs and a little planting is about all I can accomplish right now.  Garden itself is only going to get maters, zucchini, cukes and canteloupes.  Leftover space will get a heavy mix of pollinators flowers.  I still have strawberries and asparagus to play with as well.  And should be receiving a new plants for it and a few Thornley blackberries and whatever else my wife ordered maybe raspberries.

[tho1mas]

The lettuce is up. Planted it Feb. 14th. The freezing didn't kill it.

Too small for pictures.

[jdmidwest]

Finally cleared off a raised bed this afternoon after work and dug the strawberry plants out of it.  The plants I had in the cells of the cement blocks last year put runners into the bed.  They produced a 5 gallon bucket of young plants with great roots.  Going to have to start another strawberry bed.

Tilled the soil and planted lettuce, spinach, and snow peas.  Covered back up with plastic.

Plants I had started a month ago in the peat pots have lone since withered and died.  I never have much luck with starting indoors months ahead of planting time.  They do work good to sprout stuff in to start out before planting.

Mushrooms around the corner, just a few weeks off.

[ness]

My indoor lettuce is looking good. Maters are just starting to get true leaves—they’re behind a little. Can’t get peppers to pop even though I presprouted them. May have to buy plants. Started ground cherries and they’re popping. Lots on the plate the next 60 days. Gonna have to find time for all this. 

[jdmidwest]

Local grocery store has fruit trees for 19.99 each. Good looking 4-5' trees.  I plan on taking a few apple and pears out to the farm tomorrow and building my retirement orchard.

Doing a little research on what they have an whether they self pollinate. May have to buy doubles.

 

[jdmidwest]

Ended up with 2 Arkansas Black Apples, a Granny Smith Apple, and a Bartlett Pear. 

Worked with the bees all afternoon getting ready for spring.