Posted on 03/10/2017 4:48:06 PM PST by greeneyes
The Weekly Gardening Thread is a weekly gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds.
From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you.
This thread is non-political, although you will find that most here are conservative folks. No matter what, you won’t be flamed and the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked.
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Send those people my way!
It really WAS nice after being cooped up all Winter. I don’t mind a day or two of Hard Labor after that. :)
-1 degree Fahrenheit here with the Montreal Express blowing at 25 mph. I won’t even plant my tomatoes (indoors of course) until April 22. I will set them out in the garden around June 1. Some years I can’t get them out until June 10 unless I put them under a row cover. Vermonters have a saying about this time of year. “As the days get longer, the cold gets stronger.” I look forward to reading the WEEKLY GARDEN THREAD.
Yippee! I can see frozen mud again! Tilling and planting is just around the next month!
Got our cherry pruned; Didn’t even have to use the snowblower to get to it. ;-) Also ordered my seed potatoes; time for fresh stock.
After soaking over night, last Monday I made a large pot of ham & beans, using our own Great Northerns, Speckled Butterbeans, and Jacob’s Cattle Beans we grew.
Thanks for the idea!
Well , 20 below wind chill for 3-11-17 ....BUT! The black willow tree finally became exposed ( I planted it last year ) and it has the beautiful black willow spurs on it and I’m not sure but I think it said “to heck” with the four feet of snow it was under and just continued growing! What a tough tough tree. I am positive now that I chose the proper spot to plant it...we have an underground spring that is visible during the warmer months and of course has the most lushest grass in the yard...This willow should thrive for many many years...I am in central Maine by the way. Also i will be back on the farm (perennials) for the spring and summer once again and am looking forward to it.
I’ve got a house full of grandkids this weekend and the weather isn’t all that pleasant outside, so I haven’t done much in the garden. I did water the flats in the cold frame yesterday. Aside from that I’ve just been thinking about it. lol
It looks like the orchard trees are going to get frozen hard Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights. That’ll be two years in a row.
Please remove me from your ping list as I’m no longer welcome here.
Looking good, and glad to hear the garlic doesn’t have rust. Always love seeing your photos.
Sunny & warm today, so I inspected the garden, and discovered that last year’s potato patch had dried out enough for a preliminary tilling. That was one of the Fall chores that had not been done. Looks like most of the strawberries didn’t make it; likely drowned.
Meantime, it’s back down to 15 so far tonight; lower by morning, and cold tomorrow.
There’s my garlic fix thanks buddy!
I got a few things accomplished yesterday after the grandkids all went home.
Pulled down the last of the netting from the tomato fence and pulled one row of t-posts. One more row of t-posts and plastic mulch to come out and that will be finished.
Guy drove down from Kansas City and traded me some dead presidents for my TWH mare. He’s involved with the Show Me Riders Club in KC, so I know the horse will be well cared for and doing good work there. Made me sad to let her go, but a horse, like a man, needs a purpose.
You have a great set up and beautiful looking soil. Good drainage!
Forty years of improving this soil but sadly we are planting less vegetables and more annual flowers.. When all the strawberries are panted I will lay out the drip irrigation lines and the mulch with rice hulls...
You’ve talked about rice hulls before and posted pix. Sadly I cannot find them here.
I have used Miracle Gro and had a fair harvest of Butternut Squash for two seasons. Looking to do better, I have been reading about GroPal Bal (One hundred gallons of Australian ocean water are evaporated down to a 1 gallon concentrate, making it a product packed with trace minerals) which formula the author says he thinks "has the potential to revolutionize agriculture," but this novice is skeptical and am not looking to spend a lot of money. At $24.95 + shipping for a 8 ounce bottle (1/8th an acre) i want to do research.
RE acidic soil, that author claims "Sulfur bacteria are eliminated by Lime. This is why you need GroPal Balance to correct the pH, because it is done biologically, not chemically. YOU CAN’T PROPERLY CORRECT YOUR SOIL pH WITH LIME."
Another product i was looking at was Dr. Earth Organic 5 Tomato, Vegetable & Herb Fertilizer Poly Bag
I would like to have a compost heap but with only a few months of warm weather and rats in the area then i wonder if it would be worth it.
Any opinions?
By far, the best all-around fertilizer that I have found for just about ANYTHING that sets a fruit or a vegetable is a granular 10-18-10.
You will find a bag of it in the Grass Seed section of your local garden center or hardware store.
Apply and work into your bed prior to planting. Read the package for rates.
I use it on my fruit trees and small fruits, tomatoes, peppers - anything that sets a fruit or a vegetable. It’s awesome stuff, and since it is designed for lawn care, it’s gentle and won’t ‘burn’ anything.
Just my 2-cents. :)
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