Itching to start the garden

Burpee's ^ | 04/02/2024 | Myself

[Omnivore-Dan]

Spring is here, but still too cool here in N.W. Jersey too start my garden, and way too muddy with all of the rain. Need to dry out before I can work with it. Got a source for manure to turn in and a good sunny spot. Last year I planted some "Yellow Teardrop Tomatoes" never had them before and they were awesome! So sweet and full of flavor. Going to do more this year, 3 or 4 times as much, my friends keep asking me if I'm going to have them again.

[xoxox]

Best tomato salad I ever had was made by Jersey native with Jersey ‘maters. It tasted like Thanksgiving dinner.

[daniel1212]

We are supposed to get somewhere between 6-18” of global warming climate change snow starting tomorrow here in NH. I may go skiing again this coming weekend.

We had the second wettest summer in 2023 here in MA. This year, 6'' over normal so far, and often very windy. I do not contend that the temps may have risen (I think they should have in the light of the industrial revolution and wars), but apart from Divine judgment, I believe that He engineered earth to handle such. Thus I see adjustments taking place.

[Omnivore-Dan]

Oh, I could tell you all kinds of Jersey lore, an abandonded asylum, a dam across the Delaware River that was stopped by gun toting farmers, a roadhouse in the back woods in Hunterdon where it’s said Johnny Cash played, rum runners, pirates. And of course I could tell you about the cranberries, blueberries, sweet corn, and those to die for tomatoes. No big secret with the tomatoes, manure, a little 10-10-10 lots of water (if it doesn’t rain) until the fruit are about half the size, then slow down on the water, don’t want them to crack and burst open. What, when and where did you play in the Pine Barrens? Lots of mobsters buried there.

[Omnivore-Dan]

We have friends in Laconia NH, seems like they are always digging out, but it just so beautiful I think I could deal with it.

[Omnivore-Dan]

Every time I plant early, I get burned. Seems like Mother Nature just waits for me to plant, then calls Old Man Winter to lay down a nice thick coating of frost. Northern Jersey’s weather is like a turnstile. 60 one day, 35 the next. Doesn’t seem to stabilize until late April, early May. Like your handle, Osage Orange. We have some around here, mostly hedge rows. Beautiful wood, makes nice bowls, doesn’t rot for a good 30 -40 years or more. Careful burning in a wood stove, sparks fly like crazy.

[9YearLurker]

Oh, come on! You can get some radishes, peas and spinach started, can’t you?

[Pollard]

I'm in Missouri so about the same hardiness zone as you and Southwestern Canada but our humid 100 degree Summers make it different.

Looks like you're 7a and I'm 6b since I'm in central MO. I've got bok choy and peas that needs to go out but it will be 31 tomorrow morning so I'll wait until the weekend when lows are back up to the mid to high 40s. They can handle low 30s but probably not on their first few nights. I want to let them settle in for a few days of mild.

Got peppers and tomatoes started in cell trays and just replanted lettuce & greens seeds due to a mishap on my first batch. Temp probe fell out and heat mats stayed on and cooked them dry.

I've got a mini greenhouse in the corner of an unheated spare room for starting seeds. I removed the cover after first use and just drape some plastic sheeting over it on occasion.

Bottom shelf nearly on floor is storage. That gives me three shelves for six 1020 trays with cell counts from 18 up to 72, depending on cell(pot) size. If I used all 72 cell trays, I could start 432 seeds at once. Not bad for a 2'x2' floor space.

18 inch grow lights hang from the shelves to light the next shelf down with one set hanging from the top frame for the top shelf. Had to steal the wire rack from bottom and set it across the top frame to have something to hang from.

Had some 1/4" thick, foil lined bubble wrap insulation so I put that on the shelves and set heat mats on top and then 1020 cell trays.

Just got into seed starting a few years ago and am still learning but it's my favorite part of gardening, except for the eating part. I need to start about a month earlier though.

[Omnivore-Dan]

I have a small workshop, and half of the roof on the southern side is lexan, so I use it to start my seeds. I prefer to work with seeds, vs, seedlings because you know what you’re getting. Too many times I ‘ve bought seedlings and they were mismarked, people switch the tabs that define the plant. Also, I start in large containers, and only transplant once. Some I plant in 10 gallon containers for the back deck. Handy, just walk out the kitchen and grab a pepper, or a bunch of lettuce, etc.

[woodbutcher1963]

Same here. I live west of Nashua.
I probably mowed my lawn more times last year than ever before. I was literally out there every four days cutting.

I crazy thing is that I did it to myself. When I bought this house 13 years ago it was totally in the woods. It had no yard at all. There were 1-3 foot diameter trees within 15 feet of the house built in 1972. I hired a logging crew that cut for a week. Twice after that I had an excavator in to turn areas into a lawn/field.

So, now IF I cut everything at the same time it takes about two hours on my 1999 John Deere 42” deck riding lawn mower.

Recently, I have been watching FB marketplace to buy an Exmark or Scag commercial landscape mower. Something with a 52” deck.

Even used these machines are still worth $5-7K. I am trying to find one with only a 300 hours or less. A landscaper will easily put 1000-1500 hours on these machines before trading them in. So, even a year like last I would only out 70 hours a season on a machine. Meaning it would last me 20 years.

[Omnivore-Dan]

Oh, for sure. Love radishes and early lettuce. But too cool yet for most of the other stuff. Going to try some different things this year, 100+ pound pumpkins. Grew some like that about 25 - 30 years ago. Fun for the grandkids.

[Omnivore-Dan]

I would stick with a rider mower or a tractor with a mower. Those commercial mowers with very tight turning radius are murder on your back, imho.

[Pollard]

Yellow Pear Tomato. Grew some year before last. Skin’s a little thick but the flavor’s good. Barry’s Crazy Cherry is another yellow one, so named due to the crazy amount of maters on each cluster. I counted over 200 fruits on one plant.

Rosella is a good purple cherry. Chadwick Cherry is a large red cherry and good for halving/quartering for a salad.

[Pollard]

Also, I start in large containers, and only transplant once.

I'm getting away from the 72 cell trays for the same reason. I want to sow the seeds and when big enough, plant them out. I hate potting up. 18 to 50 cells per tray is fine. They actually make 128 cell trays. Insane.

[woodbutcher1963]

I have a 72” Finish mower that I hook up to the 3 pt hitch of my Massey Ferguson tractor. It is great for mowing a field.
Meaning, making long straight lines. As soon as you need to turn it(25 ft radius) it does not work that great. IF you attempt to make tighter turns you will tear up your lawn. Even in rear wheel drive.

The advantage of a real commercial mower is the blades turn at a higher speed than your typical John Deere rider. This allows you to mow at a higher velocity. Therefore, completing the mowing in 1/2 to 2/3 the time. They also have heavy duty hydraulic pumps 8-10 gauge fabricated decks.

Again, I am not talking about a John Deere, Ariens, Toro, Cub Cadet or Gravely zero turn mower. These machines are made for homeowners to cut their 1/2 acre lawn. I am looking to buy a machine that originally sold for 11K-13K. Made for some landscaper to beat the crap out of and put 6+ machine hours per day on the engine.

The reason I am looking for a 52” deck as opposed to a 60” deck is that there are places on my property I could not get a 60” mower plus the side shoot into. Therefore, I would then have to trim with a smaller machine. Which defeats the purpose.

[9YearLurker]

Wow. Haven’t grown regular pumpkins for a couple of years, but had some stray, tiny, white and orange, ornamental pumpkins spring up in their stead.

[Omnivore-Dan]

I find less root bound and less shock when transplanted. Most of the time when the soil in the pots is kind of dry, the plant slips right out of the pot, no root damage. Easier, too and larger pots will hold more water and nutrients. Works for me.

[Omnivore-Dan]

I used to view cherry tomatoes (all colors) with some disdain. They seemed to pop up all over the garden, and I’m not sure exactly what kind of tomato the little plants are from. Then I got tired of the larger ones splitting just before I would pick them, and slugs, my sworn enemy. So, I conceded and started them in 5 - 10 gallon containers on our back deck which faces south. I get a better yield with the smaller cherry varieties then I would with beef steak. Easy too, just walk out the kitchen door.

[Omnivore-Dan]

Ha! Takes a veggie to know a veggie. Biden and celery are in the same club.

[Omnivore-Dan]

Yes, I know. Baltimore is a couple weeks ahead of us in the hills of northern Jersey. Even south Jersey is way ahead of us.

[Omnivore-Dan]

Thanks. I’m a garden nut. I even grow things I don’t particularly like, like zuchinni. My wife loves the stuff, and I just like to grow anything. She does make a really good pancake, similar to a potato pancake. The only way I’ll eat zuchinni (I won’t even bother to spell it correctly).