Posted on 05/06/2023 5:31:33 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
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I will get back to the thread later regarding 5 gallon sips that I made which have an air space below the roots but have about 1 1/2 gallon reservoir for dry times.
Expected Temp today is 91F. Need to pull off the covers (protect against squirrels and heavy rain) and get things watered and taken care of early so heading outside!
If your feeders are being emptied overnight, it could be nectivorous bats. They’ll gladly empty all your feeders in a night! They’re remarkable creatures, like hummingbirds, just not as cuddly and photogenic.
Yes, I am in NE MA and the rain is gone and sun is out, and looks like highs in 60's and low 70's and lows around 50 for the next 10 days, so tomato planting (which is sppsd to wait until soil get to be 60) may be in about a week or so, God willing. Meanwhile, the seedling tomatoes are slowly growing (soils is not the best), thank God and to His glory. How many can you see-do the pics show (trying Google photo)?
Good morning all. Glorious weather here in west Michigan. I started planting seeds and putting plants in the ground. I don’t think May 19 will be our last frost date by any means.
My 8 Diana Flower Pots went in yesterday. They had doubled in size.
Also put in 3 big broccoli plants. Our smaller plants will go in later. Also put in our big better boy and san marzano plants. Seeds, planted butterkin squash, snow pea pods, chinese long beans and cucumbers. I hope to plant a little more each day. Tomorrow heavy rain expected. Once everything is in the ground we will be using Dr. Jim Z’s Chicken Soup for the Soil, which has done wonders these past 2 years especially on the flowers, roses and clematis. The birds are singing. Love being outside. And my pawpaw trees are loaded with flowers. Our most ever. 4 trees all with flowers. I tried last year with horse manure to draw flies but I just did not get enough fruit. Someone suggested pig poop and I got 2 hefty bags of straw/poop from some friends. Placed the on the ground in front of the trees and slit the bags open yesterday. Before I walked away there were 4 flies on it - “Like flies on sh!t”.
Our other tomato plants, campari and sabre, still too small to put in. Maybe Monday I’ll be putting in 5 shishito pepper plants and one banana pepper plant. Lots of Costa Rican red pepper plants too small yet. After 39 years of gardening here we have it down to a science as to what we like and what grows well.
New this year, I am tired of putting plant identifier tags in the ground. They are hard to read after awhile and wind up getting lost in the soil. So I am punching a hole in them and twist tying them either to the tomato fence of any stakes I use. Also eliminating some of the bending over! And my parsley which I left in the ground all winter with no mulch is a huge patch already. Happy gardening!
After over a month, my Granny Cantwell and Carbon tomatoes have finally germinated along with a Lemon Drop pepper. No sign of the basil yet. Meanwhile, the marijuana plants germinated in a week.
We are going to try cucumbers this year. I’m also going to try container gardening with beets and climbing squash. The containers will be walled in by the marijuana plants which the deer avoid due to the smell. Maybe we’ll get to keep the container plants.
Happy Gardening to all. Getting my tomato plants in today.
Thanks - it took a couple of days - as far as I know, we don’t have the bat issue.
Do you have a porch you can put them on? It will harden them off and they will do much better outside anyways.
Spinach just starting to go to seed, but this isn't bad for Southern Alabama--I've been eaten them since February!
whoops!
Meant to say, all three go together well, and even help each other!
So true, our best gardens are the ones where we are in it a little each day.
I think I got a few hornworms trying to eat my pepper plants.
I have been using the dish soap, veggies oul, baking soda and water mix to best them back.....been effective.
I spray every 2 or 3 days (unless it rains.)
I learned the hard way to not try and spray until the sprayer jug is nearly empty.
My pick up tube grabbed some of the mix that settled to the bottom then the next day the 3 plants who got a foamy spray looked like they had been burned to a crisp on the BBQ....black and shriveled up crispy leaves.
They are planted with a "Scentsational" rose - that has grown out of control:
These amaryllises are from "Christmases Past" - I inherited them from my mother - wasn't sure if they were going to come up or not.
This feather-leafed purple verbena is taking over my rock garden, the boysenberry on the right at the bottom is a volunteer:
And, the more I hack away at this volunteer nasturtium, the more flowers, leaves and vines it pumps out:
I just bought a new, standing weeder - weeded for about an hour yesterday with my hand tool -and my back didn't like it one bit. Yard looks better, though...
I weed on a small kneeling pad/bench with raised side handles and use a hand tool
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07FP8S3JD/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
to me this is much easier than any sort of bending over.
I do have a varied of hoe for heart work.
I planted pickling cucumbers...not as bitter...don’t need to be peeled and grow like crazy. I got a type that are 90% female....babies, babies everywhere. Picked 10 a day for days and days. Gave a lot away.
Thanks, Pete!
You’re Welcome! I hope you can get some answers!
“I plant vegetables right over the top of them and there’s no problems.”
I do the same. My Tulips look great this season. I have my tomato cages already ‘strategically placed’ among them for planting in a few more weeks. May 15th is my last frost date and I am NOT one to run out to the garden at night and throw blankets on everyone if we get a freeze; I’ll wait.
Even if I get them in at the end of May, I still have five months of growing season before there’s a chance of a freeze. :)
Beautiful! :)
My family is very fond of “Dragon Egg” cucumbers. They stay sweet at any size, and the white skins make them easy to spot against the green vines.
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