Gardening 2017

Time to start getting ready. We have had such a mild winter the weeds think it is spring already. I have a big sticker problem I've been fighting for years. I've been mis calculating the best time to spread the Corn gluten meal. That stuff used to be reasonable around $20 for a big bag. Now it is $50 a bag. I new we had a big storm coming so this morning I went out and spread the corn gluten meal- it needs a good soaking. It is a great organic pre-emergent. Here's what the storm looks right now:



I also bought 3 tomato plants and lots of onion plants. Still have to get the beds ready and fill in the turkey poop.

 

Ha! Those damn sticker burrs are a major pain in the ass. We slept thru the tornado warning last night. I've got half of my garden beds ready to plant, just picked up a couple Black Krim plants yesterday. Looks like summer is Texas gonna be really early this year.....

 

I've been out the past 2 weekends cleaning up my front (ornamental) beds and starting on the fenced raised bed veggie garden - cutting perennials back, pulling weeds. As well as veggies that I let bolt after late planting (carrots, swiss chard....) Though we have daffodils blooming and lots of shrubs & trees have started to bud (my allergies attest....) I won't plant yet - too early and we could still have frost or even an ice storm. But when it's mid70s and sunny, it's hard to resist!!! I will do some seed buying and bed planning - I think I'm only going to do tomatoes in pots this year because I've had such problems with rust & aphids the past 2 years, despite rotating - I want to get them out of that fenced area for a year or two and then start over once I've refreshed those beds. Which means I'll go heavy on legumes in there this year, I think.....

 

Still snow covered here in MA.....can't even think of a garden until May

 

This is my plan also. A guy up the street uses 5 gallon buckets with much success.

 

I have lots of big "disposable nursery pots for my tomatoes (and a couple that are prettier - I'll put those where I'll see them) [disposable - ha - we don't throw anything away, but I swear those black plastic pots procreate like bunnies in the shed ;-)]

I've also seen people with good success growing all sorts of things right in a bag of garden soil....But that seems really messy to me. Maybe if I were growing over winter in a greenhouse or something....

 

I grew up in CT and remember picking daffodils to leave on doorsteps on May Day and for my mom for Mother's Day. Now they're blooming in NC (in FEBRUARY). It's crazy - such a warm Feb. Dang climate change

 

Make sure to buy plants that are intended for growth in buckets. I've made this mistake and lost an entire crop, well 3 buckets, to end rot because the roots could not grow. Plants bred for pots do not have a huge root system.

Go to Burpees.com. Not a plug. I use them and they seem to be huge plant lovers. I personally do not trust Bonne Bell.

Drill a few holes in the bottom of the buckets. NOT TOO MANY. Just to let it drain. Add about 3 -4 inches of gravel to the bucket before the gardening soil.

Don't get overwhelmed by additives. A tiny bit of fish oil (2 tblsp to a 2 Gal watering can) maybe once a month is plenty. You can mix in used coffee grounds, ground up egg shells and/or bone meal to the soil.

Eliminate pests in the area that will eat anything and can climb to reach anything. Don't get sentimental over Mr. Groundhog. Kill him. If it was a rat you would kill it, and that's all he is, an overgrown rat. No sort of repellant or have a heart trap will stop them. Rat poison on cantaloupe slices is the way to go. Just hope that he doesn't go under your neighbor's deck to die.

Screw the Groundhogs! This is war!

DO NOT USE MIRACLE GRO!! IT HAS TOXINS THAT KILL THE HONEY BEES!!!

 

I have been doing a little more education on tomatoes. They really like organic things like compost tea. Every recipe I read that says easy -- seems complicated. Beneficial Nematodes -- I can't say enough about these. And yes @Breeze147 we can agree on Bees -- don't kill the bees.

 

I planted the onions.

 

And this is why We can't have nice things. I'm s border line PETA person. But I am ready to Call Saul if those little furry f-ers don't leave my garden alone. I just took this pic a few minutes ago.

 

I compost all my kitchen scraps and use that in the garden, along with aged cow manure from a farmer neighbor.

But DO NOT put dead tomatoes back on the compost pile. Too much disease......

 

Years back, before I had fenced gardens, I had a couple raised beds in different areas (we're built on a hill so have a walk-out basement) One day we found half-eaten tomatoes picked on the lower level and brought up to the upper beds where there were greens. Damn groundhog (we call ours Fat Bastards) was making a walking salad!!

 

My cilantro thrived this winter. I just made a creamy verde salsa with a bunch of cilantro and it is great. I'm going to make some cilantro scones for a potluck at work tonight.

 

My fall cilantro failed miserably :-( It's the first seed I'll plant, 1st or 2nd week of March....Most years I can get a spring and fall crop, but the garden was just not great last year. Well, I'm sure the blame belongs with the gardener, so I'll take it....

 

Lady Bug Products are all organic. Media products like Hasta Gro -- all Organic

 

That is a snazzy lookin' set up

I haven't seen those metal beds, they look really nice.

It's nice you provide lighting for the critters to dine round the clock

 

We got those last year from TheSportsman's Guide - pretty reasonably priced. My husband hates the ambient lighting I provide for the critters. I went outside late at night last summer and a deer was in the backyard and scared the living shit out of me. We live in town- they don't usually venture into our neighborhood.

 

We have both deer and elk..........the deer are pretty timid and run away but the damn elk are fearless, especailly the males in mating season. The only thing the elk won't eat are waxy leaved plants like rhododendrons, azaleas, and camellias, and ferns. Thus, our yard only has these things planted outside the garden fence.

Our plants still suffer though as the elk come in to the yard to eat the ivy and tromp all over everything, they are very rude ! One big male several years stomped our dog........a golden retriever.....he was used to chasing the deer which just run away but the big male elk pay no respect to a dog and just dropped a hoof on him, ruptured three discs in his back, he doesn't chase elk any more preferring to hide behind us and bark.

I looked up those metal planters, going to see if the local feed and seed has those, if not may buy from Sportsmans.....thanks for the tip.

Happy harvesting