Garden 08 - Machine Underground -Tractor & Commercial Equipment Discussion Forum

Mickey · 05-12-2008, 02:08 PM

It's been a hard year for some of us to get a garden going due to the slow coming of spring in many places.

I first started working on the garden back in late Feb but due mostly to weather, as of last week, nothing planted. While the weather is still cooler & wetter than norm for this time of year I did get a few things planted last Wed & Thurs. Noticed this AM we have radishes and lettuce coming up. We also planted some onion starts (Wala-Wala Sweets) last week and they are starting to look like they're taking root and perking up.

Weather forecast is mid-70's on Wed and 90 come Fri. This is short lived as rain is in the forecast come Sat.

Anyone else getting a garden going?

**gunmaker** · 05-13-2008, 12:52 AM

Here in the northern mid-atlantic our seasons are short. In my area, frost is a common problem until Memorial Day. So far this year I've been able to prepare both garden beds, and add amendments to the soil. I'll be getting some organic seeds from Burpee this year, with a few additions from local nursery's. My wife and I are planning on making a concerted effort to preserve much of this years crops for meals throughout the winter. This year the effort will be more for econmic reasons than our usual fun and winter enjoyment.

jbrumberg · 05-13-2008, 09:14 AM

It was a short "Mud Season" this year so I was able to till and fence the garden about 3 weeks earlier than normal last week. The hated black flies were not too bad then; they are bad now

. I started another bed of aspargus (25 crowns), got the sugar snap, snow peas, and several varieties of radishes planted. I underestimated the "holding power" of water soaked newspaper mulch with yesterday's winds

. I did the same thing years ago with rolls of black plastic

. That made for very interesting tree ornaments. Jay

Mark / Ohio · 05-15-2008, 12:29 AM

So far I've tilled once and bought seeds for lettuce, carrots, peas, corn, and have onion sets. But the rain started and it has not been dry enough to get back in since then.

Mickey · 05-15-2008, 01:09 PM

Mark, sounds like you're having the same problem weather wise as we've been experiencing. Things are improving. Most all of the stuff planted last week are up except for the carrots but that is to be expected.

Weather forcast has been improving as the week has progressed. Mid-80's today, mid-90's tomorrow and back to mid-80's on Sat.

Going to try and plant the GB's today and posssibly the corn in the next day or two. I also need to get some fert to apply as a side dressing. I typ use 16-16-16 which is a very popular mix around here.

Mark / Ohio · 05-17-2008, 12:28 AM

Mickey,

Aren't the mid 90's unusual for your area especially this time of year?

Sometimes we'll go all summer with only a handful of days at or above 90F

I went out and done my weekly mowing today. Still some standing water in places. Now I have mowed grass with mud tracks through it in the back and side yard.

Feast or famine as usual.

Mickey · 05-17-2008, 01:21 AM

Yep, 90's this time of yr isn't the norm. It topped out a 97 this afternoon. Cooling back down to mid-80's tomorrow. Come Sunday, down further to more norm temps for this time of yr, mid-70's.

Remember back 30 yrs ago and was doing haying. Had one of these hot spells and was having bailer problems. Just what I needed, laying on my back, chaff falling in my face and mid-90's. Got things fixed and bailed 30 ton that day.

We see a lot more 90's than I'd like and I've seen spells ovr 100 for about 5 days straight.

Mark / Ohio · 06-01-2008, 12:28 AM

I have sprouts in the garden!

The rain last night started my green beans, corn, radishes, on onion sets to pop through the ground. Now I need to watch and make sure they do not dry back out too much. My tomato and all three cabbage plants seem to have survived their transplanting into the garden well too. I planted all last Sunday and Monday.

**LoneCowboy** · 06-01-2008, 09:13 AM

Everything we planted is up (yeah!!!), lost a couple of the onion sets (which makes me grouchy), but we'll still have plenty. The garlic is like a jungle, amazing. Going to have lots of garlic.

Had to weed last night, the onions had gotten out of control. So, did the whole garden. I read something (storey's guide to country living I think) that a weeded garden isn't 2x more productive, it's something like 10 times more productive!!!. It's well worth weeding. I do a lot of it.

I do put some grass clippings between the plants to help mulch and that really helps keep the garden down.
Now we need some heat to get things rolling.

jbrumberg · 06-01-2008, 11:25 AM

My aspargus crowns have all sent up shoots

and I dropped another FEL bucket of really well composted cow manure in the asparagus trench. My radishes have all sprouted, but my sugar snap and snow peas look like a dead zone

. Jay