Got a lot done. The plans for world domination by Creeping Charlie and his insidious allies, Bermuda grass, and Dandelion have been temporarily thwarted. Discovered a new to me weed, that has roots deeper than a Dandelion. Some were over two feet deep, and bigger than a carrot! I'll set out onions today. Need to haul more material to cover what will be former lawn. The no till experiment from last year appears to be working out well. Still too wet to work in the 'lower' gardens. Too late to attempt peas this year. Rhubarb is up and looking good. AND WE HAVE ASPARAGUS!! Eighteen of twenty crowns have shoots showing. I'm sure the other two are just a bit tardy. It's good to have dirt under my fingernails again. Looking for advice on growing rutabaga's or swede's. Tried them last year and they all developed center rot.
Yesterday was beautiful! Glad to hear you got out and were able to work in the garden. You could still give the peas a try. we just put ours in late last week. Try the rutabagas again. I think it was too wet and cold last year. All the weather did was produce an abundance of poor or rotted crops. What are swedes?
I had a chance to get out some work done in my yard too! So nice to get back out there! I don't think it's too late for peas FBG.
FBG, you are one workin' machine! I got tired just reading about what you did in one day. You certainly had success with your asparagus--some good eating in your future! Carolyn, "Swede" is another name for rutabaga, based on a similar word in Swedish. It is a cross between a beet and cabbage, of all things! The originally Swedish couple down the road from us, the ones with the winery (yes, I know Sweden isn't known for wine-making, but this is Texas and things happen) asked me where to get Swede seed. I didn't know what the vegetable was, and Inga's description was a little vague, so I had to look it up.
Miss Carolyn, since this is an international forum, I try to use names that would be familiar to our cousins across the pond. Along with the names we commonly use here. I'm willing to give rutabaga's a try again this year, just don't want to waste the effort. Miss Jane, All ya'll get more done than me. I'm naturally lazy, must be the hillbilly in me. Just when I set to, I keep at it for a while. Miss Netty, by the time peas would be blooming here, it would be too warm for them to set. Being lazy, wasted effort, not to mention space, just ain't happening.
FBG, I get it because I grew up as a Hillbilly. I too try to get it all done once I start because the getting out there takes some effort. Is SW Ohio really so different from SE Michigan weather wise? I just planted peas about a week ago and I sure hope to have plenty. I think you'll like the no till method. My plan is to scatter straw, or if I made a mistake, hay, over most of the area and just dig holes for setting out plants, replacing the mulch close to the plants.
Yes Ma'am. SW Ohio is that much different than SE Michigan. My SIL lives just north of Toledo, and they're a month behind us in weather.
Wow. I guess I'm a New England hillbilly! That is why it is so tough to get out there and do something! But, when I finally do, I don't like stopping until it's done. Sometimes the days just aren't long enough! FBG what is your "no till experiment"?
Sorry to have taken so long to reply Beeker. The experiment was, spread organic matter over a 4' by 30' area about a foot deep. Kept the weeds down. Hoe'd off the weeds and broadforked the soil. Planted onions already, and maybe some beets, turnips, or rutabaga later.
You're so lucky to have been able to get stuff done. We had a cold spell yesterday, so I have to wait for when it's consistently warm with no threat of a freeze before I do anything outside :/
Ava Rose, it has been quite cold here too. We had about 3 inches of snow this past Tuesday, but I have lettuce up, peas maybe. It's hard to be sure because they're covered with straw. Today I planted a few potatoes in a mixture of dirt and straw. I'm considering growing some in a leaf bag filled with garden soil and straw. The bags are too tall, so I will fold it down half way, punch a few holes in the bottom, maybe encircle it with garden wire fence. I'll begin with just enough soil and straw to cover the seed potatoes, adding more as they grow.
Ah! FBG, I was thinking of doing something similar with a raised bed. In my garden plot, I cut the sod and tilled, but with a raised bed, I figured I'd just put newspaper over the grass and throw in about a foot of compost on top and plant directly in that.
Beeker let us know how that works out. I have used newspaper in the holes where I set out tomato plants as a way of keeping moisture. It seemed to help. This year, we will use cardboard circles on some, maybe newspaper on some, and other, just plop them into the ground.
Argh! I can't use the compost. Co-workers say the quality is lousy. If I'm going to use it, I should put it down in the autumn and let the rain and snow run through it to clean out any chemicals and junk that would be mixed in. So, please advise. What can I fill my raised bed with at this late in the season that will be inexpensive? I'm on a tight budget and, actually, have practically no money left because I'm getting a big car maintenance bill tomorrow. The compost was free from the town. Now what?
I can only relate my own experience, Beeker. Two years ago, we were blessed with an abundance of compost from a nearby city. We hauled several pickup loads to strengthen our garden soil. We mixed it into the garden soil. Then we always use Miraclegro garden soil into the soil as we plant. We had no problems. We're quite healthy. LOL But you must use your own thoughts in this matter. The past two summers, we have been blessed with free hay or perhaps straw to use as mulch. I also mix it into the potato trench along with the soil.
