You definitely have a challenging environment for gardening. I'd consider a greenhouse when you get your projects with the house and everything caught up.
What have you done for garden prep so far?
- Thread starter Brent S
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The heirloom seeds have arrived. [emoji1]
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A greenhouse is on my list of building projects for next year. Along with an extension on the barn, a new chicken coop (for meat chickens), a rabbit barn, wood shed, ATV garage, another mile or two of new fencing and a shop building. Oh yeah, and a new house.
Damn. I got tired reading your to do list....
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Yeah. Retired hell. I should have retired at 47 instead of 57. Even with two hired hands it's taking longer than I anticipated.
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I've been working getting my garden straightened out. Two days ago I hurt my shoulder pretty bad so yesterday let it rest, just doing some weeding, housework and cooking. I am still babying it so only tilled and even though I said I was thinking about not planting, I planted. Just couldn't help myself. So have a variety of greens, lettuce, cabbage, pumpkins, rape seeds, Brussels sprout, turnips and carrots. Tomorrow will be another rest day, but will finish planting what I have ready with beets and radishes. Will still have about a dozen rows to finish up but it is coming along. Before I started on that I took out my starter and made dough to rise. After I came in this afternoon, I divided my dough and made part into cinnamon rolls and the other into dinner rolls. Should be ready to pop into the oven for hunnys breakfast before he goes to work. Tonight for dinner I got crawfish out and made crawfish cornbread and then a side salad.
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What is Baby Marrow? Some sort of melon? Or are my old eyes seeing wrong?The heirloom seeds have arrived. [emoji1]
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Across the pond they call a mature zucchini a "marrow." It's like a gourd with a thick skin when mature. Hence "baby marrow" means immature, mature zucchini. 
Nothing like taking it easy and recovering
. Hope the shoulder is better.
Strawberry beds
I can't figure out how to post a video I made yall
I don't know if it counts as garden prep, but I've identified many wild edible plants in my area...and where they currently grow.
We think of cactus as a desert species, but we have huge amounts of prickly pear cactus here in Florida. I've also identified (and cooked) cattail, cocoanut, saw palmetto, lilly pad, and mango.
I will be rolling in wild vegetables if I need to.
I've eaten prickly pear cactus fruit, and it tastes like a cross between a strawberry and a watermelon. There are tiny, hard black seeds that can irritate your mouth if you aren't careful. Prickly pear fruit juice can be fermented into a kind of sweet, rather smooth hooch if you know how to make wine...it's an aquired taste, but it will get you trashed if you aren't conservative in your drinking habits.
The pads...when sliced up and peeled...taste almost like string beans when steamed.
I've seen prickly pear covering areas the size of a large parking lot down here.
We think of cactus as a desert species, but we have huge amounts of prickly pear cactus here in Florida. I've also identified (and cooked) cattail, cocoanut, saw palmetto, lilly pad, and mango.
I will be rolling in wild vegetables if I need to.
I've eaten prickly pear cactus fruit, and it tastes like a cross between a strawberry and a watermelon. There are tiny, hard black seeds that can irritate your mouth if you aren't careful. Prickly pear fruit juice can be fermented into a kind of sweet, rather smooth hooch if you know how to make wine...it's an aquired taste, but it will get you trashed if you aren't conservative in your drinking habits.
The pads...when sliced up and peeled...taste almost like string beans when steamed.
I've seen prickly pear covering areas the size of a large parking lot down here.
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We pulled the tomato, pepper and corn stalks and gave to the pigs. Got our first killing frost on the last week of September. Now everything is covered in snow.
We pulled the last of our peppers out of the greenhouse (chili peppers/bells) Garden is done for the year, we getting hit with a hell of a storm right now, we waiting to see if snow is going to set in, right now just very heavy rains.
small sample
small sample
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I got a free cucumber plant growing beside my compost pile. It was covered in medium sized cukes, but the chill over the last two nights hit it pretty hard. It's not dead but the leaves took a hit. At least I got a few more fresh cukes this season. Going to eat one in a few minutes come to think of it.
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Seems like so many have put away their gardening tools for the year due to cold temps, but I am here still hoeing away. . . Since I finished planting not too long ago, I am still in wait mode. I did notice a few of my beans came up as duds so will replant those. It was only a handful and my seeds were inside and getting late in the day so that will be a tomorrow project. Did get a few peppers and even 1 tomato. That's about it. Hunny drove past yesterday on his way to the barn commenting on how much green is coming up though. He doesn't eat many winter veggies other than the peas and carrots. Sure wish he did. It would make life easier when I get a craving of greens or some kind of root crop. Although I have snuck in some rutabagas into his mashed potatoes . He never knew or at least didn't say anything about it.
. He never knew or at least didn't say anything about it.
Seems like so many have put away their gardening tools for the year due to cold temps, but I am here still hoeing away. . . Since I finished planting not too long ago, I am still in wait mode. I did notice a few of my beans came up as duds so will replant those. It was only a handful and my seeds were inside and getting late in the day so that will be a tomorrow project. Did get a few peppers and even 1 tomato. That's about it. Hunny drove past yesterday on his way to the barn commenting on how much green is coming up though. He doesn't eat many winter veggies other than the peas and carrots. Sure wish he did. It would make life easier when I get a craving of greens or some kind of root crop. Although I have snuck in some rutabagas into his mashed potatoes
Unfortunately our growing season is very short here
I can continue in the green house though I would need to fire up the propane heater and put in some growing lights since our sun gone on vacation Right now our daytime highs are in the mid to low 40s with no sun and with our lows hovering around 34-36. If it keeps this up our winter going to set in, in November.
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Cant control Mother Nature! I'm just happy her and I normally coincide during the winter monthsUnfortunately our growing season is very short here
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Our first snow came during the last week of September. I was hoping that winter would hold off for a few more weeks until I finished some of my projects. We're supposed to get snow for the next 3 days. Fortunately our high temps are about 42 here at the cabin so most of the snow is melting off.
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That's ok Mav, you can keep it. I just heard that we're supposed to get 4-8 inches of snow tomorrow.If our weather heads your way, you may be into winter weather with in a few days
Just one more reason to live in the south!Cant control Mother Nature! I'm just happy her and I normally coincide during the winter months
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No way. It's too hot and humid, too many bugs and too many people down south. Oh wait, I am living in the south. As compared to our place in Alaska.
I guess everything in life depends on your perspective.
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Its been wet around here and I have been playing in the mud for the last couple weeks now. My tiller has gotten stuck countless times and its gotten a bath more times than I would normally do all year! I have been hauling composted manure, compost, and mulch out to a few rows. Today I picked all of my broccoli and two beds of turnips. It hasn't rained in a couple days now and most of my rows tilled up very nicely. I still have a few that I still need to build back up. . . I really should have already had it done and I can kick myself for not. I have more onion sets sitting on my back porch along with all my transfers of peppers and tomatoes sitting in my little greenhouse ready to get in the ground.
Been really wet here too. In February we had about a foot of rain.
The temps came up as well. We’ve had some low 80s lately, but winter isn’t done yet. We had a freeze last night and will again tonight. Yesterday’s high was 40 and windy.
Tomorrow it’s back to the 60’s and it’s gonna rain a few inches this weekend. Garden is on hold for a while yet.
It could be worse - my sister in law has had about 18 inches of snow and it hasn’t quit yet...
The temps came up as well. We’ve had some low 80s lately, but winter isn’t done yet. We had a freeze last night and will again tonight. Yesterday’s high was 40 and windy.
Tomorrow it’s back to the 60’s and it’s gonna rain a few inches this weekend. Garden is on hold for a while yet.
It could be worse - my sister in law has had about 18 inches of snow and it hasn’t quit yet...
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after last spring and the way this one is starting out,I don't think I am going to put out a garden
I put a lot of time and money in it last year for a dozen Tomato's ,,,
I put a lot of time and money in it last year for a dozen Tomato's ,,,
Lol! No doubt, some years are harder than others. The best advice I can give anyone is soil. Get as much composted manure, mulch, and any organic matter you can mixed into the soil. The richer the soil is the easier it is to get plants to produce. I also think it’s wise to start small. Only having three tomato plants that you can take care of is better than thirty that go neglected. Then there are still going to be years that some plants just don’t do well. Overall though, the effort is more than rewarded. Eating fresh produce that you grew from start to finish is just satisfying to the soul!
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