What have you done for garden prep so far?

[Brent S]

I got the jungle aka the blueberry patch, mowed today. It hasn't been touched since fall so was pretty overgrown. Tomorrow morning I will weedeat around the bushes before fertilizing. One perk of blueberries is they send runners underground that sprout up as a new plant. Simply dig them up and transplant to where you want them. I think I'm down to just one more gallon bag of them in the freezer so I'm glad to see signs of blooms in them allready.

 

[Brent S]

Since you have experience digging rocks now, maybe you could take some of mine too. I have acres and acres of rocks on the ranch, but our new garden area doesn't have a single rock in it.

Every time I till I find new ones. I think they are growing underground or something....

 

[user 6493]

Since you have experience digging rocks now, maybe you could take some of mine too. I have acres and acres of rocks on the ranch, but our new garden area doesn't have a single rock in it.

go ahead rub it in ,,,,,,

 

[user 6493]

I found seed potatoes for 25 cents a pound,I have enough for about 80 mounds and i bought some red onions,,,going to put it all in this weekend

 

[Brent S]

I planted some more peanuts and some sunfolwers today. I've never tried sunflowers before, and think of it more as a novelty than a food source, but am interested to see if they do well here. I finished fertilizing all the trees today too. Yeah! Now I still have the blueberries and raspberries to go and then it's just routine maintenance till harvest. I also opened up a side of the greenhouse as its been getting well over 100degs in there allready this season. So now it's just a shaded area that's somewhat protected from the heat. We will see how it works as the summer comes. I broke down and bought one tomatoe plant today. I'm trying to grow sustainably with my own seeds as much as possible here, but saw a plant at Wally World today that was about a foot tall and covered with blooms. All my seeds are still about two inches high right now, so I wanted a jumpstart. Overall it was a pretty good day. Oh, I also noticed one of my fig trees is literally covered with figs! There must be a hundred tiny figs on it. I think the figs are about five years old now, and are just starting to produce now. The moral here (again), plant now as it takes a long time before plants get big and strong enough to actually give you something to eat.

 

[WGregMiller]

I'm curious to see how the plum bushes do this year. Lots of blooms, so maybe. Had some kind of blight last year, hopefully I chased that off.

 

[Brent S]

I'm curious to see how the plum bushes do this year. Lots of blooms, so maybe. Had some kind of blight last year, hopefully I chased that off.

I got some plumbs last year, but they are kind of like peaches as far as being persnickety. They are sensitive plants and it takes a real green thumb to do well with them, and lots of chemicals...... Me, I'm trying to focus on the hardy plants that are more sustainable without too much pampering. If I had known how hard it was to grow a damned peach I never would have planted any. I'm fine with fertilizing twice a year and keeping watered thru droughts, but if I need to spray chemicals on things to keep them alive, it's time to reevaluate. Sure wish I had talked to an experienced person before I got started on all this.

 

[SheilaT.]

I got some Roma and Ailsa Craig Tomato plants yesterday for the greenhouse. Not exactly the varieties I wanted, but they'll do.

@Brent, I love Sunflowers, I grow them every year and they do very well regardless of the weather. They make a good wind break for the garden.

 

[Mountain trapper]

I got the lumber to make a few more raised beds. Then it snowed another 3 inches over night so I guess there's no hurry.

 

[user 6493]

Friday is here,I will get a load of the old rotting sawdust to put in the garden till it in real good and then I can plant,staying small this year 10 x 20 should be plenty of garden for one

 

[Brent S]

I got some Roma and Ailsa Craig Tomato plants yesterday for the greenhouse. Not exactly the varieties I wanted, but they'll do.

@Brent, I love Sunflowers, I grow them every year and they do very well regardless of the weather. They make a good wind break for the garden.

How do you harvest them?

 

[SheilaT.]

I wait til the stalks start to go brown and the heads are dry, then cut them off with about 4-6 inches of stalk on them. I then tie several heads together and hang them upsidedown in the shed. Once completely dry the seeds pretty much fall out of the heads. I've only ever used them for feeding the birds, they seem to like them and the little heads I just put the whole thing out for the birds to peck at.

The variety I grow are more ornamental, but still have plenty of seeds. Although having seen Sunflowers growing for oil in France by the acre is quite quite a sight, and they are still incredibly pretty.

 

[WGregMiller]

I got some plumbs last year, but they are kind of like peaches as far as being persnickety. They are sensitive plants and it takes a real green thumb to do well with them, and lots of chemicals...... Me, I'm trying to focus on the hardy plants that are more sustainable without too much pampering. If I had known how hard it was to grow a damned peach I never would have planted any. I'm fine with fertilizing twice a year and keeping watered thru droughts, but if I need to spray chemicals on things to keep them alive, it's time to reevaluate. Sure wish I had talked to an experienced person before I got started on all this.

Part of the problem is that 'someone' didn't listen and left plums that had fell off the bushes laying on the ground under them. Then, the lawn service (yeah, me) didn't see them and didn't pick them up either. That was where the blight/fungus among us came from.

Bet that don't happen again.....

 

[Brent S]

Part of the problem is that 'someone' didn't listen and left plums that had fell off the bushes laying on the ground under them. Then, the lawn service (yeah, me) didn't see them and didn't pick them up either. That was where the blight/fungus among us came from.

Bet that don't happen again.....

My trees don't seem to need a reason to get the blight/fungus thing. I think they are just bred to produce fruit with no reguard to hardiness. So far I've learned to respect the apple, pear, and cherry trees as they seem a lot tougher. I'll keep the plumbs and peaches and nectarines, but if shtf they would probably die without spraying chemicals. Oh, the figs seem pretty tough too.

 

[Dani]

I planted some more peanuts and some sunfolwers today. I've never tried sunflowers before, and think of it more as a novelty than a food source, but am interested to see if they do well here. I finished fertilizing all the trees today too. Yeah! Now I still have the blueberries and raspberries to go and then it's just routine maintenance till harvest. I also opened up a side of the greenhouse as its been getting well over 100degs in there allready this season. So now it's just a shaded area that's somewhat protected from the heat. We will see how it works as the summer comes. I broke down and bought one tomatoe plant today. I'm trying to grow sustainably with my own seeds as much as possible here, but saw a plant at Wally World today that was about a foot tall and covered with blooms. All my seeds are still about two inches high right now, so I wanted a jumpstart. Overall it was a pretty good day. Oh, I also noticed one of my fig trees is literally covered with figs! There must be a hundred tiny figs on it. I think the figs are about five years old now, and are just starting to produce now. The moral here (again), plant now as it takes a long time before plants get big and strong enough to actually give you something to eat.

I plant the mammoth sunflower and they always produce well here. Once the seeds dry on the stalk soak them in a strong salt water solution and let dry again. Great snack. Or you can do the pinecone, peanut butter & sunflower snack for the birds and squirrels. We enjoy watching them run around.

 

[user 6493]

well home from Wally World,,,,15, 40# sacks of cow manure some water melon plants and cantaloupe and I am all set for a day in the sun playing in the dirt

 

[Brent S]

I plant the mammoth sunflower and they always produce well here. Once the seeds dry on the stalk soak them in a strong salt water solution and let dry again. Great snack. Or you can do the pinecone, peanut butter & sunflower snack for the birds and squirrels. We enjoy watching them run around.

I love the shelled sunflower seeds. Always thought the regular ones were too much work for the reward though! I figured they were roasted some. Hope they produce so I can try them out.
I still have to finish clearing/weeding my blackberry patch today. I got about halfway yesterday. I'm ripping out all the wild thorned blackberries and weeds and then weedeating between the vines. It's on a steep hill too which adds to the fun. The storebought thornless plants do great here with minimal help or attention, and make huge blackberries. Makes he best tasting wines! The plants shoot out long runners, like strawberries do, and wherever they touch the ground they start a new plant. Can't recommend planting them enough. I felt a little guilty for not relocating some of the wild thorned plants to the fence line, but after fighting them in getting them out I was done dealing with them.

 

[user 6493]

the soil is ready,I plant in the morning,,,,,,,,,,and I need to put up a hot wire and push the dog into it so he knows it is there

 

[Dani]

There are actually a few different methods that you can do. Roasting has the benefit that it will crack the shell to help get them out easier, but by adding heat to them, you also loss some of their nutritional value, so really up to the person processing them. I like just salted, cover with enough water to cover plus a couple inches over cause they will soak it up. I add in a couple cups of unionized salt per gallon of water and just soak a couple days, weigh them down with a plate or they will float. Then drain and let air dry. At this point if you want, you can throw them on a cookie sheet single layered to roast at 325 for about 30 minutes or till browned lightly. You will need to stir often. The soaking process helps them not burn and if you are watching your salt intake, just omit the salt. If you have a grain mill it makes hulling a bunch of seeds much easier, may need to run it threw a couple times though. Throw in water, seeds and hulls. Stir it around, hulls rise to the top to skim out.

 

[Maverick]

First sunny weekend I seen since last summer, today we rolled back the plastic after the heavy frost dissipated , tomorrow we tiller the gardens then cover them back up because it's a down pore all next week starting Monday. It was 60deg today tomorrow suppose to be 67 then back down in the upper 40s all week *sigh

 

[Brent S]

the soil is ready,I plant in the morning,,,,,,,,,,and I need to put up a hot wire and push the dog into it so he knows it is there

It sucks to be a dog....

 

[Brent S]

I opened up the second side of my greenhouse today. We have officially jumped into summer allready as it was 100degs in there today. Some of the potatoes had some burnt looking leaf ends. Hopefully this will cool it down some in there, and will help with insects pollinating too.

 

[WGregMiller]

It was 89F yesterday here, about 85 today. We need rain to wash away some of this friggin pollen too...

 

[Brent S]

It was 89F yesterday here, about 85 today. We need rain to wash away some of this friggin pollen too...

Yeah, I pretty much haven't been able to breathe thru my nose for a while now. Everything is coated with the greenish yellow stuff right now.

 

[SheilaT.]

First sunny weekend I seen since last summer, today we rolled back the plastic after the heavy frost dissipated , tomorrow we tiller the gardens then cover them back up because it's a down pore all next week starting Monday. It was 60deg today tomorrow suppose to be 67 then back down in the upper 40s all week *sigh

We're having similar. It has been warming up nicely, last weekend was lovely, then on Monday it turned cold temps in the mid 40's and has been like that all week with no sign of improvement.

 

[user 6493]

I still have a few things to put out but I am running out of room I will only get about half my potatoes planted I want the melons and loups more then the tater's,,,darn,,,I will enlarge it next time around

 

[Brent S]

I still have a few things to put out but I am running out of room I will only get about half my potatoes planted I want the melons and loups more then the tater's,,,darn,,,I will enlarge it next time around

Yeah, I ran out of room as well, and have a decent amount of area planted. Sometime over the summer I will get a plow for the tractor and make another area for next year as well. Canning is really important when you grow a lot to be able to make it last throughout the year. I watered everything this morning and saw that a lot of the peanuts have sprouted! I'm really excited to see how they turn out this year. I should have loads of peanuts and potatoes at least this year. I planted some cantaloupes but decided to skip the other melons and squash and eggplants this time as I ran out of space too.

 

[user 6493]

Yeah, I ran out of room as well, and have a decent amount of area planted. Sometime over the summer I will get a plow for the tractor and make another area for next year as well. Canning is really important when you grow a lot to be able to make it last throughout the year. I watered everything this morning and saw that a lot of the peanuts have sprouted! I'm really excited to see how they turn out this year. I should have loads of peanuts and potatoes at least this year. I planted some cantaloupes but decided to skip the other melons and squash and eggplants this time as I ran out of space too.

the problem with some of what we plant is it will only last so long before it goes bad,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,I would think tomatoes and potatoes could be a fall crop also

 

[SheilaT.]

Good to know I'm not the only one who has ideas bigger than my garden. I try to grow enough to see us through year on year. It doesn't always work!
A lot of people over here grow potatoes in extra large pots for a christmas harvest.

 

[Brent S]

the problem with some of what we plant is it will only last so long before it goes bad,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,I would think tomatoes and potatoes could be a fall crop also

I will do two plantings of potatoes, using some of the first crop to seed the second one,then those will seed springs first planting. I made this work last year for the first time. If you can protect your tomatoes you can make them last into fall, but they won't do well with the cold. My advice for gardening, canning is as important as growing.