Dreaming of Spring Gardening in the Middle of a Wisconsin winter part 2

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Depends on your soil. Onions can rot in wet or in poorly draining soil. They need regular watering, but shouldn't stay wet.

 

[rosemarythyme]

You must be warmer? What zone?

I'm in zone 8b. Was just warm enough today to bathe the dogs. My tomatoes come out each day to soak up the sun, then get put in the greenhouse overnight to protect from the chill. I'll be doing the same with the other starts that I'm working on hardening. I generally plant tomatoes and basil at the start of May, so still a few weeks to go.

I should probably put the peas in the ground... been warm enough for a little while, spring is super early this year, but my garden is nowhere near ready yet. maybe I should work on it tomorrow haha

I seed peas outside quite early, and I mean in between snow storms early. This year they went in Jan 23rd. Last year they got buried in a foot of snow after I planted them and about 50% still sprouted once things thawed out. I really like to get them going as soon as possible since pea greens are one of my favorites.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Depends on your soil. Onions can rot in wet or in poorly draining soil. They need regular watering, but shouldn't stay wet.

Thank you!!! I don’t think our soil is too wet but I’m really not sure haha

 

[ShrekDawg]

I'm in zone 8b. Was just warm enough today to bathe the dogs. My tomatoes come out each day to soak up the sun, then get put in the greenhouse overnight to protect from the chill. I'll be doing the same with the other starts that I'm working on hardening. I generally plant tomatoes and basil at the start of May, so still a few weeks to go.



I seed peas outside quite early, and I mean in between snow storms early. This year they went in Jan 23rd. Last year they got buried in a foot of snow after I planted them and about 50% still sprouted once things thawed out. I really like to get them going as soon as possible since pea greens are one of my favorites.

Oh wow that is early!!! I should really go plant them!! Haha my dad loves peas and we didn’t get any last year because the plants all died before they could do anything so we should really go plant them haha

 

[ShrekDawg]

Forgot to post before but turns out it’s sets. And seed potatoes. Didn’t take a picture of all the potatoes because I took enough pictures. but the red ones are doing REALLY well and were actually entangled in another one so had to rip the bag to separate them since I didn’t want two reds haha need to plant them soon!!! The other ones are also doing well but are nowhere near as big as these haha

 

[jvls1942]

the largest onions I ever harvested were ones that I direct planted seeds.
The dried onion sets will give you nice green onions to eat, and just moderate sized ones if left to maturity.
I tried onions and beets one time in wooden bottomless boxes. not a good outcome. I think the dirt that was supposed to be compost was more of a mulch.
I have to concentrate on tomatoes this year. a couple of years ago I canned 96 quarts..they are all gone,,along with several canning jars that my DD took..
I am going to plant tomatoes in cloth bags that I bought on Amazon.
also have hundreds of 5 gallon buckets full of compost that belong to my other DD. She grew hemp last year in those buckets. This year she is not going to use the bucket method.
when I plant peas, I plant two rows about 5 inches apart. then they climb on each other and stand up nicely..
Dad always said that the last snow on the peas made them grow the best.
I think I will plant Serendipity sweet corn again. We freeze about 50 ea 2-cup bags each year. Serendipity stays fresh on the stalk for a long time before turning to starch.. so we do not have to do all the freezing in one day,, we don't have to , but we usually do..
......jiminwisc.....

 

[ShrekDawg]

the largest onions I ever harvested were ones that I direct planted seeds.
The dried onion sets will give you nice green onions to eat, and just moderate sized ones if left to maturity.
I tried onions and beets one time in wooden bottomless boxes. not a good outcome. I think the dirt that was supposed to be compost was more of a mulch.
I have to concentrate on tomatoes this year. a couple of years ago I canned 96 quarts..they are all gone,,along with several canning jars that my DD took..
I am going to plant tomatoes in cloth bags that I bought on Amazon.
also have hundreds of 5 gallon buckets full of compost that belong to my other DD. She grew hemp last year in those buckets. This year she is not going to use the bucket method.
when I plant peas, I plant two rows about 5 inches apart. then they climb on each other and stand up nicely..
Dad always said that the last snow on the peas made them grow the best.
I think I will plant Serendipity sweet corn again. We freeze about 50 ea 2-cup bags each year. Serendipity stays fresh on the stalk for a long time before turning to starch.. so we do not have to do all the freezing in one day,, we don't have to , but we usually do..
......jiminwisc.....

Thank you for all this info!! It is very helpful. I think I am going to try the seeds too since I have them. Will try both.

Still debating on whether to grow the beets in a container or in the ground. I’m not sure how much room we will have in the garden considering I am growing so many tomatoes and eggplants (putting the peppers in containers) but I’m sure I’ll have plenty considering the tomatoes and peas go in the back. Might have to make a separate garden though. We’ll see haha

That’s awesome you have so many buckets!! I was thinking of getting some. Would be cheaper than buying the planters and bigger.

I was thinking of doing the potatoes in bags but not sure. Maybe garbage bins.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Snow contains nitrogen, so a snow on your spring crops can give them a lift. At least that's what I was always told. Thunderstorms too. Plants pull nitrogen out of the air.

 

[ShrekDawg]

Snow contains nitrogen, so a snow on your spring crops can give them a lift. At least that's what I was always told. Thunderstorms too. Plants pull nitrogen out of the air.

So fascinating!!!!

 

[ShrekDawg]

I can’t wait to make pickles this year

I wanted to last year especially since we had sooooo many cucumbers but then I never did.

Definitely going to this time though. I have a special pickling kind.

I really wanna make bread & butter ones..... my favorites.