Gardening for Old Folks (Adaptative)

[oldhenlikesdogs]

You go, girl - keep proving those doctors wrong. They are definitely not always right. You have to be pretty feisty to live in the cold up in these parts, right? Knee replacement sounds like something you don't really want to do, but is beneficial if needed. Hope you don't have to have another one, and hope I can avoid it by doing my therapy, if possible.

Note: Much of Minnesota has a wind chill warning today of at least -40 degrees today. How about you guys? Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Update - just watched the news - now they're saying as low as -55 degrees wind chill for my area. I'm only going out to take care of the chickens and that's it!

We are freezing but not that cold thankfully, our wind chills are running -20_-30's. Still not pleasant out. I'm afraid I'm going to have to chip my chickens out of the ground soon as they will freeze in place.

Hopefully this doesn't mean January and February will be even colder. I can't take much more already.

I will hoped for no knee replacements for either of us, that would be nice.

 

[chickmom3941]

We are freezing but not that cold thankfully, our wind chills are running -20_-30's. Still not pleasant out. I'm afraid I'm going to have to chip my chickens out of the ground soon as they will freeze in place.

Hopefully this doesn't mean January and February will be even colder. I can't take much more already.

I will hoped for no knee replacements for either of us, that would be nice.

OHLD, I just looked up the Farmer's Almanac's predictions for Minneapolis and nearby areas, and they actually look somewhat encouraging:

Dec. 22-31 - Very cold
Jan. 1-4 - sunny, cold
Jan. 5-11 - sunny, quite mild
Jan. 12-18 - snow showers, mild
Jan. 19-26 - snow showers, cold, then mild
Jan. 27-31 - sunny, mild

These predictions were supposedly made 18 months in advance, and are reportedly 80% accurate. So, if true, I'm seeing a lot of MILD weather in January (hope so!). I didn't see any predictions for Feb. though. I've got my fingers crossed hoping this is true!

 

[lazy gardener]

I put down grass clippings all summer long, we get plenty of them. A thin layer weekly keeps my weeds down as well as planting things close. Anywhere we use wood chips we get lots of weeds no matter how deep. I find it easier to use the constant supply of lawn clipping.

What ever works for you. I use grass clippings over the potatoes, and they do a great job there.

I'm seeing good weed suppression in the orchard. Jury is out re: the garden. The garden has been a weedy mess, so there are more than enough seeds to be problematic no matter what I use. But, if the DM is deep enough, and the wood chips do what they are supposed to do: fines filtering down and composting at soil level, with large chips laying on top to hold in moisture, and limit sunlight, so weeds can't get started in the dryer layer of large chips on top.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

OHLD, I just looked up the Farmer's Almanac's predictions for Minneapolis and nearby areas, and they actually look somewhat encouraging:

Dec. 22-31 - Very cold
Jan. 1-4 - sunny, cold
Jan. 5-11 - sunny, quite mild
Jan. 12-18 - snow showers, mild
Jan. 19-26 - snow showers, cold, then mild
Jan. 27-31 - sunny, mild

These predictions were supposedly made 18 months in advance, and are reportedly 80% accurate. So, if true, I'm seeing a lot of MILD weather in January (hope so!). I didn't see any predictions for Feb. though. I've got my fingers crossed hoping this is true!

Come on mild!!!! That sounds so nice doesn't it. Anything above zero is a nice winter day.

 

[CapricornFarm]

Wouldn't it be cool if they made a wb with skis on it.

Just use those plastic sleds.

 

[CapricornFarm]

I have 2 chicken water warmers, 60 watt bulbs. The candle warmers draw 17 watts. I need 4 of those.

And i found them today for $6 each! Plus fruit trees were on sale at Home Depot for $10.99- $12.99 each! I have been waiting since Oct. For them to be marked down. Got 2 plums, a peach and an apple.

 

[N F C]

And i found them today for $6 each! Plus fruit trees were on sale at Home Depot for $10.99- $12.99 each! I have been waiting since Oct. For them to be marked down. Got 2 plums, a peach and an apple.

Can you plant the fruit trees now Cap?

 

[Minky]

I there! I've been lurking and reading on and off since I am planning a big veggie garden in the spring. (we just moved to a new place, so starting from scratch.) I've enjoyed your photos and ideas, and Im curious about the grass clippings on the garden- I always feared grass clippings would turn into grass, like they would magically plant themselves... I guess that has all been in my imagination? Does that not happen?
I've been living in southern California and Vancouver, BC, the past 20 years, so all my gardening experience is flowers and plants in a small space, for beauty and interest. Now we are in southern Ontario, ill have unlimited space, but will only grow food and herbs. Gonna be quite a change! Anyways, hope its ok I join in late to the party- but just in time for Nys'!!!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I there! I've been lurking and reading on and off since I am planning a big veggie garden in the spring. (we just moved to a new place, so starting from scratch.) I've enjoyed your photos and ideas, and Im curious about the grass clippings on the garden- I always feared grass clippings would turn into grass, like they would magically plant themselves... I guess that has all been in my imagination? Does that not happen?
I've been living in southern California and Vancouver, BC, the past 20 years, so all my gardening experience is flowers and plants in a small space, for beauty and interest. Now we are in southern Ontario, ill have unlimited space, but will only grow food and herbs. Gonna be quite a change! Anyways, hope its ok I join in late to the party- but just in time for Nys'!!!

Grass clippings can turn into grass if your grass has gone to seed. We mow weekly so it doesn't often have the chance.

I add a thin layer weekly of grass clippings. Don't do it too thick as they will mold, and you will slip on the slimy layer that will form underneath. The wetter the clippings the thinner the layers. Dry grass clipping can be put on a bit thicker.

The weeds that do start to germinate are quickly buried which often kills them. Otherwise a shuffle of the dirt will often displace them. Those that do survive to a larger size are easily pulled out due to the softer soil under the clippings.

We continue to mulch our vegetable beds this way all Sumner. It feeds the worms and helps to hold moisture.

In the fall we top dress all our beds with a mix of fallen leaves and grass clipping. We pile those deeply on all beds, than top with our composted manure to hold it all in place.

Come spring, around April here, I pull the top back, rough the top of the soil a bit than broadcast my seeds like lettuce, spinach, carrots, reddish, and any cold crops. I push them into the soil that sprinkle that top dressing of leaves and manure back over the seeds, water and wait for my produce to grow.

When cold crops are about spent in late May to early June here I start planting my warm season crops over the same area. By than I'm getting regular grass clipping so I can start the whole process all over again.

The worms break down my organic matter and they feed my plants. Take care of your worms and they take care of you.

 

[CapricornFarm]

I there! I've been lurking and reading on and off since I am planning a big veggie garden in the spring. (we just moved to a new place, so starting from scratch.) I've enjoyed your photos and ideas, and Im curious about the grass clippings on the garden- I always feared grass clippings would turn into grass, like they would magically plant themselves... I guess that has all been in my imagination? Does that not happen?
I've been living in southern California and Vancouver, BC, the past 20 years, so all my gardening experience is flowers and plants in a small space, for beauty and interest. Now we are in southern Ontario, ill have unlimited space, but will only grow food and herbs. Gonna be quite a change! Anyways, hope its ok I join in late to the party- but just in time for Nys'!!!

Glad to have new gardeners, more pictures and ideas to share! Welcome!