Green thumb is itching, anyone else?

[Egghead_Jr]

I am so ready to for gardening season. This year we are revamping the garden with raised beds and upping the size to about 260 sq feet. First things first though, we have some down trees piled up and I am in the process of burning them , once they are gone we are making that area the new location for the gardens. I can't wait, I told my husband we have until April 1st to get all the burning done. I'm in Wisconsin so I wont be putting anything in the gardens until at least May.


We've been doing raised beds for two years. This year I may use landscaping timber to define/hold up the beds better. Last year I added 4 ft along the 20 ft side for an asparagus bed. Now that was a lot of work. I also expanded the other side to property line (chopped out roots and pulled stones then filled flat) and scattered it with sunflower. I'm iching for spring, with all the raised beds and mounds built already it's so easy to pitch fork in compost and plant. We can't plant until mid May here, some years not until June 1st. Thinking I'll start the peppers germinating when the eggs go into the incubator for a Easter hatch and tomato when they hatch. Last year I noticed the peppers took far longer to get going than the tomato. The only two seeds we start early inside under fluorescent.

Itching for spring! Hopefully we can harvest a few asparagus and the blueberry produce this year. Anybody have suggestions of berry bush care? They were started bushes and this will be the third year in ground along the river side of garden. I mulch them with compost and coffee grounds in spring then mulch with chicken pine shavings in fall. Is there anything else I should do?

 

[Apyl]

We've been doing raised beds for two years. This year I may use landscaping timber to define/hold up the beds better. Last year I added 4 ft along the 20 ft side for an asparagus bed. Now that was a lot of work. I also expanded the other side to property line (chopped out roots and pulled stones then filled flat) and scattered it with sunflower. I'm iching for spring, with all the raised beds and mounds built already it's so easy to pitch fork in compost and plant. We can't plant until mid May here, some years not until June 1st. Thinking I'll start the peppers germinating when the eggs go into the incubator for a Easter hatch and tomato when they hatch. Last year I noticed the peppers took far longer to get going than the tomato. The only two seeds we start early inside under fluorescent.

Itching for spring! Hopefully we can harvest a few asparagus and the blueberry produce this year. Anybody have suggestions of berry bush care? They were started bushes and this will be the third year in ground along the river side of garden. I mulch them with compost and coffee grounds in spring then mulch with chicken pine shavings in fall. Is there anything else I should do?

I know how you feel with the late growing season. Last year we had our last frost in the begining of June. It was our first spring here so of course I planted and didnt realize there was still a chance of frost. I lost everything. But yeah, my peppers seemed to have taken forever last year. I had Hot Lemon Peppers and didn't start getting proper yellow peppers until September. I had containers last year so was able to bring the peppers in when the frost started in Septemeber. They finally stopped giving me peppers right around Christmas. lol

As for the berry bushes, sorry no clue here. All our berries are wild so I don't do anything with them. I just let them grow as they have been for who know how many years here on the property.

 

[rancher hicks]

Mood-Boosting Food #10: Eggs
Eggs are loaded with mood-promoting omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, B vitamins, and iodide, and because they're packed with protein, they'll also keep you full and energized long after you eat them. Need another reason to crack some shells in the morning? A 2008 study in the International Journal of Obesity found that people who ate two eggs for breakfast lost significantly more weight than those who ate a bagel breakfast. (Tip: Don't buy into unregulated supermarket-egg claims like "omega-3 enriched" or "free-range." If you're looking for the most natural eggs, hit up a local farmer.)


I'll explain later,

Rancher

 

[ozark_chickies]

It dropped to 21 degrees last night, one of our coldest this winter. It is supposed to be all of 13 tonight. My greenhouse low was 30, so I am curious what it will hit tonight. Yesterday I brought all of my greenhouse plants in, and put old mason jars over the volunteer lettuce in the garden. I bet the lettuce freezes tonight, but don't know what else I can do for it :/ . I briefly considered potting it, and bringing it inside, but I'm short on room as it is .

 

[AliceMae]

Talk about the 'itch' !! Here in MN we have had almost NO snow and only a couple of days below zero ~ is that scary or what? Global warming? Anyway, because of the very mild winter it's really hard for me not start up my tiny greenhouse and plant something - anything... maybe pepper plants, as they seem to take the longest. At least then I can get my fingers in some dirt!

 

[Carols Clucks]

Tomorrow is finish digging holes and planting 4 or 5 new citrus trees; Improved Meyer Lemon, varigated eureka lemon, key lime, bearrs lime and....a tangerine to be named later. Plus the red currant and gooseberry (not sure they will do well here, but I sure hope so)

 

[carolsaucier]

Please, please don't send any more cold down here to central FL. We have been eating peas, beets, lettuce, onions, and greens from garden for 3 weeks and now 34 last night. I know that isn't cold to some of you, ut when it was 85 on Friday thats shiverry. This morning DH peppers that he had jut move from starting tray to pots were wilted, hope they didn't get too cold, he may have over watered...............thinks that cures all ills. wrong.

Temps back near 80 by Tuesday and I will begin laying out the rows in big garden. Stay warm, and grow fantastic gardens

 

[HHandbasket]

Today I started my first group of seedlings in my Jiffy pellets/trays! I wanted to do it last week on my days off, but I'm following the Farmers Almanac recommendations regarding the best days for planting, tilling/cultivating, etc.

Later this afternoon when I get off work, if there's enough daylight, I'm planting onions, radishes, peas, and bok choy in an area we call the "driveway garden". I also found a really nice mound of rich-looking dirt down the hill from us but still on the property we live on, and I'm gonna go stick some turnip seeds in it and see what happens. Our landlady has said that I can pretty much plant where I want, as long as I don't go digging up HER yard or anything silly/ridiculous like that. I do have to pull up some of her vinca that is between her house and my house because I saw powdery mildew on it the other day. There is more moisture between the two houses, but still, I don't want to take a chance of that nasty stuff spreading up to my place when I have squash and pumpkins in the yard! I talked to her about it, and she was really cool with letting me pull out the diseased plants.

If I had my way, that WHOLE BED of vinca would be cleared out, the dirt removed, replaced with fresh, clean soil, and I'd plant some really nice flowers in that bed. It's right outside her bedroom window & would give her and Jack a really nice view. But, that flower bed is down on her side of the house, and I am respecting that if she wants me to do something with it, she will ask me... I have made her aware that I am amenable to planting HER a little garden out there, as well (and then she can just enjoy it and maintain it).

I am so excited! I love this time of year.

 

[queenchick16]

Very jealous of you guys in CA and TX Although its been so mild this winter my one perennial garden has been going crazy. I did Buy a number of packets last week ;can't wait. It is the first time Iever planted garlic this past fall planted 5 types. All of them are coming up. Anyone out there know if they will still be OK because of this mild winter. thanks

 

[stone_family3]

I just picked up my first seeds of the season the other day. I'm totally anxious to get started on our gardens. We're putting several in the front yard and hopefully several in the back.