Green thumb is itching, anyone else?

[rancher hicks]

Hi Everybody,
My thumbs have been itchy for about two weeks now. Last year we had a week in the 80's in March and everything budded out. Then a hard frost hit in April and I lost all my pear and apple blossoms.

As much as I want to be out in my garden I can wait. I just have to be satified with trying to finish the pruning I didn't finish this fall.
The maples' sap has just started running so that will keep my green thumbs busy too.

Same thing happened here in NY. Though not as bad as the growers had us believe. Gave them an excuse to raise prices.

Maple syrup prices are going up this year. Also complaining it's a bad year. Not true at all. We did lose a local maple syrup producer though. Old age I think. The son that helped the father got killed in a snowmobile accident. He only had two and the other lived in another state. That was really sad for everyone I think. Folks buy into this crap about only having two kids. I can see not having eight like my parents did but two is just ridiculous. Kinda like putting all your eggs in one or two in this case baskets. We had four.


Anyhow I hope you have a good time doing maple syrup. We only use that now that there is just the two of us.

 

[yinepu]

Quote:
I forgot and left the chayote out last night.. and sure enough the one night I forget we have a hard frost... hopefully it springs back


as for putting all your eggs in one or two baskets...
I didn't have any kids!.. my mother came from a family of 13 kids.. my dad had 11 in his family.. together they had 7.. I opted for 0.. I just can't see having them if I didn't want them in the first place..

 

[michaelf]

Last Saturday my oldest son and I planted radish, onions,corn,strait neck squash, and okra. Will plant more soon. Zucchini, squash and tomatoes.

 

[Tomtommom]

My squash has not been wanting to germinate, so we're trying again, this time on top of the chicken brooder. I think one jack-o-lantern came up.. I had hoped for my zuccini, butternut or acorn squash. Oh well. Not too late to try again. I'm only paying $0.20 a packet.

I had a packet of multicolored bell peppers and grew them over the brooder. Every single seed came up due to the heat. AWESOME! Trying my jalapenos this way too, now. The seed is 3 years old, but I got two to sprout. Recommend it greatly for seeds that need warmth to sprout.

The garden has not been moving as fast as I like. Apparently every time I try to work in the yard I mess my back up for a week

And I'm not even doing anything real heavy.. it's just a motion my muscles aren't used to or something. Hurts like the dickens.

I think the grape didn't make it. The winter has been colder than usual. More nights around freezing.

I've been researching into some permaculture methods. Found a really interesting article about a guy in Melbourne who has a food forest in the backyard in a subdivision. Totally inspiring. I believe I will start mine this year, although it may be fall when I do. Starting with an apple guild.

 

[queenchick16]

Put in another small raised bed today.
My chickens have all but destroyed my peony garden.
Dug out my little brown turkey fig tree. I wasn't crazy for them so I'm going to try the larger yellow figs.
Got the stakes in for the chicken wire to keep the girls out of the gardens . I'll put the netting up tomorrow. I ran out of steam.

 

[Kassaundra]

You northerners may want to skip this post. Some pics from the yard today


Hiacynth


Daffodil


Peach


Fig


Forsythia


Plum


Last years okra


Pear


Pear


Viola


Daffodil


Redbud

 

[Tomtommom]

My narcissus have been in full bloom for weeks. Peach is in half bloom right now.. Sure hope the cold wont return.

 

[michaelf]

Love the pictures. I am afraid one of my best producing peach trees will not make many this year Had blossomed and we had several hard frost. My other is just starting to blossom so maybe it will produce well.my plumb has not started yet .

 

[Kassaundra]

Love the pictures. I am afraid one of my best producing peach trees will not make many this year Had blossomed and we had several hard frost. My other is just starting to blossom so maybe it will produce well.my plumb has not started yet .

I am afraid for those trees, it is to early to be blooming here. We usually get one last freeze around the full moon at easter time, if we get it this year none of those trees will produce.

 

[michaelf]

Yesterday was a great day. We planted some tomatoes and bell pepper. Transplanted some daylilly bulb. Cleaned the lava rocks by front door and replanted and planted in pots I had there.