What did you do in the garden today?

[CaroleW]

Snow melted enough to go grab a few pics. Lines are added to show slope. This is the only place I have to put a new Potato bed. Planning on 8-10 rows/terraces 12-14ft long.

View attachment 3072887View attachment 3072884
And with lines showing slope.
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Soil is straight clay.
I want to take up the sod layer, and then build the rows ontop of the clay as is. Have plenty of rabbit, chicken and free horse manure. Was going to scavenge some old rotted mulch hay to top it all.
My Dad wants to get the tractor and level the patch off. I'm worried about too much washout with the rains and having to build a retaining wall at the bottom.
Any Ideas?

Maybe a straw wattle (like you see on new graded areas commercially or along highway construction to contain water runoff) would help retain some of the washout without having to build an actual wall.

 

[WthrLady]

YUP. Contour garden that puppy! Rows perpendicular to the hillside slope.
Till it, add some ag lime and manure and till it again.
Let it dry, and till it again until it's fine.
Grade it, harrow it, get your rows in and plant.
==========
Spent an hour moving a few things to the hoop house. The dragon beans were over a foot tall, so out they went.
The marigolds were in that horrible salt based coir, so they were a month old and only an inch tall, so out they went into good soil.
Second succession of peas germinated in the kitchen towel, so out they went.
The grapevine from a box was too tall for the seed shed, so out it went.
Now I have a lot of room for tomatoes in the seed shed.
I didn't start so many as last year, but I MIGHT start one more emergency flat for those that buy early, get frosted or fungi and have to repurchase and replant and don't want/can't find big box.
I also took a propagation cutting start off a larger sugar mountain plant, I only have one, and set that one. I was going to graft it, but don't have a host.
Planning on setting the birds free-range on Saturday if the winds stay below 35, so they''ll be going out on Sunday. LOL.
Sick of wind?! I'm sick of HOWLING WINDS, heading to over 50 for the next two days, plus ugly weather.

 

[SheaLoner]

Maybe a straw wattle (like you see on new graded areas commercially or along highway construction to contain water runoff) would help retain some of the washout without having to build an actual wall.

I might be able to do hay bales like this but I think it would eventually need a real wall.

YUP. Contour garden that puppy! Rows perpendicular to the hillside slope.
Till it, add some ag lime and manure and till it again.
Let it dry, and till it again until it's fine.
Grade it, harrow it, get your rows in and plant.
==========

That would work if I could run the tiller for any length of time. My right arm is out of commision for any major use for at least a few more months. So no tilling. Not in virgin clay.
My rows will be contoured reguardless of if we level it or just terrace some beds.

 

[Sally PB]

regular pea vines are loved by our rabbits and the young growing tips are said to be very tasty in stir fry.

I started some peas in the green house and snips a few leaves/tips off to try. They taste like peas and are delicious!

 

[Sally PB]

I moved my blueberry bushes up to the green house until I can plant them in the ground. I sure wish I had known they'd arrive in flower; I was expecting sticks with buds. Oh well.

I also picked something out of the garden for dinner: cilantro! Mine has reseeded itself nilly-willy every year, and I just cut some when I need it.

 

[Ascholten]

I got a totefull of winter peas growing now, hopefully they pop and ripen before it gets too hot and messes them up. How long do peas usually take to go from seed to picking them?

Aaron

 

[jerryse]

I got a totefull of winter peas growing now, hopefully they pop and ripen before it gets too hot and messes them up. How long do peas usually take to go from seed to picking them?

Aaron

About 60 days for most . Should be listed on the package or look up the variety description .

 

[WthrLady]

I might be able to do hay bales like this but I think it would eventually need a real wall.

That would work if I could run the tiller for any length of time. My right arm is out of commision for any major use for at least a few more months. So no tilling. Not in virgin clay.
My rows will be contoured reguardless of if we level it or just terrace some beds.

In that case I would do the deep straw method in the fall. Pile it high and deep over the area you want to plant and let the decomposition and the worms compost away over the winter and then till. You'll be amazed at what happens with warm worms all winter!

 

[Ascholten]

I didn't get them in a package, my friend, buys in bulk, always gets wayyyy too much, got like 40 lbs of them, so got them in an oatmeal can.... I like peas so said sure ill take some

figured worse case the girls would eat them.

Aaron

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

Farmers Almanac said our last frost date was April 15th. I've been watching our weather closely. Supposed to be up in the 80s this this weekend but there's still a day or two next week that says it will drop back into the 40s at night. I'm also on the fence about putting plants in the ground. My gut says go ahead and do it.... I don't expect frost as much as just general chill that tomatoes don't like.

I will, however, wait until after May 1st to put my lemon tree back outside....

I just got all of my stuff out (except few herbs...) and even the tomatoes from yesterday's transplant look real happy!
We are neighboring states...I'm sure glad I went for it!

Got the sweet peas that I grew from seed all transplanted into this cute little area...looking forward to how this is gonna turn out!
I'll give yall a before and after pic in few weeks!


Anyone do the high efficiency planting in your gardens? I think that's what it's called where you plant everything much closer together than what packing tells ya too?