What did you do in the garden today?

[AmeliaBedelia]

Went to the feed store today and got layer feed, - NO chicks! - and some plants. Against my better judgment, I'm going to try not to kill a lavender plant again. This time I'm going to try mixing up some sand in the soil...I think wet feet may have been the problem last year? Our natural soil doesn't drain well.

Also got a cherry tomato moved outdoors and started some more flower seeds in pots.

Oh! And we planted the hydrangea.

 

[chickengr]

Went to the feed store today and got layer feed, - NO chicks! - and some plants. Against my better judgment, I'm going to try not to kill a lavender plant again. This time I'm going to try mixing up some sand in the soil...I think wet feet may have been the problem last year? Our natural soil doesn't drain well.

Also got a cherry tomato moved outdoors and started some more flower seeds in pots.

Oh! And we planted the hydrangea.

when you plant lavender, sage, etc. dig a deep hole, put some stones, gravel and sand first then soil. that way it will drain well. you can put stones around them as well.

 

[Sueby]

I would cry if I found a snake in my coop! OMG NOOOOO! We've been talking about where we want to retire, I guess I need to add no snakes to my requirement. I didn't realize how lucky I am with the very shy snakes we have here in CT.

Good tip on the lavender @chickengr. I'll try that if I replace my dead one this year.

I can't wait till the stores get plants in, I need 3 rhubarbs.

Culled my sick girl last night. I tried but I couldn't fix her. No more production types ever again - that's 3 out of 8 so far gone to reproductive issues. She made it the longest - 3 years.

 

[Sueby]

So I had to google obedient plant - @1dog1cat6chicks had mentioned it & I'd never heard of it & look what popped up in my search - how neat!

 

[1dog1cat6chicks]

So I had to google obedient plant - @1dog1cat6chicks had mentioned it & I'd never heard of it & look what popped up in my search - how neat!View attachment 2615638

Those are amazing!!

 

[Sally PB]

My friends in the north, when do you transplant your tomatoes? I'm in zone 5B in IL near Chicago. I'm thinking May 1st, but would love to do so sooner if possible. Is no frost good enough? Or do they really need temps consistently above 60F? And does that mean nighttime temps above 60F?

My "safe" time is usually the week up to Memorial Day weekend. I know that's a lot later than you want to go. Part of the reason is because at work, it was dead the week before the holiday, but insanely busy the week after.

Since I'm retired, that's not an issue any more. But the iffy weather still is.

 

[writerskramp]

My "safe" time is usually the week up to Memorial Day weekend. I know that's a lot later than you want to go. Part of the reason is because at work, it was dead the week before the holiday, but insanely busy the week after.

Since I'm retired, that's not an issue any more. But the iffy weather still is.

Same.. 5B. Going on 68 and work half days.. Till I pushup daisies I suspect.. Own the businesses. Pushed planting two weeks early and had to cover with anything available nightly.. bedsheet, blankets, quilts, tarps.. you name it. Defeats the purpose. I plant 'on' Memorial Day.. Frost after Memorial Day, it just something you deal with.. Burned off the straw cover over the old strawberries yesterday, finally dry enough and it's been summer like. Now back into the thirties. Rhubarb is up except for one.. no asparagus. Have to uncover some self-seeded dill with hopes.. but not till after this cold spell. Red potatoes are still in the ground, covered with straw and tarp. Have dug some a couple weeks ago and they are perfect.. This warm spell could have been a negative, but they are insulated. Will need to process soon after as if I try and store them, they'll just sprout.. and there is a fair amount. My growing season here is about 90 days.. You can push it too 100 and a little more sometimes, but don't count on it. Plus I deal with a lot of shade and few limited sunny spots, living in a National Forest.. but I do fine, last year was poor weather. Even frost damaged asparagus to rotting. Tomatoes produced but never ripened on the vine. Some years you can do no wrong, others you can do no right.. Michigan, love to hate it.. for more than one reason, but this is where the family is..

 

[jerryse]

I often wait until May 15 to plant tomatoes into the garden . They say May 1 is frost free but it is not . I watch the forecast and plant earlier some years . I start mine from seed but buy a 6 pack early and put in bigger pots for some earlier ripe tomatoes .

 

[WthrLady]

We dropped to 28 degrees early this morning, below freezing for 4 hours.
The greenhouse dropped to 29, below freezing for 2.5 hours.
As soon as the sun popped up the temperature rebound quickly. 32 outside now and 70 in the greenhouse. I had the horseradish on a lower shelf and a blanket over it, suspended on the shelf above. A couple leaves looked droopy, but it might have needed water too. So I watered it.
The thermometer I bought is useless. Bluetooth for 196 feet my butt. So no low temp alerts and I can't even see it on the app.
20 feet and my phone thinks it's out of range.
Also when the analog thermometers read 30 degrees, it read 24. Um. No.

So I'll get another security camera and train it on the analog thermometer and call it a day.

Tonight I'll test the frost blankets on the shelves and see what that buys me. If worse comes to worse, I can ALWAYS move stuff from the greenhouse into the workshop over cold nights and put them back in the morning. I just want to see how low is too low at the moment, as we'll be cold every night for a week.

Have a super duper day all.

 

[wyoDreamer]

Csn you add some heat sinks to your greenhouse? Like a row of milk jugs filled with water and painted black. They can sit under your shelves as long as they get sunlight on them. They will heat during the day and slowly release heat at night as the greenhouse cools off.