What did you do in the garden today?

[BReeder!]

On lunch break and the afternoon is open today. That's a nice relief.

DW and I got Covid vaccines yesterday morning. My shoulder is sore but that's it. Feels like I pulled a deltoid. Pain is dull and only sore when I lift my harm high. Seems to be going away already.

It seems there's no rain at the moment, although we have the 3 days of rain forecasted. I know it rained early this morning (I was awake from 1-3 AM with a poor night's sleep thanks to acid reflux). I'm going to try to get out to the garden here in a minute and check on things.

I just caught up on 6 pages of this thread. So exciting to see those in warmer areas harvesting things already. I'm eagerly watching radishes, lettuce and kale. Should not be much longer for them. Reading about those of you planting in tires, I just realized tires would be perfect for 3 sisters mounds. I already planted my 3 sisters patch, but I may incorporate a few old tires next year by just laying them down and filling with soil and compost and them planting the corn and beans in them with squash and gourds planted around them or in their own tire mounds.

A quick weekend recap: yesterday was vaccines, errands and fishing. I'm sick of shopping! We will be at Disney World next week, and the costs just keep adding up. The kids will enjoy it and DS should actually remember it. Fishing was fun though. Only caught blue gills, but DS loves reeling in fish on his own pole. DD caught her first fish using DS's pole too. I guess it's time to get her a pole of her own now.

Chat later!

 

[Sally PB]

I have a question for people who grow in large outdoor containers, especially if you tend to get lots of rain - do you drill holes in the bottom of your containers? If not, what plants can tolerate wetter soil? I have a few large metal containers I would like to drag out to the garden and plant something in them, but I don't want to drill holes in them, because I'd eventually like to use them for stock tanks when we get some goats (hopefully next year.) Any suggestions of what to plant in them?

@karenerwin suggested gravel. I had some large totes that I wanted to use as planters, and I put about 3" of small to fist sized rocks in the bottom for drainage. It seemed to work well.

If anyone knows of a better source for slips please let me know . I have had no luck trying to make slips of my own,

I got mine from Sow True Seeds. I ordered 12, got 15 nice looking ones. Unfortunately, my season really isn't long enough to get them to size up, so I didn't get anything from them. I did read that the entire plant is edible. I tried a couple of leaves.... uh, maybe steamed they'd be good. They had a "fuzzy" texture, sort of, so I didn't try any more. Interestingly, they are not even related to potatoes. They are in the morning glory family.

 

[Sally PB]

Yesterday, I did something to my back while digging potato holes. No "pop," just suddenly unable to lift a shovelful of dirt.

Today, I dug the rest of the holes with a trowel, down on my hands and knees. I got all the taters planted (Kennebec, Elba, and Caribou), but haven't done any of the onion sets. That might have to wait until tomorrow.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Same here - my seedling cukes are floppy and not really growing, even though they were right next to the luffa, which are looking good...

You're further ahead than I am! Your tire beds are starting to show some healthy growth! My garden looks like a bunch of empty beds with weeds starting to grow in between them.

I did get all my tire beds planted yesterday, 2 butternut, 2 pumpkin, 1 zucchini, 1 yellow squash, and one parsley. The 8th tire is maintaining some awesome chives, we had them on our baked potatoes yesterday!

Also put up trellises for the pumpkins (just 3 6-foot U-posts in a "teepee" shape, will do the same for the butternuts as well.) I started to put up a trellis for pole beans, then changed my mind about where to put it and took it down again - not the greatest plan - I decided to plant the beans in a part of the garden where I haven't built beds yet, and save the beds for cukes, cabbages, carrots, eggplant and a whole bed for basil. In the far east end where it's just bare soil, I think I'll just sow a bunch of sunflowers, plus dahlias in a row west of them, to take up weed space.

My tomato and eggplant seedlings are enjoying their hardening-off period. They've all grown more leaves, and are starting to look like sturdy plants that will survive in the garden, instead of spoiled princesses. I think my problem with starting seedlings indoors is keeping the heat on them too long - I need to have more confidence in the greenhouse - just because 50 degrees at night makes me put on a sweatshirt, it is fine for plants.

I have a question for people who grow in large outdoor containers, especially if you tend to get lots of rain - do you drill holes in the bottom of your containers? If not, what plants can tolerate wetter soil? I have a few large metal containers I would like to drag out to the garden and plant something in them, but I don't want to drill holes in them, because I'd eventually like to use them for stock tanks when we get some goats (hopefully next year.) Any suggestions of what to plant in them?

We are due for some rain tomorrow, so that should be good for all my squash seeds.

If it has a plant in it I drill holes other wise water they roots sit in water then coller temps they mold..
Just my humble opinion

 

[BReeder!]

Garden pics from today:

3 sisters patch

Sunflowers along duck fence at edge of 3 sisters patch

Corn coming up in 3 sisters

Last planted potato row

Second planted potato row

First planted potato row

Herb bed

Celery, yellow squash, zucchini and 2 watermelon tucked in at the top left to grow over the the edge

Peppers. The hot ones are the bottom half. They are a bit smaller still but looking alright for the most part. I'll keep them from flowing until the get bigger. In a few weeks they'll catch up now that we are getting warmer.

New strawberry bed

Slicing tomatoes

Sauce tomatoes

Rutgers are already forming flowers on two of the plants.

Cucumbers and corn

Garlic and onions. Hoping parsnips come up in the top left quarter of this bed.

Onions and Jerusalem artichokes

Jerusalem artichokes are just now

Brussel sprouts in bottom half and kale in the top half

Look at this one onion. It's the survivor that I missed during harvest last year and then dug up and transplanted this year. Not sure the bulb will be great or not but looks neat and is going to flower.

 

[BullChick]

I can’t give a good reason for not working in the garden today, but I can say that I mowed, and (drumroll please!) I did something right! The impatiens looked like they needed a pick me up (I bought them outside, covered in snow), so I hung them next to the hummingbird feeder outside the door. I just saw the hummingbirds flitting around in the flowers! It was an unintentional thing, but apparently the birds are attracted to that type of plant. I’m so proud of me!

 

[Sally PB]

When DH gets home, we're going to move the dog crate I use to harden off plants up the hill nearer the green house. Tomorrow I'll be moving them all out doors to learn about real life in the world.

A dog crate works very well, I've found. Safe from critters, and I can cover it with a sheet to filter the sun, for a bit of insulation at night, and to block the wind.

Gotta go find the clothes pins to attach the sheet to the crate...

 

[WthrLady]

Ever thought of a Spring farm stand at the edge of your property? If there's a major road or if you can put signs on a nearby highway it might help bring some traffic and would be easier than going all the way to market. Also, you could keep people at the edge of your property on the roadside, so DH might not mind so much.

Two lane majorly traveled State Park road with no shoulder. Not allowed.
No pull off and we'd be liable for accidents. But thanks for the idea.

 

[NewBoots]

My tomato and eggplant seedlings are enjoying their hardening-off period. They've all grown more leaves, and are starting to look like sturdy plants that will survive in the garden, instead of spoiled princesses.

This made me laugh and isn't it just the truth?

So, where are the egg shells? I guess I'll have to see if they are on the ground.

It's my understanding that the parents carry them away just like they do the babies poops to hide the nest from predators.

Here’s a pic of a nice surprise in the gazebo

That is gorgeous! @BReeder!, your garden is doing great and so organized!

So today was get those chicks out of the house day and I spent the day getting the wood needed to modify the coop so the littles don't get eaten by he big girls. I'm quite proud of it if I do say so myself:

For now they can't mix with the big girls but once they are older I'll make a hole in the netting so they can begin to explore but still have a bolt hole to escape the bullies. Right now the big girls are horrified and Pepeta screamed for 5 minutes solid. She seemed sure they are monsters and highly dangerous.

 

[Artichoke Lover]

Didn’t get much down today. A snake got one of the chicks tonight. That’s the 4th snake I’ve caught in the coop this month. I haven’t seen this many snakes since we moved in much less four 5 foot plus rat snakes. The coop is pretty well snake proof when locked but these things are coming in broad daylight!