What did you do in the garden today?

[Lauravonsmurf]

Look at the frozen pond, and go heck no. No seed planting today lol

 

[igorsMistress]

Good morning all. I’m on break and went to peek outside from the garage door. Brrr, it’s windy and cold. We had steady rain for a few hours, but no downpour so that’s my good news. Have a great day everyone!

 

[pennyJo1960]

Darn it is cold here .. To cold for plants .. Maybe around April

 

[vall]

Rain is done but it's windy and chilly and might freeze tonight. Hopefully it doesn't affect my fruit tree bloom too much. I forgot to post this from the weekend. I guess the soil warmed up enough for the bananas to finish ripening!

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

I think me Banana did not make it…

 

[BReeder!]

Did you put down a weed barrier to keep the aisles so nice and weed-free?

I'm very anti weed barrier anymore. If anything, use cardboard. The fabric stuff is just a nightmare in the long run. I weeded the isles in my garden well and then dropped 3-4" of woodchips down. It's mostly weed free except for a bit of thistle that pops up here and three that I pull. And that tistle used to come up right through heavy duty weed barrier topped with woodchips by the old swingset so it's a problem either way. What I hate about weed barrier is that many things will grow on top of it and even root through it, it doesn't breathe very well which leads to an anaerobic environment in your top soil that is not ideal for plants or the symbiotic microbes plants rely on, and it clogs up and turns until a solid surface that water runs off of rather than through.

 

[BReeder!]

I know yall have been on this thread a lot longer than I have so just thought I'd ask...
Do yall ever share your garden layout, plans for the upcoming season? I'm a visual person and am trying to get an idea of how best to use the new space I've got in back near the run.

I've posted mine already for this year. I'll have to repeat when I'm on my laptop later.

 

[Sally PB]

I'm with you on weed barrier fabric! Whoever invented this never had to actually use the stuff. It doesn't stop the weeds I want it to stop, and forget ever "lifting it to save for the next season." HA! Mine ripped up in shreds.

I have used cardboard to good effect. I used to get large sheets from where I worked. I'd lay them out, then cover them heavily with leaves, otherwise the wind would lift a corner and blow them around. Which looked like trash everywhere.

One thing about it... I'd put it around plants (mostly used it in my squash bed) and leave a good open area. Then I could water around the plant, thoroughly. It took heavy rain to soak through the cardboard to get to the ground below, until the cardboard started to break down a bit.

As I said, I did this in my squash bed, where I had 4-5 hills of squash, and until the vines started to run, I had a lot of open space to weed. The cardboard/leaves really helped keep it pretty clean.

I might till that area up this spring. I haven't tilled it in several years. It's still very sandy, but in with all the leaf litter I have found some worms! Never used to see them there.

 

[Sally PB]

Oh, the Lowes trip was just about a bust. I was assuming it would be like Menards, where we usually go, but huh uh. I finally picked out some screws and wood glue, because we can always use those. But I won't be going there again, unless there's another gift card dropped in my lap.

 

[BReeder!]

Oh, the Lowes trip was just about a bust. I was assuming it would be like Menards, where we usually go, but huh uh. I finally picked out some screws and wood glue, because we can always use those. But I won't be going there again, unless there's another gift card dropped in my lap.

Menards is my preferred store too. I go to Home Depot a bit too, but typically only if I need lumber cut to certain dimensions because home for will any board or panel to size for me which saves me from balancing large pieces on my table saw. Menards is genealogy cleaner, has more departments/variety, a great garden center and a lumber yard that is second to none around here - our local Menards has 3 massive wood sheds plus outdoor racks of overflow treated lumber.