Gardening 2023

[alcessapiens]

Related to gardening, I do not recall ever having such a prolonged false Spring as this year. Everything sprouting and growing weeks ahead of normal. Now the cold is back with a vengeance and I’m really seeing the negative affects with my honeybees. They would normally still be in winter mode, but it got so hot for so long that the pollen and nectar started flowing and they went into high gear. I keep three 5 gallon buckets full of water outside my shop and they ring the top edges like a herd of cows drinking it up. Always try to keep the buckets topped off to minimize them slipping in and drowning, bees do not swim. Anyway, they need the water when it’s hot and when they’re processing pollen and nectar. But now that it’s cold they’re still coming for water and I have to make regular patrols to rescue the chilled bees from the water. There were over a dozen drowned bees this morning when I went out to check and while I was there several more fell in but I got them out with my finger tip. And no they don’t try and sting. They’re very happy to be rescued! And it’s only going to get colder the next several days with at least one hard freeze.

I toss a piece of wood in the bucket so they can climb out, dry out and get back to work. Damned lazy bees going swimming during working hours.

 

[Eutycus]

Related to gardening, I do not recall ever having such a prolonged false Spring as this year. Everything sprouting and growing weeks ahead of normal. Now the cold is back with a vengeance and I’m really seeing the negative affects with my honeybees. They would normally still be in winter mode, but it got so hot for so long that the pollen and nectar started flowing and they went into high gear. I keep three 5 gallon buckets full of water outside my shop and they ring the top edges like a herd of cows drinking it up. Always try to keep the buckets topped off to minimize them slipping in and drowning, bees do not swim. Anyway, they need the water when it’s hot and when they’re processing pollen and nectar. But now that it’s cold they’re still coming for water and I have to make regular patrols to rescue the chilled bees from the water. There were over a dozen drowned bees this morning when I went out to check and while I was there several more fell in but I got them out with my finger tip. And no they don’t try and sting. They’re very happy to be rescued! And it’s only going to get colder the next several days with at least one hard freeze.

Strange, I mentioned I it being "spring like" earlier but now that you mention it, I don't recall seeing too many bee's. They must have known this cold snap was coming.Maybe I just wasn't paying attention. I haven't seen any hummingbirds either. My sister-in-law just down the road said she saw some "early arrivals" and has a feeder out already. But the Mesquite and Pecan trees are sprouting green leaves.

 

[TDM]

Strange, I mentioned I it being "spring like" earlier but now that you mention it, I don't recall seeing too many bee's. They must have known this cold snap was coming.Maybe I just wasn't paying attention. I haven't seen any hummingbirds either. My sister-in-law just down the road said she saw some "early arrivals" and has a feeder out already. But the Mesquite and Pecan trees are sprouting green leaves.

All the critters have been out here. Carpenter Bees, Wasp, gnats, even saw a few Horse flies. And of course, honeybees.

 

[Eutycus]

The critter that got my attention at the moment is the lowly earthworm.I've been dumping the containers of "fishing worms" into the garden in hopes of reinstating them. I'd be most curious as to where the old man who brought in fill dirt ,before I bought the place, got this "dirt" from. There appears to be no worms present.

 

[TDM]

The critter that got my attention at the moment is the lowly earthworm.I've been dumping the containers of "fishing worms" into the garden in hopes of reinstating them. I'd be most curious as to where the old man who brought in fill dirt ,before I bought the place, got this "dirt" from. There appears to be no worms present.

Earthworms are a sign of good, healthy soil. Getting harder to find that nowadays.

 

[Eutycus]

I try my darnest to be "organic"and there is plenty of organic matter there. Just no sign of worms.

 

[TDM]

I try my darnest to be "organic"and there is plenty of organic matter there. Just no sign of worms.

You could go to a bait shop and buy several containers of worms. You can order them too. They definitely help. The ground may still be too cool for yours to have become active.

 

[Eutycus]

Local Walmart carries them. I try to stay with "Texas Worms". They carry Tennessee worms as well.Funny Walmart carrys worms but no black powder.

 

[Eutycus]

I'm not even sure they are Tennessee worms. One of the brands carried locally is Bill Dance's line of Red Wigglers. They may not inter-breed with the natives.I don't know I'm no "wormologist". Oh, I got 3 more little tomato plants in the ground today.It (the garden) is coming along slowly. The ground is pretty

Local Walmart carries them. I try to stay with "Texas Worms". They carry Tennessee worms as well.Funny Walmart carrys worms but no black powder.

cold!

 

[TDM]

I'm not even sure they are Tennessee worms. One of the brands carried locally is Bill Dance's line of Red Wigglers. They may not inter-breed with the natives.I don't know I'm no "wormologist". Oh, I got 3 more little tomato plants in the ground today.It (the garden) is coming along slowly. The ground is pretty
cold!

I bet those worms would do fine.

 

[Eutycus]

Well I got 5 more tomatos in the ground. I had to "mud" them in. Stopped by the nursery and got 6 straight necked squash (I normally do 9). I'll put them in the ground tomorrow, it's a tad wet today yet.Slowly, but the garden is taking shape.

 

[TDM]

Did my spring oil and filter (oil, fuel, & air) change on the tractor, hooked up the disc and started getting the corn patch ready to plant, probably next week.

 

[Kansas Kid]

Other than the overwinter stuff I just got my Red and Purple Majesty taters in along with onion sets. Probably a couple more weeks for root crops like beets. 3-4 more weeks for frost sensitive stuff.

 

[oldwood]

Due to wife's two covid heart attacks, and me with covid three weeks, and post covid body weakness , that ate up a couple months ,I'm so far behind the 8-ball , Don't know if it's in the cards for a garden this spring. Think I'll wait for a dry day , and burn off the weeds in the fencing, Get the best eating big sandwich tomato plants I can find , rototill , and plant 'em deep. Put a full dose of granular fertilizer in the bottom of the hole , fill the hole w/ water , mix water , and mud , set in the plant ,with only three limbs left , from pruning the rest off. Four zucchini plants will make me plenty of fruit for the neighbor hood. Think that's it , except for a couple decorative giant sunflowers for the fence corners. Talked myself into it. Garden , can do.

 

[TDM]

Due to wife's two covid heart attacks, and me with covid three weeks, and post covid body weakness , that ate up a couple months ,I'm so far behind the 8-ball , Don't know if it's in the cards for a garden this spring. Think I'll wait for a dry day , and burn off the weeds in the fencing, Get the best eating big sandwich tomato plants I can find , rototill , and plant 'em deep. Put a full dose of granular fertilizer in the bottom of the hole , fill the hole w/ water , mix water , and mud , set in the plant ,with only three limbs left , from pruning the rest off. Four zucchini plants will make me plenty of fruit for the neighbor hood. Think that's it , except for a couple decorative giant sunflowers for the fence corners. Talked myself into it. Garden , can do.

I’m putting minimal effort into my garden this year. Just don’t want to fool with it, kinda interested to see how things do without a lot of effort. Once I get the corn patch planted the hard part is over. The kids and grandkids love sweet corn, as well as the deer and squirrels.

 

[Eutycus]

The farmers around here went with a thing called minimum tillage. I'm thinking about being a little more "minimum" in the gardening department.I'm getting older and I feel that I was putting too much effort into it because I liked it (and still do). But my get-up-and-go got up and went.

 

[TDM]

I hear you @Eutycus !

 

[Kansas Kid]

Sweet corn is one thing I give up on. Between Deer, *****, Earworm, Wind and so on I don’t stand a chance.

 

[Eutycus]

Sweet corn is one thing I give up on. Between Deer, *****, Earworm, Wind and so on I don’t stand a chance.

Same here, the squirrels think all that extra effort was for their behalf.

 

[user 31232]

I’m putting minimal effort into my garden this year. Just don’t want to fool with it, kinda interested to see how things do without a lot of effort. Once I get the corn patch planted the hard part is over. The kids and grandkids love sweet corn, as well as the deer and squirrels.

Nothing better than corn fed deer