Spring garden

[Kansas Jake]

Who is getting the itch to start their Spring garden. We have had a warmer than normal winter and the daytime temperatures here have been in the 50s-70s with a few intermittent cold days. I'm getting the itch.

What is everyone planning. Are you looking to plant HC/PC crops?

 

[BillinOregon]

I wish it were gardening weather here at the terminus of the Oregon Trail. We have had more than a foot of rain in February alone. If and when the mud starts to dry out, I'd love to get out and plant.

 

[Tallswife]

I am, but I know if I do anything other than start stuff in the house, I'll regret it. As it is my apple trees are confused, they started to bud out then we got a freeze. Prob lost the four remaining trees I had.

Not even sure if my knees will let me do a garden this year.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Not even sure if my knees will let me do a garden this year.

I don't have the itch yet but if folks keep talking it might be contagious....

Tallswife,
This would be a great time for you to try raised bed or straw bale gardening....I don't kneel either and I have a big garden.... planting is really the only thing I have to bend over for....

 

[zimmerstutzen]

our ground seems to be thawed out already which is unusual. Two years ago, it was still frozen down two feet in Mid March. I need to start a new garden plot this year. It will be a raised garden. I will use locust tree trunks for the sides. Will order a truck of sand. Then I'll mix sand and composted manure to fill it in the garden beds. . Dirt around here is mostly gravel. Not even gonna try to use what passes for soil. I have had luck starting gardens this way in the past. Then add worms to work it some more. Found that adding shells from crabs, shrimp and clams helps too.

 

[coloradoclyde]

I'm not familiar with your soil, but usually sand isn't recommended as a base or amendment unless you are using it as a rooting medium...for transplants or cuttings.

Wood chips would make a nice base, especially with high nitrogen manure...just make sure there's no walnut in the mix...

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I will be "planting by the signs" using my Old Farmer's Almanac 2017. I figure if I'm going to use heirloom seeds I should try heirloom ways...sorta.

I will plant early in seed starter cups, BUT I will place these on an inverted storage container lid. WHY? Well, when I invert the translucent storage container bin, over top of the seed starter cups, sealing it with the lid which is now the base, and put a couple of bricks on top...., I get a tiny greenhouse. :grin:

This lets me start them while there is a tiny threat of late frost, BUT they are protected, and then go into the beds that much earlier too.

Not sure what yet to plant.

LD

 

[coloradoclyde]

Window boxes are period correct...

 

[Tallswife]

Not even sure if my knees will let me do a garden this year.

Tallswife,
This would be a great time for you to try raised bed or straw bale gardening....I don't kneel either and I have a big garden.... planting is really the only thing I have to bend over for....

Raised beds or not, depending on what the doc says I may be going in for a replacement. Pretty much the entire growing season will be shot.

 

[coloradoclyde]

I grows herbs and stuff in my kitchen....If you can get the seeds in the ground mother nature will do most of the work.....Most of my pumpkins are "volunteers"....I also plant lots of perennials....So I don't have to mess with them.

Where there's a will....There's a way.... :wink:

 

[Tallswife]

Yeah, but it takes so much of the enjoyment out of gardening when I can only stare out the window at it. I do have herb beds already and grapes/berries/horseradish/rhubarb so that may just have to be it.

 

[coloradoclyde]

I did see a guy gardening laying down once.....No joke...laying on his belly planting about 100'x100' of tomatoes.....He was very obese I doubt if he could bend over or kneel at all.....

I'm guessing you haven't been a convalescent before?....

 

[Tallswife]

Oh, yes I have, many times, had the other knee replaced a year and a half ago.

Laying down wont work around here, we have these evil things growing wild called goat heads (aka cat claw). They are 1000 times more evil than leggo's in the middle of the night.

 

[coloradoclyde]

How about a gun a cold beverage and a soft chair to watch your husband work?.... :grin:

 

[Tallswife]

Well, now that's always an option!!!

 

[coloradoclyde]

:thumbsup: ....I love watching my wife weed the garden while I drink a beer....Of course I'm usually overcome with guilt and eventually go fetch her a beer.... :haha:

 

[BillinOregon]

Tallswife, very sorry to hear of the pending interruption in your gardening season. I hope to get my raised beds built in March, before the April back surgery crimps my style severely.

 

[Tallswife]

Sorry to hear of your impending surgery also!!! Best of luck to you!

 

[Kansas Jake]

We don't have many goat heads where I live now, but I grew up in south central Nebraska and they were the bane of going barefoot and bicycle tires when I was a kid.

Totally OT, Tallswife, but if you have knee replacement, make sure the surgeon uses the correct size joint. I know of a couple of folks who had a joint done that was probably not the correct size and it has created issues with stability and balance.

 

[coloradoclyde]

I'm thinking about trying "dutch" buckets this year.....