Garden Diaries, 2020

[Farrier1987]

So did a little reading and research. Says pine needle mulch is fine, will turn the soil a little acidic which strawbs like. it also says to do it in the fall, I am assuming so it weathers and leaches over a longer period. What I have is bark mulch and its spring. I am going to try it, see if I kill them or not. I am thinking I will leave the old bed so if necessary I ahve starters again.

Looks like a nice day here, sun and up to 14. Should accomplish something today. More beets to plant. Replant some onions the birds scattered. I forgot to cover them well after pressing in the ground.

Have lettuce and bets and radishes up well. No sign of the potatoes I planted in March, been too cool and wet, but a few days like this they should make an appearance soon. Peas up and looking good.

[Killerbunny]

Excellent!

[Killerbunny]

Just received my asparagus crowns from Sandy Shores and they look great! Big healthy crowns.

[Farrier1987]

My accelerated composter is working well. Just about everything I put in will be ready to spread on the garden tomorrow.

Accelerated compost

Got a few more things up. Russian Red Kale, beets, lettuce, second sowing of radishes, peas. Still no potatoes. In the house my sweet potatoes are starting to shoot. First time I have done this, always got from neighbors and friends. Tried a few years ago and they just rotted in the water.

I keep picking at the garden every day, turning rows with the shovel. Staying ahead of what I want to plant so far. Mostly done now til the soil warms some more for corn beans squash tomatoes etc.

[Ontario Chick]

Spent the morning perusing the seeds I got, actually reading the info on the back of the envelope, and found out I have been planting things way too early in to way too cold soil. For 40 years.
Started with tomatoes seeds, looking at the price of a packet, then spending some time actually finding the 12 seeds, it would appear I have paid about $0.45 per seed, they better germinate

[Farrier1987]

We need some strong sunny warm days and we arent going to get them for a while it seems. Risk of frost and maybe snow flurries next few days, Yuck. Actually sort of dry here, could use an inch of rain, was a sunny day yesterday with a steady wind, the kind that sucks the moisture out of the ground, cracks starting to appear some places.

Glad I have the winter wheat doing well where I have not dug yet, conserves moisture and shades out weeds til I get there. That or fall rye are really good if you fertalize in the fall, they take up the nutrients and they dont wash away in rain or snow runoff, then get worked back into the soil for nutrients and fibre as green manure.

Those potatoes I planted in mid march still not up, and probably just as well. I actually dug one up to see what they are doing, just a few roots and stuff, not rotted, but new potatoes for fathers day is a pipe dream this year.

Have planted most of my main crop potatoes, one last row to go in today.

That WiningWormyWolf is supposed to send me some seeds, they better come soon or I will be forced to get my lawyer to send her a threatening letter. Or maybe she should send me my squash seeds back, or at least share them with Jaye and KB, but she is the kind that could keep them all for herself.

[Ontario Chick]

Black seed lettuce and peas are up, will be seeding Swiss chard this wknd snow or shine
rhubarb is a week away from rhubarb crunch, can't wait.

[Farrier1987]

My goats ate a rhubarb plant. Not just a bite or two, but down to the ground, grazed right off. It was about 8" long. I wouldn't have thought it. I have one other though. Also think I will move the one they ate into the garden.

[Farrier1987]

Got quite a lot done this last week. All potatoes in, a lot dug and prepared for squash and corn and beans. Frosts three days in a row didnt help anything, but no potatoes up yet. Covered everything else. Didnt cover my tomato bedding plants well enough, got mostly zapped, will see what survives. Rain today, an inch or so so far and more to come tonight. We needed the moisture. They say rainy off and on for the next week, but temps in the mid teens. We needed the rain, and now we need some heat.

Planted some squash and okra seeds in pots in the house. Sweet potatoes sprouting well, will plant in the next few days.

TonK, tell me more about when to plant parsnips. You told some good stuff, but a little fuzzy. What temp and how damp the soil, how often to water, days to germinate, how deep to cover, stuff like that would be really apreciated. Thanks.

[Farrier1987]

We had more rain overnight and supposed to be most of the day today with decent temperatures. I have a 4x8 raised bed all prepared, worked twice fairly deep and reasonably fine and will plant my sweet potatoes today. I dont like working in the mud, but this should be a great time to get them in the ground.