Gardening 2015: And we're off!

[Dotch]

Decided to plant some radishes and snap peas tonight in the small garden by the house. South facing slope but still not all of it's ready to plant. Snow just melted off a few days ago. Not as early as 2012 when the radishes went in on March 18th and were up by the 23rd. Rhubarb was a foot tall already that year on the 23rd. It's just starting to break dormancy as of tonight.

[Rip_Some_Lip]

I got my big garden tilled last evening in Southern Mn. I would have liked to let it go a few more nice days but with the rain forcast for tonight, I figured I better get it done. As long as we dont get too much rain tonight I should have the potatoes and maybe spinnach planted this weekend.

[bobberineyes]

10 days ago I decided to jump start a variety of veggies in pots kept inside to transplant. The radishes are growing like crazy,(I won't re plant these) the lettuce took off fast but when they were about 3" tall just decided to fall over and die, wth did I do wrong? The jalapeño s and red peppers never took off, which I tried to get them some sun through a window. Do I need to keep most of these under a grow light or was it just some sort of rookie mistake? All the pots have been outside the last few days during the day and inside at night.

[delcecchi]

The lettuce might have had "damping off". The stem gets this fungus just above the surface, turns black, and the plant falls over dead.

http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden/yard-garden/diseases/damping-off/

[smurfy]

yikes!!!!!! it was a balmy 20 degrees up my way this morning!

[Bobby Bass]

I could till the top two inches here, then I would hit the frost line !! You lucky guys down South!!

[smurfy]

I could till the top two inches here, then I would hit the frost line !! You lucky guys down South!!

where's here??????????

[Bobby Bass]

I am on the Noth Shore of Lake Iwanttobethere

[Dotch]

Well it's not all as rosy as it sounds here. Soils are getting fit but the soil temps haven't been warm enough to germinate anything other than lambsquarters and giant ragweed yet. Just this afternoon, I found snow from a couple weeks ago under a hunk of sod I'd displaced with the skid loader. Patience, grasshopper.

[Rip_Some_Lip]

I got 5 rows of taters planted today! My soil temp was about 56 degrees in the garden and 50 in the lawn before sunset.

[Early Riser]

I started on Saturday 04/04 by putting up my rabbit fence, topping off my 6 new 4X8 raised beds with compost and turning them. Then I planted onions, radishes, lettuce, kale, chard, carrots and potatoes. I may have jumped the gun a little bit, but figure I have enough seed to replant whatever is needed.

Rhubarb is peaking through, and a chives are just getting ready to emerge.

Next up for the coming weekend will be to build a new garden gate, spruce up my remaining 5 ground beds with compost, and then the waiting to plant everything else including beets, parsnips, peppers, beans, tomatoes, summer squash, basil and cilantro.

The last several years now I have been doing succession planting of zucchini, yellow squash, and beans into the first of July for ample late season harvests...so there is a solid three months left of planting various things, as we seem to be off to an early start this year.

According to my records, I didn't touch the soil until May 5th, 2013 and April 22, 2014. The ice went off most metro lakes on the 17th of March in 2012, and the frost was pretty much out of the ground on 3/23 when the earthworms showed all over the road up after the first big spring rain, but for some reason I didn't record when I started planting that year. Typically I start working in earnest on the garden within 5 days of ice out on the mid-sized west metro lakes.

By the way, I have a 196cc rear tine Earthquake tiller in excellent working condition that I would sell now that I have transitioned to 100% no till vegetable gardening. Its hardly been used the last three years, and this year it started right up for the short drive from the shed to garage. If anyone has any interest in it, let me know.

[Tom Sawyer]

Most of my early crop plants are a couple inches tall now. Lettuce, radish, arugala, and swiss chard. Tough time keeping things moist this year with all the wind we've been having. Carrots seedlings fried out with the wind and will replant them today. Still holding off on planting pepper and tomato plants; seen frost late in May to many times. Also starting to see the effects of last winters lack of snow cover on some of my perennials.....

Happy gardening everyone

[DrJill]

Harvested a very good crop of peas on Friday.

the first ones are always the best.

DELICIOUS !!!!!!!

[roony]

I would say I'm about 5 days away on pea pods. I planted them on March 21 but the cool weather and the deer have slowed things down. Asparagus, radishes, green onions, and many leafy greens have been in good supply. The greeny beanies are budding so I am predicting an early first harvest of them. 

Fun time of year and nice to get things planted under close to ideal conditions this year.

[Dotch]

Pea pods are slow here too. Just flowering on the March 31st planting but the peas are healthy as a horse. No bunnies helps! Radishes were good but about done. Just planted green beans and 1st planting sweet corn a couple days ago. Vine crops are liking this warmer weather. Indeed, every day is like Christmas when checking to see what's coming up, flowering or ready to bear fruit.  

[pushbutton]

Got nothing in early this year and will be awhile before the eating gets good. So far so good though. Everything, except for one variety of cucs, has come up well. Pretty much have run out of room so looks like I will be throwing in the planting towel. Been scrambling to get everything mulched in before the skeeters make weeding an even worse job. 

[DrJill]

For the first time in many years, maybe a decade, we have an aphid problem.

I don't like using chemicals in the garden but ....

Anyone have a natural solution ?

 

 

[Early Riser]

We are eating spinach, arugula, romaine, mesclun lettuce, pea pods, chard, kale, cilantro, mint, basil, beats, turnips, and spring onions. 

We are eating my second pantings of radishes.

The second plantings of basil, cilantro, lettuce, summer squash are up and growing strong. 

Pole and bush beans are setting flowers. 

My potato vines are over 36" tall and starting to flower. They are now needing to be supported with garden twine all around the sides of the beds or would block the paths

Some of my pepper and tomato plants are starting in with fruit. The tomato plants are over 3' tall. I place concrete wire around 7 of them after getting frustrated with standard cages which are not big enough for my indeterminate plants. 

Everything is looking great, including asparagus, kohlrabi, cabbages, parsnips, acorn squash, green zucchini, yellow zucchini, yellow crookneck squash, rutabagas, carrots, sunflowers, sweet corn, broccoli, cauliflower, and sunflowers.

One thing additional this year, besides some more raised beds, is a vermicompost bin I built and placed out in the garden. I ordered 1,000 red wigglers, which are now employed breaking down kitchen waste for some regular doses of castings tea and mulch. Since the warmer weather, they are really seem to be kicking into high gear. 

Jill what problems are you seeing with aphids? I have not had those myself….Just awaiting the onslaught of Japanese beetles. The last few years have not been too bad. 

[delcecchi]

For the first time in many years, maybe a decade, we have an aphid problem.

I don't like using chemicals in the garden but ....

Anyone have a natural solution ?

 

 

​Extension to rescue.....

http://www.extension.umn.edu/Garden/insects/find/aphids-in-home-gardens/

 

insecticidal soap, horticultural oil are two. 

[roony]

We had our second meal of green beans tonight. The snow pea pods are done, at best an average year for them I'd say. Some of the beets are about the size of tennis balls. I noticed a small zucchini on one of the plants. Tomatoes look good, really everything looks pretty good with the exception of the peppers. They really don't like all that moisture we had and I have them planted in a low area. Quite a few of the leaves get yellow with black lesions and then fall off. Hopefully they will get over it. 

[pushbutton]

Started getting some goodies. Broccoli all went on overdrive, had to harvest almost all of it, and started the canning/freezing game. Had some of my cauliflower "fruit" early and ate and froze that as well. No flowers on the beans or summer squash yet, cucs are laboring, but plenty of greens on the menu recently. Lots of green maters, eggplant just took off with the heat, and similar not happy peppers.....except for a new to me variety of not so hot....hot peppers. Cant remember the name, taste is a little bitter, but prolific and eating plenty fresh in the green stage already. So far so good, and not have to water once .....yet.

[Dotch]

Been battling bunnies, bugs, worms and weeds. Pea pods were good, what the rabbits didn't devour anyway. Peas have run their course so time to yank them and feed them to the sheep. Kind of a lag time without a lot of early stuff so have been monitoring the plants and staying on top of the weeds.  Actually got through everything with the tiller yesterday. Excellent weed killing day. All the vine crops are blooming except the cukes that were direct seeded. Noticed striped cucumber beetles showing up so will need to deal with them. Sprayed cole crops yesterday for imported cabbage worm (cabbage butterfly). Starting to get riddled pretty good. Gardens are shaping up now the rains have abated for the time being. Got the N on ahead of the rain so Indian corn is over knee high and both plantings of sweet corn look good. Beans should flower this next week so looking forward to that. First planted peppers look OK but the latest planted are struggling as they're in a wetter area. Tomatoes (all 50+ of them) are a lush dark green with thick stalks. Need to stop at roony's to see his cages again so can finish up that project.

[Rip_Some_Lip]

My garden is the best it has been in recent years. Broccoli is done pretty much. Had 5 plants and all came at once. I do have one plant on deck that is starting to get a decent head on it now. Strawberries and asparagus were plentiful. Got one batch of beans canned yesterday and looks like many more to come. Spinach has been good, planted another batch last week but maybe too late for them. Tomatoes and peppers (on the deck in 5 gallon buckets) are looking awesome. Big sizes but still green. Potatoes are looking great. Cantaloupe are looking good and flowering. Carrots and onions look good. I think the timely rain and rain barrels have a lot to do with it. I haven't had any bad issues with bugs as of yet nor have I ever had too bad of problems with them. As far as rabbits and deer, I have fences up for both. I hope we get some rain on Monday as my barrels are pretty low. Good luck the rest of the season!

[bobberineyes]

I've been at the cabin for the last week so been kinda chomping at the bit to get back. Up until I left I was picking leaf lettuce every other day, so imagine things are getting out of hand. Some jalapeños were 3 inches long so they are probably ready.  Radishes were close to an inch so they are prob close......vacation is nice but sure is good to get back.

[DrJill]

I'm eating the last slice of the raspberry pie I made this AM. Ala Mode of course.  Yummy.