Gardening 2008

[Fish Toys]

It was 62 today and the garden is dry enough to work with the 9020 and cultivator. Where I tilled last fall it was really loose and I got into the ground that wasn’t worked last fall and it was a tug! I went around the perimeter with the drag up and used the drag for the rest. Some of the vines started to plug the cultivator so they were dumped on the ends. There are a couple of vine piles that have to be burnt but with all the dry grass around the garden I figured they could wait. It should warm up a lot more now after it is worked so more WEEDS start to grow. I might plant some more sweet corn and maybe some radish’s Saturday being they are predicting rain the beginning of next week. Anybody else started in their garden and have pictures? The picture isn’t that great because I’m not used to the new camera yet.

[Quetico]

My pumpkin vines are starting to get long. They should be blossoming before I can put them outside. I am hoping for another 100+ pounder this year, a few over 100 pounds.

[Fish Toys]

Are the pumpkins the Dills Giant? We do need pictures of them!

I planted some from a nursery and some from seed. They only got big enough that I couldn’t lift them. Should have cut some smaller ones off but too many nieces and nephews. Also had some bugs eating the blossoms and it got pretty dry for awhile . Maybe better luck this year?

[Quetico]

Mine are Atlantic Giants. Its the first time I am trying this variety. The package says they are capable of growing to 400-500 pounds. In the past I have had mixed luck with Big Max. But this year I also planted some Jack O Lantern, a much small more traditional sized pumpkin.

[Fish Toys]

Boy for the size of the plants you are way ahead of the game! Atlantic giant is what I was thinking of. Do you do anything special with them so they get huge? I was reading a HSOforum last year about tips on how to maintain them so you do get some monsters.

I had bad luck last season being it was so dry and some kind of bug eating the blossoms. I planted more sweet corn & beets & beans & radish today. It really dried out after I worked it. Forecasting rain so that should settle it some.

[Fish Toys]

No pictures today of the garden being it’s covered with over a foot of snow! The moisture should help being it was getting pretty dry. Should have been rain instead!

[LwnmwnMan2]

You posted this just because of my post, with the soil temp update, huh???

[Fish Toys]

Figured I would move it to the top. Hoping someone would post pictures of a snow less garden. I think the day I cultivated the garden the temp about 3” was 58. We better get spring pretty soon so a person can be outdoors instead of in the shop all the time. Quetico you might have small pumpkins before you get them transplanted!

[kilkercal615]

Got potatoes and radishes in the ground. It would be nice if it would warm up a bit. Would like to get some sweet corn in the ground ASAP. The forecast doesn't look very good.

[hoggs222]

It should hit mid 50's to 60ish later this week. It's a start.

[Dotch]

Um, I have some radishes up as of a week ago. They grew a whopping 1/4" this past week after taking over two weeks to emerge, this on a south facing slope in SC MN. The ground was frozen hard this morning and it flurried a little bit ago. Started a new horseradish patch yesterday from the tops I dug up. Good tree planting and moving weather but that's about it.

[Fish Toys]

Not much to report on the garden we did get under an inch of rain a couple of days ago. Now there should more stuff popping up being a lot of the seeds were laying in dry dirt. When dad and I went to the nursery we didn’t pick up many plants because they were predicting thunder storms with small hail. Well at that time it didn’t even rain. A few days later it was cold out and a few of the plants we planted got partially froze. They look like they will make it but it set them back. Still predicting more rain and at least it has warmed up. Sprayed around the electric fence for the dandelions a short time ago. Going to spray later with roundup! Hope it was on long enough being we just had a down pour. I think an hr should be enough time. Any one have pictures of their garden or an update on their gardening?

[Dotch]

New horseradish patch is doing well. Have had a few radishes. Recent rains (2" in 3 rainfall events since Thursday) will really make things pop. Onions and sugar snap peas have had a good spring thus far although am surprised the rabbits haven't tied into the peas already. Both are about 6" - 8" high. Sweet corn, tomatoes, peppers, cukes, Indian corn and sunflowers are planted. Still waiting for the wife to bring home the rest of the vine crops from the greenhouse where they've been started, including several squash and melon varieties, pumpkins and gourds. She has a fall wedding she's decorating for so wants all this decorative stuff to use. Funny how when it comes time to plant, fertilize and weed the stuff she's conspicuously absent!

An hour is generally long enough with most current formulations of Round Up. Sprayed both pasture fences this morning with glyphosate and Curtail. After I got back from graduations a little bit ago following another 1/4" of rain, the broadleaf weeds were gnarled up on the ground.

[boatfixer]

Last week we got most of the garden in, finished up with the beans this week.

The tomato rack set up

With the plastic, lights and soaker hose

showing the youngins how to make straight rows.

[Fish Toys]

Within a half hr after my last post we received .35 rain with pea sized hail and the ground was just about white. Can’t get in the garden yet to see how the plants are doing because of the mud. Dotch did you use straight Curtail or Curtail M? Boatfixer no pictures?

[Dotch]

Straight Curtail. The Curtail M with the MCPA in it might ding my neighbors RR corn or my foodplot corn. Hope your toils haven't been marred by the hail. Luckily the hail damage here has been minimal. Saw boatfixer's pics here earlier so wanted to say his tomato raising equipment was top shelf. Also wanted to give him kudos for involving his kids (at least I think they were his kids). That's great because it gives them something to watch over the course of a season and a sense of accomplishment on a job well done. Beats watching TV or playing video games by a long shot.

[boatfixer]

I'm not sure what happened to the pics but they're back up again. Yes they are my boys. They actually enjoy gardening. We have a system down. We mark rows, I hoe, one of them plants, the other covers. They think it's fun. So far the tomatoes are thriving, corn came up last Saturday and everything else seems to be coming right along.

[boatfixer]

Tomatoes are coming along great, just wish we had a little more sunshine though.

Corns been up awhile, beans are up, brussels sprouts are coming right along, cucs and squash are also doing well. Life is good in the garden!

[Dotch]

Things are really starting to take off here. Funny what a little warm weather and sunshine will do. Sidedressed N on Sunday on the sweet corn but was a little short so will have to get an assist from my buddy at the elevator. Muskmelons are starting to flower, lots of cherry tomatoes set, sugar snap peas should be ready in a week and are some jalapeno's and zucchini about 4" long. Cucumber beetles have been a nuisance but they forget that creative slaughter of chrysomelids is a favorite pasttime of mine.

[Fish Toys]

Yup the warm weather does wonders. My garden was starting to get dry and was thinking of watering some of it. We did get some rain. The weeds sure stated to grow again tho. Darn wind yesterday laid the sweet corn over. It should straighten out in a couple of days. Picked lots of radish. The tomatoes are coming real slow. Picked very few peas. The deer ate the tops off the peas. After I put the 4th electric wire up there hasn’t been any critter damage. I’ll have to try and get some pictures. Pretty scarce garden being a lot of things didn’t come up earlier. Oh well can’t have a perfect garden every year.

[vern]

The rabbits have been munching my rose shrubs, perennials & beans. Anyone have tips on keeping the rabbits away?

[hoggs222]

The wind blew over and snapped one of my serrano and one of my hot bananna peppers. Not sure if they'll grow from that stem or not?