What's in the garden right now??

Got the plastic on 2x4 salad beds today before it rained! Boy did it heat up fast in the sun! I told hubby I have to get some thermometers! weather says we are going to have highs in the 50s with lows in the 40s for early next week. Should be good to plant lol..lettuce, arugala, radishes in those. Carrots and misc going in the original 4x4. I still have to get the plastic on it.

The transplants are babies I have nursed from seeds. Zuccini, cucumbers, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, luffa...They are so going to go out but not this week!

I set up two portable greenhouses that I can use to harden off this week. Also got the pvc for the hoops for the second 4x4. I will have to pick up the vermiculite next week. Spent my money for the garden for this week lol....

Crappers! That means if I keep my plastic on during rainy days I have to water! Rofl...seems like more work but I am so ready for a fresh salad!

Darn, forgot to put my gid on...will have to do that when I get ready to plant lol...

Salad bed




Ben made clips like this for most of the plastic so it clips on and I don't have to spend a fortune on the spring clips.




Daffodils blooming! And I found some lillies coming up that I put in last fall. I don't even like lillies!

BackyardBirdGardner wrote:

As for directly planting seeds outdoors, I think you have the right frame of mind. Next year, I probably won't be nearly as aggressive as early. I will just go with my "altered" frost date of March 30 and direct seed when I can. All that transplanting has been a pain. Fun experience to learn, but not something I need to start doing so early. (Granted, when cabin fever gets me next winter, I may completely change my tune....again.)

Every year I swear I am NOT GOING TO DO STARTS! And once again I did. But I wrote in my journal not to start so early! It says 12 weeks before frost but I think for squash and such I am going to go for 6 wks next year. I can't put them in the ground till maybe the middle of May!

I sprayed the seedlings with chamomile tea every week and haven't lost one yet to dampening off....So I may be able to start less next time.....grrr there I go already talking starting!

Dear! Their eating all the left over fall flowers...

CindiLou, definitely get thermometers for at least one of them.

But, a decent rule of thumb for temps inside the plastic.......if you get sun, temps can get to 40* above the air temp. If you don't get sun, temps will still run 10* above air. At night, temps will quickly drop to about 1* above air temps without added protection.

Thank you BYBG! I am not so worried about the night temps. If we get a cold spell Ben says he will run trouble lights out to use for a little heat and I have old blankets to put over them. But the day temps are going to have to be watched. I have never had my beds covered. Just the little green houses I use to harden off the starts.

tomatoes,peppers (sweet and hot), spring onions, eggplant, cucumbers,patty pan squash,spearmint, tricolored sage, celontro, and basil. This time of year I love living in Fl.

I am a little south of Cincinnati and this year I started onions from seed but I also went out and bought sets. I planted them almost a week ago and had some questions about them. How deep should I have buried them? How long will they take till I see some sprouting action? Besides that, my garden is growing great around here and I have about everything in it that you all have mentioned here. I can't wait for that first salad, I have a burpee sprout tray for mini greens on top just waiting to be eaten! Thanks for all the help!

how do you delete a post once it has already been up and the red x goes away?

FarmerValerie wrote:

I'm just letting off some steam about the shelving unit, and ready to have everything outside instead of in the living room, in the kitchen, on the table, on the porch on warm days, oh I could go on but I think you get the picture. I just wish I had hoop houses like you.

I am pretty new on these forums, but it seems to me that you are a very avid gardener / farmer and I find it interesting that you do not have a hoop house. They are pretty easy and cheap to make. I didn't know the first thing about it but I was able to make a 4x8 over my SFG this year for about $50 or so (the 4 mil plastic being the most expensive part - 10ft x 100ft for about $40). If you follow the link on my signature to the DIY page there is an EXCELLENT and almost perfect video tutorial of how to build the 4x8 hoop house - it was like it was made specifically for the square foot gardener.

Thank you so much for your vote of confidence, but alas hoop houses are not in the budget acording to the keeper of the checkbook, aka my husband. I've kind of let the disccusion drop for right now, he brought home some galvanized pipe from a job that we wants me to use instead of pvc pip, but has to buy a bender first. I tried to tell him the pipe was for trelis's, but alas to no avail. I'll approach it again in the future, he decided to move up the time table on our getting goats and got 2 last weekend for $100, as of this morning we have 4, the doe was pregnant..... First pripority is finishing the pen to keep them out of the garden.

FarmerValerie wrote:Thank you so much for your vote of confidence, but alas hoop houses are not in the budget acording to the keeper of the checkbook, aka my husband. I've kind of let the disccusion drop for right now, he brought home some galvanized pipe from a job that we wants me to use instead of pvc pip, but has to buy a bender first. I tried to tell him the pipe was for trelis's, but alas to no avail. I'll approach it again in the future, he decided to move up the time table on our getting goats and got 2 last weekend for $100, as of this morning we have 4, the doe was pregnant..... First pripority is finishing the pen to keep them out of the garden.

Smart play to let the discussion drop for a bit. However, pick it back up when things seem a little calmed down again. Yoyo (sorry, couldnt resist shortening your name to one I'll remember...hope it doesn't bother you) is right. They are pretty inexpesive to add.

A buck a piece of PVC tubing, a $5 package of brackets, and another $25ish for the plastic covering. I would venture to say you can cover a 4x12 for under $40. Bupkiss when compared to the cost of MM alone.......that could be your "angle."

I would say something to the effect of........Now, DH, I know you want to protect our investment in SFG now that you've given me the ok to try it. But, what a better way than to extend our season another few weeks by covering it up. Would you be ok with it if I told you we could continue growing veggies another 2-4 weeks for only $40?

If not, you just do what my family does......raid the wallet when Im not looking for an occasional $5 bill. Stash it somewhere a husband never goes, like your drawer of pretty thingies, and 8 times later....you have your hoops. The family budget may not even notice $5 at a time.

Just bouncing ideas.

BYBG, did you know that the "Gothic House" in your profile picture is still there? It is in my hometown, Eldon, Iowa. As a historical landmark, it is well maintained. Presently, I believe, there is a lady there that is starting a pie business. Link to http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20101011/NEWS03/10110311/Munson-American-Gothic-House-meets-America-s-Pie-Lady. I used to deliver the paper there everyday as a teenager. My parents still live in Eldon even though I left after high school.

BYBG, I already have a plan. Cold weather crops in the fall, and not to mention goats like the left overs from the broccoli, califlower, cabbage, and spinach plants. It's cheaper to suppliment their feed with those than to buy more hay, and a simple hoop house will solve that. That's also how I plan on getting wood for a chicken tractor to let the chickens (and rabbits if we have them by then) clean the beds and fertilize for next spring. I may have been born in the after noon, but it was not yesterday afternoon. I'll be honest though I sometimes feel more like I'm manipulating him than trying to get him to see my point of view, and I don't like it when people do that to me. I usually get over it though.

He's in construction, a fifth generation master painter, and a handy man, so parts are not a problem. I have enough pvc to do 4 8x4 beds, plastic is always on hand, the clamps is are all I need. I could run out there and throw a few up, but if he comes home and needs pipe for a job right then and there and finds his supplies out in the garden, he is going to go get them, don't really blame him, I would too. However the goats would do less damage then he would as he is a bull in a china shop type of guy.

I have a change jar that I call my laundry fee, anything found in the washer (under a $20) goes in that jar, anything over I give back, keeps me honest. I have more than enough in my jar to cover clips for hoops.

Today was productive! But not without spending money of course rofl....

Went to pick up eye screws for my grid. of course they have to have a bunch of garden stuff jumping out right in front of me! Of course that might be because it was a "Farm and Home!"
Bought some green onion sets (now I am not planting onion seed! so cheating) and enough yellow onions sets for three squares. I already have a square of Walla Walla ready to plant!

I found a different pea "Dwarf Grey Sugar" has an edible pod and grows around 36".

Planted:

Bathtub with:
green onion sets
radishes in between
one square of lettuce



I also amended the composted soil I had in there with vermiculite and peat moss. So basically MM. It has at least 3 different composts in it from the last years I have planted in it! The hardware cloth is to keep the grandkid out of it! Plastic ready if frost threatens. I had good luck with the onions in it last year. Might have had with Radishes and lettuce but Alex planted the whole packages in the same spot rofl....
So with the MM I expect It to do better!




I got the plastic on my original 4x4 bed
The garlic I planted last November (store garlic) as an experiment has come up!

This bed is my first one. It doesn't have MM due to costs last year. I am going to do my new ones with MM this year and amend this one next year. After adding peat and vermiculite I should have enough MM for 2 more beds. Theoretically that is! Shhhh dont' tell hubby. Oh wait, all the two extra beds would cost would be wood, and we get that out of the scrap bin! So Cheap beds next year!

I got thermometers for the beds. It got up to 72° in it this afternoon. So I know I have to watch them. But the nights are still down around 40° so the plastic stays on!

Tomorrow I will plant peas, radishes, onions, arugula,and what ever else....humm beets--kohlrabi?

Thanks for the tip, CindiLou. If you ever take a picture of that place with a camera, will you post it? I wish I was better with PhotoShop. I could put me and the wife in front of it like I've seen done to death. But, at least it'd be me in the picture.

Great sounding day.

Can you also start a thread explaining your grid and trellis system....in OUR region's subforum? (I want others to get into the habit of coming here first to see what we are doing...then, when the "outsiders" (LOL) demand, we will have it moved into General or Showcase (part of my master plan...rubs hands together with sinister look on face).

It looks like rope tied both in grid format and then vertically for peas? If I see that correctly, it's awesome!! And, pure genius.

As for the temps and therms... Yes, 72* in an afternoon requires venting, if not total removal. But, I've found that 40 is not going to hurt anything. In fact, since you likely don't have summer veggies in yet, you can leave the covers off until the weatherman calls for 35. I hate Jack Frost's sneak attacks! But, even then, cool veggies can likely handle it.

Boffer was paramount to my paranoia regarding the plastic at night. He proved to me that these little guys are pretty tough after all.

Another day of planting.

I did one planting in one salad bed. I am going to do progressive plantings because I want to Sure looks empty! Going to try one square of each a week. Next week finish out this bed then start on the twin.

It was hot today! High 86°!!! Tomorrow high of 49°. Got to love Iowa weather! Nasty thunderstorms coming in but the bulk is going to slid south of me it looks like.

I did get my grid in before I started planting. Wish I had done it earlier just because I was in the mood to PLANT not work!
One square each lettuce, arugula, radish, peas



Back two squares my experiment to see if store garlic will come up. Looking great! One square Walla Walla onions and three squares yellow onions.

Leftover from last year and thriving:
1 square parsley
1 square jalapeno
1 square yellow bell pepper
1 pot with strawberries to which I have added 4 new plants to the exiting older plants
1 pot Greek oregano
1 pot rosemary
1 pot kale
1 pot lavender
(everything from last year is from nursery plants)


Planted last fall:
2 squares brussells sprouts (plants from nursery)
nasturtiums (seeds)
My SFQ is made of cinder blocks. In the holes of the blocks I planted red onions.

New this spring:
2 squares English peas (seeds)
1 square cucumbers (seeds)
1 square cherry tomtato (plant from nursery) planted with marigolds
1 square creole tomato (plant from nursery)
4 squares cabbage (plants from nursery)
2 squares red bell peppers + 1 pot (plants from nursery)
1 square carrots (seeds)
2 squares yellow onion (sets)
1 square leeks + 1 pot leeks (sets)
1 square eggplant (plant from nursery)
3 squares lettuce + one pot + 1 hanging basket (squares and hanging basket seed, pot purchased pre-planted from nursery)
1 pot Greek oregano (purchased from nursery before I realized last year's plant would come back)
1 square cilanto (both seeds and plants from nursery)
1 pot thyme
4 pots of bush tomatoes
1 pot yellow summer squash
1 geranium

Also planted in pots and in the holes of cinder blocks are petunias, pansies. Its my firs time ever to grow flowers other than marigolds. Bought some seeds yesterday but didn't have time to plant them yet.

soil! YAE! Finally! we got our soil in yesterday. I am buying seeds on Friday... and hopefully next weekend we plant!! :D

Rock on, you guys!!

Grass! Here's the story. We have bald patches in our yard from a slip n slide last summer, our fire pit, and the basketball hoop stand. So my hubby bought a huge bag of grass seed and a hand spreader. Our intentions were to spread the seed in the bare spots and the hand spreader has a pretty long range so it would be great. Also, none of the bare spots are anywhere near my raised beds. Well our kiddos (all 4 of them) wanted to try the spreader. We said great just do the bare spots. Well, they decided to walk around the whole yard spreading grass seed. EVEN IN BETWEEN MY RAISED beds. So..I know for a fact the seed spreader will spread the seeds efficiently and the grass seed will grow quite nicely. However, I have been pulling and picking out shoots of grass and seeds from my raised beds square by square...lol

As for true garden plants, I have lettuce, onion sets, carrots, broccoli in my beds and potatoes in an old galvanized wash tub I found in our basement when we moved into our home.

As Bill Cosby said "Brain Damage". Kids gotta love them, but I can promise, there is justice, they are called grandchildren.

FarmerValerie wrote:As Bill Cosby said "Brain Damage". Kids gotta love them, but I can promise, there is justice, they are called grandchildren.

Remember, he called it Drain Bamage.

I remember his stuff so well. We used to sit and listen to it on LP. Our favorite was To My Brother, Russel, With Whom I Slept. If you've heard that and ever had a sibling.....it's just too relatable.

I think I'll call my brother now. Thanks for that reminder.

My favorite Bill Cosby, is "The Chicken Heart", you really have to do a search or find a vinyl copy of it, has me ROFLMAOPMP (PMP pee my pants) every time. Let's not forget "Old Wierd Harold".

FarmerValerie wrote:My favorite Bill Cosby, is "The Chicken Heart", you really have to do a search or find a vinyl copy of it, has me ROFLMAOPMP (PMP pee my pants) every time. Let's not forget "Old Wierd Harold".

One of my favorites was 'Go Carts' where they stole 487 baby coach wheels - the odd one was because Old Weird Harold had a 'Continental' on the back!

TC

And then, Valerie, there's Mrs. Brown of BBC fame, if you're female, and under age 90: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0LvKg5aCG0&feature=player_embedded
a real ROFLMAOPMP, or the proverbial snort coffee through the nose.

In the garden: I put some of the kale, broccoli and chard plants (started inside) out in the new (West) raised bed. The old bed (east bed) is still full of garlic and leeks from last fall's planting BSFG (before I discovered, at Powell's, the old edition of Square Foot Gardening). I've decided, the old East bed will be replanted, as soon as the garlic/leek-like stuff is harvested in July, to a winter garden plot, with hoop house over it. Wish me luck.