zone 5b - week of 4april-10april

what are you up to this week?

today we:

dug holes for our greenhouse and concreted them (8feet x 8feetx 6feet at lowest point)

mixed up a batch of mel's mix and planted:

20 strawberries,
3 siberian iris'
20 gladiolus
2 bleeding hearts

and have two containers ready to plant carrots in.

the kids are now 'bathing' in the outdoor pool. *grin*

bettyann

ps so excited about the greenhouse! we 're gonna put most of our tomatoes and melons and peppers in there this year. . .

today we:

mixed up more mel's mix

put a 2x4 together and filled it with dirt.

filled several planters and put them on the front porch steps

haven't decided yet what we're putting in the planters on the steps.

the 2x4 is filled with 2 canteloupe and 2 watermelons (seeds - 3 seeds per hole). we gave them 2 squares each plant.

should be fun.

it's just so warm here i thought i'd risk the warm wx plants. if it does frost, i'll put greenhouses over them.

we are definitely enjoying making small batches of mel's mix at a time. less cumbersome. we're doing it simple, too. one bag of each kind of compost source (we have 6 sources) and then after that's mixed, adding a wheelbarrow full each of vermiculite and peat moss (the six bags of compost were a full wheelbarrow full, *grin*)

our neighbors are either thinking we're on the ball or are crazy. lol

all i know is our peas are getting taller and taller - some are reaching the trellis now!

oh yeah, we transplanted all our spinach, brassicas and lettuces today to our squares. i also rearranged my swiss chard - originally there was 1 per square. now i moved them all to one square (so 3 in one square - need to get the seed packet and plant another seed to replace the one plant the baby killed when she covered it with a greenhouse cover and squashed the plant itself. )

would love to see/know what others are planting this week.

this thread is being moved into another thread.

planted more stuff today into my planters on the front steps and after i did that, i sat down and actually compiled a list of stuff that's now planted in my sfg boxes/planters/frosting buckets as of this date. Here goes:


Arugula – rocket
Basil – lemon
Basil – spicy globe
Bleeding hearts
Broccoli – calabrese
Broccoli – green goliath
Brussel sprouts – long island
Canteloupe
Carrot – kaleidoscope
Carrot – petite sweet
Carrot – sweet treat hybrid
Chives
Cilantro
Cosmos
Cress
Garlic – german hard neck
Gladiolus
Kale – dwarf blue curled
Kohlrabi
Lettuce – black seeded simpson
Lettuce – buttercrunch
Lettuce – grand rapids
Lettuce – romaine
Onion – red blush
Onion – white lisbon
Par-cel (cutting celery)
Pea – mammoth melting
Peas – alaska
Rosemary
Siberian iris
Spinach – correnta hybrid
Spinach – giant noble
Strawberry – allstar
Strawberry – quinault
Swiss chard – bright lights
Swiss chard – green variety of some sort
Turnip – seven top
Watermelon – sugar baby


seems quite impressive but it really took little time at all to do. i just LOVE square foot gardening!

I want to move to Ohio! I can't wait to start planting but I have a few weeks to wait as I'm a 5a. I think I'm going to get a cold frame or do a small hoop on one of my beds. Thanks for the motivation

jsavolt wrote:I want to move to Ohio!

Julie we will make you an Honorary Ohioan! You can come here to lurk or contribute anytime you want!

I also hope we will see lots of you on other parts of the Northern and Central Midwest Regional Forum. A little birdie told me that you have five years SFG experience. I think that beats all of us. Please stick around and help us. WE NEED YOU!

Check out the different Zone threads and make yourself at home.

jsavolt - because i am a newbie at growing stuff, i don't know the 'rules' and am having a blast finding out what works, what doesn't. no one else that gardens in my area has even a quarter of what i've got planted right now. most think i'm off my rocker.

and wow! i am gonna be asking lots of questions of you - this is only my second year sfg!

Looking forward to learning from you also! I'm planting my peas today, a good month before I usually do, thought I would give it a try!

I have radishes up just 4 days after being planted! Our early "summer" weather has pushed everything ahead of normal. However there is chances of patchy frost the next couple of nights.

Checked the SFG and the kohlrabi are coming up!

Finally getting some veggies in the ground today. Transplanting some lettuce and broccoli and parsley and starting peas, radishes, and lettice from seeds. I'm kinda late on my peas but we'll see how many we get before it gets hot out. Yeah....can't wait to go play in the dirt.

lakemom wrote:Finally getting some veggies in the ground today. Transplanting some lettuce and broccoli and parsley and starting peas, radishes, and lettice from seeds. I'm kinda late on my peas but we'll see how many we get before it gets hot out. Yeah....can't wait to go play in the dirt.

You don't say where you are but I don't think if you are in zone 5b that you are too late on your peas. I just planted one variety (sugar snap) today and will plant my regular peas next week. Someone on these boards gave a link to www.littlehouseinthesuburbs.com which has a wonderfully user-friendly planting guide. I am following that re; when to plant. In addition to the peas I planted another variety of radishes (French Breakfast) and onions.

Yeah....I'm late on my peas because I got my seed order in late. But...seeing as how last Summer was sooooo cold I figured I might get a decent harvest if it doesn't get hot too soon. I also threw in some broccoli plants I picked up at the store this weekend and am hoping to get a decent harvest out of them too. If not, I'll try again in the Fall. Today I have to head out to our storage room and find the hose...since I got my seeds in and then realized the hose we had at home won't stretch all the way out to the garden beds. LOL...so I'll grab the hose and the lawn furniture this afternoon after church. And I am in North Central Indiana.

Just realized I'm a 5b'er. New I was a 5, but wasn't sure A or B... Anyway... ha!

I notice you planted sugar baby's and melons already. I've read to wait until mid-May. Have you done this in years past or just trying it out? Just curious b/c I plan to do them this year and since it's my first year I'm still trying to learn about all the plantings.

most folks in my area are just now planting peas, so i'm guessing it's fine where you are, too. i just read the seed packet and it said 'plant as soon as the soil can be worked' well i could work my soil back in march.

Thanks!! That is good to know. I haven't gotten the seeds yet so I will be heading out very soon to get them. Aaahhh! Just realized I still to build my melon bed...