Re: New England FEB 2015

**camprn** 2/22/2015, 5:33 pm

It's getting down to the end of the coldest, snowiest part of winter. All I can say is. GOOD! I have spent the last 5 Sundays moving snow around and more than 10 hours the past two days moving snow. Bloody well sick of it. And now its too dang late in the day to take a nap. Pfft!

CapeCoddess 2/23/2015, 11:50 am

I was pondering this idea of warming up the MM early and decided that I could try warming with upside down lettuce clam pack square by square. I did this for cukes last year and it worked great. I'm tired of moving snow, too, especially since it's mostly ice, but a square feels do-able. Very Happy

I think I'll do one at lunch today. Maybe after a week or so I'll put in some seeds just as an experiments. I have so many that it's crazy!

Didn't start seeds inside this weekend. Not feeling the love. Maybe next weekend. Did you folks start your onions?

CC

PS Camp, us being sick of the snow is definitely worth repeating twice. Wink

mollyhespra 2/23/2015, 9:34 pm

No, still haven't started my onions. Nor did I get outside to color flowers on my snow. Sad

What I have been doing is cataloging my seed packets and in doing so, I'm figuring out what I want to focus on growing this year.

I found that "Evernote" works great to create a database (yes, I have that many seed packets), and I can add tags to make searching easier. I'm about 2/5 of the way through, and it gets easier the more I do.

I just have to keep focused on inputting because the temptation is to get side-tracked & start reading articles, being as I'm going online to download the seed descriptions from the vendors that sold me the seeds and it's easy to get lost reading about other seeds and varieties.

ETA: I just noticed my own weather banner. Another sub-zero night. Yuck.

**sanderson** 2/23/2015, 9:41 pm

CC, love your new "shoes" Very Happy

My hat off to those of you in the frozen East and North.

CapeCoddess 2/24/2015, 11:44 am

Dear Mother Nature,

Are you kidding me with these temps???
Shocked

And I don't have it anywhere near as bad as my fellow New Englanders.
Can you please give us a break? We'd like to garden this spring.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give us.
CC

NHGardener 2/24/2015, 12:13 pm

Maybe 10 yrs. ago we were living up in the Conway, NH area. At that time there was a dearth of snow. People were alarmed because there was no snow, and the economy up there being skiing and tourism, they needed snow. So they held a snow dance. And ever since then we've been clobbered.

I blame the snow dancers.

CapeCoddess 2/24/2015, 12:16 pm

I need those snow dancers to come here and dance for rain during the summer. Shocked

Three yrs of summer drought conditions is killing my back.

CC

NHGardener 2/24/2015, 12:21 pm

CC, hopefully the snow load will help with your drought condition? Or, start shoveling it into rain barrels. Very Happy

I've seen setups with rain barrels and soaker hoses that, once set up, really help reduce the burden of watering. If you have rain for the rain barrels.

CapeCoddess 2/24/2015, 12:50 pm

That would sure be a lot of shoveling to get a barrel full of water, NHG. Isn't 10-12 inches of snow equal to 1 inch of water? I know we have enough snow to fill one but ouch with all the shoveling. Besides, I can get water out of the hose once or twice a week without shortage issues for watering the garden. It's just constant when there's no rain at all to help out.

I was going to make a rain barrel and even have the barrel from a car wash, but then I got all jigged out about my roof having asphalt shingles. I didn't want those chemicals in my garden so I never did it.

I just want soaking rain - once a week would be nice. I love you

It was a beautiful summer last year without it but a lot of work with the bucket watering.

Ah well, what will be will be. Best be careful what I wish for ....

NHGardener 2/24/2015, 1:36 pm

Just kidding about the snow barrels, CC. But I hear you about the asphalt shingle thing. I've always wondered about that, but people do it, so I don't know. It's one reason why I don't put edibles in the rock garden along my house, the rainwater comes off the shingles, and actually it's my husband who's always said: You don't want to eat anything that's from water from the roof shingles........

mollyhespra 2/26/2015, 9:06 am

How am I ever going to get into my garden again...
Potatoes - New England FEB 2015 - Page 6 20150210

NHGardener 2/26/2015, 9:38 am

It will probably involve a boat...

**AtlantaMarie** 2/26/2015, 10:01 am

Or a sled...

CapeCoddess 2/26/2015, 12:29 pm

Yikes, Molly! Is that you man playing King of the Hill up there?

Snowing to just about white out conditions here right now... Mad

My boss left our FL office this morning and is driving back up here. He be crazy!!!

So I figured out my seed starting blockage. I have those 'special' Eastham turnip stumplings growing in my window. They look great except that I keep finding & squishing aphids on them. I don't want to get rid of them as I want seeds, but they have to be AWAY from my seedlings. I'm thinking of putting them in the 2nd closed up bedroom. It's cold in there with no direct sun and there's a chance I'll forget all about them - outta site, outta mind kinda thing. Any thoughts?

CC

NHGardener 2/26/2015, 1:18 pm

Put a sticky note on your fridge: Don't forget turnips in spare bedroom.

Maybe the cold in there will help kill the aphids?

I agree with you, I wouldn't want my new seedlings anywhere near the aphid factory.

CapeCoddess 2/26/2015, 1:50 pm

NHGardener wrote:Put a sticky note on your fridge: Don't forget turnips in spare bedroom.

Duh...

And I'll move it around sometimes so it doesn't become part of the scenery. okay

Do you know at what temp aphids will die? Oh, I just looked it up and it's less than 14 degrees. That room never gets that cold and besides, it would kill the stumplings first.
I still have that pyrethrum spray. I could use it in the bedroom as Lilly can't get in there.

NHGardener 2/26/2015, 2:59 pm

"Duh"

This is why we need each other. Very Happy

mollyhespra 2/26/2015, 7:31 pm

CC are the aphids showing up only on the turnips? Why not try some DE on the aphids first before bringing out the pyrethrum? I've got no-cat zones in my house too but you know how they are; if they *know* they're not allowed in a particular area it becomes all the more tempting. The DE shouldn't hurt Miss Lilly, while the pyrethrum could...

**sanderson** 2/27/2015, 2:48 am

Or spray the pyrethrum outdoor and let everything completely dry before bringing them back under the lights? They could spend a day or two in the closed bedroom?

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