Re: CANADIAN REGION: What are you doing in April 2016?

**sanderson** 4/6/2016, 2:40 am

clear plastic "greenhouse" - clear plastic heats the soil up faster/higher

KJ, Thanks for reminding me that the 7 bags of leaves need to be mowed Wink

StrongAsMeat 4/6/2016, 5:12 pm

It has begun! I planted these little guys Saturday and my cukes are already budding. I feel a proud father again. With this weather though I think I'll have to attach a trellis to this tray cuz I don't think I'll ever get them outside. Very Happy

CANADIAN REGION: What are you doing in April 2016? - Page 2 Tumblr_o58delNcr51ry549vo1_540

**Kelejan** 4/6/2016, 5:43 pm

Congratulations, S.A.M. on your new babies. Let's hope your weather improves and quickly.

Just to make you jealous, I have been out in my yard today and had to take my sweater off as I was getting uncomfortably warm. Very Happy

(Sorry!)

**trolleydriver** 4/6/2016, 5:54 pm

Well done SAM. I'm just concerned that you are too early with those cucumber seedlings. I think the rule of thumb is to start them about 2 or 3 weeks before you plant them out while also keeping in mind that they are easily damaged by frost if put out too early and left unprotected.

StrongAsMeat 4/6/2016, 5:59 pm

I am very jealous K. Regarding the timing, could I not transfer them to a larger container in the meantime while waiting for frost chances to go away?

**trolleydriver** 4/6/2016, 6:31 pm

StrongAsMeat wrote:... Regarding the timing, could I not transfer them to a larger container in the meantime while waiting for frost chances to go away?

You could try that. I like experimenting so go for it. My understanding is that cucumbers do not like to have their roots disturbed when transplanting. If I recall correctly I simply started my cucumbers by seeding directly in the SFG bed last year. But I think I may try some transplants this year to give them a jump.

And now for "what I am doing today" ... I'm deep into completing our income tax returns using Turbotax software. I really do not like doing tax returns ... much much prefer gardening.

StrongAsMeat 4/6/2016, 7:40 pm

At least you're not paying someone double what Turbo Tax cost you to be doing your taxes using Turbo Tax. Razz

**Scorpio Rising** 4/6/2016, 8:11 pm

The devil, say no more, say no more. pale

**Kelejan** 4/7/2016, 8:58 am

A few more sunny and warm days forecast and last night I had an email saying that a load of wood chips would be delivered today or tomorrow. that's after waiting two years.

Now I will be able to cover all the weeded areas with the fresh ships and hopefully not have to weed there for a long time.

I am going to be very, very busy. Very Happy

**trolleydriver** 4/7/2016, 10:33 am

KJ ... I am jealous of your nice weather and all the things you are getting done outside.

I am shoveling snow this morning!

By the way, I need to find a local source for wood chips.

**Kelejan** 4/7/2016, 5:22 pm

I have been busy this morning still clearing the places that I want to place the wood-chips first of all. 1) Where I have finished weeding. 2) Top up all other places that have wood chips that need to be weeded first and need levelling off. 3) New ground. 4) Bag the surplus for emergencies. All exciting in their different ways.

So I will have my siesta and hope I get woken up by Jazz barking and that it is the delivery of my long-awaited chips.

Just be glad for me, TD, as I am sure you are.

**Kelejan** 4/7/2016, 6:10 pm

So much for my siesta. My two loads have been delivered. and they have lots of green.

I had a nice chat with the forester who delivered it and of course he knew what I was talking about when I mentioned I had been reading about microbes and fungi and the soil food web, etc.

In a while I will get into my gardening clothes again and so a little shifting. By the way, it has a lot of green in it.

**Kelejan** 4/8/2016, 12:29 am

Here in British Columbia the weather forecast is sunny for at least the next fourday with temperatures all above 21C.

It is getting light earlier each day so I will be getting up earlier each day to get my gardening done and generally going to bed earlier as well. I never do anything noisy before 9:00am, especially as I have a mom and new baby next door.

**trolleydriver** 4/8/2016, 9:33 am

Here in the polar vortex impacted part of Canada we are getting temperatures which are about 10 Celsius below normal for this time of year. Our high today is going to be 0 Celsius. The forecast is for minus 13 Celsius for the overnight temperature on Saturday. The MM and compost will never thaw out at this rate.

**Kelejan** 4/8/2016, 9:52 am

You are all in my thoughts, TD, and I am not crowing over anyone as I feel much sympathy.

Off now to shovel some more wood chips.

p14shooter 4/8/2016, 8:46 pm

well, the wind blew so hard yesterday/last night that I had to take the plastic off my bed. It rained a whole bunch today and tonight. Not sure how things are going to fare. I have to leave tomorrow for the weekend before I will get to assess the damage if any. The sole transplanted cabbage looked like it was on its last legs when I saw it when I took the cover off. The transplanted onions were no where to be seen, not that I really expected them to survive anyway. The direct sowed onions seemed to be coming up, but it looked like they were all in one place, when I know I spaced them accordingly. Although where I have not done this before, I am not sure if they are one seed growing multiple greens or if all the seeds bunched together. Will have to try to determine if everything else washed away or not. Garlic still looks good. Learn and grow.

**Scorpio Rising** 4/8/2016, 9:09 pm

trolleydriver wrote:Here in the polar vortex impacted part of Canada we are getting temperatures which are about 10 Celsius below normal for this time of year. Our high today is going to be 0 Celsius. The forecast is for minus 13 Celsius for the overnight temperature on Saturday. The MM and compost will never thaw out at this rate.

Feeling your frigid pain, TD! My fellow regionnaires are having much more seasonable temps, albeit windy I believe! Here, in Ohio, it is cold cold cold. And my stuff planted out when it was beautiful and seasonal is either dead or at a standstill.

**Kelejan** 4/9/2016, 12:26 am

I am beginning to wonder if there is much use in growing seeds indoors then transplanting. they really have to be under secure cover to be able to combat the wind and cold that you are having.

The good weather seems to make suckers of us, but as is often said, they are only seeds. Forgetting that a lot of time and patience is invested.

Even though the weather here in BC is just glorious, I have enough to keep me busy until I am sure the weather is more stable.

We still have snow on the nearby mountains so I know that until that has gone, I will not put out tender plants.

Our local paper has Gardening Club's Harbinger of Spring on May7 followed by Garden and Nature Fest on May 28, so I know I will not worry about being able to get tomato, pepper and other tender plants. Plenty of work still to do until then.

I will just plant peas, beans, lettuce, chard etc. For now.

**sanderson** 4/9/2016, 2:48 am

I feel for all of you in the cold areas of North America (and other continents with northern latitudes). Here I am concerned the rain may be too hard for my seedlings, and you are all fighting freeze, snow, cold Mix, harsh winds.

CapeCoddess 4/9/2016, 7:54 am

What doesn't kill em makes em stronger....we hope.
Wink

CC

**Scorpio Rising** 4/9/2016, 10:57 am

That sounds fun, Kelejan! We got about 2 centimeters of snow last night. Not really sticking around though, ground must be warmish.

Mimi2 4/9/2016, 5:34 pm

Hi all- I am planting new seeds and taking care o my plant babies here in chilly Ottawa. It was minus 15 with the wind chill today, so it will be a while until the plants can go in the ground. This is my second year for SFG- and I am looking forward to building more raised beds an continuing with the adventure...

**Scorpio Rising** 4/9/2016, 5:43 pm

Brrrrr, Mimi! Stay the course! All we can do!

**trolleydriver** 4/9/2016, 7:32 pm

Hi Mimi ... I am also in Ottawa and we are on the very same path. Like you this is my second year of SFG and I am planning more SFG beds. You are right about that brutal wind chill today. I figure it will be the last weekend of May before my tomatoes get transplanted outside and after that for the peppers.

I picked up a bag of Vermiculite today. The place where I got it said they ordered ten bags and received five. They only let me have one bag since the others were promised to someone else. I told them I wanted it for my Square Foot Garden and the response was that a lot of people are asking for it for that purpose. I need to find another source ASAP and stock up for the new SFG beds.

**Kelejan** 4/9/2016, 8:03 pm

Mimi2 wrote:Hi all- I am planting new seeds and taking care o my plant babies here in chilly Ottawa. It was minus 15 with the wind chill today, so it will be a while until the plants can go in the ground. This is my second year for SFG- and I am looking forward to building more raised beds an continuing with the adventure...

Just saying Hi!, Mimi2 as I don't remember reading any of your comments before now.

As I said to TD the other day, remind me not to move to Qttawa and that includes all that area of Canada. I did travel though way back but it was in the summer time.

Anyway, wish you luck in taking are of your plant babies. Glad you are continuing with SFG. Very Happy

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