Re: N & C Midwest: April 2016

CapeCoddess 4/8/2016, 3:06 pm

Love the photos. Sooooo many babies. You're an amazing plant Dad.

landarch wrote:
this is what it looks like when I have to carry seedlings into the house during cold snaps...wife not thrilled.

Why is it that some of us farmers don't seem to partner with farmettes?
Wink

**Scorpio Rising** 4/8/2016, 6:44 pm

THanks for the tips on the Agribon!

Nice, Landarch, wow! Lots of little guys, lots of moving to and fro however....

I didn't even uncover my plants today. It snowed/ice/snow pellets/rained/misted/etc. all day today. Tonight low 22, tomorrow high 33.....

The peas should be OK.....and radishes. I give up!

I think I just need to work on the timing thing.....

CitizenKate 4/8/2016, 10:01 pm

landarch wrote:Kate, the weatherman didn't do me any favors last night...woke up this morning to check on tomato seedlings in the front yard.

Pulled the Agribon off to check and things looked good.

I am sold on that stuff! Take that, Mother Nature. I could clip that right onto my pvc box cages.

CitizenKate 4/8/2016, 10:05 pm

Scorpio Rising wrote:THanks for the tips on the Agribon!

I didn't even uncover my plants today. It snowed/ice/snow pellets/rained/misted/etc. all day today. Tonight low 22, tomorrow high 33.....

The peas should be OK.....and radishes.

I think I just need to work on the timing thing.....

Is this normal weather for Ohio this time of year? If so, maybe starting everything a week or two later might just be the ticket. It's so hard to tell what conditions will be like 6 weeks out, though.

**sanderson** 4/9/2016, 2:40 am

CapeCoddess wrote:Love the photos. Sooooo many babies. You're an amazing plant Dad.

**Scorpio Rising** 4/9/2016, 10:50 am

Kate, this is probably normal. I just never cared before! Lol jocolor

CitizenKate 4/9/2016, 4:39 pm

Oh, I know. I'm paying a lot more attention to April weather this year, too. First time I've had anything outside before late April, and before that, May. Next thing I know, I'll be out there in December.

**Scorpio Rising** 4/9/2016, 5:36 pm

CitizenKate wrote:Oh, I know. I'm paying a lot more attention to April weather this year, too. First time I've had anything outside before late April, and before that, May. Next thing I know, I'll be out there in December.

You will if you have ever read Eliot Coleman's "Four Season Harvest"! I got it from my library, and ended up buying a copy for myself. But it comes down to protection, and I failed that section. Live and learn, if we're lucky!

CapeCoddess 4/9/2016, 6:40 pm

Scorpio Rising wrote:
CitizenKate wrote:Oh, I know. I'm paying a lot more attention to April weather this year, too. First time I've had anything outside before late April, and before that, May. Next thing I know, I'll be out there in December.

You will if you have ever read Eliot Coleman's "Four Season Harvest"!

or maybe you will be gardening through the end of January like I did one year!
https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t14270-january-2013-new-england

CC

**Scorpio Rising** 4/10/2016, 9:14 am

I need Windows! To put over my boxes, or even one! I love how you start out saying "I wish I would have cleaned out my beds" and on to harvesting stuff you would have composted! CC, that was a stroke of good fortune!

CapeCoddess 4/10/2016, 9:23 am

Got those windows from a construction project in my hood. All the construction contractors around here now know to ask me if I need whatever they are throwing out. If I take it, that saves them a dump fee. One asked yesterday if I need a working dryer - I don't, darn it.

Stop and ask around when you see construction going on. Leave your ph #. You'll be amazed! Some sites also have plastic that you could use to cover, SR.

CC

**Scorpio Rising** 4/10/2016, 11:46 am

Yes, I will do that. Thanks for the tips, CC!

Just uncovered my beds after 2 days of below freezing (20s) temps. Some stuff looks alive. The towels were frozen solid! I will venture out and take some pics later. Nothing has grown, so I could copy and paste my pictures from 2 weeks ago.....lol. But things have really gotten bit by these temps.

Need to amend with some blood meal soon. Not enough compost! And pile is frozen solid....

**sanderson** 4/11/2016, 5:58 am

Please take care when using old windows in the garden. Wood framed window and the 50's metal crank out windows may/probably have lead based paint. The aluminum single panes in the 60's, if they have never been painted, are probably/most likely safe.

CapeCoddess 4/11/2016, 12:30 pm

Thanks for the warning, Sanderson. Never occurred to me.
Mine are aluminum, as are my screens. That's why they blow over the the neighbors yards unless I weigh them down.
Embarassed

CC

CitizenKate 4/11/2016, 5:00 pm

Finally got the second watering contraption built, and both (semi) permanently hooked up to water. Really fun to see it all work. Had to get it done this week b/c we are leaving town for a few days and leaving the pets and garden in the care of a friend. We wanted to make it as easy as possible for her.

The lettuce and kale are finally getting big enough to actually see across the yard.

N & C Midwest: April 2016 - Page 2 Sfg-2010

N & C Midwest: April 2016 - Page 2 Sfg-2010

N & C Midwest: April 2016 - Page 2 Sfg-2011

The spinach looks a little thinned-out because I just harvested some.
N & C Midwest: April 2016 - Page 2 Sfg-2012

**trolleydriver** 4/11/2016, 6:22 pm

Very nice CK.

**Scorpio Rising** 4/11/2016, 6:54 pm

I never would have thought about lead paint, sanderson so thanks for saying something!

Kate, lookin' good in the backyard!

landarch 4/11/2016, 10:17 pm

Freeze warning again tonight...this after being in the high 70's yesterday. Anyway, here's some color around the SFG that may or may not last much longer.

Blue False Indigo - a native so it may take a freeze...leaves are a dark purple at the base lightening to a bright neon green at the tip.
N & C Midwest: April 2016 - Page 2 Baptis10

N & C Midwest: April 2016 - Page 2 Baptis10

Flowering Dogwood - from below...a little redbud visible on the right...all under a large bur oak tree (near my compost).
N & C Midwest: April 2016 - Page 2 Dogwoo10

N & C Midwest: April 2016 - Page 2 Dogwoo10

CitizenKate 4/12/2016, 12:23 am

Love your photos, landarch!

**Scorpio Rising** 4/12/2016, 8:23 pm

Landarch, your photos are gorgeous! You are really good!

Will have to cover tonight and tomorrow night....20s again. Sad

Didn't really have it in me to check on the beds this morning...harder freeze than expected....survival of the fittest, I suppose.

The rest of the week looks pretty mild. Need to pot up my maters. Will plant out the Matchless lettuce this week. And need to pinch off some of the marigolds, to bush them out a bit....but need another set of leaves to do that!

SPRING!

landarch 4/12/2016, 10:26 pm

thanks...my photos are my journal...I'm a professional landscape architect so I tend to notice visual aspects of plants in and out of the SFG.

herblover 4/13/2016, 3:00 pm

I tucked my 4 squares under their blankies on Friday night and left them that way til Sunday morning. All day Sat periods of intermittent snow and the high was 35. Had to cover again last night. Nothing else planted because of how cold it has been, but hopefully I can get a lot in this weekend....someone is going to give me extra hours in my day to get everything done, right?

landarch 4/13/2016, 9:39 pm

forecast here is for highs in the 70's and lows in the mid 50's for the next week...maybe a chance of rain on Sunday evening. Perfect conditions to start to warm up the soil in preparation for warm season veggie plantings.

**Scorpio Rising** 4/13/2016, 10:32 pm

landarch wrote:thanks...my photos are my journal...I'm a professional landscape architect so I tend to notice visual aspects of plants in and out of the SFG.

Well you certainly have an artistic eye! Beautiful!

**Scorpio Rising** 4/13/2016, 10:35 pm

herblover wrote:I tucked my 4 squares under their blankies on Friday night and left them that way til Sunday morning. All day Sat periods of intermittent snow and the high was 35. Had to cover again last night. Nothing else planted because of how cold it has been, but hopefully I can get a lot in this weekend....someone is going to give me extra hours in my day to get everything done, right?

I did the same thing. When I Went out at noon Sunday, the towels were frozen solid, but the plants were alive-ish! Looking forward to the stretch of warmer and drier, here.

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