CANADIAN REGION: What are you doing in March 2018

The months seem to be going by so quickly, in spite of not being able to work in the garden as yet as it is still covered by about 12 to at least 15 inches in snow.

This past week we here in the Southern Interior of British Columbia are having days and days of snow during the night followed by melting snow during the day followed by freezing slush. I have no doubt that summer will arrive and we will not give a thought about the winter past. I am beginning to get a little bit of cabin fever and can't wait to get cracking out doors  as I have such a lot I want to do.

Collecting compost from my piles is a major want as is shredding all the dry leaves that I did not finish off last fall on the only day that I was able to gather a couple of dozen bags on the last possible day before it rained and rained.  I checked the bags today and found them still nice and dry as they are stored in the  car-less carport so that it will be easy shredding them with the lawn mower and mix them will all the kitchen scraps stored in yoghurt containers and stored outside in a secure space.

Still lots of snow/slush/rain forecast before anything can be done.

GreenThumbMom in Ontario Zone 5a.

from your Canadian Regional Host
Kelejan   in British Columbia.

California is finally getting rain, glorious rain, plus snow in the mountains. Well, the folks in So. Cal., where the fires stripped the hills of vegetation, will have a different take as they are having concern of mud slides. I'm just this weekend stating seeds indoors.

Interesting... Im quite new to these forums - but when I look in the Canada Region board, I don't see this thread.  I only saw it mentioned in the 'Latest Topics' column on the left! LOL!! 

I have planted several varieties of pepper seeds: Chocolate, yellow and mixed bells; as well as a jalapeno.   I love peppers but I have yet to have GREAT success starting from seed... I've always had to resort to buying starts (which limits the varieties I can grow).. so I'm really hoping that this year is the year I have success! 

Kelejan wrote: GreenThumbMom in Ontario Zone 5a.

from your Canadian Regional Host
Kelejan   in British Columbia.

Hi Kelejan!! Thanks for directing me here!!

GTM I haven't started (indoors) my peppers yet. Last year I was able to start transplants but got a very small harvest. I had green bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, chinese 5 color peppers and banana peppers. The banana peppers produced the best. I gave a jalapeno transplant to the next door neighbour and it produced abundantly in their regular soil (amended with composted horse manure). Hoping for better results this year.

GreenThumbMomma wrote:Interesting... Im quite new to these forums - but when I look in the Canada Region board, I don't see this thread.  I only saw it mentioned in the 'Latest Topics' column on the left! LOL!! 

I have planted several varieties of pepper seeds: Chocolate, yellow and mixed bells; as well as a jalapeno.   I love peppers but I have yet to have GREAT success starting from seed... I've always had to resort to buying starts (which limits the varieties I can grow).. so I'm really hoping that this year is the year I have success! 

Hi there, GTM!!!

I grew my usuals, Big Red, King of the North, Sweet Banana, and for the first time Early Jalapeño.  WOWOW!  Early jalapeño produced so much I froze them, sweet banana is always a winner.  Lost one of my big bells...not sure which.  Paring down volume on jalapeño, one plant.  And one banana..might regret that.  We will see!

I grew a mini bell variety, which had a chocolate in there!  Very pretty.  Not so productive, but a varmint knocked over one or two of the plants...grrr!

Hopeful for peppers!  

GreenThumbMomma wrote:

Kelejan wrote: GreenThumbMom in Ontario Zone 5a.

from your Canadian Regional Host
Kelejan   in British Columbia.

Hi Kelejan!! Thanks for directing me here!!

GTM. DO continue to post on your own thread as that is a good way to keep a diary of your progress including all your mistakes.  It is good to look back on.  I wish I had done it when I first started. TD is a good example, he labels his "First Year", "Second Year" etc.

You will soon find your way around this forum.  There are threads for special subjects such as different vegetables, composting, mulching, worms, all sorts of subjects, some of them off-topics.  This site is one of the best I have ever been on  as it allows one to go off-topic without being penalized and keeps the pure Square Foot Gardening topics altogether without being mixed up in general conversation.  We respect the fact that this forum is the property of Square Foot Gardening.

I find that one of the most usfeful features is the SEARCH BOX in the top left hand corner of this page.  Thousands of entries and thousands of answers.

Kelejan wrote:
GTM. DO continue to post on your own thread as that is a good way to keep a diary of your progress including all your mistakes.  It is good to look back on.  I wish I had done it when I first started.[i] TD is a good example, he labels his "First Year", "Second Year" etc.

+1! It interesting (& fun) to see how much we learn year to year...

Kelejan wrote:GTM. DO continue to post on your own thread as that is a good way to keep a diary of your progress including all your mistakes.  It is good to look back on.  I wish I had done it when I first started. TD is a good example, he labels his "First Year", "Second Year" etc.

You will soon find your way around this forum.  There are threads for special subjects such as different vegetables, composting, mulching, worms, all sorts of subjects, some of them off-topics.  This site is one of the best I have ever been on  as it allows one to go off-topic without being penalized and keeps the pure Square Foot Gardening topics altogether without being mixed up in general conversation.  We respect the fact that this forum is the property of Square Foot Gardening.

I find that one of the most useful features is the SEARCH BOX in the top left hand corner of this page.  Thousands of entries and thousands of answers.

Well, sometimes a gentle herding back to the original topic.

LOL! True, Sanderson!

But at least it's a GENTLE nudging.... ;-)

AtlantaMarie wrote:LOL!  True, Sanderson!

But at least it's a GENTLE nudging....  ;-)

Yes, I know that I am sometimes guilty and when I realise it I get back to the subject of the thread.

e.g.This is the Canadian Regional thread, and today, when I saw the weather forecast it looked so promising with sunshine and 9C temperatures that I really, really, thought that I could spend a few minutes in the garden DOING SOMETHING after the long months of inactivity.  Then I looked out my kitchen window, and what do I see, sleet, coming down in buckets and the wind sending it horizontal. Then I realized that the TV was showing Vancouver weather, about 350 miles west of where I live.  With luck, that weather may reach us tomorrow.

I have started some indoor gardening activity after being inspired by a bit of a warm spell in the Ottawa region. Last weekend I planted a few seedlings with the help of my daughter. We planted peppers, tomatoes, kale, and coriander and parsley seeds. I hope that this year is kinder to the Toms...and pepper plants. Here is a pic of my set up. This weekend I'll plant some more stuff. Mainly different tomato varities. In a month or so, I'll start my cukes. The cherry tomatoes, snow peas, kale and cucumbers are the biggest hit with my family. This year I hope to finally try planting potatoes, and sweet potatoes as well. The other thing that we all love are the blueberries, rasberries and red currants that we grow. I wish I could find a black currant bush somewhere. 

Welcome back Mimi. Looks like you are off to a good start.  I'm with you on hoping for a better year fior toms and peppers.

trolleydriver wrote:Welcome back Mimi. Looks like you are off to a good start.  I'm with you on hoping for a better year for toms and peppers.

+1

Hi Mimi! Welcome home! :-)

Looks like veggies to me!  Hey, Mimi!

I know it, Kelejan, it is just so cold!  Sun, yes, but no relief on the temperature!

I have just spent my first half hour outside in my yard trying to clear the frozen snow that is lying on my little deck at the rear of my house that leads to my compost bins.

I sort of managed a pathway, being able to use my devil's claw to twist out some frozen snow but did not managed to get down to the deck itself.  The remaining snow held my weight and as we have not had snow for some days, I now know why there are no footprints around except for some deer prints as they make slots in the snow.

Previous years I have made a path to the the compost bins and a path all around the lawn so that I could access the beds as soon as possible and lay black landscape fabric on them so that they would warm up more quickly.

In a bit, when I have warmed up again, and knowing that I can walk on top of the snow, I will make an effort to get two SFBeds covered as I already have the fabric cut to size.  Still freezing at nights but due to warm up fairly quickly by the end of the week.

A funny sight this morning, when next door's cat walked over the snow.  This little cat is mostly white with a black tail and a few black spots and it seemed really weird to see these disembodied little black bits moving across the snow without at first recogknising it as a cat.

Nice to see you again Mimi and that you have made a start..  I expect we all will gradually get back to our forum as the daylight hours increase and the air warms up.

This coming Thursday is the last sub-zero temperature posted where I live so I expect by the end of the week the snow will have mostly gone, I hope, and I for one can really get out and do some of the work that should have been done in the fall.  Shredding fall leaves and turning the compost heaps for a start, and trimming some of the growth that should have been cut back last year.

One of my most satisfying jobs is the first time I cut the lawn as that has such a good effect on the appearance of my garden. The second time is even better, and this year I will use  the new lawnmower I bought last year that is so easy to use and does a much better job than my very old Black and Decker.

Kelejan wrote:. . . A funny sight this morning, when next door's cat walked over the snow.  This little cat is mostly white with a black tail and a few black spots and it seemed really weird to see these disembodied little black bits moving across the snow without at first recognizing it as a cat.

I can just picture this!

sanderson wrote:

Kelejan wrote:. . . A funny sight this morning, when next door's cat walked over the snow.  This little cat is mostly white with a black tail and a few black spots and it seemed really weird to see these disembodied little black bits moving across the snow without at first recognizing it as a cat.

I can just picture this!

+1

+2

Nice to hear from you Kelejan! My yard is still covered in snow too. But it must be spring sooon, because the cats are leavibg teir little paw prints in my driveway.

This morning I was able to spend an hour digging my way to the compost mound to find it still frozen solid so I hope that in a couple of weeks it will thaw and I will able to dig out enough worms to stock my worm bin which had died last year.

A couple of weeks ago I refurbished the worm bin and today I have added moisture, shredded paper and some food to allow it to mature in time for its new inhabitants. So I will  keep my fingers crossed that all goes well.

I have also got a new source of coffee grounds and veggie and fruit peelings from the Women's Centre I have started going to  one, two or three days a week over the winter.  they will be getting into gardening soon, the first meeting next Thursday so I hope I will be able to help them with advice for SFG but not to be put in charge as it takes me twenty minutes walk each way to get there.

My faithful friend down the has also started bringing me her offerings and as she eats lots of veggies they are most welcome.  Naturally I give her some of my grown produce plus bags of compost for her pot plants that always make a lovely display in front of her house.

I'm sorry to hear that the worms died. Were they outside or inside? I can't imagine spending an hour digging your way to the compost pile only to find it frozen! That's so nice that your town has a women's center that you can visit when you are up to the walk.