April 1, 2010 ~ New England

What a nice man!!!

Paperhanger by trade for 25 yrs. with an art school background in portraiture - not only a visual person, but meticulous about laying things out - yikes, like I said. If it weren't for him, this place would be covered in berry bushes, vegetables, and lots more chickens.

Camprn.....Your beds look in good shape for the new season.

NHG.....Your beds are coming along. The good thing is the hard labor is only needed one time, and then its coasting all the way in the next years.

I sowed a few things today, in both my A-frame and my coldframe.

In the A-frame there are 3 kinds of carrots, Little Fingers (thanks Blackrose) has only one row today, more in 2 weeks. Two rows each of White Satin and Atomic Red carrots, (thanks Furbalsmom.) One square of scallion seeds. On the other side are 2 rows each of Cherriette and Scarlot Globe radishes. I'm finally getting things in my garden after our long, white winter.

In the coldframe I've started Devil's Tongue lettuce in front and Iceberg Crispino in the back.
I like to cover my rows with vermiculite not only as a light-weight covering, but to mark my rows so I know where to expect germination.

In another box I started a 2-ft double row of Sugar Snap Snow Peas and in another bed 2 rows of Scarlet Nantes carrots for the SFG challenge. I had to start today because we're going to get rain, rain, rain the next 3 days so won't have a chance to sow on the 15th, but we were given a 3 day leeway fore and aft of the 15th.

I think that's it for today.

This afternoon I'm hoping my grson will hack thru last year's winter rye in 5 of my beds. Luckily I only sowed 5 of my 9 raised beds with winter rye to improve the soil. I'll be turning the divits under when he's done.

Quiltbea - I'm glad to hear you say you are just now planting your peas. It will probably be on the other side of the rain for me, but hopefully not too late. Glad to hear about the 15th date too, and that there are a few days on either side of that.

I just looked at my plan on paper and realized I had planned on my 4 boxes side by side, so as not to shade any boxes with the trellises. But when we laid them out I forgot, and now I may have shade issues. Live & learn. If they shade too much, I'll have to move the trellises around next year. Can't believe I forgot to consult the master plan, but then I don't think there was room for them to be side by side, and that's probably why that didn't happen.

Moral of that story is: Don't forget to stick to the master plan.

but have to get the taxes done.

I've been to busy to update my blog but wanted to share here that my peas and direct sowed greens are coming up!

How lovely, I sat here and got lost in thought just looking, had to pull myself back to reality and remind myself my kitchen floor looks just like the rows in between my boxes. Tell you what, when my floors are done and your taxes are done we'll have a glass of tea and toast each other.

NHGardener wrote:Okay, this is an update as of today. Boxes had to be staked to level them out, and trellis poles are placed. (There's rebar there - great tip from someone on this forum to use those canning disks to keep the poles from sinking into the ground.)

How do you cut a hole in the canning disk for the rebar? Thanks!

I just harvested spinach from the garden.
and there is still snow on the darkest corners of the yard

Healing Garden wrote:How do you cut a hole in the canning disk for the rebar? Thanks!

A half inch drill bit. Caution: secure lid well, so it doesn't spin when drilling.

or

A smaller drill bit and drill a bunch of holes to the approximate size.

or

A hammer, an awl, and pliers. Person 1 uses the pliers to hold the lid. Person 2 uses hammer and awl to punch little holes in the lid to create a big hole about the size of rebar.

camprn wrote:I just harvested spinach from the garden.
and there is still snow on the darkest corners of the yard

WOW! Good for you! Amazing!

And Healing Garden, I'm sure boffer is right, but I don't know what my husband used and I forgot to ask him - I'll get back to you tomorrow.

Healing Garden wrote:How do you cut a hole in the canning disk for the rebar? Thanks!

This is what he said: he put the disk on a soft stump (but any wood will do, apparently), put the rebar on it, and hit the top with a hammer. Voila, rebar went thru the disk. That doesn't sound too complicated. Assuming you have rotting stumps in your yard like we do.

Today I transplanted a few more crops outdoors; broccoli, cabbages, cauliflower and a basil. I also sowed seeds for spinach, turnip and sugar snap peas today.
In the house I transplanted more of my 3/4" mini soil blocks into 2" soil blocks and put them under the lights.
I really feel I'm getting things accomplished after our long, cold, white winter.

I am so hoping for a few free moment on a NICE day to finish getting my garden looking presentable! I am soooooo behind I might getted kicked out of the SFG forum I did pick up some awesome compost today 2 bags of seaweed and shrimp and 2 different moo poos. So at least I am ready to amend the MM. I so wanted to get carrots in before the 18th but I seem to have lost my nantes so I may just have to settle for Danvers Halfs. I also have to teach out new puppy to stay out of the garden. I was quite spoiled with my old girl she behaved so well and went where I allowed her. Unfortunately we had to put her to sleep March 9th due to cancer. So now to add to my duties I have to teach out 9 month old Catahoula Leopard Felix boundaries LOL At this point I have a better chance of getting Nantes carrots planted by the 18th (yes I know it's the 19th). HAPPY GARDENING EVERYONE!!! I hope all of you are glowing as brightly as I am!!

quiltbea wrote:Today I transplanted a few more crops outdoors; broccoli, cabbages, cauliflower and a basil. I also sowed seeds for spinach, turnip and sugar snap peas today.
In the house I transplanted more of my 3/4" mini soil blocks into 2" soil blocks and put them under the lights.
I really feel I'm getting things accomplished after our long, cold, white winter.

You put out basil? I thought it was too early for that. Do you know if they are selling it yet at garden centers? I'd love to get some into my garden ASAP - its so expensive at the grocery store!

Nicole,
I was at Home Depot yesterday and they only had rosemary, cilantro, chinese cabbage, lettuces, strawberries, and thyme........no basil.
They don't have all their tables filled with seedlings yet.

I started my own basil so I planted it outdoors. So far its been outside 2 days and doing well. Tonite we expect 25*F here so I've got my old towels ready to cover all my plants. Luckily I didn't transplant out everything yet. Those in the beds I can cover tonite. The rest of the week will be in the mid to upper 30s here at nite and they can take those temps just fine.

Speaking of garden centers, I looked in Lowe's ad this week and I think they were advertising tomato plants for $.50 each! Wow that's cheap. But I'm sticking with my heirlooms, even if they're a little pokey.

I am very very wary of buying tomatoes at the big box stores because of the blight outbreak 2 years ago.

camprn - I can believe that. I got a few bags of Earthgro soil amendment at WalMart a few days ago, and I think - how healthy can it really be? But then, I'm desperate for my 5 sources. (And it was $1.50 for 40 lb. bag - wow)

I've got lots of babies in their 2" soil blocks under lights right now. In the last few days I've transplanted over 60 eggplant, pepper and tomato seedlings into 2" soil blocks and placed them under lights.

Here's one tray of them.


Here's another tray and I have another half dozen besides what you see here. There are still more on the heat mat in the itty blocks so I'm sure to have lots for the library's plant sale this year. I have many new varieties I've never grown before.

Among these there are also a few cauliflower seedlings but I think they'll be too late to plant when they are big enough.

It really feels like spring now.

I love seeing your photos, quiltbea. They don't look much different from my seedlings, which I had thought were little pokey, so I'm glad to see yours. Of course, my quantity is much smaller than yours.

What is your growlight situation, with that many seedlings? I can't imagine. How many lights do you have? I see your flourescent light there, and that's the kind I want for next year. Right now I only have one flat of seedlings, and I have 2 of those domed grow lights pointed at them.

And you're still growing the 3/4" seedlings? Will they be mature enough by transplant time?

NH Gardener,
Right now I have only two of my 4 shop lights set up. They are 4 ft long and I have the double 'daylight' bulbs in them.

I got one 4-ft shop light and the bulbs for it for a total of $26.21 for each set at Home Dept or Lowe's (I keep getting them mixed up since they are about across the road from each other) so I got 3 sets last year. They claim the bulbs will last 6-7 years. These are under 2 of my shop lights and there's still room under there for more. I don't need the other light yet but I will when I transplant the larger plants into 4"-5" soda pots in a few weeks.

When the seedlings first poke their heads up they get pretty tall in a day. When they are in the larger cells with the lights just over their heads for 14-16 hrs a day, they start fattening up a bit.

It won't take long before they looks like these.

It's snowing!

Ugh, you're kidding! Thankfully, it's not snowing here, but that wind is terrible!

WOW - It's not snowing here either, but so windy. Another day, still nothing really accomplished. Have to get another about 3 bags of whatever compost mix I can at Agway, and I'm done with soil ingredients. The good news is, it's not like I would've planted my peas yet anyway because it's just not enticing to go out there and do anything. So by the time it gets nice in a couple days, I'll be ready for peas.

OOPS - No there's some flakes out there I'm seeing.

UGH.