Posted: 2/10/2008 4:13:08 PM EDT
Has anyone started working on there garden yet? My wife is really into Gardening and canning this year and wants me to get as much gardening info as possible.The gardening threads from last year really suprised her, she had only thought this was a "Damn gun website". Last years canning threads really helped get her into canning. We spent a couple weeks looking for a Speed hoe which worked miracles after I showed her that thread. Any gardening info you have is welcome, this will be another step closer to getting her in the preparedness mindset.
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We're starting to put together our seed order. Gonna do fewer tomatoes this year as we have a bit of a backlog of canned tomato products. Probably the same amount of peppers and the usual assorted other plants. I always try to ask myself what I learned from last year's effort to guide me in the current year. This year I absolutely resolve to plant my tomato rows farther apart. What are you going to do differently this year? |
| I am going to expand my patio container garden to a sq ft garden with hopefully eight boxes this year. Last year was out first and we kept it simple with tomatoes and several types of peppers. This year we want to add all our herbs and the majority of our vegetables. |
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I ain't planting no more beans I got green beans coming out my ears I don't even like green beans. I'm going to try watermelon this year. it's iffy here, but I've got a pretty good hot spot for it and I want to try. Not that any of this is going to happen soon. It just started snowing out again. 
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I have a large bed tilled. need to do another one or 2 beds. also need to get my english peas, taters and garlic and onions and cabbage in the ground. wont be long before we are going full speed ahead. also picked up a 4 row planter the other day. its an antique but should work fine for corn planting. going to do about an acre of corn. |
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Don't get in a hurry! If your ground is wet, write 1000 times 'I will not try and til until it's time'! You can truly ruin the whole gardening year trying to turn over wet soil. Have you had a soil test done? This is a good time to do it since most ag extension agencies are probably slow and can get it done quickly for your results. About the only thing I do this time of year is take the last couple years planting diagrams and yields and figure out methods to improve plant location based on what I really need to grow this spring. I also look at how much canned goods we've consumed and project how much will be consumed until the next canning opportunity late this spring (green beans will be first). This will determine how much of what I really want to plant for quantity versus quality. This is also a good time of year to layout your garden, figure out how much supportive material you'll need for climbing and hanging stuff as well as get your tools and equipment ready. After you've been at it a while you can also begin to eliminate vegs that you don't like to mess with or didn't enjoy as much as you think you would. I won't be messing with broc, cauli, cabbage and stuff like that again due to cabbage worm problems that I'm tired of dealing with. I won't mess with garden peas any more because it takes up too much space with very little yield. I probably will start my last and final asparagus bed this spring also. I've planted in the wrong place twice and didn't have enough sun to bring them to maturity. I'll boost my taters this year since I think I've finally figured out how to get this nasty clay worked up well enough to grow them. Essentially now is a good time to lay back, look out the window and dream of when the soil temp hits about 60 degrees |
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Allready tilled my plot, spread last summers compost, and started this years compost bin (dead leaves and dry grass mostly, waiting for the greeness of spring). The soil here never really drops below 60. Is't been 70 here all week and I want to plant, but I know better. We are bound to get a few freezes in late feb or march. Last year it snowed on easter day, three days after I moved all my transplants. I know for you guys north of the Red river thats no big deal, but I've never seen it happen here befor. I'm dead set on building some sort of green house this summer, I just refuse to eat store bought or processed tomatoes for one more winter. Bidding my time, wanting to get my hands dirty |
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Let's see . . . more cataloupe (surprisingly easy here on the Front Range of Colorado) earlier start (last year I was distracted getting ready for a BIG backpacking trip and got a late start in the garden) more flowers for cutting more peppers (frying and hot) build another cold frame major soil amendments planned this year (10+ cubic yards of composted cow manure) maybe a pair of those plastic/rubber clogs I'm going to switch from red-core chantenay carrots to some other variety. Sweet potatoes instead of regular fingerlings. But it's snowing today. |
| I've been working on a fairly large addition to my garden this winter (for me). I'm adding a series of raised beds in a geometrical design next to my existing 16'x16' spot. I think its going to end up pretty cool. I also placed an order for the first time with an heirloom seed company and will try to save some seeds this year. Never done that before. I'll grow tomatos, onions, lettuce, beans, winter and summner squash, corn, and cucumbers. I'll try to learn how to post pics and get some up, I'm pretty excited to get underway. I've grown all this before, but now on a larger scale. |
