April gardens

[SHP]

1 hour ago, math teacher said:

How often does it need to be replaced?

Earlier this spring when only a few tender plants were up,  it felt like daily. Over the winter when the squirrels were eyeing the bulbs I put it out a couple times a week. 

 

I haven't put any down in a couple of weeks and the rabbits are no longer sharing the tulips with the squirrels.

[Melissa in Australia]

Puli g up the tomato plants and planting the brassicas. Next to be pulled up is the capsicum plants 

[Sneezyone]

7 minutes ago, Melissa in Australia said:

Puli g up the tomato plants and planting the brassicas. Next to be pulled up is the capsicum plants 

Last year, by the end of the season, my peppers were so woody at the root that I could only hack them off at the surface and let the roots decay until spring. There was no way to pull them up. Is that normal? I know the windy weather here makes for strong trunks but I thought that was extreme. It was the one plant that produced well into October/November.

[Melissa in Australia]

2 minutes ago, Sneezyone said:

Last year, by the end of the season, my peppers were so woody at the root that I could only hack them off at the surface and let the roots decay until spring. There was no way to pull them up. Is that normal? I know the windy weather here makes for strong trunks but I thought that was extreme. It was the one plant that produced well into October/November.

Yes they are woody, they don't compost very quickly either. I have sand instead of soil so they pull up very easily. 

[Sneezyone]

27 minutes ago, Melissa in Australia said:

Yes they are woody, they don't compost very quickly either. I have sand instead of soil so they pull up very easily. 

Good to know. That and my pineapple sage were BEASTS in the garden. Both required saws! Fortunately, this spring, I could pull out what was left.

[LifeLovePassion]

The snow is almost gone. Thanks to some unusually warm temps. The ash tree gets cut down tomorrow. Some things are starting to peek out of the ground. 

[ikslo]

Making butterflies

[Faith-manor]

Y'all, it is going to be 82° tomorrow. 82. Mid-April. Michigan. My brain can hardly grasp this. At any rate, so can't decide if I should work outside or lay out in a bikini! 😁

I am really hoping that I can cut some dead branches down, and take the axe to some rotted stumps.  Mark will be building my additional raised beds, and I need logs and branches to fill the bottom. I have quite a few out there now. However, 7 beds 7 ft long and 2 ft wide is going to require quite a bit since I need to fill them about halfway.

I need to take a picture of my little seedlings. I am so proud!

[ikslo]

30 minutes ago, Faith-manor said:

Y'all, it is going to be 82° tomorrow. 82. Mid-April. Michigan.

:svengo:

[itsheresomewhere]

1 hour ago, Faith-manor said:

Y'all, it is going to be 82° tomorrow. 82. Mid-April. Michigan. My brain can hardly grasp this. At any rate, so can't decide if I should work outside or lay out in a bikini! 😁

I am really hoping that I can cut some dead branches down, and take the axe to some rotted stumps.  Mark will be building my additional raised beds, and I need logs and branches to fill the bottom. I have quite a few out there now. However, 7 beds 7 ft long and 2 ft wide is going to require quite a bit since I need to fill them about halfway.

I need to take a picture of my little seedlings. I am so proud!

The temperature is nuts this week.  This is the first time I have turned on my ac in the office this early ( often the hottest room in the house due to multiple computers).  Completely ridiculous that it might get near 90 on Friday.  I refuse to put in the other ac units right now.  We better not skip spring here.

A few of my double tulips survived. They look like a rose.  I took down the small garden fence today and will tackle the large one this week.  The one cold frame is down and I will take down the greenhouse in the next few days and just use the larger cold frame when needed.  I have almost finished removing the mulch from all the flower beds in prep to get fixed.  My voodoo lily was a victim so I need to get another one. 

[popmom]

@Faith-manor you're going to be warmer tomorrow than we are in B'ham! That's crazy! Enjoy!

 

[Faith-manor]

7 hours ago, popmom said:

@Faith-manor you're going to be warmer tomorrow than we are in B'ham! That's crazy! Enjoy!

 

I know!!! My brain is flipping out. Climate Change is a bear!! North of us by only a few miles is Lake Huron/Bay, but northwest of us which is inland, they have red flag warnings for forest and grass fires. 79-85 in a region that this time of the year would normally be happy high five for 50°, and wind gust up to 35 mph in some locations, dry as a bone which is also completely abnormal. Crazy.

It makes me worry about drought here even though at the last, we did get enough snow/ice for our county to be downgraded from mild drought or abnormally dry (last year) to normal. I have this scary feeling that I should prep for lack of rain. I need to get my water wicking system figured out for the garden. I have 10, 5 gallon buckets with kids that have holes drilled for the rope/string. 

[wintermom]

13 hours ago, Faith-manor said:

Y'all, it is going to be 82° tomorrow. 82. Mid-April. Michigan. My brain can hardly grasp this. 

We are, too - way up in the Great White North! Inconceivable!!

Edited April 13, 2023 by wintermom

[Condessa]

Last year we had an irrigation pump installed for the yard, and last month we got the electrical circuit it requires added.  Now the irrigation/sprinkler guy is making a plan and parts list for us, and we are going to do the labor to finally install our sprinkler and drip line system.  We are hoping to finish before the weather turns scorching, but Spring is always short here, we are amateurs, and we have almost an acre.  I am so excited to go crazy with planting in our yard once we have water!  

[BeachGal]

I might finish the wintercreeper removal project today. The last section is very old, very thick and more deeply rooted than other areas. I have been removing it from sun up until after sun down so that I can treat the area for weevils before they emerge end of May. I won’t be able to do that treatment until early next week because tomorrow I’m traveling to see the Mavericks in concert. Woot woot!
 

eta: Unseasonably warm here too, just north of Chicago. Great for outside work. However, I’m glad the crabs and magnolias aren't blooming much yet because the heat causes their flowers to die faster. Next week should be cooler temps here.

Edited April 13, 2023 by BeachGal

[SHP]

PSA: Wear sunscreen and/or sunsleeves. It isn't too early to get a rather nasty sunburn. Learn from my mistake.

 

 

[Spryte]

23 minutes ago, SHP said:

PSA: Wear sunscreen and/or sunsleeves. It isn't too early to get a rather nasty sunburn. Learn from my mistake.

 

 

Ouch. Feel better.

[Melissa in Australia]

 

Did heaps of bed prep then Planted seedlings - cauliflower, cabbage, white spanish onions, Chinese cabbage, bok choi, 

Direct Planted seeds - snow Peas, radishes and carrots. 

 Took me most if the day. I was so exhausted at the finish I had to lay down for a good 40 minutes to get enough energy to cook tea (dinner) 

[Faith-manor]

It looks like I will be able to sow carrots and radishes on Thursday before I leave to see my grandkids. I am trying to trust dh to water lightly in my absence so they will germinate. Feeling apprehensive.

I now have 13 seedlings. 4 more bell pepper plants sprouted. The broccoli seeds have not yet done it. The packet says 10-21 days for germination so Monday will be 14 days. I am trying to be patient.

[Faith-manor]

Cucumbers and broccoli. 13 plants. I did a thing!

My mom was watching them for a couple days while I was gone doing things for mother in law, and did not give them enough water. The broccoli aren't standing up. So I hope that now that I have them back and will not allow them to dry out they will perk up. The empty trays are bell peppers. But I was reading that they need to be consistently 75 degrees to germinate. The house definitely drops below that. They are outside now warming up in our 80 degree day. But tonight I am going to use bamboo skewers and cellophane to create a greenhouse over them, mist, put the cover over, and then turn the plant light on. I am hoping if I do that every night, they will pop up.

Edited April 15, 2023 by Faith-manor

[Faith-manor]

Oh and it wasn't four bell pepper plants. It was more cucumber and broccoli. I didn't recognize them. 😂😂😂

Edited April 15, 2023 by Faith-manor
Typo

[cjzimmer1]

My indoor potato harvest. 1.83 pounds 

Started with 3 potatoes that were too far gone with sprouts to eat. Planted in 2 5 gallon buckets. The grow light was hung over by primary bed of greens so the potatoes sat to the side and got the spillover light. I rotated them every few days. 

Plants died prematurely. The aphids found them just before I left for a 12 day trip. Since my fridge kindly died in that period I never got to deal with the aphids. Unchecked for that long, the pants were 3/4 dead when I returned and far too covered with aphids for me to do anything. There was at least 30 pea sized and smaller potatoes that had they had more time would have made a truly impressive harvest but all in all, I'm quite happy with the results since it was a complete whim to plant those potatoes (and I've never grown a potato before in my life let alone in my basement)

[Sneezyone]

I left my potatoes in the bags last year and didn’t harvest them so I’m curious what I’ll find this year. They’ve already started growing back.

I have two full gallon bags of arugula and spinach to eat so I’m taking one to my coworker. The other, I’ll mix with the lettuce I harvest this week. If I don’t thin soon, the butter crunch won’t head.🤦🏽‍♀️

[SHP]

FYI if you are looking for hostas, be aware of HVX. If you see ANY signs of HVX at the nursery assume all are infected and do NOT buy any hostas. 

https://www.hostalibrary.org/firstlook/HVX.htm

[prairiewindmomma]

Anyone want my 39F weather and daily hail mixed with rain?

I keep telling myself, “This is seasonal for spring,” but I am seriously giving thought to not trying to put anything in the ground before May given the last few springs we have had.

[Faith-manor]

5 hours ago, prairiewindmomma said:

Anyone want my 39F weather and daily hail mixed with rain?

I keep telling myself, “This is seasonal for spring,” but I am seriously giving thought to not trying to put anything in the ground before May given the last few springs we have had.

Oh, I am having it this week. Not a fan. Last night it warmed up, but was still raining. Guess who was outside trying to get one side of the new raised beds half filled with rotted logs so I can shovel dirt today. Any guesses? Ya. Sigh

Seasonal for April stinks!!! We both need chocolate, cheesecake, and champagne to commemorate surviving it.

[Sneezyone]

Zone 7B/8A checking in!

My lettuce and arugula are bolting. My onions and garlic are performing well (I planted some in the ground for flowers/pest deterrence and others in beds for eating).

My kids, God bless 'em, can't seem to tell the difference between requests for scallions/chives and whole plants. SMH. I no longer send them out to retrieve things although DS is becoming more adept at identifying herbs.

My sage plants are EXPLODING! I trimmed them last year to bush out vs. get tall and now they're all like... listen, you said to expand and we are! The sorrel I planted might not work in my space (They're sad/increasingly pathetic) but it was worth a shot. The blueberries are thriving, grapes are thriving, thyme, oregano, tomatoes, eggplant and peppers (in ground and in beds), even the squash, cukes and fennel/dill. Meh, I cannot complain. I stuck an artichoke in the ground along the fence line w/neighbor and it's doing well plus several lemongrass starts. Some overwintered and others were newly transplanted. We love lemongrass!

I was skeptical of my San Marzano-esque paste tomatoes' initial progress (earwigs were eating them to nubs) but diatomaceous earth turned the tables and they're now thriving. Fingers crossed.  I AM SO EXCITED FOR SUMMER!

 

Edited April 20, 2023 by Sneezyone

[Condessa]

We had snow again on Tuesday.  I’m hoping it was winter’s last gasp, and that it didn’t damage the bareroot strawberries I planted last week.  I have the beds under 3 of the 5 cherry trees planted with different varieties of strawberries, and have the plants for the 4th bed waiting to go in today.  I need to find one more variety at a reasonable price for the last bed.  I still need to prune three of the cherry trees.  The buds on the cherries are swelling.  I am so ready for Spring!

 I spent the last few days making a detailed blueprint of our property and planning out everything I would like to someday put in the yard, and then making a water zone plan off of that.  It’s quite a bit different and more complicated than I had originally discussed with the irrigation guy.  When he asked me for more detailed measurements and I was out taking them in the yard I realized that the proportions really weren’t right, and that I wanted to lessen the lawn areas (the high-maintenance low-interest parts), and kept having ideas to include.  It’s years worth of work, but I am so excited to see it take shape.

[Sneezyone]

The hive was very helpful identifying a snake but now I need help with these mushrooms. We had a heavy rain yesterday and these appeared today. Also, a fat, fuzzy bee enjoying my onions just for fun.🥰

[Rosie_0801]

I've just come home from holidays to find rainbow chard growing in all sorts of places, even though I haven't had any here for two years. 

[Melissa in Australia]

On 4/24/2023 at 6:03 AM, Sneezyone said:

The hive was very helpful identifying a snake but now I need help with these mushrooms. We had a heavy rain yesterday and these appeared today. Also, a fat, fuzzy bee enjoying my onions just for fun.🥰

All mushrooms are really really great for your garden, well the mycelium part of them.  They help convert organic matter into plant food. In no dig gardens ( no till) getting mycelium  growing is the goal.

[Sneezyone]

3 hours ago, Melissa in Australia said:

All mushrooms are really really great for your garden, well the mycelium part of them.  They help convert organic matter into plant food. In no dig gardens ( no till) getting mycelium  growing is the goal.

Thanks, this is helpful. I didn’t eat them, just lopped them off. It’s probably the decay of the logs I put on the bottom then (and the roots from the old maple  tree). I have mushrooms in a couple places in ground too.

[wisdomandtreasures]

My husband planted several rows of potatoes on Saturday. My goal for today is to plant pumpkins and watermelons. 🙂 Just a couple more weeks till we can transplant all the stuff planted in February and March outside...and I can get half my kitchen back!

[ikslo]

5 hours ago, Rosie_0801 said:

I've just come home from holidays to find rainbow chard growing in all sorts of places, even though I haven't had any here for two years. 

❤️

[Faith-manor]

5 hours ago, Rosie_0801 said:

I've just come home from holidays to find rainbow chard growing in all sorts of places, even though I haven't had any here for two years. 

Wow! Do you think birds distributed the seeds from neighboring gardens?

[Faith-manor]

I am in Alabama. Mark is in charge of keeping my bell pepper, cucumber, and broccoli seedlings alive. I am not holding high hopes because he is so busy, and this is my hobby not his. I will be home Saturday, and sowing carrot, radish, and green bean seeds (bush, Kentucky Wonder or Walthum can't remember which but my family likes bush better than pole). Then I will head off to my favorite nursery for transplants to replace what may have died in my absence plus Amish Paste tomatoes, Cherry tomatoes, and more broccoli plants (only 9 sprouted of the 14 I tried to start from seed, and who knows if they are going to make it!). It looks like the night time temps will cooperate for transplanting next week. I do have some homemade covers if we get a frost danger.

Here in Alabama, the fig survived! We truly thought it was dead, but yesterday we found new, very healthy leaves on it. We call it Fig Newton, and apparently Newton has a uniquely tenacious instinct for survival. The two kiwi look really nice and happy. The nectarines and peaches blossomed, very very pretty, but we do not expect them to develop fruit yet because they are very young - only 2-3 years old - so I think they probably just dropped their blossoms and will keep on going. The seven blueberry bushes have baby berries! The plums, which according to previous owners has not produced a crop of fruit in 10 years due to blossoming and then getting a hard freeze, has ONE plum on one tree. There are three plum trees. One lone plum. We just laughed. I personally think that the previous owners planted a northern variety that feels warmth in February (this part of Bama always seems to have a few 65-70 degree days for a week, and then whammo, cold again), and thinks it is time to come out of hibernation. These folks talked like the plums may have come with them from Illinois. So I don't think they will ever produce because of this. I should cut them down and plant a hybrid that is hearty for this area, but they are so gorgeous when they bloom, and are pretty trees for most of the spring - fall which makes me loathe to do it.

The new montmorency cherry is chugging along nicely. It seems to have survived its tranplanting, and has leafed out very well. It is the only 2 year old stock, so Dd will have to wait 2 more years minimum for fruit. We plan on dehydrating a lot of the cherries once it is producing. The children love tart cherries on their oatmeal. Her raised beds have been planted with cherry tomatoes, eggplant, bell peppers, some red chili peppers, onion starts, and a variety of flowers. N and C love to plant flowers (little C gives them names and treats them like pets 😂), so some of her space ended up devoted to petunias, marigolds, and several other varieties. The strawberry patch has 12 plants that popped up and bloom healthy, and another large container with six plants. They are everbearing so not a big harvest. The adults won't get a single one because N and C will eat them off the vine. We took them to a u-pick strawberry farm yesterday and picked five gallons. Well, I picked one gallon and then spent most of my time keeping little T to take a nap and stay sleeping so his mamma could enjoy the afternoon and pick with his brothers. That's fine. He had on his strawberry overalls that I made, and everyone thought he was the cutest bundle, so I had a pleasant time receiving compliments. 😁

[Rosie_0801]

8 hours ago, Faith-manor said:

Wow! Do you think birds distributed the seeds from neighboring gardens?

I assume seeds that somehow became buried too deep rose high enough to the surface when I was digging my newest garden bed. My neighbours, to my knowledge, don't grow veggies.

[popmom]

Out of nearly 40 okra seeds only 2 have sprouted. 😕 And they have been in the ground a long time, so the rest may be rotten. Not too surprised as it has been unusually cool here. I'm zone 8a. 

My pole beans are looking good--still very small.

I have transplanted a bunch of tomato plants. Mostly Amish Paste. A few of an oxheart variety. A few hybrids. They are doing well so far. 

One of my lettuce plants started tightening up, so I picked it last week. I have a couple more that are just starting to tighten up, but it really has been unseasonably cool here... I can never remember with lettuce if its day light hours or temps that cause bolting. I have turnip greens and mustard still. No signs of bolting for those. 

My little cucumber plants got very waterlogged. They are pretty puny looking. Hoping they will pull through. They are peat pots that were sitting in a dish because they had been drying out really fast. Then we got a big rain, and they sat in that water for too long. At least that is my best guess as to why they wilted. One seems to be perking up just a bit today. 

[LifeLovePassion]

We were working outside and I sprayed my tulip and other early plants with a deer repellent spray to hopefully keep more of the leaves from being chomped off.