Getting the Garden Ready

[B. White]

Most everything was going to seed, so plowed it all Thursday evening before the rain. I debated leaving some stuff, but after dropping electric fence wires and the effort to change implements I went ahead and took out everything with fall stuff, except onions and garlic. This clay was still a little wetter than I liked, but not near as wet as it would be after yesterdays rain and cooler temps coming.

Picked through the turnips with no damage after the rain, so we'll be cooking them down and freezing them over the next couple of days. Wife is cooking Brussel sprouts and rutabagas today that I had her pick in advance.

My Ingles grocery garlic experiment is on the 2nd generation and doing pretty good, except for weeds. It has stayed so wet they got out of control early and anything pulled seemed like it liked taking root wherever I threw it.

Ready to get busy and get some other stuff in the ground in a couple of weeks.

 

[sportsman94]

Looks good! I wanted to get my garden turned over before this rain, but wasn’t able to. Maybe this week I’ll get it done. I’ve been running some pigs in a chicken/pig tractor through it with the idea that they’d turn it over for me. It’s worked ok, but still need to get the tractor to smooth out where they’ve been

 

[B. White]

Looks good! I wanted to get my garden turned over before this rain, but wasn’t able to. Maybe this week I’ll get it done. I’ve been running some pigs in a chicken/pig tractor through it with the idea that they’d turn it over for me. It’s worked ok, but still need to get the tractor to smooth out where they’ve been

Yours probably drains better than this clay. I think I had four or five dry days, but with cool temps this time of the year I still had some collect between discs on the harrow. Some parts had knee high clover, so the sun wasn't hitting the dirt enough to help much. I was worried taters that were planted were going to rot, but I saw some coming up yesterday. I hope it will till ok in two or three weeks. I got in a hurry last year due to rain at planting time and all that green stuff would clump when making rows.

 

[B. White]

The ground must be warmer than I thought. Ran the wheel hoe through taters before the rain and a lot of what I had was not weeds, but 1-2" jackson wonder beans from where I had planted them there last year. Moved over to cabbage, lettuce and green onions I just planted and lots of buckwheat popping up.

I did a raised bed for the first time, though not raised very high and no sides. Backed the tiller up to a wood chip path when I started a row and it left a nice little mound, so I put some carrots and multiplying onions there to see how they do. I can't get carrots to do anything any other way I tried, so this might be my last attempt. Had some room left and some scrawny sweet taters from the bottom of one box I had put away. We'll will make slips, since volunteer stuff is coming up fast. I've been buying them and have some on order, but the price is getting ridiculous.

 

[sportsman94]

I thought about trying to get my own slips started for the same reason. Have some volunteer sunflowers coming up in my garden plot. Ran the disk through it twice last week and will hopefully be able to do it once or twice more then plant. Will get some beans, squash, and butter beans planted just as soon as I get the ground worked up well enough

 

[livinoutdoors]

Ive been making my own slips for years now. Yall will have no problem im sure. I just bury about thirty or so sweet taters in the corner of the garden after April and then get slips ready for planting after my regular taters. Works well most years.

 

[snuffy]

Getting ready myself.

 

[B. White]

Working on my patience. Ready to get the show on the road. Pecans, crepe myrtles and figs are putting leaves on, and usually they are a better judge than me, so I'd like to get the sweet corn in the ground. Clover I plowed under still had a pretty good hold, so after tilling I know there will still be a lot of debris just under the surface. I like to make my rows by hand so I can make them closer together, so it would be a mess if I don't wait. Will let it set another week and till again.



Got my taters hilled for the first time. I still have some popping up, which is good, considering I thought I might have a problem with too much rain while they were in the ground. I'm glad there is only two of us to feed, since I don't have any fancy hilling equipment.




Leaves on my garlic and onions don't look the best, but they are growing and the weeds are a little more under control



Not happy with the progress of some early green stuff, but it sat underwater a couple of the heavy rain days.

 

[Nicodemus]

I`ll plant this upcoming weekend. I wanted to plant this weekend but past experiences haunt me.

 

[fishfryer]

I`ll plant this upcoming weekend. I wanted to plant this weekend but past experiences haunt me.

I’ve been looking at weather for coming week, plenty of sun but cooler temps. My area is showing 40 degree nights and 60 degree days a couple of days. The soil temps are up in the 70s though. It’s getting dry quickly now too. I’m wanting to
Plant field corn and squash but having my doubts. I’ll probably break the garden again tomorrow and make my decision then.

 

[Nicodemus]

I’ve been looking at weather for coming week, plenty of sun but cooler temps. My area is showing 40 degree nights and 60 degree days a couple of days. The soil temps are up in the 70s though. It’s getting dry quickly now too. I’m wanting to
Plant field corn and squash but having my doubts. I’ll probably break the garden again tomorrow and make my decision then.

Little warmer than that down here, but not by much. I might cheat and sew a couple of rows of that red corn this week.

 

[fishfryer]

Little warmer than that down here, but not by much. I might cheat and sew a couple of rows of that red corn this week.

I’m wanting to do that Baker special aka Altamaha White

 

[Nicodemus]

I’m wanting to do that Baker special aka Altamaha White

I really hope it works out good for you. Save some select ears for next year!

 

[fishfryer]

I really hope it works out good for you. Save some select ears for next year!

You bet I will, I’ll keep it going as long as I can. To drop the ball after your family kept it going 180 years would be something I don’t want to do.

 

[BriarPatch99]

My garden spot is way too wet ....hoping we miss the rain in the next few days... maybe ...maybe I could get it harrowed up and ready to plant by the 15th...

 

[snuffy]

Planted 4 short rows in my garden and 4 rows in neighbors garden of Peaches and Cream corn this afternoon.

 

[SC Hunter]

We put some squash, 2 different zucchini, yard long beans, sugar snaps, Cucumbers and Okra Saturday because we'll be busy with kids and ball this weekend. Hopefully this weather doesn't take it all out. I've got some brandywine and beef steak tomatoes in cups still with several different types of peppers in cups as well in our back bathroom. That'll get planted little by little as I have time this week on my days off.

 

[SC Hunter]

So far it looks like the garden did fine last night with the weather. I'll get pictures of it later on and post in here. It ain't much but it's honest work.

 

[sportsman94]

I planted two double rows of beans and a row of squash/zucchini last night before dark. Wanted to get a few butter bean rows planted, but ran out of daylight. Will wait til it dries out and get them in the ground

 

[B. White]

I'm taking advantage of the clouds to speed up hardening off trays of plants and moved them outside this morning. I'll put them all in the ground sometime between Friday and Monday, depending on how fast the clay dries. Sweet corn will get planted at the same time. Looks like more rain coming next Tues. through Fri. I'll probably hold off on the beans and peas until after that dries up and the ground is a little warmer.