2023 Garden!

Has anyone tried growing catnip before? Where we live we have a rodent problem. Do you think it could attract some of the feral cats to deal with the rodents?
 
Has anyone tried growing catnip before? Where we live we have a rodent problem. Do you think it could attract some of the feral cats to deal with the rodents?
We used to, back when.
I found some wild catnip around a spring here. Gotta be careful there as there are trappers around. Lots of bobcat prints and elk & deer. Deer love it too it seems.
 
Can't plant here til May, no N in soil, lots of rodents. Hell they even eat my fruit trees in winter.
I might get some 'maters from the nursery next month. In tubs on drip with cages.
Need to pick up some more fertilizer for the trees today.
 
My garden experiment the last winter was to double row cover my artichokes and cover with plastic to make a hot house. We’ve had a severe, cold winter with a few negative night. I figured they died a frozen death early in winter.

I was very surprised to find them alive and well when I looked today. This made my gardening day! I’m excited to see how second year artichokes produce this summer. It’s one of my family’s favorite vegetables.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_9580.jpeg
    IMG_9580.jpeg
    424.6 KB · Views: 13
I had a hit or miss garden last year. The plants either grew great or barely at all.

Collected and mulched up a foot of leaves last fall. It broke down to a solid 3” of material over the entire garden. I tilled it in and am curious how it does this year.

Probably should get a soil test done to see what I’m working with now.
 
I hope I don’t get bit in the butt, but I planted carrots, lettuce and spinach yesterday. I’m going to move my started broccoli and Brussels sprouts outside on Monday. Looking at the extended forecast the only low temps even in the 30s are this weekend. The rest are 60s for high and 40s for low.

I planted potatoes, onions and garlic on April 12. Looking back at my log from last year it was April 10 when I planted them. That day had a high of 60 and a low of 37. This year it was 88 and 57 for the high and low. I wish I had a soil thermometer, but the Mississippi river is 51 degrees and our soil is usually within a degree or 2 of the river this time of year.

I keep checking my asparagus but nothing yet.

We need rain! A nice warm soak would be good.
 
As of late yesterday there's no snow in the garden, just mud. Building a cold frame today to get going
 
Lettuce and spinach are starting to sprout. Rain expected this weekend which we need.
Put a yard and a half of mushroom soil in the garden today.
Cherries, pears and apples are in bloom. We had some light frost last weekend but looks like I'll still get some peaches and the rest of the fruit trees made out fine.
My raspberries are in their third year and I'm expecting great things this year. Planted some blackberries last fall as well.20230414_151346.jpg20230414_151351.jpg20230414_151621.jpg20230414_151732.jpg20230414_151756.jpg20230414_151655.jpg20230414_151934.jpg
 
Cleaned up fertilized and tilled garden yesterday. Got some lettuce and radishes planted.
Going to wait a couple weeks to plant beans, tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, etc.
 
Just wanted fresh tomatoes over last few years. When the hell did woodchucks develop a taste for tomatoes? Ground squirrels and fox squirrels as well? Fencing does nothing. Air rifle not bad but can't sit there 24/7. Still way too cold, freeze last night and prob rest of week.
 
I'll have to take some pictures this afternoon, cucumbers are doing so so, zucchini been harvesting for a couple weeks now. Tomatoes are blooming and have a new variety just sprouting, carrots and kale almost done, bush beans about to start blooming, peppers are in their early stages of development. I need more space.
 

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
114,023
Messages
2,041,565
Members
36,432
Latest member
Hunt_n_Cook
Back
Top