JShane
Well-known member
I was out yesterday putting in zucchini, pickling cucumbers, tomatoes, some herbs, spaghetti squash, delicata squash, and a couple different beans. I'll plant okra, peppers, and sweet potatoes first of March.
2024 Garden!
- Thread starter Gellar
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IDFireLass
Well-known member
I'm not sure how to grow frozen anything. 7" of snow on the ground 5* out right now. Going below zero in the next couple of days. Can't even think about a garden right now. I'd be happy with temps in the 40's.
WyoDoug
Well-known member
Your root crops like radishes, carrots, beets you can plant now. Just put a one inch layer of mulch over them to hold moisture and heat until they sprout. If super hard frost is expected cover the plants with more mulch then remove the mulch when it is warm. I plant my radishes and that in early March but they can go in the ground now.
IDFireLass
Well-known member
The ground and raised bed are froze solid. Most of the beds are dry no fall rains to get things damp to get through the winter. I think everything is freeze dried anyway.
WyoDoug
Well-known member
What I do for the area I am going to put root crops (radishes, beets, carrots, onions, garlic, etc) is in the fall at end of garden season, I pile the area thick with mulch. That keeps that part of the ground from freezing unless yer in Alaska or something LOL. Then in March, I spread it out and rototill the whole garden and plant the root crops. Most of your root crops are faily frost hardy and can withstand short drops to 20-30 degrees for short periods. I also cover the area I am going to plant my tomatoes in mulch after I rototill and at second half of March my tomatoes go in walls of water. I still got a bunch of frozen whole and diced tomatoes in the freezer still. Jalapenos too (really hot for some reasons). I keep lots of mulch on my garden during the growing season to keep the soil from drying out when it gots above 80 degrees in the summer. I get bales of straw for that.
IDFireLass
Well-known member
Good for you WyoDoug, Sounds like a good plan.
I'd have to go buy bales of hay to make something like that. Don't have many trees with leaves it's all pine trees on our place. Could do lawn clippings but putting them back into the lawn to build the soil.
This soil here is terrible. You can water like crazy and it'll disappear in 5 minutes. We swear the water here goes straight to Thousand springs country down in Hagerman Idaho. The amount of water they put on the hay ground is unreal for what they actually get off of it.
It's has been a continuous learning curve with gardens up here. Down in Boise valley and such all you do is throw out the seeds and they grow and you have a long harvest season. It keeps it interesting to say the least.
Then if I did the mulch and hay mulch I'd be fighting deer all winter. We had 18 head race through the place yesterday afternoon. This morning since 5a we've been chasing deer out. They haven't been in the place all winter which has been nice they found it yesterday so the battle is on. We have dog kennel panels up all over the yard to protect the fruit trees and bushes. Fenced off the berry plants and the lilic's to keep them from being eaten to the ground. I think there is 4-5 generations of deer now in this area that won't leave the farm land. They don't know they are wild deer and should live in the hills.
It's a constant battle with wildlife and water here. But I love it and I'll keep grumbling to myself and learning.
I'd have to go buy bales of hay to make something like that. Don't have many trees with leaves it's all pine trees on our place. Could do lawn clippings but putting them back into the lawn to build the soil.
This soil here is terrible. You can water like crazy and it'll disappear in 5 minutes. We swear the water here goes straight to Thousand springs country down in Hagerman Idaho. The amount of water they put on the hay ground is unreal for what they actually get off of it.
It's has been a continuous learning curve with gardens up here. Down in Boise valley and such all you do is throw out the seeds and they grow and you have a long harvest season. It keeps it interesting to say the least.
Then if I did the mulch and hay mulch I'd be fighting deer all winter. We had 18 head race through the place yesterday afternoon. This morning since 5a we've been chasing deer out. They haven't been in the place all winter which has been nice they found it yesterday so the battle is on. We have dog kennel panels up all over the yard to protect the fruit trees and bushes. Fenced off the berry plants and the lilic's to keep them from being eaten to the ground. I think there is 4-5 generations of deer now in this area that won't leave the farm land. They don't know they are wild deer and should live in the hills.
It's a constant battle with wildlife and water here. But I love it and I'll keep grumbling to myself and learning.
WyoDoug
Well-known member
Problem with pine needles is they tend
Problem with fresh (less than year old) pine needles is they are acidic and contain tannins. Small amounts do not make a significant difference but in larger volume of fresh needles, it drops the pH level of the soil and may require addition of lime to neutralize. If you can get them straw bales from wheat is what I recommend because it generates its own heat as it ferments and composts. Hay works too but is way more expensive. I also have an advantage of knowing a wheat/rye farmer who will let me raid his straw bales on a regular basis. Just need to get him to use his skid loader because those straw bales are big, or I sometimes use a pitchfork and break up a bale and load it by hand which works too. Now pine needles that have been piled up and composted over the winter tend to rise to a neutral pH and work.
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IDFireLass
Well-known member
Pine needles are really good for strawberries. They also seem to help keep the deer out of them.
That's an awful lot of work for pine needles. Not much grains grown around here straw bales are very few and far between.
Sounds like it's going to be June before there is any good heat for the ground. Going to be a long winter or short spring.
That's an awful lot of work for pine needles. Not much grains grown around here straw bales are very few and far between.
Sounds like it's going to be June before there is any good heat for the ground. Going to be a long winter or short spring.
WyoDoug
Well-known member
Gotta do with what is readily available. Pine needles will work, it might slightly acidify the soil. Not as good as wheat straw in my opinion and I tried both and sent back to wheat and rye straw.
Sounds like you need some old windows to build a makeshift greenhouse and warm up the dirt.
IDFireLass
Well-known member
I have 6 greenhouses. Last one built last year still working on the soil. Plus the open garden area.
np307
Well-known member
As expected, I decided to go ahead and put peas, carrots, and lettuce in and now we're forecast for snow this week. Pretty good mulch layer over everything though and no real cold temps so it should all be fine. We've had a ton of rain the last couple weeks and crazy wind yesterday so I had to restake the peach tree.
Gellar
Well-known member
It was -17 below this morning. today is as good a day as any.
I had -1 this morning and was thinking im ready for garden season. This weather sucks.
Gellar
Well-known member
My dad keeps texting me about how its only supposed to be 60 for a high where they are at in Alabama. Sorry, I cant feel sorry for you that you have to put a light jacket on to walk the beach.
Need pic of the greenhouses!
Straight Arrow
Well-known member
My wife has ideas for her garden in her head ... but is reluctant to put them to written and sketched design ... as she thinks the growing season will be over before the snow is gone!
Gellar
Well-known member
Or if she’s like my wife she thinks it will only take 30 minutes to build and you already have all the supplies you need so there’s no need for a plan.My wife has ideas for her garden in her head ... but is reluctant to put them to written and sketched design ... as she thinks the growing season will be over before the snow is gone!
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Eastern Canada currently:My wife has ideas for her garden in her head ... but is reluctant to put them to written and sketched design ... as she thinks the growing season will be over before the snow is gone!
View attachment 361102
Opened door early yesterday morning... We clear our walkway every day.
