Nippy 45 degrees here and gloomy looking sky. Hyacinths got beat down by the hail and strong winds whipping through yesterday afternoon and evening. Big downpour and all the rain barrels are now full.
We had great weather earlier this week, when I had to go out for doctor visits, planning meetings, grocery etc. I did manage to get the potato bed ready to plant, but no planting yet and the soil is too wet to do it today, so I'm just cleaning and getting ready for Easter.
I also set up a 3 shelf unit from Walmart in front of my patio doors to use for trays of seedlings and will be starting some more stuff this weekend.
Computer may go on fritz anytime, so I want to hurry and get this posted. Hope all is well with everyone. Have a great Easter. God Bless.
Pinging the list.
We’re under a freeze warning here in Western CO for tonite into tomorrow morning. Going to cover the few plants that aren’t, and the rest are in the greenhouse. Hopefully all will be well. I’m hoping. I’ve got some pics of the plants I’ve got thus far, including the hops, but I need to get them uploaded to a sharing site to share.
I got my tomatoes started indoors and they are doing fine.
The temperatures are about 60 and it’s wonderful. The snow is finally melting.
We’re expecting rain tonight here in Massachusetts. We’ve lost quite a bit of our snow, with a high today of 53 degrees. I still haven’t started any seeds. I’m worried that this is going to be a bad season, but I’ve been so busy that it’s been impossible.
Sitting at 85F at this time 3:50 CDT. Expecting some nasty weather later but the day has been beautiful.
Yes, plenty of wet in the ground here in SWMO! Gonna at least frost tonight. Getting everything in the raised beds covered and bringing in the seedlings from our little porch hot house (just a wooden shelf with plastic wrap) just in case it gets even cooler. The thyme and a few of the perennial flowers we started from seed are up and I would hate to lose them now.
We have gotten no further on the hugelkultur bed because of the wet ground. Can’t get the logs out of the woods for it. Looking at putting 6 more 3’x4’ raised beds as well. I am trying to get away from ground level due to bad spinal issues and the disease and bug problems at ground level. I thank my lucky stars for my youngest son who is so helpful in getting the heavy lifting done.
The hail was heavy yesterday but did no plant damage. I was worried about that last night. I remember a saying about how the fears in the dark are lessened by the daylight....
I have a question about potatoes that someone here might be able to answer. This is about a store-bought potato, from wally world. Bag says 5lb US No. 1 potatoes, and below that it clearly says Simply Perfect Red potatoes. Back of bag says Distributed by Potandon Produce L.L.C. Pasco, WA 99301 produce of USA. I don’t believe that they are the same kind of Red potatoes that I have eaten all my adult life, as they are oval/oblong, not basically roundish, the color is not the same dark red that I’m used to, more of a greyish red, the flesh is even yellow not white, and they really don’t even taste like Red potatoes, although they are good, but more like a russet. Just wondering what kind of franken potato this is, and if anyone else has noticed this? Thanks.
We continue to enjoy asparagus almost every day as well as supplying neighbors. The biggest treat was a bacon/asparagus omelette.
All trees are leafed out and the Redskin peach is a little light this year but the Sam Houston has over 50 small peaches. They all won't make but a good start. Plus a load of blooms on the lemon which yielded zilch last year.
But the biggest treat are olives on our 4 year old tree. Didn't think I'd ever see anything but there they are even if they're wee tiny things.
All the tomatoes are in the ground, potatoes are looking great and I'm behind the curve on getting corn in the ground but that should happen tomorrow.
A blessed Easter to all.
A couple of years ago, somebody on this forum recommended diatomeceus earth for some use in the home garden. I cannot remember what it was for. Pest control? Does anybody remember?
I was reading a novel where DE was mentioned for another purpose, and I am trying to remember its use in the home garden.
I got a bit more cleanup and tilling done in the garden. Planted ~150 row/ft of snap peas and some onion seed.
The baby kale is almost big enough to stick in the dirt, and the first home-grown salad of the year will be enjoyed sometime over the weekend.
Take a old cold tater and wait…http://www.potatogarden.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=PG&Category_Code=NSP
Sneaking in here late! Hi guys!
Class this week was on SOIL. I learned so much! I’ve heard many of you speak about it here on the thread, so I wasn’t completely at sea. I thought what I would try to do is to type up my notes so in later years I can read my hen-scratch, and in that process, I would share at least some of them with you.
Our presenter is a professor at OSU in the soil department. That is where the soil tests are done in our state through the county ag programs. He is from China and has been here in Oklahoma for almost 20 years. Excellent English and teaching approach. We all really liked him!
I hope these are useful to you!
Have a very blessed Easter weekend!
texokie
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
4/2/15
SOILS – Hailin Zhang
Soil and Nutrient Management
Difference between “soil” and “dirt?” Dirt is the stuff beneath your fingernails. Soil is feeding a plant.
Analogy: Soil is like the foundation of a house. It is fundamental to everything else working well.
EFFECTS OF SOIL
Soil can affect things like if basements are built in an area. In areas with heavy clays, you will see fewer basements because the heaving of the clay will cause the basements to crack. In areas with other materials, you will see basements very commonly.
An example of how soil can affect things is the example of a plant with lots of lush leaves with no fruit. One thing to think of in that situation is that there may be too much nitrogen in the soil.
If you know how to manage soil, you can have a good harvest.
He showed us pix of his garden. Lots of wonderful Chinese veggies.
He showed us his loofah gourds. They looked like cucumbers.
[Texokie note: He stated he and his family eat them. I had not heard of this. Did a search and here is a representative link: http://globaltableadventure.com/2010/07/08/technique-thursday-how-to-prepare-and-eat-loofah/ ]
He had pix of a 15 lb Chinese cabbage! They had only a few of them, and would harvest only a few leaves at a time so they had it all the time.
CLIMATE
He discussed climate a bit. He said you need to know what plants like your climate. Remember there are microclimates as well and the larger general area climate.
He said that Bok Choy does well with cold, but in the cold part of the Oklahoma winter, he just covers it up, and somehow they last longer in the winter. He is also able to grow daikon radish here. Must have good soil deep enough to accommodate the root.
PLANT REQUIREMENTS
Plants need a number of things including [but not limited to! – Texokie missed some of these!]
Soil, nutrients, sun light…
Lawns and flowers – need proper soil and fertility of soil too! Otherwise, you get weeds, and your lawn and flowers are actually more difficult to tend. So, having good soil helps cut down on work.
INFLUENCES ON PLANT GROWTH:
[Texokie DID get these!] Some of these you can’t do anything about. We manage what we can:
Air Temp Light Mechanical Support Nutrients Water
BASIC SOIL SCIENCE (LOL! NOT DIRT!)
WHAT IS SOIL?
Showed pic of a cross section of a cut in a field. Plants on top. About 2 feet of black soil full of organic matter. Beneath that is a layer of hard pan. The plants growing above this soil are very healthy and happy. He noted that the pic had been taken in Minnesota. Humus decomposes very rapidly in Oklahoma, while the organic matter soils in cooler areas do not break down as quickly, and so can build up like this.
SOIL DEFINITION:
Unconsolidated cover of the earth, made up of mineral and organic components, water and air and is capable of supporting plant growth.
12 DIFFERENT SOILS PROFILES IN THE WORLD which each have unique physical, chemical, biological, properties
The factors used to define these profiles involve color, texture, structure, consistency, roots, pores, other features.
Oklahoma has 8 out of the 12 of the distinct soil types. Some of these not in Oklahoma exist in places like Hawaii with a lot of volcanics. He did not specify the other 4 or the areas in Oklahoma of the diffent types.
SOIL FORMING FACTORS:
Climate, organisms, topography, parent material, time
He glanced over some of the processes, but not I great detail. Mentioned some of these factors being represented by such things as alluvial sediments, rocks, etc. He noted that soil bldg. is a long process. We need to protect our soils. While he did not mention it, the Dust Bowl in Oklahoma in the 20s and 30s came to my mind. It took a while for areas of good soil to build back up again.)
This is the end of the first installment on SOIL.
Make a container planter from old tshirts and wire fencing. Hey, it's something different.
Going to be on the road in about an hour, going to Johnny’s house. Will make a report when I get home from there.
Potato story
Well,
A Girl Potato and Boy Potato had eyes for each other,
And finally they got married, and had a little Sweet Potato, which they called ‘Yam.’
Of course, they wanted the best for Yam.
When it was time, they told her about the facts of life.
They warned her about going Out and getting
Half-baked,so she wouldn’t get accidentally
Mashed,and get a bad name for herself like
‘Hot Potato,’ and end up with a bunch of
Tater Tots.
Yam said not to worry, no Spud would get her into the sack and make a rotten potato out of her!
But on the other hand she wouldn’t stay home
And become a Couch Potato either.
She would get Plenty of exercise so as not to be skinny like her
Shoestring Cousins.
When she went off to Europe ,
Mr. And Mrs. Potato told Yam To watch out
For the hard-boiled guys from Ireland .
And the Greasy guys from France called the French Fries.
And When she went out West,
To Watch out for the Indians so she wouldn’t get scalloped..
Yam said she would stay on the straight and Narrow
And Wouldn’t Associate With Those high class Yukon Gold’s,
or the ones from the other side of the tracks who advertise their
trade on all The trucks that say, ‘Frito Lay.’
Mr. And Mrs. Potato sent Yam to Idaho P.U. (that’s Potato University )
so that when she graduated she’d really
Be In the Chips.
But in spite of all they did for Her,
one-day Yam came home And announced she was
Going to marry Peter Mansbridge.
Peter Mansbridge!
Mr. and Mrs. Potato were very upset.
They told Yam she couldn’t possibly
marry Peter Mansbridge Because he’s just.......
Are you ready for this?
Are you sure?
OK! ...........Here it is!
A COMMONTATER