The Garden Thread - March, 2024

March 2, 2024 | Diana in WI/Greeneyes in Memoriam

[1of10]

” track the sun from spring to fall”

yes done ...
my plot will lay east to west with a pretty good southern exposure ...
I would hate to cut anything to the south ..

“more morning and midday sun”

hmmm ... That could give me cooler working hrs ...

does more morning or evening sun make much difference as far as budding/fruiting/yield ?
I will be doing the deed .... cranking the saw in the next couple of days ....
I am really ready to get some dirt turned.
The peach tree is blooming ... it’s spring here.
Flowers exploding.

[Psalm 73]

Thank you for keeping this thread going - you have done greeneyes proud.

[MomwithHope]

In Georgia probably not much difference on tied. You would gain more morning heat so maybe a bit better. In Michigan where we are expecting a typical snowfall yet, it would make more of a difference. The woods around our house and garden have gotten taller over these 40+ years. Our tomato plants for instance used to be a lot taller and bigger, usually up to my chest. We still get enough yield.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Heritage will give two crops too, but I cut them back so I just get the one after the Bad Bugs are gone. :)

Latham is a good variety and I think I have a few canes of Caroline in there, too.

My Raspberries haven’t been much to talk about these past few seasons. I think they need to be moved to a more sunny spot, for starters.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

In your heat, I’d go with morning to mid-day sun.

It also depends upon what you most want to grow. The ‘main crops’ that everyone likes (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant) all like full sun.

BUT there are plenty of other things that grow well in partial sun (salad greens, collards, pole beans) so I guess I would consider what you want to grow in that area first, before you start felling trees.

Check your Growing Zone so you know the number of months you’ll have to grow things too - before it’s TOO hot to do anything outside. USDA updated it for 2023. I’m a tad WARMER which is great for me up here in Wisconsin! (5a)

https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Greeneyes (Linda) was the best. I could never say ‘no’ to her. :)

[MomwithHope]

We were overloaded with them this past year. Made about a dozen half pints of jam and ate bunches fresh, sometimes while picking for breakfast. We use a small section of cattle panel for a fence and I like those super long and thick cable ties looped to make one long one and surround the canes at the fence. Actually have two rings. They are great support.

[1of10]

“morning to mid-day sun.”

yes ... I think that’s the way I am heading.

That would give me full sun on the eastern end and a bit less on the western end.
I can work in the cooler morning sun on the east end ... and work the west as the shade moves in in the evening.
....I think I have that right in my head.

So now ... like you say ... I’ve got to do some “lay out” work.

” Wisconsin!”
I hear you guys grow good pop sickles up there ... 8-)

[Pollard]

Doesn't quite look like it did on paper but at the last minute(1 year = 1 minute), I decided to make it taller. Taller is better for hot areas and Summers here are every bit as hot and humid as FL, just shorter. With my crazy idea for horizontal bifold sides, it inched up even taller. Definitely a hybrid. If I was 20 years younger, I'd build a Gothic roofed barn to match. Always loved the look of those so it's a happy accident that the tunnel is that shape. I can't wait to see it at night with some lights on inside.

The 80 lb bags of concrete are a killer on the back. I'm too old to be lifting 2/3 of my weight.(yes, I'm tiny) I would go to Lowes and get the 60 lb bags but an 80 lb bag is just the right amount for one hole. Between those, manually mixing it, the digging and hoisting frames by hand with rope and pulleys, I just can't do two frames in a weekend no matter how much I try to convince myself I can.

Today is light duty day.

Got four more frames to go and three weekends before my vacation. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and I'll be able to get one in every weekend with the last one being the first couple of vacation days. Would be nice to spend most of vacation getting cross bracing and purlins done and be ready for at least the top cover. I can whittle away at ends and sides later. Between the coming clock change and days getting longer, I'll be able to get a couple hours in after work pretty soon.

As much as I want to buy the $350 module to read wind speed, I need to buy some chain link fence top rail for horizontal braces. They'll get tied to the roof bows with a couple of angled braces to form a truss. The horizontals will work for lean and lower and to hang overhead misters for a seed starting bench when/if I want one. I could even do some hanging gallon pots.

Got four 6 pack cell trays sown with cold hardy stuff last night. Arugula seeds are insanely small. Filled the rest up with seed mix this morning and will sow something in them tonight. Peas are the only other very cold hardy item but those will go in my 3" coffee creamer container pots. Should have sown the cold hardy stuff 3-4 weeks ago. At this point, I can sow most everything but the Summer crops and in 2-3 weeks, those can be started.

Grabbed a relay from work to run my grow lights from one of the automation controllers for a more robust light timer. Got that hooked up this morning. Had to replace the old touchy ground fault protection outlet. Just look at it and it would trip. I put a normal one in. The controller will be nicer than the little vacation light timer with the dial, especially since the one I had was defective and would turn OFF for five minutes twice during the 14 hour ON session. Got the controller set to turn them on at 7am and off at 9pm. The cord for the lights has a switch in it so they're manually turned off right now. When things sprout or when I just need light in there I'll turn it back on.

[Qiviut]

I just noticed that there is one daffodil bloom at the new house - yay!!

I also just noticed a large piece of siding has blown loose & is flapping in the wind - boo! I have the loose end tied to the 2nd story balcony column so it’s no longer blowing back & forth & ripping loose even more. I’ve got ‘feelers’ out for someone who can fix it.

[Pollard]

Got my right rear passenger window glass installed on the car. The car locked me out one day on the way to work. Left it running while I went in the store like I’d done dozens of times. When I came back out - locked. Had to borrow a bundle of that overpriced firewood to bust the window out to get to work.

I was on time.

Been running all for 6-7 months with plastic film taped up on it. Will be nice to be rid of that noise. Now I’ll be more apt to drive it and save money on fuel compared to the truck. Money I can put into gardening.

What a beautiful day. 77 and sunny with a breeze. Gonna go back out, grab my folding chair and another beer, sit down and look at stuff. Probably the high tunnel and garden area.

[Augie]

We went from bikini weather to low 20°s back to bikini weather inside of a week here in Central Missouri. Losing two weeks to the flu caused me to miss my window for pruning orchard trees. Oh well.

I was able to finish smoothing out the old garden site and threw down some grass seed. I need to spread some straw on top and give it a good watering. Spent most of the weekend on the tractor moving/smoothing dirt in the yard. With the garden torn up it's giving me the opportunity to work on some other projects that have gone begging for too long.

I probably should have been building fence instead of moving dirt but my back is out right now and it said NO BOY YOU ARE NOT DOING THAT TODAY. It's been a problem for quite awhile and the miles are starting to show. I'm having an MRI done later today. Hopefully that will provide some guidance for what needs to be done to fix it.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Sorry you’re hurting, Augie. My back goes out once in a while - for no reason, it seems. Frustrating!

Why did you move the garden? I must’ve missed that part...

[Pollard]

What a beautiful day. 77 and sunny with a breeze. Gonna go back out, grab my folding chair and another beer, sit down and look at stuff. Probably the high tunnel and garden area.

So much for that. Sat down for less than a minute and then got up and finished the holes for the next tunnel frame. Went pretty easy actually. Moved the truck forward six feet for the next frame. Tomorrow, my son and I will get the next frame brought down there so it's ready to hoist and set in it's holes.

Might dig a little on the next set(s) of holes tomorrow and/or Wednesday. Thurs and Fri look like rain. So far, this coming weekend looks like good enough weather to set frame 4 of 7 and be officially over the hump.

[Pollard]

I have a spot on the left lower back that I tweaked 2-3 decades ago and it’s been recurring ever since, and as you say, sometimes for no apparent reason. Not lifting anything and just make the wrong move and I’m gimping for three days. The left leg stride becomes really short.

Messing with those 80 lb bags of concrete, digging, other and lifting this past weekend made my lower back muscles sore in general but evidently, didn’t tweak that spot. I must be getting better at not doing the specific tweak move even though I don’t exactly know what that is.

[Augie]

Why did you move the garden? I must’ve missed that part...

When I decided to rebuild the garden the idea was to switch over to raised beds because all that bending over hurts too much.

The current plan is to use new corrugated barn metal and PT lumber to build raised beds up front. I'll use that space for root crops and others that maintain a low growth habit.

The new space is going out behind the barn and where I don't have to look at it and will be almost double the square footage of the garden that I tore out. I'll put perennials along with the tall and unruly things out there. Arbors for the winter squash and pole beans will go back there along with a new hoop house.

There's a lot of work yet to do to make all of that happen so I need to get cracking if I'm going to have a garden this spring.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Got it! Slow and steady wins the race. :)

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Diana, All; Just received a Menards Home and Building Center Email flyer with a sale; Chicken coop for $249 ( With Menards 11% off mail in voucher)

Menards Sale Chicken Coop $279 w 11% store mail in store voucher.

"A chicken coop is a perfect way to start your own urban farm! It houses up to eight chickens and comes with four insulated nesting areas to keep your chickens warm during the winters. This easy-to-assemble chicken coop has up to a 90-inch run to have plenty of room for your chickens to roam. This coop will fit perfectly in your backyard and will keep your chickens safe and secure!"

Houses up to 8 birds and features 4 nesting areas
Frame made of insect- and rot-resistant wood with hardware cloth for foraging
Roof made of wooden slats

I think you could modify it and put some wheels on it to move it around.

[Pollard]

I always see “sprouts in 7-10 days” or some such thing when I look for seeds or at the seed packets.

I’m guessing that’s for direct sown? (at a certain time of year in a certain location - generally the Northeast where all the people were in the 1800s when they came up with the times and they just haven’t bothered to change it?)

Everything I start indoors sprouts in 2-4 days.

[metmom]

I found this fascinating video about gardening and composting.

We Buried Common Kitchen Scraps in the Garden and THIS Happened
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xXohNFN0rk