2010 - How Does Your Garden Grow?

[Watchman]

The seed catalogs are a comin'. Got my first catalog yesterday, from Pinetree Seeds in New Gloucester, ME. Lot of nice heirloom seeds. Let the 2010 growing season begin.

[Toepopper]

I would like to know if any of you has had any experience with planting/growing fruit trees that produce 4 different types of fruit, 4 types of plums or cherries or apples on one tree? Is this just some sales gimmick for chumps or do these trees (which must be grafted) actually produce as advertised. Its hard work planting trees and I need to make every physical movement count for something- don't want to waste time and energy on something that does not work.

[SS5R]

We have a peach tree that has two different types of peaches, one side is a large white peach and the other is a smaller yellow peach. They mature about 2 to 4 weeks apart the smaller yellow peaches come in later than the white, which extends the harvest season. They are both good but I couldn’t tell you what the varieties are. So that said I guess you could graph 4 instead of two of the same fruit, different varieties. You may have to prune the dominant ones more so they do not take over.

[WillyPete]

At the end of this month I'll be sprouting my seeds. I have already purchased the seeds and some "peat pot" type starter plugs. Wet 'em down, put the seed in, put the clear plastic cover on and set it in moderate sunlight. Once they're sprouted stick 'em in the garden.
I'll be getting the tiller going soon enough, it's raining pretty hard right now so I'm staying indoors for the time being.
I get those catalogs that offer those "multi fruit" trees as well. I'm thinking I'll get a couple and try them out. Fresh fruit is a good dessert instead of sugar stuff any day of the week.

[SS5R]

I bought some organic potatoes and shallots last weekend. The potatoes are Yukon Gold, Red Pontiac, Kennebec, and All Blue. They were a $1.75 per pound. Under the right soil conditions one pound of potatoes can produce up to fifty pounds of potatoes. I am going to try and get the potatoes in the ground by the end of this month. The shallots are Avro Red. I have never tried growing shallots before; I am going to try planting them in a planter box.

[Watchman]

Today is a spring day in Wyoming (early 60s) and we thought we would get outside and do some chores around the garden area. My grandson had previously trimmed some branches off of our apricot and evergreen trees in the side yard. We drug the evergreen branches to the garden and laid them on top of the compost pile. We're going to let them dry out in the sun and then strip the needles off (for their nitrogen) and make part of the compost pile. We save EVERYTHING.



Trimmed the forsythia bushes down to about six inches from the ground and the branches are stuffed in boxes to use for next year's kindling. [We already have our wood supply cut for next year.] Pruned the lilac bushes, of which the bud heads will go into the compost pile. Checked the garden to see how thawed out it is and it is only soft down to about six inches. May have to wait another month and a half to till it. Have to apply a bag of gypsum this year to soften up the clay soil. We have picked another spot in the garden to move the compost pile, shovel-ful by shovel-ful. The finished compost on the bottom will be the only fertilizer we use. Am constructing two or three garden beds in our side yard to plant greens, cabbage, brussels, etc. The main garden will be reserved for potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, squash, cucumbers, green beans. Wife has already told me that she wants to double the number of rows of potatoes this year.

Can't wait!

[Watchman]

County ag and weather people say it is probable we can put potatoes in the ground by the end of April. Will also be planting fava beans, peas.

[Watchman]

We're converting 90% of our lawn on the side and back of the house to food growing. Today I laid out a bed and spaded a grid of about 8-inch squares. Wife is going to replant the sod to bare spots in the front. I am going to till the square because there are a s***-load of staghorn sumac roots throughout the bed. When that is done will fill it with compost and earth mixture. I believe I am going to use it for greens - lettuce, arugula, whatever.

[Watchman]

Yesterday I went to the Ranchers' and Farmers' Co-Op and purchased 20 pounds of Yukon Gold seed potatoes and 2.5 pounds of yellow onion sets. Probably will not go in the ground for at least a month. Wife said yesterday, 'why waste the space between flowers in beds? We're going to plant onions there in addition to the garden.' Makes sense to me because onions don't have a massive root network and will not interfere with the flowers.

[Toepopper]

That is a real logical use of good soil, but, do you think your petunias will smell like an onion?

[Watchman]

I don't have any petunias Bulb and bush only and it won't affect them. My plans for getting out and getting my fingers dirty are going to have to wait. Last night God gave us six additional inches of moisture --- in the form of white manure.

[Toepopper]

Its doing that here too. Last week it was 70 degrees and now its snowing on my fruit tree blossoms.
Have you ever planted the flowers called nastursiums? They are a smaller type of plant and are rumored to help keep moles out of your garden. We plant them around the outside perimeter of the veggi garden. You can also eat the flowers and they taste good. They are low maintenance and can withstand infrequent watering.

[Watchman]

Yes, nasturtiums and marigolds. Marigolds keep out bugs too.

[Watchman]

It is the 9th of April and we just finished 3 inches of white manure two days ago. It is all melted now - - but with the promise of new snow tonight, tomorrow, Sunday, and possibly Monday. My seed potatoes in the garage are holding up well, though. I expect that it will begin warming up so we can get this stuff in the ground soon.

[Watchman]

This is the first day of Spring on the high plains of Wyoming since Spring became official on the 21st of March. Today I kicked the cabin door out and put up 25 feet of 48-inch chicken wire on the back fence for our sugar peas. I then lugged a 40-pound bag of pelletized gypsum and spread it over about 300 square feet. Wife had been saving eggshells all winter and had crushed them, which I then applied to about two thirds of the garden. All work will be stopped for the next few days because we're supposed to get more snow and then rain. Might not be a bad thing, and allow the gypsum to break down a bit before I till.

[fern]

While you are at it, add some all natural Earth given soft rock phosphate and really start the wow production. 12 pounds per 1,000 sq ft. Ammonium sulphate (dark gray - black) from Allied Chemical, which is full of carbon and regulates the temp of soil...warm on cold days and cool on hot days. 2 pounds per 1,000 sq ft. It interacts with the soft rock and helps pump the calcium into action. High Calcium lime (no dolomite, potassium chloride, calcium chloride, wood ashes, etc.) 30 pounds per 1,000 sq ft. Compost is last. Let it all sit on top of the soil for two weeks and then till in a couple of different ways and plant your seeds/seedlings. I will mix it all in the top couple of inches of soil and let it sit for the winter. It is best to put all this on in the fall and let it sit and work all winter under the snow. Then all you have to do is till and plant in the spring. Each year gets easier and easier.

Add soft rock to your compost too and mix in or add in layers throughout. Egg shells, concrete, etc need to be smashed as fine as possible to breakdown and work well. Saw dust is a great addition to compost along with peat moss, sand, and the all important chicken manure.

[Toepopper]

Today I finished erecting 300 feet of no climb fence, 6 feet tall around the perimeter of my garden. I am not done tying the fence to the fencestakes yet but it will keep the deer and elk out and save my fruit trees from being eaten. Also installed 4 gates and cemented in the poles to support these gates. Now I can continue terracing the hillside for my planting beds. Also planted peas in small containers that are inside the house next to a big window. Will transplant outdoors when they get big enough.

[Watchman]

"If it ain't one thing, its another!"

Today I went out to test the well pump in preparation for planting peas, potatoes tomorrow. Haven't tested it all winter. The previous owner of the house used a piece of radiator hose and 4 hose clamps to bridge the gap between the drain of the filler tube of the pump tank and the line from the well head. Naturally, its all rotted now and leaks like a mountain stream. Wife is POd at me because all the boxes of kindling wood she packed so neatly over the past fall and winter are getting soaked. Can't win 'em all. It will just be a speed bump though.

[Watchman]

Went to see grandson at the tire service and he could not give me a piece of radiator hose without getting in trouble - honest boy! Went to Ace Hardware - No. Then to O'Reilley auto parts. Though I had to buy a $15 curved radiator hose, it sure beats calling a plumber in. Had to cut off about 1-1/4 inch of the PVC side of the connection, hooked up the precisely measured piece of curved hose that I had cut from the original, tightened all four hose clamps, turned the power on to the pump and voila! Works perfectly and the total of about $16 easily beats the cost of what I would have had to pay for a plumber. We're sifting compost this afternoon to spread over the garden before I till it. We're still ahead of schedule this year - last year, did not plant potatoes until close to Memorial Day. This year will be about 2-3 weeks earlier.

[Watchman]

Yesterday was very productive on the subject of gardening. We have a plot (about 8-foot square) on the back of our garage, bordering the alley. This has never been productive because it is there for all the world to "pillage, trash, whatever". Wife had a good suggestion, that we plant potatoes there instead of letting the weeds grow. 99% of those who walk by will never know what a potato plant looks like and will think it is a weed

In the garden, we planted 5 rows of onions, a row of fava beans, and five rows of Yukon Gold potatoes. In our garden bed next to our deck we planted lettuce, arugula, red globe radishes and daikon radish.

[Watchman]

Haven't been able to get back into the garden to work. It has been raining here in Wyoming for three days and expected to continue through Wednesday, the 28th. My arugula and lettuce is coming up already.

[SS5R]

All my cool season veggies are sprouting, carrots, kale, endive, lettuce, radishes, potatoes and onions but they are slow due to freezing temperatures every night. I have had to cover everything every night except for a few for the last few weeks. What a pain. Last Sunday’s high was 80 by Wednesday the high was 41 and snowing off and on, rain most of the day Thursday, high of 43 and today it’s supposed to be 68, 75 tomorrow. Sunscreen, jacket or both I don’t know.
Going out today to get some chives and blueberry plants.

[Watchman]

In wild, wonderful, and free Wyoming, my radishes, lettuce, and arugula is sprouting great - and my apricot tree is covered with blossoms!

And outside, right now, it is snowing and light hail. Wonderful!

[Toepopper]

Weather here keeps oscilating between winter and spring, slushing on Friday and 70 degrees today with below freezing temps at night. All of my starts are indoors and will remain there until the weather stabalizes . The mountains just above me are buried in white fertilizer with another cold front moving in tomorrow.

[Watchman]

Still sleeting but onions and potatoes have appeared.