Brad Eden Posted May 13, 2018 Share Posted May 13, 2018 Many have already dirtied their fingernails Im certain, but we are just getting started in the northern reaches of New England. Just today I prepped a couple of my 4x8 raised beds and spiked them with some store bought composted manure, dry manure from the farm up the road, some ashes from pellet stove, a sprinkle of 5-10-10 fertilizer and some lime. Sowed several types of lettuce, a couple types of spinach, kale, a couple types radishes and poked in a slew of onion sets. I'll put in potatoes soon since they won't pop up for a couple weeks and after any expected frost. Then after May 31 will go to town with all the other stuff; tomatoes, cukes, squash, beans, etc. JoAnn has her own bed for herbs, especially Basil since she makes a mean Pesto. I have had issues with tomato and potato blight so already put black plastic over those dedicated beds to heat the soil and kill off that nasty disease before I plant. I typically use straw as mulch on most everything but have decided to do black plastic this year on a bunch of the beds. The straw stays wet and gets moldy and I want to try the plastic. Once the lettuce and greens pop up, Ill be on snowshoe hare patrol. They ravage the young vegetables and need to be "managed" from the upstairs bedroom window...so to speak. Once all is established they have free reign to nibble. We have two beds of established strawberries but one bed didn't fare well over the winter. I don't think I covered it enough in straw and leaves. I have some new roots/plants to supplement that strawberry bed. When I see berries I cover those beds with bird mesh otherwise the birds get to the berries before they get on the top of my cereal. How does your garden grow? Link to post Share on other sites
Wyobirds Posted May 13, 2018 Share Posted May 13, 2018 This year we will grow only tomatoes and Zucchini because of out of state graduations and an event that I won't talk about until after the fact. Link to post Share on other sites
gaberdeen Posted May 13, 2018 Share Posted May 13, 2018 Last Thursday I managed to get in some cucumbers and melon plants. Decided this year to do the tomato plants in pots. Planted 4 different heirloom varieties. Potted a few pepper plants also. My one raised bed got a row of Swiss chard seeds sown. I am debating planting some sweet corn in the remainder of the bed. I have a small 4x4 area that I’m going to replant my 2 rhubarb plants that I have had in planters for a few years. It never gets big enough in the planters to give a good yield but the stuff is tough. Comes back every year. This week I hope to get a few eggplant in also and some other various plants. For mother’s day I got my wife a raised planter that we planted various herbs in. She likes it because it saves her back not having to kneel down. Now we just need some decent weather! Link to post Share on other sites
SelbyLowndes Posted May 13, 2018 Share Posted May 13, 2018 Our back porch tomato Truk always produces all we can use for the summer and into the Fall. I tried grafted heirloom types this year including my favorite "Brandywine". Planted Easter weekend. Plants are two feet tall already with flowers on the big varieties and small fruit already set on the cherries...SelbyLowndes Owl's useless. Link to post Share on other sites
Remo Posted May 13, 2018 Share Posted May 13, 2018 Squash and melons go in this week, sweet corn is sprouted nicely already and the asparagus is just peaking up. We swap sweet corn to neighbors for other veggies. That is it for us other than giving the fruit trees a good soak. Link to post Share on other sites
Korthaar Posted May 14, 2018 Share Posted May 14, 2018 I have 8 raised beds. I have salads of lettuce, mesculin, and spinach now. Spinach is bolting already due to the 80+weather this past week. Carrots, peas, and onions are well underway. Potatoes are sprouting. Warm season items went in yesterday. Beans, squash tomatoes, beans. Link to post Share on other sites
Rob R Posted May 14, 2018 Share Posted May 14, 2018 We have 1 raised bed and several large pots. Tomatoes, peppers, lettuce and berries. Birds already nabbed some strawberries. Link to post Share on other sites
Marc Ret Posted May 14, 2018 Share Posted May 14, 2018 6 hours ago, Brad Eden said: How does your garden grow? Such a nice set-up and nobody's taken it so I guess "I'll be your Huckleberry"... Link to post Share on other sites
SelbyLowndes Posted May 14, 2018 Share Posted May 14, 2018 Money can't buy true love or home grown tomatoes...SelbyLowndes Link to post Share on other sites
Kansas Big Dog Posted May 14, 2018 Share Posted May 14, 2018 I have been growing organic produce and selling it at local farmer's markets for the last 3 years. I cultivate about an acre and a half. Of the ground, 1/3 acre is in strawberries. I use the matted row method for growing strawberries and they have been profitable. Most all the other produce I grow has not been very profitable and so this year I have decide to not grow vegetables to sell, but just to eat. I sowed over an acre into winter wheat last fall as a cover crop. Since I am not planning on using the ground this year, I am letting it head out. My wheat is turning out pretty good considering how dry it has been. I have a couple 1/2 acre plots. The first picture show a couple rows of my early berries blooming. They are setting fruit now and I will be picking berries next week. I have 12 rows of berries. Three different varieties that fruit at different times; early, mid and late. Link to post Share on other sites
Clueless1 Posted May 14, 2018 Share Posted May 14, 2018 Will be putting in tomatoes this weekend. I have cut back to tomatoes, peppers, zuchini, squash, and a few cukes. Love the tomatoes out of the garden. Link to post Share on other sites
Brad Eden Posted May 14, 2018 Author Share Posted May 14, 2018 No tomato transplants in ground until after Memorial Day. More like first week in June up here. Otherwise they suffer and often need to be replanted. It's a joke with greenhouses up here. People are always over anxious and end up coming back for new six packs of tomatoes time and time again. Keeps the growers in business. Link to post Share on other sites
Dogwood Posted May 14, 2018 Share Posted May 14, 2018 18 hours ago, SelbyLowndes said: Money can't buy true love or home grown tomatoes...SelbyLowndes Would make a nice t-shirt Link to post Share on other sites
Brad Eden Posted May 14, 2018 Author Share Posted May 14, 2018 Tick infested nemesis. Northern snowshoe hare... Link to post Share on other sites
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