Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Garden Work

It still may be February but spring is definitely in the air around here. We have been working every day trying to get the garden ready for planting.  As this is the first time the ground has been tilled and planted there is much to be done.  Mars has tilled the rows and we've pulled out grass and tilled and repeated.  The soil test came back and our ph is good but could use a little boost in nitrogen and phosphorus.
  We are lucky to have access to the neighbors horse manure pile.  So Sunday morning Mars got up and went down and picked up a couple of truckloads. The great thing is that he was able to get the manure that had been there for several years.  Hopefully it won't be too full of viable weed seeds.  I guess we are going to find out soon enough.  So the day was spent spreading poop and tilling it in and raking it out again.

  Right now we are working on building up the rows and pulling out what weeds we can find. I figure the more we can get out of there now the better off we will be later on.  My back is killing me but I know it will be worth it when its all done.  We are kind of working against the clock right now.  Lots of stuff that I want to get in the ground in the next two weeks and the drip irrigation isn't  in yet.  Heck, it hasn't even got here yet. I'm waiting for the UPS truck to show up today though!! 
  I did get the small beds planted this weekend though.  Two and a half beds of onion sets, a few broccoli plants, some carrots and some leaf lettuce.  Check out this cool idea.  I cut small rings from a toilet paper roll to mark the new plants. It really makes them easy to spot.

  Then to keep the cat and dogs out Mars put up a hotwire around the bottom of the beds.  MissKitty has an awful habit of following me out in the garden and walking between my legs and all in the beds trying to get me to pet her.  I'm guessing she found out the hard way about the hotwire.  I was in there the very next day and she was on the outside of the fence meowing at me but she wasn't about to come in.  I guess it works! Boy was she ticked off!

    I've got some plants started in my homemade peat pots and have them in the baggies.  Again I got a little bit of a late start but I have high hopes.  I made the peat pots out of toilet paper rolls and use MMPaints "baggie method". 

  I wish I had done that sooner since the first seeds I started really didn't do all that well.  I'm afraid we are going to have to buy most of our tomato plants this year.  But live and learn. It's all part of the learning process.  I've been working on a planting calendar too.  I'm one of those folks that has to have things written down to remember it.  
  We are a little later than I wanted to be getting the potato's in but we are still within the "window" on them so I'm hoping that will turn out.  Again, this is a first so there's bound to be a learning curve.  This is one reason I think folks should put their skills in action.  You can't just read about something and think that when SHTF you will be able to jump out there and do it. Reading and doing are two totally different things. You actually need to DO it before hand. Same thing goes for all skills.  There's always a learning curve and you want to be on the right side of it.

23 comments:

  1. It all looks wonderful Sci. And a lot of work, but well worth it.

    I look at it this way - even if you HAVE to buy tomato plants for a few more years you way ahead of the game than buying them in the store.

    Can't wait to see more. :)

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    1. Skippy! Its so good to see you "out and about". I've been praying for ya. You're right about the tomato's. Sometimes you just have to do what ya have to do.

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  2. It's coming along nicely, looking good, Sci, Great Job!!

    Love and Hugs
    ~Fel~

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  3. Nothing like some fun time spent in the garden! Gotta love this early Spring weather!

    Good luck with the garden plans!

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    1. It sure has been pretty around here. I'm not so sure about the "fun" time right now though. I'm at the working end of the hoe the past few days! LOL Thanks for stopping by today.

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  4. WOW! It's really taking shape! Congratulations!

    This year, I've used toilet paper rolls for my seedlings too! Hadn't thought of using them to mark the new plantings though. That's brilliant! I'm going to check out the baggie method as well.

    I'm feeling like I'm getting a late start also. All this time over winter that I've been gearing up for Spring, and now I feel like I'm not ready. Aaaaaaahhhh!

    But we're still having a blast learning as we go!

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    1. I think the tp rolls are going to work. I'm sure hoping so anyway! I think you will really like using the baggie method for starting your seeds. It works really well. Like I said, I sure wish I had used it the first time around.
      It seems that spring sprung here pretty fast. They tell me we could still get another cold snap but I'm using all the nice days I can to get ahead!

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  5. Looks good, I can't wait to get my garden planted, I have already tilled the ground once and will do it one more time before planting.

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    1. It sounds like you've got a good start already. Good luck!!!

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  6. oh Sci - i can't believe how much work you and Mars have done!!! you are tilling the actual land - me and jambaloney cheated and did raised beds and tire gardens - teeheehee! you guys have done some serious back-breaking work but what an amazing job that you have done - kudos to both of you! i can't believe that you already have plants in the ground - soooo jealous! but in a couple of weeks we will be starting some lettuces and whatnot out on the plastic covered porch and then at the beginning of April starting tomatoes and peppers in the seeding tray! we are hoping to start potatoes near the end of march - woohoo!

    please keep us updated as until i can actually get out and garden myself - i virtual vicarious garden through others - bahahahahah!

    your friend,
    kymber
    xox

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    1. Kymber, we just try to take it one day at a time. As long as we can say we got "something" done every day it seems like it moves pretty easily. I sure wish you were here to "spell" me on the hoe though! One reason we didn't move any farther north than this was because of your kind of winters. Hard for a Texan to do that!
      LOL@ your virtual gardening!

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  7. I agree with you 100% on the learning curve, Sci-fi. I plan to be on it soon. It takes 2 or 3 years to get your soil built up. You can't do that AFTER the stuffHTF can you.

    I just read in one of my gardening books this morning, "Doing an imperfect something is better than doing a perfect nothing." So true and I am speaking for myself here because I am so scared of making a mistake that I take the perfect nothing route most of the time.

    It's looking really good!

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    1. Sue, I just love that quote! I just might have to post it up here somewhere. A great reminder that sitting on your butt you can't get anything done. Nothing ventured nothing gained!
      Thanks for stopping by!

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    2. Hi again, SciFi,
      If you do decide to use the quote I was thinking you might want to know who wrote it as I see you have listed the authors of other quotes on the blog. It was Toby Hemenway in his book, "Gaia's Garden".

      It's wonderfully inspiring to see your progress.

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  8. Good for you! My wife is getting anxious to get our garden going, but that is still at least a month away.

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  9. Wow it is looking good! OMG I can't wait to be in the clear to really get the garden planted! How are the rabbits doing?

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  10. Sci, I love what you and Mars have done. You both have been working extremely hard to get things moving. Using TP rolls is a great idea for marking plants. This won't bother the plant or the soil. I love the idea of using hotwire to keep the animals out of the garden. We had to place a fence and locked gate around ours to keep the animals and people out. You are so correct about gardening being a learning process and you just can't read and plant. After a hard days work, you need to treat yourself to some relaxation time tonight. Have a good one, talk with you soon.

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  11. Sci, I planted my seeds using the baggy method last Sunday and here it is 3 days later and things are already sprouting! I haven't had to add water yet...what a fabulous idea!

    Nina

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  12. Oh, I can't believe you have got that much in already. That looks great. I never even start mine until after Easter because we always have a freeze between now and then.
    Well, we did get our berry vines in and our Rhubarb. Your beds are awesome.
    So is your mulch. It sure helps when you have your soil tested doesn't it?
    We have some drip in but that is about it. It all looks wonderful.

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  13. Looking very Good & your Not alone we will be Buying Tomato Plants too, the only things we have in the Ground is Peas, Onions, Tatars need to get the rest going too. I love the Baggie Idea I will try that on some of my seeds.

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  14. Looks like things are going well. Wish we had weather like that around here. I live in the Salt Lake City area, and we still have a few inches of snow. We won't be able to plant much until at least the middle of May.

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  15. DANG - you've been B.U.S.Y.!!! I feel lazy after reading all that you've done. I have to write stuff down to remember it too, which I hate, it makes me feel old.

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  16. Its look like you are doing a great job out there. I too suffer from back pain and all round the clock. But finally when i see there results of the hard work, It makes me to forget every thing that i suffered.

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