Monday, March 17, 2014

Checking In

It seems like everything is on hold around here.  Held hostage by the weather for the most part.  We didn't properly put the gardens to bed last fall and so there is work that needs to be done on that front.  When the weather cooperates we are trying to get things done.  Mars has the plans in his head and although I really want to keep reminding him there are things that need to be planted now,  I've learned to try and let him do his thing without too much harping on my part. The current push is on the row we will plant potato's in.  It's got all manner of Bermuda grass in it and so we're digging as much of the roots out as possible.  It's taking some time but there's nothing we can do about that. The main goal since starting the gardens has been to make it harder and harder for the grass to grow and making the soil better and better. It'll be a continuous fight but much more manageable in the long run  This will be the third year we've had the garden.  Every year the soil keeps looking better and better and we're finding more and more worms out there lending us a helping hand.

 We got a pretty good rain here this weekend so now we'll have to wait till it's dried up enough to be able to get out there again. So it looks like I'll not be boring you to death just yet with the garden progress report. 

20 comments:

  1. Sci...at least you are in the garden doing something. I haven't been able to get back to mine since planting potatoes weeks ago. I will have to buy my tomato and pepper plants this year as all of my seedlings died. First time in a long time I've had to do this.

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    1. Mamma Bear, is this some crazy weather or what? At least you have your potatoes in the ground. Ours should have been in a few weeks ago too. I really wanted to start my tomatoes and actually started seed twice but nothing came up. The greenhouse needs some sort of heat yet for that to happen. I'll be buying our tomato plants this year too.
      Hey at least we'll have tomatoes in the garden!!
      Hugs to you and yours and an extra one for The Marine if ya don't mind!

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  2. Hi there,
    Hope you are feeling better. I hear you on the garden. We have so many kinds of weeds, we can't list them:) I just worked some bunny poo into one section this weekend. It sure felt good to be out. Today, it's trying to snow.
    Keep well.

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    1. Lady Locust. Thank you. I'm still a bit slow getting around but am slowly healing.
      Sounds like your garden might be a sort of botanical garden of sorts. :-)
      Don't you just love bunnie poo! Some of the best stuff you can get as far as I'm concerned. It helps that it's free. I'm glad you were able to get out for a little bit. I swear, we are all being held hostage by the weather.
      Have yourself a beautiful day!!

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  3. rent a rototiller,or find a neighbor with a tractor.Hand digging is no fun!

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    1. Anony we have a tiller. And I agree hand digging is no fun. The trouble with using it is because it tears the grass into smaller pieces all through the row. Each of the those little cut up grass starts growing and there is even more grass when it starts coming up. Therefore hand digging is the best way to sort of curb more of the dang grass .

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  4. mulch.......mulch, mulch, mulch...
    the trash man in my neighborhood hasn't seen a bag of grass clippings or fall leaves for about 3 years now....i gather them the evening before trash pickup and use them to keep the weeds at bay, reduce my water need, and feed the worms.
    last summer, as the crops were finished, and the ground was bare, i planted oats..and really over seeded. that oats prevented any...and i mean ANY...fall weeds...died off during the winter, and are keeping the early spring weeds down...also, i understand oats does good things for the soil.
    just some suggestions for you to think about.

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    1. Thank you extron.. Some good ideas there. We don't have a garbage service here but the neighbor gives us all her oak leaves. She thought / /thinks we're kind of weird but she's not had to burn leaves in awhile.
      Oats sound like a great cover crop. I'll have to check into that.

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  5. Oats. May need to try that. Clover only kept out just so many weeds.

    Our garden area is muck right now, too. But we've been mowing!

    Hope you all have a good week!

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    1. Intriguing isn't it. Oats sound like a great thing to try. As for gardens , ours is pretty muddy too. We had a bit of rain over the weekend here at the homestead too. It's still a couple of weeks yet before we'll need the mow. That's another thing on the list too. It's time to start the mower and see what parts we are going to need this year. Seems like every spring something on the mower needs replacing.

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  6. i am for the mulch mulch mulch...and of course use lots of old newspapers as well under the mulch and in between....planting in old tires also helps keep weeds at bay... it is cold again in northeast mississippi but temps will be back up in the seventies by the end of the week. i have learned over the years that i should never plant anything until the second week of april at the earliest cause we are sure to get a surprise from jack frost.

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    1. I really do need to get some sort of mulch out in the garden, other than the neighbors bounty of leaves and access to the horse manure, we pretty much don't have much to work with here. As for using tires, well I cannot talk Mars into tires, he absolutely refuses. He says he doesn't like the way they look and he's flat refused to do it. Even trying to show him pictures of neat painted ones I cannot get him to budge.
      Last year by this time I'd already planted my onions and a whole bunch of cole crops This year not even the potatoes are planted yet. My handy dandy Ag Extension shows us that all sorts of things will do ok here and have a planting date ending on March 15. I guess we aren't going to use that info this year!.

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  7. SCI,

    I'm home now and starting to comment on all my blogger friends blogs. Good to hear your feeling better, take it slow and don't over work okay???

    This weather has held us hostage for to long, it's time we fight back!!!!!
    My potato seeds (pieces) are sitting on my kitchen table with sprouts every where waiting to be placed in the garden. It's been to cold, I also worry about starting anything right now with the temperatures being unpredictable.

    Spring starts in a couple of days, do you think we will have another frost?

    Are you going to plant as many tomatoes as last year?

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    1. Sandy, welcome home, we've missed you! I've got no choice but to take it slow!! You know I'm 'not good with this sitting around.
      Hostages Unite "WE WANT SPRING" We picked up our seed potatoes last week and I'm chomping at the bit to get them in the ground. I don't even have a row ready for onions. I blame it all on the weather. I'm willing to bet we have at least one more frost before we can call it over.

      As to the tomatoes.... hmmmm......... on one hand I was freaking out yet on the other hand.....
      Glad you are back,
      Hugs to you n yours.
      Sci

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  8. Honey, I'm never bored when I read of the backtracking work you do. I'm amazed, in awe, and hope your back holds up!!

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    1. I'm holding up for now, but not what I was hoping to be doing at this point. I had the "ablation" done that you were talking about. For me it seems that the recovery time is longer than I was expecting. I can't understand why anyone reads this blog anyway. Sometimes it seems I bore myself.
      PS Please don't ditch your blog!

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  9. ...Happy St Pattys' Day...belatedly, anyway....KeepTheFaith Sci, 'maters-n-peppers started today in buckets, weather outstanding...next few days promising, spring is here...

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    1. Oh Ken!!!! It's so good to see you buddy!!! And I find it totally appropriate that you have returned in time for Spring. That being said I think I know what my next post will be! Go tomatoes go!!!

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  10. HI! ::waving:: Remember me? giggle
    Popped over on one of my insomnia nights to visit and noticed you are getting ready to plant potatoes.
    I have to tell you - we, too, are being held hostage by this dang weather. GRRRRR!

    I found out yesterday that my beloved FIL [all of 82 years old] has planted his potatoes already. On Sunday. He fit it in between snow storms. Dog. Now I don't know what to do. I want potatoes too. He is generous in sharing and they are SO good, but we go through a lot of potatoes and I wanted to try my own.

    He lives in the same area [planting wise, but 2 hours away] that we do, but I was wondering if I am too late - and where do we get the potato starters anyway? Do I have to order them, or can I go to the local?

    Yes, I am a complete and utter dink when it comes to this, but I have an acre of FLAT land, with great sun, beckoning me and I will be damned if I don't plant something out there. Right?

    And I did read the post about powdered milk. I agree, YICK. I only use it for bread baking, but I wouldn't drink it on a dare. And the baby formula you were thinking of - Similac. Wouldn't drink [or feed my kids] that goop either.

    Love ya Girlie. Good luck and I will be back to visit when I can.

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  11. SKIPPY!!!!! Girl, I'm so happy to see you. I've had you in my prayers for a while now. As for the potatoes, You might check your gardening zone. Or I'll bet your FIL knows. I don't really have an answer on the how late you can plant them. I'm pretty new with them and so far I've not had much luck. You might check with kymber over at Framboise Manor. She grows hers in tires and has had excellent results with them.
    As for where to get them you can look for "seed potatoes" at your local feed store. Ours carries them as well as onion sets and starts. Shoot girl you have so much land now it's awesome. I bet you can't wait to rip up all the grass! LOL
    Sure is good to see you too girl.
    Love,
    Sci

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