Getting garden plot ready to begin planting

[Gary Fowler]

I hope the early spring is not just a hope.
I hooked up the tiller and tilled up my garden spot. I think I will go ahead and plant a few cold hardy things like onions and maybe some cabbage, carrots etc. We have had such warm winter, the trees are already leafed out at least peach, apple and a flowering lavender are. Plum and nectarine are still holding back along with all my deciduous shade trees.
It has been in the 60-80F range now for most of January and all of Feb so far. I can only recall a couple of weeks of winter weather where the temps stayed below freezing for more than 1 day.

 

[Avondale]

Early spring? I just spent six hours on the snow blower

 

[Gunny]

I'm itching to start myself, but we've got a bit to go in this area. Typical garden planting is usually done around May 1 here, but I do plan on starting some seeds for my early plants next week.

I'd like to get the tiller in the ground, but even if temps allowed it, we're way too wet to work ground.

 

[oosik]

GARY - you have got to be kidding!!! Its been around 40F for the last two days here and I still have 14" of snow in my yard. How do you guys rate down there....

 

[Gary Fowler]

GARY - you have got to be kidding!!! Its been around 40F for the last two days here and I still have 14" of snow in my yard. How do you guys rate down there....

We had just a dusting of snow around New Years Day but it was way above freezing the day before so the snow melted as fast as it fell. Wife has been PO'ed all winter because she likes to see some snow and cold weather and we haven't had any.
I usually don't plant anything till Mid March - 1st of May either but I think I will look at planting some cabbage sets today if I can find them, also some green onions. I will wait on my tomatoes and other vegetables for a couple of months. I find that tomatoes, even if planted early, don't really grow much till the nights are warm so not much advantage in putting them in early.
As I looked at my weather station at 6 am it was 65F this morning. Supposed to be high 70s today and rest of the week.

 

[jaydee325]

Here is a fond memory.

In the early 1960s, my great grandfather grew tomatoes. We are located in SW Michigan. He started his tomatoes from seed in January on his porch in flats. When the plants got bigger, he'd transfer them to peat pots and then to clay pots which went out into the cold frames in early March. He'd have them out in the garden in April. Since frost was always a danger at night, him and grandma would cover them with boxes.

The biggest year he had 200 plants in the ground. Most years he would have tomatoes by the 4th of July. This was at least 3 weeks before anyone else in the area had fresh tomatoes. This was a big deal since this area was (and still is) a big resort area and he got top dollar for his tomatoes from the resorts and restaurants.

The money he made off his tomatoes helped to heat their house in the winter.

Wish I had his help in my garden.

 

[dirt ditch]

It was a beautiful day today. I'd been wanting to try out my rototiller so I hooked it to the tractor then went over to My daughter's house and tilled up virgin soil where they wanted their garden. Even the grandkids were ready to start planting.

View attachment 498476

 

[lakngulf]

I spent the day in my garden as well. FELT GREAT! I know we will have some cold weather but it sure seems like planting time now. I think I will go with some cool weather items as well. I have turnips and collards still going strong, but some radish, onion, etc would be fine.

Also, I planted my first tomato seed in flats on January 13. I have up potted them to 3 inch peat pots and they are coming along nicely. These are Cherokee Purple from seed that I saved in 2015. I will up pot when necessary and put some of them in the ground by mid-March. Like described above, I know I will have to cover them some nights.

 

[Kentuckyfarmer]

Now I feel like I'm behind. Will,wait until the end of Feb then get the Kubota from the little woman's house where is sits for the winter for snow removal in case. Get the tiller hooked up and start a new garden spot just for cold weather plants. Going to make a small sort of green house to start tomatoes and green peppers etc. I was thinking of using wire cattle panels, 5x16 and make a arch out of them. Have about 4 of them hooked together and cover with some sort of fabric that is light and allows moisture to come thru when it rains. Will look like a half circle if you can picture it. Try and get a early start on tomatoes and stuff. Will be nice to see and hear others ideas about having a productive garden.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Now I feel like I'm behind. Will,wait until the end of Feb then get the Kubota from the little woman's house where is sits for the winter for snow removal in case. Get the tiller hooked up and start a new garden spot just for cold weather plants. Going to make a small sort of green house to start tomatoes and green peppers etc. I was thinking of using wire cattle panels, 5x16 and make a arch out of them. Have about 4 of them hooked together and cover with some sort of fabric that is light and allows moisture to come thru when it rains. Will look like a half circle if you can picture it. Try and get a early start on tomatoes and stuff. Will be nice to see and hear others ideas about having a productive garden.

Back when I still lived and worked on the farm with my parents, a neighbor grew a couple acres of tomatoes for commercial sale. His green house was built of 6x6 wire mesh, the kind used for concrete reinforcing. He got them in 20 foot sections which was good for one side. His only support was a center truss to hold the two arches together. The sides were 2x6 boards staked down to the ground. He built a ground frame of 2x 6 board which were staked to the ground with rebar stakes. He covered it with thick clear poly sheeting. On sunny days, no heat was needed but nights and cloudy days, a propane heater kept things warm for the hundreds of plants he had. The clear poly sheeting was good for a couple of years before sunlight made it brittle. He just left it in place year round and I suppose if it had been removed and stored inside it would have lasted a bit longer. Back then the wire panels were pretty cheap as well as the plastic. I still think that this would make a cheap green house.
You do have to frame up the ends withstand strong winds and to have something to attach a door to.