Garden out yet?

[tulenutn2o]

It's so darn wet here in iowa, I don't know when I'll even be able to till. MAY?

 

[jinman]

Everything in my garden is coming up including my okra I planted only 5 days ago. Last night it dropped down to 36.5 degrees...luckily no frost. I want to worry about getting my deer fence up rather than putting on row covers to protect from frost.

 

[tulenutn2o]

Should dry up enough this weekend, for me to till. But, I doesn't have my new tractor yet. Hopefully it's not raining when it comes. I got to plant. I love fried okra, wife not so much. Mom is from Arkansas- she rubbed off on me,I guess.Got all my seeds started indoors though,so I'll be off and runnin here shortly. 32 here last night.

 

[Patriotic Stabilist]

We have been busy working on our motorhome, but pretty much done now so back to the garden.

I did get the rows weeded but not tilled. We had a good rain yesterday evening. I want to till it all then put my soaker hoses out that I connect to 2 mainifolds. We have a well so that allows me to water like 2 or 3 rows at a time or whichever I want then rotate so I can water the garden well over a series of 3 days.

My orange tree has so many blooms I will probably have to stake the branches to keep them from breaking, its just a dwarf one but does it produce. Both peach trees are bearing, the cold snap we got must have helped or the big one is just now getting old enough I guess. Looks like I may have some grapes this year to for the first time. I think I lost my grapefruit, maybe the nectarine, apricot survived and the avocado. Neither have produced yet. I have 3 cherry trees to plant somewhere, planted 3 more grape vines, have 3 already. My apple tree says it produces year 3, this is year 2 for it.

I never knew fruit trees did that well down, never thought about it until I saw orange trees around one year really producing.

I hope to have enough produce to can this year. And I'm hoping to make grape jelly and freeze peaches or make preserves. I've got to get bird netting or something to keep the squirrels from eating them all but 1 like last year.

 

[tulenutn2o]

Just keep rubbin' that southern weather in.... I'm hoping my peach tree starts to produce next year. Need to plant a few apples this year. We can every year:Stewed tomatoes, tomatoe juice, salsa, sketti sauce, pizza sauce, jalopenas, beans. I'm gonna try a few canned POTATOES this year, I think. I have planted every year, but never tried canning them. Doin the herb garden seperate this year.

 

[jinman]

I did get the rows weeded but not tilled. We had a good rain yesterday evening. I want to till it all then put my soaker hoses out that I connect to 2 mainifolds. We have a well so that allows me to water like 2 or 3 rows at a time or whichever I want then rotate so I can water the garden well over a series of 3 days.

Carolyn, your garden looks awesome. Your tomatoes are really heathy lookin'. I think I can see beans and peas there too. I water my garden the same as you do. I use four-hose manifolds and soakers. I'm going to try to use some drip irrigation this year on my hilled veggies because the soaker wastes water between the hills where only the weeds use it.

 

[Patriotic Stabilist]

Tell me about it if you do. I'm looking for something better. It's a real pain in the tush when I till to either disconnect or move the hoses and stuff. Last year I didn't get one over far enough and the tiller got it. But I definitely have to water. Tom has added top soil to the garden but we have sandy loam and the water doesn't last to long in it.

I tried those sprinklers that stand up and sprinkle, I like them but have had 2 of them and they don't last long. Hubby tried to fix one but he couldn't so I pitched it and they aren't cheap.

 

[Patriotic Stabilist]

I started to take pictures of the blooms on those tomatoes, they are loaded. If all those produce I will be up to my neck in tomatoes. I used fish emulsion, about ready for another application and I think its the egg I put under each one. They are about as dark green as I've ever seen them.

Everything is now up, that last were beets and turnips. Well the potatoes aren't, only planted 5 hills of them last week, so may be awhile yet. I have a half row left think I will just plant some flowers in there.

 

[Patriotic Stabilist]

Yes, bush beans and snow peas. It said those peas get about 18 to 24 inches and don't need staked, now that I've got to see. I had some one year, they were delicious but to much work for no more then you got. Will see how these do.:licking:

We eat the heck out of fresh green beans, just love them. My husband really likes home canned tomatoes and green beans. He will take a whole jar of tomatoes sometimes and just eat them with crackers for dinner. I only have 1 quart of tomato juice left.

 

[Bartcephus]

Just found this thread... Looking at your gardens makes me jealous. Planted 20 tomatos, Squash, Bell Peppers, Hot Peppers, Habenaros, Watermelon, Onion, and cukes. Will be planting the corn, beans, peas, okra this weekend. Some around here have had to replant their potatoes as they rotted with the really wet spring.