Garden time...Oh boy!

billbill1 · Apr 10, 2006

Nice looking garden Jim, that's the biggest garden tractor I've ever seen!! Last year I planted too early and we got a hard freeze in late April so I'm holding off for a couple more weeks to start planting. I could do onions and taters but haven't yet. Got everything worked up and ready though.

jinman · Apr 10, 2006

( Last year I planted too early and we got a hard freeze in late April so I'm holding off for a couple more weeks to start planting. I could do onions and taters but haven't yet. Got everything worked up and ready though. )

Bill, you and Mike both mentioned how early my garden is. I was thinking I am about two to three weeks late. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif Most people around here can safely plant onion sets the last week in February. When I went to look for onion sets, all I could find was left-over 1015s. All the white table onions were gone. When I'd ask about white onions, they'd say that they had been sold out of them for over two weeks. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Maybe next year we can get started earlier by the first or second week of March. That's just one of the benefits of livin' a couple of states below you. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

billbill1 · Apr 10, 2006

Jim, have you ever left onions in the ground over the winter? They come up and are real good eatin' and are ready as early as they possibly can be. Are you out of "frost danger" in March? Usually it's April here but May is much safer. The redbud trees are blooming, the crappie are biting, morel mushrooms are popping up, and the purple martins are returning. Spring has arrived!! Ticks are out too, yuck.

Egon · Apr 10, 2006

Jim:

Now that you have got all the bends and kinks outa the system why not come North and do my planting? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Are you sure the garden is large enough? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Egon /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

PineRidge · Apr 10, 2006

When I went to look for onion sets, all I could find was left-over 1015s. 

Jim just say the word and I'll get whatever you need onion wise headed to Texas via UPS. They're still available here since it's still early I'm sure. I'de be glad to help.

jinman · Apr 10, 2006

Thanks Mike, but we already planted a bunch of the 1015s and we are actually trying some seed we found. I've never ever grown onions from seed, but we had plenty of room so we figured what the heck, go ahead and try them. We sure have a long enough growing season.

Bill, I seem to remember we left some onions in the ground when I was a kid. I believe I remember them splitting like bulbs and some of them that went to seed got very strong tasting. Back then, I hated all the work involved with a big garden so my memory may be clouded by the misconception of youth. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Egon, I'd love to come up and help you, but I broke my planter on the last row and the parts aren't due to arrive here until next spring. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif You do believe me, don't you? /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

RobJ · Apr 10, 2006

We got ours in 3/18. Planted some corn and potatoes. Came back on 4/1 and the corn had popped about 2", potatoes just starting to pop the soil. We had 5" of rain in the mean time, hope that continues. Also on 4/1 I planted 2 more rows of corn, just in case and to space out the crop. But the last 2 years the rain stopped and no one got much. Potatoes seem to do ok, they just don't get that big.

Here's a pic of the cultivator I use. Who knows how old it is, rows up nice.

Doc_Bob · Apr 10, 2006

Nice looking garden and the posting is awesome! In Wisconsin, the ground is still too cold and wet to even think about tilling, let alone planting! In my area I live in a watershed (Root River) and my ground is till oozing water. The fields still have puddles of water. Having seen Mike's area this weekend, his ground maybe cold, but not saturated with water.

Please keep the pictures coming as you progress. They are wonderful.
Bob

Doc_Bob · Apr 10, 2006

( After the cultivator is set, it's time to plow the rows in preparation for planting. )

What does a cultivator "do"?
Bob

BB_TX · Apr 10, 2006

Back then, I hated all the work involved with a big garden so my memory may be clouded by the misconception of youth. 
I think that memory will begin to clear as soon as you start the weeding, feeding, watering, and picking on that 1/3 acre. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif And after the muscles begin to ache. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
Got my small garden in early this year. Only about 8' x 16' but even that gives plenty for my wife and I since we don't can it. Green beans, okra, squash, lettuce already up. Onions planted 1st week of March and almost ready to start pulling green onions. Tomatoes planted just after the last frost, about three weeks ago. Had a great crop last year on all except tomatoes. They just did not do well at all. Hoping for better this year.