Gardening - Growing Your Own.

[stig]

Well, spring finally made it to Denmark.
For a one handed man, it is a good thing to have friends.
My best friend, whom I've been hanging out with since we were 13, came and rototilled the polytunnel today, getting all the composted horse manure mixed into the soil..

Funny thing is, last spring I rototilled his garden, because he was very weak after a fight with cancer.

So we decided that next spring, we'd do the rototilling for each other, not because we'll have to ( Hopefully) but because it was nice to do it together.

In another 2-3 weeks we'll be past the chance of frost and all the little plants that I'm nursing can go out in the tunnel.

 

[Mick!]

Asparagus were two weeks later than last year. Otherwise wife is busy planting.

Not too much colour atm, but getting there.

 

[FireFighterZero]

Still brown here.

Snow on the ground in places.

 

[Mick!]

That is a tough place to make a living off the land Jim.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Green, green everywhere here.

 

[treebilly]

I dumped a lot of composted mulch on the garden this morning. 20 yards worth. About time to get taters and onions in. Plus some garlic since I forgot about it last fall. Since asparagus was brought up. When do you start to harvest it? Mines been in the ground for 3 years now and I never seem to get it in time

 

[Mick!]

If it’s been in three years you can start harvesting this year.

 

[treebilly]

I hope so Mick.
The neighbor had to come down and spout off to my wife about how he has told me many times that using mulch is a bad idea. My wife informed him that our garden has been terrible forever and what difference is it to him. Hopefully he will stay hidden from me for another month or so, so I won’t have to talk to him.
Anyhow I hope to sneak in 20 yards of three year old horse manure this weekend to mix in before planting. Maybe something will grow, maybe not.

 

[Mick!]

I have added some lime to the beds to counteract the acidic effect that pure composted chip can bring.

Will ruin the brassicas apparently.

 

[stig]

I've spent the last two days transferring all my little plants out to the Polytunnel.
Took a while, I can only do a little work at the time, before my wrist acts up.
Finally got there, though:
45 tomatoes in 16 varieties, 30 Jalapeno peppers and 20 assorted other varieties, 10 melons and 10 eggplants.
Plus enough Basil Genovese to give some 20 pds of Pesto.
And 2 lavender, planted inside the door to draw bees in. Trick I read about, thought I'd give it a try.
Have any of you had any luck with that?

The dogs aren't allowed to go in the tunnel, which makes everything that goes on in there super interesting, of course.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Poor fella!!!

 

[stig]

They probably believe I'm growing steaks in there

 

[stig]

Springtime again.
So let us get the gardening thread going.

The vegetable garden is cleaned up and ready to go ( Except for the giant Sequoia that some idiot plated in the middle of it!)

Poly tunnel has been filled with the stuff I've been cultivating under artificial light for the last 1½ moths.

I'm really getting into melons this year.
Got seeds from the US and am trying 4 new varieties out besiudes the ones I already know works well.

 

[cory]

That is seriously awesome

 

[MasterBlaster]

Indica on one side, Sativa on the other!!!

 

[stig]

One of my old apprentices used to do that.
Made about 20 grand each year selling it.

His parents lived way out in the sticks on an island, that is where he had the tunnel.

We've got way too much cop traffic around here, due to the refugee camp 2 miles away, for that to work.

 

[FireFighterZero]

I have the garden worked twice.

Was going to get some potatoes in the ground last week.

Snowing right now......with a low of 19 coming. Glad I did not plant.




I have decided to do a nice job with the garden again this year.

I will haul water to it if I need to.


Not going to let drought and depression fugg up my vegetables this year.

 

[stig]

Go for it, Jim.

Did you ever get anywhere with a poly dome?

 

[MasterBlaster]

We've got way too much cop traffic around here, due to the refugee camp 2 miles away, for that to work.

Believe it or not, that could actually help. "Hide in plain sight" comes to mind. As long as they never have a reason to look at you, specifically.

 

[FireFighterZero]

Not yet.

We were approved for a huge conservation project last year and the Govt man did not want to add any complexity to the plan.


I have a couple shelter belts planned, a fruit orchard and a green house of some type. Rain water catches, cisterns...all sorts of stuff.


My gardener neighbor has been trying to get me to put up a wood frame structure instead of a poly tunnel.

Poly tunnels catch a lot of hell up here.

 

[MasterBlaster]

You have neighbors, Jim? I thought you were extremely isolated?

 

[FireFighterZero]

Yeah. He is a great gardener.


Probably only 8 miles away as the crow flies. Thats pretty close for up here!

 

[treebilly]

Well I cut my first piece of asparagus last weekend and have a dozen more ready in the next few days. My garlic had come up nice as well. Best thing growing is my lawn though. This was the first day without rain since I mowed last (10 days ago) and I could’ve baled it. Rain be damned, I plan on getting my onions, peas, and taters in this week or weekend.

 

[stig]

We are having a drought here.
My hayfield is not growing at all.
Last year we had to go out and buy hay, because of drought, hope this year will not be the same.

 

[Mick!]

Potatoes above ground, asparagus being eaten already, all full up now.