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Gardening 2022

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Another super thread for the year where we chat about the garden we dream of while the ground is frozen and the garden we actually get when things finally warm up. 

Anything you plan to try new this year? And things you intend to do differently than last year in the hopes of better results? Or are you just gonna say "screw it" and buy produce at the farmers markets?

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I’m in process of getting the old Sears garden tractor ready and going to put in raised beds plus the bigger garden this year . Taters , corn , winter squash etc 

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I’m still in the fence about what I want to do there at the old bird pen site. It’s a perfect set up for a shallower raised bed, just needs some top soil.

I plan to grow garlic. We’ve been using more fresh garlic ( not that jarred stuff ) and really like the results.

I need to cut one of our blueberry bushes way back in the hopes of it growing more full and correctly. A certain older son of ours did some damage to it as a young ‘un and it never recovered.

We have some serious landscape work to do to recover from the drilling for geothermal. That won’t be too bad though.

I should prune the peach trees, they really took a beating last year.

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1 hour ago, Chris said:

A certain older son of ours did some damage to it as a young ‘un and it never recovered.

Oops

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2 hours ago, Chris said:

 

I plan to grow garlic. We’ve been using more fresh garlic ( not that jarred stuff ) and really like the results.

I have 3 different varieties of hardneck I can give you some bulbs for you to plant. 

Isn't garlic started in the fall? I know mine was planted in Oct.

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21 minutes ago, Kevin said:

Isn't garlic started in the fall? I know mine was planted in Oct.

I guess so? So I’ll have lots of time to plan!  😂 

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I can still hook you up with some bulbs that I harvested last summer. 

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Not necessarily gardening related, but doesn't warrant it's own thread so I'll put it here:

I wrote a while back about slipping on the ice and falling. Taking that into consideration, as well as the fact that I paid just shy of $100 for four bags of feed and a bag of sunflower seeds the day before, I've come to a conclusion:

I'm done. 

I've gotten rid of one batch of animals last year and will continue to do so. Aside from perhaps no more than a half dozen chicks every couple years for eggs, I will not be getting more animals as these ones die off. 

It's too goddamned expensive. Chicken feed aint "chicken feed" anymore. I paid $4.00/ bale of hay that's not that great and the goats waste. It was tempting to find a new home for them, but that would be like giving away our dog, so they're another 10 year commitment I will stick with. The turkeys are going come Spring when I can sell them easier. I may get rid of the current flock of chickens if they don't start laying better and then replace them at a later time ( no more than six ). 

Our goats will be getting new quarters in the barn across the road where the chickens are now. I'll have to run stronger fence and make a few minor modifications to the interior, but it'll be on flat ground, easier to clean, and less dangerous in the winter. And really, it'll be an upgrade for them. I'll make some modifications to the current turkey pen, largely for drainage and the chickens will go there. The large fenced in area where the goats are now will be our dog's new play yard since we live too close to a busy road. 

Part of me is a little sad it's come to this. I've ALWAYS had animals, lots of them, and enjoyed it, but it's too expensive. And I got lucky the other day. If I'd broken my arm or shoulder, I wouldn't be able to work, play guitar, or write. It's not worth it. 

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Ya know , I feel kinda sad when I look out on two fenced in areas where there used to be all kinds of chickens , around 100 or so in total . But with feed prices and a lot of backyard poultry keepers flooding the market with eggs it just wasn’t worth the effort any longer ! Same with bee keeping and honey sales , anymore selling honey around this area is like selling ice cubes to Eskimo’s ! 
Some folks don’t take into consideration the costs behind the scenes such as your feed prices , with bee’s feed is not the problem and bees are certainly not a problem … it’s the damn honey ! Pull frames , cut wax , spin frames , rinse and repeat all day ! Then theres the cost of the jars going up and up every year , filling those jars , oh and by the way the caps are sold separately, labels are expensive ,even generic ones , and with all the Rona crap I used cap shrink wraps at another cost , so labor , turns out , is on the producer right Chris ? Hows your back after cleaning that chicken house . Well shit … i’ve gone on again lol ,  just wanted to let you know your right to cut back and then get out of the game ! And don't forget i have a bunch of the tee post for your goat pen when you need them .

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On 2/1/2022 at 5:31 PM, Chris said:

I should prune the peach trees, they really took a beating last year.

can confirm, aggressive pruning soon or not only will yield suffer but is a bear trying to correct in older trees

 

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This weather is tiring as hell …. 
Cleaning up around woodpiles , moving stacking pallets to the hedgerow , tightened the loose fence posts and bolstered the corners for a tighter straighter fence ( damned OCD ) . My garden this year is going to be inside that fenced in area to keep the deer and rabbits out .  It was the old chicken run and is big enough for a considerable sized garden , with the plus that three of my original  orchard trees from many years ago are still inside that area . Garden tractor is ready to go but now im thinking of rear tire change from the turf type in pic # 1 to the ag type shown , pic #2 is my old workhorse . That should get me better traction while cultivating. 
Undecided as to what to put into that area or the other two I’m prepping but definitely some Winter Sqaush and the wife says we should try some Kale . Raised beds will have Beets , cherry tomatoes , rutabaga etc … wait ! Taters yeah , thats what I need to put in the big garden ! 
Anyway , thats the plan for now but plans as we all know can change ! 
 

AC7FF13E-FF1B-451E-9B90-C7A632B5772D.jpeg

8B55A094-2E5E-4732-9CB8-BF66E4D2C837.jpeg

Edited by Hal
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Yesterday I pulled the layer of leaves off the garden beds ( I put too much on ) and then emptied out two of the compost bins, mixing that into the existing soil. I left the leaves on the potato bed though, and just mixed them into the dirt. I usually mulch those plants anyway. I had to dodge raindrops throughout the process.

We never did get a good soaking rain like I hoped for yesterday. I'm starting to see shades of green on the newly planted lawn, and this warmer weather should have that growing like gangbusters soon. 

 

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I have a little green peeking through as well ! Your right Chris the ground is warm and now a soaker is in order ! 

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It was too nice to be indoors this afternoon so I took some time and threw together a “pollinator home.” It’s a place for non-honeybees and other pollinators to set up shop:

0199E618-A386-4EA9-A5C1-AA7FD2CEE96C.jpeg

It’s within spitting distance of the garden beds. Theres a reason it’s back is to the hedgerow LOL.

I don’t know if they’ll use it, but it’s worth a shot. 

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2 hours ago, Chris said:

It was too nice to be indoors this afternoon so I took some time and threw together a “pollinator home.” It’s a place for non-honeybees and other pollinators to set up shop:

0199E618-A386-4EA9-A5C1-AA7FD2CEE96C.jpeg

It’s within spitting distance of the garden beds. Theres a reason it’s back is to the hedgerow LOL.

I don’t know if they’ll use it, but it’s worth a shot. 

Hope you get some Mason bees to nest up in there ! 
 

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On 5/9/2022 at 10:20 PM, Hal said:

Hope you get some Mason bees to nest up in there ! 

I did see something poking around in there while I was mowing yesterday. 

I went to Banfield-Baker for the third time this week to spend more money. I bought three new blueberry plants and got them in the ground where the old pheasant pen was. That area looks so much nicer now that I've got it all cleaned up. I was tempted to plant two more rows instead of the one I did today, but I want room in between the bushes for whatever. I can always plant another row down the middle later. 

While I was there I noticed they have weeping sherry trees. The wife has been wanting one, so I sent her a pic and she said to get it. It wasn't cheap, so I took care to make sure it didn't roll around in the truckbed on the way home. I drove as slow as I could, but the leaves didn't like the wind apparently and most of them are all wilty. I gave her a big slug of water and figure it'll bounce back. I have a spot picked out for it near a clump of hostas in the middle of our yard, just need to dig the hole. 

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I have a water soluble root stimulator here that may give it a boost . I use it on all the trees plants shrubs here , even the taters got a hit of it this morning . Otherwise just keep it well watered , it’ll bounce back after a little transplant shock . 

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I've been watering the tree and the new bushes pretty regularly. I expect to see improvements eventually. 

The one blueberry bush that I hacked WAY back to make it grow in less spindly is sending out new leaves, so that's promising. 

I've decided instead of the concrete blocks, or metal raised bed, I'm gonna stick with lumber, but go with these things Gardener's Supply catalog carries. I have a feeling they'll make replacing the odd rotted board a little easier, and still be cheaper in the long run. 

I still have to get the garden planted. Maybe this coming weekend, that's when I usually do it anyway. 

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I saw online people are buying replacement pickets for stockade fences and making raised bed gardens from them. They haven't been hit by the outrageous lumber prices and are cedar at about $2.25 each at Lowe's and are about 1x6x6.  So with 6 pickets (about $20) you can make a 3' x 6' raised bed. Fill the bottom with sticks and compost and the top 1/2 with soil and there you go. 

I just to get my plants in the ground where they will not have to endure a thunderstorm storm a few hours later. So I now have to wait till tomorrow.

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11 hours ago, Chris said:

I've been watering the tree and the new bushes pretty regularly. I expect to see improvements eventually. 

The one blueberry bush that I hacked WAY back to make it grow in less spindly is sending out new leaves, so that's promising. 

I've decided instead of the concrete blocks, or metal raised bed, I'm gonna stick with lumber, but go with these things Gardener's Supply catalog carries. I have a feeling they'll make replacing the odd rotted board a little easier, and still be cheaper in the long run. 

I still have to get the garden planted. Maybe this coming weekend, that's when I usually do it anyway. 

I saved that link and those brackets go up to 35” … and aluminum so should be good for years ! 

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8 hours ago, Kevin said:

I saw online people are buying replacement pickets for stockade fences and making raised bed gardens from them. They haven't been hit by the outrageous lumber prices and are cedar at about $2.25 each at Lowe's and are about 1x6x6.  So with 6 pickets (about $20) you can make a 3' x 6' raised bed. Fill the bottom with sticks and compost and the top 1/2 with soil and there you go. 

I just to get my plants in the ground where they will not have to endure a thunderstorm storm a few hours later. So I now have to wait till tomorrow.

Sounds doable Kevin! Tomorrow is get plants day for me . Took the last Violina Rugosa ( Italian Butternut squash) from last year out of the cellar , hacked it open and dried the seeds . These things are huge , about 20 lbs and Heritage breed so these will go into the SHTF seed bank . Yukon Golds are up so i need to get the hiller ready . With the heat and rain things are taking off nicely . Also need to trim the grass in the bee yard , the high grass in front slows them down and we can’t have that ! 

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I think I forgot to mention, I looked in the pollinator home we made and put in the hedgerow yesterday, and there is activity. I'm not sure what kind of insect I saw in there, but it's some kind of bee. Pretty exciting!
 

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I ran into this today while going down a internet rabbit hole. 

Screenshot_20220523-120238.png

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Nice. I've seen something along that line using fencing and straw. Seems like the above would be a better option. 

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Today was a good day. Got all my vegetables planted. This year we have 4 pumpkin plants , 2 watermelon and about 50 pepper plants everything from sweet to ungodly hot but people like them. 

We also added to the yard this year 2 Haskap bushes (like a blueberry) and my wife found a raspberry bush on clearance for $2 at Walmart the other day. I was not aware the strawberries were perennial, so it was a happy surprise to see them come back up. 

I made a couple cages to cover them and keep the squirrels out so we can have more than 1 strawberry this year. 

The final new thing is a horseradish plant, I have that in an extra tall bucket so it doesn't take over a section of the yard. 

Almost forgot we added 2 Wisteria vines to hopefully cover a section of fence. 

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