Gardening 2023

Well it's getting to be close to that time of year again. Are we going to discuss gardening like last year? I started several varieties of heirloom tomatoes from seed some weeks back.They are still not quite big enough for transplanting, but getting there. Plus it's not officially spring yet.(March 20). But it is creeping up on us.

Up to my possibles bag in snow here in Maine, but I started 850 onions and shallots.

planning only here in Michigan. We are expecting a cold March and I have learned to be patient!

Cold hardy things like kale and maybe turnips for greens first. Then potatoes.

My garlic is sitting in the ground waiting for spring, I should have already started my onion seeds inside but I’ve been working on remodeling my kitchen. Hopefully I can get to it this weekend. I’ll start my peppers in a couple weeks, tomatoes a few weeks after that.

We are experiencing a warm spell here in South Texas.Alot of us were in the 90s yesterday.A little norther blew in last night and dropped us back down to 59. But the sun is trying to shine this morning...again. I feel this winter isn't over yet though. I'm keeping it in the planning stages.

It's going to be alot smaller garden than I had in years past.I lost half my garden to Bermuda grass and a growing Pecan tree.Grass and shade, 2 things a gardener don't need. Maybe it's God's way of saying "slow down"? I am getting older and presently down in my back again.And the tiller weighs over 100 lbs.

A little early for us in Central VA although we have had unseasonably warm weather in Jan. and Feb. I am like Eutycus, I don't think winter is quite over. We have had onions and garlic in the ground since last fall, and the wife is getting ready to seed start almost everything else, so we are targeting the bulk of planting late April to May 1st. We have a fairly extensive plan this year at least for us (we move slower than some). The big thing we are going to tackle this year is potatoes, everyone says they are easy peasy but that was not our experience last year. I pulled 62lbs and lost 62lbs due to all of them turning green while covered and out of sunlight, followed instructions from those who are supposedly in the know. I think I may have pulled them too early, maybe a third were split in some fashion, I have been told as a result of too much water after too much dry. This year, even with last year's potato disaster, we are going to try for 150-200lbs worth or more if it so happens. Sweet potatoes are real easy in these parts but the wife does not like them so we won't eat enough to make it worth while

65 to 70 days early in my AO starts in maybe 3 weeks in the house.

I've thought about it, but with cancer, stoop labor is not something I look forward to. Might put in some raised beds for beans, cucumbers, tomatoes and maybe potatoes. Might also start a three sisters garden, but as I may be going on a little road trip to Tennessee/Kentucky in Spring that whole idea might get shunted back a year or so. We'll see.

Love my garden and growing stuff. Last couple years the big farmer (2500+land oner) put down chicken poop on his fields. Man did that stink!!! and for days on end. Did some looking in to that stuff ,claims to be the best fertilizer for gardens. Found two small chicken coop owners and got some free and cheap. Put that down last fall after tilled up garden. You can order bags of it . Price depends on where you look .Rual King had the best price, but always out of. The few people that I talked to that use it says it the best fertilizer to use. I'll find out this year. I even put it on my asparagus and berries beds.

Have to disagree with what they told you. It's good, but...Chicken poop is one of the hottest fertilizers out there. Not a good thing. Unless fully composted it can burn and kill the seedlings. Find somebody that keeps rabbits and offer to clean it up for them. Rabbit poop is the best and can go directly to the soil at planting time. My second choice, for soil building purposes, would be sheep.
Best choices for chicken are to add it to compost and spread it sparingly after a year OR buy it fully composted. I get it composted at a value of 5-4-3 from Fedco in Maine, $25 for 40lbs. when I run out of my own.
I also compost with worms in my basement year-round. Worm poop can be added to seed trays at 10% for a noticeable boost in vigor. can be spread at apx. the same rate for in row plantings. And it costs nothing to feed worms leftover coffee grounds and shredded junk mail. Leftover plain pasta with no sauce is like candy to them.

Ames said:

Have to disagree with what they told you. It's good, but...Chicken poop is one of the hottest fertilizers out there. Not a good thing. Unless fully composted it can burn and kill the seedlings. Find somebody that keeps rabbits and offer to clean it up for them. Rabbit poop is the best and can go directly to the soil at planting time. My second choice, for soil building purposes, would be sheep.
Best choices for chicken are to add it to compost and spread it sparingly after a year OR buy it fully composted. I get it composted at a value of 5-4-3 from Fedco in Maine, $25 for 40lbs. when I run out of my own.
I also compost with worms in my basement year-round. Worm poop can be added to seed trays at 10% for a noticeable boost in vigor. can be spread at apx. the same rate for in row plantings. And it costs nothing to feed worms leftover coffee grounds and shredded junk mail. Leftover plain pasta with no sauce is like candy to them.

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Thanks for your reply. I did understand about the need to compost. The fresh stuff I let sit for 3 months then spread on garden late fall for over winter. Have found bags of ready to use composted poop to use later. Like how you make your composted stuff. Does sheep poop make the soil more acid like cow?

A got myself another possible "challenge" this year. My neighbor have chickens and I've been letting them run free in my back yard.(like I could stop them) . I figured it's a good way to get rid of bugs. But lately I noticed they took a liking to my garden spot. I know they like tomatoes so do you think that could be a problem in a few months?Don't you love it when some varmint takes a bite out of one of you big juicy almost-ripe tomatoes that you are just about to pick? Would an electric fence work on chickens?

Poultry manure has roughly twice the nitrogen which can "burn" plants. So wouldn't only using half as much be about the same as the full measure of cattle manure?

Eutycus said:

A got myself another possible "challenge" this year. My neighbor have chickens and I've been letting them run free in my back yard.(like I could stop them) . I figured it's a good way to get rid of bugs. But lately I noticed they took a liking to my garden spot. I know they like tomatoes so do you think that could be a problem in a few months?Don't you love it when some varmint takes a bite out of one of you big juicy almost-ripe tomatoes that you are just about to pick? Would an electric fence work on chickens?

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Chicken wire fencing maybe,but would they also eat all the other green leaves on other plants?

Eutycus said:

Well it's getting to be close to that time of year again. Are we going to discuss gardening like last year? I started several varieties of heirloom tomatoes from seed some weeks back.They are still not quite big enough for transplanting, but getting there. Plus it's not officially spring yet.(March 20). But it is creeping up on us.

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I think it's good to open a new gardening thread every spring. It's a good topic, and the several-hundred-page pile-on threads get tiresome. Good to start fresh.

Where I live in North Central Florida, Spring is under way. Azaleas are in full bloom, redbuds and Chickasaw plums have been blooming for a couple of weeks. However, I haven't seen any dogwood blossoms yet, and the nut-bearing trees have not started leafing out at this point.

Eutycus said:

It's going to be alot smaller garden than I had in years past.I lost half my garden to Bermuda grass and a growing Pecan tree.Grass and shade, 2 things a gardener don't need. Maybe it's God's way of saying "slow down"? I am getting older and presently down in my back again.And the tiller weighs over 100 lbs.

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I hear, you, brother. I'm doing the same thing, with a smaller plot this year. I planted everything about a week ago... Both red and white potatoes (two rows), bush beans (two rows), and crookneck squash and sweet yeller onions (one row each). I'm taking a chance on the weather with the beans and squash, but we'll see.

I've not enjoyed much success with tomatoes as a row crop, so two years ago I built two wood planter boxes in a good spot close to the house, and I've been putting one tomato plant in each every spring. I can control the soil quality and water, and can cover them if necessary. With only two plants we don't get a lot of tomatoes, but every one is a gem.

Best of luck to all of you muzzle-loading gardeners!

Notchy Bob

johnraleksa said:

Chicken wire fencing maybe,but would they also eat all the other green leaves on other plants?

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I have some old chicken wire and do plan on using what I have but I don't have a big enough roll. I plan on more tomatoes than I have wire. Hate to go spend more money on wire. Oh these chickens belong to the county attorney's daughter otherwise I'd get out the slingshot.

According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, March 6-7 is a good time to start seeds.

waksupi said:

According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, March 6-7 is a good time to start seeds.

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If I waited until March to start seeds they'd burn up by the time the plants mature.Alot of y'all have your winter cold but we have the summer heat to contend with as well.

Don't dare start too much yet as we are going to be gone for 2 weeks in mid March.... going on a cruise to the Bahamas. It was 23 below zero here in NE Wy yesterday morning!! Can't even get to our "good car" yet. Still about 3-4 ft of snow from the garage doors to our driveway... about 15 ft. No sense in getting excited yet.