Springtime looks like it's finally here in the northeast.
I'm hopng the last frost was this past Wednesday because I'm finally planting my tomatos and peppers (official frost date is May 15).
My spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts and horse radish are looking healthy.
My wife has a large garden she plans to fill with gourds of various shapes and types.
I planted an apple tree in the far back.
I've had to fence everything in again and 've put some noise makers and flashy wavers to keep critters away. The deer are thick this year - should be a good crop of them for the SUV's to harvest.
I'm dead dog tired right now (but it's a good 'tired') from finishing planting my chile/tomato patch today, finished up the mulching with the wife holding an umbrella over me (front moved in and it rained all over those pepper and tomato plants!). I'm growing nine varieties of tomatoes and 14 varieties of peppers (acquired a taste and interest in c. baccatums from growing Burpee's Hot Lemon Pepper last year, so growing several other cultivars this year). Anyway, 73 plants total in that bed alone.
Planted green onions, lettuce, mustard, and collards end of March, some of it just about ready. Been eating asparagus for a week.
Herbs and three varieties of pole beans are next to plant.
Every apple on the place is in full bloom, ten day forecast looks good (for no frost), may be in for a good crop of apples.
Well it is 36 degrees @ 615am right now. We have been known to get frost. So just to put in the garden. Now I put in the pot plants in around the same time up by the still.
LOL!!!
I will be doing plants this year. The weather has been too unpredicatble for seeds. HOT then freezing then hail, then HOT then freezing then hail.
We will do, last i heard:
watermelon
cantaloupe
cucumbers
tomatoes
zucchini
peppers
My son from town plans to come out and help get it in.
Here it's bragging rights to those who have ripe tomatoes by July 4th. If things go well I should have bunches of 'Black Cherry' tomatoes come that date,,,we'll see. :)
Today I planted basil, oregano, parsley, and dill plants in a large 17 gal tub (rusty bottom).
Thyme, tarragon, chives are next.
Then the beans.
Then the pickling cukes (Picklebush in pots ready to go), beets, Burpee Butterbush squash (in pots ready to go), yellow squash, and zuchinni.
Sixty days to a ripe tomato is tough but I noticed a flower today on one of my cherry tomatos so you're on!
Winner gets bragging rights.
It's going to rain for the next 3 days so I think I judged the last frost date right.
The groundhogs will just love that, I planted cilantro for two year in a row and they just loved it - like cats to catnip.
I ringed my garden with garlic and horse radish - a few day lilies and cana lilies up front - they won't attract to many critters
I'll wait till mid May for those - it's got to be warm for cukes and beans.
OK, we're on, providing I don't get 'froze out' this weekend. (My daughter told me to use plastic garbage bags over the cages, I think newspaper and clothes pins would be cheaper).
I didn't know that about cilantro (I've also never grown it) and woodchucks; here it's rabbits in the lettuce (three were out there last evening) and coons/deer in the corn (I've given up on growing corn)
I'm ready for the frost but don't think it will - we're on the edge of the freeze zone but the wind is blowing a lot.
Even so, I spent the afternoon covering up the tomatoes and peppers with every pot and crock that that I could find - everything else is covered with tarps.
The new apple tree got nibbled by deer last night - they went over the fence.
I'll have to buy some Deer-off and dose it tomorrow.
As a rule, I avoid planting Tomatoes & Peppers until the last week of May.....My Cold Crops..... Peas, Lettuce, Broccoli, Cauliflower & Cabbage all thrive in this cold so I'm OK. I also have a field of Clover (White) that I put in to attract bees, let the chickens graze on & add nutrients back into the ground.....smells nice too!
Now what doesn't smell so nice is my bull dogs waste piles.... I always leave one of his piles close to the garden so the deer don't touch the garden. Also have two outdoor lighting sensors that turn on lights & scare the deer.