2026 Gardens!

[CloverKnollFarms]

Looks like my last soil mix is a little dense, and it’s affecting germination. I’m going to leave out the clay loam next time, and use 3 parts pro mix moisture and one part worm castings

 

[DJ54]

Got the garden turned over today. Sprayed the germination chamber down with bleach water to sanitize it. Filled slow cooker with water and turned it on to make sure everything works. Will start some tomatoes, cabbage, brussels sprouts, and maybe a couple other things tomorrow in seed trays.

 

[ultrarunner]

The May Bay Area rains have my garden flora shouting with joy…

Everything is looking good and proves water is life…

The problem months are the typical 6 months on summer without a drop of precipitation resulting in 4-$500 a month city water bills to replace what nature doesn’t…

The critters seem to know exactly when to strike grapes, peaches, plumbs, etc… pulse roses are in season year round for deer…

 

[Oaktree]

The May Bay Area rains have my garden flora shouting with joy…

It's May there already? We're still stuck in mid-April.

 

[ultrarunner]

Garden is year round but 6 months without rain requires irrigation.

So far the rain fall is just about perfect which is money in my pocket.

The roses are in full bloom and grass lush.

Most of the fruit trees blossomed about a month ago.

Even a few early figs started last month.

Water is everything here.

 

[DJ54]

Got 4 varieties of tomatoes ( 14 dozen), Cabbage (204 plants) and a dozen Brussels Sprouts started in trays and in the germination chamber. Used my trusty high-tech pencil to make divots in trays and pick up seed. That's a cabbage seed hanging on the end of the pencil. Works pretty slick. Just dip it in water, shake off excess and you can pick up 4-6 seeds before needing to dip in water again. Sure beats a pair of tweezers.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

Im hoping my tomatoes don't outgrow their pots before I plant them!

 

[DJ54]

Rubbed the garden down today for the first time, worked down decently.

Also helped plant 300 lbs. of potatoes at Smeck Park, Baltimore OH. using my little horse drawn converted to Fast Hitch Champion potato planter on the Farmall 140. Took about 45 minutes to get them in the ground. Love this little planter..!!

 

[Engineer42]

Peas and corn are peaking up in the garden! Romaine and spinach came thru the frost and look good.

 

[MossRoad]

Rubbed the garden down today for the first time, worked down decently.

Also helped plant 300 lbs. of potatoes at Smeck Park, Baltimore OH. using my little horse drawn converted to Fast Hitch Champion potato planter on the Farmall 140. Took about 45 minutes to get them in the ground. Love this little planter..!!

So he just drops taters down the tube and it packs the dirt over them? Nice!

 

[MossRoad]

Planted 180 canna lilies last night. Took about 30 minutes. Wife and I have the process down pretty good after 30 years.

 

[DJ54]

So he just drops taters down the tube and it packs the dirt over them? Nice!

Nope, cupped chain picks them up out of the hopper and drops them 10" O.C. He just along for the ride to hold the hillers down and keep potatoes in the deep well of the hopper. It will miss one occasionally so if he's quick enough can put one in the cup.

Here's a video from 2 years ago.

 

[CalG]

Garlic is up 8 inches

peas are just showing.

onion sets are outdoors hardening off

Freeze expected Monday night....

The other starts are still indoors

 

[MossRoad]

Nope, cupped chain picks them up out of the hopper and drops them 10" O.C. He just along for the ride to hold the hillers down and keep potatoes in the deep well of the hopper. It will miss one occasionally so if he's quick enough can put one in the cup.

Here's a video from 2 years ago.

Nice!

 

[Torvy]

Interesting. In my area El Niño equates to a very wet July-September.

Good for people to understand. When it's dry somewhere, it's wet somewhere else.

We've had a dry winter, early spring for us. May is usually our wettest month, so we'll see.

 

[Torvy]

12 Romas (2 varieties) and assorted peppers (Jalapeño, Serrano, ancho) are in the ground and doing well.

The boss has other seeds planted, (cilantro and melons and such).

Onions over wintered well and look good. The blackberries and blueberries are setting fruit.

We have some native bee balm we are encouraging. It popped up right among our Rosemary. Wife is also trying to get more bee friendly perennials going. The ditches are full of crimson clover and some other native flowers, so the bees are busy too.

 

[HawkinsHollow]

Our spring crops are in full force. Harvesting and eating lettuce, spinach and arugula for a couple weeks now. Kale is pretty much ready to get picked. Radishes are ready to be harvested, picking out a few a day to eat. We never thinned them so they are growing kind of close, might have slowee them down a little. Peas are going slow, but have gotten to sample a few pods already. Kolhrabi and onions have another week or 2 until harvest. Most of our tomatoes, cukes, peppers and squash are in the ground for a couple of weeks and growing well. I am trying to get a bit better at succession planting to increase the length of harvest, so I will plant a few more tomatoes in a couple of weeks. Wife is on a BIG squash kick lately so we are going to try 2 varieties of winter squash, need to get those in the ground. A little cold snap Sunday, we are not going to get a frost here but I bet most of you northern brethren will. Stay vigilant!

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

I just started my cucumbers indoors and potted up 8 more tomatoes, for a total of 16 of those.

My acre of white clover is starting to really show some growth now under my rye... Hoping to cultivate that stand the next couple years to give the bees some needed dearth flow

So far I'm looking at:
24 pepper plants (half hot, half sweet)
16 tomato (Celebrity Plus and Striped German)
8 cucumber
(??) Pole beans
1200 sweet corn
250 pumpkins (Boss, Autumn Buckskin, Abominable, Blue Jarrahdale)

 

[DJ54]

Tomatoes and cabbage starting to sprout after about 60 hrs. in the germination chamber. May move them to the mini greenhouse later today. Need to get some peppers and a couple more varieties of tomatoes to get started.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

Well, my tomatoes are going up to 1 gallon pots