How does your garden grow?

[DFB]

Love those rattlesnake pole beans

I have a big container full of these Ideal Market beans I grew out last season for our seed saver group. Jut weighed them (over 1/2 lb) only had one original pack (maybe 50 seeds) that were donated to us from Seed Savers Exchange.

Ideal Market Bean - Seed Savers Exchange

I have to finally get myself some new bean poles. I had over 200 bamboo poles before but they have all seen their better day its been at least 15 years now I bet. Had a heck of time getting enough good ones for even just 3 teepees this past season

AM Leonards a worthy investment and stored right they will last a long time The 6ft 1/2" is what I originally purchased just for the sheer volume and worked out okay but 7 footers sometimes could even be better...dang some of these pole beans can really climb

Natural First Cut Premium Bamboo Stakes, Bundle - Field Staking | AMLeo.com


You guys are killing me with planting already. It's like we are in perpetual mud season here in Vermont this year...longest I remember. Seems like it gets warm, the snow melts off everything thaws and then comes back Freezes up, snows again, starts melting again. And its not even the right time of year yet!

 

[mapper]

We are having a way below average temperature winter this year, woke up to an inch or so of snow two days ago. I have tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers started for the greenhouse. They are on an electric propagation mat so while the nighttime temperature in my unheated greenhouse is in the 30- low 40 degree range, the seedlings are doing ok. I have about two dozen each heirloom tomatoes and peppers for the greenhouse this year. I am cutting back from last year, had forty eight tomatoes, darn near needed a machete to get from one end of the greenhouse to the other:laughing:. This year the walkways will be a bit more generous.
I am probably at least a month out from even thinking about planting out doors, soil is cold and really wet! I would probably end up mired to the axles if I tried to till the outer garden now.
I did get the blueberries mulched with alder sawdust last week, this is the best non-chemical means we have found to control mummy berry. Buds are starting to swell a bit on the fruit trees, I am waiting for a decent day to do some pruning.

 

[Oaktree]

Some Northern growers transplant corn just to get a jump on germination being that the ground can be too cold and wet in the Spring around here and the season being so short.

We actually sell corn started in 6pk flats at the greenhouse too I thought it crazy but the customer...home gardeners demand it. Beans too wtf!

I didn't think corn transplanted very well. My biggest problem with corn is crows. Up here there's a pretty narrow time window (10 days +/-) for planting corn. One year I had a particularly bad problem with crows, and by the time I'd figured out how to "discourage" them (3rd planting), it was too late...it matured too late and the ears never ripened. Growing season is short here in the north country.
Beans were a bit surprising...never have any problems (other than the aforementioned crows) growing them...they mature fairly quickly.

I'll tag this on here the cheap rubber door weathers trip on my lil HF greenhouse didn't even make one season without part of it getting ripped. Not that big a deal but maybe someone knows of a local sourced option for a replacement material for an easy fix. Its usually difficult and time consuming to attempt get any parts thru Frieght C.S.

A bit OT, but it's not just HF. I have a shed with one of those roll-up doors, and the weatherstripping on the bottom is impossible to find. Unfortunately nothing else really fits very well. None of the hardware stores, etc. locally had ever even seen anything like it.
Did find something that looked similar on-line, but it was only sold in 100' rolls (only need 6' give or take), kind of a lot when there's a chance it won't fit either.

 

[DFB]

Well I'll tell you guys my little HF is getting tested today. There is still a silver tarp tied over the top and halfway down the sides. Good thing otherwise probably wouldn't be a panel or clip left to found There must wind gust close to 50mph up here on the mountain. Weather station said expect at lest 40mph

So since were talking a bit about transplanting corn my local UVM extension guy Vern G published this article a couple years ago

University of Vermont

As for crows I have seen them follow the transplanter and pulling up plants almost as quick as you could plug them in. Crows can be a big problem They can decimate a crop like corn pretty easy. Row cover helps

I always have a open compost pile but pretty much just use yard and greenhouse debris as any kitchen waste always attracts the crows, just the other day I dumped a bushel of bad apples and shavings out there not a one left with the crows

 

[/pine]

Damage Report???
I'm sure some of you lost a lot...heard there were record lows down in gator-ville...
The orchard crop growers took a big hit here...no local peaches this year...not sure about apples...

I had one raised bed with half spinach and half lettuce and so far it looks like I was able to save it with an impromptu greenhouse cover and some lights had a low of 14* here for 5 hours...

 

[mapper]

I started both my beans and corn in my greenhouse last year after having several years where direct seeding was sort of hit or miss. I used 92 cell flat inserts. I sowed one seed per cell and had 1-2 blanks per flat. I found that for the size of garden I grow this worked out very well, I set out the starters the first week of June, in the past I would have had to seed in the first week of May to have had plants of equivalent size, and we rarely have soil temps then that are good for germination of either. Weed control is easier as well, one month less, the plants are larger so they can compete better and you can see them. It is also easier to get the spacing perfect to get optimal growth and production.

 

[lakngulf]

It got cold in central Alabama. I covered these and others at night, but they got busted

 

[DFB]

I read in the Packer just today some parts of Georgia suffered heavy frost damage for Peaches and berries

 

[Larro Darro]

Damage Report???
I'm sure some of you lost a lot...heard there were record lows down in gator-ville...
The orchard crop growers took a big hit here...no local peaches this year...not sure about apples...

I had one raised bed with half spinach and half lettuce and so far it looks like I was able to save it with an impromptu greenhouse cover and some lights had a low of 14* here for 5 hours...

My Cherokee Purple too the early cold pretty bad, but has just about made a full recovery now. I put all the young stuff in my underground greenhouse for this last cold and it was fine.

Sister's blueberries were in full bloom, but we covered what we could. Her bushes are really big. Our little BB bushes hadn't bloomed yet, so we were alright there. Looks like most of the pear blooms are going to be alright too.

 

[Larro Darro]

Planted 3 rows of Acron squash this morning. 3 rows of Muncher cucumbers, and 7 rows of Crimson Sweet melons. Pictures to follow. I've got to get in the shower or I will miss lunch or be late for work, and I'm not missing lunch.