How does your garden grow?

Larro Darro · May 7, 2015

Margie and I carried some plants to a friend's house after supper. Three each of beef steak, Roma, Rutgers and cherry tomatoes, and three each of Serrano chili, Jalapeno, bell, sweet banana and mini sweet peppers. I also gave a few away at my thrift store stops today.

When we got back we walked out to look at the gourds. One is almost six feet, and another was blooming.

Then I went on to the garden and hoed and plowed until it was too dark to see. There was a bloom on the bell pepper. A small pepper on one of the Jalapenos. And blooms on the Crimson Sweets.

farmer2009 · May 7, 2015

Well mine is broke. I hope that counts.

Sysop · May 8, 2015

Thought I'd jump in on this thread. Last weekend I got the garden all ready to go for the first time in about 30 years. Most of it is planted, still have some more to get in the ground.

The garden is 100'x70' and was originally setup by my great grandfather in the late 1800s; it was used yearly up until about 30 years ago when my aunt decided to quit gardening. They had always done a good job of keeping up the soil. Most of the surrounding area is quite rocky and clay filled, but the garden is rock free and no clay. My aunt had horses, and after the garden was no more she continued to have all the horse stalls cleaned out and put into the garden and had it tilled a couple times. The horses left about 20 years ago and it has been mowed as part of the west lawn.

When I first broke ground and started getting things turned over and tilled it still stunk like it was fresh from the barn. I got some pelletized lime and spread, soaked it down a bit and left it set, tilled it in, then broadcast more. I left it set a few days, then last weekend I put together a hiller and tilled it into rows and got started planting. Between turning it over and breaking it up and the lime, by the time I hilled it and planted it wasn't nearly as stinky. Seems to be a good bit of worm and other activity in the soil, I think it is going to do well.

Larro Darro · May 8, 2015

Sysop, your soil should be in great shape. My Mamma swears by horse manure. And with that view, you should be able to find folks who would pay to hoe for you.

Sysop · May 8, 2015

My family always swore by it as well, I think the top 3-4 inches were probably nothing but dung and the sod was THICK. I have to dig down about 12-16 inches to get out of the topsoil.

Thanks for the compliment, it is a beautiful area. The previous owners were the Shawnee Indians; Native Americans always picked good land to live on.

TomSeller · May 10, 2015

Sysop said:
My family always swore by it as well, I think the top 3-4 inches were probably nothing but dung and the sod was THICK. I have to dig down about 12-16 inches to get out of the topsoil.

Thanks for the compliment, it is a beautiful area. The previous owners were the Shawnee Indians; Native Americans always picked good land to live on.

I assume you turned it over with a plow. You sure have it looking free of grass roots for it being the first time as a garden in 30 years. Very nice.

Sysop · May 10, 2015

Yes sir. I ran the subsoiler across it deep to help equalize the moisture content (read that as dry up a couple wet spots) and the turned it with a 2x14. After that I tested a couple passes with my new 18x20 disc, and then switched over to the tiller with a homemade hiller on the rear to break it up even further and make my rows.

DFB · May 10, 2015

Well I put in all my gladiolus bulbs and direct seeded some Roma and Blue Lake bush beans. I am going to take a chance and put in my eggplant and peppers soon as the long range NWS forecast for my New England area is for unseasonably warm weather especially the nights. Normally the frost chance can reach out past the end of the month around here.

Tomato plants aren't even at full transplant stage yet and my 5 different summer squashes, Cousa, Costata Romanesco, yellow summer, golden and dark green zukes the seeds are just popping in the trays. Almost wish I had planted them sooner. But better stick to the regular scheduled programming. Probably will seed some cucumbers transplants today and I will set up some rattlesnake pole beans later.

It has been so hot so quick here in Vermont its outrageous. It has been in the upper 80's.

I've been rototilling for several farm operations besides myself and its so dry it is becoming dusty already!

Supposed to be T-storms all this week....

2 weeks ago April 28 I still had a snow pile

Should be a booming Mothers Day sale down at the greenhouse store glad I have the day off!