What did you do in the garden today?

[Beekissed]

Would a good plan be to lay down black landscape fabic in-between the rows and then make low tunnels over the rows say the end of January or the beginnig of February?

Spinach, beets, carrots, lettuce I will direct sow and they will sprout when the soil warms. I'll plant onion sets as soon as the show up at the farm store. I don't think I'll need low tunnels for these as long as i lay down landscape fabic in-between the rows - right?

Not sure what your ground/soil is like in Jan/Feb. Here it's frozen, so laying fabric over it, then walking over it will just tear the fabric. Also not sure how soon you can plant into your soils at that time of year...will you till prior to setting the tunnels?

The low tunnels are great for spinach, beets, carrots and lettuce as they kind of keep the bugs off them and also is supposed to keep the greens from bolting as quickly when it's too hot, so I use the tunnels for all of these. You could try some in and some out of the tunnels and see which does the best?

 

[CrealCritter]

Well it's 28 degrees and I tilled a little over 1/2 my spring/fall garden. Surprisingly the ground was not frozen too deep and it tilled up ok. Took a while though because I got frostbite on my fingers and toes when I was a kid. So I had to stop every other past to warm up my hands and toes by muffler exaust. My fingers and toes hurt something aweful when they get cold. Tomorrow is another day and if I can get out of work early enough I'll finish it up.

I had prairie grass waist deep in there because of the short spring we had and everything bolted - so I just left it go. I weed whacked the entire graden down to bare soil several weeks ago. So, it looked like I spread bales of hay over it. Now I'm tilling it in and will spread lime over it when it freezes good and soild.

 

[Beekissed]

And you were seriously planning on living in Alaska? That would have been pure misery for you!

 

[CrealCritter]

And you were seriously planning on living in Alaska? That would have been pure misery for you!

Live there no, vacation there yes

 

[Hinotori]

Tilling will be a nice jumpstart for you come spring.

 

[Hinotori]

So I pruned the apple and plum trees today. Did the pear last week. Just the old crabapples left to do.

 

[CrealCritter]

Finished up tilling my spring/fall garden. It was harder going today because it's 45 degrees and the ground was muddy. I should have tilled it this morning when it was still frozen but I had to go to work.

I also measured the garden it's 30 x 60 instead of 25 x 50 which I though it was. Effectively though I have 24 x 52 plantable area because I have 3' all the ways around on the inside of electric fence to walk and manuver the tiller. Still a small little garden, I would like to expand it to a 50 x 60. Maybe during the summer, when the spring veggies are done and before I plant fall veggies.

 

[CrealCritter]

So I pruned the apple and plum trees today. Did the pear last week. Just the old crabapples left to do.

I have peach and pear trees I need to prune but I don't.know where to cut the branch tips. Can you help or point me too a hood website to read up about how to do it?

 

[Hinotori]

I was taught basic pruning as a little kid. Mom has had some physical difficulties for a long time and as the oldest, a large part of upkeep on garden and trees fell to me. The dangerous trimming was done by my great uncle who keeps a vineyard and orchard. He taught me quite a bit.

Here's a basic pruning explanation. https://www.starkbros.com/growing-guide/article/successful-tree-pruning

Hard pruning when young improves the future tree and fruit. Fixing butchered mature trees takes years to fix. Weak crotches must be removed or the branches will be in danger of splitting.

 

[CrealCritter]

I was taught basic pruning as a little kid. Mom has had some physical difficulties for a long time and as the oldest, a large part of upkeep on garden and trees fell to me. The dangerous trimming was done by my great uncle who keeps a vineyard and orchard. He taught me quite a bit.

Here's a basic pruning explanation. https://www.starkbros.com/growing-guide/article/successful-tree-pruning

Hard pruning when young improves the future tree and fruit. Fixing butchered mature trees takes years to fix. Weak crotches must be removed or the branches will be in danger of splitting.

Thank you!