What did you do in your garden today?

[Mini Horses]

For some, the LAST zucs would be great! we all know about leaving these over achievers on someone's porch...

YES to all comments about the landscape cloth! But, it's great erosion control on ditchbanks!

Its also good in bottom of containers to keep dirt in and let water flow through. Careful use is good.

 

[tortoise]

Eeek! DH surprised me by getting an antique scythe at auction today! He was leading me on telling me that he only got a lawnmower bumper.

He's my biggest skeptic, I can't believe he actually bid on it! I didn't even tell him why I wanted it - I sent him it in a list of lot numbers and that one the comment was "don't ask". The other comments were like "rake in the garden is about to break" "square shovel in the barn is worn down, only a couple years left" etc.

I'm impatient to order grain seed! The company I will order from doesn't ship spring-planted grains until December.

 

[Trying2keepitReal]

Took up some cover crops, turned some beds and covered for the winter. I love this time of year.

 

[tortoise]

More weeding, we're getting to the end - the hard parts! So far DS14 and I are keeping up on hoeing and raking, but staying ahead of weeds between now and May is still tentative.

I'm reading books that are making me more committed to home-grown heritage crop and animal breeds/varieties. Now I'm revising tomato variety selection and planning to raise heritage breed chicks for meat this spring.

 

[NH Homesteader]

What breed chicks?

 

[tortoise]

What breed chicks?

uhm, IDK. An "unimproved" breed (pre-1940) that grows out slowly.

 

[tortoise]

I ordered tomato seed from a research program to improve market tomato flavor without dealing with heirloom tomato problems. The research going into the project is remarkable. The varieties are available to home gardeners for $10 donation to the program. They are hybrid, but so interesting I had to try. I'm also looking for the top-rated heirloom tomato seed. Found it through Burpee's but looking for another vendor. Also picked out strawberry variety for flavor rating - they're too tender to be sold at a market but they're the real deal for flavor, apparently - and found a vendor. I'm not sure I can keep dormant strawberry crowns alive until spring, but they are almost half price ight now from a regional vendor.

 

[NH Homesteader]

I loved, loved my Dominiques!

Sounds like an interesting tomato plan!

 

[tortoise]

I looked at my garden and thought "way too cold" (28 degrees F!) Unheated greenhouse dropped to 42 degrees overnight - not bad after an overcast day yesterday and I left the blankets over the domes all day. We have a bit of sun this morning so I pulled the blankets off and hope it warms up.

I have 2 mailer pouches and a box of garden seed to open and organize. I need to draw out a garden plan, add planting dates to my calendar, send in soil samples and order soil amendments.

 

[R2elk]

I ordered tomato seed from a research program to improve market tomato flavor without dealing with heirloom tomato problems. The research going into the project is remarkable. The varieties are available to home gardeners for $10 donation to the program. They are hybrid, but so interesting I had to try. I'm also looking for the top-rated heirloom tomato seed. Found it through Burpee's but looking for another vendor. Also picked out strawberry variety for flavor rating - they're too tender to be sold at a market but they're the real deal for flavor, apparently - and found a vendor. I'm not sure I can keep dormant strawberry crowns alive until spring, but they are almost half price ight now from a regional vendor.

I have found azomite to be the best flavor enhancer for any tomatoes or vegetables.