Garden Log

[George the original one]

Blueberries are opening their blossoms and we now have strawberry blossoms. I may have misread the established blueberry buds for there were more blossoms than I had seen when looking at the buds.

Greenhouse is definitely capable of creating too much heat when the sun shines and the standard vents are inadequate. Thinking of removing side panels for additional ventilation as the low tech solution. High tech solution are a couple of solar powered fans. It's perfect during overcast skies, though, maintaining a nice 70-80F.

[jennypenny]

Grrr ... there's frost on the ground this morning. I hope I don't lose anything. Everything is covered with the poly tunnels, so I guess I'll see how well they work now. It's so aggravating because I never start this early. The year I'm finally organized enough to try it, winter refuses to give up the ghost.

[George the original one]

Stupid heat wave!

We hit 79F today and Portland set record 83F. At 79F, I won't be needing a greenhouse! Young tomato plants in greenhouse are hanging in there, though one looks a little distressed. Of the new apple twigs planted just a few months ago, the pink lady variety is trying to blossom -- its far too young to be doing that (imagine the parent's tone when just finding out their 12-yr old is going on first date... at least I can nip this in the bud, literally, LOL!).

[enigmaT120]

I like the sunshine. I even got a start on being a pink gentleman hiking shirtless along the beach.

[George the original one]

Nice surprise coming home this afternoon and seeing one of the pepper plants in the greenhouse already blooming! Maybe it knew I was bringing more greenhouse companions and wanted to prove its pleasure?

Digging a new patch for potatoes. Ran over it with the tiller a couple days ago to kill the grass & weeds via dehydration while we have sunny days. That worked well, so started shoveling today and its going slowly because there are a fair number of rocks up to bowling ball size. I keep pitching (or bowling) them to the fenceline and the pile is rapidly growing while not-so-much for the shoveled ground. Then there are the tree roots. This is only single shovel depth, sigh.

[7Wannabe5]

I picked up all my shipment of bare root perennial fruit trees and shrubs today, but it is freakin' cold and snowing. I just heeled them all into some heavy, wet partially decomposed compost to be planted later this week when temperatures rise a bit. I covered my first planting of greens with clear plastic and they are thriving surprisingly well through this extended cold snap. I've been volunteering with the urban garden resource program through which I am going to get a lot of seeds and transplants for a minimal membership fee. It was nice and warm in their greenhouse today as I was pricking out and re-potting tiny habaneros. Some of their upcoming classes and plant distributions will include cultivation of strawberries, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, bees and wild foraging. They even facilitate marketing of crops grown by participants.

[cmonkey]

Our seedlings are coming along nicely, much better this year than in previous years. I attribute it to more experience with what works. Potting on into new soil has been key this year. These brassicas will be planted out in about a week or two. DW has taken on the role of 'head gardener' this year with me being 'cmonkey the builder' for now. She's doing a great job.

[George the original one]

My 50 pounds of seed potatoes arrived. Now that taxes are done and weather is improving, I can put the muscle into clearing rocks from the remaining 75% of the new patch while hoping they chit quickly.

The kale I seeded outdoors in mid Feb is about as big as cmonkey's transplants and the spinach about half that big. Lettuce is coming along much slower. Onion sets have survived so far and some appear to have thicker stems, but they all have yellow tops for the upper sixth which I suppose was due to frost and I'm hoping it's not some deficiency. Onions from seed are spindly and maybe 75% have germinated. Peas are puttering along and it's time for another planting, I think.

I took the liberty of thinning the first planting of radishes (mid Feb). Enjoyed eating that handful of tasty marbles, so will keep doing that for the next few days until they're properly thinned. Second planting is coming along fine and it's time to make a third planting.

Today's surprise was finding carrot sprouts where I'd thrown some old seed back in Feb. Had given up hope for them and nearly weeded them out!

Greenhouse plants are all happy. Cucumbers only recently got put in the ground and I swear some immediately grew an inch because they could now stretch their roots. Started the watermelon seeds yesterday.

[cmonkey]

50 lbs!?! I think you out-potatoed vexed87.

[George the original one]

Yeah, but I've raised them before and know what I'm in for. My real mistake was the 300 onion sets and using up my potato space on onions!

[George the original one]

Garden highlights:
- Record-setting heat wave in region; Portland nearly hit 90F while we were 76F-78F.
- Have enjoyed handfuls of radishes every day for the past week and they are now market-size, planted mid-Feb.
- Peas planted Feb 1 are blooming and over a foot tall; mid-Feb planting is slightly taller, but no blossoms yet.
- 2 watermelon seedlings emerged in the greenhouse.
- Bell peppers are forming in the greenhouse (purchased plants).
- Some tomatoes are blooming in the greenhouse (purchased plants).
- Kale planted mid-Feb will be harvested as baby kale this week.
- Rouge potato is growing out of the compost pile and another in the middle of the garden.
- No clue why the squash haven't sprouted yet... going to try again next week.

[CECTPA]

Oh, great, we have a garden log here! Hello everyone! Then I'll move my gardening updates to here from my journal
I have relatively newly bought house (1.5 years ago) and no established garden in it. Just a big lawn. Who needs it? Will have to do a lot of hand digging. I have already started. I only have a minimal experience in gardening. Yesterday I made a garden bed (1x10 feet) along the fence for peas and radishes. Today I planted onion sets and kale seed in the flower bed by my front porch after quite intensive weeding (did not weed at all last summer and regret it). To be honest, I only worked one half of the flower bed and got too tired. Got lots of weeds and its roots for my compost pile though
Looking forward to all your updates!

[George the original one]

Because you're so far north, you should tell us when your last frost date is. It's definitely outside most of what the rest of us experience. If you're planning on digging under the whole lawn, have you considered a black plastic cover, cardboard, or renting a rototiller to kill grass before digging?

[George the original one]

- No clue why the squash haven't sprouted yet... going to try again next week.

Apparently my impatience is showing. A squash sprout emerged yesterday. If the other few seeds sprout, then I'm set for squash in the fall.

Over in the greenhouse, 3 more of the first watermelon variety and 2 of the second watermelon variety emerged. These are a bit of an experiment in my cool wet summer climate. The first variety is a very small heritage melon called "arikara" that were brought to South Dakota by fur traders (http://www.victoryseeds.com/watermelon_arikara.html) and I'll try them inside the greenhouse and outside to see if the summer is warm enough to get mature melons here.

The second variety is the more conventional "early crimson treat" (http://www.victoryseeds.com/watermelon_ ... treat.html). I successfully got them to grow and produce melons in Oregon City without the extra fuss of a greenhouse... barely getting ripe melons by the end of September! So they'll stay in the greenhouse here on the coast and I'll cross my fingers.

[CECTPA]

George the original one, on average the last frost date is June 1-10

I'm not going to dig the whole lawn this year, just a few garden beds. Actually yes, for the next summer I'm going to use that method (cardboard on grass). I mean I'll cover it this summer so that I could work the soil next summer.

I wanted to ask you guys to take photos of all your gardening equipment please! We're rookie gardeners and we had a little fight with my husband last night on what we should actually have in terms of equipment. He wants to buy everything from the gardening section at our store But he did not read ERE yet...

[jacob]

We got a lot of free tools from a neighbour cleaning out his garage (including a pickaxe!) but the only tools I use are:

vegetables: spade, hoe, rake, hose
lawn(*): push mower (fancy Brill) and weed whacker (once I get the entire lawn replaced by vegetable beds and mulch I won't need those anymore)
flowers and bushes(*): shears and lopper (also want to get rid of the rose bushes)

(*) We inherited a bunch of ill-maintained and useless landscaping when we bought the house.

[George the original one]

Afraid to say we have all the tools...

Garden work: point shovel (2+), garden spade, long spade, trenching spade, garden fork (2), garden rake, landscape rake, hoe (2), trowel (2+), pointy hand weeder with arm brace, hand dandelion puller, hori hori knife, BCS rototiller(*), dozer blade for BCS rototiller, wheelbarrow, garden wagon, garden kneeling pad, Earthway precision seeder (**)

Brush clearing & orchard work: shears, lopper, pickaxe, axe, hatchet, bow saw, pruning saw, pole pruning saw, chainsaw (electric and gas), chipper attachment for BCS rototiller

Shrub work: handpruner/rosepruner (2+)

Lawn work: leaf rake, riding mower (acres to mow) with trailer, cordless electric string trimmer

General purpose: short handle BFH (big f'ing hammer) and long handle BFH

(*) BCS are made in Italy. We have had our 722 model for 11 years with Briggs & Stratton motor (before BCS switched to Honda). See https://bcsamerica.com/ and http://www.earthtoolsbcs.com/ for more information. These are BIFL quality machines and the longterm cost is less than renting 2-3 times per year.

(**) Useful when planting large monocrop plots of large-seeded annuals, like 30'x50' of corn or several 20' long rows of beets/peas. Expensive waste if you're planting smaller areas. Small-seeded annuals like lettuce or carrots are well-handled by a 4-row or 6-row seeder that Johnny's sells (http://www.johnnyseeds.com/), but they're even more expensive than the Earthway seeder and probably best reserved for market gardeners.

[7Wannabe5]

I have garden cart with dumper, pointed shovel, landscape rake, hand trowel, heavy roofing tool I use as spade, big loppers, hand shears, rotary mower, battery powered whacker/mower, hose, heavy weed scythe and probably a few other things.

Planted two apple trees, two American Plum, 3 gooseberry, 3 black currant, 3 rhubarb this week. All my early planting of cool crops are coming along nicely, especially the peas which are usually a fail for me, and I should have salads starting in a few weeks. My daffodils look very pretty. I tried to take some pictures today, but I didn't have my reading glasses and my auto-focus was off. I talked to two other community gardeners while I was walking to my lots, and one gave me two packs of the mayor's special mix of sunflower seeds, and the other is going to hook me up with some free spent medical marijuana growing soil. I also found a solid wooden sawhorse abandoned with some trash so I scavenged that. I ordered two apricots and 3 hazelnut, so I will be planting those next week along with potatoes, onions and beets.

[CECTPA]

Thanks very much for your answers on equipment! Will visit a local thrift store to see what they've got

Today my hubby dug 2 beds despite the chilly gloomy weather, while I was at work. Yay! This week is going to be very warm and I'll ask around to find out what people are planting. I also want to go to the local nursery to buy Saskatoon berry shrubs. They grow really well here and produce a lot of delicious berries.

George the original one, we actually going to use your advice and cover the grass this week, so that in June the grass is dead and we could plant our corn.

[George the original one]

> heavy roofing tool I use as spade

Ooo, yeah, those are great and virtually unbreakable. Maybe I'll splurge on one next time I'm in the market for a digging tool.