Anyone do the garden thing yet?

[carbon_dated]

Going to plow that sucka tomorrow or Sat., fire up the TroyBilt to work it, then stick some onions in and a couple packs of radishes. Hope its not too early.


Volunteers of the female persuasion invited.

[reliob]

Just be careful if you decide to do any open burning of brush ect.ect. I was on a fire today where a guy was burning off his garden and it got away from him. It took 4 Fire Departments and 5 hours to put out the fire. I am sure the Dept. of Forestry will also fine the guy for the fire. So please be careful.

[carbon_dated]

Oh, i did the fire burning last week. Had it all under control.

[Runner]

Got the onions planted on Thursday.

I am going to try planting by the moon this year. So things are going to be in at different times than I usually put them out. If everything they say about the moon is true, the garden should be more productive than past years when I just threw things in the ground whenever I had the time.

[Focused]

I've got onion sets and lettuce out...

[biggdowgg]

I been keeping an eye on my neighbors , to see what WE will have this year

[noreply66]

I'm getting ready to get ready

[vids4ckcrash]

Planted garlic in October to harvest in July, and planted Kennebecs on Saturday to harvest in July.

I'm lucky that I don't live close to BD, but...................if his neighbor's garden bites the dust like mine did in the non tornado last year, woe is me. 'cause BD knows where I live.

[biggdowgg]

I been keeping an eye on my neighbors , to see what WE will have this year

Still chasing after those "FREE" river bottom turnips, eh!

Hey, I hope you are feeling better. Don't wait around before seeing the doc. The swine flu, annual flu, and every other flu strain is still around!

I had some company raiding that turnip field

[biggdowgg]

[quote="vids4ckcrash"]Planted garlic in October to harvest in July, and planted Kennebecs on Saturday to harvest in July.

I'm lucky that I don't live close to BD, but...................if his neighbor's garden bites the dust like mine did in the non tornado last year, woe is me. 'cause BD knows where I live.[/quote]


and I dont mind doing a little travel time to "shop"

[carbon_dated]

OKay, the garden is tilled, about the size of 3/4 of a basketball court so that's a good-sized one. Lucky the gas in TroyBilt was good enough to use. So been watchin' NCAA tourney now. Wait till tomorrow to stick those onions, radishes and oops, forgot, turnips in. Plus I might walk over 100 yds. and get some Ohio River mud to mix in. Works wonders.

[Runner]

According to the Farmers Almanac if you follow it...for moon planting.

This is for our region in this part of the country.

March 21-23 - Seeds planted now will rot in the ground. DO NOT plant
March 24-25 - Plant above ground ONLY if climate permits
March 26-29 - Barren period. NO crops should be planted
March 30-31 - Favorable for planting root crops

April 1-3 - Good days for planting root crops and leafy vegetables (lettuce, cabbage, kale etc)
April 4-5 - Barren period. DO NOT plant
April 6-8 - Favorable for planting root crops
April 9-10 - Excellent time to kill weeds. Crops should NOT be planted
April 11-13 - Favorable for planting root crops and vine crops such as Strawberries (climate permitting)
April 14-15 - POOR planting days
April 16-17 - Favorable for planting above ground crops ONLY if climate permits
April 18-19 - POOR days to plant. Seeds will rot in the ground.
April 20-21 - Plant above ground crops, ONLY if climate permits
April 22-25 - Clear out weed and other pests. DO NOT plant
April 26-28 - Plant above ground crops first two days ONLY if climate permits. Plant root crops on last day.
April 29-30 - Good days for planting root crops and leafy vegetables (lettuce, cabbage, kale etc)

May 1-3 - DO NOT plant
May 4-5 - Good time to plant late root crops
May 6-8 - Barren period. DO NOT plant. Kill weeds on these days
May 9-10 - Favorable time to plant late root crops. Also fine for planting vine crops (cucumbers, squash, watermelon, etc.)
May 11-12 - Poor planting. DO NOT plant
May 13-14 - Favorable for planting all above crops. Set out strawberries
May 15-16 - Any seed planted these days will tend to rot in the ground

[d-5]

2010 Best Planting Dates for Seeds for Portsmouth, Ohio. .When determining the best planting dates for seeds, the date of the last spring frost is important to your success. NOTE: Our chart calculates U.S. frost dates only, based on historical data. Other factors can also influence planting dates, including soil temperature, altitude and slope of land, nearby waters, and day length. Keep records of your garden's conditions each year to plan more accurately.

Seeds for plants with a long growing season should be started indoors during the periods shown below.
Seeds for plants sown in the ground should be planted during the periods shown.
When no dates appear in the chart, that starting method is not recommended for the particular vegetable.
Planting by the Moon?
Above-ground crops are planted during the light of the Moon (new to full); below-ground crops are planted during the dark of the Moon (from the day it is full to the day before it is new again). Planting is done in the daytime; planting at night is optional!

This chart includes the most popular crops. For others, consult your local cooperative extension.

Location:

ZIP Code or City,State 50% probability of frost free after April 17 (at PORTSMOUTH SCIOTOVILLE, OH climate station).

Crop Start Seeds Indoors Moon-favorable Dates Start Seeds in the Ground Moon-favorable Dates
Beans Apr 17-May 1 Apr 17-28
Beets Mar 27-May 8 Mar 30-Apr 13
Broccoli Feb 19-Mar 5 Feb 19-28 Mar 27-Apr 3 Mar 27-29
Brussels sprouts Feb 19-Mar 5 Feb 19-28
Cabbage Feb 19-Mar 5 Feb 19-28 Apr 10-24 Apr 14-24
Carrots Mar 12-27 Mar 12-13
Cauliflower Feb 19-Mar 5 Feb 19-28 Apr 10-24 Apr 14-24
Celery Feb 19-Mar 5 Feb 19-28
Corn May 1- 8
Cucumbers Mar 20-Apr 3 Mar 20-29 Apr 24-May 1 Apr 24-28
Lettuce Mar 5-20 Mar 15-20 Apr 10-May 1 Apr 14-28
Melons Mar 20-Apr 3 Mar 20-29 May 1- 8
Onion sets Mar 20-27
Parsnips Mar 27-Apr 17 Mar 30-Apr 13
Peas Mar 5-20 Mar 15-20
Peppers Feb 19-Mar 5 Feb 19-28
Potato tubers Apr 17-May 1 Apr 29-May 1
Pumpkins Mar 20-Apr 3 Mar 20-29 Apr 24-May 1 Apr 24-28
Radishes Apr 10-24 Apr 10-13
Spinach Mar 5-20 Mar 15-20
Squash, summer Mar 20-Apr 3 Mar 20-29 Apr 24-May 1 Apr 24-28
Squash, winter Mar 20-Apr 3 Mar 20-29 Apr 24-May 1 Apr 24-28
Tomatoes Feb 19-Mar 5 Feb 19-28

[Leo Byrd]

tilling the garden this week and planting next week.............

[caglewis]

I have a very small garden space [aprox 8' X 12'] that I originally intended for flowers. I used to have a larger separate area for vegetables, but I'm just not able to handle it anymore, so I'm moving my vegetables to the flower garden. With my grandson's help - we got up new fencing to keep the dog out, moved a peony bush [I know you're not supposed to] and some lily bulbs, cut down/dug up a half dead shrub, and gardenclawed the ground by hand.
I also bought 6 tomato plants and 9 pepper plants and put them in larger containers [margarine and cottage cheese tubs] lined with newspaper and filled with Miracle Grow potting mix with fertilizer and water holding pellets. They're out on my back screened porch - enjoying the sun and 80 degree weather - but where I can easily move them inside if the temperature drops.
This has been such a warm April - very few frosts and many days >80 degrees - that it's tempting to go ahead and plant outside; but I don't trust this great weather to hold. Conventional wisdom here in Ironton says wait til Mother's Day to be frost-free. I have got away with very late April in the past, and I might be tempted to try upping the date a little this year.

[Burg_Grad_77]

Just curious, have any of you that garden ever found an Indian artifact/arrowhead in your gardens? If you find pieces of flint then there probably arrowheads there.

[caglewis]

I live in a formerly swampy-area subdivision in Ironton built on fill dirt, so I have dug up many, many pieces of broken glass and pottery - but I think that was probably all just trash/garbage.
My grandfathers, father, and uncles who farmed in Clinton, Warren, Fayette, and Pickaway Counties during most of the 1900's all plowed up many pieces of artifact evidence of previous civilizations/populations who inhabited that area. Sadly, a lot of historical evidence [i.e.Mound Builders] was destroyed in the process of clearing and farming the land; but some areas were saved from being plowed up - see Fort Ancient State Park in Warren County among many others. Most of my relatives/ancestors called that restriction "intrusive government regulation" rather than "historical preservation" and frequently/routinely ridiculed and railed against it back then!
My paternal grandmother and her first cousin were historians at heart, though, and wrote and kept records about everything they saw and experienced - thank goodness I have their recorded memories of that history! I suspect I'll get criticized for going "off topic" with this post - Sorry.

[Runner]

Either the first or second year my dad put out garden (in 1968 or 69 after clearing many trees to do so) my brother found a 5" long spearhead. The only damage to it was one of the bottom corners was broken off. He has it in a glass case at his house on the mantel.

I scoured that garden for years after dad worked it up and only came up with dirt.

[carbon_dated]

Just curious, have any of you that garden ever found an Indian artifact/arrowhead in your gardens? If you find pieces of flint then there probably arrowheads there.

Yes, every spring when I till the guys from the local street dept. stop by and ask if they can walk around my tilled garden and find Indian arrowheads. I find some now and then, but those guys have an eye for it.

Put cabbage in today, but it's too soon for tomatoes, peppers., etc.

[caglewis]

Put cabbage in today, but it's too soon for tomatoes, peppers., etc.

if you're really where you say then it's not too soon at all!

Location: Near the coast of Guatamala

But if you're actually here in southeastern Ohio, how soon would you risk putting tomato and pepper plants [or annual flowers for that matter] outside in the ground?
We've got the ground preparation work done, and some plants purchased and growing in larger pots in a protected area. My grandson, who has contributed a large part of the preparation labor, has to leave here soon and wants to see this garden planted before he goes.
I think it's way too soon - but it really has been an exceptionally warm, sunny, but dry April here, so the ground temp is probably higher than usual. Thankfully, we got a little rain today - but I thought we needed more. I have indeed heard the frost warnings for this coming weekend. How about a week - 10 days from now rather than waiting til early May?