OT - Garden Report

[Bruce(VA)]

Peas & onions are up & looking good. Got the broccoli, cabbage & lettuce in last week. Potatoes are going in tomorrow. I spent most of the day hauling mulch for the strawberries. Yes, that is an artichoke here in VA. That's what happens when we have no winter!

 

[fortyniner]

Fine looking garden you got going on there Bruce, and your only just getting started. If you need any help eating those strawberries, let me know, I can help you eat some of them!

 

[Billybuck]

Bruce, how much earlier than usual would you say things are this year?

 

[Bruce(VA)]

It's really crop/plant specific specific.

Dogwoods are starting to bloom & that's not too early for us, but the redbuds are blooming too. They are at least 2 - 3 weeks early. Strawberries are blooming; that's 2-3 weeks early.

Onions & peas are normal growth.

Oaks are normal. Peaches are 2 weeks early. Damsons are also 2 weeks early.

But, the d@mn grass needed cutting at least 3 weeks earlier than last year!

Clearly, some plants are temp stimulated & some aren't.

 

[Bruce(VA)]

Thanks!

I'm the chief berry picker, which means those big, juicy dark red ones never make it to the house!

 

[Charles Krammin]

Temperatures of 85 set an all time high for Michigan. Planting season is at least 1 month ahead of schedule. Last killing frost is normally May 1. All fruits now in bud and everybody expects a killing frost YET.
Greenhouse tomatoes only 3 inches tall.
Charles Krammin SW MI

 

[CJ in Michigan]

Could be bad for fruit growers. There was a hummingbird sighting near Detroit yesterday- I have my feeder out and filled. Lots of phoebes around here too-

 

[teddy52food]

I just noticed one of my ruhbarb plants showing growth today after a couple nice rains here in mid Mn.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

Looks good. The last of our snow just melted today with the rain.

I can't see any fence in those pictures, but maybe I'm blind. If not how do you keep the deer out of the garden?

 

[Anonymous-0]

Bruce, is that a cage or netting over your strawberries? I'm trying to figure out how to keep the deer out of mine. They seem to like strawberry plants more than anything this time of year. You certainly have a nice looking garden. Everything here in Southern Illinois is about 3 weeks ahead now and we are getting temps in the 80"s. A frost or freeze will be very damaging now.

 

[Bruce(VA)]

Yep, they are what I call "deer guards". They stay over the strawberries 24/7, 365.

It's old welded fence wire, 48" high. I saved it when I replaced the pasture fencing 6 years ago. I cut it in 6-8' lengths & fold it over like a tent. I have a few dozen more that I will put over new plants or bean rows.

 

[Colin King]

I took the first stroll of the year through the field this evening. Seeing a little emergence in the garlic and a few weeds greening up, but not much else.

We're in the midst of our maple syruping season. Didn't think we'd have one with our unseasonably warm weather, but it started three days ago and has been just a little below average. As of today, I've evaporated about 75 gallons of sap, yielding 18 pints of syrup.

Everything is 2-3 weeks early here too, but we won't plant early. Doing so would be asking for trouble. It's been known to snow in mid-May, and frost is common.

Colin, MN

 

[NoNewParts]

nice
always envious of you Southern guys who are usually
harvesting something by the time we can
even get our plants in the ground.
Nature is trying to fool us up here. 2 weeks of very warm
dry weather, but I'll still wait for May.
Big farmers are already working the ground here.
Clouds of dust behind them, looks like summer.
They usually can't even drive their big stuff
on the wet fields this time of year.

 

[Billybuck]

Yea, I've been thinking 2-3 weeks weeks early here in Maryland. Expecting swallows any day now.

 

[Bruce(VA)]

The "deer guards" in the other picture over the strawberries is 48" high welded fence wire cut to 6-8' lengths, folded in half in a "V" & put over the plants.

This picture has different wire (cattle fencing) but it's the same concept. Plus, those are cukes, so they climb on the wire & keep the cukes off of the ground. And the wire openings are large enough to get your hands through.

As to keeping deer out......there are but three ways that are 100% effective: pure dumb luck, buckshot & a physical barrier. A lot of other methods will work for varying lengths of time, and some will work longer than others, but deer will figure out that noise, motion & lights will not hurt them. Chemicals wash off. Dogs get fat & lazy. More often than not, the deer just move on to an easier to find natural food. The hunters around here can pretty much tell you what the deer are eating at certain times of the year. If their preferred natural food isn't available, they will eat your crops.

 

[Bruce(VA)]

" Doing so would be asking for trouble. "

Amen.

Nothing here has been planted early. As a matter of fact, the potatoes are going in a week late!

 

[douglloyd]

Bruce,

Sure looks good. You have a good series of systems worked out for N gardening/farming. Any possibility of a 50 tips listing for N gardening?

thanks,
Doug

 

[Bruce(VA)]

I was thinking about that the other day. Yea, that's a possibility!