Gardens 2025

[JSinMO]

I don’t mean to get you guys up north riled up since some of you are still getting the white stuff, but it’s time to plan for the gardens!

I did a soil test on my garden spot and as I thought it was pretty low on nitrogen and phosphorus. I decided to go ahead and get some fertilizer on it now and disc it in even though I won’t be planting for about a month and a half yet.

I drug my old spike tooth harrow around just to break up the crust and put a good amount on.

Good time to get another tractor ready for the season!

All greased up gases up and aired up time to get on the seat.

I went ahead and did the sunflower patch too. I think this year I might add some of the taller varieties you guys planted last season.

Between the fertilizer and what little compost I had I hope it helps some, I guess it sure couldn’t hurt! While I had the disc out I went ahead and worked up the bare spots that I tore up clearing honeysuckle and planted some grass seed.
Supposed to get some rain tomorrow so that should take it in ground.

[Harry]

Thanks for the tour. Harry

[DavidBarkey]

Glad to see somebody is getting play in the garden . The one nice thing about the weather not allowing us to do the same is that it gives me some of the time lost too snow-blowing to get stuff done before garden season starts up here .

[Eugen]

Nice! I too have been spending some time (very little) with garden related duties. I have planted about 45 fruit trees, and over 100 raspberry plants. The trees I got from a grower: apple, prune, cherry, sour cherry, pear, peach, persimon, apricot, quince, and medlar. Even a walnut and a couple of hazelnut trees. I don't see myself doing a garden this year being too busy with the house reno, but I didn't want to lose a year in the life of the fruit trees that we really want to have for the future of the kids. I've got to come up with a watering solution for all the trees. And to find time to share with you guys what happened so far. I've been really really busy with the move and we moved again, closer to the property so I can work on the house.

[DavidBarkey]

@Eugen Great to here for you. Glad you are busy with the renos . I hope you be able to move in by the end of summer . What do you think you time line is for that ?

[JSinMO]

Nice! I too have been spending some time (very little) with garden related duties. I have planted about 45 fruit trees, and over 100 raspberry plants. The trees I got from a grower: apple, prune, cherry, sour cherry, pear, peach, persimon, apricot, quince, and medlar. Even a walnut and a couple of hazelnut trees. I don't see myself doing a garden this year being too busy with the house reno, but I didn't want to lose a year in the life of the fruit trees that we really want to have for the future of the kids. I've got to come up with a watering solution for all the trees. And to find time to share with you guys what happened so far. I've been really really busy with the move and we moved again, closer to the property so I can work on the house.

Fruit trees are something I’ve wanted to plant too. It’s one of those projects I just haven’t got to. Not sure I ever will! The best solution on watering I’ve come up with so far is hauling water which I don’t really like. If I ever do it I’ll have to more thought into watering.

Looking forward to hearing more about your adventures!

[Harry]

I always liked fruit trees myself. I planted some dwarf varieties 30 years ago and they never grew very well. A farmer who lived a few miles away told me they don't do good because of the hard pan clay soil. The tap root can’t break through the blue gray clay. I thought about it recently and wondered if I took a post hole digger and went down about four feet then filled it with top soil and planted the tree over it would that help? That’s my ramble for the morning. Harry

[Toolslinger]

I have a few fruit trees my father put in, plus a couple left from the original owners...
Most don't produce much, but then I also don't do all the spraying that they would require. It would be nice to get some of the older variety that just produced, without being high maintenance. Might be ugly, but ugly is better than nothing.

As for walnuts... I've got several black walnut trees. Good producers to be sure, but they are a pain... Of note they put out toxins in the ground to keep other trees, and vegetation from growing under their canopy. I don't know if any of the other walnut species do that. My only comparison was a couple english walnuts we had, and the ground under one of them was never great, but the other had no issues growing grass underneath...

[Spike188]

This is a thread to tree planting April 2021 viewtopic.php?f=10&t=89&p=540&hilit=trees#p540

These are the same trees 4 years later

They were planted in 2 foot deep holes and backfilled to 1 foot. Watered 4 times the first year by filling the holes to running over then walking away. The holes were square to prevent the roots form balling, they are forced to punch through the corners. They were not fertilized at planting or anytime after. This was a method learned from a neighbor that plants for Ducks Unlimited. The hillside is mostly sand and conventional planting always failed.

[JSinMO]

Wow there coming along! They’ll make a nice wind break when they get a little taller.