January Jump-Start (Garden Dream and Plan Thread)

[milkmansdaughter]

I went into our local county extension office last week, and found out they are giving away free apple trees tomorrow for Arbor day. Arbor day is April 27th, but here in Alabama, it is celebrated this year the last full week of Feb. A friend is coming with me. She does not want any trees but any she gets, she's giving to us. We started with 4 fruit trees when we moved here, and added 5 last year. We'd like to add 5 more this year, and 5 next year. FREE is GOOD!

That got me thinking. I looked up Arbor Day, and there's a link to the Arbor Day foundation. For a $10 membership fee, they will send you ten trees.

Also, through the extension office, I found a 3 part class that starts Friday that teaches how to prune and care for fruit trees. I'm sure different extension offices offer different things, but thought I'd throw that out there...

 

[NH Homesteader]

Hey Arbor Day is my birthday we've gotten the trees from them before. They haven't grown very well. Pretty sure that's my fault, lol

We need to prune our apple trees. They're giant and neglected. Might try to do that soon, our extension office said now is the time apparently.

 

[CrealCritter]

Yeah baby maters

 

[Beekissed]

I'll be doing more hot peppers this year also and for the same reason...for making of the fire jam we love so much. Toning down on maters, though, as I've found they trigger my gout.

Planting more spuds and onions as we use a lot of both.

 

[CrealCritter]

If I can get peppers to sprout I can grow them.

And eat them

I don't know if yins have ever grown sport peppers (the ones on chicago style hot dogs). Here is just one plant it's 6' tall. crazy productive...

 

[Mini Horses]

CrealCritter, I love volunteer plants! I read an article once where a woman said she put her seeds in the dirt, in the containers, set in more dirt, leaves, covered with straw and let the rain, cold, snow all begin. Once It began to warm the seeds germinated fine.

That's what you have with Spring volunteers, from winter leftovers. They always seem to be a stronger plant, IMO.

 

[CrealCritter]

Well it's snowing outside and here I am growing tomatoes seedlings inside. Winter just keeps hanging around I think I might have sowed seeds a little early. The weather is so hard to guess...

 

[CrealCritter]

Up jumped spring I actually felt a little sweat bead roll down my forehead while tilling the garden. Sounds odd and all...
but I really enjoyed that little sweat bead.

Soil is cold and wet but I gave her a tilling anyways. Tilling should help it warm up and dry out some. My little 25'x50' spring / fall garden.

I'll try and till it again tomorrow (weather.permitting)

 

[Beekissed]

Ordering seeds today and excited about a new mulch covering for the garden, about having a few raised beds in which to plant some root crops and also about using grow tunnels more this year. A new direction in a new year...what's not to love?

 

[NH Homesteader]

It's great having livestock that can eat whatever extra you have, if you grow too much! My pig ate a lot of zucchini last year... There's only so much zucchini one can eat!