What did you do in the garden today?

CrealCritter said:
Yours a pony or horse? I have an old pony, put a new motor on it 3 years ago. Starts first pull every time. I had to disconnect the tip sensor because my big garden slops to the center and I raise my hills high. But the motors are just as good as any for a replacement. And if you catch a 20% off coupon, it's a no brainier really... You won't have reverse but I took that mess off a while ago. Full it with full synthetic oil and it'll last a long time. Plus the new more uses hardly any gasoline at all. I was amazed how little gas it uses.

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Mine is a pony. Really, the only thing wrong with it is the fact that the pull cord is sloppy. so... I think that replacing that mechanism will make it "like new". I bought new tines for it about 10 years ago, but we've never installed them. I only use it to bust new ground. It sometimes doesn't even make it out of the garage in a season. But, I do start it up every year. I may ask hubby to take on the project of replacing the pull cord mechanism and putting on the tines also. I have the hiller/furrower also, and did use it a lot back in my "till the garden" days. That was so slick for making raised beds. My current garden lay out is not condusive for using that. too many short runs.
 
@Lazy Gardener your day sounded lot like mine -- plans canned! Well, for tillers, anyway. No matter my choice, this year THIS garden will require a good amount of tilling -- or the lawn mower! First year for it since it's been a pasture for almost 20 yrs. A challenge to say the least. At first I was just going to disc, level and add seed....more pasture use. Then, getting later in season before I had gotten anything settled for my garden, I rethought and decided to use this -- with some minor fence replacement.

After the re-disc and 2 hrs out there this morning for the poles & CPs and planting … I'm wondering if this really WAS a good decision. What a huge amount of deep roots. Holy cow, I just don't know how much this will challenge me. The dirt is beautiful, well fertilized with horse manure, some goat...some chicken. But, grass does not give up easily. I have huge buckets of roots! Plenty more out there.

At any rate -- TADA! I have 3 lines of CPs with KY Wonder pole snaps planted. Hills with yellow squash, and 2 types of zucs. They will sprout and I will transplant into more hills as I work the area. Old bean seed so planted heavy. I'll either need to replant with these new seed or thin heavy, or be just right with a 50% germination. LOL Let me tell you, after pounding, raking, hoeing, I didn't even care! Rains for next 3 days. So wanted them in the ground. Come weekend, I'll get corn rowed/seeded, same with lima beans, carrots, beets, &? Hanging back a little with the tomato, pepper, eggplant, as it's been pretty cool. But will prep areas next week for those to go out. By then, tiller parts should be here. Left rows wide, so I could use it!! Thinking a LOT of hay mulch -- if not seedy.

Good thought is -- if I can get it working this year, cover crop it for winter, should be a gem site next year. AHHH...there's the "always next year" farmer jargon. :lol: It's our life, right?

I look at this 100X100 expanse and think -- Really?? You think you can? Really??? :th Have you've lost your mind? :idunno
 
Weatherman went and said it this morning - Frost forecast for Wed/Thurs with White stuff in the air Thurs afternoon. Looks like possible frost next week also. Not supposed to accumulate any snow but for goodness sake, we hit over 74* on Saturday and I have the sunburn to prove it!
My apple trees will be OK, I think. They are not actually budding yet, although the buds are starting to swell.
Luckily I don't have anything planted in the ground yet.
 
I hope your apple trees make it! So far we've been lucky- the plum trees managed to blossom without any heavy rains, and at least one of our apples is blooming, the bees are really busy. Our second apple blooms later, but there are several trees in the neighborhood so usually we get decent pollination.
 
These ancient trees are so overgrown it is amazing we got any apples when we first bought the place. We removed the center apple tree and the two left are already touching branches. Every year we thin it a bit more and it does seem to be helping. Last year we had a late frost, but it was a light frost with high winds and we got about 1/2 the apples than we did the year before. Hopefully this will be a bumper crop year for the trees. We have a friend who would like to get a bunch for making apple cider.
DH's Macoun tree has finally died. The mice have finished completely girdling that poor tree - there is no bark left on the bottom 5 inches of the tree. Last year it had finally bloomed - 3 blossoms and not when the others were blooming. Note to self, plant 2 Macoun trees next time.
 
I hope I can put in a plum and peach tree this winter. Maybe cherries too but I think I need two? I was planning to net the lot with a thicker screen, but will I need bees to get in before I do? Maybe I will stick to the bigger bee friendly bird netting, it will be cheaper anyway. I always forget how different plants are pollinated. I end up checking a million times online.

I repotted some herbs, the dill is growing well so I divided them into separate pots. One of my neighbours teases me, saying herbs are weeds but it has taken me a long time to get them all going! Lots of tiny parsley and carrots going well. Everything is loving the rain. I found tiny eggs all over the radish leaves the other day. I picked them all off. And today I found a snail hiding spot under the wood bridge. The mother duck was stocked to have them chucked her way.

I cleaned up some leaf mess off the paths and into the garden beds. No doubt there will be much more around with this wind but the stuff I moved was waterlogged so shouldnt move out from where I put it (unless the chickens get into it).

I planted some kale, plus a couple of carrot tops and an onion top from my cooking, I duno if they will grow but I dont have the patience to start them on the sink when I have so many carrots growing from seed anyway. Only the beetroot came up from the last lot of seeds I put in the ground. I actually think something ate them rather than seed failure.

I raked out some piles of hay and rabbit litter to smother some more weeds. Despite the rain, they were dry in the middle. The only flooded places are the bare sand, the rest of the garden seems to be soaking it up well. Rabbits and ducks have just been great pets to have for the yard. I even have grass in patches!
 
I looked out my kitchen window at the wet ground! I looked at the temp gauge -- 50. That's 20 below our norm. My beans will not like this cold ground. It would be a good day to seed beets & peas. Not rowed up...gotta wait.

I'm just gonna have more HOT coffee!!! Besides, I need to package about 8 doz eggs. That'll keep me busy a while.
 
It is in the 40s here, and the fireplace is running. It should be mid 70s.

Luckily, I do not have any warm season crops planted yet.
 
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