I was looking through pictures and saw this one. This is an August harvest picture, but it made me really want to go plant something. Drat, there is still a foot of snow on my plot.
[img]https://donce.lofthouse.com/jamaica/veggie%20table.jpg[/img]
- alaskagold
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- jal_ut
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I am right on the line between zone 4 and 5. Depends on the season. This year zone 5 temps. Of course all that tells you is that certain perennial plants will make it through winter.
The thing that matters most to gardeners growing annuals, is the average dates of first and last frost, IOW the length of the growing season, and the temperatures during the growing season. I think it is probably your temperatures that make it so that pumpkins and melons won't do well there. They need quite warm weather. We get some temps in the 90s here in July and August. I put a link to my gardening tips in another thread just recently. Did you see that?
The thing that matters most to gardeners growing annuals, is the average dates of first and last frost, IOW the length of the growing season, and the temperatures during the growing season. I think it is probably your temperatures that make it so that pumpkins and melons won't do well there. They need quite warm weather. We get some temps in the 90s here in July and August. I put a link to my gardening tips in another thread just recently. Did you see that?
- alaskagold
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I hear you!!! I want to garden SO bad right now. my plot has FOUR feet of snow on it! we got hammered this year. I just told my 6y old that I want to plant my garden right now but I can't bc of the snow I cant wait at all, I have the itch BAD. its nealry 40* today and everything is melting so yeah, hehehe.n plus I usually start seeds on march 1st, but I can't today bc I'm not ready, I have to move everything downstairs to make room...
- gixxerific
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We are all in the same boat. I have been wanting to get going for a bit now myself. But there is either snow on the ground or big rainstorms it's just too wet to plant anything, this week is the week I have to pull the trigger or I will just be set back yet again. More rain this weekend so Thur or Fri I have to do something.
Good luck, hopefully they weather will break for you James and the rest of you.
Good luck, hopefully they weather will break for you James and the rest of you.
Right there with everybody else. I can finally see most of the lawn today, so it's not too much longer here in Wisconsin. I just dug out the trays and soil so I can get the tomatoes and others a head start.
Here's a couple of pics from a harvest day last year, just to torment all of us a little more.
[img]https://img8.imageshack.us/img8/7362/0801102039.jpg[/img]
[img]https://img704.imageshack.us/img704/4485/maters4.jpg[/img]
Here's a couple of pics from a harvest day last year, just to torment all of us a little more.
[img]https://img8.imageshack.us/img8/7362/0801102039.jpg[/img]
[img]https://img704.imageshack.us/img704/4485/maters4.jpg[/img]
- alaskagold
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- jal_ut
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The ground is not frozen. The snow apparently insulates it from the cold.
Just spinach. I think I could plant lettuce now too, but am not going to.
The reason I say this is because every year, there is spinach and lettuce that goes to seed in my garden. The following year it comes up volunteer all over. If it happens to be in a spot I can let it grow, it will be my first harvest of the season. So, if the seed will lie in the ground all winter and still grow, it is likey to do well planted very early don't you think?
Generally speaking, things don't grow much here in March. Too cold. April 1 is about right for planting all my early crops.
Just spinach. I think I could plant lettuce now too, but am not going to.
The reason I say this is because every year, there is spinach and lettuce that goes to seed in my garden. The following year it comes up volunteer all over. If it happens to be in a spot I can let it grow, it will be my first harvest of the season. So, if the seed will lie in the ground all winter and still grow, it is likey to do well planted very early don't you think?
Generally speaking, things don't grow much here in March. Too cold. April 1 is about right for planting all my early crops.
- jal_ut
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Seeds planted now this early with snow still on the ground will lie there until the temperature is right for them to germinate. I know lettuce and spinach seed will survive the winter in the ground and germinate in the spring. Some seeds will spoil if left in the cold ground all winter or even for a couple of weeks if the temoerature is not right for it to germinate.
Lettuce, spinach, carrots, peas, cabbage, broccoli, turnips, and all of the early crops have some resistance to frost. They can be planted six to eight weeds before your average last frost date.
My objective here is two fold. One, to go for the earliest possible crop of spinach, and two, dispel the winter doldrums.
Lettuce, spinach, carrots, peas, cabbage, broccoli, turnips, and all of the early crops have some resistance to frost. They can be planted six to eight weeds before your average last frost date.
My objective here is two fold. One, to go for the earliest possible crop of spinach, and two, dispel the winter doldrums.
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- jal_ut
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Here is a pic of volunteer lettuce growing between rows of onions. The onions, by the way, were planted from seed right where they are growing.
[img]https://donce.lofthouse.com/jamaica/Garden/lettuce_onions.jpg[/img]
I will sometimes transplant volunteer lettuce to a row. It moves easily when only two or three inches tall.
[img]https://donce.lofthouse.com/jamaica/Garden/lettuce_onions.jpg[/img]
I will sometimes transplant volunteer lettuce to a row. It moves easily when only two or three inches tall.
*GROAN* You are KILLING me Jal!! Knowing I could be planting something if we had moved already is making the waiting worse!!! As it is Dale think I've gone off my rocker seeing as I started seeds in the house for me, his aunt, and his sister. Yep, there's 7 flats of seedlings in my house right now.....and I just got a couple more special tomato seeds in the mail.....
It isn't helping that I don't know WHEN we're moving. The snow is off the ground and it's supposed to stay over 40 the next 2 weeks. I could be working in the garden!!
It isn't helping that I don't know WHEN we're moving. The snow is off the ground and it's supposed to stay over 40 the next 2 weeks. I could be working in the garden!!
- jal_ut
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I think it is time for a report. I planted spinach March 3 after moving snow to do it, as reported earlier in this post. Here is the spinach as of May 26. It took it a long time to get to this size. We have had a cool season here. This spinach is still way ahead of that I planted the 5th of April. So I must conclude that planting early did get me an earlier harvest. I just wish I had planted 5 times as much.
[img]https://donce.lofthouse.com/jamaica/spinach_2011.jpg[/img]
Here are some onions that were planted from seed on April 5, 2011. They are doing great.
[img]https://donce.lofthouse.com/jamaica/onions_2011.jpg[/img]
[img]https://donce.lofthouse.com/jamaica/spinach_2011.jpg[/img]
Here are some onions that were planted from seed on April 5, 2011. They are doing great.
[img]https://donce.lofthouse.com/jamaica/onions_2011.jpg[/img]
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- jal_ut
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Yes. I get good corn, squash, cucumbers, melons and peppers. Tomatoes usually make something too, but they are slow to ripen and I end up ripening them under covers in September. I am trying 3 new varieties this year to see if I can find something that will work better here.Jal, are you able to grow any warm crops like tomatos and squash? And do you get a fall crop? Just wondering
Fall crop? Not sure what you are asking. I don't do much succession planting if that is what you mean. Radishes is about the only thing I can get two crops on.
August is harvest month. We can't hardly keep up with the goodies in August.
- jal_ut
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No snails here. I think our humidity is too low for them. There are some wild snails that frequent the woodsy areas of our foothills, but you only see them out if its a rainy day. Otherwise they are under something to keep damp. You can find the shells around after the things die. I have never seen a snail in my gardens.