Gix, you know, I think you are right. I know that the plants must be able to get their roots through the compacted soil, I mean, after all, they go down 3ft. deep or so. That's way deeper than any tiller or cultivator is able to go.
However, I'm just trying to break the thought-process of "the garden soil MUST be loose and crumbly." I think I'm just going to go for it the next chance I get!
Oh, I guess I was incorrect in my earlier rant. I do have SOME onions planted, but they are on the side of the house and only get part-sun, so they are for experimentation mostly. I'm not sure how they will do.
It's the full-sun, garden onions that I'm hoping give me a good harvest.
- rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 25279
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
Do you have a scythe? Maybe that's the way to go if the ground is wet between storms with no standing water....a person could go out in rainboots with a scythe and at least take down the 2-foot-tall stuff.rainbowgardener wrote: By the time we get a chance to mow the lawn it will be knee high!
Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9
- lorax
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 1316
- Joined: Mon Jul 12, 2010 5:48 pm
- Location: Ecuador, USDA Zone 13, at 10,000' of altitude
I feel for you, Gixx - I've got a rainy season that just won't end down here, and the volcano started up the other night so it looks like it's just going to keep going. The volcano messes with the weather when it's active, and I've been seeing amazing electrical storms at night, as well as buckets and buckets of rain during the day. Today is the first dry day in a couple of weeks....
I DID IT!!! I finally planted the onions!
Thanks for giving me the motivation, Gix.
I took a hoe and lightly broke up the surface. The soil is quite sandy in this part of the garden, so it did not clump.
I started planting my sets and it started to pour. I stayed out there and got them all planted. They are about 4 in. equidistant.
Unfortunately...it kept on raining LoL and before I knew it, the onion patch was flooded . Well, I went out today and fixed it all up. They weren't displaced that badly, so I'm glad.
Thanks for giving me the motivation, Gix.
I took a hoe and lightly broke up the surface. The soil is quite sandy in this part of the garden, so it did not clump.
I started planting my sets and it started to pour. I stayed out there and got them all planted. They are about 4 in. equidistant.
Unfortunately...it kept on raining LoL and before I knew it, the onion patch was flooded . Well, I went out today and fixed it all up. They weren't displaced that badly, so I'm glad.
- Gary350
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 7428
- Joined: Mon Mar 23, 2009 1:59 pm
- Location: TN. 50 years of gardening experience.
Tennessee weather has returned to normal, rain every day every spring from March 1st to about June 10th. In the past there was times I could not plant my garden until the 3rd week if June because I was waiting for the mud to dry up so I could till my garden. We had about 4 years of dry spring weather not much rain at all, it was great and I loved it. Last years the weather returned to normal again. Channel 5 weather man said we typically have about 300 days of rain every year. When the rain stops about late June the weather changes to desert type conditions for about 2 months July and August, no rain and 100 degrees temperatures. I am thinking very serious about moving back to Arizona.
Last edited by Gary350 on Fri Apr 29, 2011 10:50 am, edited 2 times in total.
- ozark_rocks
- Senior Member
- Posts: 128
- Joined: Sun Mar 21, 2010 7:58 pm
- Location: Arkansas
Down here in Arkansas, we've had 7 and a half inches of rain since Saturday. My yard looks like a pond, and the garden is too soggy to even think of going in. All I can do is walk to the edge and look for my plants. It has rained so often in the past week or so that I haven't been able to weed or till, so the weeds are really taking over.
I can handle all the rain, but all the storms are making me crazy. We survived a tornado, last April so I'm jumpy. Last night I was so scared, they were tracking a tornado heading in the direction of where my daughter lives. Thankfully it missed her town, but it hit Vilonia, and killed 4 people. My heart goes out to all the people who have lost family, friends and their homes. I will be so relieved when storm season is over for the year.
I can handle all the rain, but all the storms are making me crazy. We survived a tornado, last April so I'm jumpy. Last night I was so scared, they were tracking a tornado heading in the direction of where my daughter lives. Thankfully it missed her town, but it hit Vilonia, and killed 4 people. My heart goes out to all the people who have lost family, friends and their homes. I will be so relieved when storm season is over for the year.
One good thing about the grass getting out of hand from spring rains is that it is wonderful mulch. I let the first two cuttings go a long time anyway for that reason.
We were supposed to have heavy thunderstorms and watermelon-sized hail all day today but instread it was mostly sunny with a bit of wind, so the newly potted up tomatoes got their first field trip onto the back porch.
We were supposed to have heavy thunderstorms and watermelon-sized hail all day today but instread it was mostly sunny with a bit of wind, so the newly potted up tomatoes got their first field trip onto the back porch.
West Tennessee, here, and we've gotten the same systems as they've moved out of AR. UGH! I can't even walk out into my back yard because of standing water. I looked at the garden through binoculars. It looks very tired. I have no idea what I'll find when I get out there tomorrow (if enough water drains to let me get out there w/o losing my toddler in an undertow). LOL (sort of)ozark_rocks wrote:Down here in Arkansas, we've had 7 and a half inches of rain since Saturday. My yard looks like a pond, and the garden is too soggy to even think of going in. All I can do is walk to the edge and look for my plants. It has rained so often in the past week or so that I haven't been able to weed or till, so the weeds are really taking over.
I can handle all the rain, but all the storms are making me crazy. We survived a tornado, last April so I'm jumpy. Last night I was so scared, they were tracking a tornado heading in the direction of where my daughter lives. Thankfully it missed her town, but it hit Vilonia, and killed 4 people. My heart goes out to all the people who have lost family, friends and their homes. I will be so relieved when storm season is over for the year.
- Ozark Lady
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- Joined: Tue Jan 05, 2010 5:28 pm
- Location: NW Arkansas, USA zone 7A elevation 1561 feet
Hey, is that strange sight sunshine?
We have had storms, rain, hail, and more rain, and more lightning for the last 6 weeks. We have actually had good sized trees floating down the highways. And this is hill country, high altitude, not flat lands, I can imagine how bad it is where it is lowlands. We have rocks, not soil, and yet, have managed to have real mud, how odd!
I think we have actually had 3 maybe 4 days without rain.
Last year, my pond dried up totally and killed all the fish.
This week it overflowed completely, so I need to restock the fish.
We have had one really warm day, when we didn't need the heat on.
Most nights we have still needed heat as it dips into the 40's.
I am concerned about the potatoes, onions and garlic that were planted before the rain all started. Even if they survive, did all the wetness set them up for rot, fungus etc.?
We have had storms, rain, hail, and more rain, and more lightning for the last 6 weeks. We have actually had good sized trees floating down the highways. And this is hill country, high altitude, not flat lands, I can imagine how bad it is where it is lowlands. We have rocks, not soil, and yet, have managed to have real mud, how odd!
I think we have actually had 3 maybe 4 days without rain.
Last year, my pond dried up totally and killed all the fish.
This week it overflowed completely, so I need to restock the fish.
We have had one really warm day, when we didn't need the heat on.
Most nights we have still needed heat as it dips into the 40's.
I am concerned about the potatoes, onions and garlic that were planted before the rain all started. Even if they survive, did all the wetness set them up for rot, fungus etc.?
- lorax
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 1316
- Joined: Mon Jul 12, 2010 5:48 pm
- Location: Ecuador, USDA Zone 13, at 10,000' of altitude
It is now raining mud on me - the prevailing winds brought volcanic ash from the eruption my way, and with it storm clouds. Everything is covered in a layer of sticky, abrasive black mud - I figure that between yesterday and now I've got about 1/4" accumulation of the stuff. I kind of wish it would stop, but also kind of not because airborne ash is even worse. It reeks of sulfur.
All of you up in tornado alley - stay safe!
All of you up in tornado alley - stay safe!
It poured Tuesday night and now there is water in the basement - AGAIN!!! this is the rainiest April on record (following the third snowiest season on record). there is so much flooding around I probably shouldn't complain but geez! that's where the laundry and freezer are. We have them up on cement blocks so they stay dry but getting to them would take a canoe.
It's terrible all the storms that have a occurred this year and the most recent ones with all the loss of life.
It's terrible all the storms that have a occurred this year and the most recent ones with all the loss of life.
- jal_ut
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 7447
- Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2009 10:20 pm
- Location: Northern Utah Zone 5
I have had a few years to observe weather. I can say for sure: The weather will always hold surprises. The weather will always occasionally break a record of some sort. The weather will do as it darned well pleases. Recorded history is a very short time compared to the age of the Earth. We haven't seen anything yet!
Here in dry Utah we may get aggravated that the weather has been excessively cool and wet this season, but we can also be thankful for the moisture. In a land that only gets from 12 to 15 inches of rain a year average, 5 inches in April looks pretty good. Not much we can do about the weather. Just have to try to live with it. Have a great garden!
Here in dry Utah we may get aggravated that the weather has been excessively cool and wet this season, but we can also be thankful for the moisture. In a land that only gets from 12 to 15 inches of rain a year average, 5 inches in April looks pretty good. Not much we can do about the weather. Just have to try to live with it. Have a great garden!
- gixxerific
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- Posts: 5889
- Joined: Fri Jun 26, 2009 5:42 pm
- Location: Wentzville, MO (Just West oF St. Louis) Zone 5B
Way to go G5 my onions and garlic seem to love this cool wet weather.
As for the grass getting tall I love it as well I have enough to mulch my gardens well I had to steal some of the neighbors but whatever ti takes right?
It's finally a half way decent weekend here. But rain every other day next week just not the 7+ inch a week stuff with deadly tornado stuff we have been having.
"Come on garden you can do it it's gonna dry out never you fear".
As for the grass getting tall I love it as well I have enough to mulch my gardens well I had to steal some of the neighbors but whatever ti takes right?
It's finally a half way decent weekend here. But rain every other day next week just not the 7+ inch a week stuff with deadly tornado stuff we have been having.
"Come on garden you can do it it's gonna dry out never you fear".
- rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 25279
- Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
- Location: TN/GA 7b
In case any one has noticed me posting more lately, here's why. I just looked at the hour by hour forecast for today. Here's what it says:
10 AM Rain
11 AM Rain
12 PM Rain
1 PM Rain
2 PM Rain
3 PM Rain
4 PM Rain
5 PM Rain
6 PM Rain
7 PM Rain
8 PM Rain
9 PM Rain
10 PM Rain
11 PM Rain
Guess what the forecast is for tomorrow... you got it-- RAIN. The first actual sunny day in the forecast is MONDAY next week.... Jeez, this is getting old...
10 AM Rain
11 AM Rain
12 PM Rain
1 PM Rain
2 PM Rain
3 PM Rain
4 PM Rain
5 PM Rain
6 PM Rain
7 PM Rain
8 PM Rain
9 PM Rain
10 PM Rain
11 PM Rain
Guess what the forecast is for tomorrow... you got it-- RAIN. The first actual sunny day in the forecast is MONDAY next week.... Jeez, this is getting old...
- !potatoes!
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- Location: wnc - zones 6/7 line