What have you done in the garden today?

Well, the sun is finally shining.... bit late in the day, but I have an hour before massacring tea, so I shall pootle off and weed, they are everyewhere!!!!

Garlic --- in finally!

The problem is that we had the squash adjacent so it could overgrow the garlic bed when the vines lengthen. That's our usual set up since the garlic is normally our before the vines have encroached and normally first frosts kill the squash vines early enouhg that we have plenty of time to get the garlic bed prepared.

But not this year. The squash vined early. No big deal, just had to be careful getting the garlic closest to the squash out. But frosts, where are the killing frosts? This is New England. Frost free Septmeber is unheard of. A week or two into October even crazier. And then rain, rain, rain, can't dig.

But it's done. Crash digging of bed and hauling manure and sticking them in. Today was planting day. Something like 470 (that's how many heads we expect by next summer. I put in 200 of my own reselection of Polish White. A softneck selected for fewer by larger cloves in the outside layer and retarded separation of the center into individual cloves so it's still just one or two large cloves (those little bitty ones drive the kitchen staff crazy with all that peeling for so little garlic). I put in 160 of Elmer's Topset which is a local rocambole that I am trying to increase. I put in 100+ of German White, a continental type stiffneck that I have decided I won't give up on yet but will try to reselect (for large heads with 5-6 cloves instead of the infuriating 4). Cook likes the huge cloves of these but having to use 1/4 of the crop for seed hurts, especially when you are trying to increase since then you need to plant about 1/2.

I need some stiffneck/rocambole to make ties for pressies and at least one pretty hanging in the kitchen but as far as eating the softneck is now large, tasty, and keeps well enough if you grow some super keeping stiffneck too (just use the softneck up first and then start demolishing the hanging tie --- I use traditional ties of 18 for pressies but hang a bigger 36 head tie of my own design in our kitchen.

oh I wish I could borrow you for a few days, Mike... my garden is soooo overgrown.. I've finally managed to cut down the runners, which were wonderful this season, and I still have chillis going with flowers.... not expecting anymore though...

Got wet!

I've just been dleivered 20 strawberry plants.... we've got over a foot of snow..... they look reallly really pathetic, not even convinced they'll survive,..... any tips? I don't think I can plant them out, somehow or other.....

Completely rethinking my ideas for garden next year. Where we put in the last two years gets entirely too much shade from the lilac bushes for all of the morning sun. Then there's the elm that overhangs not too late into the afternoon, although a sizable piece of that had to come right out after storms this year. I'd like to move to the other end of the plot, but that puts it within arms reach of the street, and any passing hands (finger blight, lol). And, if I were to do that, I'd have to take out the young elms in front for better light. But that would take our natural privacy fence. Maybe if I put in a short-ish hedge it wouldn't shade the garden too much... Hmmm....

What are you planning for Mr_S ?

Veg? Fruit? Basket weaving? Yurt? Goat herding? Did I mention I was terribly nosey....

Nosey? So, are you the one who walks the dog all day in my neighborhood?

Mostly vegetables. We've got plenty of wildflowers already. Eigher perennial or self seeding. Plus we've a number of iris', day lillies and other bulb types that just keep diviging. That and the aforementioned lilacs and there's plenty for cutting and/or drying. Really, what I like to put out it food for the table, herbs and some well meaning companion plants. Deer not really a problem here, but we're lousy with rabbits. Marigolds help with that.

What we've got is a double size lot in town. Used to have two houses, owned by the same family years ago. One is gone, so we've got a full sized "side lot" to work with. There's a full border of elms, lilac, mulberry and a few other things I can't recall since there are no leaves currently bordering around nearly the entire thing. The young elms around the street side face and 1/3 of each sides is nice for privacy, but an endless amount of pruning. Keeping kindling is never a problem, lol. Add to that are two 100+ year sugar maples, and I find sunlight is my biggest limiting factor. I've been able to generate copious amounts of compost over the years (at least 2 cubic m this autumn alone!), and drainage to water retention is quite good here. The strip between the sidewalk and the street is nearly useless for cultivation, between traffic and the poor soil condition (although it could be ammended).

I'd love to keep domestic animals, but city code prohibits anything bigger than fits in a hamster cage, excepting for cats and dogs. I can't even keep hens!

Honestly, I'd love to move out of town just far enough to be able to hold a workable piece of land. A wood lot, a bit of grazing, a sizable garden, a couple of worksheds, a greenhouse, henhouse, small barn... Sigh....

Lottie wrote:I've just been dleivered 20 strawberry plants.... we've got over a foot of snow..... they look reallly really pathetic, not even convinced they'll survive,..... any tips? I don't think I can plant them out, somehow or other.....

lottie I have over a hundred bare rooted runners waiting in the polytunnel. They are wrapped in damp paper and then in fleece to stop them freezing.

Unless they dry out and die, or go mouldy and die, they should be ok.

Aww bless you, CW, I was gonna pot them up and put them in the greenhouse, they look terribly poorly, but fingers crossed. Thank you, I shall copy you tomorrow.... all snuggley now.. oh no, there's no snuggley smilie!!!

Well.. the sun shone yesterday... so I took a chance and plopped the strawbs in their bed... fingers crossed, but they look oK this morning, even after a frost... Ah well, least there was one day for a bit of poolting...

Built an 8' x 5' mini poly tunnel/overgrown cloche to go over a large bit of my raised bed using 3 sheets of corugated plastic I had spare & some old flexi tent supports from an old pop up tent...

Well done Spar!

Spent today in the Polytunnel, cleaning and clearing and planting some salad leaves and Broad Beans.

Garlic went in on 21st Dec....

Ordered pear and apple minarette trees, as well as potatoes and planters. Possibly a bit early to think about chitting but child really enjoyed the potatoes last year and I think I can improve yields this year with a bit more forethought.

Raked the old bark chippings out of the chickens' run and replaced them. The new bark was frozen from having been at the bottom of the garden all through the freezing weather so it needed breaking up with a spade. The chickens love it and have been scratching through it enthusiastically. The garden is damp, muddy and squelchy.

Mini tunnel/maxi cloche now finished shower cubical sides for ends...

Sprouted onion sets now moved from cold greenhouse, so have garlic, shallots, & onions in residence, ready for 2011, radishes & carrots to go out at the next opportunity...

Thinking about starting some calibrese & broad beans very soon...

First lot of seed spudz bought, "Rocket" £1 for 8, & in egg box to chit at their convienience...

Oh & I really must get on & build the new compost bins I have planned & put the base in for...

Spar, you are reminding me how horribly behind I am. The beds did not get dug in the autumn...just started....

I think I'm probably being a bit optimistic, making up for last year, we didn't get the raised bed made until late, so I couldn't try to grow what I wanted when I wanted, so I'm probably trying to push things a little, but the way I see it is if it doesn't work now I'll either try it again later or try to work out how to make it work...

Perhaps I'll end up with "Oeuf sur mon visage..." but I'm sure you'll catch up...

I'm just terrible jealous of being able to do ANYTHING in the garden. All I can do is read and plan. I won't be able to touch a spade till late February at the earliest, between snow load and ground underneath too wet. Without a polytunnel, I can't even get sets started in pots either. Limited to what space I can free up in the kitchen table for a tray or two, and I can't really do that till later January or they'll get root bound before I can put anything in.

tidying our sheds at lotty lots bonfires harvesting leeks snips cabbage turnip etc its nice to see snow gone and onions broad beans peaking through after being frozen

Not everything here withstood the snow - I had planted some chinese broccoli which was supposed to be winter-hardy, but it had turned to puree when the snow melted. MrD is trying to look sad but he doesn't really like broccoli!!

Today I had a very fine day of "pruning"...

I attacked the "beast" at the bottom of the garden or blackberry patch & cut it back to a state where I should be able to keep it in check...
I reduced a "wild" rose to a state where I should be able to keep it in check...

I trimmed the raspberry canes...

& I screwed an old pair of work boots to the front of the workshop hoping that birds may take an interest in an unusual looking home...

Oooh - like the boots idea spar.

We're just starting to think about what to start this year out in the garden. Last year we grew veg for the first time. Some did OK, but things like onions and beetroot were quite poor and very small. Any suggestions as to what I should be doing to the soil now to make it more hospitable for growing veggies later in the year.

(Mods - please feel free to split this into a new thread if you think we should have a what to do in the garden now threat or similar)

Mrs C

If you garden on heavy clay, it's extremely difficult and probably counter productive to do too much at this time of year. I find digging up the parsnips from the clinging mud and tugging out woeful carrots more than enough!
Inside the polytunnel it's another matter and I'm pleased I took the advice on the 'greenhouse' part of this forum to tidy up and clear the beds before Xmas. I'm now sowing early greens and some peas.
I am extremely envious of those who can get on their soil during winter and start preparing the beds as we seem to have a narrow 'window of opportunity' in spring. In a few weeks the soil goes from being too cleggy and wet to dig even with a fork to being rock hard and dry. If you catch it somewhere in the middle of this six week or less period, it's ok, but there's always too much to work!
Therefore I'm increasingly going over to 'no dig' gardening and deep mulch as that way the ground is clear in the spring and you can just loosen up the surface to plant out seedlings.

"things like onions and beetroot were quite poor and very small. Any suggestions as to what I should be doing to the soil now to make it more hospitable for growing veggies later in the year. "

Sorry should have replied to this in my post above!
Both of these are fairly heavy feeders and you must make sure that the soil is rich in nutrients and organic matter, especially with onions.
A mistake lots of people make is to put compost and fertiliser on the soil in the autumn or winter and most of it washes out into the water courses during winter. Apply it in early spring.
We have used blood fish and bone to good effect but if that's not ethically acceptable to some, seaweed meal is just as good. Last year we had our best onions ever and the beet were quite good too. Partly that was because I increased the spacing. I found the best onions came from seed (a red onion called Bronze d'Amposta) and we planted these in multi-seeded modules planted out without separating them. Given enough space (six inches or so) between them, they expand together and make large onions, with a greater weight and quality of crop than simply planting onion sets out close together.
For beet, unless you want a crop for autumn and winter use, I'd recommend close sowing and multi sowing small beet like Chioggia (pink and white stripes) and orange or golden beet which are sweeter. Pick these about golf ball size while they are still tender and without any fibre.
For winter use, it's probably best to grow a large fodder beet variety as these will make enormous vegetables you can stick in a clamp or a barn, and grate them up as necessary to make beetroot soup.

I'd say from recent experiences, that lots of water and good organic fertiliser, with adequate spacing, is the main recipe for success. Most of us never water our crops sufficiently. I grew really successful large cauliflowers in the polytunnel with just one foot spacing between plants, which I didn't think would succeed. It was the regular watering which made all the difference.

As Bertie says at the end of the above post the small size of beetroot and onion can be simply not enough water. UK gardeners say don't water onions but if you want largish ones and its not raining much they do need some water - but not so much the ground stays wet for long. Beetroots are heavy drinkers! They can be too strong flavoured if not watered enough.

Mulching over the beds is a very good thing to be going this time of year, with as much stuff as you can find!

I've managed to fork over (aerating and weeding top 6inches) 50sqm..only another 250 to go....