Gardens for 2021 season

[SONNY]

I have snow 5 feet deep over one of the little gardens, a quarter acre on by the shed --- that will take forever to melt and dry up.
The rest of the gardens have 2 foot drifts scattered over them,wont take long for them to dry up, also sub-soiled 3 feet deep in them so water will go down faster.
Onion plants on order will come the week of the 23'rd of Mar, which is the time we need to plant them ----MOST years we get them right in --- one year it was 2 weeks late!

[SamsFarm]

It will be a month before I can even SEE the dirt.

Go to the store and buy a bag of topsoil! You could see some dirt before nightfall!

Who will be starting seeds indoors? (I will be!)

Whatcha starting and when are you starting them?

[SONNY]

No seed flats til the end of this month or first week of Mar ----that way plants dont get overly wild growth and spindly. then later the outdoor hotbed will be started.

[Mht]

The ground is finally starting to dry out here in central NC. Hopefully I can get the garden tilled and rows bedded up next week. I’m starting tomatoes this week sometime. I’ll be starting some seeds about every ten days up until about the end of April. I hope to start setting tomato plants out beginning about the middle of April and will continue planting until about the end of May. I had 500 heirloom tomatoes last year and I’m planning on the same this year. I’ll also be planting cucumbers, peas, beans, and squash once the ground warms up. I sure hope the garden season isn’t as rainy this year as last year was.

[SONNY]

We put 3 sweet potatoes in jars of water and waiting on ground to settle so we can dig out the area for the second hotbed. still freezing the ground at night making it slimy in the daytime so might have to wait a few days to work on that.
This years weather could be another weird one ----- hope not! Last year we hauled 10,000 gallons of water to keep our gardens alive. the year before that was 15,000 gallons.
We are setting up a couple more rain tanks to catch more water this year early. I have the old one up now to start next time it rains. dont think it will freeze enough to break the tanks. they can take quite a hit and be o.k.
Going to start a couple seed flats in the basement soon, heat pads under seed flats and grow light on top -----usually works. Need a few early cabbage and tomato plants.
Main crop plants will be started outside in the hotbeds!

[SONNY]

4 rain tanks up and running, hotbed ready to plant, onion plants coming in a couple weeks, snow finally gone---still froze in a few places, but gardens dry on top.

[Eugene]

Going to plant several more pecan trees on the acreage. Have a nice level location chosen. Problem with the location is that there are several houses buried under the current soil. The soil is packed clay and doesn't seem to have enough nutrition for trees but does grow grass. Will take the backhoe and dig out several good size holes for the pecans, then fill the holes with good soil.

Tractor mounted backhoe and dug the tree holes about 3 1/2' - 4' deep. Seedlings are supposed to be in 5' to 6' tall range, arriving mid to late April.

Turned out that about 12" down the soil appears to be much better than the top.

We have over the past 20 years picked up rocks and house debris from the soil surface. Expected to dig up house debris but only dig out one large rock.

Electric fence in place, soil amendments on site, water pump and 30 gallon tank ready to go. Planning on planting garlic around the seedlings to repel deer and other varmints.

[SamsFarm]

Going to plant several more pecan trees on the acreage.

You have pecan trees now? Native to your area?

I always thought pecan was a "down south" tree!

If you plant some pecan trees, how long till you get edible nuts? Or are you planting them for some other reason?

Thank you!

[outdoors4evr]

Pecan trees are a zone 6-9.
https://www.arborday.org/trees/treeguid ... itemID=897
Surprisingly, nearly all of Missouri, Ohio, and most of southern Michigan are included in zone 6.

[Eugene]

We are in zone 6B. Have pecans in the area. Pasture behind son's house has several pecans. One tree bares large pecans.

Have one nice sized pecan on the acreage, about 25' tall, but no pollinator. And a 2nd pecan is about 6 feet tall.

The advertisement for the purchased seedlings say that they may bare nut the first year.

[SONNY]

we have 2 pecan trees here ---- 13 years old,---NO nuts on them ever and neighbor says they wont nut til 30 years old. --- sis has 1 tree 40 years old---has a few nuts on it, varmints always get them, so its useless. it's 50' tall 12" or so dia. no limbs for 30 feet up and straight as an arrow.---- trying to talk her out of it for lumber! lol.
We have 2 english walnut trees that are also 13 years old and never have and nuts on them. --- kinda gave up on all trees here now.---concentrating on annual stuff from now on.
Another ice storm here power poles broke off this time and today its raining again. tanks about 1/3'rd full,--- gotta watch them and be ready to transfer to the big storage tanks for garden use later.
Seed potatoes came yesterday---300 pounds of them. 100 pounds each of Red Norlands, 100 of Pontiacs, and 100 of Kennebecs.
Will plant 150 pounds here for us and 150 pounds up at our club show grounds to demo a antique IH potato digger and give the spuds away to whoever wants some. ---- something new for club demos. this year so will see how it goes.

[SamsFarm]

Seed potatoes came yesterday---300 pounds of them. 100 pounds each of Red Norlands, 100 of Pontiacs, and 100 of Kennebecs.
Will plant 150 pounds here for us and 150 pounds up at our club show grounds to demo a antique IH potato digger

You always buy seed potatoes?

I been growing potatoes from my own potatoes so long now (gotta be gettin close to 15 years) that when people ask what kind of potatoes I grow, I tell them SamsFarm potatoes!

It is a red skin variety, but I can not remember what it is!

[outdoors4evr]

I think I just guaranteed a snow storm in my future.

Took the blade off the tractor and put the tiller on. Picked up the rocks in the garden and tilled. One rock is left that I just can't seem to get my arms around.
Sugar snap pea seeds went into the ground on the shady side of the rock (north side). I'm hoping the rock will help keep that ground a stable temp. Next step: Put the posts back in for the fence.

[SONNY]

We plant some of the leftovers but after the third year here they dont do well so we get a few new ones to go with them. Better chance of a crop that way.
We dont have snow but had another ice storm along with high winds again! Today winds up to 45 mph. ---but its March!
Want to borrow MOOSE to move that rock ? --- I think his 60,000 pounds can handle it for you ! lol!
Might get 2 seed flats started today in the basement,--cant work outside---rain and wind today again!

[outdoors4evr]

Would definitely LOVE to borrow MOOSE! The commute might be a little long.