• Join Home Gardening Forum

Whatcha Up To???

M

Mr_Yan

Guest
15 F out right now. Just shoveled 3 or 4 inches of snow and had kids out playing in it.
 

wolffman

Sponsor
Plus Member
Messages
1,215
Location
Texas, Gulf Coast
Planting Zone
9
I've been super busy for the last 5 weeks. After my truck got wrecked, I've been fixing up this Jeep that I've owned since I was 18. My truck should be back in action in about a month.

We've got a bunch of tomato plants under the lights. Haven't had time to till the garden, will have to fit that in this coming week. I need to get potatoes in the ground now. Onions need weeding something terrible, will have to fit that in also. Looks like we may have some drier weather this spring. I won't complain as we've been flooded out for the last 3 crops in a row. Still deciding on the garden plan for this spring, it will likely be simple.Jeep CJ 7.JPG
 
M

Mr_Yan

Guest
@wolffman I need to learn how to work on cars and trucks like that. My commuter car is in BAD shape and no longer really worth repairing - I'll drive it until it dies on me. But this week we learned our kid hauler (Chevy Impala) needs about $4000 in work.
 

wolffman

Sponsor
Plus Member
Messages
1,215
Location
Texas, Gulf Coast
Planting Zone
9
Yan, I can work on older cars. The newer cars require too many expensive tools. I can still work on some things on my 04 truck, but other things I give it to my mechanic.

I like the Jeep, there's nothing on it that I can't do myself.
 

Mike

Might know the answer
Messages
976
Location
Kentucky
Planting Zone
6b
Got a few inches of snow yesterday, but we did manage to make it to Lowes so the wife could pick up some new house plants.
 

w_r_ranch

Master Gardener
Administrator
Moderator
Plus Member
Messages
6,911
Location
South Central Texas
Planting Zone
8b
Got a haircut, then had my propane cylinders refilled.

Received the new heat deflectors & igniter system for the gas grill so I'll install them tomorrow morning. The rest of the parts should arrive tomorrow...

Watered starter flats in greenhouse.
 

w_r_ranch

Master Gardener
Administrator
Moderator
Plus Member
Messages
6,911
Location
South Central Texas
Planting Zone
8b
Installed the new gas grill parts. The remaining parts (SS grills & flavorizer bars) are to arrive later today... those are just 'drop-in parts', so we should be all set for the next several seasons. Let the grilling begin!!!

Refilled the bird feeders

Put out a roll of hay for the cattle.

Hand watered the asparagus bed. Hey 'whistech', we got one sprouting!!!

Asparagus_021816.jpg
 
Last edited:
M

Mr_Yan

Guest
Went to work. Made fritata for dinner - well I took over making it from my wife. Made bread.Nothing unusual.

Started a germination test on the lettuce seeds that my neighbor gave me. Cultivars being tested:
Grand Rapids
Parris Island
Jerricho
Black Seeded Sampson
(another French name I forgot)
Abe Lincoln tomato seeds are in there too.

It would be cool to grow both the Grand Rapids and the Parris Island ones - my brother lives near Grand Rapids MI and my mom lives near Parris Island SC.

The pepper seeds I tested last week failed to germinate before growing mold.
 

w_r_ranch

Master Gardener
Administrator
Moderator
Plus Member
Messages
6,911
Location
South Central Texas
Planting Zone
8b
Made bread & also a pot of pinto beans.

Took my Jeep to the dealer for it's maintenance & state inspection, then did the grocery shopping.

Installed the SS grills & flavorizer bars in the Weber gas grill (these parts are a nice upgrade). Then heated it up to 700 degrees for 30 minutes to burn off any residual oils from manufacturing process. It's done.

SS_Grill_Parts.jpg
 
M

Mr_Yan

Guest
So far the Parris Island, and Black Seeded Sampson have germinated. Checked the seed package dates Parris Island was packed for 2002 and the Black Seeded Sampson was packed for 2011.
 
E

ErnieCopp

Guest
Sam,
Your asparagus looks like it is getting off to a good start. I know the books say to not harvest the first year, and that may be true for maximum overall production, but my experience in starting two beds has been to harvest the bigger ones the first year, as there will be more than you can use the second and third years, regardless. Leave a minimum size, like 3/8" or 7/16" to grow on out to build the ferns and harvest the larger ones. Then something i wish i had known is this. I know you bought all male plants, but if you ever see any small green berries on a plant, do not wait until it turns red. Dig the entire plant out. The female plants, if left alone, will ruin your bed. Never saw one in my first bed, but they ruined my second one.

Ernie
 

w_r_ranch

Master Gardener
Administrator
Moderator
Plus Member
Messages
6,911
Location
South Central Texas
Planting Zone
8b
Roger that Ernie!!!

Continued cleaning the garden.

Replaced the 'weeper hose' in the asparagus bed.

Clean & refilled the 'bird bath' (tub).
 

wolffman

Sponsor
Plus Member
Messages
1,215
Location
Texas, Gulf Coast
Planting Zone
9
Weeded the onion bed and got started on cutting potato seed. I feel like I'm super late with getting spuds in the ground with this warm weather. Cucumbers should have been planted already too, but I'm a week away on that.
 

w_r_ranch

Master Gardener
Administrator
Moderator
Plus Member
Messages
6,911
Location
South Central Texas
Planting Zone
8b
Made bread & hamburger buns.

Watered everything in the greenhouse. The vegetables starts are all looking good, so they should be good to go in 2 or 3 weeks. With as warm as it's been, I've been tempted to put the spider plants & the ferns back on the porches but I have a feeling that we could still get a couple of freezes...

Continue cleaning the garden & then started forming the row for the potatoes.
 
Last edited:
M

Mr_Yan

Guest
Made a new worm compost bin and transfered in to that.

Found my lost (thought stolen) snow shovel. Somehow it was under the pile of snow - this is the the pile where I shovel the snow to. I'm having trouble figuring out how that happened. I still have not dug it the rest of the way out and the shovel is frozen to the ground.
 

w_r_ranch

Master Gardener
Administrator
Moderator
Plus Member
Messages
6,911
Location
South Central Texas
Planting Zone
8b
Probably won't be working in the garden today as it is raining... Forecast says 100% chance for today & tomorrow.
 

w_r_ranch

Master Gardener
Administrator
Moderator
Plus Member
Messages
6,911
Location
South Central Texas
Planting Zone
8b
We've had 0.69" thus far (forecast is saying 1.40" total for today & tomorrow). We need rain too & I'm glad for the break so my back can rest up some... It's been hurt'in with all the bending over lately.

Ordered fertilizer for the year & the necessary parts to upgrade/enlarge the irrigation system around the trees.

Looks like some bad weather tonight:
Starting Monday night, the chance for severe storms will increase in the South, mainly in central and south Texas with large hail being the primary concern. A powerful low pressure system will bring a potential outbreak of severe storms and tornadoes to the South for the start of this week. The same area of low pressure will deliver a swath of snow and strong winds to the Midwest and Great Lakes.

A more widespread and significant bout of severe storms will spread through the Gulf Coast states Tuesday and Tuesday night, from southeast Texas into parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the western Florida panhandle. Tornadoes, damaging wind gusts and large hail are all possible threats from those storms.
 
Last edited:
M

Mr_Yan

Guest
Snow melted off my raised bed and I noticed that the garlic I put in therre did start growing and is about an inch tall.

Still above freezing here. I hope we drop below freezing again soon and stay there. I'm getting worried about things starting to bud out too early and then get wiped out by an early May frost. Forecast highs between 33 and 46 F for the rest of the week.
 

w_r_ranch

Master Gardener
Administrator
Moderator
Plus Member
Messages
6,911
Location
South Central Texas
Planting Zone
8b
Received an additional 1.13" of rain last night. Now the sun is coming out & the cold front/high winds are due to arrive around noontime.
 
E

ErnieCopp

Guest
Sam, and anyone else that has sore muscles. I may have found some relief for you. I ordered a $42 dollar vibrating/heating seat cushion from Amazon, works either on 12v or 110, and it leaves me feeling like i have had a treatment from a Chiropractor. I highly recommend it.

I will find the brand name for it.
 
Top