Planting time has arrived.

The weather has moderated somewhat from the cold temps we were experiencing here.  It is still rather wet. I was hopeful that I would have begun to plant the early crops in my collapsible greenhouse, but life got in the way.  The company I work for has switched to a new computer program and as usual, it has been a rather bumpy road. The planters are set up, it's just that in a week and a half, my wife and I will be on vacation.  I could plant the seeds and let my son try to nurse them along while we are gone, but I doubt that the results would be worth the effort.  So, I will seed them in when we return.
We have had a streak of storms moving in and out and that has resulted in the soil being very wet.  I am having the same issues that the farmers in the mid west are currently working against.  The soil is just too wet and cold to allow for a planting.  I really feel bad for them given what they plant is for their livelihood.
We had a wet past couple of days and my rototiller therefore, was clogging up pretty badly today.  So, I looked in my garden shed and found a couple of very old but trustworthy tools.  The first tool is my handy dandy wheel cultivator.  I bought it at a roadside antique store as my wife and I were passing through an area in Pa.  It was pretty weathered but that didn't bother me as I kind of prefer my tools to have the "patina" of age.  Even though it was to go out in out front yard for a decoration, it hasn't seemed to have made that transition - yet.
The other tool is what is called a Norcross 55, 5 tine garden cultivator.  I haven't had need of using it until this year and I wasn't really expecting much out of it.  But, given the soil conditions, I felt I had no real choice.
Here are pictures of the two tools.

After cutting the whole patch with the wheel cultivator, I then used the Norcross cultivator to dig deeper into the soil.  Much to my amazement, it dug into the soil and broke up the water laden "mud".  It cut through the roots of the winter rye and broke them up with little assists from me.  To say I was pleased is an understatement.  Granted, I would have preferred the rototiller but that would have been an exercise in futility with the conditions present.  Here is a picture of the plot after all the digging was completed.  Not too bad for using antiques to get the job done.  

   

After that mild success, I decided to cut the area in for the glass greenhouse that I was supposed to assemble last year.  The area is at the end of the two pictured beds.  I took down the small structure at the end of the one bed and weed-whacked the remaining winter rye.  I then used the wheel cultivator followed by the Norcross cultivator much like I did on the earlier plot.  Again, I was pleasantly surprised with the Norcross piece.  And again, even though the ground was not best suited for cultivating, I was able to get the desired outcome as seen below. 

Now, hopefully, the ground can dry out a little and I can get underway with both the greenhouse and planting.  From the long term forecast, that really doesn't look too promising as we have 4 major storms that are to cross the US in the next two weeks.  How much rain is in store for us?  There is really is no sure way to know.  All one can do is just wait and see what happens.

In any case, I hope your gardens are coming along beautifully wherever you are.  Happy Gardening!

New Year!!

Here's hoping everyone had a great News Years Eve and this finds everyone well.  As the new year begins, there are a few things that one needs to attend to in order ensure a great beginning of the garden season.
But, before I get into that, I went out yesterday to check my winter garden.  I was very surprised at the results I have gotten to this point.  As can be seen from the picture below, the lettuces that I had my doubts about have actually grown at a pretty good rate this week and they have greened up.  That means that the sunny days have been good enough to allow the plants to grow while being covered. The other plants of carrots, onions and spinach have also shown an appreciable rate of growth too.  I have some hope of getting some winter lettuce but that will depend on the temps and precipitation we do get.

At this time of the season, there are several steps that you want to take that may seem trivial but are essential to your gardens' outcome in the coming new season.  The first step is to plan out your garden and what crops you want to grow.  As I have alluded to in earlier posts, I have thought about the number and mix of crops I grow.  I have repeatedly over grown tomatoes and peppers despite the fact that my family really doesn't eat many of them.  I love a fresh tomato but do I really need to grow 18 different varieties?  The answer is a resounding no.  Same goes for the peppers.
Given this and the fact that I have expanded my garden plots last fall, I will need and want to grow other vegetables that make more sense.  I have already planned to grow cabbage, broccoli and peas this year.  Last year I planted the cabbage and broccoli late and got less than desirable results.  This year will be different.
The other activity I need to do is to inventory my seeds that I have stored.  I noticed that the various big stores are already putting out their seeds so that is one true sign it is time to augment my stores of seeds.  One thing to be careful about is to be sure that the seeds in these stores are for this year.  I know that the seeds will survive for years if properly stored, but why buy last years stock?  That is, why buy last years seeds at full price?  I will be travelling to a seed store in Baltimore city that I prefer as they sell varieties that are suited for this region.  I prefer theirs over the big selections in the other stores for that reason.  I will be going there in the next week or two.
The other activity that escapes attention at this time of the year is to do general maintenance of your tools.  Other than cleaning them up, oiling them and sharpening the various bladed tools, one has to look at whether the tool needs to be replaced.  Tools wear out over time.  If the tool doesn't effectively do the job it is for and can't be fixed, then it's time to discard it.
I have always viewed tools as an investment. You should be cautious about buying the cheaper tool. My experience is that it is far cheaper to buy a tool that is a little more expensive over the long run.  I actually have found some real nice tools at various antique stores.  They are older and sometimes a bit rusty, but you can't beat the workmanship of the tool.  And there is just something about buying a used tool as they are broken in and just have that "feel" in your hand.  You can see and experience the quality that went into it many decades ago.  They were made to last.
Given we are possibly going to have our first snow of the season with lower temperatures this week, there is nothing that can be done in the actual garden this week.  Much of the activities are the above referenced ones.  I will be watching my winter garden but, if the weather is as predicted, it will be better for me to stay away and let it alone.  Sometimes, that's the best tactic.
So, there you have it.  As always, Happy Gardening everyone!