The last several days have been perfect weather for working in the garden. The mornings have been cool and although the days have warmed up by dinnertime there has been no humidity.
Yesterday we spread mulch in all the garden areas in front of our house that didn’t already have a layer. The mulch from Granny’s tree cutting last summer has been so nice to have.
There is a ton of information about using tree mulch and other types of mulch in the garden. There are varying opinions about using it, but we’ve always been pleased with the way it holds in moisture, helps keep the weeds down, and enriches the soil as it decomposes. Thankfully we’ve never had any problems arise from using it.
Our beans are all up and growing. They look so good! I hope they continue to do well for us. The cucumbers are looking good and the winter squash is just beginning to come up.
I pulled up the rest of the radishes yesterday, they were about gone. I was thinking we could plant something in their place. There’s a lot of dill in the area that reseeded itself from last year as well as a few flowers coming up here and there. So I’m not sure if we’ll plant something else there or not.
We’ve really been enjoying eating green onions and lettuce. I have a few more onion buttons I need to plant in the areas where we’ve pulled up the first planting.
Folks have told me they have good luck replanting the bottoms of onions. I tried it last year and didn’t have any success, but I might should try again.
Beets are growing well and the pepper plants in the greenhouse are doing so well some of them are already producing peppers.
The cabbage has really grown after the last rain we had. The lower leaves have been nibbled on by slugs and rolly-pollies, but the plants are beginning to head up.
The only thing not doing well is our tomatoes. Well I should rephrase that. Some are doing really good and others look good but are awful small. Matt thinks they’ll take off once we get them planted outside, but I’m hoping they grow a bit more before we plant them in the garden.
Last night’s video: Springtime in Pap’s Garden: The Corn is In!
Tipper
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Praying we get rain in WNC for our vegetables and flowers this week.
You and Matt inspire so many people, including me. I’m not a vegetable gardener, but I’m going to The Basket Barn today to get more flowers.
You are very kind! Thank you 🙂
What a lovely garden update. I enjoyed reading it. The mulch makes everything look so neat and orderly. We are getting close to being able to plant here. We’ve still had some very cold nights even recently! Praying everyone has a blessed day today.
It seems your readers are confusing wood chips with mulch. When tree trimmers and cutters do their cutting and chipping the product is raw wood chips and is not good for mulch. Wood chips need to be piled up and left to compost before they turn into usable mulch. If spread on the ground too soon they will draw nutrients from the soil as they begin to decompose instead of adding it. Eventually they will return what they have stolen and more but in the meantime you might have lost your tender young plants. You should only accept free wood chips for later use as mulch if you have the space to leave it sit for a year or two (at least).
You can put down wood chips in walkways and places where your goal is to smother weeds and prevent erosion. Well established plants are not seriously harmed by a thin layer of raw wood chips.
Everything is looking beautiful! I hope you have a wonderful garden season ! Enjoyed reading everyone’s comments , as well . Praying for everyone!
So nice to hear about how your garden is growing! We just got our garden planted yesterday here in Central KY. Praying for a bountiful harvest for us all this year!
Hi Tipper, Your garden looks picture perfect! We still can’t get into our garden to till, it’s far too wet. And we’re expecting rain/snow on Friday! This is a crazy year for gardening, but I guess it is what it is. On a positive note all my seedlings look awesome and I’ve been able to share many with friends. Hopefully in another week we can start getting the garden in, I’m getting antsy to get everything out of the greenhouse and into the garden. One year a company was mulching trees by our place so I asked them if I could have it and they gladly gave me all the mulch. I put it around some of my veggies in the garden, well…everything died where I put the mulch. I learned the hard way that not all tree mulch is good. I pray you all have a wonderful day!
Your garden is really doing well! Hoping you have a bountiful harvest this year!
Oh, how I wish my garden looked that good! I have used straw in my garden, but never used mulch. A tree cutter is going to cut a huge tree at my daughter’s house, and asked if I wanted the mulch, as she only has an acre and a small garden. I said, nah, I guess I’ll use my straw. He said her cost would be less if he didn’t have to haul the mulch to a landfill. After seeing your garden, I have changed my mind. I’ll take it, and it will be a win-win for all of us. Matt is right about those tomatoes taking off once they are planted outside, at least mine sure did. The weather here has been nice and cool, with too much wind and not enough rain.
Morning everyone. I am really impressed by your gardens. I’m still cleaning out beds from last year. Our grapes and black berries are big. It won’t be long till the birds eat them all. Our raspberries are struggling. Horse radish is doing really well. My tomatoes and peppers didn’t do real well last year, and less rain than usual this year? I’m not sure I want to go thru with all the work this year. It’s not that I’m lazy but it’s just me and one son. He works at a DG Market and brings home vegies. No it’s not the same but, Arkansas was mentioned in an article I was reading. It’s the only state where the forests are growing back. No kidding. We have lower areas where water drains from the streets and runs out to someplace, not our homes. These areas have trees growing in them. OK, Maybe I’ll buy a couple of tomato plants. I’ll be sorry if I don’t. Anna from Arkansas.
What a nice garden update! I planted our tomatoes nearly two weks ago, but weve been so dry here that even despite watering, I think I will have to replant because I don’t see any seedlings coming up. I will wait a few more days, but I don’t think they will.
WOW! What a great garden! Congratulations! My buddy Virgil saved all his seeds year to year (I’d love to be able to ask him if they were originally from the gardens his Mom and Dad had growing up). He kept them in the freezer and would pull them out each Spring.
I’m a “city farmer,” (at least I know it) on just a few acres with llamas and alpacas and a few assorted critters. Probably 10 years ago bought a couple of the 100 gallon water troughs, and filled them with “llama dirt” for the strawberries, but now just bought the 13th (NO, I’m not superstitious) at an estate sale for 30 bucks. Still have the price stickers on 2 of them I bought new a few years ago for $ 79.95. Now they’re about 200 new. Fill them full of llama dirt (used to have 23 llamas, so had some “dirt”). Only downside is they dry out quick, but do make for some easy weeding! Convenient for tomatoes and such.
You all REALLY know how to live! Thanks for sharing and happy reaping!
The weather has indeed been wonderful! And with last week’s rain across the region, it’s truly helped the green-up on anything that wasn’t already green! I took a chance and planted my tomatoes into the raised beds for my garden around Easter weekend and they’ve plum taken off! I’m sure ya’lls will, too, once they’re in the ground. Now with the chance of frost bare to none, it’s going to really make those gardens flourish! Much like Matt, I can’t wait to get that ‘mater sandwich!
Good morning Acorns! Miss Tipper, you are such a good gardener and I’m perplexed as to why the tomato plants aren’t doing well. Could it be the soil? A good friend used a new potting soil that was with the fertilizer already mixed in, and her newly planted tomatoes and spinach did poorly. She changed the potting soil to a fertilizer free type, repotted everything and most of them flourished. If your soil is the same as you’ve always used, then it could be that a very light treatment of fertilizer is what the youngins need. Can you do a soil pH test? I don’t mean to interfere, but I’m just wishing that your garden is rich and even more bountiful than ever. And, selfishly I look forward to seeing your videos where you are canning, and making Matt his tomato sandwiches. I absolutely delight in your success!
This year I’m going to try making compost tea to use in my new raised bed garden. It’ll be fun to try something new.
I want to thank you for introducing me to your brand of mayonnaise. I had never heard of it before, but it has replaced all the others I’ve used. I love Duke’s mayo!
I hope you have a wonderful week, everyone!
That’s part of the mystery 🙂 Corie used the same soil and her’s are doing great. So glad you liked the mayo!
Your comment about compost tea. One year my wife’s uncle put some small holes near the bottom of a 55 gal barrel and put straw and cow manure in the barrel. He then planted tomato plants around the barrel and would fill the barrel with water and let the water seep through the straw and manure when watering his plants. He said he had more tomatoes than he knew what to do with . I do not know if he partially buried the barrel or just left if sitting on top of the ground. As far as mayonnaise goes, there is only one mayonnaise for a true blue blood southerner DUKES. Recently a Greenville, SC news station did a feature story on it. A lady in Greenville first made it and would sell sandwiches to the mill workers and the soldiers at a military base located at Greenville. The soldiers would beg her to sell them a jar of it to take with them when they would transfer to another base. It took off from there.
I’ve never had much luck with mulch. It always attracts so many ants and I got bit every time I tried to work around them. Thank goodness they weren’t fire ants!
I bought 28 tomato plants two weeks ago and they’re still sitting on the porch; life has been so crazy with school and taking care of family here lately that we haven’t had time to do anything with the garden yet. I hope you all have great success!
I set out 5 tomato plants around the first week of April, they really took off after we began to get some rain, they are now starting to bloom. I did plant two squash plants and a cucumber plant in containers, they are also doing good. I have thought of Tipper, I have two volunteer tomatoes plants that came up in my garden spot.
The garden sounds like it is in great shape. My tomatoes are growing well but I can’t seem to grow beets for anything! They never get more than a half inch tall if they sprout at all!
I went around last night before it got dark and admired all of my tomatoes and peppers that I got planted. I took a page from The Pressley’s book lol and planted in a couple of new places normally reserved for perennials. The south side of my yard, next to the house gets doused in sunshine a good portion of the day so 3 tomatoes and a jalapeño are part of my “pilot” program. I love your emphasis on the production of food in any spot you find! I’ll report on this in a few months with hopefully positive results. Thinking of Matt’s daddy. Was watching an older video last night and you mentioned he heated his canning jars in the oven. Tucking that tidbit away for possible future use. I have an appointment later this morning with my oncologist. Hoping to hear positive news. Have a great day, Acorns ♡
Praying for you Kim!
Kim, my mother would also heat her canning jars in the oven. She only did what I guess would be called water bath canning, she did not use a pressure cooker. I think she was afraid of them exploding.
Randy, I’m terrified of pressure cookers! When I was 3+ years old, my mom was canning green beans and for whatever reason the lid blew off and put a hole in the ceiling. It’s been nearly 65 years and I’ve never used a pressure cooker. When my former mother-in-law would fire hers up I would stay outside until she was finished. Needless to say, I took a lot of ribbing.
Bood Morning Tipper and Acorns. I enjoy watching you in the garden. I can’t mulch anything here with wood chips, cardboard or leaves. There are termites in the soil. Yikes. I can’t garden much anymore. I’m piddlin’ with my spring cleaning. It is set to rain again today. I love the soft Spring rains. I can do without the gully washers. I tried planting turnip tops and green onion roots in pots. we will see what they do. All my berries are doing very well. I want a plum tree. I’m going to move some lilacs to shade the trailer. It is way too hot in here since the wind took the big maple. I keep everyone here and up Wilson Holler in my Prayers. Please keep Ed and me in yours. He ate a bbq country pork rib sandwich and a few potato wedges last night for supper. He has begun to talk of having hope for the future again. Praise GOD. TY all for you compassion and love. May we all pray continuously and live by GODs Commandments. I love y’all.
I will keep praying! So glad Ed is doing some better!!
I must say, I am a little envious. Everything looks beautiful! They are still calling for a chance of frost here Thursday. I don’t ever remember not getting our garden in by now, but maybe I’m thinking wrong. The weather has been quite enjoyable here too. The only thing to complain about is the wind. We’ve never seen a year with so much high wind.
Many blessings to all y’all! As my friend would say, ‘make it a beautiful day’.
My takeaway from your post is ‘every gardening year is the same, only different’. Sounds like nonsense but gardeners get it. Along that line, I once proved (to my own satisfaction anyway) that no two places in the woods are the same. They can appear to us to be. So, that’s why gardening (and nature generally) is a continuous learning experience. Hope Matt is right about the tomatoes.
Good morning, YES, a lot of wind. Seems “stuff” is blowing in… I’ve never been so aware of the “direction” the wind is coming from, usually from the West, NW, but has been all over the place. So thankful to live HERE! Make the most of each moment…