Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Some Gardening at Last!

We had a perfectly beautiful day Saturday. I was finally outside doing some necessary chores before the actual growing begins.

I made a list of things I need to get done. I did the most important first:

1. Build hay bale cold frame
2. Finish pruning fruit trees
3. Prune black berries
4. Spray dormant oil spray on trees
5. Prune shrubs and roses
6. mulch berry patch
7. Research how to do raspberries
8. Begin hardening off onions, broccoli, cabbages, and snaps.
9. Prune Clematis
10. clean all flower beds

DH was a big help in getting the hay out of the barn loft and delivering to the garden gate. Then we covered with the old storm windows. I decided to leave the coating of dust on the glass to help screen the tender plants from the sun.

From Gardening 2010

Then, after a little search for the pruners, I finished pruning the fruit trees.  I am sort of finding my way with the pruning and think I did one absolutely wrong....pruned off my second tier of limbs. Oh well they will grow again.

I pulled down some scaffolding limbs to a more horizontal position and weighted them down with bricks. This is supposed to encourage fruiting spurs forming.

From Gardening 2010
 
Next I waded into the berry patch.  This is a dangerous job.  The thorns are vicious!  I finally finished them up and feel quite proud of myself.  I didn't do them last year and it was a jungle that I finally abandoned to the Japanese Beetles.


From Gardening 2010

Rains are expected over the next 4 days so I may not get anything done outside for a while.

I received my onion plants from Dixondale but it is too early to plant here. We are considered northern Missouri for planting not southern which is what we are geographically speaking.

4 comments:

  1. I loved hearing about what you are doing there in getting ready with your gardens for this year. Blackberries are vicious, glad you got that job done ok. At least you were able to get out and get some things done on your list before the rains come. We could use some rain, but it's not expected in the near future, maybe next weekend.

    Have a nice day today.

    FlowerLady

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  2. Love the pic of the finch at the feeder. :-D Yes, blackberry thorns are vicious, but oh such sweet reward! They are my favorite berry. Yum.

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  3. You GO, girl!

    I need help figuring out how to prune my peach tree. I'm not a good pruner.

    I have gotten my broccoli plants set out into the raised bed, also planted carrots, beets, peas and some onion seed I had that I wanted to use up. My onions have not yet arrived from Gurney. I will not plant them till early April.

    Your onion plants will hold if you spread them on a tray of some sort, with the roots on top of a little potting soil, then cover the roots with a little more potting soil. Keep in a cool, dark place until you're ready to set out. Don't water unless they start looking kind of limp.

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  4. It was a great weekend for gardening here in North Florida too. I am so glad to see that there is a reason for dust!

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