I did nothing except take the hail off the plastic on the lettuce and strawberries and pout. I turned 62 yesterday and planning on what to buy with all my riches. I am for sure going to be buying a tiller and I think build a couple more boxes and put hoops on for weather like this. I am still trying to figure out what to do about asparagus. I am afraid the bugs are going to eat this garden up this year. The compost is cooking in the middle. I think just one more day of the rain and going to get into the 60s.
Happy belated Birthday!!!!
Here is my tiller:
https://www.tillersdirect.com//Troy.../p12548.html?gclid=CMnt4Y-rx9MCFUMcaQodoTYMHQ
Don't go cheaper. I destroyed a cheaper tiller. You do not want to pretill with your spade and rake, either.
You need a plan for weeding. REMEMBER after a heavy rain is the very best time to pull weeds. Buy Preen, and when your little vegetables are about 4 inches high, weed right around them and immediately put down Preen. You may miss one or two weeds but you will prevent the seeds of the next generation from sprouting. Weeds are very successful bc their seeds will sink down in the soil every time that you dig where they dropped their seeds. When exposed to the sun they vigorously sprout.
Consider that I am at war with burdock and THEIR roots can be 2 foot deep! Last year and even one month ago I pulled out last year's dead burdock, hand picked up all seeds that I could find--some were mounds as large as a small cat!--and removed and burned the burrs with their dead stalks. Kinda reminds me of "boiling a kid in it's mother's milk" and VERY satisfying. Everything is ash and unlikely to sprout again.
I have to mow the second year burdock down and then immediately apply Groundclear over them and THEN, cover with stall leavings bc they grow when my horses are turned out and eat. They will NOT munch where their poo and soiled bedding has been dumped, unless grass is growing through, hence the importance of covering with the bedding. It also has to be a day where the soil has dried up and it isn't going to be a heavy dew the next morning. YOU can weed a garden any day of the week.Couldn't get to it last week bc I had to mow down the north pasture after I had seeded in anticipation of this weekend's heavy rains. Next time I mow, the horses get to start grazing there. It isn't really a hardship. My Vet reminded me that it is still grass founder season and Mid-May is best for allowing full grazing pony rights. She has clients who think that the shot she has given her horses for grass founder is just routine.
Sooner or later their horses will get laminitis and won't be able to walk, so monitoring where the graze is a BIG DEAL!
You know that ANY TIME you need a pep talk you can message me!
I turn 60yo in December, btw.
Steve
