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ten_yr_plan

Are WI gardeners still dormant? Share this yrs promises

ten_yr_plan
15 years ago

I must say this forum for WI seems to have a low activity level. Is it the time of yr? I have spring fever BAD, but I thought it may be fun to share what my goal, promises are to myself it for this yrs garden. Maybe we could have a story swap, share a few laughs.

first.. I promis to keep up much better on pruning my tomatoes! they always seem to get the best of me late in the season. I usually have this same goal every year - LOL. been 4 seasons of tomatoes with this goal. my first yr with tomatoes in the ground vs containers I put in 12 plants a couple feet apart. When they were tiny there seemed to be soo much space. I uses those 3, 4' green stakes and was all ready to tie them up as they grew. Then reality hit. I totally lost control,... added more stakes everywhere, twine here there everywhere, things falling over, a true tomato jungle. Well I started looking up pruning that winter. I make attempts, then a vacation comes along in July and I loose control again - every yr.

Second... I promise not to buy too many plants impulsively then wonder where am I going to put these?! when I get home.

finally... i won't start everything under the sun in my green house all summer long. i just love having one and want to try everything. oh, maybe keeping better organized records too.

looking over this I laugh,.. I actually looking forward to this?! Gotta luv it 2 do it.

Comments (16)

  • justaguy2
    15 years ago

    I am busy planning and starting seeds for stuff that takes a long time to get some size.

    Last night I was up late and had a few glasses of wine. I generally end up doing something my wife will ensure I regret when I am up late and have a few drinks. In this case I ordered 7 more Earth Boxes that I really didn't need, but there were new tomato varieties I wanted to try that I didn't have room for ;)

    Of course those new varieties were also purchased when I was up late having a few drinks... LOL.

    Hopefully all this stuff arrives when she isn't home and I can go hide it in the shed.

  • eric30
    15 years ago

    Good one J.A.G!

    10yrplan - do some research on Florida Weave. I tried it last year and can't believe how great it worked. I've been patio gardening for a few years so I was a pail planter and heavy pruner. That's when I learned to make my own soiless mix, compost with worms, etc... Last year I got a 10'x 40' plot of land to plant on so I planted 12 tomato plants in a row 3' apart and did the weave without pruning. By middle of July I had a tomato fence.

    This year I am planting from seed and growing seedlings under lights; something I haven't done yet. Of course I am running out of room under my single 4' fixture so the cool weather crops got moved to the window. Next I will be looking at storing plants in the truck. Here's an interesting article I posted on the seed starting forum.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Greenhouse on Wheels

  • ten_yr_plan
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    eric30 - no pruning for tomatoes?! I will check that out. I might just be able to keep that promise to keep my maters in line this yr. Also will be trying to go verticle with my squash & melons. I always need to try something new or alter what I've already done. Have DH working on trellis ideas.

    jag - laughed lots! I think we have all been there. I just can't go into a garden center or websiet this time of yr! I reciently organized my seed packets. I don't think I have to order/buy ANY flowers for yrs to come... except those wave petunias I still haven't recieved by mail. tee hee I feel so sneeky when checking the mail. every yr my DH keeps asking what I'm going to do with all this 'stuff' meaning my started flower plants. I'm sure this yr will be no different.
    maybe the Green Bay area has a plant swap I can find or I can donate to church picknics for funraising.

  • hostalover360
    15 years ago

    Here in WC Wisconsin, we have daffoidls and tulips up. Some daffodils planted along southern foundations are getting flower buds already, I've bee waiting for warmer weather to plant tulips from in the fridge!

  • eric30
    15 years ago

    I used to prune tomatoes religiously. That was the culture grew up with. Then I started not pruning and I found out that I was getting more maters. I've tried upside down maters before too. It worked pretty good too.

  • jungseed
    15 years ago

    I'm still just dormant!!!

  • Rachel_WI_5
    15 years ago

    I'm a little more reserved this year with starting seeds, especially my tomatoes. Usually they are flowering before I can get them into the garden, so I've only started them a few days ago. I have pepper plants sprouting. I saved seeds from some long red sweet peppers I got at Sam's Club a few weeks ago and they were so delicious. I hope the seeds reproduce true to the original. I plan on getting my 16' x 20' greenhouse set up as soon as I get the lawn in the area raked and all the downed branches picked up. Today it's raining, so no outside work could be done. As soon as it's dry and nice out again, I plan to start some cool season veggies like spinach, lettuce and beets. I devote most of my garden to tomato plants, using wire cages for support. I end up every year with a tomato jungle, and lots of tomatoes to eat and make into juice. A few years ago I tried growing tomatoes hanging downward in large pots and had tomatoes to eat already on July 7th, my granddaughter's birthday. I may do some of those again this year, but it's hard to find places to hang the pots because my trees are so much bigger and not much sunshine gets through except where the garden is. Looks like this week will stay cool and wet here along Lake Michigan. Hope it warms up after Easter.

  • zeedman Zone 5 Wisconsin
    14 years ago

    Don't post over here as often as I should, so I suppose I contribute to the "dormancy". It's just a question of too many specialized forums here on GW, don't have time to check them all on a daily basis.

    Still trying to get myself pumped up, after last year. At least the garden is above water this year, and my garlic & perennial onions seem to have come through the winter with flying colors.

    I've always had a large garden, much of it dedicated to seed production... but a new job, and working on a new shift, might present some challenges this year. Cross that bridge when I get to it, but for now, not planning to change much. Will be starting some eggplant, hot peppers, and litchi tomato this weekend.

  • cranberry15
    14 years ago

    I planted peas when we had that great stretch around St. Patrick's day. Nothing's come up yet, though due to the return to pre-spring conditions. My crocuses are up & blooming for at least a week (they're in front of a south-facing rock wall). Daffs & tulips are coming, slowly. Rhubarb is showing and some leaves popping, but progress is agonizingly slow.
    I have all my seeds and really need to get them started this weekend. I did winter sew in some milk jugs: snapdragons, alyssum, bells of Ireland, red currant tomatoes. Those snapdragons sprouted a couple weeks ago already. Interestingly, my brother has been VERY ambitious and has seeds going like crazy in an old fish tank with the light over it. He even started corn! I didn't have the heart to tell him...

  • shoofly22
    14 years ago

    planted 11 maters out the second of april and they are all doing fine , also planted my onions , carrots , swiss chard , kale , arugula , mizuna , and kohlarabi in raised beds .
    jim

  • jungseed
    14 years ago

    Still dormant. I was going to start work on cleaning my fern bed yesterday. But didn't feel like doing it in the snow when I got home from work. some how that just didn't seem right. Maybe tomorrow or Thurs. I'll get on it.

  • janetpetiole
    14 years ago

    I'm finally beginning to waken. A couple of weeks ago I pruned the clematis, and checked the trees and shrubs for cross branching. Since then, the weather hasn't been great. Many of the perennials started growing, so I really need to get into the garden to clean up soon.

    Promises... right.

    Promise #1... I will not buy more clematis, mini evergreens, daylilies or hostas, nor be seduced by every single garden center or nursery within a 200 mile radius.

    Promise #2... What I will do is rearrange the area that I didn't fix last year. Of course, this will lead to needing more plants, so there goes my first promise.

    Promise #3... I will not plan any big projects this year, so I can work on #2 and #4. I am not even going to put in a pond into the bed mentioned above even though a pond wants to be in that spot.

    Promise #4... I have to move some of the clematis, and perhaps, accept that some of them simply don't do well in our climate, so they should go. However, needing preplacements will lead to breaking promise #1, again.

    Promise #5... I will make a buy list just in case I accidentally find myself at Solaris, FoxFire, Pondside Gardens or Flower Factory.

  • lpptz5b
    14 years ago

    My weakness is planting to many trees,I promised myself to keep it under 100 trees this year.Well I'm at 200 and that doesn't count the White cedars and Red oaks I have growing in pots.I started planting some of the stuff I have on hand,hit a little frost in spots but over all it's good to go.

    lp

  • dani_plus_2
    14 years ago

    I promise to stop buying daylilies AFTER I go to Monches in May

    I promise to fix the ugly bed by the Walnut tree where nothing grows (stupid j toxin)

    I promise to make a new bed to fit all of the daylilies I already have on order (well, it won't fit ALL of them!)

    I promise to keep my yard semi-weeded this year (fingers crossed)

    AND I promise to get as many pics as I can so I can enjoy them all WInter!!!

    Dani

  • janetpetiole
    14 years ago

    Dani..... I'm trying to garden in juglone polluted soil too.

    You have my sympathies.

  • dani_plus_2
    14 years ago

    I almost had that tree cut down, but I felt too guilty beacuse of the poor economy (trying to save money, you know?). He knows his number is up, he just doesn't know when!