Planting Against the Signs
I am only confessing this so that it will be documented in the public record. I set out broccoli, Brussels sprouts and parsley yesterday. The signs are all wrong; but the day was gorgeous and the plants are getting too big for the greenhouse. I also put up the tomato fence. I will plant tomatoes today or tomorrow. I am also going to plant watermelon, winter squash and cantaloupe seeds. My travel schedule, beginning Thursday, is going to be very intense until the middle of June. It is really now or never.
The potatoes are finally coming up. The first ones are big enough to need mulching as soon as it rains. I don’t want to mulch dry ground. I had to water the plants that have come up last night. I went out and looked this morning. The plants really appreciated that little bit of moisture. No rain is called for until the weekend. My rain barrels are almost empty. I may have to start using tap water in the greenhouse.
The figs and the grapes (except for one) have real leaves. All but two of the blueberries seem to be doing well. The paw-paws have not leafed or budded or anything. I bought the paw-paws and and the blueberries from Burgess Nursery. I doubt seriously if I will buy anything else from them. The paw-paws had less than an inch of root and looked as if they were already dead. They may have been. I had lunch with my friend Rusty Dixon yesterday. She said that the seed potatoes she got from Burgess were rotten.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Cold Again
Cold Again
After Easter freezes are becoming the norm. Last year it got so cold it killed all of the leaves and figs that were already loading my fig trees. Last night it got to 31 degrees. I don’t think that was cold enough to hurt anything but my feelings. The internet said that it was only going to 36 tonight. The radio said “light frost”. Whom to believe?
I have hills ready for planting watermelon, cantaloupe, and winter squash. Some of the plants in the greenhouse are getting big enough that they either need to be planted or repotted. I think I will wait for the weekend.
The Lenten roses are blooming. My friend Jane’s Lenten roses are so spectacular that I think I will post some pictures of them this weekend. Her yard is quite beautiful. Mine is so horrible after the tree work, I can’t even bear to look at it. It will be at least a year before I really get it looking good. Then, the city will be putting in sidewalks and I will have to start over. Oh well…The fun of the tent is in the making.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
After Easter freezes are becoming the norm. Last year it got so cold it killed all of the leaves and figs that were already loading my fig trees. Last night it got to 31 degrees. I don’t think that was cold enough to hurt anything but my feelings. The internet said that it was only going to 36 tonight. The radio said “light frost”. Whom to believe?
I have hills ready for planting watermelon, cantaloupe, and winter squash. Some of the plants in the greenhouse are getting big enough that they either need to be planted or repotted. I think I will wait for the weekend.
The Lenten roses are blooming. My friend Jane’s Lenten roses are so spectacular that I think I will post some pictures of them this weekend. Her yard is quite beautiful. Mine is so horrible after the tree work, I can’t even bear to look at it. It will be at least a year before I really get it looking good. Then, the city will be putting in sidewalks and I will have to start over. Oh well…The fun of the tent is in the making.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
My Decision
My Decision
The last ending was Good Friday is coming. “To plant, or not to plant? That is the question. This is the answer. I planted cucumber and summer squash and zucchini. I used some of the compost that is not quite finished. Last week when I turned it, it had lots of little squiggly earthworms. This week it had loads of big fat earthworms. They grow fast.
For the cucumbers, I put up a fence of plastic 2” X 4” wire 28’ long. I made a deep furrow down one side of the fence. The soil tested 6.5 to 6.8 ph. Cucumber’s soil should be 6.0 to 6.5. I put a thin line of sulphur in the furrow and then filled it with compost (and earthworms). After covering the furrow with dirt I planted the cucumber seeds about ¾” deep and about 6”s apart.
I planted 6 hills of summer squash (yellow crookneck) and 5 hills of Zucchini. The hills were spaced on 3’ centers. To make each hill, I dug a 6” hole with the posthole diggers. I filled the hole and made a pile of compost about 6” high on top of it. I scraped up the loose soil around this and the plug from the posthole to make a hill about 18” in diameter and 10” high. I poked three holes in the face of each hill just like those in a bowling ball. I put 3 seeds in each hole, filled them with loose dirt and patted them down.
Incidentally, the garlic has come up. The fig trees are putting out leaves. The radishes in the new raised bed are up. I also planted a thyme plant in the new raised bed. Spring is so wonderful. Happy Easter.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
The last ending was Good Friday is coming. “To plant, or not to plant? That is the question. This is the answer. I planted cucumber and summer squash and zucchini. I used some of the compost that is not quite finished. Last week when I turned it, it had lots of little squiggly earthworms. This week it had loads of big fat earthworms. They grow fast.
For the cucumbers, I put up a fence of plastic 2” X 4” wire 28’ long. I made a deep furrow down one side of the fence. The soil tested 6.5 to 6.8 ph. Cucumber’s soil should be 6.0 to 6.5. I put a thin line of sulphur in the furrow and then filled it with compost (and earthworms). After covering the furrow with dirt I planted the cucumber seeds about ¾” deep and about 6”s apart.
I planted 6 hills of summer squash (yellow crookneck) and 5 hills of Zucchini. The hills were spaced on 3’ centers. To make each hill, I dug a 6” hole with the posthole diggers. I filled the hole and made a pile of compost about 6” high on top of it. I scraped up the loose soil around this and the plug from the posthole to make a hill about 18” in diameter and 10” high. I poked three holes in the face of each hill just like those in a bowling ball. I put 3 seeds in each hole, filled them with loose dirt and patted them down.
Incidentally, the garlic has come up. The fig trees are putting out leaves. The radishes in the new raised bed are up. I also planted a thyme plant in the new raised bed. Spring is so wonderful. Happy Easter.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Bye-bye Pine Trees, Hello Sunshine
Bye-bye Pine Trees, Hello Sunshine
My whole yard smells like someone spilled a 55 gallon drum of Pinesol. There were two huge pine trees right beside the house that gave us the willies every time the wind blew or lightning flashed. They are gone, more or less. They are not actually gone, they are just cut down. They should be gone today. The yard looks totally naked. My wife commented, “I think we better plant some trees.” There were two other trees that had to be making the neighbors nervous. They are gone too. Two huge red tips go today along with the pine debris.
The yard looks like it has been plowed and packed down with all of the tracks from trucks and bobcats. This will be a good opportunity to get rid of the English Ivey and landscape most of the yard. The only real regrets are that they ran over my Lenten roses and cut a huge branch off of a beautiful oak tree. The oak tree got injured when one of the pine trees came down. They had to amputate a limb. It now looks like a “Duke Power” tree.
In the back yard… The spinach and onions are almost ready to eat. The asparagus and potatoes are acting alive. I used some old planks from the deck to build rails on the potato bed to hold more mulch as the potatoes grow. I cut up most of my scrap lumber to make a lumber rack and a firewood rick. Good Friday is coming. “To plant, or not to plant? That is the question.”
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
My whole yard smells like someone spilled a 55 gallon drum of Pinesol. There were two huge pine trees right beside the house that gave us the willies every time the wind blew or lightning flashed. They are gone, more or less. They are not actually gone, they are just cut down. They should be gone today. The yard looks totally naked. My wife commented, “I think we better plant some trees.” There were two other trees that had to be making the neighbors nervous. They are gone too. Two huge red tips go today along with the pine debris.
The yard looks like it has been plowed and packed down with all of the tracks from trucks and bobcats. This will be a good opportunity to get rid of the English Ivey and landscape most of the yard. The only real regrets are that they ran over my Lenten roses and cut a huge branch off of a beautiful oak tree. The oak tree got injured when one of the pine trees came down. They had to amputate a limb. It now looks like a “Duke Power” tree.
In the back yard… The spinach and onions are almost ready to eat. The asparagus and potatoes are acting alive. I used some old planks from the deck to build rails on the potato bed to hold more mulch as the potatoes grow. I cut up most of my scrap lumber to make a lumber rack and a firewood rick. Good Friday is coming. “To plant, or not to plant? That is the question.”
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Finally Potatoes
Finally Potatoes
At last the potatoes are popping through the ground. I was beginning to wonder if a mole or a gopher had gotten the eyes. The asparagus are growing so fast it is a wonder. I guess some people are cutting them to eat. This is the first year for mine so I am only watching them grow. I planted them in a trench and I am piling compost around them as they grow to make a deeper root system.
I am lining the potato bed with old 2” X 6”’s so I will be able to pile a lot of mulch around the plants as they grow. It is so much easier to grapple potatoes from leaves than from dirt.
The new grapevine’s buds have swollen up and are turning purple. They look like flowers; but I think they will be leaves. The grass is going to need cutting soon; and the spinach will need to be eaten. I’m ready. All the new things in the greenhouse are sprouting. I can’t wait to get my summer seeds in the ground. Good Friday (next weekend) is the traditional day here. It comes so early this year and the signs are all wrong. I will probably wait until April 5th.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
At last the potatoes are popping through the ground. I was beginning to wonder if a mole or a gopher had gotten the eyes. The asparagus are growing so fast it is a wonder. I guess some people are cutting them to eat. This is the first year for mine so I am only watching them grow. I planted them in a trench and I am piling compost around them as they grow to make a deeper root system.
I am lining the potato bed with old 2” X 6”’s so I will be able to pile a lot of mulch around the plants as they grow. It is so much easier to grapple potatoes from leaves than from dirt.
The new grapevine’s buds have swollen up and are turning purple. They look like flowers; but I think they will be leaves. The grass is going to need cutting soon; and the spinach will need to be eaten. I’m ready. All the new things in the greenhouse are sprouting. I can’t wait to get my summer seeds in the ground. Good Friday (next weekend) is the traditional day here. It comes so early this year and the signs are all wrong. I will probably wait until April 5th.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
A New Raised Bed
A New Raised Bed
This raised bed started with a brick walkway to get from the greenhouse to the garage. It was a self defense effort to stop my wife from killing me over the mud. I realized that if I was carrying things too close past the green house, I might break a window. The raised bed seemed like the perfect solution.
I tilled the area, then dug the dirt out and put it on plastic trash bags. The bottom was filled with several inches of half finished compost. This was topped with rock phosphate and about 4” of dirt bringing things back up to ground level. A frame with old 2” X 8” lumber from the deck I am tearing down went on top of this. It is 2’ wide and 12’ long. That was filled to the brim with another layer of compost and the rest of the dirt from the hole.
Today the bed will be planted with beets, carrots, radishes, oak leaf lettuce, chives and thyme. The root crops and the lettuce should all be harvested by the end of May leaving Chives and Thyme as a permanent crop.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
This raised bed started with a brick walkway to get from the greenhouse to the garage. It was a self defense effort to stop my wife from killing me over the mud. I realized that if I was carrying things too close past the green house, I might break a window. The raised bed seemed like the perfect solution.
I tilled the area, then dug the dirt out and put it on plastic trash bags. The bottom was filled with several inches of half finished compost. This was topped with rock phosphate and about 4” of dirt bringing things back up to ground level. A frame with old 2” X 8” lumber from the deck I am tearing down went on top of this. It is 2’ wide and 12’ long. That was filled to the brim with another layer of compost and the rest of the dirt from the hole.
Today the bed will be planted with beets, carrots, radishes, oak leaf lettuce, chives and thyme. The root crops and the lettuce should all be harvested by the end of May leaving Chives and Thyme as a permanent crop.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Everything but Potatoes
Everything but Potatoes
Many of my friends are amazed that I have been planting stuff in my garden all winter. I have to tell you. As of yesterday, everything I have planted has come up except for the potatoes. The garlic hasn’t come up; but I just planted that last week. The temperature was projected to go down to 26 degrees Fahrenheit Sunday morning. I rushed around and covered everything up with straw. I waited until the bird bath thawed out and pulled the straw off. Not a thing was damaged. Last night a rabbit ate one of my little cabbage plants. That could happen any time.
The blueberries and paw-paw plants and vine peach seeds came in Thursday from Burgess Seeds. I planted them Saturday morning. They were a little disappointing. The blueberry plants were like the little pots of plants that are sold in Home Depot for less than $2. The paw-paws were little sticks with a vestigial root on them. I planted them in pots they were so small. I was afraid they would get lost in the yard. Vine peaches are a type of cantaloupe. They don’t disclose that in the catalog.
The strawberry slips that Michael and Winter Swol donated are really doing great. The blackberries have started to green up as well. Yeah Spring!!!
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
Many of my friends are amazed that I have been planting stuff in my garden all winter. I have to tell you. As of yesterday, everything I have planted has come up except for the potatoes. The garlic hasn’t come up; but I just planted that last week. The temperature was projected to go down to 26 degrees Fahrenheit Sunday morning. I rushed around and covered everything up with straw. I waited until the bird bath thawed out and pulled the straw off. Not a thing was damaged. Last night a rabbit ate one of my little cabbage plants. That could happen any time.
The blueberries and paw-paw plants and vine peach seeds came in Thursday from Burgess Seeds. I planted them Saturday morning. They were a little disappointing. The blueberry plants were like the little pots of plants that are sold in Home Depot for less than $2. The paw-paws were little sticks with a vestigial root on them. I planted them in pots they were so small. I was afraid they would get lost in the yard. Vine peaches are a type of cantaloupe. They don’t disclose that in the catalog.
The strawberry slips that Michael and Winter Swol donated are really doing great. The blackberries have started to green up as well. Yeah Spring!!!
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
Friday, March 7, 2008
Spring Fever
Spring Fever
I know that Spring hasn’t sprung; but my fever is building. The redbuds, lilacs and daffodils are blooming. My friend’s Lenten roses are loaded with blossoms. Lots of little things are greening up in the garden. I even need to cut the grass in the back yard.
This time of year always gets me excited and makes me want to be outside. I have a bunch of new projects in the dream and early starting stages. I will recite them here, not because anyone cares; but because if I list them here and don’t do them, I will be humiliated. I am going to make a raised bed adjacent to my greenhouse that will double as a cold frame. I have already started this. The boards are painted. Around the greenhouse and the raised bed will be a brick walkway to the driveway so I won’t track in so much dirt and catch so much hell from my wife. I have already done part of this.
I also want to build a lumber rack and a firewood rick, to improve organization in my yard. I am tearing down the deck behind the house to build a patio. My wife wants me to make a pergola in the back yard where a big red tip tree is growing. I am willing to build the pergola to get rid of the red tip tree.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
I know that Spring hasn’t sprung; but my fever is building. The redbuds, lilacs and daffodils are blooming. My friend’s Lenten roses are loaded with blossoms. Lots of little things are greening up in the garden. I even need to cut the grass in the back yard.
This time of year always gets me excited and makes me want to be outside. I have a bunch of new projects in the dream and early starting stages. I will recite them here, not because anyone cares; but because if I list them here and don’t do them, I will be humiliated. I am going to make a raised bed adjacent to my greenhouse that will double as a cold frame. I have already started this. The boards are painted. Around the greenhouse and the raised bed will be a brick walkway to the driveway so I won’t track in so much dirt and catch so much hell from my wife. I have already done part of this.
I also want to build a lumber rack and a firewood rick, to improve organization in my yard. I am tearing down the deck behind the house to build a patio. My wife wants me to make a pergola in the back yard where a big red tip tree is growing. I am willing to build the pergola to get rid of the red tip tree.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Happy Sadie Hawkins Day (maybe)
Happy Sadie Hawkins Day (maybe)
I don’t want to get into the controversy of Feb 29 and November dates for Sadie Hawkins day. I celebrate both. I have not written to this blog for a couple weeks so I have a lot to update.
The spinach and greens have come up. The spinach even has true leaves. The onions are about 6” to 8” tall. The 27th and 28th were the days to plant root crops and prune for growth. I planted more radish, carrots and onion sets. I also planted some garlic. I also pruned the new grapevines. I threw the pieces that I cut off of the grapevines into a bucket of water to soak. Next week I will coat the end of them with rooting hormone and stick them in some rockwool.
Speaking of rockwool. The plants that were started in rockwool have been the poorest performers of all the seedlings. Every single marigold died. Some of the seeds did not germinate. None of them are doing really well. Maybe I don’t know how to use rockwool. The jiffy pellets and paper cups did much better. The paper cups did best. They are also the cheapest. I will use them from now on and just use the rockwool that I have left for cloning.
I cut the biggest of the mulberry trees down on the 27th. It was so tall we could not pick the mulberries. I am hoping it will sprout. At any rate, I can take cuttings from the other mulberry tree before I cut it down.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
I don’t want to get into the controversy of Feb 29 and November dates for Sadie Hawkins day. I celebrate both. I have not written to this blog for a couple weeks so I have a lot to update.
The spinach and greens have come up. The spinach even has true leaves. The onions are about 6” to 8” tall. The 27th and 28th were the days to plant root crops and prune for growth. I planted more radish, carrots and onion sets. I also planted some garlic. I also pruned the new grapevines. I threw the pieces that I cut off of the grapevines into a bucket of water to soak. Next week I will coat the end of them with rooting hormone and stick them in some rockwool.
Speaking of rockwool. The plants that were started in rockwool have been the poorest performers of all the seedlings. Every single marigold died. Some of the seeds did not germinate. None of them are doing really well. Maybe I don’t know how to use rockwool. The jiffy pellets and paper cups did much better. The paper cups did best. They are also the cheapest. I will use them from now on and just use the rockwool that I have left for cloning.
I cut the biggest of the mulberry trees down on the 27th. It was so tall we could not pick the mulberries. I am hoping it will sprout. At any rate, I can take cuttings from the other mulberry tree before I cut it down.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/.
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