Our warm, sunny weather has continued so we’ve been real busy. Ashley’s dad and girlfriend, Jen, came on Friday evening so they could help out over the weekend. So Will and David had everything ready to go on Saturday morning. They started early even though David had been working in Superior, Wisconsin, on a house re-build (only 1/2 mile from the Husky refinery which exploded and burned!) so he didn’t get much sleep. No, he wasn’t injured but everyone had to evacuate and he got some good photos.
Everyone worked hard and by Sunday afternoon, all four walls plus a temporary stairway up to the floor level were finished. It looks great! Then after Ashley’s dad left, David got the laundry room, battery and water tank storage room framed. Will’s been working on clearing the new garden area and has been having trouble with the crawler/loader throwing its track. And it’s a heavy track, too.
I got the main garden and berry patch garden area, including the asparagus beds, mowed with the riding mower after Will got the very last T-posts pulled out of the now-thawed ground. I also planted several pots of Atlantic Giant pumpkins as they are such late-maturing pumpkins, I wanted to start them early, inside, to get more big pumpkins here in the north. All the tomatoes and peppers look great and some are now a foot high and a beautiful green.
Our migratory birds are coming back. We now have geese, a few ducks, sandhill cranes, redpolls, pine siskins, snipes, robins, and a killdeer as well as the red-winged blackbirds by the hundreds. I’m waiting to hear the first frogs of the year then spring will be here for sure.
This morning, Will hauled the first manure to our main garden, which usually gets done in the fall. But this past fall turned to major winter overnight so it didn’t get done. Gardening starts in earnest now! Yea spring. — Jackie
We are getting our garden worked up at as well though it’s not close to your size. Maybe some day… I bought several tomato seeds from your Seed Treasures. They have done exceptionally well and are getting quite big already. Most a foot or more high. I live in Zone 4 and am wondering how soon could I plant them? I have Wall-o-Waters to protect them. I’m afraid if I wait 3 more weeks they’ll get too big. Please advise. Thanks!
I’d wait a week, then set out your tomatoes in the Wall’O Waters. If they are too tall then, just make a shallow trench and bury most of the stem, curving the top part up gently so only about six inches or so of leaves are above the soil. (The stem part you buried will then root and make the plant even stronger. I’ve had Wall’O Waters protect my plants at 18 degrees, with a foot of snow! They didn’t just “live” but actually grew! Don’t worry about a smaller garden. Our first one here was only 10′ by 4′. But every year since, the garden(s) have grown and grown…..
We have hardly taken a breath since the weather broke! Got hot ere today and very windy.
Quick question. How far apart should tomato’s be planted and spaced?
I remember how excited we were with our first home. Can’t be done soon enough.
Congratulations!
Although some folks plant their tomatoes 3-4 feet apart, I prefer at least 6 feet as they don’t get crowded that way and are easier to work with. As we save pure seed, we plant our tomatoes at least 8′ apart and sometimes even farther, just to ensure the flowers don’t rub against neighboring flowers. (Yes, it IS still possible for insects to cross pollinate tomatoes but with us, it seldom, if ever, happens.)
The house is coming along great. Glad you’ve had the weather to make good progress. Bet David and Ashley are so tickled to get walls up! Good to see your garden work and hear about your plants. One foot tomatoes and peppers… wow! How are the baby calves doing?
The calves are getting huge! I’ll add a photo to a blog so you can see them.
Boy, the house is taking shape fast. How exciting for them!
It is exciting and soon more will happen as we are promised another good weekend.
Congratulations to David and Ashley on the progress of their house!
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