I Think Spring is Here !!!

Sunday, April 13, 2014 - What a great weekend to be outside and get the outside grounds ready for Easter. I decided to take Friday off and mulch my flower beds. I was glad to get my 6 yards moved  by mid afternoon as then I put down fertilizer around many of my trees and shrubs the remainder of the day.

The remainder of the weekend I visited Exley's, Moore's and Triple Oaks Nursery. My wife and I enjoyed our visits looking at the new perennials available this year as well as checking on the vegetable plants I will be purchasing in a couple weeks.

Each nursery offers something different to the public. Going to Moore's and seeing all the flowers and vegetables for sale helps me prepare for the upcoming weeks. Both Exley's and Triple Oaks Nursery have many beautiful plants and shrubs for spring planting.

I also spent time in my vegetable garden. Uncovering my strawberries as well as adding extra lines for my peas to climb. I also made herb planters which I place daily outside however remembering to bring them undercover this time of year due to cool nights and frost.

With temperatures in the 70's and bright and sunny days, I believe Spring is finally here !!!! It was great pleasure I put my snow blower away and now I look forward to the warm weather we not be having.

A Great Gardening Weekend

Sunday, April 6, 2014 - I am hoping with the weather we have this weekend that spring is officially here. With weather in the 50's I was able to begin my annual spring clean up as well as spend time in my vegetable garden.

Every year I am amazed with the amount of leaves and branches I clean up. Completing this same process at the end of fall, I am hoping one year I will be able to go outside in spring and see few leaves in flower beds, under shrubs and also stuck in my fence.

After spending most of the morning blowing and picking up debris, I spent time in my vegetable garden. I put in my second planting of peas as well as spinach and two types of lettuce. I am very happy to see that all my crops planted back in March have broken ground and survived those late winter cold temperatures.

Today, I hope to clean our my main flower garden. It is time to think about mulching all my flower beds which is something I always try to have done by Easter.

A Great Day To Plant !!!!

Sunday, March 9, 2014 - Waking up early and going outside in the garden is  the best way to begin any day. In my area, it is always so quiet and the only sounds heard are the birds and occasional car driving down the road.

Last week this time, we were preparing for a major snow storm with predictions of 10 - 12 inches hitting our area. We did luck out, only get 6 inches, but the cold and bitterness we had at the beginning of the week certainly helped enjoy this morning that much more.


Today I started my first planting of cool weather crops. I planted two types of peas, 3 types of lettuce, 2 types of spinach,  2 types of kale, 2 types of broccoli and cauliflower. This year I am experimenting with different types of seeds.  Also I am trying seeds which advertise which can be planted in the early spring and last throughout the summer.

This year I have decided to plant again another cycle of the above mentioned seeds a month from now. I am hoping during  the early spring and the beginning of the summer I will be able to enjoy all of these greens during the early part of the growing season.

More Snow Is On The Way !!!!!

Sunday, March 2 - It is so hard to believe that I am sitting here thinking about the predicted snow fall in our area that is supposed to begin this evening. At this time, my area, Sewell NJ, is calling for 8 - 10 inches, ending Monday afternoon.

As I mentioned in my last post, this past weekend was beautiful. With unseasonable temperatures in the 60's all my neighbors were outside trying to get a jump on our spring clean up. This weekend, I went outside and started my snow blower making sure it was ready for tomorrow.

Daffodils standing 3 inches tall
waiting for the snow storm to
begin.

For the past 5 years, I always plant my cool weather crops the weekend before St. Patricks Day.  I know the typical planting date is this holiday, but I try and get an extra week of growing since I don't fertilize my garden, only using compost and organic means.

My cool weather crops I am planting this year are peas, different types of spinach, lettuce, broccoli and cauliflower. All of these crops could benefit by the covering of snow that would occur tomorrow, but seeds need germination temperatures no lower than 20 degrees and this week we have a few days where the lows will be in the single digits. The possibility of not receiving any crops if I planted this weekend was not worth the risk of trying to get a "heads start".

It looks like I will spend next Sunday in my garden. Here's hoping this is the final snow storm for this winter.

By the way, if my good friend I work with does take the time to read this note, yes, it is true I sat on my tractor today wishing I was able to begin my spring ritual. :)

A Beautiful Winter Weekend !!!!!

Sunday, February 23, 2014 - It is so hard to believe with all of the snow we have had this winter, this weekend we were "teased" with temperatures in the 50's. ( Yes, and this week we will have temperatures in the 30's with two days of snow showers expected ) Today I decided to work in my vegetable garden.

It was a great day to be outside. Seeing neighbors I have not talked to in months as well as beginning to prepare my soil for planting for mid - March put everyone in a great mood to begin the work week.

Today I tilled part of my garden. Before beginning, I did sprinkle saw dust and shredded paper on the soil to help with the drying out process as well as help prepare the soil with the needed nutrients for growth.

This is a great start to the growing season. Getting air in the soil as well as breaking up those areas which are hard will be a benefit to my planting of my cold weather crops.

A Great Gardening Weekend !!!

Sunday, March 3 - It was a great weekend working in my vegetable garden Saturday. I decided to till my garden and then plant an early crop of cool weather vegetables.

I chose to plant 4 types of lettuce; Salad Bowl, Mesculin Mix, Black Seeded Simpson and Gourmet Mix. Also, I put in a small line of baby and olympia hybrid spinach, broccoli and kale.

It was great to get back in the garden but my planting did not stop outside. I did purchase a grow light system by Hydrofarm so I could begin some vegetables inside for planting around Mothers Day. With my inside planting, I started 6 type of tomatoes; golden nugget, sweetie, beefsteak, rutgers, roma and tomatillo.

Also I planted inside watermelon, cantaloupe, kale, purple basil and green and yellow squash.

This is the first time I have started seed inside with a grow light. I am excited to see how my plants will grow over the next few weeks.

Today, my wife and I went to the Philly Flower Show. This is the first time I have ever gone to this event and enjoyed this years theme England. The beautiful landscape display of flowers combined with the many vendors helped make this morning enjoyable.

We Escaped the Winter Storm !

Sunday, February 10 - South Jersey was very fortunate as we escaped the much anticipated Nor'Easter this weekend. With only a thin coating of ice and snow we have in our thoughts those living in New England who are struggling from the brunt of this storm.

Before my wife and I went to the Philly Home Show Saturday, I spent the morning planning when and were I was going to plant my spring crops. I also took a few pictures of how beautiful the winter weather is around our home.

Time to Get Ready for Planting !!!!

Saturday, January 19, 2013 - Happy 2013 Everyone !!!! As we enter a New Year and work our way thru the winter months, I have already started preparing for my spring planting.

Last year, I was able to plant my cool weather crops early as we had a mild winter. Keeping my fingers crossed, we have not had many cold days and our snow fall has only been minimal. With that in mind, I spent time this afternoon working on my compost pile and tilling some of my garden.

We have had much rain this year which has left my compost pile soggy. Today I turned over what was in the pile and also spread the pile allowing the air to dry out much of the moist areas.

I also tilled the new part of my garden. In the fall I decided to add on to my growing area by adding another 3 feet. This area will be used to grow either watermelons, cantaloupe or zucchinis; making the final decision after I decide on how I am rotating my crops this year.

This evening, I finished ordering my seeds through mail order. It is a tradition for me to always order from Rohrer Seeds located in Lancaster County Pennsylvania.

This tradition started many years ago when my father had a vegetable garden. He always believed Rohrer's had the best seeds and always provided him excellent yields.

I will be checking in soon when I begin planting seeds outside sometime late February, mid March, depending on our winter.

Stay warm everyone and feel free to drop me a line with your spring garden plans.

Fall Cleanup Time

Sunday, October 14, 2012 - Yesterday I spent the day saying "good bye" to my vegetable garden for the season. I spent the morning raking leaves in my back yard and then raking the leaves over the top of my garden.

In the afternoon, I tilled the leaves into the ground and raked out the dirt once I was done. I also checked on my strawberry plants which I planted in the fall and  already started to produce runners.

Friday evening we had our first frost of the Fall. It was cold Saturday morning, waking up to temperatures in the high 30's.  I picked the last tomatoes and peppers for the season and brought them in the house preparing for the cold weather.

I am now preparing to think about next spring. What to plant, how to rotate my plants in the garden and the possibility of starting some of plants from seed in my home during the winter months. In the past when I have done this, I have not been met with much success. The plants grow but never seem to be strong enough to plant outside once the growing season begins. It is time for me to do some research in this area to see what I have been doing wrong. If anyone has any suggestions on what do do, please let me know!!!

It also has been time to make sure the bird feeders are filled and cleaned. As you can see from this picture, the finches started their afternoon feast right before 4pm. It will be great to see these finches in another month when their feathers will turn yellow in color.

What a Beautiful Weekend !

Sunday, July 22 - Waking up this weekend to temperatures in the 70's has been quite refreshing. We have had two heat waves this summer with temperatures at times in the low 100's and the heat index hitting 105 on one day.

My vegetable garden has survived these extreme conditions however I am disappointed with the yields from the tomato plants so far . Usually by this time I am picking daily up to 10 - 15 large tomatoes and with the grape variety, I have picked up to 1/2 a bucket at times. Yesterday, I had one of my largest yields of the summer, picking 3 4 heirloom and around 25 grape and cherry.

Last weekend I planted 6 each of  tomato, eggplant and cantaloupe plants. Also, I planted 14 zucchini seeds hoping for a second yield during the end of September.

Rain also has been scarce this summer. We did have a downpour this past week but besides that small amount, rain has been hard to come by. I am sure this has played a reason for the slow yield this summer as the well watering I have been doing just is not the same.

My flower gardens are doing well. My hydrangea tree is beginning to bloom and the limelight hydrangea bush has been in full bloom the last 3 days. It is nice to see these colors this time of year adding a special touch during these hot and humid times.

I am beginning to think about how to expand my garden. Once I determine what I am going to do I will share my ideas with everyone.

Rain, Finally !!!!

Friday, June 29 - I did not mind being awoken this morning by the sound of rain hitting my bedroom window. Finally we had a thunderstorm, typical for South Jersey summer days, especially when we are beginning a heat wave.

The rain we received in my area was the first in 10 days. It is most welcomed with the predicted temperatures for this weekend to be in the high 90's and possibly reaching 100 !!!

Luckily my flower and vegetable gardens are still doing well. We have been watering all areas but as you know, nothing is better than rain water for flower growth and vegetable yields.

My vegetable garden has been providing us and friends with huge numbers of zucchini and yellow squash. Tomatoes are slowly ripening and Thursday I picked my first plum tomatoes.

Another pleasant surprise where the "mystery" plants which have started from the compost pile. We have identified two plants; pumpkins and acorn squash. It is so strange to see pumpkins forming this time of year. The acorn squash is producing long vines which is beginning to tangle with the watermelon and peppers.

Today is a rest day from garden work. Having the day off from work, I plan to head to the shore, hopefully to cool down and relax. This weekend, I plan to do my usual garden chores and hope to begin to clear the brush down by the creek.

Hot Air Balloons

Sunday, June 24 - After taking my dogs out this morning around 6:30AM, I heard the burner sounds from above. Looking over my tree line in the back yard I saw two Hot Air Balloons flying over and beginning to descend.







It was a beautiful site and so peaceful watching and listening to the balloon as they flew slowly out of sight.  The quiet morning added to my excitement as I thought about what I was planning to do the remainder of the day.
I decided with the heat, to cut back those tree limbs which were in the way while I cut my grass. Using a combination of my chain saw, small and large tree cutters, I was able to finish this job in about 3 hours. The task then in hand was the cleanup, picking up all the cut branches and hauling them to the woods.

Summer Time is officially here !!!

Saturday, June 23 - The hot, humid weather we have had the last 3 days has finally left us for a brief time. Yesterday, was a day where I needed to run errands, pick blueberries and also purchase a new weed trimmer.

My wife and I begun our day by going to Mood's Farm to pick blueberries. Mood's located on Rt. 77 in Mullica Hill New Jersey is a great place to go if you want pick various fruits throughout the growing season. This is a place my wife and I visit on a regular basis especially during the early summer and fall. Yesterday we picked 23 lbs of blueberries which we freeze and use throughout the year in smoothies and home baked products.

I have been researching which brand to purchase and decided on a stihl weed trimmer which can use interchangeable attachments. My purchase yesterday included a trimmer and single blade which is used to cut brush.

 Our flower garden is beginning to grow with the hot and humid weather.

 The sunflower seeds, which have fallen from our bird feeders have grown to 4 ' in height and are almost ready to bloom.

 Flowers are starting to bloom and attract hummingbirds throughout the day.

 The vegetable garden is beginning to yield zucchinis, tomatoes, broccoli and yellow squash.

 All of the plants which have grown from the compost pile are doing well and are beginning to flower.

 The raspberries plants are beginning to produce fruit and are now beginning to turn red.

Happy Fathers Day

Sunday, June 18 - Fathers Day 


Happy Fathers Day!!! Today is a day for me to think about and reflect on all my memories with my father. As I think back, I did not appreciate all my father had to offer me as I was growing up and even after I started my family, I did not really understand everything that I had learned from him.

Today, as I look back, I think about the values and the way of life he taught me. Many of the things I learned from him were silent, meaning I learned by the example he set by the way he treated my mother and provided for our family.

By todays standards, he was not an educated man as he finished high school after serving time in the army during WW II. Then thru the mail he taught himself how to become an excellent wood craftsmen which as a hobby he would build furniture, church altars and anything asked of him by neighbors and friends.

It was common to see my father in his garage every weekend and often after work, finishing a project or fixing something that I had broken or needed to be repaired around our home. I cannot ever remember my father calling someone to our home to do repair work as he always had the knack to find some way to fix whatever needed to be done.

I certainly do not have many of the skills that he had. But I certainly try to live my life daily by setting the example he had done for me. To all fathers today, Happy Fathers Day, and I hope you have fond memories like me.

As begin my garden work this morning, I will be thinking about all those good times I had with my father while growing up.

My vegetable garden is really beginning to "take off"! It looks like I will have my first ripe tomato sometime this week and the yellow squash and zucchini are now beginning to mature. The string bean seeds I planted a few days ago are now 2 inches out of the ground and my pepper plants are beginning to form small peppers.

Broccoli and Lettuce Picking

Sunday, June 10 - A hot and humid Sunday in South Jersey today. It is in the 90's with showers popping up in the tri-state area. I hope are area gets some rain soon. The soil is very dry and cutting grass this weekend the dust kicked up reminded me of those hot days in August.

The hydrangeas are beginning to bloom in our garden ! Hopefully by the weekend the plants will be in full bloom. Also, the annuals we have placed in pots, baskets and in our yard are beginning to mature. One of my favorites is this petunia we bought at Kens Gardens. It is beginning to "wave", meaning it is starting to grow over the sides of the flower pot found on our patio.

The blueberry plants are beginning to ripen. We have been getting a handful almost every day and the 3 varieties we planted should give us this amount throughout the month of June.

Today I picked 2 heads of broccoli. Our cool crops have treated us well this year and it looks like with this heat this week, this may be our last week for lettuce.


Here is a picture of the area I cleared last weekend which contained strawberry plants. I transplanted 15 different plants, all which grew from the compost pile this year. I do not know how many will actually survive this heat we are having, however it looks like I will have a late crop of zucchini, cantaloupe and tomatoes this year.


Here is a side view of my vegetable garden I took early this morning. All of my crops are doing well. I am looking forward to the cauliflower which I planted back in the spring to begin to form heads. This is the first year I have tried to grow this vegetable.

This afternoon, I spent a few hours working on my compost pile. It is amazing the amount of heat which is generated by all the ingredients I have added. When I started to turn over all the matter, it began to smolder as the grass and leaves are beginning to breakdown. I also went to my neighbors and added a load of horse manure. I layered the manure with the other parts. This will be a huge benefit for next years crops when I put this compost in the garden next spring. It also will give the manure time to "age", which will help crops grow and not burn the roots when added. (Yes, Janice, I thought of you today.  :) )

Lastly, here is a pic of my clematis I planted a few weeks ago. As you can see, I have plenty of green and  but no blooms. I did add espoma tomato tone as this product has a small amount of nitrogen which is needed for this plant. If anyone has any suggestions on what I should do, please let me know.

String Beans are planted

Monday, June 4 - Today after work, I went out to the vegetable garden and planted a 15 foot row of string beans. I always start this vegetable from seeds as in the past I have had much success with my harvest which will occur the first week of August.

I also moved my basil plants to another location in the garden. I wanted to put them in a more convenient location for my wife so she could gather what she needs without walking thru the garden.

The rain we received today helped the other plants I had transplanted yesterday. Even though there are a few not looking that healthy, I believe the cool weather and the dampness we have this week will help these plants in their "new home".

Now, I know Summer is here !

Sunday,  June 3 - We had a beautiful day today and in fact, when I woke up this morning, it was a little chilly. I went to work in my vegetable garden around 7am this morning. About 15 minutes later, my neighbor came over to lend me his mantis tiller for the work I had ahead of me today.

Around 8am, my neighbor put on his outside speakers for me to hear, "Breakfast with the Beatles". This has always something we have kidded each other about, as when we are both working outside, he puts on his radio to keep us entertained. Also, we both realize that when the music is on it is also summer time!!!

Today, was a long day in the garden. I ripped out the large strawberry bed I had planted 2 years ago. It was amazing to see how only 25 plants had taken up almost half of my garden. The strawberry plants had produced so many runners which had rerooted many new strawberry plants for us to enjoy.

After removing all the plants, I also tilled the area 3 times to make sure all the roots were removed and also to add air to the soil. I usually wait 24 hours to plant, but knowing there was a chance of rain today and tomorrow, I decided to plant 14 zucchini and cantaloupe plants and 5 tomato plants which had started to grow in my garden from my compost pile. Many of the plants this evening, looked shocked from their move, but I am hoping the water from this afternoon and the possibility of rain tonight, will help these plants stabilize.

Tent Worms

Saturday, June 2 - Out early in the morning, I noticed my new hydrangea tree had tent worms. These small worms were moving around in their nested enclosure as the sun was warming their home. I was concerned as the leaves which were touching their web all had died. Luckily, the nest was at the end of two branches, and it was in its beginning stages, which made it easy to remove by cutting the branch.

After work, I spent the afternoon dead heading the purple and white salvia as well as my knock out roses. I also worked on my bird feeders and baths which is now part of my weekly routine.

Sadly, my snap peas and strawberries are done for the season. I have decided to remove the one path of berries tomorrow and till this area to plant the small seedlings which have grown from my compost bin. As some of the plants have matured, it appears I have some tomatoes, zucchini, and cantaloupe to transplant !

Our area was fortunate as the only remains from the heavy rains and winds were leaves on the ground and my grape vine breaking. I hope to take some time Sunday to repair this vine after working in my vegetable garden.

Mildew found in South Jersey

Friday, June 1 - Today we learned that a cucurbit downy mildew has been reported first in Gloucester County NJ. This mildew affects the yield of your harvest, therefore ways need to be considered to eliminate this problem. Please see below what you can do to control this disease:

Pest: Cucurbit downy mildew

Found: Cucurbit downy mildew has been confirmed on cucumber in areas near Swedesboro/Glassboro (Gloucester County). This is the first report of cucurbit downy mildew in the mid-Atlantic region this year.

 

Crop(s) at risk: all cucurbit crops in New Jersey.

Potential impact: Significant losses will occur if not controlled properly

What growers should do:
Control of cucurbit downy mildew begins with regular scouting, recognizing symptoms and weekly protectant fungicide applications. Now that downy mildew has been detected growers should scout on a daily basis and add a downy mildew specific fungicides to regular fungicide program. As a note, powdery mildew is also active in cucurbits.

           

Remember, all abandoned cucumber and summer squash fields should be sprayed with gramoxone or disced under immediately after last harvest to kill the foliage! Abandoned fields left unattended after use will only serve as a source of inoculum for other fields once downy mildew makes its way into our area.

                       

Please see the 2012 Commercial Vegetable Recommendations Guide for specific fungicide recommendations

 

As we await the severe thunderstorms in our area later this evening, I am hoping the anticipated high winds and predicted hail will not damage any of our fruits or vegetables. Even though I am working tomorrow, I will be rising early to check my gardens for any damages.

Taking care of those rose bugs !

Tuesday, May 29 - Another hot day here in South Jersey. Again the temperatures were in the 90's and when I entered my car on the way home from work, the outside temperature gauge showed me 100 degrees !!! Tonight and early tomorrow morning, we are anticipating severe thunderstorms with hail and strong winds.

With the extreme heat conditions, many of my flower leaves have become bug eaten. Especially my knock out roses, there seems to be more leaves which have been eaten than ever before. I stopped by Lowes on the way home and purchased total rose and flower care. It is a concentrate you mix with water.

My vegetable garden is handling the heat with mixed results. The tomatoes are enjoying this weather and many of my plants are almost as tall as their cages. Also, one of my grape tomatoes is beginning to turn yellow, which makes me think that I will have a red tomato by the weekend.

The eggplant and peppers needed to be watered again tonight. The heat had begun to wilt these plants. I am hoping I watered in time where I did not lose any plants.

We had a pleasant surprise with a tree located in our back yard. For the first time since we lived here, we found this tree to be of the bing cherry variety. My wife picked a colander full of this fruit after dinner tonight.

I also picked another 2 quarts of strawberries and some snap peas. It appears that both of these products are at the end of their cycle. If it does rain as predicted, my strawberry picking days may be over.