It's that time of the year again to plan our gardens. Are you getting ready?

[Evolver]

It seems like the nematodes are only effecting the tomatoes so I'm going to try some crop rotation out to try to live with them rather than fighting them. For four growing seasons I've planted the tomatoes in the same two raised beds so we have two beds that have never had tomatoes in before.

Yesterday we picked up a bunch of starter plant so we don't waste our Heirloom seed (as per Snipers suggestion) so we'll see what happens and if it doesn't work out I'll have time to solarize the soil again in June, July and August.


OS and T I'd try the fire method but... All my hard work would go up in flames.

[Sniper-T]

You should just plant even more tomatoes, and grow nematodes. Then sell them:

http://www.gardeninsects.com/beneficialNematodes.asp

although yours are probably not the beneficial kind. lol

On thatthought... could the beneficial ones kill off your bad ones?

[ladyhk13]

Evolver how big are your beds?

[Evolver]

4'x12'x16''deep.

I've got a bunch of photos of the build to show how I built them too.

[ladyhk13]

Mine are the same size but nowhere as deep. I think we only went 12" down. It seems like you plant a lot more stuff than I do! Maybe I'm just chicken to put so much into the space and should put more in them.

[FL-Jeeper]

The winter has been pretty mild up until recently... Anyhow, we've managed to nurse our sweet peppers through the winter and they were blossoming before this latest cold snap.

I cut back the sweet basil bush in hopes it will grow back. They didn't take the cold too well, despite our best efforts.

We've put out strawberries in the raised bed on the south side of the house & picked up lumber for two more raised beds, adjacent to the existing 4'x12' bed, that will have squash & blackberries. The beds will go in this weekend & a nice compost pile I've been brewing will feed them. Plants will go in before April.

I also have a 3 1/2 foot tall Mandarin orange tree in a pot that will get planted in a month or so.

Oh, and we've fertilized the banana trees, so maybe we'll have fruit this year.

[Taz Baby]

Perform your soil test by placing a sample into two separate cups or containers. Add vinegar to one. If it fizzes your soil is alkaline. If not, add some water to the second cup and stir. Add baking soda. If it fizzes you have acidic soil. If neither have a reaction your soil is somewhat pH balanced.

[bacpacker]

Now thats a quick and easy soil test, if you are way off one way or the other. If not your soil is acceptable for growing most crops.

[Taz Baby]

2013 Best Spring Planting Dates for Seeds

Just a reminder to all. Click link, hover over best days and click "Best planting dates by the Moon", type your zip code in. I always plant this way.

http://www.almanac.com/

[David Armstrong]

Summer plants went in this week. Tomatoes, corn, peppers, and strawberries. Few weeks more and the watermelons go into the ground.