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No thread for 2018. Most of us are planting now and as I get older, planting goes slower. Planted many of the the giant dahlias today and next I am going to plant waterlilies. I fertilized the first year seedlings and need to plant the second batch of second year seedling cuttings. The first tubers I planted(second year tubers) are beginning to pop out of the ground. Not much rain here and soil is dry and I am watering in tubers as I plant them.
We like to place a sign on our porch that says: We are in the garden. Really, we are always in the garden.
We are pretty far along with planting, always feel behind because up here in mid Michigan we pretty much seem to go right from winter to summer as Spring is but a blink of an eye . The early tubers we planted are putting up plants already . Due to frost threats I must plant seedlings last and they would have went in today but it’s too blasted HOT !! Will lay out the soaker hoses for them tonight and hook up my connections and such .
I lost a lot in storage over winter so planting tubers went pretty quick , a few beds will sit empty this summer but I still have more than enough to keep me busy .
We went to the nursery yesterday morning and got quite a few annuals , and way more vegetables than I think the boss intended to get , perhaps tonight I’ll get the weed barrier and straw down for the zucchini, squash cucumbers and the rest of that nasty stuff .
Irene had double heart bypass surgery about 7 weeks ago and has recovered fantastically, she’s been off work so it was nice to have someone to babysit the greenhouse, water , fill pots/trays etc , she won’t be pleased to know I saw a snake in the greenhouse this morning sooo I’ll probably keep that a secret
Finally got the raised bed filled and planted. Took 1620 pounds of top soil, compost, manure and a touch of potting soil to get it done. My arms and shoulders are aching big time! This is my first shot at growing dahlias and I hope they're happy in their new home. We''re having horrid heat and humidity, 9 inches of rain in 10 days, already - keeping my fingers crossed that they live. I'll be replacing the plastic under the containers with weed barrier and pea gravel.
Name: Jon George Gainesville, FL ...crazy enough to grow dahlias in
We had that non stop rain for ten days and I did lose some of the late arrivals (just put in) to rot...but the ones already established are all in glorious bloom.
Maui
"What is a weed?" asked Peppa Pig. "A weed is a cheeky plant growing in the wrong place!" replied Grandpa Pig.
I'm in the same boat as you, Benny. Straight from Winter to Summer, and where the heck did Spring go?!? Most all of my dahlias are planted. I usually lose some to rot, due to excessive Spring rains...this year, I'm not seeing much rot, but I'm having to water due to no rain and excessive heat.
I guess I won't fuss about getting a late start due to worker shortage, when our weather has been wonderful. Its supposed to be 64 and cloudy today. My two young ladies actually came back last night so we will see if they are going to actually help me today or insist on a holiday. My hand is feeling quite fatigued and painful from the wedding I did yesterday.
I just finished planting most of mine yesterday. And thought I would check in, and catch up on some of the threads here.
We also are having unseasonably hot weather, 3-4 days in a row above 90, which usually doesn't happen until July. I am sure it will cool back down, but right now a few hours outside in the morning is all I am willing to do. We have had quite a bit of rain in the past week, but prior to that it was a very dry spring.
Name: Jon George Gainesville, FL ...crazy enough to grow dahlias in
Gosh, we are 82 degrees and rainy today because of the tropical storm Alberto. I had to tie some plants that fell over despite the staking system in place.
Others, like this Noni seedling called 'On
Edge', is behaving nicely!
"What is a weed?" asked Peppa Pig. "A weed is a cheeky plant growing in the wrong place!" replied Grandpa Pig.
Jon, I think that one is Calico Catherine Jane which I remember sending you this year. Its the one I named after my great grandmother who was a little pioneer girl on the prairie...Its about my favorite of my singles! It is beautiful en mass when the plant really gets growing and grows quite tall. "On Edge" was a golden yellow with a red picotee edge which is why I called it "On Edge" ...it was a bit of a plant pun and I named it for someone with nerve reactions to stress, LOL... I think I may have lost it now. We will see if any show up this year but the red edge was pretty faint last year. Its looking real pretty in your picture!
My Wwoofers were much more co-operative today, and worked with right good will up until a late lunch. (I only require half days from them, since they are kids who also want to explore the areas they are visiting and make new friends) They worked real well this morning (I kind of had a temper tanthrum last night and I think my men folk might have told them to shape up! ) So we have the first half of the garden planted and the rest pretty well laid out (that is my part). I set our young man to weeding the last patch which is where I will plant out this years seedlings, while the girls planted the ones I laid out. Now all the young people have gone in to catch a Mariners game in Seattle. I divided up my big pot tuber of Salish Going dark and got another dozen or so plants off it...I don't know where I am planting all these! I do have a friend here on the Island who can grow some of my seedlings but probably not more then 4 or 5 of each. I guess I need to make pot tubers of these Going Dark's.
It was a good day work. I am hoping that two more (half) days will do it for the planting out. I think the two young ladies move on then to other Wwoof farms , but I get the young man from North Carolina for another week. I am sure we can find lots of work for him to do though it will be a different dynamic without the girls here I am sure it will be much more peaceful for one thing.
Inch by inch, row by row, I'm going to make this garden grow...it seems more like inches then rows today...However, progress is being made but slowly. My bed for seedlings has now been cleared of weeds. But i went to the chiropractor this morning so no planting for me until tomorrow...I did move the flats of seedlings out to the garden and they are looking pretty healthy. The space for seedlings this year is a bed that is slightly wedge shaped so there will be two paths down the bed dividing it into 3 not too wide rows that taper a bit toward one end.. with two very narrow paths. THat is my project for my next time in the garden.
We are over half done planting out the regular rows,
I decided the small triangular bed by the gate is going to be the open centered type this year...and will be mostly collarettes, orchettes, orchids and some singles. I'm kind of running out of space
Noni, we will get them planted. i am about 70% done and recent planting days have gone well. Ground is very dry here and I'm probably going to set up the drip irrigation in the next day or two.
We like to place a sign on our porch that says: We are in the garden. Really, we are always in the garden.
Comforting words, Ted! I'm keeping after Mr Islander to get the drip going here too.. So far I have been moving one little mist sprayer around trying to keep the garden growing until he can get it all turned on...
I have an appointment in the city today so leaving the kids and husband to carry on. Instructions are for the young ladies to continue planting out the plants where I have set them and for husband to commandeer young male to help with the drip system....Hopefully no one will go too far wrong...Zach will be here, he can sort them out, LOL...
Name: Cynthia BG, KY USDA Zone 6b Sanity = Dirt under your nails...
I still have probably 30+ varieties in my garage in clumps. I will be digging a big hole for each and covering them as quickly as I can in hopes that nobody notices I didn't have time to get them all divided.
C DG
All gardening is landscape painting.
- William Kent
Name: Amanda CA Redwood Coast - Zone 9b DahliaAddict.com
Hee! I feel you Cynthia. I have some clumps I dug but did not divide and now the sprouts are 9-10 inches tall. I'm thinking I'd better just rebury them as best I can...
Home again. Our young male Wwoofer broke a $25 part on the drip line assembly. (its not as if one of our own kids wouldn't have done the same) Other then that the girls say that they will be able to finish the planting tomorrow! Yeay! I really want to plant out my seedlings but might have to spend the day picking flwoers for market. Lots of roses this week!
Most all of my dahlias are planted. I usually lose some to rot, due to excessive Spring rains...this year, I'm not seeing much rot, but I'm having to water due to no rain and excessive heat. 
) So we have the first half of the garden planted and the rest pretty well laid out (that is my part). I set our young man to weeding the last patch which is where I will plant out this years seedlings, while the girls planted the ones I laid out. Now all the young people have gone in to catch a Mariners game in Seattle. I divided up my big pot tuber of Salish Going dark and got another dozen or so plants off it...I don't know where I am planting all these! I do have a friend here on the Island who can grow some of my seedlings but probably not more then 4 or 5 of each. I guess I need to make pot tubers of these Going Dark's.
I am sure it will be much more peaceful for one thing.
I'm keeping after Mr Islander to get the drip going here too.. So far I have been moving one little mist sprayer around trying to keep the garden growing until he can get it all turned on...
