Michigan

[Dascountry]

I'm gunna go with it and build a snowman and post it to my grandkids who are in Japan. Okay I built one and tried to add a picture of it here??????

 

[Grammi]

Well, the chickens are fed, we have water for all animals in buckets, water for us in pitchers, wood is in for the wood stove, and I have my crocheting ready for power outage. The snow is heavy and wet, and the wind is blowing, so now that we are prepared, the power will stay on!! Is that reverse psychology? I am so ready for spring. You know the old saying "March comes in like a lion, goes out like a lamb. Come On Spring!! I do feel very lucky that I don't have to go anywhere!! Keep warm.

 

[Dascountry]

This sure was a wet and heavy snow. So glad the power has stayed on I think I'm gunna try and start some tomatoe plants from seed. Never did that one. I've done squashes,cukes, pumpkins ect but never tomatoes. Any suggestions anyone?

 

[swampducks]

This sure was a wet and heavy snow. So glad the power has stayed on I think I'm gunna try and start some tomatoe plants from seed. Never did that one. I've done squashes,cukes, pumpkins ect but never tomatoes. Any suggestions anyone?

Suggestions as in variety? For a cherry type I love Sweet Millions. I think they are better than super sweet 100 and most of the others. They are available from Park Seed and PineTree (superseeds.com) I also really like the tumbling tom's both red and yellow, a larger cherry. Have yet to find a slicer I like, I always have problems with green shoulders of cracking or some problem no matter what type I buy.

If you mean how to plant, indoors 6-8 weeks before your last frost date, keep them close to the light or they'll get leggy, but great thing about tomatoes if they do get leggy, just bury that stem, and it'll make more roots! I'm planting mine any day now though it's about 12 weeks before the last frost date because I am going to harden them outside inside walls of water.

 

[Grammi]

I am really thinking of planting something in my garden for the chickens, We are going to have a very small garden this year, so I will fence that in. We are going to plant our tomatoes in pots, and then a few bush beans, and cucumbers. Carrots we plant in a raised table box. (Keeps the rabbits out!) Then plant the rest of the garden for the chickens to pick in. Any ideas? I really haven't thought of the kinds of veges, I always try new things. I really should keep a journal on what we planted and how it turns out. My ddil has a garden, and we exchange things that have grown good in each garden. We do have family who had a nursery for a few years, and they sold the normal tomatoes like big boy, better girl, etc. They said that people asked for those over any thing else. I know I am not much help, sorry, its late and every joint in my body hurts. So brain is not working properly. Sure hope this storm quits soon.

 

[swampducks]

Grammi, if you like to try new things,my favorite bush beans are Masai and Jade. Very prolific, tasty even if they get a little large. Long producers. I get them from Pinetree in Maine www.superseeds.com. Haven't noticed them elsewhere but let me google:

Jade: Gurneys, territorialseeds.com, and fedco.com has them.

Masai: hmmm, not finding any other place right off but a lot of blogs seem to this this heirloom is the best. I just lucked onto it while reading Pinetree's catalog a few years ago.

Can't wait to get them out there!

 

[Dascountry]

Grammi, if you like to try new things,my favorite bush beans are Masai and Jade. Very prolific, tasty even if they get a little large. Long producers. I get them from Pinetree in Maine www.superseeds.com. Haven't noticed them elsewhere but let me google:

Jade: Gurneys, territorialseeds.com, and fedco.com has them.

Masai: hmmm, not finding any other place right off but a lot of blogs seem to this this heirloom is the best. I just lucked onto it while reading Pinetree's catalog a few years ago.

Can't wait to get them out there!

Masai is what I ordered from pinetree this year to try. Glad you find that its good! I'm not sure what type of tomato I am planting this year, was just wondering on how soon to start the seed, and if it works well. I've always bought the plants.

 

[swampducks]

Masai is what I ordered from pinetree this year to try. Glad you find that its good! I'm not sure what type of tomato I am planting this year, was just wondering on how soon to start the seed, and if it works well. I've always bought the plants.

Yes, Masai is wonderful.

When is your last frost date? Mine is end of May so technically I can't plant toms outside till June, but I'm reviving use of my walls of water this year because I CAN'T WAIT THAT LONG!

 

[Dascountry]

Last frost is May 30th and the first frost in the fall is Sept 19th. So same boat here Sometimes I wish I lived in the southern and SWestern states. To hear them getting strawberries right now and putting in the gardens But then when we went SW last winter I hated the browness of it all and oh the pickers. Poor dogs couldn't even take a walk with us in lower OK and TX because of the small pickers that just stuck to their little paws. I felt so bad for them once we figured out that they were getting them. Lucky it was on the first walk. We carried them back to the truck....so then on I only walked them on the pavement. And the thing was you couldn't pull them out with your own fingers because they would stick to your skin...had to use plyers. I suppose I'll just think of that when I get envious of southern and SWestern states :happy_flower

 

[swampducks]

I lived in Los Angeles county and northern Virginia. Virginia was too hot and humid in August so everything went to pot. I was too close to the coast in CA so afternoons were cool and breezy. And the last 6 years I was there they had drought so watering was illegal. I prefer to battle the zone 4 weather and make do.