What have you done for spring gardens?

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Brent S

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I hope to plant these potatoes on weds this week. I had such success last year with red potatoes that I'm planting a lot more this time, and am hoping to can a lot and store some in the root cellar. I cut them and give a day or two to let the cut surfaces dry to form a skin to help them be more rot resistant while getting rooted in the ground. I'll also plant a bunch of onion sets. I have the greenhouse planted now, and am looking forwards to getting the outside garden started. I have both regular and red potatoes here.
 
We had some "family issues" that kind of delayed our start on the project. Hope to still do it this month though. Our ranch-hand gal is leaving us, so posing some challenges.
 
Still waiting for the snow to melt, then for the mud to dry out. We're down to only 1-2 feet of snow in our garden area. Should be able to plant sometime in May. Going to build a greenhouse this summer so that next year we can get an earlier start.
 
Well, I got the potatoes and onions in the ground! My arms are beat! I had more potatoes than I thought and it took up 3/4 of the outside garden. I still have beans and peas to plant, not to mention the tomatoes and peppers started in the greenhouse, oh and cukes and squash . Damn, now I'm going to have to till up another patch! Oh well, still feel good about the potatoes. :)
 
Yesterday I got the pump and water lines up and running again. Each fall I just bring in the pump and drain the lines for freeze protection. Some of the lines still hold water and I always have to cut out a few pieces though. One of these days before I die I'm going to bury the lines. :). So now I'm back to watering on creek water vs county water. It has loads of chlorine in it, and the plants just do better from the creek. I still have some tilling to do, but it's still too early to plant the squashes and stuff for those areas.
 
We had some unexpected cold dips here lately, so kind of glad I didn't get to it. (may even be near freezing tonight) What?
With the big changes going on at the ranch, we just have to put it off until next season unfortunately.
The only good news is that it gives me more time to make sure we do it right before the next opportune time.

I still want to get the koi pond done, and the herb garden started though, before the summer. So that is still on.
 
We had some unexpected cold dips here lately, so kind of glad I didn't get to it. (may even be near freezing tonight) What?
With the big changes going on at the ranch, we just have to put it off until next season unfortunately.
The only good news is that it gives me more time to make sure we do it right before the next opportune time.

I still want to get the koi pond done, and the herb garden started though, before the summer. So that is still on.
In my humble opinion I think we are close to an economic downturn, and think all of our growing plans should move higher on our lists. All I've learned for sure is its harder to get plants to produce than I thought. It takes practice and work. I figured I could just read directions and make produce. Boy was I wrong! I am getting better, but still have a lot to learn. I am sure of one thing, if things go south as most here think will happen, I want to be able to eat, even when the dollar has so little value that you can't afford things at the grocery.
 
We're working on putting in vegetable beds. Of course it dipped to freezing last night, so it's not quite time to plant yet, anyway.
I got my gardens tilled finally, at the expense of not being able to use my arms without pain for a few days! I still need to rake some rows out, but am pretty close to planting the warmer crops. I have lots growing in the green house to transplant out in a few more weeks. I have truly never learned a skill that has been more rewarding in life than producing food for our table.
 
I also want to put a small koi pond in, to aid in irrigation of the vegetable plots as well as please my wife. I have it plotted out and the ground broke. Anybody have any experience putting one in and getting it to hold water?
 
Use a liner for the koi pond.

We're putting in one this summer ourselves (but a much smaller one, and more for ornamentation).

I agree with you Brent, it's why I can't put it off any more than starting it this year. Same with the fruit trees. I just hope we have at least a few more years before the collapse...but like you, I think it's imminent. I have to get the garden started and some fruits in the ground this year though. Pretty much my next prepper priority number 1. That and more water barrels.

With our ranchhand leaving though, kind of threw things a bit in disarray. If she had at least given us some more notice, would have been nice. Oh well, what can you do?
 
Good idea. I think I'll use an old aboveground pool liner to line the koi pond. Maybe some sack-crete, too. My main challenge is getting the boys off their laziness to help me dig the hole, now. No tractor or backhoe, so we're digging it by hand. Fun times.
 
Good idea. I think I'll use an old aboveground pool liner to line the koi pond. Maybe some sack-crete, too. My main challenge is getting the boys off their laziness to help me dig the hole, now. No tractor or backhoe, so we're digging it by hand. Fun times.

Yikes, how big?

We have to hand dig ours, but due to location. We have a tractor, but it can't get in where we need it. But, it's a small pond form, and only one end will be in the ground. The pond itself will be more of a raised one. I can't wait to get it done. It's going to look pretty cool. Just need to allocate the money for both the pump, and the surrounding rocks for it. Have everything else (except the fish). Even have a nice fountain that will also pour into it. We're doing an herb garden around it, all with a gnome and fairy theme (something the wife always wanted).
 
My life would love a fairy theme, too. I might do that for her. The hole, hopefully 3'-4' deep, is plotted to be only about 6' x 6', with a trailing tail maybe a couple of feet deep off to one side. One shovel full and wheelbarrow full at a time. Roots and rocks, but they do have as bit of dirt in between cementing them together, so that's good. Are you using the dirt you dig out of the bottom to make the bank for the above-ground part? I was contemplating cementing some rocks into a wall for that, here. Lord knows we have plenty of them.
 
My life would love a fairy theme, too. I might do that for her. The hole, hopefully 3'-4' deep, is plotted to be only about 6' x 6', with a trailing tail maybe a couple of feet deep off to one side. One shovel full and wheelbarrow full at a time. Roots and rocks, but they do have as bit of dirt in between cementing them together, so that's good. Are you using the dirt you dig out of the bottom to make the bank for the above-ground part? I was contemplating cementing some rocks into a wall for that, here. Lord knows we have plenty of them.
Anything heavy gets recycled/ incorporated into something close. Both Confucius and Brent say.
 
Are you using the dirt you dig out of the bottom to make the bank for the above-ground part?

No, we'll actually be using that dirt for a planter area behind the fountain.

The rest of the pond form will be above ground, with rocks forming a wall around it. (probably about 4 rows of rocks, I haven't measured it yet, so that's just eye-ballin' it).
 
Here in the Ozarks we have plenty of rocks. While digging, we're being blessed by finding even more. I'm thinking of using them to build a rock wall above ground around the pond a couple of feet high or so. I'm just looking for the cheapest method, such as what kind of mortar or sack crete is cheapest, et cetera.
 
Here in the Ozarks we have plenty of rocks. While digging, we're being blessed by finding even more. I'm thinking of using them to build a rock wall above ground around the pond a couple of feet high or so. I'm just looking for the cheapest method, such as what kind of mortar or sack crete is cheapest, et cetera.
If you go to lowes or Home Depot you can usually buy the broken bags for half price. The bags tear easily, so before you need to start a project start stopping by and collect a few. The regular concrete works great for the footer and regular mortar mix will stick the stones together on top of it. I carry a plastic tub in the back of the car and put the broken bags in it, helps contain the mess. I've been filling holes in my driveway for a few weeks now. I usually get 1 or two bags at a time, but recently they had five in one stop. I won't drive out to look for them, but when driving by a store I'll run in to see if they have any. Just look at the product on the shelf, and if there's a broken or ripped one just ask if they will sell it for half off. Most times they will.
 

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