Veg The Garden Is In

Redcat

Redcat

Veteran Member
We had a frost last week, so I waited until this weekend to get the garden done. My daughter came and helped, thank God. It was officially 87. Even with sunscreen, I am burned today. My poor girl is putting her own garden in today. I feel bad as she is also no spring chicken and already had a hip replacement, but she is younger than me.

I have come to the realization that this may be our last year of gardening. We are getting up in years and today I am so sore. Then again, this was the one hard day. Now it's just watering and weeding.

We also did prune the grapes and cut down a few dead branches on trees. So maybe that figures into my aching. I know I will be very happy if I can actually get some of the produce and not just feed the deer lol. I do try to plant items that the abundant critters don't like (no root crops).

Items in: A dozen tomatoes, small amount of potatoes (maybe 20 plants), 4 slicing cucumbers, 2 peppers, 4 baby sugar watermelon, 4 zucchini (am I mad?), 4 acorn squash, and 4 yellow cantaloupe. I am going to try trellis training on the zucchini, cantaloupe, cucumbers and watermelon. On the deck is yellow beans and red lettuce.

Seems everything was $2.98 in a 4 pack or $5.98 for a single plant (I went to home depot) so ... I didn't start my own this year due to some severe back problems including a lot of pain, epidurals and physical therapy. It's sad, as I have so much seed. But you do what you have to. The red lettuce seeded itself from when I was collecting seed pods last year. I have lettuce up the behind lol.

It's a small garden but hopefully will produce enough. Now where is the advil bottle, lol.
 
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Babs

Babs

Veteran Member
It would be a really good idea to up your electrolytes when you're going to be working that hard. Last week, I worked hard on my garden and had never been so sore in my life, and it lasted for days.

I upped my potassium, magnesium etc., for the last few days, and I put a good 8 hours into the garden yesterday, and have absolutely no soreness today.
 
Redcat

Redcat

Veteran Member
Babs said:
It would be a really good idea to up your electrolytes when you're going to be working that hard. Last week, I worked hard on my garden and had never been so sore in my life, and it lasted for days.

I upped my potassium, magnesium etc., for the last few days, and I put a good 8 hours into the garden yesterday, and have absolutely no soreness today.
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That's an excellent idea. Heading for the potassium, zinc and magnesium right now. Thanks.
 
W

Wildwood

Veteran Member
I feel your pain! My garden has been a long drawn out process this year because of redoing all my vertical supports and trying to fix some of the issues the flood caused last year. I've put in three full weeks and I'm still getting sore but not as much as I did at first and I seem to be getting a little more flexible. I really thought I'd lost some of my strength and agility after getting sick but maybe I can regain it. I'll be downsizing if my plans to make it all easier don't work out.

The cost of started plants is crazy now days!
 
Redcat

Redcat

Veteran Member
"The cost of started plants is crazy now days!"

Absolutely nuts. Plus you don't get exactly what you want. I am still looking for a cherokee purple tomato plant and zero luck this year. Will I be ok without it, sure. But I want one.

Last year I bought metal trellises from Lowes. They just plop in the ground and end of year, out they go to store in the garage.
 
M

Martinhouse

Deceased
I'm really late getting things planted this year, too. Good that Arkansas has a long growing season. (Provided that we get enough rain, or at least that the grid stays up so my well pump will keep me in water!)

Redcat, maybe you could order seeds right now for that Cherokee Purple tomato, so you can grow your own next year even if seeds and bedding plants are not available at all by next year.
 
Redcat

Redcat

Veteran Member
Martinhouse said:
I'm really late getting things planted this year, too. Good that Arkansas has a long growing season. (Provided that we get enough rain or at least that the grid stays up so my well pump will keep me in water!)

Redcat, maybe you could order seeds right now for that Cherokee Purple tomato, so you can grow your own next year even if seeds and bedding plants are not available at all by next year.
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I do have seeds for that tomato. But I was totally occupied with my back pain and treatments this year and had zero interest in starting anything. They will be there for next year.
 
M

Martinhouse

Deceased
Redcat, great that you already have the tomato seeds. Not so good that you were unable to get to them this spring. I can identify with that.....I just planted several types of seeds two days ago. I soaked them first and a couple types of them were already sprouting, so I guess at least some will not be too late in the season.

Hope you get better and don't have to stop gardening entirely. On a lighter note, I think I find gardening even more therapeutic than griping when I'm hurting so bad!! (: (: (:
 
W

Wildwood

Veteran Member
Redcat said:
"The cost of started plants is crazy now days!"

Absolutely nuts. Plus you don't get exactly what you want. I am still looking for a cherokee purple tomato plant and zero luck this year. Will I be ok without it, sure. But I want one.

Last year I bought metal trellises from Lowes. They just plop in the ground and end of year, out they go to store in the garage.
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Cherokee purples are my favorite and I completely understand...went through the same thing a few years back. I have several starts left over...wish you were close! I usually see CP's in those gallon size containers at places like Walmart, Lowe's and Tractor Supply. They are very pricey but well started and sometime have a tomato already.
 
W

Wildwood

Veteran Member
Martinhouse said:
Redcat, great that you already have the tomato seeds. Not so good that you were unable to get to them this spring. I can identify with that.....I just planted several types of seeds two days ago. I soaked them first and a couple types of them were already sprouting, so I guess at least some will not be too late in the season.

Hope you get better and don't have to stop gardening entirely. On a lighter note, I think I find gardening even more therapeutic than griping when I'm hurting so bad!! (: (: (:
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I usually start my seeds for my second round this time of year. I think you'll be fine. I'm doing good this year to get my first round in...there will be no second round.
 
W

Wildwood

Veteran Member
Redcat said:
I do have seeds for that tomato. But I was totally occupied with my back pain and treatments this year and had zero interest in starting anything. They will be there for next year.
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Don't put too much pressure on yourself. I've had to force myself not to and to not beat myself up for what I wasn't able to get done. I couldn't do all I do without some help with the heavy lifting. I'm trying to get it to where I can but I'm sure not there yet.
 
M

Martinhouse

Deceased
Another reason to start one's own seeds.....while every great once in a while there might be the wrong kind of seed in a packet, they've been reliable for me. But seems like more and more in the last few years, I'll buy a six-pack of something and find out later that the starts are a different plant entirely than what was on the little tag.

I figure that Bonnie Plants now has mostly employees who not only cannot read English, but also cannot even speak or understand it! (: (: (:
 
dioptase

dioptase

Veteran Member
Grats on getting your garden in! I hope your DD can get hers in, too.

Last weekend I finally got my 8 peppers planted - all plants that I bought online (ditto the 4 tomato plants previously planted). I have seeds, but did I start them? Noooooo. I'm looking to buy 1 basil plant (which I also have seeds for, sigh) and that'll be it for the summer garden.

I'm hoping that next year I'll be able to do better. Plants certainly are getting pricey, and if you factor in shipping costs, it gets even worse. (But apart from my mobility issues, we tend to have traveling around the time I need to be coddling baby seedlings, which makes things difficult.)
 
KMR58

KMR58

Veteran Member
Redcat said:
"The cost of started plants is crazy now days!"

Absolutely nuts. Plus you don't get exactly what you want. I am still looking for a cherokee purple tomato plant and zero luck this year. Will I be ok without it, sure. But I want one.

Last year I bought metal trellises from Lowes. They just plop in the ground and end of year, out they go to store in the garage.
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I have a ton of Cherokee purple starts this year. If you were close I’d give you some. They are my favorites. Northern lower Michigan.
 
KMR58

KMR58

Veteran Member
Redcat said:
Thanks and I wish I was closer.

I am going to go out later today or tomorrow and go to the actual garden store and see if I can find one.
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If you end up getting some save some of the seeds for next year. Last year a local Russian lady who I buy raw milk from gave me some Russian purple grape tomatoes. They were amazing. I saved seeds and now have those plants growing. I soaked the seeds for a few days last fall and then let them dry on a piece of paper towel. The plants are doing really well. If we don't start saving seeds we won't be able to get them. My opinion anyway.
 
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