Transplanting Strawberry Plants--New Strawberry Bed

This year's strawberry bed

Thinking spring already. My DH is planning for a new strawberry bed next year. He has already transplanted the runners of strawberry plants into the new bed on the west side of the garden. This section of the garden stays wet in the spring and it is a struggle to till, so it is a good place to keep strawberries. The east bed produced very well this June, but time for a change. This area is tillable and will allow my hubby to plant an early spring crop in the soil.

My DH suggests starting a new bed every three to four years. There are 225 plants of the June bearing All Stars variety in this new location. We like the June bearing fruit better than the ever bearing varieties. June is a high production crop and tastier, or so we think.

Healthy plants which are connected to the mother plant and ready for transplanting. We call them runners.

This photo shows the small plants that are called runners from the large mother plants. My DH digs them up carefully to re-plant in the new bed.

Garden Tip: When transplanting, do not bury the heart of the plant and be sure the roots are healthy.

The new strawberry bed

We have a straw path down the center of the bed so it is easy to reach all the plants for picking the fruit. The old bed spread runners into the moist straw allowing a great place for the runners to thrive.

Stay tuned for the results next June. Lip smacking, juicy strawberries. Mmmmm.....

Savoring Strawberries

Today my DH brought in twelve pounds of beautiful, ripe June bearing strawberries from our patch on the east end of the garden. Our grandsons are here today, so we quickly dispatched about 10 lbs in hungry tummies! No, not really. The 10-year old said that was the best breakfast he ever had…angel food cake and strawberries.

Gardening Tip:  To save your berries from hungry birds, place netting over the plants.

The bounty from this morning's harvest--3 pails of strawberries, lettuce, and first cabbage.

In the poll on why you garden many of you voted for the enjoyment. Gardeners receive many blessings from gardening…the wonder of a growing plant, the fun of digging in the dirt, the nurturing, and finally the product. But I think sharing your fruit or vegetable with friends and neighbors is a worthwhile reward too. Seeing our grandsons’ faces light up with that first, delightful bite of strawberries is worth all the labor in the garden.

Time for the Greenhouse

Spring in Michigan..My DH put the greenhouse up. He is roarin' to get out and garden, but do you see those snowflakes falling in this picture? Oh yes, the snow fell even harder later on Tuesday/Wednesday.

Snow, snow, go away. We want to garden, dig, and play.

The bathroom is now the official growing/holding chamber till the plants are moved to the greenhouse. These are the plants my DH started in FL and yes, we hauled them all the way home in the back of our pick-up truck. They don't look any worse for wear, but really need a good dose of sunlight.

Check out the video to the right of the page on how my DH builds his greenhouse. If you have questions, please ask in the comments.

Video--How to Start a Vegetable Garden from Howcast

This video has lots of quick information if you are beginning vegetable gardener or an experienced one. I learned to leave the top of a fence unsupported so a varmint can't climb it due to his weight. Interesting. Hmm...what about digging under it?

Hope you enjoy this entertaining video. Have questions? Please ask.

Why Do You Garden?

I imagine the number 1 answer to the question, "Why do you garden?" would be because you like fresh vegetables! There is nothing sweeter than a sweet pea from your own garden or a stir fry of veggies you harvested from your garden plot.

In this day and age, I'm sure saving money is an answer high on the list. We really DO save a substantial amount of money and we have the records to prove it.

The emphasis on going green and sustainable farming has driven many families to gardening. Maybe you don't realize it, but gardening is good for your health both physically and emotionally. Weeding, roto-tilling, planting, and harvesting gives your body a work out. And no gym fees to pay!

I like to think the just good fun and satisfaction is a strong force in deciding to put our sweat and time into a garden plot.

From my other posts, you probably realize I believe a gardener is a dreamer, an optimist, and a hard worker. So personality also comes in to whether a person gardens or not.

There is a poll on the right side of the page. Please vote for a reason why you garden. If you don't see your choice, please put it in a comment. This is definitely an unscientific poll, but it will be an interesting one! Thank you.

Vegetable Garden View--Florida Garden

Close up of beets, cabbages, lettuce in our Florida garden



Here are the latest photos of our Florida vegetable garden. We have an abundance of lettuces, beets, and cabbage shown here.

Notice the tall broccoli spear in the foreground of the photo. I thought my DH had really missed cutting this sprout, but he tells me he is letting it go to seed so he can collect the seeds for planting up north.

It has been a very cool winter in Florida. But this garden seems to have come through pretty well for us. We were amazed at how the lettuce leaves would actually freeze practically pure ice, then when the day warmed up, the lettuce would come back crispy. My DH placed pine needles under the lettuce plants. It really kept them much cleaner, no sand or dirt to speak of on the leaves when harvested.

One of the wonderful perks of having a garden--the joy of sharing the produce with friends.

It's the end of the season for vegetable gardening and about time to button up the garden until spring. We still have some green tomatoes which we will pick, then wrap in newspapers to ripen. Broccoli and cabbage and lettuce will be good because they can stand the frost.

I wrote an article on End of Season Vegetable Gardening Tips for Life 123. I have no idea why it is formatted with capital letters starting each word...Not my formatting. Click here to read it. I hope it helps you put your garden to bed for the year.

Potato and Watermelon Harvesting with Grandpa

You know how much work it is to dig up potatoes, then bend over to pick up the harvest. My DH has solved the problem and made it a lot of fun...Get the grandkids to do the work! Below are photos from harvesting the yellow German and Yukon potatoes and Red Pontiacs. The total on the potato yield is 125 pounds, a record for us. The potatoes are a good size and well-formed thanks to the new compost he has put on the garden the last couple years. Soil really does make a difference!

The watermelons are a favorite of our family. This year they were exceptionally nice and sweet. They ranged in size from 14 lbs - 25 lbs. What a refreshing treat on these hot summer days.

Very proud of his find.

Grandpa let each child pick out his watermelon in the summer, then carved their names in each one. The name became bigger as the watermelon grew.

It's more fun to get on your knees and pick up the dirty potatoes.

Lots of delicious watermelons for seed spittin'....

Fresh Sweet Corn Time is Over for Us

My DH picked all the ears of sweet corn from our patch and pulled up the stalks. The garden looks so different without those stately plantings of tall corn with waving tassels. We froze the last 60 ears. We were pleased with our harvest of tasty corn this year.

If you want to try something different this year when freezing your corn, click here for a recipe.

The powdery mildew is on our squash leaves and cukes. Cukes are about done.

Sad time to see the garden in the end of the season, but already my DH is making plans for next year's garden. New varieties, size adjustments, rotation of crops. I love the gardener's never ending hope for a better garden next year.

Old Farmer's Almanac Information for Month of May

                                                                                                                  

The Old Farmer's Almanac has been around forever and is packed with information for gardeners. This link provides ideas for improving your gardens for the month of May. The publication makes a great Christmas gift...Of course you can jump online to read many articles.

Growing Potatoes in a Bag

Growing potatoes in a bag is not something I have ever tried, but my friend, Jan,  in New Orleans, LA took photos of her potatoes planted in a bag. She places soil in the bottom first, then as the green plant grows she covers it with more straw. When the potatoes are ready, she just splits the bag and there are the potatoes, no digging!  She is going to try kitchen bags next year because these bags were too large for her plants and needed huge holes for drainage.

Are you adventurous enough to try this?

Visit Jan's sites for lots of tips on gardening and ponds