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vgking

April 2006 Garden Journal

vgkg Z-7 Va
18 years ago

Whew, so busy it's hard to find time to keep up.

Got the tomato seedlings up and running indoors now, hope to plant the melons inside this weekend.

Out :

The broccoli transplants are doing well.

Strawberries are blooming nicely now.

Lettuce & spinach seed is up as well as the onion sets.

Spinach planted last fall is doing ok and may be picked on next week for salads.

Preping the beds for bush beans, summer squashes, and early corn to plant mid-month if present warm spell continues. Need some rain badly here and Tomorrow looks promising. Do have new deep well if dry spell continues on.

Peach and plum trees are dropping petals now. Asian pears are loaded down with aging blooms. Figs and grapes are showing signs of life. Even some of the young regular pear trees have a few blooms this year.

Tulips blooming now, Irises are looking strong but no buds yet.

All's well thus far in vgkgland :)

Comments (10)

  • wayne_5 zone 6a Central Indiana
    18 years ago

    vgkg,
    you're about 3 weeks ahead of me. I do have tomato seedlings doing well and early watermelons about ready to plant.

    Daffidols blooming.

  • vgkg Z-7 Va
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    I might be 3 weeks ahead of you Wayne via outside temps but sounds like you're 3 weeks ahead of me for indoor melons & tomatoes. We had a light frost last nite here and it looks like that'll be it according to the long range forecast (haha, we know how that works out). Weds I'm going to roll the dice and plant early corn, bush beans, summer squash, and cukes (all seeds) outside. The ground should be warm enough to germinate them all as the temps are to rise into 80s by the weekend. Itching to get going...and hoping no more nite temps BTW, we just got 1/4" of rain instead of the 1.5" predicted, ugh!

  • wayne_5 zone 6a Central Indiana
    18 years ago

    Actually it is getting dry enough here to work ground....kinda unusual here in April and May sometimes. I set out onion plants and glad bulbs. Today I started about two thirds of my watermelons and cantaloupes. I would have preferred to wait a week but those moon phase people got me to wondering.

  • wayne_5 zone 6a Central Indiana
    18 years ago

    Well today I planted the first planting of sweet corn, set out some of the broccoli, set out the Nevada lettuce, and set out my early watermelons.

  • vgkg Z-7 Va
    Original Author
    18 years ago

    Looks like nite temps here will dip into the upper 40s at worst over the next 7 days so any frost seems remote now (I hope). 70s will prevail for the day time unless it rains in the 60s. Will be preping my tomato areas this weekend, seedlings only at 1st set of true leaves now. Will be starting melon seeds indoors tonite, fell behind with other stuff during this busiest month of the year...
    Dogwoods & tulips are blooming, Irises not far behind....Spring seems to be here.

  • wayne_5 zone 6a Central Indiana
    17 years ago

    My early watermelons are just starting to run. My big batch of melons that were planted on the 12th of April are so big and healthy...and my tomatoes are ahead of schedule...nearly ready to plant. My early Ambrosia corn is up where it was covered with clear plastic. ...snap peas and onions growing.

    The apples are blooming fully now and I trust those early strawberry blooms will not get frosted.

  • vgkg Z-7 Va
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Sounds like you're way ahead of me Wayne as my melons are just 2 leafed in cell packs and tomatoes are 4-6 leafed in cell packs. My bush beans, summer aquash, and early corn have broken ground and are up. Strawberries are still green but any day now...Trying butter beans/pole for the first time ever this year and just planted them yesterday. Expected to get into upper 40s here Weds nite but mild days ahead. Lettuce, spinach, and onions looking good and asparagus are being cooked & eaten daily now...

  • vgkg Z-7 Va
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    oops, it now looks like a dip into the 40s here for the next several nites in a row. Hope your melons can handle it (lower?) in IND Wayne.

  • cochiseaz8
    17 years ago

    Most tomatos are in,, All pablanos are in , bush beans are in tomorrow, as well as heat resistant chard and okra,, It's the dog-gone wind!!! It's never lasted this long before,, sustained 25 mph, and gusts to 45 even 65 mph for the last 60 day's, which is a month longer than usual, and the ground is dry as talcum,, thank dog for compost, it's the only thing keeping the "underground" moist. The plants have taken a real beating.. Keep your fingers crossed,,, we might get rain on thurs,, maybe enough to fill the run-off barrels? I can only hope.. So far .2 rainfall in the last 5 months 3 weeks,,, worst drought in 30 years.... this sucks,, both lips,,, darlene

  • veilchen
    17 years ago

    I have eggplant seedlings inside under lights and lettuce in a cold frame, that is all. Days have been 50s, 60s but nights still 30s.

    I am taking a break from vegetable gardening this year because I'm landscaping around the new addition and building a rose garden. I realized that vegetables take a LOT of time and I needed to let it go for now, despite how much I enjoy it and love eating them. I will grow my Neon eggplant (because I knew I would really miss that as I only eat them from the garden), some Provider green beans when the time comes, assorted greens throughout the summer for salad, the garlic I planted last fall, one summer squash plant, and the herbs, and that is probably all. But I am sure I will get some fall plantings in, esp. carrots.

    By next year I hope to be back on track and filling all my raised beds as usual. I hope I can get some good tomatoes and new potatoes at the farmer's market.

    Lately I've been doing nothing but digging and moving plants, literally ALL day yesterday & the day before. Plenty more to do. Hope you all have good luck with your veggie gardens!