What have you done for garden prep so far?

[Squirtgunsquirter]

Used the worm farm dirt to make a soil mix for starting seedlings in the mini greenhouse, got the mini greenhouse setup (inside by a big south facing window for now) and got the hydroponics tower cleaned up and ready.

Still haven't heard from the community garden if we got another plot this year... They really need to let us know before planting day.

 

[DrPrepper]

I had to replace a cucumber plant and a red lettuce plant. They got damaged when they first got planted. I thought they would pull through, but apparently not. I replaced the cucumber and tried kale in place of the red lettuce.

 

[Danil54grl]

I've always had luck with kale. If you pick just the outer leaves, you can eat a long time on the plants. I ate on the same plants since last fall when I planted them. Finally saved 3 to go to seed to replenish my seed stock.

I spent most of my day working on drainage issues, but did get the garden weeded.

 

[SheilaT.]

I'm not starting a garden this year (little point when we're moving) so I'm glad there are so many gardeners here as I will be able to watch how everyone does.

@Danil54grl How do you save seed from your Kale and greens? Do you worry much about cross pollination or isn't that a problem? I save a lot of my own seed, but have never done any of the cabbage types.

 

[bigpaul]

nothing started here yet as the ground is still too waterlogged.

 

[Danil54grl]

I'm not starting a garden this year (little point when we're moving) so I'm glad there are so many gardeners here as I will be able to watch how everyone does.

@Danil54grl How do you save seed from your Kale and greens? Do you worry much about cross pollination or isn't that a problem? I save a lot of my own seed, but have never done any of the cabbage types.

I just leave them alone till they flower. At that point you have green pods where the seed is forming. I let them dry, then thresh & separate. I've only been saving these types of seeds a couple times now since the expansion so really haven't noticed much in cross pollination. The first time I saved small seeds, I actually hulled by hand. That took forever! Putting in plastic bag, hitting them with a broom a few times, pour in bowl and strain they collander. Much easier.

 

[Brent S]

I just leave them alone till they flower. At that point you have green pods where the seed is forming. I let them dry, then thresh & separate. I've only been saving these types of seeds a couple times now since the expansion so really haven't noticed much in cross pollination. The first time I saved small seeds, I actually hulled by hand. That took forever! Putting in plastic bag, hitting them with a broom a few times, pour in bowl and strain they collander. Much easier.

It sucks that I don’t like he stuff because it’s the perfect prepper plant. It is tough and literally grows like a weed, produces loads of edible leaves, and was super easy to get it to seed and collect seeds. I haven’t planted it for two years now and it still keeps popping up in the garden. I just tilled one up the other day. If shtf I would plant some more, but it’s just not to my liking normally.

 

[SheilaT.]

Kale is a great winter favourite. It survives the worst of the weather well into spring.

 

[bigpaul]

I ate some Kale for the first time a couple of weeks ago, and i'd happily repeat the experience.

 

[DrHenley]

IMO Kale is like eating grass flavored Brillo pads. But my wife and daughter love the stuff. I think it's inedible...

 

[bigpaul]

depends on how someone cooks it I suppose, most people boil greens to death, my mrs just "shows it the pan".

 

[DrHenley]

I read somewhere that if you rub kale with vinegar first, it's not quite so Brillo-like. Me, I just like my spinach and collards. Fresh young collards from the garden that don't have to be cooked long. But the big tough collards that my wife buys at the supermarket need to be cooked all afternoon to be edible to me.

 

[Danil54grl]

My absolute favorite way to eat kale is Cranberry Kale salad. There is also a savory salad made with shaved parmesan, pine nuts which is good.

 

[Brent S]

I did learn that the young new leaves are better than the mature leaves. Still not really good, but more tolerable.

 

[Proud Prepper]

I got my old 2 cylinder diesel Kubota tractor prepped and ready.

 

[Arcticdude]

I've been looking at walk behind rototillers online today. Is anyone familiar with the DR brand? The one that looks the best to me is the Pro XL-DRT. It tills 28" wide by 11" deep.

 

[Proud Prepper]

Ive heard good things about DR pro models

 

[Brent S]

All I know for sure is all walk behind tillers beat you up. The tractor ones are much easier on your body. Either way beats the old fashioned hoe though!

 

[Danil54grl]

I had to borrow a Yard Maintenance walk behind tiller that ran smooth and even going over big clumps did not beat me up. The guy had welded a big metal plate on the front to help push and level dirt around. It really did a nice deep till. The only thing I didn't like on it was that there was no neutral. If it was running, the times were always going. The other good thing was it tiller both forward and backwards.

 

[Brent S]

My forward cable broken couple years back on my tiller, so I moved the reverse one to it temporarily to keep going. I’m kind of thinking at this point I will never have a reverse again... at least it does go to neutral when you release the handle, so it’s a little safer than spinning the whole time.