2021 Garden

[RWS]

I am in the process of tilling and planting the first of my Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 Garden.  While I was tilling the other day my roto tiller locked up.  I went to town to get a new one.  Wrong.  I could not find a single tiller except a 2 cycle equivalent to a Mantis.  It was a Stihl from the place that sells Stihl chain saws.  I went on line that evening and ordered one.  I have a store pickup for Sept 5 on the schedule.  So what would I do in a SHTF scenario ?  Well my backup plan (everyone has one) is to use an old push plow.  I went to the storage shed and dug out an old push plow.  I used it to finish plowing wher my tiller quit.  Then I pushed it along side each of three rows of onions and garlic I already had planted.  I was surprised as it lest you get much closer to the rows.  The tiller I ordered is smaller than the one I had.  It may allow ma to plant my rows closer together.  This would be great for crops that don't spill over into the row middle like corn.  It should help me to get better corn pollination.

[RWS]

With planting my rows closer together, I may just plant another row of multiplying onions.  Lord only knows what I would do with them.  I did not use all of last years and plowed them under.  Those things are hard to kill and have come up with the recent rains.  This will give me the sets I need for several more rows.  I gave away sets at the last see exchange we had as a group.

[RWS]

Since my tiller quit (locked up) I have been tilling with a push plow.  Today I planted a row of cabbage plants for Winter harvest.  Some were Dutch flathead and some of Bonnie's Best.

[RWS]

I got the broccoli planted this evening.  Now every two or three weeks I will plant some more.  That way I can eat broccoli all winter.  We freeze any excess.  That way just like this evening we can eat chicken & broccoli casserole. 
We had a steak yesterday and the wife baked 4 potatoes.  For lunch we eat baked potato with broccoli & cheese sauce.  It's good eating when it comes from your own garden.

[RWS]

Well it is 2 or three weeks later ++ so it is time to plant again.  Today I planted Broccoli and Walla Walla onions.  Picture was taken before I put the tiller in there.  I push plowed it to help dry it out first.  Now I will finish planting this garden hopefully before leaving for Fall Campout.

[RWS]

We have been enjoying our onions.  We use them in fresh salads from our own lettuce.  We also put a little cabbage and broccoli in the salads.  We have picked three heads of cabbage so far this year, so coleslaw and cooked cabbage are on the menu here.

Last year I planted tomato seed in January.  When I came time to put them out, they were still a lot smaller that what was available st Homeless Depot.  This year I planted tomato seed in December just before Christmas.  I planted Rutgers a medium size smooth tomato and an heirloom that is indeterminate, good flavor and cans well.  I also planted Peron Sprayless a semi determinate (whatever that means).  It also is a medium sized smooth tomato.  Never have had any of these before.  Both can be purchased from Sustainable seed co.  The problem with planting your own tomato seeds is you get too many plants.  I usually plant 12 to 18 tomato plants.  I have 43 Peron Sprayless and 25 of the Rutgers.  We get sweet rolls at the grocery store in plastic containers.  I used a couple of empty ones, put in potting soil, tomato seeds and a little more potting soil.  Then watered them and closed the top up for 4 days.  When I opened them up the Peron Sprayless were already up.  The Rutgers were a little slower in coming up.  I now have way to many tomato plants.  I will be potting them up in a couple weeks when they get two leaves on them.  If there is a spring campout I can bring my extras.

[Fixit]

Rws
Got a question for you. What did you do with the old tiller? Normally some place like TSC  will have a motor sitting on the shelf . If you know your up and the size and month of shaft it's a 1 hour swap.

[RWS]

Rws
Got a question for you. What did you do with the old tiller? Normally some place like TSC  will have a motor sitting on the shelf . If you know your up and the size and month of shaft it's a 1 hour swap.

It is sitting in my junk pile.  I now have a 5hp Troy built rear tine tiller.  It is a hoss & hard to maneuver so I use it early in the season then use a push plow between rows later in the season.
If you want the old one, come by and pick it up!  May turn out to be good barter equipment.

[Fixit]

Middle Tennessee is a bit far away. Was thinking 2 is 1 principle.

[RWS]

Middle Tennessee is a bit far away. Was thinking 2 is 1 principle.

Yeah, I know it is a bit far.  I am just too old and lazy to attempt the repair.  I am really thinking of buying a second push plow and a second push seeder.  That way I can get around any gasoline supply issues.  With my tractor and 4ft tiller I can prepare the ground.  With the push plow I can till between the rows.  I stock extra diesel for the tractor.

[RWS]

Tyranny aside, I went and dug up my Turmeric as the frost had killed the tops.  After washing some dirt off with the water hose and seperating the bulbs somewhat, I placed them on the grill table for a picture.  I now will re-mulch the flower bed I had them in and replant some of them.  There are way too many to go back in that little place I had them.  So I will pot up some to bring to the Spring Campout.  I have been taking turmeric capsules I get from the food supplement section of the grocery.  So no need to dry and grind now, just replant and grow more for the future.

[RWS]

At one of our last two Christmas parties, I came home with a 4 ft. LED shop light.  I told the wife I was going to Homeless Depot to get some electrial boxes, fittings, cord , light fixtures to make a grow light for my small tomato plants.  That way I could get them off the freezer and make room on the warm spot to start something else.  She said "Why don't you use the florescent fixture you have in the shop.  I had forgotten all about the 4ft LED fixture.  It was easy to install.  The only tool I used was a pocket knife to cut the single piece of tape holding the box closed.  I had a 2x4 in the shop I used to hang it on.  Looks good to me,,,,

[RWS]

Today I mulched the small flower bed turned garden spot.  I then replanted about 2/3rds of the Turmeric I dug up the other day.  If all goes well I should have a 5 gallon bucket full next December.  I also planted Celantro, parsley and chive seeds today.  I will be building another boxed in bed for herbs soon.

[RWS]

The parsley seed is sure slow to come up.  It took almost a month.  My tomato plants got a little leggy, so I added light and a fan.  Then yesterday I finished transplanting them into individual pete pots.  I burried them up to the first leaf.  Hope that takes care of the leggyness for now.  There are two types,  Rutgers I put in the round pots and Peron Sprayless I put in the square pots.  There are about 42 of each.  The extra is barter material.
I am finishing up last year's sweet potatoes.  Some had started to sprout, so I cut off the end and suspended in a glass of water.  Looks like I will get about a dozen sweet potato plants and I usually only plant 6.  The rest must be barter material.

[RWS]

I usually plant English peas the last half of January.  This year it has been too wet to get in the garden to plant.  I had been using a push plow to loosen up the soil to make it dry out enough to get the tiller in there.  Did not happen.  Got up this morning it was misty rainy.  I used a hoe instead of the tiller and planted one row anyway.  At least I got one in as there is a predicted food shortage for later on this year??   Maybe I can get in another row tomorrow.