It Is Spring When ..?. - Page 6

Nattybo! · February 26, 2017

While scanning the sky for tornadoes yesterday, I noticed my neighbor's weeping willow tree has lots! of green showing. The black berry patch in the way back also has lots of green. Massive flocks (200+) of Canadian geese also flying north 2 within 5 minutes. There was a smaller white bird with black?/grey? wings flying behind them. I need to plant peas!

Gardeneer · March 5, 2017

I think we have spring, for sure.
Even oaks are budding. Pines are shedding lots of pollen. Tulips are up but no flowers yet.

But spring does not mean that you can plant out your tomatoes but you CAN plant a lot of other veggies ; onions, chives, parsley, cilantro, brassicas, radish, carrots, lettuce, peas , potatoes (ready to sprout ) .. and a lot more. I have some of those growing and surviving freezing night weather. So my garden is alive and well with signs of life.

We are less than 2 weeks away from spring equinox. That mean 12 hours of daylight. Some plants need that in order to make the move.

GrowingCoastal · March 5, 2017

"I have some of those growing and surviving freezing night weather. So my garden is alive and well with signs of life."
Me too though it is under a blanket of snow again this morning. We've had ore snow days than in many years past but also more sunshine.
Celery, parsley and chives were leafy and green yesterday.....

The wild ducks and other birds are pairing up. Migrating geese are in the bay, a rest stop for them on their way to AK Mark. (Brants) Last night I heard a sea lion calling in the night. Herring on their way make the seagulls gather on the beach and look like snow when they all take wing. All signs pointing to Spring. Soon, very soon.

Even if it's not really here yet, I do have some tomato seeds coming up in anticipation.

AlittleSalt · March 5, 2017

A sign here is when this tree/bush whatever it is starts leafing out. It's the only one on this 10 acres. It grows in complete shade 9 months of the year beside a huge oak tree.

Gardeneer · March 5, 2017

Robert, you mean you haven't planted out yet ?
Tomorrow I will make the move.
I also started my first batch early ( Jan 19) and the second batch on Feb 12.
The second batch won't be ready until early April, I think.

AlittleSalt · March 6, 2017

Gardeneer, in my almost 52 years of living 10 miles from where I was born - I have watched gardeners plant tomato plants as early as mid February. On cold nights, they would cover the plants with metal coffee cans and/or cut plastic milk jugs. It didn't work for the most part.

Recently - within the past ten years, I have watched people plant out tomatoes in early March and lose them to freeze and frost, buy more transplants in late March... to watch the April freeze and frost get them..

Just a few years ago - I don't remember if it was 2012 or 2013 - A night of 32 degrees and frost got their tomato plants on May 2nd.

Once bitten twice shy.

I am going to plant some out this coming weekend. It is because they have grown so large and have become unruly. I've raised the lights as high as they can go, so they're just growing around and above the lights. I am going to have to put a cage around some of them when I plant them out. I have a lot of pepper plant sized cages I built years ago. That should protect them from the high March winds.

Rajun Gardener · March 6, 2017

I noticed this weekend that my muscadines are budding out and pollen is falling from the pine tree.

My Foot Smells · March 6, 2017

received a facebook memory from one year ago. 8" of snow on the ground. not a snowflake in sight this year.

AlittleSalt · March 7, 2017

When your oak and elm trees start looking like this

March 5, 2017	#77
Gardeneer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: NC - zone 8a - heat zone 7 Posts: 4,916	I think we have spring, for sure. Even oaks are budding. Pines are shedding lots of pollen. Tulips are up but no flowers yet. But spring does not mean that you can plant out your tomatoes but you CAN plant a lot of other veggies ; onions, chives, parsley, cilantro, brassicas, radish, carrots, lettuce, peas , potatoes (ready to sprout ) .. and a lot more. I have some of those growing and surviving freezing night weather. So my garden is alive and well with signs of life. We are less than 2 weeks away from spring equinox. That mean 12 hours of daylight. Some plants need that in order to make the move. __________________ Gardeneer Happy Gardening !

March 5, 2017	#78
GrowingCoastal Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2016 Location: Vancouver Island Canada BC Posts: 1,253	"I have some of those growing and surviving freezing night weather. So my garden is alive and well with signs of life." Me too though it is under a blanket of snow again this morning. We've had ore snow days than in many years past but also more sunshine. Celery, parsley and chives were leafy and green yesterday..... The wild ducks and other birds are pairing up. Migrating geese are in the bay, a rest stop for them on their way to AK Mark. (Brants) Last night I heard a sea lion calling in the night. Herring on their way make the seagulls gather on the beach and look like snow when they all take wing. All signs pointing to Spring. Soon, very soon. Even if it's not really here yet, I do have some tomato seeds coming up in anticipation. Last edited by GrowingCoastal; March 5, 2017 at 01:28 PM. Reason: sp

March 5, 2017	#80
Gardeneer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: NC - zone 8a - heat zone 7 Posts: 4,916	Robert, you mean you haven't planted out yet ? Tomorrow I will make the move. I also started my first batch early ( Jan 19) and the second batch on Feb 12. The second batch won't be ready until early April, I think. __________________ Gardeneer Happy Gardening !

February 26, 2017	#76
Nattybo! Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Maryland Posts: 272	While scanning the sky for tornadoes yesterday, I noticed my neighbor's weeping willow tree has lots! of green showing. The black berry patch in the way back also has lots of green. Massive flocks (200+) of Canadian geese also flying north 2 within 5 minutes. There was a smaller white bird with black?/grey? wings flying behind them. I need to plant peas!

March 6, 2017	#81
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	Gardeneer, in my almost 52 years of living 10 miles from where I was born - I have watched gardeners plant tomato plants as early as mid February. On cold nights, they would cover the plants with metal coffee cans and/or cut plastic milk jugs. It didn't work for the most part. Recently - within the past ten years, I have watched people plant out tomatoes in early March and lose them to freeze and frost, buy more transplants in late March... to watch the April freeze and frost get them.. Just a few years ago - I don't remember if it was 2012 or 2013 - A night of 32 degrees and frost got their tomato plants on May 2nd. Once bitten twice shy. I am going to plant some out this coming weekend. It is because they have grown so large and have become unruly. I've raised the lights as high as they can go, so they're just growing around and above the lights. I am going to have to put a cage around some of them when I plant them out. I have a lot of pepper plant sized cages I built years ago. That should protect them from the high March winds.

March 6, 2017	#82
Rajun Gardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Tomato Cornhole Posts: 2,550	I noticed this weekend that my muscadines are budding out and pollen is falling from the pine tree.

March 6, 2017	#83
My Foot Smells Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2015 Location: Pulaski County, Arkansas Posts: 1,239	received a facebook memory from one year ago. 8" of snow on the ground. not a snowflake in sight this year.