How do you cope? - Page 3

Garf · January 18, 2015

Ginger , it seems that you have a good headstart on me this year. Give me a month and I'll have some nice ones (hopefully).

Garf · January 22, 2015

What? No more snide comments? My camera is ready to take more pics.

Blueaussi · January 22, 2015

I, uh, I...well, I sorta fondle my seed packets to pass the time during the cold months.

Don't judge me!

JJJessee · January 22, 2015

Yeahyeahyeah, Garf, but most of us are zone-challenged this time of year ;-)

Well I dream a lot.
I've plotted and planned out my raised beds to within an inch of their compost.
January has actually been favorable to do a little ground work so I turned cover crop in a bed last week.

Plus, yesterday I replaced the lower side of 2 25' beds. I recycle a lot of 1x4 pine that way.

Growing greens inside on the light shelves...

...keeps my seeding-finger from getting itchy.

I've also got a few peppers and all my onions underway too.

So, I guess the answer is "Diversify".

kurt · January 22, 2015

"Just remember, those southerners gardens are burning up and dried out just as our are looking good. So remember to gloat in July and August. For every season there is a time."

Usually dependent on my traveling work schedule we(wife and)secure the house here(shutters,rolled down,garden cleaned up and tools put away the earlymangoes and lychees are harvested,then I pack up the dogs in the RV,drive to our farm in PA and start all over again.Usually around end of May.Then in mid August early Sept do the same in reverse.

shelleybean · January 22, 2015

I'm busy enough through New Year's not to get too depressed, but after that, January and February are terrible. All I can do is plan, order, sow seed, thin seedlings, eat from my winter garden, which is pretty much greens and a few root vegetables at this point, and eat the tomatoes I canned or dried last summer. Spring will come, eventually.

And when it does, there will be plenty to keep us busy.

FarmerShawn · January 22, 2015

Here in the frozen north, at this time of year I order way too many seeds and gardening tools, and grow microgreens under my seedling lights, many of which have a ten-day seed-to-harvest time, so I get to replant often!

kayrobbins · January 22, 2015

In some ways northern gardeners have it better. You get those cold winter months where you do not have to worry about weeds and insects. You can relax and drool over your seed catalogs and plan your next wonderful garden.

This week I have been fermenting the last batch of tomato seeds I am going to save. Two days ago I stepped up 127 tomato seedlings for the spring garden. I am growing micro tomatoes under lights. Yesterday I pulled up all but 6 of my tomato plants. July and August are not great but I usually have a few plants still producing. And I start the fall tomato seeds in late July or early August. There is no down time for a deep south tomato addict.

January 22, 2015	#35
kurt Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Homestead,Everglades City Fl. Posts: 2,500	To PaulF this is how I cope. "Just remember, those southerners gardens are burning up and dried out just as our are looking good. So remember to gloat in July and August. For every season there is a time." Usually dependent on my traveling work schedule we(wife and)secure the house here(shutters,rolled down,garden cleaned up and tools put away the earlymangoes and lychees are harvested,then I pack up the dogs in the RV,drive to our farm in PA and start all over again.Usually around end of May.Then in mid August early Sept do the same in reverse. __________________ KURT

January 22, 2015	#36
shelleybean Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Virginia Beach Posts: 2,648	I'm busy enough through New Year's not to get too depressed, but after that, January and February are terrible. All I can do is plan, order, sow seed, thin seedlings, eat from my winter garden, which is pretty much greens and a few root vegetables at this point, and eat the tomatoes I canned or dried last summer. Spring will come, eventually. And when it does, there will be plenty to keep us busy. __________________ Michele

January 22, 2015	#37
FarmerShawn Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Vermont Posts: 1,001	Here in the frozen north, at this time of year I order way too many seeds and gardening tools, and grow microgreens under my seedling lights, many of which have a ten-day seed-to-harvest time, so I get to replant often! __________________ "Red meat is NOT bad for you. Now blue-green meat, THAT'S bad for you!" -- Tommy Smothers

January 22, 2015	#32
Garf Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Miami, FL. Posts: 442	What? No more snide comments? My camera is ready to take more pics.

January 22, 2015	#33
Blueaussi Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: South Carolina Zone 8a Posts: 1,205	I, uh, I...well, I sorta fondle my seed packets to pass the time during the cold months. Don't judge me!

January 22, 2015	#34
JJJessee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Abingdon, Va Posts: 184	Yeahyeahyeah, Garf, but most of us are zone-challenged this time of year ;-) Well I dream a lot. I've plotted and planned out my raised beds to within an inch of their compost. January has actually been favorable to do a little ground work so I turned cover crop in a bed last week. Plus, yesterday I replaced the lower side of 2 25' beds. I recycle a lot of 1x4 pine that way. Growing greens inside on the light shelves... ...keeps my seeding-finger from getting itchy. I've also got a few peppers and all my onions underway too. So, I guess the answer is "Diversify".

January 22, 2015	#38
kayrobbins Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Jacksonville, Fl Posts: 820	In some ways northern gardeners have it better. You get those cold winter months where you do not have to worry about weeds and insects. You can relax and drool over your seed catalogs and plan your next wonderful garden. This week I have been fermenting the last batch of tomato seeds I am going to save. Two days ago I stepped up 127 tomato seedlings for the spring garden. I am growing micro tomatoes under lights. Yesterday I pulled up all but 6 of my tomato plants. July and August are not great but I usually have a few plants still producing. And I start the fall tomato seeds in late July or early August. There is no down time for a deep south tomato addict.