What did you do in your garden today?

[DirtMechanic]

Why do you fight the ph? Is it for specific plants? Just wondering. I’ve got very alkeline water, ph high 7-8, so I presume my soil will be too. Which means if I want blueberries, it’ll be in containers with pine straw, peat, etc acidic mix.

How exactly do you know your water is high pH?

 

[JamieB]

How exactly do you know your water is high pH?

Pond test kit. If you are cheap like me, you can do the aquarium kit, tests ph, gh, kh, nitrite, nitrate. I need to spend the money on a better kit, but I was broke. This areas water runs around 7-8 on the ph, gh and kh were high as well, basically dissolved stuff in the water that buffers ph from swings. It’s hard water, lots of minerals. Well water, so no chemicals from city messing with it. I presume since our well is less than 30’ deep, the soil will be alkaline as well, I haven’t had the soil tested. Which means my plans for a big row of blueberry bushes is now reduced to a few bushes in planters with acidic soil, amended soil.

 

[vette-kid]

Today was a good day, went to the old house and stole a few Asiatic lilies that were popping up and several amaryllis! Hopeful they all transplant well.

 

[DirtMechanic]

Pond test kit. If you are cheap like me, you can do the aquarium kit, tests ph, gh, kh, nitrite, nitrate. I need to spend the money on a better kit, but I was broke. This areas water runs around 7-8 on the ph, gh and kh were high as well, basically dissolved stuff in the water that buffers ph from swings. It’s hard water, lots of minerals. Well water, so no chemicals from city messing with it. I presume since our well is less than 30’ deep, the soil will be alkaline as well, I haven’t had the soil tested. Which means my plans for a big row of blueberry bushes is now reduced to a few bushes in planters with acidic soil, amended soil.

Did you use any distilled water or water other than the pond water itself per instructions from the kit?

 

[Upsy Daisy]

Sorted out the greenhouse yesterday in preparation for the star of more serious seed sowing........still not a patch on @CanadianLori 's

 

[JamieB]

Did you use any distilled water or water other than the pond water itself per instructions from the kit?

This one is dip strips. Cheappy test. But it’s about average for the area.

 

[JamieB]

It’s below freezing right now, 25. High of 55 expected. I’ll go check blooms and mark where the stragglers are popping up to be dug out later. Not today. I’m sore, I’m wind burned from the wind yesterday, gusts of over 50mph. Sending hubby off to help dad with his work today so I can get things done here. Lol, my tired butt may get a nap in after they leave!

 

[Silentrunning]

For those of us in the colonies, Dollar Tree has these little galvanized pots for, you guessed it, a dollar. I bought several and am going to start herbs in the house. Hopefully this will satisfy my urge to plant something until the ground has warmed up.

 

[Sean Regan]

Spent three hours in my "self-proclaimed low maintenance garden" just clearing up, a bit of pruning and gave the lawn it's first cut of the year. Identified a few plants that need replacing. We'll have a think about those.

Sunny and warm for the time of the year.

 

[CanadianLori]

@Sean Regan your mentioning cutting the grass really points out the difference between your growing zone and most of us over here in the colonies. It will be at least 3 months and probably more before we will be mowing our lawns.

Today I'm going to pot up more of my hot peppers. Then they will go out to the heated greenhouse. It's running at a steady 59-60f at night and on cloudy days. Sunny days bring beach party weather.

@Silentrunning thank you for the reminder. I have the seeds and pots for herbs and promised to start some for my sister. I'll get that done today too!

@Upsy Daisy your greenhouse looks lovely!

 

[JamieB]

Meh, I could mow: dead grass! Last year our mower went kaput. So I still have areas of tall grass, but it’s from last year. I’ll see if the grass around the apple tree is coming up yet. I don’t know Kentucky blue from fescue, but the grass there is always soft, lovely, and thick when it comes in. Semi shaded area.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

walked around in the deep snow and took pics. beautiful fluffiness.

 

[Sean Regan]

@Sean Regan your mentioning cutting the grass really points out the difference between your growing zone and most of us over here in the colonies. It will be at least 3 months and probably more before we will be mowing our lawns.

Today I'm going to pot up more of my hot peppers. Then they will go out to the heated greenhouse. It's running at a steady 59-60f at night and on cloudy days. Sunny days bring beach party weather.

@Silentrunning thank you for the reminder. I have the seeds and pots for herbs and promised to start some for my sister. I'll get that done today too!

@Upsy Daisy your greenhouse looks lovely!

Grass in the UK grows all year round. At my golf club, the greens are mown weekly and the fairways and rough, probably every couple of weeks at this time of the year.
I didn't take much grass off only a quarter of a grass box full, but it's made it nice and even although it'll need some feed when the weather improves and there's a bit of moss here and there, but it's to be expected. It won't need mowing now for a couple of weeks.
At best I'd say the garden looks tidy.

I collected three buckets full of dead conifer needles from the top and behind the rockery, a "hands and knees job," so that's tidier.

The fish which were all huddled five feet down in a corner last week, have been having a "mooch around" but won't be feeding for a couple of months.

 

[Logan]

Yesterday i sowed cosmos, snapdragons, 2 different types of calendula / apricot daisy a short one and a taller orange one.

 

[Esther Knapicius]