gardening hard times

  First the 100 ft by 4 ft asparagus froze... so no asparagus for the freezer. BUT the crowns didn't die, some came up to fern so we will have asparagus next year.

Second, all 14 bed of garlic were killed by the freeze. I actually dug up the beds to see if I could find any that had made it. SO will have to buy my garlic for usage and to plant in the fall. 

We checked our fruit, looks like we lost at least 3 blueberry bushes, maybe up to 5. We lost at least 3 fruit trees with possibility of total of 5. Won't get much or any of fruit from rest as the last 2 freezes came in after they bloomed. Just hoping that only the blooms was damaged and not the trees it's self.

The strawberries are starting to bloom.

The snow peas and peas look okay, slow in growing but it's supposed to be warm this week so should sprout up more. 

The vegepod is slow also but showing signs of growing.I can see the radishes greens up and barely see the other rows. 

I have the first round of plants being hardened off. That's where you take them out of grow cart and take them outside each day, lengthening the time they stay outside. 

I have tomato plants,broccoli,cauliflower,eggplant,kalettes,peppers,collards, and onions that will be planted within the next couple weeks. 

I just planted in grow cart Christmas melon, peppers and a couple tomato plants.

I will be planting more in grow cart but if it's warm enough I will roll it outside and not use electric. 

We stopped yesterday to get flowers from the 2 local Amish greenhouses. I got 8 hanging baskets, some flowers for 2 planters, some herbs as my herb garden got destroyed last year, and a couple veggie plants like lettuce. Both of the green houses went to burning coal to heat with during the freezing spells and said things definitely was touch and go about losing stuff. The one husband slept in the green house to keep the fire going.  They compared it to winters of 2013 and 2014 (polar vortex). Not as bad but bad enough. 

What else?

 Norton won't let me sign in to Onedrive to down load my photos from my phone.

Our Retirment guys didn't think about those of us that work when they set up a webinar for noon so didn't make arrangements for it to be recorded nor is it written so the information gets out those that are working. They are working on it. Can you tell their ages  of not thinking of it. I've told classmates that they need to complain instead of tagging us asking what it was about.

Daughter 4 got a new job that pays more and has health insurance AND only had 1 more payment on her car. One son is finishing high school and looking for full time work. Right now he is working 10 hrs a week after school (would like more but he doesn't get his license until 18) The older son got himself fired and then after NOT looking for work, got himself threatened to be put out by MOM. HE can go mooch off his friends as she put it. She'll help if he was looking but sitting home playing video games doesn't float with her.

Daughter 3 is still employed, two oldest are working odd jobs, the youngest 2 are still in school. Daughter 3 doesn't let her kids work during school year except for their dad until 18 when they start driving.

Daughter 2 is working 2 jobs. Could lose the main one as she is last hired at school. Her boys are all working for their dad for  jobs and fencing and some landscaping. At least they are all working and getting their bills paid. Daughter 2 figures she is going to have to do something as a couple of them are moving out and she's have to add those bills to her own bills. 

Daughter 1 has cut off the family and several life time friends including her late father family since we all turned her in for selling her pain meds and drinking on her medication. We have tried everything to get her help but you can't force them to get help if they don't want it. We just pray for her like crazy.

Son 2 is having sever pain in his feet and legs and throat. VA has tried meds, therapy etc. Sending him for more testing. He is military so worried about his job. Best would be, he doesn't get fired, worst would be he sells his house and moves home with us until he rebuilds.

Son 1 is working steady but said orders were down for the company he works for.

We have been hit week after week with below 30 freezes. Even with asparagus covered 100 ft by 4 ft. IT froze. We crossed our fingers that the crown is still okay and it at least grows ferns or we  will be replanting asparagus and waiting 2 years to start harvesting again. THANKFUL I harvested enough for freezer to go 18 months. I have enough to go through the year if I am careful.

My potatoes should have been planted last week in grow bags, glad I didn't as they would have froze. 

I didn't plant my golden raspberries as soon as they came in on Saturday night. Glad I didn't do that either. 

It has made it very clear that it's going to be a very hard year. 

 

Growing asparagus... ours just froze

 Plant in the early spring at correct depth, and wait 2 years before picking.  Do not fertilize until following year. DO NOT use manure. 

I will be doing this next spring, several 20 degree temps back to back has froze the entire 100 ft by 4 ft row.  The Amish that put it in orginally can't remember what variety he planted.

We have another round of freezing this weekend. Usually will only get a light frost this time of year that a good cover will take care of. 

We are hoping after this comes through that it stays warm and MAYBE fingers crossed, that it didn't kill the "crowns" and only the asparagus. SIGH. 

This is why I can/freeze/dry enough food for at least 18 months if not 2 years.

IN the gardens

 We are getting enough aspargus for a couple meals every other 3 days.

Snow peas,peas, radishes,spinach, couple different lettuces, carrots and beets are coming up.  

I fertilized the strawberries and blueberries.

We had sever storms all night, will have them again tonight and rain daily the rest of the week. BUT in a few days we will have lows in the mid 20s... yes FREEZING temps for 4 days. So the day before that hits no matter what the weather we will be covering garden beds.

I chitted the potatoes...ummm cut them in sections,making sure there are 2-3 eyes and some of the potato to feed them as they start to grow. I have 6 varieties as Daughter 2 was going to start gardening , and I was sharing. She realized that not only did she not have the $$ to start that but didn't have enough time working 2 jobs to make ends meet. Daughter 4 had kept track  a few years ago of the cost and time and shared that with her.  I told her to start with like a tomato plant , lettuce and scallions but she didn't want to set up a water barrel at this time and can't water the garden with city water.  

Grow cart veggies are doing decent. I did have 2 that died so I will start them again this week.

Storms rolling through.

We took some to Hubby's parent yesterday as we spent most of the day there. MIL had eye surgery last week and it was the first day she felt up to visitors. FIL was happy to have company that wasn't just talking about her surgery.

We took them eggs, I gave them enough they could share another 2 families. I still have enough for us. It gets cold again this week like they are forecasting, chicken's won't be laying as much for E and M.

Storms came in early this morning instead of tomorrow so not in the gardens. Not putting my hands in any water as I had friends have their homes hit by lightening. One was in the shower and barely made it out before it hit. She watched the sparks fly passed her. The other one was at the kitchen sink running the dish washer. Came out the faucet (she thinks) and burnt a hole in her wall over the stove across the kitchen. Both have had issues with their eye sight since.

Under sever weather threat for a couple day with a sever drop (below freezing so cover asparagus back up a day or so before those temps hit) for 3-4 days after that. April in Ohio. 

I donated 32 items off my clothes rack of my clothes. Still have a wardrobe, bureau and chest of drawers. I do not have a closet . Hubby has an open closet in his bathroom, a clothes rack and two wardrobes. Goal is to have ALL of it gone through before end of April when I pull the summer stuff out of rubbermaids from barn. Then go through those to donate.... shoes and boots also. I dropped 5 sizes after having covid and have not gained it back in 2 yrs. Done keeping it for if I gain it back.

We might have at least one child moving home due to loss of work as they work for government. They are researching options to try to stay in their home at least if they get terminated. They really don't want to have to sell their home as it's half way of being paid off let alone touch the "I'm adult in 40s and shouldn't have to lose a job after 25 yrs of working it" feelings.

We had one child change jobs. Her old employer called and asked if she would apply. She was working a temporary job, 3rd shift, no insurance, $15/hr, 100 miles round trip daily. Now back to work for the old employer full time, 1st shift,  health and dental insurance,$22/hr, 44 miles round trip. 

Hubby's hearing aids were only staying charged for 6 hrs. He got new ones OUCH on costs, but his doctor told him to keep the old ones as back up incase he lost his or something happened to them.He would still have ones that some what worked until he got new ones.

NEXT DAY... we had sever Tstorm with winds and knocked out electric yesterday before I could hit publish. I could see the storm coming behind us so just unplugged and shut down even though we have a whole house surge protection. 

STAY SAFE.

Blessed Be 

Prayers for peace.