HOW TO PREP RAISED GARDEN BEDS IN THE SPRING FOR PLANTING: IT’S EASY TO DO AND WILL MAKE YOUR PLANTS THRIVE!
The sun is shinning, it’s 50 degrees out, I’ve kicked my shoe off, and I’m in the mood to garden but first I’ll need to prep it. The dirt in my raised garden beds was dug out of pond and stockpiled in a big mound on our property.
Every time I need garden dirt hubby will take the bobcat down to the pile and bring me back a big scoop. For some reason very few weeds ever grow from the soil. I’m not sure if it’s from many years of being under water that no weed seeds survived or just what it is. All I know is it’s the perfect soil for gardening.
I also have a stockpile of straw mixed with chicken poop next to my compost bin. Every time the coop gets cleaned I save the straw and poop mixture for my next year’s garden.
I find the best time to add it to the raised beds is in early spring before the soil has warmed up enough to plant seeds. I give it a good turn with the pitchfork and let it settle in. The conditions here in Michigan for planting are either the last week of May or the first week of June.
The peonies are already popping out of the ground and I noticed onions are also popping. These are last year’s onions that got left in the ground over winter and are now sprouting.
The rabbits ate the tops down and I had no idea onions were still there to dig. I also had no idea they would come back the following year if left in the garden over winter; so it was a happy surprise and I learned something new.
TO MY REGULAR READERS: ANYTHING YOU SEE IN THE GREEN BOXES WILL BE MY DAILY UPDATE DURING THE VIRUS! Please leave a comment and fill me in on what you’re doing. God Bless you all!
Sunday April 12: Two loads of laundry on the line, homemade pizza dough made and rising, and now I’m heading outside to work in the yard a little more. So much for going to a Sunday service and no big meal with family so I’m planning on spending my time with the people right here under my roof and enjoy a simple day.
Hubby and Son brought me a trailer load of landscaping rocks and they fixed a portion of the landscaping where it was previously a wood border that had rotted, they replaced it with stone and then filled my stock tank with dirt for planting.
DIL and I did a 5-mile bike ride that was a workout. Much of the route we did was uphill so 5 miles of that was torture. I cleaned all the old plants from the whiskey barrels we have in our landscaping and I do believe I’m ready for spring planting that is if our governor opens home and garden centers back up.
Monday April 13: Woke up to cold blustery conditions today and extremely windy. It’s dropped back down to the low 30’s. How disappointing after such a nice weekend. I ended up hanging 2 loads of laundry on the line then making a big batch of goulash for dinner. I don’t much care for goulash so I had hubby take me to our local creamery so I could have an ice-cream cone. Only I would want ice-cream on a freezing cold day!
I’ve been doctoring a baby chick that was constipated but I think I have the little critter doing better today. I gave her a dose of mineral oil last night and segregated her from the rest of the chicks and she seems back to herself this morning.
Tuesday April 14: Woke up to snow flurries; not what I like to see! I’ve been so happy being able to work outside most of the day and now being stuck indoors again is a downer.
Hubby and I went to gather a few groceries for Grama Red. We leave them on her porch and call her when we leave so she can go out and gather them. This is hard on her not being able to see other family members.
Wow you should see my recycle bin it’s overflowing. I’ve emptied it a few times and have everything stashed in the basement until the centers open back up. With recyclable and pop bottles the place sure is piling up. We have a 10 cent return of pop bottles here so we have take them back to the store for the deposit.
Here’s a funny story for you: I have a canister vac and vacuum my house every day at least twice a day due to all the mud that gets tracked it. Well wouldn’t you know it during this pandemic the hose split in two and was no longer getting suction. Of course no place is open to get a part, and I’d have to order a whole new vacuum on line. I pondered over it for a day and ended up fixing it with two popsicle sticks and duct tape. It works like a charm. I find it amazing how many things can be fixed when I don’t have access to buying new. My son got a kick out of it and I’m sure my hubby will too when he see it. All I can say is it works and I’m happy as a clam being able to vacuum again!
I love all your updates, Dawn. Here in Western Massachusetts we will be getting some snow overnight.
Lynn, it keeps snowing here too but I do believe today is the day it will break and we’ll be back to warmer days. I’d really like to get back outside and enjoy nature again. I’ll be cleaning out the chicken coop today! Stay safe and healthy, God Bless!