My dog took one out once with a single bite to the neck.

Chris, looking good!

I think my peppers need some fertilizer. They haven't grown much the past week. Yours look better. I am going to give them a round.

Last year, I planted my peppers at end of May. The seedlings were very small. But I still had good harvest.

This is in early August.

Really nice looking Pepper Chris...time to get those puppies outside to harden off! Peppers and Tomatoes really seem to grow fast for me once they start getting some sun exposure if given enough nutrients. I'm looking forward to my plants looking like Redsun's in a couple months. The big benefit to growing the bull's horn shaped sweet peppers is the early ripening. I'm hoping to have ripe peppers by early July.

That is if they survive the day today. Some very severe storms are predicted here with twisters, large hail, and high winds. I still have the Agribon 'roof' over my Ts and Ps but it might not stay put in high winds with just binder clips holding it to the cages. I think hail of decent size might just punch right thru it. We will see...I still have some backup tomatoes to replace the 6 I have planted out and almost enough backup peppers. Hail can really wreak havoc on alliums which I can't replace other than Leeks. That's life in the plains!

Good luck! We have thunderstorms here too frequently. We have them today also. Not as bad as yours though.

Good luck, Jack! Hope everything survives.

Yeah we have only a slight chance of hail, but it rarely hails here. I can count on 1 hand how many times I've seen hail in my life.

Looks like you're getting some storms now!

Yep we just got thru with a bout of decent rain but nothing severe here in downtown. Most of the heavy stuff stayed north of the city. My house is 40 miles to the SE of downtown and I don't think I got much at all there.

This evening's weather is supposed to be more severe on the Kansas side then it is in Missouri which is not unusual. Dorothy was from Topeka after all where they are giving them a Tor-con 7 rating on the weather channel.

Some good storms sweeping across from the Northwest now. Hoping we get some of the action here.

Red, looks like you might get some of the severe stuff. Heads up!

It is crystal clear here at the moment but it looks like some storms are starting to form up down in Oklahoma. I'm heading home in a few minutes to baton down the hatches.

Yeah that looks ugly. Have you ever seen a tornado, Jack?

I've seen a couple but only one that was on the ground at the time. We had an EF2 go thru the area I live in 6 years ago about 2 miles from my house but that was at night.

It was a pretty bad night with high wind, some nickel size hail, and 4-5" of rain but it was worse in other areas I think. I did have some water get in my basement that I had to vacuum up this morning before work.

I don't think I had much or any garden damage from what I could see from the driveway but the row of tomato cages were leaning a bit. The Agribon 'roof' was still attached though. I imagine there are some broken leaves on the onions from the hail.

Glad to hear everything is ok Jack... except the water in the basement. I have a much needed sump pit and pump in mine.

Thanks Peter. I have a grinder pump that handles all of the basement plumbing as well as collects water under the floor but I think this water came in thru a crack behind a finished wall. The wall is on the east side of my house where my deck is. I think the ground around the foundation under the deck has settled and it is ponding next to the foundation. My gutters were overflowing. I had cleaned the gutters in the winter but I have a few trees on that side of the house that drop crap in the spring and fill the gutters. I need to get up there and clean them this weekend as I won't be able to do it for several weeks after surgery.

Yikes. Well no real damage to the garden and, more importantly, to your family and home. Relieved to hear that. Sorry to hear about the water. 4-5" of rain in 1 day is A LOT.

Crazy that you've seen a tornado. People think I'm crazy, but I want to see one so bad....as long as it isn't causing harm to anyone. I just think it's extremely fascinating that nature can create something so powerful.

Well I hope upon further review later that there are no setbacks. I didn't think this existed, but ever hear of ant-hail netting? http://www.greenhousemegastore.com/product/anti-hail-netting/shade-cloth

Looks like my area was more in the 3-4" range but areas to the north got 6-8".

I've heard GW members on the Oklahoma board mention using the hail netting but I have never used it myself. Seems pretty pricey but I guess it would be worth it if you lived in an area that got frequent hail like Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas or the Colorado front range. We get some occasionally but very rarely large hail. Nickel size or smaller doesn't usually do much damage.

Eek! Talk about flash flooding.

Yeah that's true. Gosh, there are enough things to worry about with gardening, I would hate to add hail to the list.

On that note, looks like a frost advisory around me, as lows will be hovering around freezing tonight.

That stinks! You guys have been having yoyo temperatures for a while now and the long range forecasts can't be trusted which makes it difficult on the gardener.

We have s couple lows In the upper 40s predicted and no lows above 53 for the next week. Peppers will probably not do much growing but they should at least be developing more roots.

The weather has certainly turned more seasonal here, 60's/low 40's. I hope I am still good for my May 8th plant-out of all my solanaceous crops. I know the soil is ready, it is toasty like summer under my clear plastic. I think I will put them under agribon. I am growing cool weather tolerant varieties anyway. I don't mind the cool weather right now, it is great for all my cool weather stuff. My onions and brassicas are taking off nicely, and peas and beets too, and my potatoes are all coming up now. They are just peeking and we have a forecast of 39F, I am not going to worry about them.

True, especially since I planted my cool-weather vegetables late. I reseeded some sugar snap peas and those haven't come up. I'm perplexed.

Rough times Jack, but no injuries is a blessing.

Sounds like Minneapolis which is still cooler than normal is going to be warmer than out east for a change. My spuds are starting to show, too. Both onion plants and sets are taking off. Peach bloom is now past prime, but the tulips in the garlic bed are still in full bloom. There are magnolias and rhododendrons in full glory all over south Minneapolis now too, as well as plums, cherries and the first flowering crabs. One of my volunteer onions has already started to show a blossom (pinched out of course).

The two experimental tomatoes I put out are also outgrowing the coffee cans I put around them. I think I will look for more plants this afternoon. I never did get seeds started inside this year. Sie la vie. I will end up having plenty of onion family to cook with however!

Yes it could have been much worse! Just lost a little sleep and had to run the wetvac for a bit this morning. Sounds like spring has definitely sprung up north. Your weather looks like smooth sailing after the next 2 nights dip below 40. You might want to wait until the weekend to put out the new tomatoes.

I have another row of radishes that are ready but we haven't even finished the ones I harvested last weekend yet. My romaine lettuces are just starting to head up so I should be able to start harvesting in a couple weeks. I'm hoping that with my staggered planting I don't get hit with heads that all need to be picked at the same time. No 80s in the 15 day forecast here so at least they shouldn't bolt. The Muir, Nevada, and Jericho can take some heat so I will hold off and eat those last. Need to remember to put down some more slug-go on the lettuce after the rain.

A quick inspection of the garden last night before another round of light rain showed no damage other than a few broken onion leaves which was expected. A few plants were leaning to the east due to the high westerly winds but they should straighten up in a day or 2. I think I saw a few bean sprouts starting to push their way thru the mud after just 4 days :). No sign of cukes sprouting though but I wouldn't expect to see them until maybe Saturday. Another chance of storms on Saturday but hopefully not severe. I will plant the rest of the cucumbers this weekend and then all of the garden will be full.

Great news Jack! Glad you and the garden are both ok.

The forecast looks great for the cool weather stuff, but it is not looking great for my planned May 8th planting of the solanaceous crops. Lows in the low 40s is very worrying for the peppers and eggplants. Hopefully the forecast is looking more like 50 and up by then.

There was some ice on the top of the car but no frost in the garden.

Yea, it was 48 this morning here with cold NW winds. Not ideal for the peppers. I didn't plan any eggplant this year. I just remembered that I have a 20 gallon smart pot that Dripworks sent me as a free bonus when I ordered my AG19. I guess I will stick one of my extra Carmen peppers in there but I need to get a couple bags of suitable potting mix first and do it before I'm laid up. Not sure it is worth the $ to buy 20 gallons of potting mix since I probably already have enough peppers.

Hopefully your weather will warm up by next weekend...still 10 days away!

Glad to hear that, Jack! Hopefully we get to see some pics soon :-)

I will see if I can get some pictures this weekend. Where do you guys host your pictures?

I usually just upload them right from my phone.

Peter, I was checking temps in the 10-day forecast and...http://weather.unisys.com/gfs/gfs.php?inv=0&plot=850&region=us&t=10d. It's almost comical at this point. The entire country is sitting in warmer temps by day 10, but NY and all of New England has cool temps just hovering. Unreal.

I want the warmer temps on May 8th. Until then it cam stay just how it is. :)

No need to host pictures, the new Houzz Gardenweb does it for you. Very easy.

OK thanks I'll check it out.

I unload my photos off my old digital camera to my desktop and upload them to GardenWeb right from there. IIRC you need to allow popup windows. Just use the photo icon at the bottom of the page.

38F this morning with rain with spatters of snow in it on the way to the doctors appointment. Both parking ramps were full; and so I had to walk an extra two blocks in the weather just to get into the hospital complex. We are supposed to have sun and somewhat warmer tomorrow; so I will get to see if the two tomatoes I put out and the peach blossoms that are just now going past peak survived it ok. Potatoes, all the alliums, the tulips, radishes, lettuce and carrots are taking this all in stride around here.

Dutch - hope nothing serious causing the doctor visit. My cool weather crops are enjoying this cool spell we are having especially the lettuce. I already need to hill up the potatoes again and fill the asparagus and leek trenches a bit more. We have some rain in the forecast over the weekend which may hamper my plans a bit for getting some things done before surgery.

I'm going to hold off until next weekend to plant the rest of my cucumbers since the cool spell will have ended with highs in the upper 70s and low 80s starting Thursday. If I don't feel up to it I will get my son to do it for me. It's only 2 8' rows.

I just started to harden off my peppers and eggplants. They are very green and tender. I plan to plant them out the first week of May, depending on weather of course. I'll spend this weekend to weed my vegetable beds and get the bean area ready. Need to dig new beds.

To many weeds.

Here try to get some suggestions on installing my bean trellis. The trellis will support cuke, pole beans and possibly luffa. I have quite a few large bamboo sticks, about 1" diameter, pretty long, like 8' to 10' tall. But they were harvested last year and show some decay.

I can install teepees and use strings. Not sure if I save space that way. I can also install flat trellis with end posts, line posts and top links and use strings from the ground to the top posts. I may use metal T-posts as end posts and bamboo posts as line posts and top posts. I'll use wood posts to dig holes and stick the bamboo sticks in. I prefer the trellis high, at least 8' tall. I'll be using ladder to harvest. Some of the beans are tall, like hyacinth beans. The luffa can get very tall.

Ideas and comments?

Jack, take of your self, with your upcoming surgery and all. My visit was just a routine followup, and came out just fine, but thanks for the concern. I spent 8 days in the cardiac unit up here just over a year ago, but other than the pile of drugs they have me taking every day now I am back to normal, in fact better than I was before that thing happened. I am going on 68; so I am no spring chicken anymore, but I still keep up my own house and work full time and intend to keep that up as long as I can.

Looks to me like my two little gambling tomatoes and my peach blossoms have taken out cold here in stride. If I get anything set on the peaches like the amount of blossom, there is going to be quite a bit of thinning needed. A real labor of love that will be!

I should also be getting ten Bud9 apple rootstocks in the mail real soon. They've been shipped. Grafting those is going to be a new experience. Now I just gotta find the room to put them in... :-)

Dutch, Good that it's nothing serious and you are feeling well. I know you said you had been under the weather a week or 2 ago.

Yea it's going to be tough trying to keep myself in-check for awhile. I'm not one to sit around doing nothing but staring at the boob-tube but I think I'll be in pain for a few days at least so that should keep me reigned in.

Nice that your tomatoes weathered well and the peaches. Just shake the tree to thin it! Or maybe wait for the inevitable spring storm to do it for you. I've planted a few apple trees before but did not care for them well and they succumbed to neglect. I also have several cedar trees on my property so cedar rust might be an issue for apples.

Redsun - I have used 8' T-posts with cheap fencing strung between using zip ties. I just use the fencing that comes in 50' rolls and is 4' wide with 2"x4" openings. With this type of trellis you need to be able to harvest from both sides. I've never used teepees or bamboo so can't help you there.

Jack, I am sure once the pain subsides, you can do stuff... just nothing involving physical exertion.

I need to harden off my plants and the weather is not cooperating. Cold, and rain, rain and more rain now. I was raving about this Espoma mix but in the end, they are not as big as last year. I will be happy to see them in their rightful place in the ground.

I also have the clear plastic down outside, and it is all dried out underneath, I want to pull it up and clean up the weeds and get the soil living again, but it is so cold tomorrow not getting above 50 with heavy rain....

The one variety of tomato I am growing, Chef's Choice, is doing awful, with what appears to be severe edema, bumps all over the leaves, curled, the lower branches turned colors and fell off. It's perplexing, the other varieties are fine. I am about ready to chuck the plants in case it is something contagious.

Funny how we said we weren't getting enough rain, now it keeps coming. Got another .25" yesterday and tomorrow is supposed to pour.
One thing good about the rain is the garlic and perennials are loving it:

Spearmint much bigger than last time I posted it

Very nice Chris. My rhubarb seems to have died over winter... or maybe during last year's drought. No one cooks it in my house anyway.

Brussels Sprouts

Broccoli

I took the wire baskets off the brassicas so this will give them more sun.

Peas

Potatoes.. beets to the right

Onions

I'm sure they'll start growing and should produce something. At least some leeks and green onions. Seems like you have a smidgen shorter season than me. Give them another week or two.

At least we had a nice sunny day between the rain.

Well my plants got some excellent hardening off today, I had them in dappled shade all day and they seemed to enjoy it. Nice and calm with little wind. Alas it will be 2 days until I can put them out again. It may not get out of the 40s at all tomorrow.

I was raving about this Espoma mix but my plants are smaller than last year. That Nature's Care last year really worked great. My plants this year are in need of supplemental fertilization. The tomatoes especially look pretty bad leaf wise, though they have a nice rootball and a nice fat stem so I guess it doesn't really matter. It's interesting I actually find growing tomatoes from seed indoors to be more finicky than peppers or eggplants... or brassicas for that matter.

Planted first batch of snap bush beans. I'm a little early. But I have plenty of seeds and I can plant them again if there is wholesale germination problem.

Peppers and eggplants are still hardening off. Want to get ready for cukes and some winter squash.

I hope you're right, Peter.

Yes, we needed a good sunny day between the rain. Nice that you were able to start hardening them off!

Is it the Espoma Organic Seed Starter? That's what I'm using. The tomatoes and peppers have had some minor leaf discoloration. My Sun Gold tomato seedling had one bottom leaf turn yellow and I removed it. No problems otherwise.

No it is the Espoma Potting Mix. The peppers were off to a faster start but then fizzled a little and needed some ferts. The tomatoes are having issues with it. All in all not bad, except the Chef's Choice, but last year was better.

I used Burpee seed starting mix with coir and everything HATED that, but were happy once pulled out of it.

The "seed starting" mix is typically very low in nutrients and requires fertilization.

The weather forecast is looking up! After a wet and cold week, I see 70s/50s starting next week, right on time for my warm season transplants.

Yeah I think maybe now that the seedlings are bigger they need more nutrients. I've been giving them some fish emulsion, but I'm not sure it's enough.

Yup! I see the temps increasing too. Hopefully the weather stays somewhat clear too. I see this cold and wet weather and I worry about rotting.

Hey, ya think it's about time we make a chapter IV?

Sure go for it. Hopefully after chapter 4 this can become a harvest thread :)

I use Miracle Gro in the indoor pots... the only time I use it. 1/8 teaspoon per liter of water for full strength. Just a pinch.

Just started a new thread. Seed Starting Time IV