I ordered a Troy-Bilt tiller online last Sunday. I was disappointed to discover that it was on back order.
I called the company on Monday morning to see when they expected that they would be able to ship, and was not very happy with the response, “We don’t know.”
I asked, “Is it closer to 6 months, or 6 weeks?” and they responded, “We don’t know.”
So I was prepared to find one locally and cancel the order, but I discovered that this was not the year to do that. It seems that there has been a run on tillers and garden machinery due to the price of food. More people are planting gardens this year than in recent years.
Well, I got a call yesterday from the shipping company saying they wanted to deliver a tiller this afternoon. I asked, “Do you have the right guy?” They responded, “We think so.”
So I plan to start a garden plot this weekend. Reports to come.
I have now been in the new house all of a week. Seems longer. I have begun to make sense of the yard and landscaping. I have intentions for a fall/winter garden and i am planning to break ground by the end of this month.
Here are a few of the projects that have kept me busy this past week:
- Traded lawnmowers
- Weeded flower beds
- Deadheaded roses and peonies
- Planted oregano, basil and parsely plantss in container garden
- Started compost pile
- Started large mulch pile
- Planted Moonflower seeds (gift from friend from Japan)
- Worked with transplants (sage, chives)
- Continued work with African Violets
- Put out bird feeders
- Trimmed and pruned some trees and bushes
There were lots of indoor projects too. Homeownership will keep you busy. But it was still not so busy that I didn’t enjoy some nice time on the porch watching birds and enjoying the cooler evenings.
We closed on the house Thursday and began settling in over the weekend. We got the furniture and the big stuff in yesterday. I figure another week of getting things taken care of inside before the outside becomes a priority.
I had a friend cut the grass on Friday, since it had grown 6-8 inches since the previous owners had cut it. I spent over an hour getting the grass clippings off the lawn, since it was way too much to leave. I now have a compost pile started and the beginnings of some mulch.
Because of the late start, I am focusing on fall crops and doing some winter plantings under cover this year. Next spring will be the big test. I will get herbs and perennials going when possible this summer as well.
I will plant cover crops and get the garden plot ready for some serious production in September and October.
Much to do…
Just a rundown on turnaround times for soil tests—
- I took the samples on May 6th
- Dropped them off at the extension service on May 7th
- They sent them to Raleigh that week
- They first appeared as “in process” on May 14th
- The results were posted today-May 19th
About 2 weeks turnaround (about 7 days from the time they receive them). So, it was not as quick as they said it might be, but it is tolerable since I can’t do anything until after May 23rd on my property.
Recommendations:
Lawn- 20 lbs of 5-10-5 fertilizer (or equivalent) per 1000 sq. feet
Garden- 20 lbs of 5-10-5 fertilizer (or equivalent) per 1000 sq. feet plus 30 lbs of Lime per 1000 sq. ft.
Garden pH was 6.3/ lawn pH was 6.5
A couple of articles to read:
A Homeowner’s Guide to Fertilizer
Lawns, Gardens and Ornamentals