Frost advisories may be needed (NWS) for inland NW PA tonight (5/4). Sunny and mid 70s yesterday, partly sunny upper 40s today and lows touching 31 tonight.

I guess I could use the fabric then pulled it up in the fall. Maybe roll it up and reuse? My plot is 32' x 20' thanks for the input fellas.

No frost this am here

Ok, ok. Enough already with the weather ( snow, winds and rain) depression is really setting in hard.
I have a ton of seed started plants that need to go in the ground. A ton of yard work that needs attention and can't do a darn thing about going fishing. Hopefully the apple blossoms didn't get destroyed last night.
Quarantine, weather and isolation SUCKS !!
I'm really not sure if I will ever see a return to " normal " again in my lifetime. The future of new normal just doesn't work for me.

Well, to answer a question asked about landscape fabric..
I put it down in my raised beds with minimal success. The weeds do find away to work around it, especially the outside edges and eventually migrate to inside the fabric.
My advice, cardboard works just as well and will turn to a compost instead of a mess of material you have to try and pull out later.
It does however work better around trees which you continue to add mulch around every year or 2.

I feel that HT. This is ridiculous. I remember the "old" days when no one planted until Memorial Day weekend. Hopefully we get a little extra time on the back end come September. Maybe the yards will finally dry out by then😂😂😂.

I've found the heavy duty landscape fabric (the one with the lines) made by DeWitt to be good but it's very expensive.  The thin stuff you get at the big box stores or local shops is garbage and doesn't last or work as well.  
I went to a hydroponic system a few years ago incorporating 5 gallon pails (one for the plant, one for the water source) that are interconnected with pex pipes.  The water is gravity  fed so other than a pail as a water reservoir it needs no electrical water pump as you see in some hydroponic systems.  The system lessens the amount of water, weeding and fertilizer needed.     

BTDT   The system has worked out very well.  I thought I had more pictures but can't find them.  I made my own soil mix of sphagnum moss, garden soil, composted manure, vermiculite and slow release fertilizer.  

WOW.... that's fantastic Troutbum, thanks for putting up the pictures. Except the one of your bounty.. I'm jealous as heck.

Gotta love the "let's do this". lol

Is that a solar heater for your swimming pool?

Could be Memorial Day before a guy can safely begin his garden.

Low of 33 this day in my area of NW PA. Temp began climbin to 34 by 5:45 AM.

57 they say, for today, then a low of 37 and rain, on the way.

I shoulda been a poet or maybe I shoulda just say, have a nice day.🙉


Update: 6:45 AM (eastern) 37 degrees. At least it ain't snowin.... yet😞

My vehicle was covered with snow when I got off of work yesterday morning, stayed cold until a short warm up in afternoon to a balmy 40 degrees or so. Actually made good working weather. (Went to my Dad's place and got a load of firewood)... Looks like no spring this year to speak of, straight from mud season to summer. 

troutbum21
BTDT  photo of plants.  

Ya just gotta rub it in..... 😝

Healthy looking plants and peppers are great size.

Congratulations. 👍


I got a bunch of litter pails and your system might be a great project while I layover in the south.

I sure ain't gonna try the system I made. Takes up less room for storage, and during use but gee whiz, there's just no flavor in rootballs. Unless ya cook the dirt too. 🙈

I am worried I may have lost my lettuce and early peas as they were just poking through. My garlic is a foot high I think it is ok. I was a little late bringing in some BlackBerry plants I had started in basement and lost some leaves. 3 inches of snow yeasterday

Spring is on the way!! Starting middle of week 70's are predicted until ????

eyes some great advice keeping the maters staked and leaves trimmed.

The blight thingy, I couldn't beat that stuff. I tried fresh soil treated with peroxide in raised beds (car tires) and still got whacked.

Nice to hear you being successful. (I am jealous😞)

If I remain status quo through this summer, I'm thinking "hanging basket" style tomatoes. However, a smaller version of Troutbums garden isn't out of the question. I think it would fun to have such a system while on vacation. Will give me sumthin to do when I ain't fishin... thank you very much. 🍻

For cukes and similar vining plants I used old lattice panels, cut to about 2 ft wide. Supported them laid flat off of the ground with cement blocks and when the plants grew long enough I laid them onto the lattice and they grew along them. Kept them off of the ground pretty well. Would have to add supports about every 2 ft to keep them from sagging too much when the plants got heavy.