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Midwest

Merry Christmas everyone! Now that it's winter I have a question for you experienced growers. What do I do now? I get this feeling there's so much more I could be doing or could have done. I didn't do enough prep in the fall, I didn't till or turn-over my patch. I think it may be too late for that. It got wet in the fall and timing was bad. I did manage to get my leaves and some horse manue on the patch though. But, I'm not doing a blasted thing now. What do you do in the winter?
Greg

12/8/2005 2:11:26 PM

huntsburg,ohio

nows when i start collecting manure for the future have about 500 yards to start hauling this weekend.Jerry

12/8/2005 2:52:23 PM

Omaha, NE (N41-15-42 )

I collect coffee grounds and dream of all of the big pumpkins I'm going to grow next year. I'd wait until spring before doing anything more to the patch unless you've got a soil test that shows a specific deficiency. I hear you though. I want to be doing something. I just ordered some new grow lights and will be doing test germinations over the next month.

12/8/2005 3:12:54 PM

Long Island,New York

Redesign the irrigation system.
Paint the downstairs.
Redesign the patch layout.
Replace the set-tub faucett.
Decide on seeds..aquire seeds...send seeds.
Wire the garage.
Inventory pesticides and set up program for 2006.
Weld the dump trailer.
Replace the rubber on the sprayer.
Continue the wildlife relocation program(2coon,2possums,14squirrels in 18 days)
Clean the garage.
Aquire compost/manures etc and stockpile.
Soiltest.
Shop for Christmas.......................
Look up the wife and kids.

12/8/2005 3:21:29 PM

Ontario, Canada.

some different ideas, in no particular order.

Build a germination box.
Keep a clone or two growing until spring.
Winter soil sample in late December before freeze up.
Seed testing. Pumpkins, Gourds, Tomato's and Watermelons. Seed trading and exchanges, bubbling takes up lots of time.
Seed inventory list and storage.
Research, this is continuous, posted subjects change daily.
Giant Vegetable Growers of Ontario (GVGO), club functions.
International Giant Vegetable Growers Convention(IGVGC).
Harvest Long Gourd seeds.
Water storage system, add treatment facility to raise PH.
Dosatron, order spare parts.
Purchase a soil PH meter for use next spring.
Price list of seeds, via the auctions and raffles.
Soil moisture meter, develop a plan to properly use it.
Flow meter, investigate use of for irrigation control.
Work my normal day job.
Follow, NFL, NHL & MLB
Wait for snow to fall.
Wait for snow to melt.
Vote January 23rd. in Canada.

12/8/2005 4:59:30 PM

Hobbiton New Zealand

sit down and have a beer after that list above where do you have time to drink?

12/8/2005 5:52:12 PM

Cornwall UK.(50N 5W)300ft.

Grow Onions,sow them now its the best thing you can do with an artificial light.

12/8/2005 6:03:04 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Mail bubble envelopes.

12/8/2005 6:05:19 PM

Sheridan . NY

Trim grape vines in the vineyards and work the 11-7 am shift---

12/8/2005 6:40:21 PM

addison Il

Come to the chat rooms and chat and dont feel bad all those great maple leaves me and sis raked blew away before being fully tilled in.

12/8/2005 9:55:26 PM

Kevinstinindians@yahoo.com

Stupid question of the day: Can you grow pumpkins in the winter in southern california or south florida?

12/8/2005 10:18:53 PM

Puyallup, WA

It depends....

12/8/2005 10:28:42 PM

Sheridan . NY

you should be able to with a little green houseing and daily feeding--- we grow cucumbers and tomatos here in western new york in mid winter----

12/9/2005 8:30:30 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

The winter greenhouse cucumber business is big time. They are usually grown on a vertical trellis sort of like grapes.

AG's require a larger horizontal area than most commercial greenhouse operators can afford to give up. Supplemental heat & lighting are expensive. But if a hobbyist like us wanted to grow a winter crop in FLA the only limitation is their personal finances.

12/9/2005 9:39:13 AM

Midwest

Sorry to hear about those leaves Tracy.

12/9/2005 7:31:24 PM

addison Il

ahh its okay thats the fun of doing it all we will just add in compost and manure in the spring and next yr rembember to mow em down before we till lol lesson learned and all is well.

12/9/2005 8:01:49 PM