now I understand Raven's (and other NEer gardeners)...

[NMDemDist2]

Caribou (Maine) sets snowfall record (182.5 inches)

http://bangornews.com/news/t/aroostook.aspx?articleid=161983&zoneid=175

FORT KENT, Maine — It’s official. The 2007-08 snow season in northern Maine is one for the record books. Just in time for the start of spring.

The old record of 181.1 inches of snow recorded in Caribou, set in 1955, was shattered by noontime Friday when the National Weather Service in Caribou recorded 182.5 inches of snow since the start of the season.

It didn’t stop there.

Heavy snow and winds gusting up to 50 mph continued throughout the day, creating blizzard conditions around much of northern Maine and causing numerous vehicle accidents and headaches for municipalities already overextended with snow removal budgets.

By Friday afternoon close to 15 inches of snow had fallen in central Aroostook County and a blizzard warning was still in effect from the National Weather Service. The St. John Valley saw about a foot of new snow, while southern portions of the county got around 7 inches.

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:grouphug: to all you Northern Gardeners....

[Raven]

1. I feel like a wimpy crybaby compared to those Mainers! It's been tropical

here in SW NH compared to Maine! It's funny you posted this because as I was checking in I was thinking that it might give my lagging spirits a lift to read about what other warm weather gardeners are doing! Now, in addition to that I can be grateful that I don't live "Down Maine".

[NMDemDist2]

2. well I went out and staked my plot and started digging rows today

my kitchen garden has 'maters, broccs, radish and carrot sprouts

I'm trying to get a crop of 'cold crops' in before the miserable heat of summer hits

[wildeyed]

3. I built frame supports for cukes and pole beans.

I made them out of pipe as per the Square Foot book but they were kind of pricey so I held back on making a third for the melons. Has anyone trellised melons? Is it worthwhile?

[LiberalEsto]

5. I grew small watermelons a couple of years ago

The plants did beautifully on the rope supports, but you have to make slings to support the weight of the melons. The Square Foot book says to use pantyhose; I used nylon net I got at a yard sale.

[wildeyed]

6. And would you do it that way again, or did you switch to a new method?

I was thinking of just letting the vines grow out over the walkway instead of going to the bother of training the vines, then tying up the individual fruits.

I ordered seeds for a melon called 'Minnesota Midget'. The fruit is so small, it may not even need the fruit supports. I also got 'Moon and Stars', which sounds like a more typical full season melon.

[LiberalEsto]

8. I have limited planting space

so if I'm going to grow melons, they will have to climb. I rarely grow them, though.

[NMDemDist2]

7. I'm gonna make an "A" frame with pallets for my melons

all it will cost is gas to bring em home. I have the long screws and field fence already to drape over the top

I figure if I knock out some of the planks for light and stake them in, I'll get cheap frames. PlantWyman said to start saving my onion bags to tie up the melons but I have a drawer full of old pantyhose I can use too. I am hoping with the frames I can plant lettuce and spinach underneath in the heat of the summer with out it dying....

[wildeyed]

9. Yuck, pantyhose.

Gave those up years ago.

I will look for that thread, I vaguely remember it. I may not have the room for it, but I can definitely get pallets for free, so it is worth looking into.

[NMDemDist2]

10. exactly!! I can gain a whole drawer of space if I dump those dumb things

I haven't worn in years

:rofl:

I staked out the big plot today and do have the four feet for melons but I'd love to plant under them and take advantage of the shade

[wildeyed]

11. 'K, I found the trellis thread.

Doesn't say anything about pallets, just calls for different size pieces of wood. Am I missing something?

http://www.ehow.com/how_2224037_build-aframe-trellis.html

[NMDemDist2]

12. no, but I decided pallets would work too and I can get them free

that seemed like a good A frame but said it was for lighter plants like peas and cukes not the cantaloupes and watermelons I'm planning

I'm gonna use a modified string thing using my deck railings for my maters, I'm gonna plant the squash with the corn and my cukes with the sunflowers so they don't need support, they can climb their 'neighbors'. the peas are going next to the fence.

edit to add, remember this is my first garden and I'm a complete n00b, so don't listen to me!

:shrug:

[wildeyed]

13. I don't think I have room for A frames unless I put one side in the walkway,

which might work fine. I will think on it. I made the trellis they recommend in the Square Foot book, but I only made two, one for cukes, one for pole beans. They are nice, but a little spendy, even though I made them myself. So I want to try them out for a year, make sure I really like them before investing in more.

They seem a bit unstable, too. I could see them going down in a storm, especially with a heavy crop like melon or tomato.

[LiberalEsto]

4. I planted sugar snap peas Friday morning

in a frantic rush, trying to get them in before the moon turned full. Also put in a row of spinach seeds.

Now that moon is waning, I can put in root crops like radishes. Lettuce will go in the pea and spinach bed after the full moon on April 5.

Today I also put clear plastic over the other three vegetable beds to solarize the soil. This helps get rid of overwintering diseases and fungi. After Mother's Day, it will be time to put in tomato and pepper seedlings, and plant cucumbers and beans, in the nice warm solarized soil.

If the weather is ok, we should be picking sugar snaps in mid to late May.

Once the peas, spinach, radishes and lettuce are done for the season, I'll solarize that planting bed to get ready for a late planting of summer squash. Around here if you plant squash too early, the borers kill the plants. Since I don't use chemical pesticides, I've tried wrapping squash stems with foil, or using diatomaceous earth, ashes, and pyrethum. I've tried stabbing the borers with pieces of coat hanger. Nothing works; they are relentless. But planting later - in August - actually makes it possible to get a crop of late summer squash.