Spring prep.

[Deleted]

Okay so I live in the northwoods of Minnesota. A lovely zone 2. We still have about a foot of snow in most areas, it's more like snow/ice and the days are warmer mid 30's maybe 40. The nights are still below freezing. This is Maple syruping weather also called sugar-bushing. I need to get out and tape my trees. As the snow melts it uncovers many months of yuck We have various pieces of road kill that have been dragged in by the dogs. Dog poop, ewwwww Gotta wait for a good cold day with a golf iron to knock those puppies into the next county

Generally we just have to wait until the frost goes out and the water, thawed snow, sinks down. This usually happens around the end of April or mid-May. Until then you really can't do too much besides superficial things.

We can still dream of what is to come and what we would like to do. I'm tentatively planning new gardens this year. I have a fairly large lawn that I would like to convert to gardens, either flower or a combination of ornamental and veggies.

The chicken coop needs to be cleaned after the winter. That also needs to wait until the frost goes out as does the horse stable. My hens think it is time to sit on eggs but I keep trying to explain to them that it is still just a little cold for that. Soon enough they can hatch out eggs as they wish.

So how are things going in your area? What do you do to get ready for the full growing season? What about your critters?

[bergere]

I have a Herb Garden with Grape vines plained for one area. DH just has to have the time to start getting it ready.

Can't do a large garden just yet... have to be able to afford 8' tall fencing to keep the deer and elk out.
Know what I want to do but just have to many other things that need to be done before this.

Need to replace one of the old falling apart gates.

Redo the Mini horse and Hen house shed...that is also falling apart.

Need to beef up the fencing protecting the riding ponys from the predators as they found a way to get in.

Now know where I need to place gravel because the clay is slicker than a greased pig.

Need to get the volunteer trees out of the hay fields and mow down the blackberry bushes as soon as the field is firm enough for the wee tractor.

The Fjord and Icelandic are shedding like gang busters.

Did start Theia's harness training.

So just a start. ;D

[Deleted]

I need to re-fence an area for the goats and build them a house. Redo the chicken coop. take the pasture that the goat are now in and resow grass. cut down trees(hubby can use the chainsaw) in one area in order to resow to pasture,these trees have thorns on them and are not native to this area.
soooo much work to do not enough time.
tnborn

[Deleted]

Bergere a good friend of mine did this for her vegetable garden and it worked and she has tons of deer in her area.

She had her garden all planted then she put stakes, maybe 4' tall at the corners and then maybe every 5-6'. It doesn't matter what these stakes are made out of. Then she took a fairly heavy duty fishing line and strung or wrapped in around the stakes and garden at 3-4 different heights. One at about ankle hight, one at knee, one at mid thigh and one at waist hight. She als strunk jingle bells on the line between the steaks. The line was strun tight but loose enough that you could easily step through it because it would stretch. The deer can't see it but they can feel it and they can hear it and it seems to freak them out. She never had a problem with them getting into her garden. Her garden was a good sized one too maybe 20' x 20' or larger.

Another thing people do around here is to put electric fencing around their gardens at a few different heights. Take strips of foil and fold them over the electric wire on the upper most wire. Have these so they are aount 3" long when folder. Then spread a little peanut butter on each strip of foil and turn on the fence. The deer is attracted by the smell of the PB and gets zapped when it sniffs or tried to eat it and then gets shocked. I'm told it works really well.

Good luck! Let us know if you try any of these and which works best.

[bbird]

I'm debating if I am going to put up a garden. I didn't last year because we were busy building and I really missed it. This year, with dh working 7 days a week I just don't know if I want to start one. Think I will just do some tomato plants, cucumbers in a corner of the yard.

I need to walk all the paths through the woods, and clear them of branches that have fallen over the winter.

I really need to wash our front door and underneath our sliding door off because the dogs and cats leave the house dirty from all their pawing to come in. Couldn't they tell that we put up new siding and new paint last summer? How dare they get it dirty!

Time to watch the weather, so we can get gravel up the driveway. Have to wait until we have a week of nice sunny weather and the mud hardens or the truck can't get up the hill. We want it a little soft, so that the rocks will stick. We have to get gravel every year...which stinks.

Need to plant grass again....argh!

[Deleted]

Need to get the garden in...clean out the barn...re-mulch all of the flower beds...build a new coop for the banties... For the moment, that's all. I'm sure there SHOULD be more but I'm not admitting to it...

[dlangland]

Too cold and too much snow left here to do much outdoors yet, but I am anxious to till my garden, finish filling my yet another raised bed, plant the new trees/bushes I have on order, continue clearing my fencelines of fallen branches, assemble the wood I have cut for the rest of my raised bed, paint a shed, fix my mower, redo my back porch step, yet more landscaping, and organize my garage...I really need to tear down my chicken coop, but...This will probably keep me busy for 2 yrs. If the weather would warm up, I also need to finish the new woodwork for my kitchen, and I am renovating a built into the wall gun cabinet into a enclosed bookshelf. I can't finish wood indoors because the chemical fumes give me migraines. I was so counting on an early spring, but it's just not happening. In the meantime, I just keep putzing at my indoor projects and am trying to get psyched to gut my bathroom any day now, or as soon as I am in the mood. Deb