Green Dragon's 2022 Grow

[GreenDragon]

There and Back again Staying There, a Hobbit's Journey to North Carolina:

I'm starting this blog a little early due to my move which was precipitated by an opportunity in my company that I couldn't pass up. So we packed up our two cats and two dogs (we left the kiddo's behind!) and hit the road. We moved from Austin, Texas to Charlotte, North Carolina. The journey took two days, and was remarkably uneventful. Our boys decided they both wanted to stay in Texas and are going to move in together. To help them out we gave them a good proportion of our furniture. The upside of which is that we didn't have to move as much, but the downside is that we are sitting in camp chairs in the living room at the moment until we can get some new furniture.

We have a brand new backyard to garden in, and the Wife and I are already staking out territory to grow our 2022 crops in. We are interested in seeing the differences in growing veg and tobacco in Texas soil (a mix of black loam and lime rock) vs Carolina red clay. Any advice is appreciated! I will be soliciting recommendations on varieties to plant in the spring soon.

Our route:


You know when you move into a new place and can't find anything 'cause it's all different from the old house???


New Backyard:


Yes, I'm that OCD I have to stack the empty boxes by size and shape...


Still working on the home office:


This evening's reward: Basma Pajama Party I jarred last November.

 

[Charly]

This seems like a nice place to grow some tobacco !
I wish you a good crop.

 

[Knucklehead]

There and Back again Staying There, a Hobbit's Journey to North Carolina:

I'm starting this blog a little early due to my move which was precipitated by an opportunity in my company that I couldn't pass up. So we packed up our two cats and two dogs (we left the kiddo's behind!) and hit the road. We moved from Austin, Texas to Charlotte, North Carolina. The journey took two days, and was remarkably uneventful. Our boys decided they both wanted to stay in Texas and are going to move in together. To help them out we gave them a good proportion of our furniture. The upside of which is that we didn't have to move as much, but the downside is that we are sitting in camp chairs in the living room at the moment until we can get some new furniture.

We have a brand new backyard to garden in, and the Wife and I are already staking out territory to grow our 2022 crops in. We are interested in seeing the differences in growing veg and tobacco in Texas soil (a mix of black loam and lime rock) vs Carolina red clay. Any advice is appreciated! I will be soliciting recommendations on varieties to plant in the spring soon.

Our route:
View attachment 39963

You know when you move into a new place and can't find anything 'cause it's all different from the old house???
View attachment 39959

New Backyard:
View attachment 39960

Yes, I'm that OCD I have to stack the empty boxes by size and shape...
View attachment 39961

Still working on the home office:
View attachment 39964

This evening's reward: Basma Pajama Party I jarred last November.
View attachment 39962

Did you see me waving? You flew right past me.
Best of luck.

 

[GreenDragon]

Wow, it's been four months since my last post! We've been pretty busy making the new house our home. I've painted several rooms, stone veneered the fireplace and sourced a piece of local Box Elder for a mantle (it was previously covered in faux brick wallpaper - yuck!), and started putting in wood flooring upstairs to replace the cheap carpet. Busy Busy Busy!



Spring is right around the corner, so I finally got my butt in gear this weekend and started preparations for this year's grow; both edibles and tobacco. I went to a local nursery and bought lots of fruit trees for the yard: Two each of apple, cherry, peach, blackberry and blueberry, and one fig. These will perform double duty both providing yummy fruits and adding privacy to the backyard. These were all planted today. I'm pretty sure I am going to be sore tomorrow! Also this morning I went to the local orange box store and purchased some composite decking to make some garden beds. Was able to build two 4'X4's today and will build two more this week. (Two for the wife's garden, and two for my tobacco.) Next step is filling them with soil and getting things planted.



This afternoon I set up my seed starting station for the garden and tobacco beds. Hopefully will have sprouts by next weekend!

 

[GreenDragon]

This year will be four varieties: two Virginia's - Helena & Ostralist, and two cigars - Little Cuba & Dominican Olor.

 

[GreenDragon]

We have baby's!

 

[GreenDragon]

Well, it's been two weeks, time for an update.





One of the few surviving peach blossoms. (Thank you abnormally late hard freeze!)



Blackberries are breaking dormancy!

 

[GreenDragon]

And this is why we can't have nice things! Ate all the tulips the wife planted over the weekend.

 

[deluxestogie]

Deer Out 40oz Ready-to-Use Deer Repellent

​

 

[GreenDragon]

Deer Out 40oz Ready-to-Use Deer Repellent

​

Thanks! We'll give it a try.

 

[GreenDragon]

Being as my son is notoriously "forgetful" about his regular "Poopy Duty" chores, I'm hoping the dog poo will deter them from jumping the fence into the backyard. Seems to have kept the rabbits out so far.

 

[Homegrowngoodnes]

And this is why we can't have nice things! Ate all the tulips the wife planted over the weekend.

View attachment 40848

Mmm tulip fed venison yum! Drop off roof with knife like rambo! Lol jk good luck! I have heard if you sprinkle human hair around the plants you wish to protect, it works as a deterrent. Most barber shops are happy to get rid of it! Lol

 

[GreenDragon]

Spending some quality time with Thing #2. I was quite tired out watching him wheelbarrow a pickup truck load of mulch and compost for this years grow and garden.

 

[GreenDragon]

I heartlessly thinned out the seedlings this weekend. I totally own that I was commenting the whole time in a squeaky falsetto (Eeeee! Argh! The humanity!!!).


Got the beds filled today… soon!

 

[GreenDragon]

Weekly update: The seedlings are continuing to grow nicely. Will probably thin to one plant per cell this weekend. Luffa's and peppers on the left.



The wife started planting in the new beds last weekend. Supposedly she left me some room for my tobacco, but she keeps mentioning more things she's going to plant....



The peach trees have baby peaches! I'm really surprised as I didn't expect to get anything the first year. Here's hoping they don't fall off.



The blueberries are flowering like crazy. The bumble bees love them, but I haven't seen any honey bees yet. (Bonus, can you spot the butterfly in the picture?)



Apples are also doing well.



Blackberries. I bought two, but was able to root 4 suckers too.

 

[Oldfella]

I spotted the butterfly. Be careful Butterflies lay eggs, eggs make Catapillers, Catapillers eat Tobacco.
Oldfella

 

[DIY Pete]

I spotted the butterfly. Be careful Butterflies lay eggs, eggs make Catapillers, Catapillers eat Tobacco.
Oldfella

That looks to be a black swallowtail so it won't bother the tobacco. It's caterpillars like fennel, parsley, and dill. I plant all of those just for the butterflies.
Pete

 

[GreenDragon]

Don’t I know it! They always ravage my dill.

 

[deluxestogie]

But...but...but the Yellow Swallowtail butterfly is the state insect of Virginia.



Bob

 

[GreenDragon]

It's going to be a very small grow this year

Of the 24 seedlings (4 varieties, 6 of each) I transplanted into the new garden beds, only 2 have survived. These two were the only ones I did not plant in the garden, but in a flower bed. Apparently the previous owner soaked the lawn with weed-killer. Everything in the new garden beds are toast with the exception of my peppers and tomatoes, which were not planted in the soil.



On a brighter note, the patio is almost complete, just needs painting. I added a trellis to grow Hops on to screen out the Western evening sun. Rhizomes on order and should arrive soon.