Dreary and Dusty ......but only for a little while

It's the time of year when everything is brown.  Dust and dirt is blowing in the strong spring winds.  The tumbleweeds are stacking up high along the fence.  It won't be long however before the rhubarb begins to break ground from it's long winter nap.  The gardens will be covered in weeds soon.  I will till them in along with hundreds of wheelbarrow loads of composted goat manure, preparing the ground for planting.

before

and

after

TREES need to be dug from areas in the gardens

 they shouldn't be growing and transplanted

to a better location.  We have fifty or more to move this spring.

Good thing I know how to dig holes........lots of holes.

One to get the tree out of the ground, and one to put it into.

I get exhausted just thinking about it, but someday

after I am long gone, planted in the ground myself,

someone will be grateful for all the beautiful trees

growing in just the right place.

 create a large berm around the trees and water them in well
this eliminates any air pockets
give them a good soaking at least once a week for the first few months
until new roots are established

Early spring is the best time to transplant trees.  I have tried several different times of year, spring, late summer, fall, and have found they do the best when transplanted in the early, EARLY spring before the sap begins to run, or before they begin to bud out.  Fall planted trees do fairly well, with trees transplanted after the end of April least favorable.

I'll begin tilling soon.

Sometimes I have help tilling, (thanks HUN) 

when he doesn't have to work late on a Friday night

and can drive the 400 miles (one way)  to help on Saturday,

but generally I just plug along day after day......

Several acres takes quite a while with a hand tiller,

and by the time to plant seeds in mid June (yes, it is still freezing at night then) 

the gardens will all be composted, manured, tilled and ready to go.