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Ontario, Canada.

Oh My...The weather up here is delightfully warm. Normal high today is usually a frosty 34*f. 8am the thermometer sits around 50*f. Now we have almost no chance of securing a white Christmas. I'm gonna do the unthinkable by rot-tilling my patches today as the weather conveniently obliges my "Inconveniently" tardy approach to this years fall patch prep. The weather records are fallen all over the eastern part of North American today.

12/17/2006 8:29:07 AM

ExtremeVegetables.com

Same here in Central Ohio.
I'm going to join you and till patch number one today also.

Sounds like our weather is pretty similar. 51 f here this morning.
The past few years have been milder winters.
If this keeps up they may have to change the hardiness zones. ;)

12/17/2006 8:35:31 AM

Roanoke Il

tilling the patch at this time of year may really feel good maybe up lifting for a grower. But it won't feel good for your worm population. you most likely whip a good part of them. happy tilling....mark

12/17/2006 8:52:29 AM

[email protected]

We'll probably miss the record of 63°F here today but not by much. I'll take low 50's all winter. We'd save a fortuine on the gas bill!

Happy tilling!

12/17/2006 9:59:48 AM

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

Just under 50° here today,but we had the warmest Autumn on record and 2006 is provisionally the warmest year ever recorded in the UK.

12/17/2006 2:29:49 PM

Ohio

Mark, you will ether whip em now or just wait to whip em in the spring right? Or is this when they start having the little ones this time of year?

Brooks

12/17/2006 3:28:35 PM

Ontario, Canada.

I actually did go out and worked up a tremendous sweat while peeling off the layers of clothing I started with. The worms were few in numbers. This may have been due to the cold snap of two weeks ago. Temperatures earlier this month had touch -1*F during the night. We paid a heavy price in lake effect snow that reached depths of over 1 foot.

But now that is all forgotten about as I recline on my front porch in the 55*f heat wave nursing back a cold brew of Canadian Ale. At least the beer was cold eh!

12/17/2006 4:37:08 PM

Ontario, Canada.

Another stat to ponder: The dominate wind direction has been from between the west or from the south on 15 of the 17 days this month. What does it add up to? El NINO?

12/17/2006 4:52:34 PM

Ohio

Yea, that's weird its that warm especially where your parts Russ, this could be a good omen for you next year.

Been in the 50-60's here in Ohio for about the last 3 or 4 days now. Around Dec 3rd, I planted late my winter wheat because the temps has been so warm this December, I just planted it for kicks and surprisingly its growing like mad.

Brooks

12/17/2006 5:29:22 PM

Roanoke Il

Brooks sure you whip, tilling is probably the worse thing for the patch either now or in the spring but this time of year it might be 50 degrees during the day and in the 20's at night and the cold is going to be what kills them of even more than the tilling. Don't get me wrong if your adding tons of amendments tilling is the most practical way to incorperate them in to the patch. But double digging your ammendmets is the best way to prepare your soil. At first I tilled every chance I got and even by adding tons of manure and compost my soil suffured. Killed of almost all the worms in the patch. The past two seasons ive spaded or doulbe dug the soil and only added a third of the ammendments and my worm population has gone threw the roof. By not tilling you will get better soil structure more worms, less water needs and better fungal populations.
benifits of tilling, adding large amounts of organic matter, tilling this time will kill the harmful bugs like svb..mark

12/17/2006 6:10:25 PM

ordinary,VA

Temps going up to the mid 70s tomorrow!!
love it!

12/17/2006 7:23:34 PM

Lexington, Ky

The smart worms can feel the vibration of the tiller...they will survive.

12/17/2006 7:31:20 PM

So. Maine

Up here in Maine I plowed a new section of field yesterday (in case it's too wet in the spring) and tomorrow I might harrow it , been in the 50's lately but the cool down comes Tuesday for us... Winter does start here Thursday ...
AL Berard

12/17/2006 9:10:14 PM

ExtremeVegetables.com

I skipped garden number one yesterday and went directly to the new patch. Ground has never been turned there and it's hard clay. I spread a layer of manure over the area @ 5 inches thick and went over it with the tiller four times as deep as I could go. I'll toss another several inches of poo on the area and let it sit for the worms for the next 4 months or so.
The new patch is over my leach bed and is always too wet to till in the spring.

12/18/2006 6:59:13 AM

White Plains, NY

Weather = Outstanding!

We had a work party to put a new roof on a Viet Nam Veteran's home. One who was much in need!!! The weather was beautiful and the old was ripped off and a new roof completed this past weekend. I can till in the spring unless this weather holds.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to All.

Capt

12/18/2006 2:33:01 PM

[email protected]

Just got my lowest ever December elcetric bill....$158 with Christmas lights running. WoooooHooooo!

12/18/2006 6:30:24 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

Good attitude Capt., Merry Christmas to you!!!!!! Peace, Wayne

12/19/2006 2:16:34 AM

Ohio

Mark make sense to me, I never thought about the cold weather killing them once the tiller brings them to the surface even if they did get lucky with the tiller missing them by chopping them up. Thanks. This could be another reason why growers are going to this no till for their gardens. I remember reading a article about a no till on the MotherEarth web site but cant find it. I sent it to Dwain Gipe last year, maybe he still has it.

Brooks

12/20/2006 5:05:39 AM

Montoursville, PA

Brooks.............Mother Earth News keeps their publications up longer than most publishers. That was a good basic article. I read it and let it go because literally no one here has talked any serious no till talk.

12/20/2006 4:29:58 PM