Help! Too much rain!

I have a dilemma. I've bought a lot of plants recently and I want to put them in the ground but it has been raining here in New Orleans every day for the last 2 weeks. I've heard that it's not good to work the ground when its wet because it compacts the soil. Is this true? If so I'd appreciate any advice I can get. The weather forecast predicts rain for the next 7 days also.

Thanks,

Mary Ann

hi Mary Ann,
I'm in the same boat with you, pun intended. =) Just a couple hours west of you, my yard is a soggy mess too.

You are right about not working the ground.

Therefore I scoured the dollar stores for leftover cheap pots for temporary homes for my newbies.
*sigh*

rain, rain, go away. come again some other day

Cheri'

wow, did we get it yesterday. Mary Ann..did you float away? I saw where some parts of N.O. got almost 6 inches in one hour. Terrible, we go from drought to flooding monsoons.

What you heard is right about working the ground when wet. If you are tilling a large area (like a veggie garden) the ground should be dry. A good way to test that is this: pick up a fist full of soil and squeeze it, if the soil forms a hard ball, it is too moist, if it crumbles somewhat, it is ready for tilling.(that should be around..saaaay oh, maybe September for us..*grin*) If you are spot planting your plants and not doing a major job, it is okay to plant now.

Did you say rain????? How about solid, non-stop for a month. Lisa - I think we are both living in an Equatorial forest!!! We're swimming in mud!! I have plants too that need to go into the ground but am holding off until the sun comes out. This weekend maybe!! Yippee!!!

seems like it's raining all over the world ...

It's been three weeks since the drought ended, nothing but rain since. One day last week we got 10 inches. I don't even want to know what the cumulative total is.

I have this one bed that I need to finish digging out so I can rebuild the whole thing. I like to wait for it to have not rained for three or four days before I get out the tiller. I can dig out the remaining plants, between raindrops, but I don't think I'll be pulling out the tiller for a while. =(

Everything is going in pots.

Our long wet spring finally ended, and now it looks like our summer drought has started. sigh

poor lupinelover, our problems are the opposite. Though I understand OH has been having more weather problems than just drought. :(

I'm knocking on wood as I type this, but we have had less than half an inch of rain so far this week. If this keeps up another day or two, I can get out the tiller!!!!!
=)
it could happen ...

Cheri'

Yikes!! Know what you mean.....going to be about 100 tomorrow and it was almost that for the past two days. Why can't we ever have a happy medium!!! :-)

I can relate Zuluqueen, 'cause I live just 'down the road' from you, in Chalmette.

I like that it has been raining because I don't have to water the garden every-other-day, like I have to in the summer when it doesn't rain.

But it is difficult to get out in the garden to do any serious work, so I've been sticking new plants in big pots until we get a break.

And welcome to Dave's Garden. I love it here too! -- Jean

Hi Jean,

We must be psychic pals because I was going to email you today! I just love your web site! It's been very useful to me since you have a lot of the plants I plan to get. It's nice to see a site devoted to this area. Keep up the good work!

I wouldn't mind if the rain would stop just long enough for me to get all of my stuff in the ground. My husband is scared to sit on our front porch because of the bees and wasps hovering over the plants!

Mary Ann

I know, Mary. Just like my DH. Every time I ask him to dig a hole for a new plant, he asks me, "Is this going to attract bees?" I told him that EVERYTHING attracts bees. LOL. But he has been getting a break from digging because of the rain.

Yesterday, I received a huge Queen Elizabeth rose bush and a Kwanzan cherry tree that I had ordered. I don't know if that cherry is going to make it down here, but I'll give it a try. So... more big pots until we can get them in the ground.

Thanks for the compliments about my Web garden. Perhaps with my "free time" away from the real garden, I can finish updating the site.

In another thread, I read about your camellia trees. They must be lovely! You lucky girl! I have a little tree in a big pot.... but that's ANOTHER project for DH. :)

My camellias are beautiful when they're blooming but the bloom time is so short... I would really rather have crape myrtles but I have no room. My yard is tiny like typical Uptown New Orleans yards. Stick your arm out of your window and touch your neighbor's house. The backyard is shaded over by a gigantic oak tree so no crape myrtles for me. I've been think about planting dwarfs in the sideyard where I do get some sun but it just wouldn't be the same...

I've been wanting to do a web site myself but I'm a computer consultant and I work on computers all day. Just can't bring myself to do real work on the computer when I get home. Besides, my yard is not too cute at the moment. If I can ever get all my plants out maybe that will give me some incentive to create a site. I'm also taking a woodworking class at Delgado. Maybe when I finish some projects I can put those up (depending on how they turn out!)

Right now, my garden looks like a tornado passed through here, so I know what you mean. I have pots and pots of plants and trees on the patio, waiting to be put in-ground.

My little camellia has been living in her flowerpot for YEARS. One day, when I find a suitable spot for her, I'll plant her and let her grow tall.

I love crepe myrtles too, but I have only a couple of dwarf ones planted in large pots. They seem to be doing okay. Maray, if I'm not mistaken, I don't think crepes need full sun all the time, so they just might be perfect for the side alley. I'll check.

I love those old New Orleans homes, and have seen what can be done with just a little scrap of yard. I know you will love making it over. Keep in touch! -- Jean