Name: Beatin’ Those Winter Time Blues || February 2026
Uploaded: 2026-02-25 20:00:20
Duration: 45 min 23 s

Question 1

When should I plant English peas in late winter in Appalachia?

Accepted Answer

For us, late February is the perfect time to plant English peas. I looked back on the calendar and we planted the last week of February last year and had really good luck. We’ve got a cold spell coming, so I’ll hit it right after that passes.

Question 2

How do you decide where to plant tomatoes after disease issues?

Accepted Answer

Last year our tomatoes had a terrible time with disease, so I’m not planting tomatoes in that same garden at all this year. Since we’ve got irrigation on the raised beds now, I’m going to try tomatoes over there and see how they do. Sometimes you’ve just got to change it up and rotate.

Question 3

What’s the best way to trellis tomatoes in a raised bed?

Accepted Answer

I’m still chewing on that one, because a Florida weave is my favorite in the ground, but raised beds are too tall for me to do it without climbing in. I saw an idea using a cattle panel down the middle of the bed with tomatoes on both sides, and then you just tie or weave string as they grow. If you’ve got a method you love, I want to hear it.

Question 4

Do you have to stake tomatoes to get a good harvest?

Accepted Answer

No, you don’t have to stake them up—people make it sound like you do. They just work better for us when they’re off the ground, because it helps with rot and keeps critters from taking bites. But if staking becomes too stressful, just let them go; they’ll still make tomatoes.

Question 5

How do you prune and reclaim an overgrown blackberry patch?

Accepted Answer

We went in and pulled all the dead canes first because they pretty much disintegrate in your hand. Then we started yanking out the plants that had spread outside the two rows—those runners will root anywhere they touch. It was a big job, but we made it where you can walk through again, and now we’ll mulch heavy so weeds don’t take over.

Question 6

Do thornless blackberries spread and take over like thorny ones?

Accepted Answer

These thornless ones sure do. They’ll send runners and they’ll also tip-root—where a cane bends over, touches the ground, and starts a whole new plant. I didn’t realize how far they’d travel, so if you’re planting blackberries, be aware they can spread way farther than you think.

Question 7

Is hay mulch going to cause weeds in my garden?

Accepted Answer

For us, hay hasn’t started weeds the same year we use it, but it can cause weeds the following year. A lot depends on where your hay comes from—Andy cuts his own and tries to mow before weeds seed out. Know your source, because some hay can be full of weed seeds.

Question 8

Do strawberries work well as ground cover instead of mulch?

Accepted Answer

We tried it on Berry Hill and it didn’t work like we hoped. When strawberries get too thick, they quit producing as well, they stay too wet, and slugs get awful. Weeds still come up through them, so mulch works way better for us.

Beatin’ Those Winter Time Blues || February 2026

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