Author Topic: Planting and Growing Your Own -- 2021  (Read 48605 times)

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own -- 2021
« Reply #200 on: March 16, 2021, 08:44:55 AM »
We are also zone 5 - average last spring frost is May 12, first is September 25 and growing season 134 days.  But last year we had some really cold weather the last week of May.  And two years ago snow fell in June.

My farm garden is just outside town and slightly higher elevation so it can be 3 or 4 degrees colder overnight. 

gaja

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own -- 2021
« Reply #201 on: March 16, 2021, 09:12:15 AM »
My  house is being overrun by tomatoes. And now the government has shut down all shops, so I don't have any soil to transplant them in. This winter has been rather cold, and the ground is still frozen outside, I hope it will thaw in 2-3 weeks, but it might even be 4-5 weeks before it is possible to do anything outside. I've found someone who can sell me soil and compost in bulk, but they can't deliver until it thaws. I also need to order a heartnut and almond tree before they sell out, but don't want to kill them before I can get them in the ground. Until then, I'll just try not to sow too much more indoors...

sixwings

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own -- 2021
« Reply #202 on: March 16, 2021, 09:26:26 AM »
Putting in two new veggie boxes, getting 2 yards of high quality soil and 1 yard of compost delivered on saturday. I'll also mix in some manure as I go along. Once that's all done I'll order a few yards of mulch and mulch my gardens. Getting excited!

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own -- 2021
« Reply #203 on: March 16, 2021, 09:36:28 AM »
My  house is being overrun by tomatoes. And now the government has shut down all shops, so I don't have any soil to transplant them in. This winter has been rather cold, and the ground is still frozen outside, I hope it will thaw in 2-3 weeks, but it might even be 4-5 weeks before it is possible to do anything outside. I've found someone who can sell me soil and compost in bulk, but they can't deliver until it thaws. I also need to order a heartnut and almond tree before they sell out, but don't want to kill them before I can get them in the ground. Until then, I'll just try not to sow too much more indoors...

Maybe you can ask on Finn.no if anyone with a private composting bin is willing to sell soil from the bottom of the bin. Insulated composting bins generate heat when the sun is shining, even in the winter. So that may be thawed. Worth a try?

RetiredAt63

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own -- 2021
« Reply #204 on: March 16, 2021, 08:12:54 PM »
We are also zone 5 - average last spring frost is May 12, first is September 25 and growing season 134 days.  But last year we had some really cold weather the last week of May.  And two years ago snow fell in June.

My farm garden is just outside town and slightly higher elevation so it can be 3 or 4 degrees colder overnight.

I think I  am a zone colder than you on the new(ish) classification.  I'm googled it and in the more recent one you have warmed up a half zone and Ottawa has warmed up a whole zone.  But my garden is outside of Ottawa and away from the river so I'm guessing it's a half zone colder.  Just looked it up.  Average last frost date for my apartment is May 1-10, community garden is  May 11-20, you are also May 1-10.  All my other gardens have had had last spring frost dates of May 21-31, which has meant tomatoes went in end of May and peppers a week later.
« Last Edit: March 16, 2021, 08:18:52 PM by RetiredAt63 »

Aegishjalmur

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own -- 2021
« Reply #205 on: March 19, 2021, 02:39:09 PM »
Got the compost pile started in the back corner of our new 2.5 acre lot(away from both our house as I have had mice nest in my compost bins before). Today started trimming out some smaller pine trees on the south side of our pond so we can now see the second island, tomorrow will clear more. Looks like that spot will be good for anything that needs more sun. Work work work :)

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own -- 2021
« Reply #206 on: March 19, 2021, 03:36:05 PM »
I sent a tersely worded email to William Dam seeds.  I have next to zero potting soil and a ton of plants needing potting up and a would really like to start my tomatoes.  I get that they are swamped with orders but I will need to cancel my order if they know they can't fulfill it any time soon and make a plan B.

I actually had to reconfigure the lighting arrangement on my grow table.  The powerful pot grow light was too close to the seedlings and was burning them.  It now hangs from the joists and illuminates the top shelf. The middle shelf has two fancy grow lights and two 8$ ones from Canadian Tire.  We shall see if they are bright enough.  The bottom shelf stayed the same.

Best part:  I had to harvest arugula and Chinese cabbage - about a pound of each.  Whoot whoot.

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own -- 2021
« Reply #207 on: March 19, 2021, 04:16:11 PM »
Cool rainy day here today.  I spent a fair amount of time in the garden, and oh what joy!  Spring has sprung, all of a sudden.  Seemingly overnight my comfrey and rhubarb are up.  The blueberries are budding.  The forsythia is flowering.   And best of all -- I planted a whole bunch of flowers at the bottom of my garden last year, and now I get to see which of them successfully re-seeded themselves.  First up is the beebalm!  I planted just two plants last year, and now I have 50+ tiny seedlings coming up.  That makes me so happy.  Fingers are now crossed for the borage, hyssop, anise hyssop, and phacelia.  Those were big winners with the bees last year. 

Speaking of the bees, I'll have to decide soon whether to try to split my hive or let it swarm.  They seem strong and I won't be surprised if they swarm as early as next  month.  Next warm day I'll go into them and see if there are any signs of queen cells. 

Last but not least, I transplanted several elderberry 'babies' today.  I learned my lesson last year not to try to dig up first year babies, but to be patient and wait til year two.  It's not until they have bark on them in year two that they take kindly to being dug up and separated from 'mom.'  (I have a big elderberry hedge running right through the middle of my garden, east to west.  I originally put them in there just to save their lives from the deer, but discovered that it's actually a great idea in the garden if you have enough room.  It's a nice perennial planting with deep roots, excellent food for insects and birds, and a welcome area of dappled shade in otherwise direct full-day sun.  It seems like all of nature loves the elderberries.)

Hope everyone has a good weekend!

RetiredAt63

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own -- 2021
« Reply #208 on: March 20, 2021, 08:41:32 AM »
I sent a tersely worded email to William Dam seeds.  I have next to zero potting soil and a ton of plants needing potting up and a would really like to start my tomatoes.  I get that they are swamped with orders but I will need to cancel my order if they know they can't fulfill it any time soon and make a plan B.

I actually had to reconfigure the lighting arrangement on my grow table.  The powerful pot grow light was too close to the seedlings and was burning them.  It now hangs from the joists and illuminates the top shelf. The middle shelf has two fancy grow lights and two 8$ ones from Canadian Tire.  We shall see if they are bright enough.  The bottom shelf stayed the same.

Best part:  I had to harvest arugula and Chinese cabbage - about a pound of each.  Whoot whoot.

I'll be interested in what answer you get from William Dam.  Summer solstice doesn't change, if I don't get my second variety of onion seed soon I will have to buy local.  Which will mean going inside a building.

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own -- 2021
« Reply #209 on: March 20, 2021, 12:37:40 PM »
Sun Hat is your mask an N95? Those are rated to stop/reduce mold, but a typical cloth mask won't do much at all. You could take a look at something like a Vog mask. I first got one when I used to travel to places with very high smog ratings, but they'd work great for mold too.

I'd be interested to see what others say, but I think its going to be hard to avoid mold even after you stop using leaves. Most composts break down through a process of mold and bacteria so I'm guessing they would set off your allergies. I think rubber mulch for the bushes and some kind of poly/landscape fabric for the raised beds will be your best bet. In the mean time, I suggest spraying any soil with a light mist before you do any work. Wet soil is less likely to kick up dust and allergens for you to breathe.

Sorry you're having health trouble that's making your favorite hobbies a trial. I hope you find a good solution.

sixwings

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own -- 2021
« Reply #210 on: March 21, 2021, 09:33:57 AM »
This was a big weekend in taking the first steps to growing my own 2021! Yesterday I:

- Build my first 2 veggie beds ever, one is 8x4 and the other is 2.5x15 (it goes along the side by a fence)
- Got 3 yards of soil delivered and I moved it all into the veggie bed (2/3rd high quality gardening soil, 1/3 compost, with another 10% of mushroom manure mixed in as I went)
-Put mushroom manure, coffee grounds and mulch around my rhubarb
-Put a bunch of rose food and steer manure at the base of my roses (I've neglected them).

Next up is put cardboard around the base of my fruit trees and then covering it in manure and mulch and planting my first veggies. Will do that throughout the week in the evenings after work. I'm in zone 9 so can plant peas, carrots and radishes right now. I also need to readjust my irrigation system.

the_hobbitish

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own -- 2021
« Reply #211 on: March 21, 2021, 10:04:41 AM »
@sixwings Do you have any trouble with voles going after your fruit tree roots? I've been afraid to mulch my fruit trees because voles took out my juneberry bushes last year.

sixwings

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own -- 2021
« Reply #212 on: March 22, 2021, 12:24:18 PM »
@sixwings Do you have any trouble with voles going after your fruit tree roots? I've been afraid to mulch my fruit trees because voles took out my juneberry bushes last year.

Haven't seen any traces of voles in the 5 years I've lived here, so far, so good!

Raenia

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own -- 2021
« Reply #213 on: March 23, 2021, 09:44:52 AM »
My radishes have come up!  I was beginning to be concerned, because the packet said they would germinate in 3 days, and it was more like 7-8, but here they are.  I also planted my porch boxes - chard and marigolds in the main space, milkweed in a side box, and nasturtiums in a hanging basket.  Will keep a close eye the next few days until they all get established.

Roots&Wings

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own -- 2021
« Reply #214 on: March 23, 2021, 10:13:45 AM »
@Sun Hat wish I knew more about the mold allergy issue and possible options, maybe start a dedicated thread in Ask a Mustachian section in case others know and can find the topic easier? There are several health professionals on the forum who don't frequent the garden section. Hope this gets easier for you.

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own -- 2021
« Reply #215 on: March 25, 2021, 09:08:35 AM »
Crickets from William Dam
This morning I left a phone message.

Greenhouse transplants are settled into the planter.
I have more seedlings that need potting up and a little space in the greenhouse for them. 

RetiredAt63

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own -- 2021
« Reply #216 on: March 25, 2021, 11:15:50 AM »
Crickets from William Dam
This morning I left a phone message.

 
Crickets here too.  Their auto-reply email does say they are backed up about a week for emails.

I'm going to Ritchie Feed and Seed this afternoon to buy long-keeping onion seeds.  I'll check my mail on the way out, in the faint hope that the seeds came today.

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own -- 2021
« Reply #217 on: March 25, 2021, 12:59:40 PM »
Crickets from William Dam
This morning I left a phone message.

 
Crickets here too.  Their auto-reply email does say they are backed up about a week for emails.

I'm going to Ritchie Feed and Seed this afternoon to buy long-keeping onion seeds.  I'll check my mail on the way out, in the faint hope that the seeds came today.
I am not as worried about the seeds. It is the damn soil.  Two of the gardens I start seedlings for are organic ones so I can just use any old soil and compromise the integrity of the sites. 

RetiredAt63

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own -- 2021
« Reply #218 on: March 25, 2021, 01:38:20 PM »
Crickets from William Dam
This morning I left a phone message.

 
Crickets here too.  Their auto-reply email does say they are backed up about a week for emails.

I'm going to Ritchie Feed and Seed this afternoon to buy long-keeping onion seeds.  I'll check my mail on the way out, in the faint hope that the seeds came today.
I am not as worried about the seeds. It is the damn soil.  Two of the gardens I start seedlings for are organic ones so I can just use any old soil and compromise the integrity of the sites.

Ouch.  No other sources? 

I just looked at my Jiffy seed starting mix and it is
Sphagnum peat moss, vermiculite, coir pith and lime.  Not acceptable?  I got it at either Home Hardware or Canadian Tire.

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own -- 2021
« Reply #219 on: March 25, 2021, 04:50:58 PM »
Crickets from William Dam
This morning I left a phone message.

 
Crickets here too.  Their auto-reply email does say they are backed up about a week for emails.

I'm going to Ritchie Feed and Seed this afternoon to buy long-keeping onion seeds.  I'll check my mail on the way out, in the faint hope that the seeds came today.
I am not as worried about the seeds. It is the damn soil.  Two of the gardens I start seedlings for are organic ones so I can just use any old soil and compromise the integrity of the sites.

Ouch.  No other sources? 

I just looked at my Jiffy seed starting mix and it is
Sphagnum peat moss, vermiculite, coir pith and lime.  Not acceptable?  I got it at either Home Hardware or Canadian Tire.
It has to have organic certification through one of the certification system.  Promix has a couple of lines that are, and Wm. Dam carries them usually.  It is not readily available in this sized format (and at the price)

RetiredAt63

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own -- 2021
« Reply #220 on: March 25, 2021, 05:20:54 PM »
Crickets from William Dam
This morning I left a phone message.

 
Crickets here too.  Their auto-reply email does say they are backed up about a week for emails.

I'm going to Ritchie Feed and Seed this afternoon to buy long-keeping onion seeds.  I'll check my mail on the way out, in the faint hope that the seeds came today.
I am not as worried about the seeds. It is the damn soil.  Two of the gardens I start seedlings for are organic ones so I can just use any old soil and compromise the integrity of the sites.

Ouch.  No other sources? 

I just looked at my Jiffy seed starting mix and it is
Sphagnum peat moss, vermiculite, coir pith and lime.  Not acceptable?  I got it at either Home Hardware or Canadian Tire.
It has to have organic certification through one of the certification system.  Promix has a couple of lines that are, and Wm. Dam carries them usually.  It is not readily available in this sized format (and at the price)

Actual certification makes it a lot harder.
I used to buy the really big packages of Promix when I had the house, so much more affordable than the little bags that work for apartment gardening.  They could be hard to find, and I  never noticed if they were certified.  Probably weren't.

GOOD LUCK  ! ! !

sixwings

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own -- 2021
« Reply #221 on: March 25, 2021, 05:41:11 PM »
Try to avoid mixes with peat. Peat mining is pretty awful for northern canada, releases a lot of carbon into the atmosphere (peat bogs are a great carbon sink), and is generally bad for the environment. But it can be really hard to find potting mixes without it. Alternatively you could look to try to make your own...
« Last Edit: March 25, 2021, 05:43:48 PM by sixwings »

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own -- 2021
« Reply #222 on: March 26, 2021, 08:33:18 AM »
Wm Dam called me first thing this morning.  No certified organic seed starter available at all.  So I will be using as close as can get.  Peat bogs are highly regulated here and I try to avoid it.  But I don't have the resources to make my own seedling mix.  I should look into doing that in August/September and having it put by for the winter so that I am not in this jam next year.  I did order four blocks of coco coir for the soil block recipe.  Hopefully DH can find some play sand on his way home from work tonight so I can do some sowing!

The purple haze carrots were a crop failure.  Dang.  And I cancelled the onion sets.  Curbside pick up tomorrow!!!!!

In other news, I potted up some more greens using some dodgy soil plus the last of the planter mix.  Spinach does not like being grown in a plug tray - it is bolting at four inches with six tiny leaves. Onion experiment is going well.  I think they will need to move to the green house and stinky hen fertilizer to keep them happy for a bit longer in the trays.  It is getting cold again next week. Peppers are mostly up and looking nice and sturdy.  Cabbage and bok choi in four inch pots are also looking really good.  I don't want to use hen fertilizer in the house so they will have to go out into the greenhouse next week too.

The seedling table DH built is working out really well.


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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own -- 2021
« Reply #223 on: March 27, 2021, 11:43:53 AM »
Las Vegas warmed enough to plant seeds directly in the ground at the end of January. I now have an abundance of lettuce, peas and some strawberries. I have introduced to crowd planting so I have more plants in the bed than usual - lets see how this goes. The idea is more plants = more shade coverage = moister soil for longer. I have 8 tomato plants with the first one showing signs of tomatoes to come (I am addicted to tomatoes) - I have planted cherry, early girl and San Marzano. My additional plants are Zucchini, Eggplant, fingerling carrots, green pepper, banana pepper and cucumber. I do have spinach - but something I cannot identify loves them and has a good meal each night! I have curly kale which is new to me for growing - requires little care except water.

Pear, orange and lemon tree is now blossoming and I have Mormon figs - first ones should be ready at the end of April.

I am looking to plant more fruit trees so if anyone knows my climate and has suggestions on what can survive the heat and sun - I would love to hear suggestions.

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own -- 2021
« Reply #224 on: March 27, 2021, 12:13:44 PM »
So I ventured out on a road trip to Wm Dam in moderately crappy weather this morning to pick up the soil and the remainder of my seed order.  They had big bales of the organic seed starter so I did a swap and am now able to start the seedlings for all my gardeners that grow in the organic garden plots.  My son helped me get it out of the trunk and into the basement.  Soil blocking this afternoon!

The black earth bags were delivered to the borrow garden.

But first, I am going to un-tap the trees.  Washing all the gear and putting it away will happen when the sun comes back out and it is not freezing cold and grey.

RetiredAt63

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own -- 2021
« Reply #225 on: March 27, 2021, 01:34:22 PM »
So I ventured out on a road trip to Wm Dam in moderately crappy weather this morning to pick up the soil and the remainder of my seed order.  They had big bales of the organic seed starter so I did a swap and am now able to start the seedlings for all my gardeners that grow in the organic garden plots.  My son helped me get it out of the trunk and into the basement.  Soil blocking this afternoon!

The black earth bags were delivered to the borrow garden.

But first, I am going to un-tap the trees.  Washing all the gear and putting it away will happen when the sun comes back out and it is not freezing cold and grey.

Great news about the seed starter!

Grey and cold here too, after sunny and high teens.  Good reminder not to start the tomatoes yet. 

sixwings

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own -- 2021
« Reply #226 on: March 28, 2021, 09:16:58 AM »
Got a lot done yesterday with my fruit trees. I expanded the space under them by I digging out the sod around the drip line by about an extra foot, put a bunch of manure and good soil down, planted onions and marigolds (apparently they are good companions for fruit trees? Will find out!) and then put mulch over top. Hopefully they appreciate the work. Also got my peas started. Have the week of April 3rd off so I will be finishing the rest of my yard projects then.

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own -- 2021
« Reply #227 on: March 28, 2021, 02:40:27 PM »
Baby radish are here!


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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own -- 2021
« Reply #228 on: March 28, 2021, 10:57:15 PM »
My tiny seedlings got their first taste of the outdoors as it was 75 today. Tonight we're getting high winds and 40f temp drop, then it will warm back up through the week.

Today was the unenviable task of cutting up and burning a big pile of rose brambles from my huge climbing Enigma rose. Not the most exciting thing, but I'm glad it is over with, and I got a flowerbed somewhat cleaned up as well. Next weekend I will shoot for cleaning up the vegetable beds. I'd like to build a couple more of the higher metal-sided beds this spring, but we'll see. I have lots of other projects in mind and always a lack of time to get to all of them!

RetiredAt63

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own -- 2021
« Reply #229 on: March 29, 2021, 09:16:26 AM »
All my seedlings are doing well so far.

Last year I tried to buy a tarragon plant and couldn't find any.  When I did my last on-line grocery shop they had fresh tarragon, so I bought it.  It was a bunch of leafy stems in a clam-shell package.  I took 12 of the largest stems, rinsed them off, stripped the bottom 2/3s (and dried those leaves for eating) and am rooting them.  I had them in water for 24 hours to perk them up, they were pretty wilted.  They all perked up, so are now rooting (I hope) in seed starting mix.  I did use rooting hormone.  I only really need 1, but since I had no idea of what they had been through since I got them I thought I would start lots to improve my odds. 

French tarragon is only propagated from root or stem cuttings, never from seed, so this should work.  Wish me luck!

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own -- 2021
« Reply #230 on: March 29, 2021, 02:27:12 PM »
Good luck @RetiredAt63!  That's a cool idea.

I did 10 apple tree grafts today.  This was my first time doing field grafts; prior to this I had only bench grafted onto rootstock.  I collected the scion wood back in January and it's been in the fridge since then.  Fingers crossed that some of them take! 

ETA:  I guess there's an old saying that you should graft onto trees in the spring when their leaves are as big as a squirrel's ear.  :)  Looks like I was a tad early on tree #1 below, and maybe a tad late on tree #2.  But we'll see.
« Last Edit: March 29, 2021, 03:47:19 PM by Trifele »

RetiredAt63

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own -- 2021
« Reply #231 on: March 29, 2021, 03:48:55 PM »
Good luck @RetiredAt63!  That's a cool idea.

I did 10 apple tree grafts today.  This was my first time doing field grafts; prior to this I had only bench grafted onto rootstock.  I collected the scion wood back in January and it's been in the fridge since then.  Fingers crossed that some of them take! 

ETA:  I guess there's an old saying that you should graft onto trees in the spring when their leaves are as big as a squirrel's ear.  :)  Looks like I was a tad early on tree #1 below, and maybe a tad late on tree #2.  But we'll see.

Good luck right back with the grafts!

Trifle

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own -- 2021
« Reply #232 on: March 29, 2021, 04:37:17 PM »
Baby radish are here!



Sweet little things!  It’s always a thrill, the first things of the year.  :)

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own -- 2021
« Reply #233 on: April 06, 2021, 10:21:52 AM »
Feeling low - because I dropped an entire flat of onions/leeks.  Upside down.  Flipping.
They are pretty damaged.  And you know how hard it is sometimes to get the damned things out of a plug tray?  Well these babies practically threw themselves.  And they were needing water so the plugs disintegrated on impact.

Salvaged what I could into 3"cow pots.

Damned things.

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own -- 2021
« Reply #234 on: April 06, 2021, 10:33:20 AM »
This thread is awesome! I look forward to contributing throughout the year.

I dipped my toes into gardening for the first time last year with mixed success, but I'm ramping it up this year as I still expect to work from home at least through the summer.

Last year I basically winged it with minimal research and had:
- Cherry tomatoes (in pots, quite successful)
- Physalis (in a pot, died, no idea why -- too little water?)
- Blackberry (planted in the soil, died, I'm guessing my soil is bad because my lawn also does not grow well)
- Cucumber (in way too small a pot, as I learnt, so it had no chance)
- Chilis (also in a small pot, worked but limited output)

This year, I'm approaching it more methodically and I've invested in proper pots and soil for each plant. I'm planting everything in pots this year. Fingers crossed!

Here's a list of what I've already planted:
- Strawberries (I planted loads of these in hanging pots. These are always expensive in the supermarket, so I'm hoping for these will pay for themselves. Also strawberries are yummy!)
- Blackberry (this time planted in a pot, giving this another chance)
- Raspberry (two different types)
- A small apple tree (it's currently tiny, so this will likely take a few years to show results)
- A small fig tree (also currently tiny, not sure if it will like the climate but I love figs, so I'm giving it a try)

This is what I'll still be adding once the weather allows:
- Cherry tomatoes (same setup as last year, but one plant less to allow each plant more space)
- Basil (planted between the tomatoes, I read they like each other)
- Zuccini (supposedly these are easy to grow)
- Peppers
- Sweet potatoe
- Physalis (second try! I'll try to water this a lot more I guess, any tips welcome!)

I do consider gardening as therapeutic and enjoyable, so I'm not really in it for a strong ROI, but I hope I can enjoy some delicious treats from the garden this year.

Roots&Wings

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own -- 2021
« Reply #235 on: April 07, 2021, 06:40:56 AM »
Yay @Sun Hat ! :)

Welcome @mslladyfire! I'm finally having success with Physalis this year. Haven't done a thing to it except leave it alone, which maybe is the key. Think I read somewhere they can thrive on poor soil and practically no water.

After giving up on my blackberries after 2 years (dug them out and traded them) a random shoot is now producing profusely, go figure :)

@Frugal Lizard, I feel your pain. Hope you were able to salvage several. After carefully nursing pumpkin seedlings, the damn things broke off at the stem as soon as I put them in the ground. Ah well, some days are like that.

Trifle

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own -- 2021
« Reply #236 on: April 07, 2021, 06:50:49 AM »
That's great @Sun Hat -- congrats!  I'm right behind you -- I'll be direct-seeding carrots and lettuce in the next couple of days.  Just got back from our camping trip, and I'm also starting tomatoes, cukes, and basella indoors today.  A couple weeks later than I usually would start them, but it should be ok.

I walked around this morning and got a big thrill -- one of my first grafted apple trees from three years ago is flowering for the first time!  The scion wood is 4 years old, and the root stock is 5, I guess?  I'm still not totally clear on which parts of the apple life cycle are dictated by the scion, and which parts by the rootstock.  I believe the final height of the tree is determined by the rootstock, and the chilling hour requirement is determined by the scion, but as far as the timing of flowering -- I would guess scion but I don't know.  So much to learn.  So happy!  The parent/scion of my little graftlings is an old tree we found on some abandoned farmland, and it looks like it was a seedling to me (not grafted).  So it's an unknown variety/its own thing.  We took the scion wood from it because it's still healthy and fruiting well in old age, with zero human care, and the fruit is delicious.  The rootstock is Geneva 890 semi-dwarf, so the final trees should be a nice manageable size.  I have 9 graftlings from that Geneva rootstock batch (now 4/5 y.o.) and I just field grafted that same scion wood onto two other established trees -- a volunteer/mystery apple, and Bob -- a mystery apple we brought with us from up north.  So altogether we've helped that magnificent old farm tree have 11 clone babies.  That feels good. 


the_hobbitish

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own -- 2021
« Reply #237 on: April 07, 2021, 06:58:11 AM »
Trifele your old farm tree continuing on is like garden magic. Really neat.

My seedlings are hardening off outside this week. It's weirdly warm which makes me feel like the garden should be much farther along than is reasonable for early April even in zone 7. The onions and lettuce I direct sowed are sprouting. Right now the idea of big harvestable plants seems so far away.

mslladyfire

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own -- 2021
« Reply #238 on: April 07, 2021, 09:45:43 AM »
I'm finally having success with Physalis this year. Haven't done a thing to it except leave it alone, which maybe is the key. Think I read somewhere they can thrive on poor soil and practically no water.

Thanks for the tip! Maybe I was overwatering... They did look like they were "burning" though... I have no idea, if I'm honest. My green thumb needs some work.

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own -- 2021
« Reply #239 on: April 07, 2021, 10:25:39 AM »
Phase one of the soil blocker experiment is just grand.  Planted all the tomato seeds into the smallest cubes.  Germination was really quick for some, so I moved those babies up into the 2 inch cubes last night.  I loved the no fiddling with tiny roots and spindly stems.  The 1/2inch cubes were nice and solid.  The roots of the seedling were only sticking out a tiny bit at the bottom.  The cubes fit easy peasy into the hole in the bigger cube.  Super easily.  Hopefully the rest of the seeds germinate and I can graduate them pronto.

@Trifele - love your apple cloning.  I should try cloning my Grandmothers plum trees.  Love those plums!

Trifle

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own -- 2021
« Reply #240 on: April 07, 2021, 11:47:52 AM »
Thanks for the soil blocker report @Frugal Lizard -- I had a friend that also had great results.  Maybe I need to try that!

Aegishjalmur

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own -- 2021
« Reply #241 on: April 07, 2021, 01:04:44 PM »
I had created two raised beds using dead logs I scavenged from the woods on our lot. Today I filled them halfway with dead leaves, rotting wood and bark, also scavenged from the woods, then topped it off with soil. I need to get more topsoil, and I have another downed tree I am eyeing up for a third raised bed. The bark, wood and leaves will form slow drip fertilizer for any deep rooted plants.

I now have greater appreciation for why the Chippewa and Ottawa used birch bark for making canoes and other things. The inner wood can be fall apart rotten and the bark is still intact and strong.

Rosy

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own -- 2021
« Reply #242 on: April 07, 2021, 02:24:37 PM »
Aww, @Frugal Lizard - I can commiserate those seedlings are a pain in the patootie.
I'm definitely not doing any seedlings in the spring next year, some I killed with kindness, some I drowned and they all pouted when I put them in the garden. Except for the Cardoon which I seeded directly. It looked great, until I put it through major stress when I 'thinned' the three to a hole to one per hole and tried to transplant the extras.
Damn, I'm not a farmer much less a decent veggie gardener.

Fast forward four weeks
The veggies I planted in big window boxes in the fall are all still going strong. Celery, Russian Red Kale - both from seed, are fat and happy and still going strong.

The mystery tomatoes I potted up from the compost into big containers are doing OK, producing rather slow but steady. Only one has serious disease issues but is trying to shrug it off. The two Roma tomato seedlings I purchased are doing fantastic, we've been eating tomatoes for three weeks and I have enough to freeze several different sauces, stews, soups etc from the garden with my own celery, basil, garlic chives and onions.

Onions-garlic chives
I divided my garlic chives last spring and they have now come back into their own again - so potent garlicky, very tasty especially with omelets.
My onions are mostly just green onions from the store that I used and then stuck the white part with the roots in the garden. I discovered this works best during the cooler months of spring and late fall - once established they grow in the summer too, if they get enough shade and water.
The Egyptian Walking Onion bulbs I planted in the fall are doing fine - we'll see how they do in the summer heat - can't wait to see bulb(lets)in the air.

The dill I seeded in January(from my own saved seeds last year that I threw on the ground) did do fine on its own even though they did not get any attention from me. I thought they all died, but here they are - we'll have plenty of dill. We love dill.
...and plenty of fennel because the fennel reseeded itself and I shook out some seedheads in an area where I wanted them.

Both the dill and the fennel were an experiment in the garden, none in pots. I am still on a mission to find herbs and veggies that reseed themselves or are perennial with minimal care demands - and, if possible - also look good in the landscape.
I am hoping that the Amaranth (Chinese spinach) will be in that category.

All the herbs are doing splendidly.
The chamomile is about to bloom. I got all my favorite mints - orange mint, Mojito mint, chocolate mint, spearmint, and Morrocan mint - hoping they will make it to next year. The basils that I also grew from seed are all doing so much better than I could have hoped for - the Tulsi (Krishna) is still too small to plant in the garden but I planted all the other basils in window boxes and/or in the garden.

So, the Chinese spinach sprouted well, but is growing so slow. It seemed like it just stood still for about ten days once I transplanted it into the garden, but now it is gaining some traction even though it is still rather tiny.
I don't know what happened but the ones I seeded directly into the garden either did not come up at all or in one instance all of them are in one spot.
I'm still shell shocked from trying to thin the Cardoon so I'm not sure what I will do with the ones that are all in one spot. I'd like to rescue a couple of plants at least. I was hoping to have about twenty plants spread about the garden, because they look terrific as landscape plants too.
My ace in the hole is that I also threw some seeds in a large container which are starting to look strong and healthy - so I may wait until they are about eight inches and then try to transplant them into the garden by the end of April - they do seem to like the heat and if they all make it we'll have 20 plants.

Bummer
Not sure at all whether any of the Dinosaur Kale will make it. The first batch I transplanted into the garden too soon and while they looked good at first, they hate where they are. No growth, fading away. I put a few in a window box as well, we'll see how it goes - there is hope for those yet:).
I think I should have just waited to grow the Dinosaur Kale in the fall instead of the spring. I'll try again in the fall.
The New Zealand spinach - well, we accidentally trampled it to death...
 
Happiness
The savoy cabbage I picked up in January(?) as two 4-packs did exceedingly well - made for a great St. Paddy's day dinner. I just harvested the last head, but I am letting four of them continue to grow. Nice leaves for soups and wraps and three of them are already making little mini cabbage heads - fun and tasty.

Turnips (4-pk from the nursery) were trouble-free and we loved it. So I will try them from seed in the fall.
Parsnips - I had every intention to plant, but realized they have to go into the garden. I decided to wait until fall.

The latest
The three coffee bushes I ordered online last year are finally in the ground, the two lemongrasses were cut down but I put off dividing them until fall because I want to move all four of them.

All three of my orchids are blooming, two died last year because the birds took all the plant material for nesting - eye roll.

I made a trip to my favorite nursery (got my second Pfizer shot two weeks ago) and picked up the last violas they had - it isn't spring without violas!
Their last 4-pk of tall snapdragons - yay! Herbs and for the first time three Dahlias.
Everything is planted already incl. an online order from Celtic Herb Farm for rare lemon thyme and a Vicks plant I've wanted forever plus two pineapple salvias which I couldn't find locally and my seeds never came up either.

There is still lots of clean-up, cutting and weeding and more planting (mostly from division or seeds that take longer to grow) but for all intents and purposes my spring planting is done. Tomorrow will be the final clean-up and weeding day in the Potager, there are only two more garden beds to finish up, one in the tropical garden area and one in the front. A final visit to the tropical fruit tree nursery and it is time for garden projects, gazebo and a bit of hardscaping.
Oh, and I plan to plant - drum roll - Wild Jungle Peanuts this weekend. So cool, organic, non-GMO and unmessed around with by commercial growers.


@Trifele - my elderberries are blooming - maybe this is the year I will make elderberry liquor or wine. I've got a row of about ten wild ones in the back of the property and two in the garden. I might try to dig up two more wild ones for the garden. I think every garden should have at least two elderberries to make the critters happy. The red Cardinal thinks he owns them all but the Blue Jays disagree, the bees and the wasps practically set up house there like they do with the Moringa blooms and my seven huge African Blue Basil bushes.

Our garden smells so good right now especially since the Jasmine vine and the other bushes are blooming too and the red passion flower puts out new blooms every morning. BTW both the edible passionflowers that I got last year are doing well despite my attempts at killing them by neglect. We might have fruit from both of them!

Mystery plants
I still have one unidentified purplish-leaved, slim triangular leaf plant (actually like ten or so) in one of my tomato pots. I'm sure it is one of the herbs I seeded, we tasted it, it is definitely not a basil:).
The other mystery plant turned out to be a sunflower - garden gift from the birds:).
... one turned out to be what I hoped for, a dark prince cosmos the other two might just be unknown weeds, but I am loath to pull them since I realized I pulled out all my Tamarillo tree seedlings thinking they were weeds.

...and that is how my garden grows:).

Happy Spring gardening everyone! Did I mention I made a Spring - Easter - Rabbit garden by my shed wall displaying all the rabbit pottery I've accumulated over time between the cabbage - the lettuce - the garlic chives ... silliness in the garden lightens the heart. 

@mslladyfire - welcome to the garden club:). 

Trifle

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own -- 2021
« Reply #243 on: April 07, 2021, 05:01:37 PM »
Great update @Rosy! You could post a picture of the mystery herb to see if someone knows what it is?
I totally agree on the elderberries.  They’re wonderful.  I just dug up two nice big ones this morning and gave them to my neighbor.  Spreading the elderberry love!

Linea_Norway

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own -- 2021
« Reply #244 on: April 10, 2021, 06:16:51 AM »
@Rosy We have never had sunflowers, despite feeding the birds with it all winter. But DH says sunflowers taste too good. Deer and other animals eat the small flowers. He tried to sow them once, but they got eaten immediately.

My 2 chili peppers are growing well. Still indoors on a warm floor behind a window.

Roots&Wings

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own -- 2021
« Reply #245 on: April 10, 2021, 06:36:35 AM »
After 2 years of trying, cape gooseberries are flowering and starting to fruit!! Surinam cherry is also flowering.
 
       
Surinam Cherry is now fruiting, cape gooseberries are going bonkers, still harvesting bananas with 3 more racks ripening.



6 of my 40 pineapples have decided to flower and fruit simultaneously despite being in the ground vastly different times (1.5 - 3 years), unsure what prompted this mass fruiting. They have lovely purple flower buds.


@Rosy, one edible that's gotten comments from neighbors for being especially pretty is Brazilian (sissoo) spinach. Amaranth and New Zealand spinach have been a fail here; moringa went completely dormant overwinter and is finally starting to grow again, been harvesting Okinawa, longevity and sissoo spinach instead. And love the garden silliness! I have some fairy lights (insect bait) and toad houses sprinkled around the garden that always make me smile.

Trifle

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own -- 2021
« Reply #246 on: April 10, 2021, 06:43:31 AM »
Great update @Roots&Wings -- love the pictures, especially the pineapple!  Re:  the greens, I'm in a cooler zone than you but I have great success with basella (a/k/a Malabar spinach) in the heat of summer.  It's a tropical and can really take the heat.  Basella has really grown on me.  At first I didn't know what to do with it (both how to grow it and how to eat it).  Now I consider it a staple.  I grow it up a fence -- it's a tall vine -- and I use it anywhere I would use cooked spinach or kale.   

Roots&Wings

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own -- 2021
« Reply #247 on: April 10, 2021, 11:31:24 AM »
Thanks @Trifele! I'll look into the malabar spinach, have a fence where this could be perfect. Watching YouTube plant shows tonight :) Sweet potato greens are also getting started here, that's another staple during the warm months (raw or cooked).

@Rosy can I ask about your African blue basil? Do you cut this back or leave it alone? I've left it alone and it's looking sad/dried out. There's been practically no rain for the past two months which might be the issue or maybe need to cut back for new growth. Any tips are appreciated!

the_hobbitish

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own -- 2021
« Reply #248 on: April 10, 2021, 01:39:41 PM »
Planting out time. Tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and zucchini with their temporary rabbit deterrent fence.


Cranky

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own -- 2021
« Reply #249 on: April 11, 2021, 07:38:52 AM »
We are moving next month. Well, we've been moving for months, but dh will be retiring next month and we'll be relocating to Wisconsin.

So, we'll see how this year plays out! The new house has a big garden bed and son-in-law wants to get it rototiller, which would not be my preference, but I'll work on him next year. ;-) I've just been puttering around cleaning out the beds here, in between packing and tossing.

Evidently we're getting chickens, though.