Author Topic: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020  (Read 61633 times)

Trifle

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5902
  • Age: 57
  • Location: Outside, NC, US
    • In The Garden
Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #400 on: May 08, 2020, 08:12:10 AM »
Snow in the forecast tonight ($$*##(@!!!)

Here's my plan - appreciate any input on if it's a dumb idea or not. 

First, everything in pots will be moved into our mudroom, where it's 50-55ºF (10-12ºC).  Should be warm enough.
After that - I've got just one raised bed planted, and those are all starts 2-3" in height.  Since it's a 3.5' x 7' bed I'm thinking I'll just put a 2" sheet of XPS foam over the entire bed and weight it down with bricks.  It won't be an air-tight seal but my thinking is it'll be close enough of one to 1) keep the snow off and 2) let the plants stay warm from the soil below.

It's supposed to climb back into the 40s (5ºC+) within 24 hours, so this would just be at night and during the actual snowfall.

Ok idea?  Other suggestions?  Thought about stapling plastic sheeting to get a more airtight seal, but that seems overkill.  Or is it...?

Plan sounds reasonable.  You can also fill up milk jugs (half gallon or full gallon) with water, cap them, and lay them on their sides in the bed, ensuring good contact with the soil.  They act as a heat sink and help keep the temperature up under the cover. 

Frugal Lizard

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5581
  • Age: 57
  • Location: Southwest Ontario
  • One foot in front of the other....
Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #401 on: May 08, 2020, 08:32:08 AM »
Sounds like a plan.

Our forecast frigging sucks for most of the week.

asauer

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 848
  • Location: North Carolina
Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #402 on: May 08, 2020, 09:19:31 AM »
I’m worried about our plants over the next few days.  Record lows coming for our area and the seedlings have JUST taken hold!  We’ll cover of course but we’re crossing all fingers and toes that we won’t lose anything.

Jon_Snow

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4458
  • Location: An Island in the Salish Sea (or Baja)
  • I am no man’s chair.
Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #403 on: May 08, 2020, 03:26:21 PM »
I am a bit confused now as to which gardening thread to post in. How do you folks choose?

This one has longevity going for it, as I believe there has been a thread like this going for at least the 6 years I’ve been talking garden matters with the fine folks here. But the other one has its own fancy sub section.

nereo

  • Senior Mustachian
  • ********
  • Posts: 17497
  • Location: Just south of Canada
    • Here's how you can support science today:
Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #404 on: May 08, 2020, 03:58:02 PM »
I am a bit confused now as to which gardening thread to post in. How do you folks choose?

I part in both and then I’m routinely confused as to which I should be responding to. It’s not a strategy I recommend.

TomTX

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5345
  • Location: Texas
Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #405 on: May 08, 2020, 04:58:05 PM »
I am a bit confused now as to which gardening thread to post in. How do you folks choose?

This one has longevity going for it, as I believe there has been a thread like this going for at least the 6 years I’ve been talking garden matters with the fine folks here. But the other one has its own fancy sub section.
Now you have replaced my ignorance with confusion.

What other thread?

nereo

  • Senior Mustachian
  • ********
  • Posts: 17497
  • Location: Just south of Canada
    • Here's how you can support science today:
Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #406 on: May 08, 2020, 05:04:45 PM »
I am a bit confused now as to which gardening thread to post in. How do you folks choose?

This one has longevity going for it, as I believe there has been a thread like this going for at least the 6 years I’ve been talking garden matters with the fine folks here. But the other one has its own fancy sub section.
Now you have replaced my ignorance with confusion.

What other thread?

http:// https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/gardening-diy/gardening-2020/]bit confused now as to which gardening thread to post in. How do you folks choose?

This one has longevity going for it, as I believe there has been a thread like this going for at least the 6 years I’ve been talking garden matters with the fine folks here. But the other one has its own fancy sub section.
[/quote]
Now you have replaced my ignorance with confusion.

What other thread?
[/quote]

http:// https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/gardening-diy/gardening-2020/

There is a baby sub forum now...

Jon_Snow

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4458
  • Location: An Island in the Salish Sea (or Baja)
  • I am no man’s chair.
Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #407 on: May 08, 2020, 06:40:55 PM »
I think this shall remain my preferred spot for this season, in part due to @Trifele’s picking up throwing down the gauntlet to get this long running thread up and running for 2020...big thanks to her....and because my roots are rather deep in here at this point.

I’m actually curious as to the rationale for getting that other thing going as I’ve always found this thread to be a great resource over the years and not, uh, difficult to find...which as I understand it MAY have been a reason for starting the other garden community on the forum. Now that it exists....I could see the Gardening 2021 talk being focused in the new sub forum...rather than the dilution of content to be found in both places currently.

Hit 27C (80F) here today....unusually high for May here on the Left Coast. There is no doubt my garden will continue to get a boost from this....beans and squash have been planted out in the past few days. The only thing that has shown displeasure with this heat is the spinach....which looked decidedly droopy today. Back to more seasonal temps and a bit of precipitation for next week. Which is good as I’ve not had to water my plants to this extent in May....ever I don’t think.

horsepoor

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3497
  • Location: At the Barn
  • That old chestnut.
Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #408 on: May 09, 2020, 01:05:02 AM »
Hmm, I was also unaware of the new sub-forum, but the link to it is dead for me, so I'll stick with this thread.

Busy today out in the garden.  It was one of those perfect sunny, 72 degree days with a gentle breeze.  Planted 32 green chile plants and another 16 peppers of other varieties (Macedonian, Serrano and Paprika).  There are about 25 more pepper plants waiting in the wings, but the seedlings have been taking their sweet time to get any kind of size, so I'm keeping them in the greenhouse for now.  Planted Fortex beans and relocated the pea plants that the squirrels apparently dug up and moved for me.

The Tomato Fortresses are up, and all beds are ready for cucurbits as soon as the seedlings get a little bigger.  Doing more than I had planned back in February, B.C. and wishing I had a couple extra beds now to accommodate the winter squash, but they'll test their luck in an area that will eventually be xeriscaped.  I might toss some dent corn out there too, if I'm watering the area anyway.

Sadly, I had to dig up some milkweed rhizomes, as it has a pesky habit of trying to establish in exactly the wrong place.  I'm hoping I can get it established in some more viable locations and lure in some butterflies.

Harvested the first lettuces this week, and kale, collards and chard look to be well on their way.  There are some random alliums getting harvested as well, as they volunteer or re-sprout from last year.

Trifle

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5902
  • Age: 57
  • Location: Outside, NC, US
    • In The Garden
Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #409 on: May 09, 2020, 03:02:14 AM »
Interesting about the new sub-forum.  I think actually the gardening thread may be better off in a general location like this, to have wider appeal.  But either way, I can't handle posting in two places so I'll stick around here for this year!

Frugal Lizard

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5581
  • Age: 57
  • Location: Southwest Ontario
  • One foot in front of the other....
Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #410 on: May 09, 2020, 02:07:10 PM »
I am sticking here. 

and it is f*cking snowing here.  I haven't been to the greenhouse yet today because I didn't want to let out any heat.

I haven't started squash seedling yet because I have no room under grow lights because I can't move the tender tomatoes and eggplants and peppers into the greenhouse.

Damn weather.

Jon_Snow

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4458
  • Location: An Island in the Salish Sea (or Baja)
  • I am no man’s chair.
Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #411 on: May 09, 2020, 08:49:22 PM »
I am sticking here. 

and it is f*cking snowing here.

But is it sticking? 😉 sorry

I haven't started squash seedling yet because I have no room under grow lights because I can't move the tender tomatoes and eggplants and peppers into the greenhouse.

Well, I started my squash seedlings almost 2 weeks ago and I have had some terrible germination results. Did my seeds go bad? They are only 2 years old and the seed packet says they are good for 3. I thought it might be my seedling mix, but my cukes germinated like champs. I HATE buying seedlings but I may have to brave the ludicrous lineups at the local garden centre to pick up some. Grrrr.

One last word from me in regards to the other forum gardening spot. I will likely do some reading there - currently enjoying the tomatillo talk, as I’ve grown them for 6 years now. Last I learned to NEVER plant them next to cucumbers - but I will only be posting here as well. As some others have mentioned trying to post in both places would be a challenge...especially for this old brain. 😊

Off the Wheel

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 306
  • Age: 124
Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #412 on: May 09, 2020, 09:56:55 PM »
I casually partook in this thread last year, and casually had a garden, but baby arrived mid-August so the garden was mostly weeds and my internet participation nose-dived. This year will be better!

Harvested: rhubarb from a friend. Made it into a rhubarb crumble and a rhubarb syrup to doctor up gin and tonics. Both so good.

So far, on the 'impossible to kill' front I've got chives, chinese onion, walking onion, lemon balm and mint galore, with new additions of horseradish, strawberries and a raspberry cane that migrated over from the neighbour.

In the ground and thriving: spinach, pac choi, swiss chard, kale, radishes.

In the ground and never to appear: carrots (confirmed), lettuces (confirmed), beets (TBD). I've never done the seed germination test, and as I attempt to use the same seeds for a few years... I should probably start.

In the ground and struggling: a gifted tomato seedling (too early?), and calendula, basil and onion seedlings that I started without a proper light set up... they struggled on the window sill and continue to struggle in the ground. We'll see.

Getting rotated in and out of my house all day: zucchini! I'm determined to have fruitful zucchini this year.

Still to plant: beans (from seed), cucumbers, tomatoes and maybe peppers (seedlings.)

Trifle

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5902
  • Age: 57
  • Location: Outside, NC, US
    • In The Garden
Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #413 on: May 10, 2020, 06:35:00 AM »
Getting rotated in and out of my house all day: zucchini! I'm determined to have fruitful zucchini this year.

Same here @Off the Wheel -- I grow cucumbers in pots, and they have been in and out of my house for the last month.  Currently inside, as we had another freeze last night one full month past the last historic average date.  Crazy. 

The tomato and pepper seedlings have been outside in the ground for weeks, and so far are doing ok through multiple freezes, with row cover and milk jug buddies.  DH (engineering type) tells me I am using the term "heat sink" wrong; the water-filled milk jugs I put under the covers with the seedlings are actually "heat reservoirs", and as long as they're in good contact with the soil they bring that heat up.  This past winter they worked great and helped me overwinter a bunch of kale and chard.  The jugs never froze, even when the temperature was far below freezing.  In a more northern zone in the depth of a real winter I think you'd need a much bigger reservoir, but here in 7a the jugs work beautifully. 


Trifle

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5902
  • Age: 57
  • Location: Outside, NC, US
    • In The Garden
Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #414 on: May 16, 2020, 04:44:31 AM »
Hope everyone survived the cold snap and is into warmer weather!

I have this mystery plant that showed up in large numbers on the edges of my vegetable garden this year.  Anybody know what this is?  It's clumpy and about a foot tall, and sends out runners.  It has a few tiny pink flowers here and there.  Thanks!



« Last Edit: May 16, 2020, 04:53:20 AM by Trifele »

Dee_the_third

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 557
  • Location: Podunk, Midwest
Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #415 on: May 16, 2020, 04:56:31 AM »
My plant ID app (PlantNet) suggests it's some kind of geranium.

Trifle

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5902
  • Age: 57
  • Location: Outside, NC, US
    • In The Garden
Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #416 on: May 16, 2020, 07:11:00 AM »
My plant ID app (PlantNet) suggests it's some kind of geranium.

Thanks @Dee_ !  That's where I was leaning too, based on the leaves.  Some type of hardy geranium, but the flowers don't seem to match up with anything I'm finding online.  There's one plant in the hardy geranium group called Bloody Cranesbill (kind of a gross name) that might be it.  I'll know in the fall if that might be it if/when the leaves turn red (?)

RetiredAt63

  • CMTO 2023 Attendees
  • Senior Mustachian
  • *
  • Posts: 20742
  • Location: Eastern Ontario, Canada
Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #417 on: May 16, 2020, 07:46:39 AM »
My plant ID app (PlantNet) suggests it's some kind of geranium.

Thanks @Dee_ !  That's where I was leaning too, based on the leaves.  Some type of hardy geranium, but the flowers don't seem to match up with anything I'm finding online.  There's one plant in the hardy geranium group called Bloody Cranesbill (kind of a gross name) that might be it.  I'll know in the fall if that might be it if/when the leaves turn red (?)

Based on the leaves and small flower I also thought true Geranium (the annuals we call geraniums are actually Pelargonium).

MudPuppy

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1468
Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #418 on: May 16, 2020, 09:13:51 AM »
@Trifele I thought it was a spiny buttercup

Trifle

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5902
  • Age: 57
  • Location: Outside, NC, US
    • In The Garden
Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #419 on: May 16, 2020, 04:10:13 PM »
@Trifele I thought it was a spiny buttercup

Thanks!  I just looked at that plant @MudPuppy, and it does look similar, except the flowers are pink instead of yellow . . . and wow, that is interesting about spiny buttercup being a host plant for certain crop diseases.  I often look at weed plants growing near my crops and try to figure out if they are friend or foe.  This one looks like it's in the "foe" category! 

rachellynn99

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 165
Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #420 on: May 17, 2020, 02:27:57 AM »
We are getting plenty of Swiss Chard, Spinach, lettuce, green onions and sugar snap peas. We have chickens so also more eggs than we can eat. I made 6 Quiches this weekend ( each one uses 4-5 eggs) and froze them. My kids love them and they are nice when we don't have many eggs in the dead of winter.

Everything else seems to be growing pretty good. We have some tomatoes that have blooms on them and some teeny tiny peppers growing. It's pretty slow for now, another month and I'll be so busy I won't know what to do.

Trifle

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5902
  • Age: 57
  • Location: Outside, NC, US
    • In The Garden
Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #421 on: May 17, 2020, 04:44:16 AM »
Sounds like your garden is doing really well @rachellynn99!  I make loads of quiche too.  Chard, potato, and leeks are frequent ingredients.

horsepoor

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3497
  • Location: At the Barn
  • That old chestnut.
Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #422 on: May 18, 2020, 10:32:36 PM »
I agree that looks like a geranium.  From what I can see, the flowers look similar to some geraniums I have along the front walk, though the leaves on yours are much more deeply dissected.  I kind of hate mine, but they are tough as nails in a site that gets little to no watering, so I let them live.

It seems like we're getting a slow start here.  Yesterday we had our first proper salad of mixed lettuce leaves.  The radishes aren't even growing very quickly.  Finally some carrots are established, but patchy.  Next week I'll be harvesting collards.  It's cool and rainy the rest of this week, then I'm traveling for work next week, so it looks like the last few things (okra, cukes, tomatillos) things aren't going to get out into the garden until the end of the month, which is about two weeks later than usual.

In the front yard, the penstemons, Greek yarrow and Apache plume are blooming, and some bluebunch wheatgrass I transplanted to up near the sidewalk are over 2' tall and looking spectacular (to this plant geek; no one else seems impressed when I show them), and my Thurber's needlegrass has children.  There is a great drift of California poppies blooming on the side yard, and my 15' Enigma rose is just starting to show off too.  However, I've been too busy moving rock mulch, stacking wood and burning things in the back yard to pay it much attention.  The pandemic is leaving me time to get to some cleanup and organization that has slipped over the years with my spring travel routine.

YttriumNitrate

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1836
  • Location: Northwest Indiana
Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #423 on: May 19, 2020, 06:36:19 AM »
This year I tried out an ultra-cheap grow light setup for starting various things indoors. The lights were standard bright white LEDs that my local big box store was basically giving away last year, the fixtures were $2/each outdoor floodlight fixtures, and the frame for the lights was made from scrap lumber. I had the electrical cord/connections left over from previous projects, so the only new stuff I got for the project were the light fixtures and a timer. Total cost was under $15.

There were a few hiccups with figuring out the right amount of water to give them, and the hardening off process, but so far things are going pretty well. Plants are starting to get transferred outside, and it looks like I'll have a bumper crop of lettuce, collards, basil, and tomatoes. The peppers and dill decided they did not want to grow this year.


Picture taken a month or two ago, the plants are much bigger now.

ZsaZsa

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 153
  • Location: Flyover country (state of mind)
Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #424 on: May 19, 2020, 06:55:54 AM »
Mr. Z thinned the radishes yesterday, and brought in about a dozen small ones. The leaf lettuce survived the late frost and is ALMOST ready for picking. All of the tomato plants that took a beating from the late cold weather seem to be putting out fresh green, so they survived. Have tiny shoots of cucumber, golden zucchini, and yellow squash coming up. Assorted green, jalepeno, banana and cowhorn peppers all looking good. The parsley and cilantro already need to be cut back, so I need to plan some meals that will use up the clippings!

Roadrunner53

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3570
Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #425 on: May 19, 2020, 07:41:51 AM »
This is probably a dumb question but last year I had the most fantastic tomatoes. I still have some frozen bags of them in the freezer that I will have till my next harvest this August/September. I saw this demo on youtube where you could take a slice of a tomato and lay it in to a pot of potting mix and the seeds would grow a new plant. I was wondering if I took a tomato slice out of my freezer and planted it, would it grow since it was frozen?

I just saved the root end of my scallions and have them in water and they are growing. I will plant them soon! Looking forward to regrowing certain vegetables!

I would love to regrow my tomatoes from last year. They were awesome! But since they have been in the freezer, not sure they would grow.

TomTX

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5345
  • Location: Texas
Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #426 on: May 19, 2020, 08:04:02 AM »
This is probably a dumb question but last year I had the most fantastic tomatoes. I still have some frozen bags of them in the freezer that I will have till my next harvest this August/September. I saw this demo on youtube where you could take a slice of a tomato and lay it in to a pot of potting mix and the seeds would grow a new plant. I was wondering if I took a tomato slice out of my freezer and planted it, would it grow since it was frozen?


Seed banks generally freeze the seed - but typically the seeds are dried first.

Give it a shot! All you're risking is a tomato slice...

Frugal Lizard

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5581
  • Age: 57
  • Location: Southwest Ontario
  • One foot in front of the other....
Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #427 on: May 19, 2020, 08:42:17 AM »
Lots of progress in the garden this weekend.
Some heavy lifting of well rotted sheep manure from the pile at the farm to my garden in town.
Then back at the farm with an empty trailer, I worked on restoring some sprawling red raspberry canes back into neat and harvestable rows.  They didn't bear well last year.  Hopefully with some reduced competition and a good application of some of the manure next weekend, they will yield well.

I sorted through the remainder of the potatoes from last year to save a few for dinner Sunday night and had the kids sort them as best as they could into variety and size to plant as seed potato next weekend.  I have about 1/2 a bushel.  The russel burbanks are really slow to set up eyes.  They need to be eaten last.

My brother cultivated the big plots at the farm that was fallow last year (AKA, eight feet high in weeds) with the tractor. There are four bays between the raspberry bushes. I want to move it to no till from now on.  I am going to plant the potatoes, tomatoes, cukes/squash and beans, beets, carrots in each one.  This will be the basis of a crop rotation plan for future years.  I will cover them with a super thick layer of very much still straw manure and then pull back enough space to plant seeds into.  Hopefully I can then get the weeding under control.  The tomatoes will also get a roll of red plastic mulch so that I don't bother with staking.  I am hoping the big mounds of straw between the plant will help direct the moisture to the roots and reduce rot.  I got about 21 plants from the packet of seeds - Pony Express.  They are supposed to be a disease resistant paste tomato hybrid.  Hopefully that is enough plants to yield 8 bushels of fruit for our canning needs.

I have a lot of different types of beans and not enough space in town so hopefully there isn't too much of a bunny problem.  I would like to harvest two cups of seed for next year and enough black beans for us to eat them all winter.  The fresh eating beans will be planted in town, as I can't keep on top of harvest out at the farm.  I would also like to grow a bushel of beets and carrots for pickling and storage.  I have had good luck with storing them in the ground under a big bale of straw and lift the straw with the tractor to harvest them around Christmas. 

Things in the greenhouse are coming along nicely
Germination is mixed on the squash on the heat mats.
Transplants from starter trays to pots are doing really well.  I think they are ready for the greenhouse and the blast of sunlight.  Am I ready for the watering chores>


Dee_the_third

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 557
  • Location: Podunk, Midwest
Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #428 on: May 19, 2020, 09:55:33 AM »
Most everything is in the ground at this point, and with the exception of the pumpkins everything is up. I have a few struggling tomatoes that I might pull and replace with something else.

Gonna try "double planting" my 5 gallon potato buckets and see if I can get a double crop per bucket- they're almost ready for their first hilling! Crazy how much growth happens in a few weeks. Pea greens are almost ready, if the stupid sun would come out I could probably pick them by the end of the week.

Folks, a word to the wise- I've been seeing a few reports of people's soil getting Grazon poisoning from mulching or composting with hay or animal manure. Always, always check with something fast germinating (e.g. peas) before planting your whole crop in it.

Trifle

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5902
  • Age: 57
  • Location: Outside, NC, US
    • In The Garden
Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #429 on: May 19, 2020, 11:13:49 AM »
In addition to our vegetable garden, this year I'm planting a tea/herb/'pollinator goody' garden.  It's all an experiment -- I'm growing most of the things for the first time PLUS it's outside the deer fence with no protection.  So if the deer decide they want to eat it, there's nothing I can do. 

So far in the new "Tea Garden":

-- Lemon balm (third year plants doing crazy well, deer don't touch it -- yay!)
-- Spearmint (first year, so far so good)
-- Peppermint (first year, so far so good)

and the rest of these I just planted out, so too soon to tell:
-- Chamomile
-- Calendula
-- Bee balm
-- Hyssop and Anise Hyssop
-- Yarrow
-- Rue
-- Echinacea


Trudie

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2106
Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #430 on: May 19, 2020, 04:28:58 PM »
All my stuff is in the ground.  It’s rainy and a little cool this week, but stuff is really poised to take off.

I am so relieved to have my community garden plot this year.  Good for my physical and mental health and sense of purpose. 

nereo

  • Senior Mustachian
  • ********
  • Posts: 17497
  • Location: Just south of Canada
    • Here's how you can support science today:
Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #431 on: May 19, 2020, 05:42:35 PM »
Finally finished building my third and final raised bed today.  Only... I’m out of soil.  So I’ll have to make another run to the farm to get another cubic yard.

Really want to get all these plants in the ground... jealous at reading how everyone elses seems to be. 

MudPuppy

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1468
Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #432 on: May 19, 2020, 06:29:14 PM »
Don’t get too jealous, my squash seeds are being little bitches about sprouting

nereo

  • Senior Mustachian
  • ********
  • Posts: 17497
  • Location: Just south of Canada
    • Here's how you can support science today:
Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #433 on: May 19, 2020, 07:02:11 PM »
Don’t get too jealous, my squash seeds are being little bitches about sprouting

Ingrates.  My pumpkin seeds never sprouted in their seed cups...  not sure why.

Frugal Lizard

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5581
  • Age: 57
  • Location: Southwest Ontario
  • One foot in front of the other....
Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #434 on: May 19, 2020, 08:40:36 PM »
I have given up direct sowing pumpkins and squash and now germinate test them on a wet paper towel in a zip lock on the heat mat.  The variation in germination is astonishing. 

Dee_the_third

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 557
  • Location: Podunk, Midwest
Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #435 on: May 19, 2020, 10:06:48 PM »
I have given up direct sowing pumpkins and squash and now germinate test them on a wet paper towel in a zip lock on the heat mat.

I figured out that the top of my water heater is warm enough to kick start germination on the heat lovers. Gotta utilize that waste energy!

MudPuppy

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1468
Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #436 on: May 19, 2020, 10:29:19 PM »
I have given up direct sowing pumpkins and squash and now germinate test them on a wet paper towel in a zip lock on the heat mat.  The variation in germination is astonishing.

I usually just plant 3 to a space and let the best man win, but i've had to resow several of my spots more than once. I'm beginning to suspect foul (or fowl) play.

Linea_Norway

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 8569
  • Location: Norway
Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #437 on: May 20, 2020, 08:26:49 AM »
- Should this method above have worked and should I try again, maybe with better earth from our own composting bin?
- Should I rather use seeds from the shop?
- Is it still not too late in the season to start growing a zucchini plant from seed?

I doubt that the zucchini would have matured enough to develop seeds. Usually eating quality vegetables are picked while they're young and tender. Once they have developed seeds they're quite tough and woody.

I'd buy a seed packet. It should be cheap. If you store the packet in a cool dry place (fridge works well) you will keep it fresh for next year too.

It is almost certainly not too late, unless you have very short cool summers. Put it in the ground and see!

+1 -- I would get some seeds. 

Zucchinis like it warm -- more than 15 degrees C -- so once it gets to that temperature you should be good to put it outside.

I bought a pack of zucchini seeds and a pack of lovage seeds. A week ago I planted one of each in a big pot, filled with earth and our own compost. Kept it nicely moist. The pots are standing in the house on a heated floor, in front of a window. So far, some tiny mushrooms have popped up on the outside. But no green plants are starting in the middle of the pots. I'll wait some more days to see if anythimg happens.

RetiredAt63

  • CMTO 2023 Attendees
  • Senior Mustachian
  • *
  • Posts: 20742
  • Location: Eastern Ontario, Canada
Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #438 on: May 20, 2020, 09:57:35 AM »
I have given up direct sowing pumpkins and squash and now germinate test them on a wet paper towel in a zip lock on the heat mat.  The variation in germination is astonishing.

I do this for tomatoes (in the oven with the light on for warmth) and it is so efficient.  I hadn't thought of it for cucurbits, I thought they don't like transplanting.  Do you sow them directly in the garden once a root is showing?  I have only a few seeds left for some varieties I really like, and want good germination.

Frugal Lizard

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5581
  • Age: 57
  • Location: Southwest Ontario
  • One foot in front of the other....
Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #439 on: May 20, 2020, 10:24:11 AM »
@RetiredAt63 -I plant them in a "poo" pot as soon as I notice them breaking germination.  They can vary ten days in the same bag of damp paper towel - and some germination rates are as low as 20%.  (I use collected seeds)  I really like the cow pots.  They aren't good for eggplant and peppers from germination as they only stand up for about four weeks.  By the first week of June the roots are bursting out the sides of the curcubits and tomatoes.  They work great for the church garden where (in past years) the children have planted the seedlings. 

Rosy

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 2742
  • Location: Florida
Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #440 on: May 20, 2020, 12:06:19 PM »
Does anyone here dig and bury veg scraps to compost?  I’m looking for a super simple way to compost waste.

@Trudie, yes my dad did it this way sometimes.  He would dig a shallow trench where he planned to plant the following spring, and bury the raw compost.  For this to work you have to  be able to wait awhile (maybe 3-6 months) because it's risky to plant on top of raw compost that hasn't broken down enough yet.  Might make the plants unhappy or worse.

I do this. It breaks down in a couple weeks here (the worms really go to town), and it makes beautiful rich soil.

I did it with my first ever raised bed this spring - put down cardboard over my regular soil (in this part of the garden it is actually semi-decent soil) then added some garden soil maybe five inches, then spread compost which had been in my new, first ever compost bin.
... - aka just a big old pot that I used for veggie scraps, coffee grounds, egg shells and weed free clippings.
Every few days I'd add a layer of leaves from the garden, sometimes even sprinkle in a bit of leftover potting soil, tried to remember to keep it moist and turned:).
It never stank (I suspect the leave layers helped with that).
Anyway - I added about three more inches of garden soil and voila well composted raised bed.

It was a hit with everything I planted there.
I am about to repeat that process in another section of my garden since it worked so well.

PS -
1. I also threw some four-week-old compost on the ground in a (at that time) shaded area and just topped it off with a layer of leaves. I wasn't sure whether this might be a bad idea and attract rats, but since it was mostly in the back forty:) I went ahead with it and just made sure it stayed moist for a while longer.
Some critters did root around there but it wasn't a big nuisance since I didn't plant anything right away - I just wanted to improve the soil for planting later, may have been birds looking for worms too.
2. Added some four-week-old compost at the bottom of a plant hole for a tomato that self-seeded itself in said compost area - it took the move and only semi-composted "fertilizer" in stride and is now producing well - waiting for them to turn red any day now.

Linea_Norway

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 8569
  • Location: Norway
Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #441 on: May 21, 2020, 05:49:11 AM »
Does anyone here dig and bury veg scraps to compost?  I’m looking for a super simple way to compost waste.

@Trudie, yes my dad did it this way sometimes.  He would dig a shallow trench where he planned to plant the following spring, and bury the raw compost.  For this to work you have to  be able to wait awhile (maybe 3-6 months) because it's risky to plant on top of raw compost that hasn't broken down enough yet.  Might make the plants unhappy or worse.

I do this. It breaks down in a couple weeks here (the worms really go to town), and it makes beautiful rich soil.

I did it with my first ever raised bed this spring - put down cardboard over my regular soil (in this part of the garden it is actually semi-decent soil) then added some garden soil maybe five inches, then spread compost which had been in my new, first ever compost bin.
... - aka just a big old pot that I used for veggie scraps, coffee grounds, egg shells and weed free clippings.
Every few days I'd add a layer of leaves from the garden, sometimes even sprinkle in a bit of leftover potting soil, tried to remember to keep it moist and turned:).
It never stank (I suspect the leave layers helped with that).
Anyway - I added about three more inches of garden soil and voila well composted raised bed.

It was a hit with everything I planted there.
I am about to repeat that process in another section of my garden since it worked so well.

PS -
1. I also threw some four-week-old compost on the ground in a (at that time) shaded area and just topped it off with a layer of leaves. I wasn't sure whether this might be a bad idea and attract rats, but since it was mostly in the back forty:) I went ahead with it and just made sure it stayed moist for a while longer.
Some critters did root around there but it wasn't a big nuisance since I didn't plant anything right away - I just wanted to improve the soil for planting later, may have been birds looking for worms too.
2. Added some four-week-old compost at the bottom of a plant hole for a tomato that self-seeded itself in said compost area - it took the move and only semi-composted "fertilizer" in stride and is now producing well - waiting for them to turn red any day now.

We have a large composting bin, full of veggy scraps and worms. The worms have multiplied to great numbers. The compos5 is breaking down. But last time, it hadn't turned to earth yet. Then we mixed it with purchased earth, which becomes a nice, rich soil.

Frugal Lizard

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5581
  • Age: 57
  • Location: Southwest Ontario
  • One foot in front of the other....
Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #442 on: May 22, 2020, 10:51:11 AM »
It has been so nice here.  I have started hardening off a number of the trays of seedlings.  Some of them are for the community pantry garden and some are for me. 

Squash and cukes and zukes are coming along.  There is a huge variation in the number of days germination takes. 

I harvested asparagus, kales, green onion, lettuce and rhubarb.

Off the Wheel

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 306
  • Age: 124
Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #443 on: May 22, 2020, 03:33:42 PM »
Does anyone have any idea what's wrong with my cucumber and solutions for saving them? I google and all I find is powdery mildew, but it doesn't look like that IMO. I first noticed it on a couple leaves when they were still seedlings, but I was hoping being in the ground for a few days would help. It has not.


MudPuppy

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1468
Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #444 on: May 22, 2020, 04:23:14 PM »
Looks a big like sunburn

Linea_Norway

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 8569
  • Location: Norway
Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #445 on: May 23, 2020, 04:16:39 AM »
I have given up direct sowing pumpkins and squash and now germinate test them on a wet paper towel in a zip lock on the heat mat.  The variation in germination is astonishing.

I do this for tomatoes (in the oven with the light on for warmth) and it is so efficient.  I hadn't thought of it for cucurbits, I thought they don't like transplanting.  Do you sow them directly in the garden once a root is showing?  I have only a few seeds left for some varieties I really like, and want good germination.

Thanks, this trick worked for my zucchini seed. After one day, it had a 1 cm long sprout.
Than I placed it in a big pot, but put the pit on the heat mat. It looks like the sprout has grow and has started to stick up.
The other seeds that I tried didn't function at all.

Raenia

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 2628
Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #446 on: May 23, 2020, 07:12:52 AM »
I thinned my chard and beet seedlings yesterday - doubled as my first harvest!  Almost a third of a pound of greens between them.  I whipped up a red wine vinaigrette and we had a big salad for dinner.

FireAnt

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 334
  • Age: 39
  • Location: Michigan
Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #447 on: May 23, 2020, 08:04:02 AM »
Need some input! I split this basil last week, and they look really sad to be apart from each other. I left them in my 3 season porch because Michigan weather has been a bit up and down. I put it outside 2 days ago as the weather is more consistent and warm. Still droopy. Are they salvageable? Is it a good idea to plant them in my garden bed?

MudPuppy

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1468
Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #448 on: May 23, 2020, 08:38:28 AM »
I wonder if they’re too chilly?

FireAnt

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 334
  • Age: 39
  • Location: Michigan
Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #449 on: May 23, 2020, 08:49:06 AM »
That's what I initially thought, but they should have been fine in my 3 season porch. It's been in the 70's here since I put them outside.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!