Author Topic: Planting / Growing your own 2018  (Read 94107 times)

Rural

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #200 on: April 07, 2018, 06:02:08 AM »
This year I’m growing flowers like a lady of leisure (the soil in husband’s grad school city is too contaminated to grow food, which is all I’ve ever grown before). It feels really weird. I may not grow any food other than herbs this year.

Do you have any space for containers or a raised bed? I live in an area where all the soil is pretty much contaminated so that's what I am doing for my vegetables.


Thanks, guys. I am doing (or trying to do) some containers with herbs there at least. But something keeps digging them up while I’m at home working. I’ll have to find a solution to that,


I just don’t think I’ll be at our home regularly enough to water and weed this summer, so I won’t be able to grow anything that needs much space. But in the last few years I’ve really gotten the most mileage out of foraging anyway, food-wise. I don’t have to be here regularly for that.


It’s just weird. Aside from transplanting shoots from my great grandmother”s rosebushes as a teenager, I’ve never grown a flower in my life. Well, unless you count squash blossoms. :) But the flowers give me something I can watch, can water if I’m around, and no great loss if they die because I’m not around. It’s weird, and I’ll miss my tomatoes, but itll be okay.

horsepoor

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #201 on: April 07, 2018, 09:40:48 AM »
There’s at least one fig variety (Chicago Hardy) that’s zone 5, and there are parts of Ontario as warm as zone 7 (e.g. right around Windsor).

I have one of these.  Each fall, I have the best intentions of wrapping it, but never get around to it, so it dies back to the ground.  Winter before last was really harsh, so it seemed like it took extra long in the spring to start growing again, and I just got a few ripe figs at the end of summer.  This winter was much more mild, so I'm hoping it will get growing sooner and bear some more figs.  My old house in California had a huge old Black Mission fig tree - I'm spoiled for those and usually buy a basket or two when I can get my hands on them.  The Chicago Hardy figs are more like Brown Turkey - still good, but not the most delicious.

Yesterday I planted out lettuce, chard, peas, Chinese cabbage, cauliflower and cabbage starts, and seeded in radishes and 4 kinds of carrots.  Now we're getting lots of rain, so I should have happy little seedlings.  Hoping the weather is dry enough tomorrow to get out there and do some more work.  I need to get trellis up as the hops are about 2' tall right now, and have tons of onions and leeks to transplant.

Pepper seedlings are limping along indoors, and the tomato seeds have just emerged in the last week. 

Work is messing with my ability to take my normal days off to get the garden in order this year, so I'm just doing my best and will leave a couple places fallow, or maybe use them for fall crops.

Waiting anxiously to see asparagus sprouts.  I've had the crowns in for several years and never harvested, but hoping this is the year where they look robust enough to spare some.

The cherry tree is just about to bloom, so I'm optimistic for a good crop this year.

Trifle

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #202 on: April 07, 2018, 12:28:59 PM »
Just spent a lovely several hours in the orchard, assisted by my chicken 'assistants'.  :)  Dug the holes for my gooseberry bushes which are coming next week, and weeded and fertilized the blueberries.  I have several varieties planted.   The Patriots are already leafed out and covered with flowers, while the Bluecrop and Blueray varieties are a bit slower.  Our two new pear trees that we planted last week look great, as do the 10 apple graftlings.  Our four three-year-old cherry trees also look good;  I hope they flower/fruit this year.  And last but not least --the persimmon trees are waking up nicely.  They are three-year-olds and already bore a small crop of fruit last year.  Love those!

Not sure if the young paw paws made it through the winter.  So far they look kind of dead.  This is my first year with them, so not sure when they normally awake.


Indio

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #203 on: April 07, 2018, 01:28:53 PM »
Not sure which hardiness zone you are in but my paw paw trees are always the last of my fruit trees to lease out.

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #204 on: April 07, 2018, 06:00:22 PM »
I am concentrating on flowers since I want the house to have nice curb appeal when I list it.  My mallow seedlings got beheaded and there were 2 hollows in the pot that had some spring bulbs.  You guessed it, a field mouse was in the house - usually this is a fall issue.  Unfortunate for my mallows, and the mouse.

Trifle

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #205 on: April 08, 2018, 05:32:37 AM »
Not sure which hardiness zone you are in but my paw paw trees are always the last of my fruit trees to lease out.

Thanks Indio!  Good to know.  We are 6b

Tris Prior

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #206 on: April 08, 2018, 02:58:49 PM »
MORE GD SNOW in the forecast tomorrow.

{cries}
{fetal position}

MAKE IT STOP

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #207 on: April 08, 2018, 03:36:17 PM »
At this point I am late on seedlings. Will try to get them done this week. Spring is really slow so far this year so maybe not that late but life has been crazy and was just not in the right head space last week and spend most of this weekend with food poisoning or a stomach bug.

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #208 on: April 08, 2018, 04:28:56 PM »
The greenhouse was 12C while outside was 1C this afternoon.  The peas are up and some of the lettuce is coming along.  Most everything is barely changing though.  No chard came up. 
My tomato seedlings are getting leggy. Peppers and basil looks really good. The cukes, zukes and squash are starting to sprout.  I have no more space under lights.  I want spring so badly!

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #209 on: April 09, 2018, 08:40:16 AM »
I am receiving reports that my tomatillos are flowering.

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #210 on: April 09, 2018, 07:45:04 PM »
Am I the only one who is tempted to abandon their snow-covered plots to move into the blackberry thicket in Jon Snow's island paradise?

Jon Snow - if your neighbours tell tales of a lady with a huge hat wandering around your garden, don't worry, it's just deer.
You are not alone.  It bloody snowed here again today.

horsepoor

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #211 on: April 09, 2018, 08:29:52 PM »
Sorry for everyone for whom winter is staying on uninvited.  Shoo!

It was gorgeous today after a rather stormy weekend, so I slipped out of work a little early and headed home.  No working on the veggie patch, but I got the front yard looking respectable which was no small feat.  With just two small areas left to clean out, I'll be able to turn my attention to the vegetable patch with more focus.

I'm going to try for 20-30 minutes of yard work time each week night - it usually turns into longer, but if not, it still adds up to a couple hours of productive time so things aren't so dire on the weekends, which are currently being eaten up by a slow-motion bathroom remodeling project.

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #212 on: April 10, 2018, 07:13:28 AM »
It's been warming up here during the afternoons, sometimes as high as 70! But the nights are still super chilly, low 30s, so I haven't planted anything outside yet. I'm chomping at the bits to plant my lettuce, spinach and chard seeds outside but I think I'm going to wait a few weeks. I keep reminding myself that we are about 6 weeks behind the "normal" planting schedule. At the local nursery, they say our "safe" planting date is June 10th! I plan to put all my plants outside about a month sooner than that...just because it's been a warmer winter than normal. But still, I'm getting impatient!

Jon_Snow

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #213 on: April 10, 2018, 07:41:14 AM »
Am I the only one who is tempted to abandon their snow-covered plots to move into the blackberry thicket in Jon Snow's island paradise?

Jon Snow - if your neighbours tell tales of a lady with a huge hat wandering around your garden, don't worry, it's just deer.

Lol...be careful what you wish for. I am currently about 4000km south of my garden (in Mexico) and from I have gathered it has not stopped raining in the week I have been gone. When I left I had some lovely peas, spinach, kale, collards  and lettuce going. My garden is actually quite a wet site at the best of times so I am actually concerned that my young crops may be in standing water - those in the in-ground beds - with this much rain. Or the young, tender lettuce might have been pummelled onto the dirt by the rain, if it has been prolonged and heavy. My DW is going to travel over to see how things are later in the week and I asked her to take some pictures - so I may post a few here when I receive them.

My flowering tomatillos are under my grow lights....along with, uh...24 tomato plants. :)

Tris Prior

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #214 on: April 10, 2018, 08:40:29 AM »
Am I the only one who is tempted to abandon their snow-covered plots to move into the blackberry thicket in Jon Snow's island paradise?

Jon Snow - if your neighbours tell tales of a lady with a huge hat wandering around your garden, don't worry, it's just deer.
You are not alone.  It bloody snowed here again today.

{raises hand} We got snow yesterday too and I was so angry. Looks like the rest of the week is warming up, possibly as high as 70 (though at the lakefront we're always cooler than everywhere else). Then back down into the 30s. Thppppppppppppt.



My flowering tomatillos are under my grow lights....along with, uh...24 tomato plants. :)

I'll be right there with you in a few weeks.... I start at least that many each year and most of them make it. Delaying this year since I'll be out of the country (and since every time I start them before late April, I end up with huge tomato TREES before it's warm enough to plant them out.)

Going to direct sow 8 varieties of lettuce today; my garden org says it's safe though I am skeptical. If it dies - whatever, the seed was all free. And it looks like some of my basil is ready to be potted up. Ugh, at the rate we are going I won't be able to put that outside until freaking July!! The greens that I am going to be growing in containers, are in their containers. It's going to be warmer later this week so maybe some hardening off can start? Insert my annual rant here about what a PITA it is to harden off plants when you have a 9-5 butt-in-seat job. I always worry that I'm home too late for them to get much sun.

Pepper seedlings are growing verrrrrrrrry slowly. I'm not sure one of the dills is going to make it - I didn't notice that it had sprouted and it got REALLY leggy before I did, oops - but the other one looks OK. It is so exciting when they start making their true leaves and start looking (and in some cases smelling) like what they're going to be!

Trifle

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #215 on: April 10, 2018, 09:25:40 AM »
I'm going to try for 20-30 minutes of yard work time each week night - it usually turns into longer, but if not, it still adds up to a couple hours of productive time so things aren't so dire on the weekends, which are currently being eaten up by a slow-motion bathroom remodeling project.

You and I are living parallel lives @horsepoor!  I try for 30 minutes in the garden at night after work, but with kids/making dinner/etc. I don't always manage it.  (Working is really cutting into my gardening and other activities.  Time to FIRE :))    I hear you about the weekends too -- We are in the midst of a slow-mo DIY house build.  Not sure how we are maintaining our sanity . . .

 

wannabe-stache

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #216 on: April 10, 2018, 11:01:48 AM »
Has anyone had to deal with powdery mildew before?  I've got it all over my pepper plant leaves.  Seems problematic in humid south FL.

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #217 on: April 10, 2018, 02:44:21 PM »
(Working is really cutting into my gardening and other activities.  Time to FIRE :))   

Oh man.... don't remind me. Soon I'll be running between two gardens PLUS having to work more hours over the summer. (We are required to work longer days in the summer because of summer Fridays, which is kind of asinine, but whatever.) I make myself go in early so that I don't lose gardening time after work and getting up an hour earlier totally sucks. By summer's end I get SUPER resentful about having to freeze my ass off in my over-air-conditioned cubicle when the plants need tending!

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #218 on: April 10, 2018, 03:12:03 PM »
Has anyone had to deal with powdery mildew before?  I've got it all over my pepper plant leaves.  Seems problematic in humid south FL.
I haven't had it hit peppers before.
But keeping the leaves dry or getting them dry as quickly as possible is the best prevention.  Others may have better ideas how to treat.  I usually just try to have the plants grow beyond it.  Water the soil surface not the leaves.  Have some wind to dry them up quickly.  Water in the morning so that the leaves aren't wet overnight.

I am out of room under the grow lights and other things are getting leggy so I took all the onions over to the greenhouse at the neighbours.  This, thinking that the temperature was staying above freezing.  Nope - so I am heading back over shortly to cover everything and bring the onions back home.  Where I put them safely beyond cats, I know not.  Snow in the forecast for the next two nights. 

horsepoor

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #219 on: April 10, 2018, 08:18:45 PM »
I'm going to try for 20-30 minutes of yard work time each week night - it usually turns into longer, but if not, it still adds up to a couple hours of productive time so things aren't so dire on the weekends, which are currently being eaten up by a slow-motion bathroom remodeling project.

You and I are living parallel lives @horsepoor!  I try for 30 minutes in the garden at night after work, but with kids/making dinner/etc. I don't always manage it.  (Working is really cutting into my gardening and other activities.  Time to FIRE :))    I hear you about the weekends too -- We are in the midst of a slow-mo DIY house build.  Not sure how we are maintaining our sanity . . .

 

A house build sounds much more demanding than what we're doing.  Wow!  We'll hopefully be done with the bathroom in a couple weeks.  It's just more a matter of getting through it without filing for divorce.

Aaaand, I already missed my gardening time tonight, but doubled up on riding and going for a run after work. 

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #220 on: April 11, 2018, 06:51:21 AM »
Nice weather next two days, hope to get my indoor starts finally done and I’ll sow some mesclun, peas, and parsley outdoors. Then rain and snow mixes will keep them nice and wet for germination over the weekend....

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #221 on: April 12, 2018, 11:25:12 AM »
Got two varieties of peas (Opal Creek and Super Sugar Snap) in, two varieties of parsley (Krause and Dark Green Italian), and two trial rows of lettuce mixes (Encore from Johnny’s and Frank Morton’s interesting looking Freedom Gene Pool).

Not been feeling 100% so that sadly tapped most of my energy, but the rain coming will make for good germination so I’m glad I got them seeding. Will work on indoor starts the next few days. Still haven’t done any broccoli, kale, tomatoes, peppers, or basil.

Also received our seed potatoes a few days ago. Need to start chitting them out, just gotta figure best place to put them that the cat won’t go crazy, lol.

Tris Prior

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #222 on: April 12, 2018, 01:11:59 PM »
OK, @furrychickens - I finally got around to taking pix of the raspberries. The purple brandywine, which didn't make any berries last year, has just the 2 vines - the thicker of which is much taller than me, probably going on 7 feet long. The Canby, with more and smaller vines, did make berries but I'm not certain of which canes as that was last July. Neither shows any signs of life, but since winter continues to spill into April I suppose that's to be expected. (More snow this weekend, ARGH)

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #223 on: April 12, 2018, 02:24:04 PM »
OK, @furrychickens - I finally got around to taking pix of the raspberries. The purple brandywine, which didn't make any berries last year, has just the 2 vines - the thicker of which is much taller than me, probably going on 7 feet long. The Canby, with more and smaller vines, did make berries but I'm not certain of which canes as that was last July. Neither shows any signs of life, but since winter continues to spill into April I suppose that's to be expected. (More snow this weekend, ARGH)

I’ve never grown raspberries in a container, interesting. They’re a plant that spreads under the ground, so I wonder how they will do in containers long term. Maybe some other folks can comment on that.

 On the Canby, I’d say the younger cane is the more tan one (to the right in the second picture). It’s not overly crowded, though, so you could just leave all the growth intact and prune when you see which of the old canes is blooming come June/July. That will be plenty early enough to allow this year’s new canes space to come in.

On the Brandywine, I’d leave the existing cane intact, but perhaps prune shorter if you want as long as there are buds emerging below where you make the cut. It should put out new cane(s) mid year.

I’m just a bit north of you and mine aren’t showing signs of breaking dormancy yet so no cause to freak out yet :)

Tris Prior

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #224 on: April 12, 2018, 03:14:53 PM »
Thanks! I appreciate you taking a look. I rent, and my landlord graciously allows me to garden in part of the yard, but I didn't want to plant these in the ground because they can spread. If we move I don't want future tenants to be digging out raspberry shoots everywhere. Fancy Garden Center said they should do OK in a large container so we'll see!

Bonus: If we ever move, I can take these with! In theory, at least. Not sure how to transport safely, haha.

So, it sounds like the Canby is good as is for now, prune that when it starts doing its thing in summer, and I can hack off some of that huge Brandywine cane with no ill effects once I see if/where it is budding.

I'm not freaking out. I am seeing TINY signs of life on the blueberries - small buds forming though no leaves or anything right now - so that makes me happy.

horsepoor

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #225 on: April 13, 2018, 10:11:42 PM »
Gorgeous weather today, so I knocked off work at noon and spent all afternoon in the garden.  Plenty of weeding, but planted lots of leek and onion seedlings, and a few other random things.  It looks like it will be nice all weekend, so I'm hoping to get more root vegetables sown, and keep hacking away at the weeds.  Sadly, the straw I bought last fall had a fair bit of seed in it, so I have wheat or oats or something growing in all the flower beds, and will need to get that churned up as well.  Spotted a few fat spears emerging from my largest asparagus crown.  The cherry and apple trees are looking good, and have put on a lot of new growth.  I also spied the first radish seedling emerging from where I planted them last weekend.  Wishing I'd more clearly marked the areas where I fall-planted potatoes.  None have come up yet, and my memory is vague.

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #226 on: April 14, 2018, 04:59:55 AM »
What’s your frost depth there? I’ve never thought about fall planting potatoes, I figured my winters would be too cold. Technically our frost depth can go to 4 feet, but I think 2-3 feet is more typical these days.

Fall planted garlic is something I do, but I thought potatoes would be damaged by getting frozen?

People always say straw is more weed free than hay, but the friend I get both from (his prices are reasonable, not the cheapest, but I know he doesn’t spray anything) I’ve only ever had weed issues with his straw and not hay, lol. If I need straw for something in the garden I’ll let the chickens have at it for a week to grab the seeds first.

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #227 on: April 14, 2018, 05:28:38 AM »
Got the new gooseberries in the ground last night.  DH helped construct some temporary deer protection for them.  You would think with those one inch thorns they would be safe from deer, but since the deer have already eaten my blackberries down to the nub I am taking no chances.

We're planning some serious deer fencing, but it has to wait until our house is built -- next spring.  So until then we are making do with half-baked deterrence measures.   

I gaze with envy at your deer fencing @Jon_Snow . . .  But all in good time.  :)

ender

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #228 on: April 14, 2018, 06:38:50 AM »
We're transplanting seedlings today from starter flats to our large collection of yogurt containers!

Definitely are going to have enough tomatoes for planting outside (probably another month yet) and our peppers are looking ok, but way smaller. Hopefully having a month will be good for those :)

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #229 on: April 14, 2018, 09:15:13 AM »
I gaze with envy at your deer fencing @Jon_Snow . . .  But all in good time.  :)

Ah, without it I would be beyond screwed. ;) I think I once mentioned it was 10ft high...but no, just 8ft. More than enough for the modestly sized black-tailed deer that are my neighbours.

My DW is going to give me a status update today on my garden waaaaay up North. And pictures, she promised to send some.

What I hope to see. Radishes in desperate need of thinning. Onions, both sets and seedlings showing signs of growth. Seed potatoes, in their "grow bags" (going with bags to mitigate the effects of wireworms), having sent their green shoots above the soil line. 1st planting of peas, snow and snap, at least 8 inches to a foot up the trellis...2nd planting, sowed just before I left for Mexico should have germinated. Garlic should be looking healthy, and I gave it a dose of COF before I left to ensure that this continues. It was a bit early to plant out some of my cabbage starts, but I put them in a mini greenhouse tent, with an Oya, so I am hopeful that they have made it. 1st planting of spinach was looking beautiful when I left, so unless some disaster has befallen them, they should be ready to start harvesting. Lettuce should be getting close too, but I suspect not quite yet. Kale and collards should be thriving in the cool, wet weather in the PNW. And Swiss chard...well, that stuff has proven eternal and indestructible so I'm sure it's going gangbusters. Same with the horseradish.

I have steeled myself against the likelihood that the weed situation, and a just a general explosion of the surrounding greenery, is rather alarming at this point. But I don't expect my DW to weed or bushwhack. Though, if she did, I'd be in her debt (even more than I already am).

I await the pictures this morning with an almost unseemly hunger.

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #230 on: April 14, 2018, 12:14:02 PM »
Restocked on hay and straw from Farmer Friend. Bought some eggs and a whole chicken (now I have two in the freezer for next time I want to smoke some chicken) while I was there. The new van can hold seven two string bales in the back cargo area with the third row folded down.

Broccoli (Arcadia, Purple Peacock, and Happy Rich) seeded. Purple Peacock is a broccoli/kale cross bred by Frank Morton that’s just beautiful. More for leaves (a Red Russian like leaf) than for the heads, but the small heads are delicious. Not been available in catalogs for a couple years so I jumped on it when I saw it this year. Happy Rich is a broccoli/gailon cross. Supposed to be very sweet, very small heads, so grown at a higher density. I have had some serious reactions to brassica family crops so I’ll be very careful when trying that one for the first time.

Peppers seeded (Tiburon, Beaver Dam, Flaming Flare, and Feher Ozon). Tiburon is a Ancho variety. I really like Poblano/Ancho peppers, and whatever we can’t use green (Poblano) I’ll get to red (Ancho) stage and dry to make chili powder. Beaver Dam is a Wisconsin heirloom that IIRC is mildly hot, and I thought might blend well into the chili powder. Flaming Flare is a hot pepper. Feher Ozon is a paprika pepper.

Just finished lunch and will get my tomatoes seeded. Basil will probably wait until another day.

@Tris Prior my raspberries are putting out buds now. But remember even if the old canes have died back for some reason, wait until early summer to see if new canes grow from the roots.

Tris Prior

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #231 on: April 14, 2018, 02:24:01 PM »
Mine too! Just noticed this afternoon. I'm surprised because it's 37 out right now.

ender

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #232 on: April 14, 2018, 08:38:34 PM »
Moved 30 seedlings from starter trays to bigger containers. Need to figure out where to put the rest we want to move!

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #233 on: April 15, 2018, 03:25:30 PM »
Hope your plants are doing OK up there, furrychickens, I saw that WI is getting pummeled with weather this weekend! Us: snow tonight. Snow tomorrow. Sigh.

I potted up the pepper seedlings that had made their real leaves, and my one remaining basil, and a dill that I'm fairly certain isn't going to make it (it sprouted in its pellet and I didn't notice until it was SUPER leggy, but we'll see.) Still have 5 pepper seedlings that haven't put out their real leaves yet. The jalapeno in particular isn't doing so well - it took 3 1/2 weeks to even germinate and is just sort of sitting there with its baby leaves, not really growing.

For those who grow in containers, what brand of potting soil do you use, and what do you pay for it? Yesterday I bought all the potting soil I (think I'll) need for the year, and I have sticker shock. I have tried the few organic brands that Home Depot has, and I didn't really like any of them except Miracle Gro Organic Choice - which of course they then promptly stopped carrying. I can order it online but the shipping cost negated any savings over buying the brand that I used last year, and had VERY good results with. (Like, unprecedently good; I have never gotten that many heirloom tomatoes, on absolutely disease-free plants, ever. Baccto Organic potting soil.) I can only get that at Fancy Garden Center and it's $10/bag. I have a bunch of huge tomato pots to fill. That seems high, but OTOH I don't want to use soil that's going to give me poor results either.

I have long since given up the illusion that gardening at home saves me money. It gives me satisfaction, and I know they're grown without chemicals and crap, and it eliminates waste (no greens or herbs rotting in fridge as I can just snip off what's needed). But buying tomatoes and greens and herbs at Aldi or at our local Cheap Produce Market would be way, way cheaper.

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #234 on: April 15, 2018, 04:11:46 PM »
Hope your plants are doing OK up there, furrychickens, I saw that WI is getting pummeled with weather this weekend! Us: snow tonight. Snow tomorrow. Sigh.

I potted up the pepper seedlings that had made their real leaves, and my one remaining basil, and a dill that I'm fairly certain isn't going to make it (it sprouted in its pellet and I didn't notice until it was SUPER leggy, but we'll see.) Still have 5 pepper seedlings that haven't put out their real leaves yet. The jalapeno in particular isn't doing so well - it took 3 1/2 weeks to even germinate and is just sort of sitting there with its baby leaves, not really growing.

I actually have a couple jalepenos like that too. I'm curious if I should just accept it's a loss?

Quote
For those who grow in containers, what brand of potting soil do you use, and what do you pay for it? Yesterday I bought all the potting soil I (think I'll) need for the year, and I have sticker shock. I have tried the few organic brands that Home Depot has, and I didn't really like any of them except Miracle Gro Organic Choice - which of course they then promptly stopped carrying. I can order it online but the shipping cost negated any savings over buying the brand that I used last year, and had VERY good results with. (Like, unprecedently good; I have never gotten that many heirloom tomatoes, on absolutely disease-free plants, ever. Baccto Organic potting soil.) I can only get that at Fancy Garden Center and it's $10/bag. I have a bunch of huge tomato pots to fill. That seems high, but OTOH I don't want to use soil that's going to give me poor results either.

Can you make your own? When looking into this I found a ton of people doing that.

Quote
I have long since given up the illusion that gardening at home saves me money. It gives me satisfaction, and I know they're grown without chemicals and crap, and it eliminates waste (no greens or herbs rotting in fridge as I can just snip off what's needed). But buying tomatoes and greens and herbs at Aldi or at our local Cheap Produce Market would be way, way cheaper.

I actually came here to lament this exact thing! I am realizing I love growing things but man. I have spent way more than I thought I would (well, more like I knew I'd spend more than I thought initially and have confirmed that). There is a lot of infrastructure cost to setting up stuff, too. Though most of that will hopefully last many years to come yet.

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #235 on: April 15, 2018, 05:41:31 PM »


I potted up the pepper seedlings that had made their real leaves, and my one remaining basil, and a dill that I'm fairly certain isn't going to make it (it sprouted in its pellet and I didn't notice until it was SUPER leggy, but we'll see.) Still have 5 pepper seedlings that haven't put out their real leaves yet. The jalapeno in particular isn't doing so well - it took 3 1/2 weeks to even germinate and is just sort of sitting there with its baby leaves, not really growing.

I actually have a couple jalepenos like that too. I'm curious if I should just accept it's a loss?

I may, yeah. I feel like I have a couple pepper seedlings every year that do this. They don't die, they don't look unhealthy, they just sort of stall out and don't grow. This is my first time starting jalapenos from seed so I wasn't sure what to expect. The seed was free, so whatever. The sweet bananas look pretty good though! Wee, but growing and healthy.


Can you make your own? When looking into this I found a ton of people doing that.


I am going to start making my own compost this year, thanks to the composter that my landlord found discarded in his alley and asked if I wanted it. Score! We tried a pile last year, but it drew a lot of flies. (Like, seriously, a LOT.) Boyfriend does not want worms in the house so indoor composting is out. This composter looks do-able, though. (I bought two bags of compost too, since obviously any food scraps I put in this thing are not going to become compost for a while. Argh.)

As for making my own soil - I honestly know nothing about that! I wonder if that is any cheaper?

I was excited to see signs of life on one of the raspberry bushes today! It's not dead!!

cerat0n1a

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #236 on: April 16, 2018, 03:26:39 AM »
I have long since given up the illusion that gardening at home saves me money. It gives me satisfaction, and I know they're grown without chemicals and crap, and it eliminates waste

I think when you factor in the number of hours spent (and how much you could earn if you worked for those hours), it's completely uneconomic. On the other hand, what value do you put on the health benefits of spending time outdoors, getting exercise, contact with soil bacteria, mental health improvements etc?

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #237 on: April 16, 2018, 06:22:00 AM »
Economics: there are plants that save you tons of money growing, but tomatoes are definitely not it with possible exception of cherry varieties, which are often quite prolific.

A few of my favorite plants in terms of economic return (especially factoring time in): green beans, zucchini/summer squash, cucumbers, hot peppers (particularly ones used primarily green like jalapeños or poblanos), raspberries (once established), garlic IF you successfully save the cloves from the first year for at least one season beyond the “seed garlic” price.

If you use a lot of fresh herbs, many can be grown very cost effectively. I’m spoiled by my wife being in the spice trade, so our dry herbs and spices are very high quality for free, which often are just as good as fresh. So there I focus on herbs that I enjoy growing and/or have medicinal value for my animals that’s lost when dry.

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #238 on: April 16, 2018, 06:29:32 AM »
Seed starting mix: I’m still searching for one that I like that’s not $$$. This year I’m trying the Jiffy mix. Friends I know like the Burpee mix. My favorite is Vernont Compost but it’s VERY pricey at retail bag quantities ($35-40 for 60qts) and only available shipped or an hour plus drive from me.

Not sure how cost effective mixing your own is for small quantities. Lots of recipes out there but I have no personal experience with them myself.

Most of what I start in pots will grow well in pure compost, so I may try that next year as I’ve got plenty of compost. I can get a bag of perlite if I feel like the mix needs it. You need to make sure it’s very well aged so that the nitrogen is bio available. Rabbit manure and hay are my main feed stocks, plus chicken manure with lots of carbanaceous material, all of which should result in a reasonably well balanced final product.

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #239 on: April 16, 2018, 06:51:46 AM »
I buy the huge bags of Pro-Mix organic.  It doesn't have vermiculite in it.  It doesn't have long lasting fertility so when I up size the pots - from cell pack to 4" or from 4" to final container, I add some compost or well rotted manure that is free. 

I think my gardening is economic now that I have all the infrastructure purchased - the stakes, the trays, the lights, fencing and irrigation supplies because I can consistently grow a lot of food and I have gotten my season extended with access to a free greenhouse.  I am still waiting for many of the perennials to mature to full production. I should keep track of how much I harvest.  Last year I was harvesting salad greens on Mother's Day - (which is a frigging awesome achievement looking out over the snow, ice pellets and rain frozen onto every surface as I type).  I try to grow things that are not easy to buy - shelling peas and beans - because they are labour intensive to harvest.  Last year we got our first really good harvest of asparagus - and no store bought - can come close to fresh picked asparagus.  It is so tasty it can be eaten raw.  But I wouldn't do that with bought - because of e-coli. 

I transplanted all my tomatoes into 4inch pots yesterday.  I need to do the peppers but have no room.  Some of the hardier stuff needs to move from under the lights over to the greenhouse.  But with wretched freezing weather I can't put them in an unheated greenhouse.  There is snow in the forecast up to Thursday. 

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #240 on: April 16, 2018, 07:01:11 AM »
Pro-Mix isn’t stocked here in any stores that I’ve seen but I’ve heard good things. IIRC in the non organic version it is a sterile, essentially zero fertility, peat mix so it is designed to have fertility added to it. Not sure if the organic is the same or not. A podcaster I used to listen to loved that mix but stressed the need to add fertility. I think his preferred method was compost tea.

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #241 on: April 16, 2018, 07:41:09 AM »
My bareroot gooseberries have only been in the ground 3 days, and they are popping full leaves already!  I've never seen that happen so fast with a bareroot transplant.  Hopefully this full-speed start is a sign that they approve of the site and the soil, and a harbinger of more good things to come. 

Tris Prior

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #242 on: April 16, 2018, 09:06:04 AM »
Economics: there are plants that save you tons of money growing, but tomatoes are definitely not it with possible exception of cherry varieties, which are often quite prolific.

I mean, I'm still eating off of my stash of home-canned tomatoes from last fall.... but yeah, I agree. I'm going to grow jalapeños after skipping them last year, because I had SO many of them chopped and frozen from 2 years ago, I didn't need to. Greens are cost effective for me too, when grown from seed, since store bought lettuce seems to always rot in the fridge so quickly. (Except in years when we get freak 90 degrees early and everything bolts.) I cannot successfully grow anything in the squash/cuke family, unfortunately. And I do use a lot of fresh herbs.

I HATED the Jiffy mix, YMMV. I honestly only have good success with starting from seed if I use the Jiffy pellets. I know those are not mustachian but that's the only thing that I can get healthy seedlings out of.

I am only allowed to use organic products in the community garden so I haven't tried any nonorganic soil. Maybe once I am producing my own compost, I can try growing in pure compost. I thought that was too rich for newly transplanted seedlings?

I feel like I have the infrastructure that I need - last year was an infrastructure year because I moved into a building with a small yard that I'm allowed to garden in, so I needed a raised bed (Aldi) and some big containers (Craigslist) and I bought the fruit bushes. My main expense going forward is going to be all this soil - because everything I read tells me that I should not reuse it from year to year. Ugh. How do people do this?

Some of the hardier stuff needs to move from under the lights over to the greenhouse.  But with wretched freezing weather I can't put them in an unheated greenhouse.  There is snow in the forecast up to Thursday. 

Same problem here, though I *think* the snow is supposed to end today. Yesterday I forgot to bring my plants in until around 10 p.m. and there was freaking SNOW in the pots!! :( They do not seem worse for wear, though; it was just peas, spinach, arugula and chard, and it was technically still above freezing. I am so sick of snow, I cannot even.

I really want to buy a second grow light because every year this is a problem - too many plants to cram under the light because it is still freezing cold and most things cannot go outside. But I  don't want to spend the money. I keep thinking one year we'll have an actual spring....



Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #243 on: April 16, 2018, 09:11:38 AM »
Economics: there are plants that save you tons of money growing, but tomatoes are definitely not it with possible exception of cherry varieties, which are often quite prolific.

Some of the hardier stuff needs to move from under the lights over to the greenhouse.  But with wretched freezing weather I can't put them in an unheated greenhouse.  There is snow in the forecast up to Thursday. 

Same problem here, though I *think* the snow is supposed to end today. Yesterday I forgot to bring my plants in until around 10 p.m. and there was freaking SNOW in the pots!! :( They do not seem worse for wear, though; it was just peas, spinach, arugula and chard, and it was technically still above freezing. I am so sick of snow, I cannot even.

I really want to buy a second grow light because every year this is a problem - too many plants to cram under the light because it is still freezing cold and most things cannot go outside. But I  don't want to spend the money. I keep thinking one year we'll have an actual spring....
I am using light bulbs in the work light thing and a desk lamp to stop them from getting so leggy.  and I burnt a bunch of the leaves when they got too close to the heat bulbs so I unscrewed those.
« Last Edit: April 16, 2018, 06:08:45 PM by Frugal Lizard »

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #244 on: April 17, 2018, 09:48:19 PM »
What’s your frost depth there? I’ve never thought about fall planting potatoes, I figured my winters would be too cold. Technically our frost depth can go to 4 feet, but I think 2-3 feet is more typical these days.


I don't know frost depth, but last winter was frigid.  I think we got to -15F a couple nights, and probably had a month below freezing, and I had volunteer potatoes.

I don't chit them, just leave whole small potatoes in the ground, not sure if that makes a difference.  This is the first time I've purposely fall-planted, and they haven't sprouted yet, but I did dig up a potato a couple days ago and it was in good condition and looked like it was thinking about sprouting.

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #245 on: April 18, 2018, 05:54:05 AM »
What’s your frost depth there? I’ve never thought about fall planting potatoes, I figured my winters would be too cold. Technically our frost depth can go to 4 feet, but I think 2-3 feet is more typical these days.


I don't know frost depth, but last winter was frigid.  I think we got to -15F a couple nights, and probably had a month below freezing, and I had volunteer potatoes.

I don't chit them, just leave whole small potatoes in the ground, not sure if that makes a difference.  This is the first time I've purposely fall-planted, and they haven't sprouted yet, but I did dig up a potato a couple days ago and it was in good condition and looked like it was thinking about sprouting.

Our frost depth is 4 feet for foundations but rarely does the ground actually freeze any where near that deep - And it is all related to how much snow we get first.  I would think the biggest issue would be freeze and thaw cycles.  But just about every year I grow potatoes I miss one or six and they all reveal themselves in the spring.  I think I will try and fall plant this fall for an experiment now that I will have the space.

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #246 on: April 19, 2018, 03:56:50 PM »
What’s your frost depth there? I’ve never thought about fall planting potatoes, I figured my winters would be too cold. Technically our frost depth can go to 4 feet, but I think 2-3 feet is more typical these days.


I don't know frost depth, but last winter was frigid.  I think we got to -15F a couple nights, and probably had a month below freezing, and I had volunteer potatoes.

I don't chit them, just leave whole small potatoes in the ground, not sure if that makes a difference.  This is the first time I've purposely fall-planted, and they haven't sprouted yet, but I did dig up a potato a couple days ago and it was in good condition and looked like it was thinking about sprouting.

Our frost depth is 4 feet for foundations but rarely does the ground actually freeze any where near that deep - And it is all related to how much snow we get first.  I would think the biggest issue would be freeze and thaw cycles.  But just about every year I grow potatoes I miss one or six and they all reveal themselves in the spring.  I think I will try and fall plant this fall for an experiment now that I will have the space.

I'm further north and east, and the one year I left some potatoes in the ground they all turned to mush.  Fall planted garlic is fine though.

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #247 on: April 21, 2018, 08:21:39 AM »
 I am going to put all the fragile seedlings out into the greenhouse for the day. It was 24 in there yesterday.  If I can't get a heater rigged up, DH said he would help me carry them back in the house for the night.  They are getting too leggy to continue under the grow lights.

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #248 on: April 21, 2018, 08:44:23 AM »
Current Plantings:
Red Raspberry patch -Planted 2014
Black Raspberry -at end of the above patch -Planted 2015
Apple Tree -Planted 2015 (Got mowed down by deer last winter but it survived and with wrapping this winter survived again!)
Peach Tree -Planted 2017
Plum Tree -Planted 2017

2018 plan:
Set up compost
build green house
set up in ground vegetable garden

I would love to plant in the ground this year, we have so much set up to do I think it might be best to set up everything this year and plant next!

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #249 on: April 21, 2018, 10:07:30 AM »
I'm heading back up to B.C. in about a week. I have been receiving reports that things are starting to go gangbusters. And with temperatures about to tick considerably higher things will just accelerate further. I have been unable to coax any friends or family to do any weeding for me - completely understandable - so between that and all the seedlings I need to plant out when I get back...I am going to be insanely busy in the garden for a while.

And frankly....I cannot wait. :)