Author Topic: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020  (Read 61654 times)

Trifle

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #300 on: April 14, 2020, 05:42:20 AM »
I haven't yet planted my seedlings outside, due to the iffy weather of the last week.  Most of them are hardened off and raring to go.  From the weather forecast it looks like we will be past the last freeze danger within three days.  Perfect timing on the cucumbers -- they are about 8" tall and starting to send out their climbing tendrils.  This is an all-female variety, "Corinto."
It was specifically bred for greenhouse growing (needs no pollination), but it grows great outside as well.  Love these gals! 


KBCB

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #301 on: April 14, 2020, 06:06:21 AM »
I spent more money than I would like to admit on my fruit trees and garden seeds. Inside I have a fig tree, clementine, and lemon tree that go to the porch in summer. In the yard I have apple, pear, and peach tree. I have had bad luck with grapes but am trying again this year. They are indoors growing like weeds until they get to go outside.

For the garden I purchased too many seeds from a somewhat local company that specifically deals with this cruddy climate. Last year my garden was a pretty big bust so I am very much hoping this year will do better. I am pretty sure I under watered my garden for the first half of the season leaving my plants small and bare. But this year will be better. So far, I got many standard things like tomatoes and squash and added a few interesting things like special squash and small watermelon.

I usually participate in a local CSA that is amazing and try to eat many vegetables. With a small child at home I hope my love for all things green will get him exited about food, more importantly healthy food!

i hope for this year to be a success :)

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #302 on: April 14, 2020, 06:27:20 AM »
In 2020, I'll be adding 200 pawpaw trees to my yard. My order at the Indiana State Nursery went through last week (http://www.in.gov/dnr/forestryexchange/default.aspx). At 30 cents a tree, it's one of the best deals around. Of course, the trees aren't very big (pencil diameter) so mortality rates above 50% are common.

200 pawpaw trees went into the ground this weekend, and boy am I ever glad I get to spend the next five days recovering at a desk job. Grafting the trees over to improved cultivars starts next weekend along with the fun game of "how many times will I slice my fingers this year?" Three times is my guess.

Wow, that's amazing. What are your plans for the 200 paw paw trees? The fruit I've heard can be delicious.

Is anyone growing Eugenia reinwardtiana (Australian Beach Cherry or Cedar Bay Cherry being common names)?

I've had success with Barbados Cherry (Malpighia glabra) here in Austin, but I don't really care for the flavor.

Unsure how old your Barbados Cherry is, but apparently they can be pretty sour when young, and then develop a sweeter taste. Hoping that's the case with mine. I've been thinking about that Eugenia also, have read the flavor can vary significantly, but there are a few folks who sell them fairly reasonably with good flavor pedigree over on Tropical Fruit Forum, e.g. http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=6d8ad3840fcfb9a0bd5aab386c8ccf53&topic=38772.0.

Latest addition here is a yellow grumichama. Happy gardening all!

YttriumNitrate

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #303 on: April 14, 2020, 06:38:42 AM »
Wow, that's amazing. What are your plans for the 200 paw paw trees? The fruit I've heard can be delicious.

Well, two-thirds of them are going to die either from natural causes or me thinning in favor of a stronger tree. I plant three per hole since they are so cheap. With 60 trees, I'll probably end up with a few hundred pounds of fruit per year, so not quite enough to make a farmers market worthwhile, but perhaps enough to make selling through another avenue worthwhile.

Roots&Wings

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #304 on: April 14, 2020, 09:19:34 AM »
@YttriumNitrate Interesting, even with 60 trees you should end up with a bumper crop, and maybe valid grounds for agricultural land use classification for property tax reduction! There's a local health food store here I've thought about approaching for possibly selling extra harvest. Good luck with all your trees, and look forward to future updates.

TomTX

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #305 on: April 14, 2020, 11:05:42 AM »

Is anyone growing Eugenia reinwardtiana (Australian Beach Cherry or Cedar Bay Cherry being common names)?

I've had success with Barbados Cherry (Malpighia glabra) here in Austin, but I don't really care for the flavor.

Unsure how old your Barbados Cherry is, but apparently they can be pretty sour when young, and then develop a sweeter taste. Hoping that's the case with mine. I've been thinking about that Eugenia also, have read the flavor can vary significantly, but there are a few folks who sell them fairly reasonably with good flavor pedigree over on Tropical Fruit Forum, e.g. http://tropicalfruitforum.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=6d8ad3840fcfb9a0bd5aab386c8ccf53&topic=38772.0.

Latest addition here is a yellow grumichama. Happy gardening all!

I think the Barbados Cherry went in 5 years ago - it's not a sour flavor (which is more when they're under-ripe) - it's just a lack of flavor and mealy texture once they turn fully red. Soil is good, and they get solid morning sun.

At this point I have enough going on that I shouldn't be ordering any perennials.

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #306 on: April 14, 2020, 02:06:49 PM »
It is snowing here today.

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #307 on: April 14, 2020, 03:29:11 PM »
It is snowing here today.

😬

I’ll keep quiet about the current scene in my garden to the West of you then. Let me just say that sunscreen may be involved.

@Trifele, I saw the picture of your flowering kale, and now mine are following in their footsteps. And I just took another measurement of my red lacinato specimen. It has now crested 8 feet. 😳

I have been busy in the garden, enjoying and making full use of a stretch of amazing, sun-soaked spring days here in the PNW. Today, the thermometer nearly hit 20 Celsius (70-ish Fahrenheit?), only coming a single degree short. More importantly, overnight lows have settled in at around 8C, and this means that any fears about cold damage to my current plantings has all but evaporated. Things are growing quickly now, I am getting antsy to get the heat lovers into the garden. But several weeks to go yet.
« Last Edit: April 14, 2020, 07:01:36 PM by Jon_Snow »

TomTX

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #308 on: April 14, 2020, 07:48:04 PM »
Ugh. It's supposed to get down to a bit under 4C tonight. In Texas. Tomatoes are covered.

Trudie

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #309 on: April 14, 2020, 09:10:25 PM »
I’m beginning to think that if my first year with the city garden plot goes well, I may want to double it.  It’s part reaction to supply chain issues, part realization that when the shit hits the fan gardening is one of the few things we can enjoy, and part desire to start perennial crops.  The location is close to our condo, and the water supply is good.  I watch too many British gardening shows where people all have these great allotments.

Trifle

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #310 on: April 15, 2020, 04:27:30 AM »
Ugh. It's supposed to get down to a bit under 4C tonight. In Texas. Tomatoes are covered.

Same here, covered again last night.  I planted a few tomatoes early and have had to cover several times.  They survived 30 degrees F/-1 C last week but weren't happy.  Clearly I was a bit too eager this year . . . :)   

rabbitarian

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #311 on: April 15, 2020, 07:00:15 AM »
I’m beginning to think that if my first year with the city garden plot goes well, I may want to double it.  It’s part reaction to supply chain issues, part realization that when the shit hits the fan gardening is one of the few things we can enjoy, and part desire to start perennial crops.  The location is close to our condo, and the water supply is good.  I watch too many British gardening shows where people all have these great allotments.

What kind of arrangement is it re: rental/tenancy?

Rosy

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #312 on: April 15, 2020, 09:14:12 AM »
It is snowing here today.

Oh my, I forgot what snow feels like - it's 82 today, feels like 90 and it's very breezy to boot, sucking the poor baby plants dry.
Supposed to rain - ha, I believe it when I see it.

I'm bummed and a bit depressed that I had to stop gardening for other pressing projects, which means most of my remaining seeds will not be started until next spring. I plan on a bit of late fall gardening for a good start and if I feel up to it lots of early spring gardening.
The good news is that I planted a lot of perennials so this will be less work and it will be exciting to see how the new garden addition turns out in years to come.

Weather permitting I plan to make the last changes to the garden for this spring. One last row of stone borders, a few layout adjustments and reluctantly I have to call it quits - too hot - too dry - too humid and miserable to do anything but watering, weeding and maintenance - hoping that close plantings and mulching will pay off and reduce maintenance.
 
I will do a little seedling planting today - got basil to sprout in water for the first time ever, two dills that decided to come up weeks later - the other dills have already reached maturity - looking rather pretty with their fine filigree blooms.

Will transplant the last flower seedlings - white marigold and poppies and a couple that I lost the info on:).
The lemon verbena made a really nice comeback, I'll harvest the leaves as I cut it back so it can grow bushier.

The lemon balm I seeded is taking its sweet time, took over a month to get three/four inches tall. Today I'll plant a row of them in the ground, we'll see if they survive, normally I only keep two in a pot.

Other than maybe five specialty seeds that I really wanted I have no choice but to call it done for this planting season.
I'll draft Mr. R. to help with one big general clean up, organization of potting area and then finish with fertilizing, composting and mulching.

The only things I'll keep seeding into June are Cosmos and Zinnias, both heat lovers who have proven to do well in my garden without any attention.
My new absolute favorite is California giant Zinnia - wow, impressive size and beautiful blooms with a slightly bushy habit.

The bananas and the cassava are seriously starting to take off, everyone else is growing slowly, but steady and looking happy.
It may be too early to tell, but I think the Blackberry Jam fruit tree is doing better in the ground than in the pot - looking stronger and growing a wee bit faster - it is apparently a slow grower. I have one left that never got transplanted so I will put him into the ground as well. Can't wait to see and smell the scented blooms.
Oh, and those two dwarf apple trees I was worried about? They have both decided they like their new home after all, leaves and blooms are showing up. YAY:)

It is amazing to actually have a cutting garden - Mr. R. and I walked around the garden on Easter Sunday and picked a lovely flower bouquet.

The wild Elderberry is in bloom and I can't wait to see the first blooms on my store-bought elderberries - they were supposed to be black elderberries but their leaves turned green once they started growing - but maybe I'll get lucky and at least the blooms will be pink.
I wonder if it is my soil that changed the color or if this new strain simply reverted back to its original color?
« Last Edit: April 15, 2020, 09:21:38 AM by Rosy »

raincoast

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #313 on: April 15, 2020, 09:59:57 AM »
I'm trying vegetable gardening on my city patio for the first time - in previous years I just grew flowers, but since I likely won't be traveling this summer I wanted to try growing food. I planted seeds for scallions, cherry tomatoes, peas and some herbs a little over a week ago and almost everything has sprouted. I've got strawberry plants too. I'm planning to try to grow garlic, onions and maybe potatoes from leftover food. I have a southeast facing patio, so I get direct sunlight for a good part of the day. We've had warm, sunny weather here in Vancouver for the last two weeks - highs of 18 degrees Celsius - and all over the city the trees are in full bloom.

Looking forward to my harvest!

Trifle

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #314 on: April 15, 2020, 11:03:50 AM »
I'm trying vegetable gardening on my city patio for the first time  . . .
Looking forward to my harvest!

Welcome @raincoast and congrats on moving into food growing!

YttriumNitrate

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #315 on: April 15, 2020, 01:11:54 PM »
Quote from: Ockhamist link=topic=109823.msg2606704#msg2606704
The big difficulty with paw paws is that their shelf life is poor.  But with 60 trees in full production I'd think you should eventually have ample supply for farmers market sales.

I certainly hope you're right. I sold peaches at a farmers market about five years ago, and it was a lot of fun, but far from profitable. The short season of the varieties I was growing made it far from profitable since there were so many costs (insurance, stand, market fees, etc.) that stayed the same if you sold 4 weekends or time a year or 20 weekends a year.

« Last Edit: April 15, 2020, 02:49:45 PM by YttriumNitrate »

Trudie

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #316 on: April 15, 2020, 01:29:07 PM »
I’m beginning to think that if my first year with the city garden plot goes well, I may want to double it.  It’s part reaction to supply chain issues, part realization that when the shit hits the fan gardening is one of the few things we can enjoy, and part desire to start perennial crops.  The location is close to our condo, and the water supply is good.  I watch too many British gardening shows where people all have these great allotments.

What kind of arrangement is it re: rental/tenancy?

We rent from the city.  In subsequent years we’ll always get right of first refusal on our plot.  We can let them know if we’ll be doing winter gardening too.

Chances of us finding something closer to home are slim, and the location is great.  I just think it would be nice to make some improvements and leave some semi-permanent structures.

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #317 on: April 16, 2020, 08:57:43 AM »
Yesterday might have been my favourite day in the garden thus far this year. Despite the forecast in nearby Victoria saying it was going to be 17C, the thermometer in my garden, at round 1pm read 22C (70F) in the shade. Truly amazing for mid April around these parts. The immediate geography around my garden, a large clearing surround by tall firs and cedars, can act as a “heat trap”, as long as there is little wind. This is certainly why I am able to successfully grow hot weather crops (ie peppers) in a region not known for scorching Summer heat. It is actually getting to the point that it is getting hard to remember the last time it rained here. We could really use some now.

Carrots and beets have now started to germinate. Another row of peas (the third) have just started to emerge from the soil. First spinach and lettuce were harvested. Growth is accelerating nicely on all the brassicas, and the onions are starting to really go now. A sibling reminded me that the pre-flowering bud-clusters on kale are delicious to eat. So I picked a few and munched on them....and they were very much akin to a sweeter broccoli. So I picked more, and put them on a fresh salad later that evening. The kale trees are now flowering epically and I was at times transfixed at the sight, but mostly the sound of squadrons of pollinators doing their frenzied work.

My 3000 gallon water tank has recently developed a leak in the main valve and the drip, drip, drip was distressing. Come August, water is a precious commodity here, so water any water dripping out now could potentially come back to bite me hard in August when the wells are low and my ability to refill the tank may be limited. I really need to fix this leak. But how to do it when there is 3000 gallons worth of water pressure in the tank....I am not sure yet.

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #318 on: April 16, 2020, 12:03:20 PM »
It is again snowing today - BUT - my seed order arrived. 
I am gardening tonight.  I am so late starting peppers and tomatoes but better late than never.  woot woot!

rabbitarian

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #319 on: April 16, 2020, 01:48:27 PM »
I’m beginning to think that if my first year with the city garden plot goes well, I may want to double it.  It’s part reaction to supply chain issues, part realization that when the shit hits the fan gardening is one of the few things we can enjoy, and part desire to start perennial crops.  The location is close to our condo, and the water supply is good.  I watch too many British gardening shows where people all have these great allotments.

What kind of arrangement is it re: rental/tenancy?

We rent from the city.  In subsequent years we’ll always get right of first refusal on our plot.  We can let them know if we’ll be doing winter gardening too.

Chances of us finding something closer to home are slim, and the location is great.  I just think it would be nice to make some improvements and leave some semi-permanent structures.

Hope it continues to be a good fit!

TomTX

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #320 on: April 16, 2020, 05:00:50 PM »
My 3000 gallon water tank has recently developed a leak in the main valve and the drip, drip, drip was distressing. Come August, water is a precious commodity here, so water any water dripping out now could potentially come back to bite me hard in August when the wells are low and my ability to refill the tank may be limited. I really need to fix this leak. But how to do it when there is 3000 gallons worth of water pressure in the tank....I am not sure yet.

Perhaps something like this:

https://www.fernco.com/plumbing/pow-r-repair/pow-r-wrap

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #321 on: April 17, 2020, 06:00:05 AM »
I am full capacity for seed starting.  Planted lots of seed last night.
Leeks, 4 types of peppers, at least a dozen types of tomatoes, two kinds of eggplant and about 10 tomatilloes.  I still have to plant the zukes and cukes and squash, but I am going to do that by germination test as I am using some old seed from last year as well as some collected seed.  I grow them in cow pots so transplanting is super easy.
I also seed a whole tray of greens for starting inside and moving into the greenhouse or even to the cold frame.  We shall see if I can source some straw bales to make up a cold frame.
The chipmunks are digging in the greenhouse pots.  Damned vermin!

Trifle

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #322 on: April 17, 2020, 06:27:25 AM »
The chipmunks are digging in the greenhouse pots.  Damned vermin!

Same problem here @Frugal Lizard.  We have little cotton rats instead (similar to a chipmunk).  I had planted a couple celery stubs (like @MonkeyJenga and @TomTX) that were doing great and then the little varmints dug them up and took them.  I guess they dragged them off into their burrows.   

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #323 on: April 17, 2020, 07:38:41 AM »
The chipmunks are digging in the greenhouse pots.  Damned vermin!

Same problem here @Frugal Lizard.  We have little cotton rats instead (similar to a chipmunk).  I had planted a couple celery stubs (like @MonkeyJenga and @TomTX) that were doing great and then the little varmints dug them up and took them.  I guess they dragged them off into their burrows.

Squirrels for us, they've been digging holes in my brand new beds!  I transplanted some bulbs, and they dug some up and pulled all the leaves off.  Fortunately I covered the strawberry bed with a screen, so I haven't lost any plants, but I'm worried about the seeds I planted.  I may have to replant after we can put up some netting.

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #324 on: April 17, 2020, 08:40:24 AM »
I share the dislike of chipmunks and squirrels. So cute until they're eating things. I still haven't evicted the chipmunks from my strawberry patch and they're slowing mowing through all my plants. I put in some humane traps with peanut butter and bird seed which they are ignoring even though they happily steal seed from the back patio like little chubby cheeked hoover vacuums. Maybe they're too smart or maybe it's voles and not chipmunks. I'm ready to switch to some kind of trap that will kill them. As long as it doesn't include poison I can leave the bodies out for the local fox vixen who has pups right now. Do you think regular mouse traps will work? Any thoughts on bait?

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #325 on: April 17, 2020, 09:50:50 AM »
My 3000 gallon water tank has recently developed a leak in the main valve and the drip, drip, drip was distressing. Come August, water is a precious commodity here, so water any water dripping out now could potentially come back to bite me hard in August when the wells are low and my ability to refill the tank may be limited. I really need to fix this leak. But how to do it when there is 3000 gallons worth of water pressure in the tank....I am not sure yet.

Perhaps something like this:

https://www.fernco.com/plumbing/pow-r-repair/pow-r-wrap

Thanks for that @TomTX. I have tried various options in terms of trying to “wrap up” the leak. I’d be curious if that particular product would have worked, but it is unavailable to me in my present location. This image will show why executing a wrap fix would be extremely difficult, even IF I could get my hands on that product. You can see the crack in the metal below the valve itself and this makes it hard to get a tight wrap....and the fact that the surface isn’t smooth like a normal section of pipe or hose would be.


I have a lead in terms of someone who has offered to let me go through their stash of various plumbing accessories to see if I can find the stuff I need....the priority being a new valve unit. I have some rudimentary plumbing skills from my old career so hopefully I can stop the leak today! Thanks again for the input Tom from Texas.



And while I’m here....my flowering kale trees.



I’m actually thinking about staking these things as I’m worried that they may fall on my newly germinated carrots, which are under the white fabric immediately behind them.




coffeefueled

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #326 on: April 17, 2020, 11:37:41 AM »
Holy Kale... who knew Kale could get that big.

TomTX

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #327 on: April 17, 2020, 03:10:00 PM »
The chipmunks are digging in the greenhouse pots.  Damned vermin!

Same problem here @Frugal Lizard.  We have little cotton rats instead (similar to a chipmunk).  I had planted a couple celery stubs (like @MonkeyJenga and @TomTX) that were doing great and then the little varmints dug them up and took them.  I guess they dragged them off into their burrows.

Reminds me - I should transfer the celery stub from water in a rotel can into an actual pot.

TomTX

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #328 on: April 17, 2020, 03:12:23 PM »
I have tried various options in terms of trying to “wrap up” the leak. I’d be curious if that particular product would have worked, but it is unavailable to me in my present location. This image will show why executing a wrap fix would be extremely difficult, even IF I could get my hands on that product. You can see the crack in the metal below the valve itself and this makes it hard to get a tight wrap....and the fact that the surface isn’t smooth like a normal section of pipe or hose would be.

Yeah, that looks like a "replace the valve" level crack. Condolences.

robartsd

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #329 on: April 17, 2020, 06:47:48 PM »
Thanks for that @TomTX. I have tried various options in terms of trying to “wrap up” the leak. I’d be curious if that particular product would have worked, but it is unavailable to me in my present location. This image will show why executing a wrap fix would be extremely difficult, even IF I could get my hands on that product. You can see the crack in the metal below the valve itself and this makes it hard to get a tight wrap....and the fact that the surface isn’t smooth like a normal section of pipe or hose would be.


I have a lead in terms of someone who has offered to let me go through their stash of various plumbing accessories to see if I can find the stuff I need....the priority being a new valve unit. I have some rudimentary plumbing skills from my old career so hopefully I can stop the leak today! Thanks again for the input Tom from Texas.
I think I'd be trying to figure out a way to temporarily plug the tank outlet from the inside of the tank. There is also a tool called a curb stop replacement tool that might be worth looking into. Good luck!

RetiredAt63

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #330 on: April 17, 2020, 08:03:23 PM »
I am full capacity for seed starting.  Planted lots of seed last night.
Leeks, 4 types of peppers, at least a dozen types of tomatoes, two kinds of eggplant and about 10 tomatilloes.  I still have to plant the zukes and cukes and squash, but I am going to do that by germination test as I am using some old seed from last year as well as some collected seed.  I grow them in cow pots so transplanting is super easy.
I also seed a whole tray of greens for starting inside and moving into the greenhouse or even to the cold frame.  We shall see if I can source some straw bales to make up a cold frame.
The chipmunks are digging in the greenhouse pots.  Damned vermin!

Darn chipmunks.  So cute, so destructive.

Would you have any tomato varieties that are small and bushy, for pots?  The only one I've been able to order for my balcony garden is Tiny Tim.  2/3 seeds would do me.  At least I won't have to worry about chipmunks.  The only pest I have seen on the balcony is the odd pigeon.

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #331 on: April 17, 2020, 09:10:03 PM »
@Jon_Snow That kale tree is amazing. Are you saving seed from it?
I like how you stake your frost cloth. I use supports underneath in between seedling rows but your approach looks space efficient.

I'm hoping to get some gardening time in this weekend in between rain showers. It feels as if every weekend has been a downpour. The basement seedlings are coming along nicely albeit slowly. Whenever I review the growing rack progress, I wonder if there is a way to get more light or heat to encourage growth. I've been doing a light Dr. Earth organic fertilizer solution but feel as if there could be more that I do. Will start brewing compost tea and use that as alternating fertilizer.

I used to have a problem with chipmunks fitting through the chicken wire fencing around the raised beds. Installing vinyl coated hardware cloth effectively stopped them from eating the veg. They do however climb fruit trees to chow down on the fruit. I might try making a homemade a tree collar using hardware cloth to make it harder to get up the tree.



chaskavitch

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #332 on: April 18, 2020, 02:07:49 PM »
We got ~6" of snow on Thursday, so our garden is white right now :)  DH and my MIL are out getting an order of perennial plants right now, so we'll plant those once our snow melts in a day or two.

We did just get some new baby chicks!  We'll have 12 once these are grown up.  We got a lavender Ameracauna, Speckled Sussex, Gold Sex Link, Noir Marans, an Olive Egger, and either a Russian Orloff or a Brabanter - we had both, and one of the chicks died, but I'm not sure which one.  We go for variety in our eggs and our chickens, so it's a fun little flock.  We'll have dark brown, speckled brown, regular brown, very light brown, green, a few shades of blue, and maybe white eggs  (if the Brabanter is the One Who Lived).

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #333 on: April 18, 2020, 04:57:06 PM »
I am full capacity for seed starting.  Planted lots of seed last night.
Leeks, 4 types of peppers, at least a dozen types of tomatoes, two kinds of eggplant and about 10 tomatilloes.  I still have to plant the zukes and cukes and squash, but I am going to do that by germination test as I am using some old seed from last year as well as some collected seed.  I grow them in cow pots so transplanting is super easy.
I also seed a whole tray of greens for starting inside and moving into the greenhouse or even to the cold frame.  We shall see if I can source some straw bales to make up a cold frame.
The chipmunks are digging in the greenhouse pots.  Damned vermin!
Got a ton of varieties - I saved a number from different types last summer.  Seems sad to not plant them all.
PM me.
Darn chipmunks.  So cute, so destructive.

Would you have any tomato varieties that are small and bushy, for pots?  The only one I've been able to order for my balcony garden is Tiny Tim.  2/3 seeds would do me.  At least I won't have to worry about chipmunks.  The only pest I have seen on the balcony is the odd pigeon.

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #334 on: April 19, 2020, 01:18:54 PM »
Holy Kale... who knew Kale could get that big.

😀

They are indeed something...8 feet 3 inches tall at last check. I’ve had success with kale growing and thriving over Winter before...but not on this scale. Given that I am likely not going to be going down to my usual warm weather haunt this Fall/Winter I am giving strong consideration in developing a Winter Garden plan this year. I’m going to be away from my garden for a few weeks now - family are going to tend things for me during that time - but I did manage to get a nice harvest of kale from the plants despite them starting the process of going to seed. Speaking of that....

@Jon_Snow That kale tree is amazing. Are you saving seed from it?

My hope is yes, that I will be able to harvest seeds from these plants. I’ll be honest, I’ve never had too much interest in saving seeds before, content to buy my seed packs from my favourite distributor. But now, given the state of things in the world and talks of disrupted supply chains...suddenly there is now within me a desire to not be quite as dependant on the retail infrastructure. And to know the ins and outs of savings seeds just seems like something that any gardener of note should possess knowledge about.

I’m not exactly sure when these kale plants will be ready to harvest seeds ...and this is rather important to know because I am going to desperately need the garden space these two monsters are occupying. I think a couple of tomatoes plants are destined for that spot....so I can perhaps wait until late May before I need to pull them out of the ground. I’d be curious if anyone might now what the timetable might be for these in terms of when they may be harvestable for seeds if they are now flowering heavily in late April?

Any melancholy I might feel when I finally pull these living pillars of kale out will be mitigated by the fact that the next generation of kale is on the way....perhaps at this time in 2021 one of these will become a giant of their own.

Raenia

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #335 on: April 19, 2020, 03:11:17 PM »
Wanted to share a picture of my little yard.  The first raised bed is has beets and swiss chard just sprouting, second bed is empty but will soon have basil, cilantro, and marigolds, third bed has strawberries, and fourth has beans in half, undecided what to put in the remaining space.  Maybe more beets.

Further work is waiting on rebuilding the retaining wall and taking down the trees at the back, but someday I will have a zigzag path through the yard with raised beds on either side, and flowers at the top of the wall.

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #336 on: April 19, 2020, 04:25:51 PM »
I can perhaps wait until late May before I need to pull them out of the ground. I’d be curious if anyone might now what the timetable might be for these in terms of when they may be harvestable for seeds if they are now flowering heavily in late April?

@Jon_Snow, I'm sure it depends somewhat on the kale variety and your climate, but late May might be tight.  My Red Russian kale flowers in mid to late April, and I start to see the first harvestable dried seed pods early June/ish . . .   Worth a shot for sure.   You could leave it where it is as late as you can, and see if you can harvest any! 

@Raenia your garden is beautiful!  Love the pic.  Sounds like you are growing a nice variety this year. 

rabbitarian

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #337 on: April 20, 2020, 07:36:32 AM »
I’ve not done it myself but I’m pretty sure you can pull the plants once the pods are a certain level of maturity and let them continue drying down hanging in a shed somewhere.

I know some brassicas suffer from inbreeding depression, not sure about kale.

rabbitarian

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #338 on: April 20, 2020, 07:41:07 AM »
I checked one reference book and all brassicas it’s recommended to have 6 plants minimum to avoid inbreeding depression. I don’t have any others to double check because libraries are closed here.

Rosy

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #339 on: April 20, 2020, 09:47:15 AM »
Lots of garden freebies - garden gifts I call them:). Cosmos in tones of vanilla cream, cheerful yellow and beautiful orange, a little fruit tree, Dill,
Onions that I started from the discarded onion roots of store-bought green onions,
Basil from cuttings and sweet potatoes that started sprouting,
tons of bright orange and bright yellow Marigolds - I just threw the seeds from last years, store-bought Marigold, on the ground - amazing.

I'll never be a straight row gardener:). Hoping I'll do ok with the perennial spinach and the cukes I'm about to seed, I am later than I wanted to be, so I'll keep some seeds for fall in case I fail.

There is also one mystery tomato plant - can't wait to see what sort of tomatoes those will turn out to be.

Yesterday, I discovered the prettiest deep cornflower blue and white, upright lobelia growing in a secluded corner. No idea how it got there.
Now it takes a new spot in front of the garden bed where I can see and enjoy its beauty.

We transplanted all but around eight seedlings this weekend and it is so exciting to see the colors of the zinnias as they open up.
I have several new favorites now, the California giants are awesome, so is a batch of big purple Zinnias and a fantastic fire engine red variety.
A batch of bright white, limey yellow and deep orange is beginning to show up in another bed.

@Trifele - I'd like to share some pics from my garden but I can't figure out how ... from my computer and my phone?

Rosy

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #340 on: April 20, 2020, 09:49:50 AM »
@Raenia - you've got a lovely plot - lots of design options. I can see that elevated bed along the fence blooming and producing in profusion.
It is so much fun to plan and envision all the possibilities. It takes time for the bones of your garden to emerge so that it looks good all year.
Big bushes or small trees or climbing vines or roses take time to grow.
I'm wrestling a bit with that right now in one new area of my garden - I've decided to give it up to wildlife, so it will be Fire Bush and Elderberry mixed with small fruit trees/bushes.

It's funny, one day you will find yourself with no more room, standing in the middle of your garden wondering where can I plant this one? 

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #341 on: April 20, 2020, 10:31:13 AM »
Bit of a late update on my leaky garden water tank....

Yeah, that looks like a "replace the valve" level crack. Condolences.

Rather miraculously, I found a valve that would fit, and I could simply replace the cracked one.

I think I'd be trying to figure out a way to temporarily plug the tank outlet from the inside of the tank. There is also a tool called a curb stop replacement tool that might be worth looking into. Good luck!

A good idea, except the tank was full of water and even if it wasn’t to plug it from the inside would be extremely difficult....and perhaps more unsafe than I’d be comfortable with.

With my new valve in hand, and with it in the “closed” position I unscrewed the faulty valve....and then came the gushing water, with a surprising amount of force...but then, there was about 8 feet of water above my head so probably shouldn’t have been surprised. I put some new plumbers (teflon) tape on the threaded pipe coming out of the tank, and then as quick as I could I screwed the new valve on, water spraying everywhere....and then it was done. And it didn’t seem to be leaking. Then I attached the hose end that leads down to my garden to the other end of the valve and it was done. And was I ever wet.



As you can see, the new valve is a plastic one...which will make it even more important that I drain the system of water at the end of the gardening season. I suspect this is why the metal one developed that nasty crack. My garden location is on a small island and the surrounding ocean waters create a uniquely mild micro-climate (9a or 9b, where as nearby Vancouver is in zone 8), but sub-zero temps do occur occasionally. One serious cold snap could wreak havoc on this plastic valve. At the start of this year, my tank still had 3 feet of water in it, which makes it quicker to refill come the new season...but from now on I will have to empty the entire system of water when the garden season ends.

Thanks again to TomTX and robartsd for your efforts to help me out with this.

I know some brassicas suffer from inbreeding depression, not sure about kale.

I’ve done some reading this morning about saving seeds, and I’m not all that concerned with that particular phenomenon (fascinating to read about though)....but rather that these particular kale plants are hybrids (a blend of redbor and lacinato) and these are not considered candidates for seed saving. Otherwise, from what I’ve read all the conditions exist that it would be fine to save seeds from these kale plants. Bummer.

RetiredAt63

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #342 on: April 20, 2020, 11:05:40 AM »
Re the hybrid plants, if the ancestors are all good plants, you should be fine - or at least it's worth trying.  Save the seeds, plant at the appropriate time, and see what you get.  Weed out anything pathetic, anything that doesn't taste good, anything that is prone to insect damage, and over a few years you will have plants that are perfect for your garden.

There is good breeding advice in Carol Deppe's books.

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #343 on: April 20, 2020, 01:52:02 PM »
Holy Kale... who knew Kale could get that big.

😀

They are indeed something...8 feet 3 inches tall at last check. I’ve had success with kale growing and thriving over Winter before...but not on this scale. Given that I am likely not going to be going down to my usual warm weather haunt this Fall/Winter I am giving strong consideration in developing a Winter Garden plan this year. I’m going to be away from my garden for a few weeks now - family are going to tend things for me during that time - but I did manage to get a nice harvest of kale from the plants despite them starting the process of going to seed. Speaking of that....

@Jon_Snow That kale tree is amazing. Are you saving seed from it?

My hope is yes, that I will be able to harvest seeds from these plants. I’ll be honest, I’ve never had too much interest in saving seeds before, content to buy my seed packs from my favourite distributor. But now, given the state of things in the world and talks of disrupted supply chains...suddenly there is now within me a desire to not be quite as dependant on the retail infrastructure. And to know the ins and outs of savings seeds just seems like something that any gardener of note should possess knowledge about.

I’m not exactly sure when these kale plants will be ready to harvest seeds ...and this is rather important to know because I am going to desperately need the garden space these two monsters are occupying. I think a couple of tomatoes plants are destined for that spot....so I can perhaps wait until late May before I need to pull them out of the ground. I’d be curious if anyone might now what the timetable might be for these in terms of when they may be harvestable for seeds if they are now flowering heavily in late April?

Any melancholy I might feel when I finally pull these living pillars of kale out will be mitigated by the fact that the next generation of kale is on the way....perhaps at this time in 2021 one of these will become a giant of their own.


My garden is less organized than yours, so my kale has self-seeded itself in random spots all over my garden. It is in bloom right now. At this stage I have to protect it from aphids, usually by blasting it with water. Then it keeps self-seeding. I'm in the Willamette valley, so hotter and drier probably than where you are.

Trifle

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #344 on: April 20, 2020, 02:28:04 PM »
@Trifele - I'd like to share some pics from my garden but I can't figure out how ... from my computer and my phone?

Hi @Rosy -- when drafting a post, if you click on 'Attachments and other options' at the bottom of the window it will let you browse your computer to select one or more files to attach.  I haven't done it from my phone, so not sure how that goes -- probably the same process?   

rabbitarian

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #345 on: April 20, 2020, 05:26:24 PM »
@Trifele - I'd like to share some pics from my garden but I can't figure out how ... from my computer and my phone?

Hi @Rosy -- when drafting a post, if you click on 'Attachments and other options' at the bottom of the window it will let you browse your computer to select one or more files to attach.  I haven't done it from my phone, so not sure how that goes -- probably the same process?

On phone it is the same. Slightly easier if you switch the forum theme to the more mobile friendly one because the screen resizes better than the default forum theme. 

Rosy

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #346 on: April 21, 2020, 08:13:44 AM »
Thanks, Trifele - I used to have no prob with uploading pics, but I have all new tech and for some reason it is trickier to navigate.
I'll try it once I took a couple of pics.

Questions to all the veggie gardeners in mustache land
A couple of the roots of store-bought green onions that ended up in compost decided to establish themselves in my flower bed.
So now I have fat and happy white blooming onions.
Dumb questions - how and when do I harvest - pull them out or cut off above the ground - do they come back?
Do I need to chop off those lovely blooms? How long can/should I leave them in the ground before harvesting?

Context: Last weekend we planted some of the snipped off roots in the garden, on purpose this time, encouraged by those two volunteers.
I used to hate the taste of onions but over the years I've become tainted by Mr. R. 's love of them. It's not that I ever minded cooking with them - I just let them big enough so I could pick them out:).

coffeefueled

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #347 on: April 21, 2020, 08:33:31 AM »
My blackberries finally arrived. I made a shallow raised bed from two old pallets to give them some good soil above my yard's clay. I have a Kiowa and 2 Navaho and a chester and prime ark freedom that haven't arrived yet. It's exciting to turn a bare unused part of the yard into something productive. They seem to be happy so far.

My kale, chard, and lettuces are sprouting. I did rows this year to make it easier to weed. My beds and flower borders sprout little green weedlings like mad that form a thick mass if I leave them more than a week - almost like a broader leaf grass. They're easy to get rid of by scraping as long as the plants are spaced or in rows that I can hoe around constantly.

Does anyone have advice on when to thin seedlings to the correct spacing in rows? I've got a nice row of chard seedlings, but I'm not sure how big to let them get before I cull to the right spacing.

Does anyone have experience building ponds? I'm considering putting in a wildlife pond similar to this one:  https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/maintain-the-garden/how-to-create-a-wildlife-garden-part-one/ Stormwater from the neighbor's property and house funnels across the bottom of my yard. I'm considering carving in a swale to direct the water and putting in a little pond backed by a berm to keep the water off the driveway. I'm trying to figure out how to design the pond to deal with flooding and incorporate an overflow into a rain garden to absorb the excess water. Right now the water pools from both the neighbor's property and mine pools in a low part of yard and floods up over the driveway during heavy rains.
 

TomTX

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #348 on: April 21, 2020, 09:13:45 AM »

A couple of the roots of store-bought green onions that ended up in compost decided to establish themselves in my flower bed.
So now I have fat and happy white blooming onions.
Dumb questions - how and when do I harvest - pull them out or cut off above the ground - do they come back?
Do I need to chop off those lovely blooms? How long can/should I leave them in the ground before harvesting?

If they're blooming, you are very unlikely to get onion bulbs from them. I would just keep trimming leaves for green onion. If you want onion seed or just enjoy them, leave the blooms. If you want more current leafy growth, cut 'em off.

Trifle

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #349 on: April 21, 2020, 09:45:22 AM »
Does anyone have advice on when to thin seedlings to the correct spacing in rows? I've got a nice row of chard seedlings, but I'm not sure how big to let them get before I cull to the right spacing.

@coffeefueled I usually do two thinnings of kale and chard.  The first one when they're 3 -- 4 inches tall, and the second when they're about 8 inches tall.  Chard sometimes tries to grow in clumps (because of how their seeds develop), so I just use my judgement on them.  Trying to thin by pulling up the whole plant can backfire and uproot the neighboring plants.  If the clump seems happy I just leave it to grow as one plant, but if it seems like the plant would rather be thinned I clip off one or more of the plants with a scissors rather than try to pull them up.  I aim for 16 -- 18" adult spacing between both Red Russian kale and Swiss chard plants.  They're big.