Author Topic: Planting / Growing your own 2018  (Read 94108 times)

Trifle

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #250 on: April 21, 2018, 11:17:02 AM »
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!

Or you could maybe plant some potatoes this year?  I've found they are a great 'pioneer' plant for a new garden spot.  I've even planted them with no tilling at all -- just dig a shallow hole, backfill, and then hill them and mulch with dirt/leaves/straw as the plants grow.  In my experience the potatoes (and/or the mulch/hilling material?) really improves the soil, and then voila -- next year you've got some primo soil in that spot.

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #251 on: April 21, 2018, 04:32:03 PM »
Seedlings are back in the house for the night.

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #252 on: April 21, 2018, 11:12:54 PM »
I can't believe I missed this thread until now. I've grown stuff in containers the past two years, fairly successfully the first time, less so the second. I haven't yet decided what I'll do this year, but posting to follow.

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #253 on: April 22, 2018, 04:50:11 AM »
Plan is to get potatoes and the SX61 shrub willow cutttings (a Cornell selection of Salix miyabeana) that arrived in the snowstorm last week finally in the ground. Everything else that can be planted outside this time of year was seeded before the snow, hopefully it will germinate properly.

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #254 on: April 22, 2018, 06:49:12 AM »
Aldi's had "seed starter" mix this year and I bought a couple of bags. I usually just use potting soil, though.

It's been a long, cold winter. I see that I've got some onions that overwintered. The raspberries are perking up. (I really hacked back the raspberries last fall - they were getting out of hand.) The herbs and strawberries look good.

I'm going to plant some peas this afternoon.

ender

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #255 on: April 22, 2018, 11:30:34 AM »
It's nearly warm enough to move our greenhouses from the kitchen/dining room to our 3.5 season porch!

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #256 on: April 22, 2018, 06:18:56 PM »
I ate my first harvest from the garden yesterday: a single strawberry. A few more should be ripe this week.

I thinned out my carrots a little more today, as I didn't thin them adequately the first time. A few were orangish and sort of carrot-like. About how long from that point until they're ready to harvest?


Thegoblinchief

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #257 on: April 23, 2018, 04:51:00 AM »
I ate my first harvest from the garden yesterday: a single strawberry. A few more should be ripe this week.

I thinned out my carrots a little more today, as I didn't thin them adequately the first time. A few were orangish and sort of carrot-like. About how long from that point until they're ready to harvest?

Depends on the variety. You can poke around with your finger to estimate the size of the carrot before pulling it out of the ground, but it’ll probably be a couple weeks minimum.

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #258 on: April 23, 2018, 05:05:14 AM »
I got a small heater plugged in at the neighbours so that if the temperature in the greenhouse drop to below 4C - it would turn on.  The weather station said 0C at 5 am this morning and it is currently still 0C.  Here is hoping all was fine under the floating row covers!

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #259 on: April 23, 2018, 07:35:22 AM »
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.

Yesterday I turned up a yellow potato right near the surface (I was planting beet seeds) and it was in great shape and had some sprouts starting.  Last winter was pretty mild though; I think a couple nights got down to 7F, but we didn't have a ton of sustained freezing weather.

Planted beets, parsnips and more radishes this weekend.  Got the hops trellises up, and temporarily repurposed several remesh tomato cages to grow pole beans. Repotted a ton of seedlings and kicked them all out to the greenhouse. Still need to get cucurbits and okra seedlings started.  The cherry tree is blooming and *should* be in the clear of any killing frosts.  It's supposed to be 80 on Thursday.  Tiny little carrot seedlings are starting to pop up too.

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #260 on: April 23, 2018, 08:08:00 AM »
Garlic is up.  Still have some snow in places but I think it will be gone by the end of the day.

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #261 on: April 23, 2018, 08:20:31 AM »
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!

Or you could maybe plant some potatoes this year?  I've found they are a great 'pioneer' plant for a new garden spot.  I've even planted them with no tilling at all -- just dig a shallow hole, backfill, and then hill them and mulch with dirt/leaves/straw as the plants grow.  In my experience the potatoes (and/or the mulch/hilling material?) really improves the soil, and then voila -- next year you've got some primo soil in that spot.

This is totally doable! - Is the idea not to actually plant the potatoes for food just to help the ground?

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #262 on: April 23, 2018, 08:52:55 AM »
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!

Or you could maybe plant some potatoes this year?  I've found they are a great 'pioneer' plant for a new garden spot.  I've even planted them with no tilling at all -- just dig a shallow hole, backfill, and then hill them and mulch with dirt/leaves/straw as the plants grow.  In my experience the potatoes (and/or the mulch/hilling material?) really improves the soil, and then voila -- next year you've got some primo soil in that spot.

This is totally doable! - Is the idea not to actually plant the potatoes for food just to help the ground?

It's a two-fer.:)   Get some tasty taters and some happy soil

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #263 on: April 23, 2018, 09:48:04 AM »
This is totally doable! - Is the idea not to actually plant the potatoes for food just to help the ground?

The potatoes themselves don't really "help" the ground - in the sense they are reasonably greedy feeders. It's just that they tend to out-compete weeds and the process of earthing them up (covering them up so the tubers don't turn green) or mulching and then digging them up to harvest the potatoes does a decent job of turning rough ground into something ready for other crops. Obviously if you're mulching with organic stuff that will improve the soil quality.

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #264 on: April 23, 2018, 12:40:54 PM »
I ate my first harvest from the garden yesterday: a single strawberry. A few more should be ripe this week.

I thinned out my carrots a little more today, as I didn't thin them adequately the first time. A few were orangish and sort of carrot-like. About how long from that point until they're ready to harvest?

Depends on the variety. You can poke around with your finger to estimate the size of the carrot before pulling it out of the ground, but it’ll probably be a couple weeks minimum.
Thanks!

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #265 on: April 23, 2018, 06:01:48 PM »
I'm getting antsy to back to my garden now. This feeling actually started to grow a few weeks ago. My DW and my extended family have been doing period checks and walkthroughs for me....sending me a bunch of pics as well. They have started to harvest spinach and a few varieties of lettuce. First two plantings of peas are doing well (I will start a third as soon as I get back, the goal this year is to have a steady supply of peas ALL SUMMER). Potatoes are up. Onions are showing lots of new growth, especially the onion "sets". My quinoa seems have escaped being munched on this year. Kale and collards are looking really good. The only real bad news is that 3 of the 6 cabbage plants I put out in late March have died. I knew it was too early to set them out, so not too dissapointing. I have another 10 cabbage starts under the lights in our city condo.

The weather has really warmed up in the PNW...forecasts are for 20C (68F) for the next several days. Given my garden's tendancy to capture warmth in it's forested glade, I expect it to be much warmer than that. I know my DW well enough to sense that she might be getting a bit overwhelmed by the amount of starts under her care under the grow lights - tomatoes, peppers, tomatillos...so I want to get home in order to ease her burden as well. With any luck the late Spring will be a warm one and I can start to get some of these things planted out.

Someone mentioned garlic.....we've got that covered this year.



Before heading south I expanded one of my last remaining in-ground beds in order to make a large "mound" on which I'm going to plant my squash. I've tried squash in the wooden raised beds....and it's been my experience that they seem to prefer being in the ground.  The "new" in ground bed can be seen almost dead centre in the picture. Just needs a bit more soil when I get back....you can see how the soil level is a bit low on the left.



That pic is almost a month old now. I'm thinking of investing in a brand new gas powered string trimmer when I get home. It ain't gonna be pretty. ;)

And yes....that's a BOAT.
« Last Edit: May 03, 2018, 03:50:48 PM by Jon_Snow »

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #266 on: April 28, 2018, 03:52:14 PM »
I have kitted the greenhouse at the neighbours up.  Temperature is dropping below freezing tonight and tomorrow night. (-1C)  It may not get that cold as we are in town and the weather station is on the edge of town.  But I just can't bring all these plants back in the house. So I am taking a chance and these are the strategies:

In addition to a huge number of bins of water, I have a very small electric heater, floating row cover material over the plants and in front of the door.  I have also put a piece of plastic in the upper part of the house.  The temperature was 10C at 4pm.  I ran the heater on a high setting while I rigged up the tenting inside and then turned it back down to very low before I left.  The heater only has about 1/3 of the air space to keep warm and my experiments with the row covers last week showed that they definitely hold the heat down near the plants. 

Tris Prior

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #267 on: April 28, 2018, 07:47:53 PM »
After a week of complete neglect because I was out of the country, my plants all survived! Only the peas looked a little limp, and they perked up after a good long drink. The basil that's still in the house under the grow light looks GREAT!

However, my plan to start tomato seeds immediately before leaving, in hopes that they'd start sprouting in a week like normal (and thus be just sprouting when we arrived home) was a FAIL. Most sprouted early. They were all SUPER leggy and spindly and lying on their sides, having grown taller than the seed-starter "greenhouse" plastic dome. I've never had them sprout that fast. Figures. I have *maybe* 3 viable plants, out of the 24 that I started. Oh well. The seed was free. Starting over today; I'll be running late, but usually my tomato plants are enormous by the time it's warm enough to plant them out. So hopefully that will be OK.

The community garden's open, and today I put up the rabbit fence, sowed 4 kinds of lettuce seed and 3 kinds of carrot seed, and transplanted some more lettuce, spinach, and dill. The dwarf raspberry looks great! The strawberries are slowly waking up. I think the thyme's dead, but who knows, we don't even have leaves on our trees here yet so maybe it's just running behind?

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #268 on: April 28, 2018, 08:09:05 PM »
Did some edible landscaping and added 10 blueberry plants to form a small hedge in the future. Got 5 different varieties. Drip irrigation and timer hooked up. Now to replace couple fruit trees that died!

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #269 on: May 01, 2018, 02:12:32 PM »
It is 26C outside at the moment - and 34C in the greenhouse.  I am going to try and setup a fan and a screen to get the air moving.  This morning it was only around 4C when I left for a meeting so I didn't want to leave the door open. At lunch I rushed over to water and open things up and it was close to 40C. Only lost one little calendula seedling in today's heat. 
Moved all the sunflowers, love-in-the-mist, bachelor buttons, squash, cukes and zukes out to the greenhouse yesterday.  They are much happier - except nothing is happy with cooking temperature.
One of the vent lifts wasn't replaced last year because it seemed to work fine.  I have a new one and will try and install it tonight.

I planted some shelling peas in the ground on the weekend and should really plant a bunch more greens outside with the beautiful weather.  We have about three-four more weeks before the risk of frost ends but I would like to get a whack of stuff in before that.

Pepper seedlings need to graduate to pots. As does the basil.  So much to do - so little time!

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #270 on: May 02, 2018, 04:52:18 AM »
Spotted this year’s first flowers on my property: some honey berry/haskap. They haven’t fruited before, maybe this year will be the first year.

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #271 on: May 02, 2018, 05:22:42 AM »
Planted some kale and sorrel this past weekend.   Found a couple volunteer potatoes growing in that raised bed, so I left those guys and planted around them.  I never turn down a good soldier volunteering for duty.

The 10 baby apple trees we grafted in March are rockin' on.  If I can figure out how to post a picture I will do that -- they are so beautiful!   

The pomegranate tree I got in March looks great.  So far it is very happy in a big pot against a sunny rock wall. (Thanks @furrychickens for the idea).

And last but not least, the gooseberries I planted look absolutely fantastic -- like they are going to take over the world.  Booyah!   So interesting.   I struggled to grow them in Wisconsin, but down here they take off.  And on the flip side, other things that grew well up north struggle here, even though on paper they should work.  There are so many variables -- it's quite an education.  What was it Thomas Jefferson said in his later years?  "I am an old man, but I am only a young gardener."


Tris Prior

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #272 on: May 02, 2018, 08:29:40 AM »
You guys! The black raspberry, which looked like a completely dead bare dry stick, started sprouting leaves yesterday!! It's not dead!! I am so excited!

Now I just have to figure out how to support the main vine, which is at least 8 feet long....

I ate my first Salad That I Grew yesterday. Spinach, chard, and arugula. Yum!

The lettuce that I planted on Saturday is going "WTF" over the suddenly warm weather - from 50 to 80 in the span of 2 days. I hope I don't lose it all.

Trifle

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #273 on: May 02, 2018, 08:54:45 AM »
Awesome @Tris Prior !  That is great.

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #274 on: May 03, 2018, 09:05:29 AM »
Got the second vent lift installed on the greenhouse vents.  I have also rigged up a screen door so there is now some air flow.
The tomatoes are huge - and we are still three to four weeks away from planting outside.  Some of them are tipping over even though the stem is good and solid.  I realized that they were two close together and were reaching out for light.  I doubled the spacing between them. 

All the peppers are looking happier now that they are further apart.  I still haven't got all the basil into bigger pots- but kind of thinned the tray out a bit. 
A number of the seeds that were started in round three have not germinated - I am a little mystified as to why not.  But I don't want to bring them back in the house and try and get them to come along with a heat mat and lights.  I am more interested in keeping everything in one location and not having to water and worry about multiple areas.

This weekend the forecast dips below freezing overnight while last night it was 16C at the coldest. 

Sun Hat - I would plant your kale, lettuce and radish out - if you have peas up.  They should be good to go.

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #275 on: May 03, 2018, 10:25:14 AM »
My three young paw paw trees planted last year are finally starting to leaf out, long after everything else in the orchard.  Glad to see they all came through their first winter, but wow they are ssloooowww . . . They are roughly on the same schedule as the oak trees we have. 

We had a near-frost the other night (~33 degrees), and one of my young persimmon trees took some leaf damage.  Fortunately it's not too bad.  It should be fine.  Live and learn!  From now on I will cover them for anything under 35 degrees once their leaves have opened. 




Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #276 on: May 04, 2018, 09:08:42 AM »
Paw paws are the last to leaf out.  I should try them again.  They were doing well at my old house.  I would have to protect them from the huge squirrel population here.

I harvested some greens from my greenhouse planting - the spicy mix is coming along.

Everything is growing gang busters but it is going to get really cold again for a couple of nights this weekend.  Tonight I will batten down the hatches and make sure that heater will come on.

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #277 on: May 04, 2018, 09:32:26 AM »
I love reading this thread and feeling inspired.

My teeny garden is still a load of work, so good job to all!
We have two plots in the community garden (about a 4km bike ride away) and a patio which we jam full of plants as well.

It's been warm recently but I am in a mountain region so temps still dropping at night. Trying to be patient since I've been advised to wait a few more weeks but took a risk and put in some radishes/lettuce seeds and the radish have come up.Only parsley, chives and one kale have survived from last year.

And our hops have been thriving --need to rig up some trellis/climbing system for them (I change it up every year as a creative project)
Cleaned up the patio yesterday, saw the first hummingbird and put some lemon balm and strawberry mint in a cedar box. Obtained new rosemary ( never survives the winter here)

Also need to restain our deck chairs so we can enjoy our little patio jungle.
« Last Edit: May 07, 2018, 07:57:47 AM by Serendip »

Serendip

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #278 on: May 04, 2018, 09:34:56 AM »
Another note: the Chef's Table episode (on netflix) with Jeong Kwan (Korean Buddhist nun/gardener/cook extraordinaire) is a beautiful inspiration!
« Last Edit: May 04, 2018, 10:01:16 AM by Serendip »

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #279 on: May 07, 2018, 06:16:57 AM »
Big weekend in the garden
Enlisted the troops - Hubs, DS and DD to help my for an hour to construct the veggie garden at neighbours'.  The problem with the planters is now evident.
The soil is way too heavy.  The native soil near the planters is beautiful. I am going to spread the planter soil all around and then I can top dress it with some great manure from the farm and hopefully the contents of neighbours chicken coop and their huge compost bin.  The whole task is rather overwhelming at the moment.

Haskaps are blooming - and I thought they would be dead from trying to bloom last November.
Asparagus is up.  Might get a meal tonight or tomorrow.  Rhubarb is also up - not completely demolished by the chickens.

I have ordered additional asparagus to plant in the neighbours garden.  Once it is established I will move the six plants from my garden that don't get enough sun to make it worthwhile, over to the neighbours.

I ate my first greens, and had some basil garnish a salad.
It is going to be a fantastic growing season!

ender

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #280 on: May 08, 2018, 05:51:18 AM »
Strawberry patch is prepped (tilled, fenced, and strawed).

Two weeks till we move things into the garden. Still tons of things to do before then!

Going to order some asparagus plants online, any recommendations?

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #281 on: May 08, 2018, 06:32:57 AM »
@ender Get the oldest asparagus crowns (I think that is what they are called ) you can.   You can't harvest them until the shoots are as big as your pinky.  Plant them in the richest soil you can find.  I have a couple of varieties but can't remember what is where so have no idea what is best.  I have some Mary Washington  and some varieties developed at the University of Guelph.   

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #282 on: May 08, 2018, 06:33:35 AM »
Strawberry patch is prepped (tilled, fenced, and strawed).

Two weeks till we move things into the garden. Still tons of things to do before then!

Going to order some asparagus plants online, any recommendations?

Go with the all/nearly all male varieties. Memory is a bit hazy, but Jersey Knight is one I think.

The purple varieties are pretty though less productive. Like purple pod peas and snap beans, they tur green when cooked.

Asparagus has not been happy here, I’ve given up on it. I try to focus on what will thrive with minimal to no spraying or other insect management, but I got creamed by asparagus beetle and all but a couple plants in the patch are dead.

ender

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #283 on: May 08, 2018, 08:32:53 AM »
I'm probably going to buy some online, maybe even Amazon like this https://www.amazon.com/Jersey-Supreme-Male-Asparagus-Roots/dp/B06XN5VZW5/

I think that's what @furrychickens is saying (jersey supreme vs knight?)

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #284 on: May 08, 2018, 09:03:14 AM »
I'm probably going to buy some online, maybe even Amazon like this https://www.amazon.com/Jersey-Supreme-Male-Asparagus-Roots/dp/B06XN5VZW5/

I think that's what @furrychickens is saying (jersey supreme vs knight?)

I think Jersey Knight is an older strain. They’re constantly developing new stuff.

Tris Prior

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #285 on: May 08, 2018, 09:08:03 AM »
One strawberry is flowering! My blueberries are covered in buds and about to pop. Raspberry bushes look healthy, I've got peas and lettuce from seed coming up in a big container and saw a tiny bit of lettuce peeking up out of the ground in the raised bed too.

Harvested some basil (which is still indoors in pots due to our up and down temps) and put it on homemade pizza last night. Yum!

The tomatoes I started from seed seem to be VERY slow growing this year, most not putting out their true leaves yet. I have 3 that were big enough to put into small pots (these were the 3 that survived my experiment of "start a bunch of seeds, then run away overseas for a week"). So they've been around since, I guess, the 20th or so? Well, I guess the tomatoes are just going to run late this year. I started the rest on, I think, the 28th or 29th. So that hasn't really been that much time.

The problem being, I've got 8 peppers (that look GREAT) but I usually base my pepper planting on where I have space after putting in tomatoes and then give the rest away when I can't cram everything into the space I have. Clearly that is not going to work this year, as the peppers are ready to go in now (except I can't because weather) and the tomatoes are going to need probably until early June if they continue the way they are going. Hmph. Maybe the solution is (I can't believe I am saying this) to get more huge containers?

I'm really hoping the greens survive these crazy temps without bolting. We're having 80s one day and 50s the next. They must be very confused. And one spinach did already bolt on the day it hit 86. Booooo.

ender

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #286 on: May 08, 2018, 10:37:07 AM »
@Tris Prior are they very leggy (or were they)? did they have good close light when they sprouted?

If so, they probably won't do well for a long time.

Tris Prior

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #287 on: May 08, 2018, 11:24:50 AM »
No, they're not leggy, they have a grow light right on top of them. (Actually, the 3 that are doing well WERE leggy as they sprouted sooner than I thought and we were still out of town.) They just seem.... stalled out?

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #288 on: May 08, 2018, 12:43:55 PM »
@Tris Prior - I am wondering about the soil fertility.  Have you added fertilizer?  Potting soils have very little nutrients.  Is there good root development coming in out the bottom?

ender

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #289 on: May 08, 2018, 12:45:51 PM »
@Tris Prior - I am wondering about the soil fertility.  Have you added fertilizer?  Potting soils have very little nutrients.  Is there good root development coming in out the bottom?

Yeah it's worth checking that.

Some seed starter soil has no nutrients.

Tris Prior

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #290 on: May 08, 2018, 02:02:11 PM »
I usually wait until the first true leaves come out before adding fertilizer. That's worked every year up until now. Do you all fertilize when the plant only has its baby leaves?

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #291 on: May 08, 2018, 02:11:40 PM »
It is rather odd that they stalled now - I am now wondering if you haven't had enough warmth?  I would still try a little fertilizer now. But this recommendation is not coming from any real expertise or experience.

Tris Prior

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #292 on: May 08, 2018, 02:52:29 PM »
We have had a warm day here and there but plenty of cooler ones too, and it's chilly in our apartment so maybe that is the problem. I don't use a heat mat or anything; haven't needed to before.

Thinking about it more, I think the peppers took at least as long to really get going this year. I just started them way sooner than the tomatoes. So maybe this is just how long it's going to take, in this apartment. (In our last place we couldn't control the heat and it was routinely above 80 degrees in our apartment all winter and spring.)

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #293 on: May 10, 2018, 05:15:32 AM »
So I was in the market recently for some insect row cover, to battle the cabbage moths that go for our kale.  I stumbled across an article on line about using tulle (wedding veil fabric) instead.  It has openings that are about 1/8", too small for the moths to get through.  Like you literally go to the fabric store and buy the stuff, then sew/join it into the shape you need.  The author even did research on the best way to join it, and it turns out regular old paper staples work the best.  Talk about easy! 

So I went to the fabric store and found out that yes indeed tulle is cheaper.  I bought some, and paid about 60% of the price I would have paid for ag insect barrier.  I stapled it together into the width and length I needed, and I've had it up for a week now.  It is draped over the medium hoops that stretch over my kale bed. I love it!  It's delightful to work with and water passes right through it.  It has already come through a thunderstorm with some medium winds with no problem.  Nice!
« Last Edit: May 10, 2018, 05:22:30 AM by Trifele »

Indio

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #294 on: May 12, 2018, 08:11:44 PM »
I use king size mosquito netting, which is probably the same thing.  I put all brassicas in pots now so I don’t have to worry about crop rotation when I’m not amending the soil in that bed.

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #295 on: May 12, 2018, 08:44:08 PM »
Harvested a couple carrots today. They were still pretty small but my 3-year-old was impatient lol.

I am a total gardening newb and didn't realize how big zucchini plants get. I planted two and they're crowding both each other and the rosemary that is planted in the same bed. What are the chances I can transplant one and have it survive? They're pretty big but not flowering yet.

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #296 on: May 12, 2018, 09:24:08 PM »
My raspberry canes that I planted in the front yard plantbed are growing! My 8 tomato plants will be transplanted tomorrow. My pepper plants were unsuccessful, so I bought 8 for $4 at a local nursery. I plan to put those into pots tomorrow as well.

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #297 on: May 13, 2018, 03:15:51 AM »
Harvested a couple carrots today. They were still pretty small but my 3-year-old was impatient lol.

I am a total gardening newb and didn't realize how big zucchini plants get. I planted two and they're crowding both each other and the rosemary that is planted in the same bed. What are the chances I can transplant one and have it survive? They're pretty big but not flowering yet.

I wouldn't worry about moving the zucchini. When they start producing you are going to have too many anyway.  Just harvest them small and be ready to share with friends.

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #298 on: May 13, 2018, 05:07:32 AM »
Harvested a couple carrots today. They were still pretty small but my 3-year-old was impatient lol.

I am a total gardening newb and didn't realize how big zucchini plants get. I planted two and they're crowding both each other and the rosemary that is planted in the same bed. What are the chances I can transplant one and have it survive? They're pretty big but not flowering yet.

They would almost certainly die if you transplant them. Cucurbits do not like their roots being disturbed. Zucchini will grow away from each other as needed, but you can always trim leaves off the one crowding the rosemary to keep it from being shaded. Or pull one out if they’re super crowded.

Even the most behaved modern varieties are roughly 3 feet wide bushes when mature. Some of the sprawly heirlooms like Costata Romanesco or Cocozelle will be 3 feet wide by 10 feet long or more by the end of the season.

Zucchini rampante (not sure on spelling, it was “rampant zucchini” in Italian) I’ve heard is even worse, as that’s based the C. moschata species (think butternut) versus C. pepo. Haven’t tried that one, but saw it in a seed catalog this year.

If you really want two plants, just plant some seeds in a new spot. Zucchini are a good candidate for succession planting. They often slow down after the first month of picking, or succumb to diseases like mildew, etc.

Tris Prior

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #299 on: May 13, 2018, 10:30:38 AM »
Grumble. After a couple weeks of pretty nice spring weather, the temps plunged. It's been in the 40s for a few days and yesterday it POURED. All warm-weather crops are now living indoors and they don't all fit under the grow light. The lettuce and spinach are loving it, though, and I have more flowers on one of the strawberries.

My tomatoes seem to, finally, be progressing and putting out their true leaves. One dropped dead, though. A variety I really wanted to grow again, too. (Sunrise Bumblebee). Oh well. I have too many tomato seedlings for the space anyway.

Hmm, has anyone used tulle to cover fruit bushes, so that the birds don't get the berries? I have bird netting, but I HATE that stuff, it gets all tangled and the branches start growing through the holes and it is generally just a huge PITA. Tulle seems like it'd be less unwieldy. Of course, they don't sell bird netting in small quantities so I have a huge roll of it.