Garden 2021

[Amish Heart]

Hey! That's my muck shoes tray! Exactly! I had it on the front porch, but the neighbor dog keeps running off with a shoe. Or he sits down and eats a flip flop. It's on the back porch now.

 

[LadyLocust]

Need to check on the out door garden, the last couple of days has been breezy and cold, I have unprotected root plants that will need to be harvested soon. I did pick some green onions, basil, oregano, thyme, a couple of carrots, and some turnips for our early Thanks Giving meal, our kids could only visit us this last weekend so we had the big meal then.

The indoor garden is doing fine, I'm glad it's on casters so I can move it out of the way when necessary. The bucket carrots have come up, I was shocked to see that the 2 Burpee varieties came up first. I used the bottom of a soda can to do the seed spacing, but I will still have to thin out the weaker seedlings once they are a couple of inches high.

I now have 18 varieties of plants up in my starter trays, but I ordered some more herb seeds. I have switched to the more robust reusable starter cups and heavier starter trays with high domes. The plants have more space (because 3 across will not fit with the lid on so I only put 10 cups in a tray instead of 18) and the plants can grow to about 8" high before they have to be moved out from under the lids.

I am using large boot trays for my larger plants like the laurel (bay leaves) and when I transplant some of the larger plants their containers will be set in a boot tray holding water. I saw the boot trays at Home Depot for 10 bucks and I though those would be a good growing tray....
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That's brilliant! I can't stand those flimsy little plastic things that break before the seeds are ready to transplant. I don't think I've ever seen one of those but might have to look for one. (I go into a store w/ a list and see how quickly I can escape.)

 

[UrbanHunter]

It has been in the 20s the last few nights so today I did a little outdoor work, pulled some of root plants that were not covered, I replaced the plastic sheet covering 2 of the raised beds (the plastic was rotten).

I watered all the beds using the rain barrels and the pump. After I finished all that I went ahead and opened the drain for all the barrels.... Hope it all drains down the hill before I have an ice rink. I will disconnect the pump and put it in storage tomorrow.

My herb seeds arrived today so I hope to get them started tomorrow.

If it is calm tomorrow I will try to mow my leaves and bag them up for use in the garden next year.

 

[LadyLocust]

I really need to get seeds ordered. That's usually a February task, but I have a strange feeling I want them on hand sooner rather than later.

 

[Bacpacker]

I ordered most of mine in December last year. I'll do the same this year. Ordered my onion slips for next year on Firday

 

[LadyLocust]

I know you said where, but which variety do you get for winter storage. I like the reds for fresh, but they don't keep well. I think the sight had/has some suggestions but I was a bit overwhelmed so just got more of the ones I usually get.
Fords Onions?

 

[Bacpacker]

I get them from here

Home - Dixondale Farms

I always try and new type or two every year to see what works best around here. This year I tried the Blush type in the long day onions. Nice size, grew well, and are keeping very nicely. They are tasty too.
Copra are the ones I have grown for years for keepers, but are no longer available. I'm gonna try Pattersons next year

 

[LadyLocust]

I get them from here

Home - Dixondale Farms

I always try and new type or two every year to see what works best around here. This year I tried the Blush type in the long day onions. Nice size, grew well, and are keeping very nicely. They are tasty too.
Copra are the ones I have grown for years for keepers, but are no longer available. I'm gonna try Pattersons next year

Thank you again. I just made a shortcut to it on my homepage. I have to look it up here every time! Not sure why I can't keep that name in my head yet I can remember things that are so irrelevant to anything. I might try the blush ones. I'm not very daring when it comes to veggies and don't have a ton of room so like to grow what I know will work.

 

[Bacpacker]

I'm in Zone 7b. Not sure where you are. soil conditions I'm sure are different. But you never know what works till you give it a shot. I always have failures. But find some keepers pretty regularly too.

 

[joel]

I'm in Zone 7b. Not sure where you are. soil conditions I'm sure are different. But you never know what works till you give it a shot. I always have failures. But find some keepers pretty regularly too.

How early do you plant carrots, lettuce & white potatoes?

 

[Bacpacker]

Taters I usually wait until sometime April or May. Lettuce and carrots, Parsnips too I'll start in March or April.

 

[Amish Heart]

I just got the super thick Whole Seed Catalog in the mail yesterday. Husband ordered it. He is so sweet. I'll go through it page by page after company leaves.

 

[LadyLocust]

I'm in Zone 7b. Not sure where you are. soil conditions I'm sure are different. But you never know what works till you give it a shot. I always have failures. But find some keepers pretty regularly too.

We are in 7a so close. I really need to go through my seeds and see what I need. Not something I usually do this time of year so when I have time, it's not something I think about. I think I will pull up a page online.

 

[WVDragonlady]

Looking for tomato seeds? Maybe want to try something different?
Seed sale right now. I bought some from them last year and they're fast and reliable. The only thing is you have to write down the descriptions and growing info yourself
https://myemail.constantcontact.com...est--.html?soid=1101460722296&aid=bNinJNXE4H4

 

[LadyLocust]

Just heard about this seed source today. Haven't had a chance to dig in but am anxious to look.

 

[WVDragonlady]

I've attached a grow light to one of the wire shelves in the greenhouse to use next year.

Getting together some seeds to stratify them in the fridge before I start them in a few months. They take about 8 weeks in there so I need to get them in a jar and in the fridge soon.

A lot of flowers and herbs like to be stratified before germinating. I never knew that

 

[WVDragonlady]

Also ordered a number of heirloom dwarf tomato seeds and some that are for growing indoors or in containers this afternoon from TomatoFest

 

[LadyLocust]

@UrbanHunter You've been quiet~ hope everything is okay. Did you plant beans inside? I've been pondering growing a pole bean as a house plant.
That kinda sounds like a "you might be a redneck if . . . " joke.

 

[UrbanHunter]

@UrbanHunter You've been quiet~ hope everything is okay. Did you plant beans inside? I've been pondering growing a pole bean as a house plant.
That kinda sounds like a "you might be a redneck if . . . " joke.

Sorry, for not posting:
Yep I did plant Jade Beans from Baker Creek inside. I planted them in nursery pots made for large Poinsettias that have a little plastic cage attached to them setting in a bucket, I am only planting a few at a time, the first planting has blooms now. I also have bucket carrots up. Currently I have broccoli, cabbage, and a variety of herbs up. I have spinach, lettuce, and green onions growing inside the house and in the covered raised beds. I still have carrots outside, I harvested most already, they were really sweet and had good shape, I left some of the smaller ones for later. We have been having lows in the low 20s and the days have been getting into the 40s but the carrots don't seem to mind... yet.....

Yep, you might be a redneck and there's your sign

 

[UrbanHunter]

I was watching TV the other night and caught the Big Bang Theory, the guys were visiting a "Brilliant" mathematician and the Indian guy picks up this awesome tomato and starts talking about how great it is.... The Mathematician tells him that he grows them in this own manure... The guys start razzing the Indian guy about his Sh!T eating grin:

Oh yea, I forgot, I do have some cherry tomatoes started

 

[Amish Heart]

I just talked to our son in Albuquerque, and he manages a good sized nursery there. A guy and his wife come in frequently for plants, trees, and info. They came in the other day asking about planting in human manure. Not recommended, by the way, unless it's been set out for a year at least and composted. Even then, people eat meat and fats more so than other animal manure that can be used. They let it slip, maybe on purpose, that they are preppers. Son, smiled, and said his parents are and he was raised that way. They of course wanted to know if we were local. Ha. No. There's no good soil there at all, total soil replacement. Anyway, the people told him he grew up enlightened. He thought that was funny. They are trying to grow without a grow house in a higher elevation outside of the city in horrible soil. They need a grow house with a pond in it for some humidity.

 

[Terri9630]

I just ordered some pepper seeds (the black pepper kind). I can't grow salt but we're gonna try and grow pepper.

 

[ClemKadiddlehopper]

The problem with humanure is all the residual drugs and chemicals in it that don't break down with composting. It is only recommended for trees and shrubs.

What many people don't know, is that human waste sludge from treatment plants is being spread on fields. What is generally unknown is just how much of those residual drugs and chemicals, crops like wheat, corn, and canola take up.

Never use humanure in your veggie patch no matter how composted.

 

[LadyLocust]

The problem with humanure is all the residual drugs and chemicals in it that don't break down with composting. It is only recommended for trees and shrubs.

What many people don't know, is that human waste sludge from treatment plants is being spread on fields. What is generally unknown is just how much of those residual drugs and chemicals, crops like wheat, corn, and canola take up.

Never use humanure in your veggie patch no matter how composted.

Thank you for saying this so I didn't have to - actually I didn't and wasn't gonna. It seems like people don't want to hear it even if it's true. We have lots of wheat fields around here and in certain microclimates, the "fragrance" lingers.

 

[Peanut]

A question I used to get often at the farmers market was about soil additives. Do I need this fertilizer or that one or lime?

I'd ask them the one question that has to be answered first. Have you tested your soil and have the results?

They'd look at me sort of blankly then continue asking about adding minerals or peat moss!!!!!!

Duh! A soil analysis tells the exact condition of the soil. Then, and only then, do you know what the soil needs!

I remember one guy in particular. We had the same conversation over and over because he never tested his soil. I actually overheard him talking to another farmer at the market saying "that guy with the peaches doesn't know about soil! He can't even tell me what fertilizer is best" "did he really grow those peaches?"

The man now doubted my ability to grow 8 tons of peaches each year because I couldn't tell him what his untested soil needs!

Sorry for the rant... had to deal with delusional family members this week. They find the truth offensive.

 

[Amish Heart]

Exactly!
I heard of some people getting confused that use composting toilets. Just because you're adding sawdust to your poop doesn't mean it should be used to grow food.

 

[LadyLocust]

Exactly!
I heard of some people getting confused that use composting toilets. Just because you're adding sawdust to your poop doesn't mean it should be used to grow food.

I just learned a whole 'nother meaning of the term "You are what you eat."

 

[Amish Heart]

OK I'll say it.
Don't eat poop.

 

[joel]

Got cold weather seeds from "True-Leaf market today.
I have not bought from them before, the test will be how well they grow.

 

[LadyLocust]

We put the garden to bed yesterday. All cleaned up for winter & a big pile of "stuff" burned. Hubby was happy because there were still some peppers that were good. He had jalapeno poppers for supper - he didn't make it through morning coffee before having to go dispose of them. Tonight, he had tri-tip with sautéed peppers (Anaheims). I love the produce but am ready for a little break. Yet, I might grow a bean plant for hoots and giggles.