Gardening: 2013–2015

[GlorifiedRice]

 

I've got one of these trees.  I've had it a couple of years now and I've collected seeds from it which I tried to germinate.  I had no luck at all.  I've also taken cuttings with the same lack of results.  I've tried putting them in the fridge and scarifying them but nothing.  And the results were the same with the seeds I bought in China.  Any ideas?

 

Apparently you need a male and female bush to get fertilization...

I bought my bush for the young leaves to use in Japanese dishes.

I never noticed the cup at the bottom of the pot, so the roots rotted out

[Ader1]

I bought mine from the Royal Horticultural Society I think it was and they said that I didn't need a male and female. 

[sub]

I've got one of these trees.  I've had it a couple of years now and I've collected seeds from it which I tried to germinate.  I had no luck at all.  I've also taken cuttings with the same lack of results.  I've tried putting them in the fridge and scarifying them but nothing.  And the results were the same with the seeds I bought in China.  Any ideas?

Hi,

 

I've also tried to germinate some seeds, they are very hard to sprout, I've come across a very informative document:

 

Zanthoxylum: A Low-Profile Asian Crop with Great Potential

Edited May 23, 2014 by sub (log)

[Shelby]

First good pick from the garden.  A couple of tomatoes, cukes and squash.

 

 

 

 

[Franci]

Hi guys, I'm an inexperienced gardener. I've just direct sow some seeds and now I understand the appeal of starting in trays, so you know your sprouts from weeds.

Here I'm pretty confident it's rocket, arugula, since it's the only thing I planted in this area

 

 

Here instead I see three different spouts, long pointy leaves on the right, more similar to the arugula on top and something looking like a rosette on the left. It's broccoli

 

[heidih]

Franci - the true leaves come in after the first two cute rounded ones. Looks like you are on the way. If you need to thin them to get adequate space between the plants then you will have trendy vegetable sprouts for your salads. 

[Martin Fisher]

When in question do a Google image search for "cotyledons" (first leaves of a seedling) of whatever you happen to be growing.

And yes, many of the seedlings pictured look like arugula.

[Franci]

Thank you guys, next time I think I'll sow in trays, easier for a novice like me.

[Shelby]

For Shel_B

 

I just went out and took pictures of the watermelon patch and the pumpkin patch.  They definitely take a fair amount of space because they love to spread their arms waaaaaaay out  I live in Kansas, so they definitely love a hot summer, but not too hot.  It's been from 90-100 for a couple months with a few cooler days thrown in and they are thriving.  Regarding moisture, that can be kind of tricky.  Too much rain and they blow up and split.  Too little and they are bitter.  I don't think we've watered them ourselves at all this summer because we've had about the perfect amount of rain.

 

When my husband gets home tonight I can ask him about how much space he thinks they take up if you wish

 

A bit of the watermelon patch.  In the background is the tomato area.  We left quite a bit of space in between

 

 

Pumpkin patch--right next to the melon patch

 

[Shel_B]

For Shel_B

 

I just went out and took pictures of the watermelon patch and the pumpkin patch.  They definitely take a fair amount of space because they love to spread their arms waaaaaaay out  I live in Kansas, so they definitely love a hot summer, but not too hot.  It's been from 90-100 for a couple months with a few cooler days thrown in and they are thriving.  Regarding moisture, that can be kind of tricky.  Too much rain and they blow up and split.  Too little and they are bitter.  I don't think we've watered them ourselves at all this summer because we've had about the perfect amount of rain.

 

When my husband gets home tonight I can ask him about how much space he thinks they take up if you wish

 

A bit of the watermelon patch.  In the background is the tomato area.  We left quite a bit of space in between

 

photo 1.JPG

 

Pumpkin patch--right next to the melon patch

 

photo 2.JPG

 

So sorry for the delay in replying.  We were on vacation and, although we returned around 9/1, I've been busy catching up on things here at the house.

 

Thanks for the pics and the information.  Clearly I will not have room to grow a watermelon.  A shame ... it would have been a nice experiment.

 

I envy you your wide open spaces.

 

Signed,

 

Constrained City Boy

[Shelby]

Hi Shel!  I hope you guys had a great vacation!  

 

You got me to thinking that maybe there is a smaller version, or a way to grow them in smaller spaces.  I googled "growing watermelons in small spaces"  and found some ideas.  Don't give up....it might be possible.

[FauxPas]

Clearly I will not have room to grow a watermelon.  A shame ... it would have been a nice experiment.

 

Oh Shel, I think you could! It would take a bit of work and maybe a different variety. You can grow watermelon in a container and train the vine to grow up a trellis. You can use strips of cloth to support the fruit as it develops if you select a miniature variety.

 

This is something I really want to do as soon as we actually live in one place for enough of the summer to grow a garden again! I've had winter gardens in Arizona for the last few years but I haven't had a 'northern' summer garden in years! Next year should be the year, though. 

 

I especially like Renee's Seeds as she has small reasonably priced packets that often have two or three different varieties in them - perfect for a small home garden where you don't have room for large crops. She also has quite a few seeds that are suitable for container growing. I've had success with some of her patio tomatoes, peppers, and a lovely aubergine/eggplant suited for container growing, called "Little Prince." 

 

She has a few choices in watermelon seeds, at least two of them are smaller 'icebox' size. And I see Johnny's has a 2-4 lb variety, Little Baby Flower. 

 

Edited to add: I see Shelby and I posted at the same time. Great minds and all that?   

Edited September 8, 2014 by FauxPas (log)

[Shel_B]

Hi Shel!  I hope you guys had a great vacation!  

 

You got me to thinking that maybe there is a smaller version, or a way to grow them in smaller spaces.  I googled "growing watermelons in small spaces"  and found some ideas.  Don't give up....it might be possible.

 

Oh Shel, I think you could! It would take a bit of work and maybe a different variety. You can grow watermelon in a container and train the vine to grow up a trellis. You can use strips of cloth to support the fruit as it develops if you select a miniature variety.

[...]

I especially like Renee's Seeds as she has small reasonably priced packets that often have two or three different varieties in them - perfect for a small home garden where you don't have room for large crops. She also has quite a few seeds that are suitable for container growing. I've had success with some of her patio tomatoes, peppers, and a lovely aubergine/eggplant suited for container growing, called "Little Prince." 

 

She has a few choices in watermelon seeds, at least two of them are smaller 'icebox' size. And I see Johnny's has a 2-4 lb variety, Little Baby Flower. 

 

 

With all that you've said, it's certainly worth looking into.  I'd love to grow a delicious, cool, refreshing watermelon  Thanks for the encouragement!

Edited September 9, 2014 by Shel_B (log)

[Shelby]

I'm still getting a lot of 'maters and squash.  The cukes have slowed down, though.

 

We picked the pumpkin patch this morning!

 

 

 

 

All washed off and drying in the sun.  

 

[Smithy]

What will you do with all those pumpkins, Shelby? They look like fine jack-o'-lantern fodder to me, but I know some people actually like to cook and eat pumpkin. ;-)

[Shelby]

What will you do with all those pumpkins, Shelby? They look like fine jack-o'-lantern fodder to me, but I know some people actually like to cook and eat pumpkin. ;-)

They are all residing in my house and on my porch     I will carve a couple and for sure roast the seeds.  I may mess around and stew a couple if the flesh looks "fleshy" enough.

[cyalexa]

Today I am "processing" a bucket of basil leaves. I only trimmed the about-to-flower stems. It is unlikely that we will have a frost anytime soon so I will continue to have fresh basil in the garden.

 

Would anyone like some epazote seeds? I'll cover the postage inside the US. 

[Toliver]

My brother in San Diego staggers planting his tomatoes (in containers) so the tomato growing season can last longer than just the three summer months. Last week have gave my mom a bunch of beautiful heirloom tomatoes. She was thrilled with the gift of the fruit. It's turning out to be a strange, if warm, winter for them.

 

edited for clarity

Edited February 6, 2015 by Toliver (log)

[djyee100]

... It's turning out to be a strange, if warm, winter for them.

 

 

It's been a warm winter in my part of Northern California also. My basil plants never got killed off by a frost, but in December I pulled them out anyway.

 

This past gardening season started off so hopefully (don't they all?) but my garden ran smack into the severe drought we're experiencing in California. In the summer, with the water shortages, I and many of my neighbors pulled out whatever plants we thought were expendable and cuddled the rest. My biggest memory of the 2013-2014 season will be how I hauled pails and pails of clean wastewater out to the yard to keep my shrubs alive.

 

Up in the Napa-Sonoma wine country, vineyards pulled up areas they thought were not worth the water, and let them go fallow.

 

Meanwhile, the animals were (and are) suffering. A young buck deer discovered my neighbor's bird bath and regularly showed up to drink it down. The birds and squirrels struggled to find enough food this past winter because plants produced low amts of fruits and seeds. My neighbors and I have put out some seeds and nuts to help tide them over, and I hope we're feeding the birds and squirrels, and not the (pesty) wood mice. Oh well.

 

TG we've had some rain this winter.

[Dave W]

Record highs in colorado today draw me outside and get me chomping at the bit to start the garden.

Have huge pepper tomato squash and herb plans this year and can only hope the weather bears them out.

[kanela]

Greetings from Germany from a Peruvian growing "peruvian ajies" and some other ingredientes like jalapeños and tomatillos. No green salsa around here if so it will be super expensive! This is from my garden last year....

 

[kanela]

Forgot the Huacatay and tomatillos. (Ignore the date in the tomatillos picture, forgot to change the date in my camera  )        

 

 

[kayb]

kanela -- what gorgeous purple peppers! How do they rank on the heat scale?

 

Getting antsy for fresh tomatoes. Still a couple of months to wait. We'll have greenhouse tomatoes by May 1, hopefully.

[kanela]

Hello kayb, not too hot as those are not completely ready, but sure they are pretty! Once they are ripe, they will turn into bright red. A type of "Aji Limo", used mostly for ceviche in Peru.

 

Good luck with those tomatoes and do share some pictures.

[Okanagancook]

The weather is starting to feel "springish" in the Okanagan.  I have my peas, carrots, radish and some greens in the ground and my garlic is quite advanced already.  Yup all 240 of them came up!  Not all for me and I need bulbs to plant next year.  These were planted mid-October 2014 and mulched with about six inches of leaves.