Gardening: (2016– )

[KennethT]

@heidihhmmmm... interesting.  Maybe I'm just not letting it go long enough?  That's what happened with the mexican coriander - they took forever to sprout - 6-8 weeks I think - but I wasn't surprised at that since it said on the packet that the germination time can be really long.    The chive seed packet doesn't really mention a long germination time, but it does mention a long time to maturity - 80-120 days!

[cyalexa]

3 hours ago, KennethT said:

I bought a pack of Chinese Leek (Chinese chives)

If these are the same as garlic chives, and you would like, I will see if I have any seed heads left outside. 

[helenjp]

My tiny garden happiness is that some self-seeded parsley has come up! Since my parsley grows on our north-facing front steps, it doesn't always set good seed, so I'm very happy to see the next generation.

I'm out of the house about 14 hours most days, so rarely get into the back garden, but over new year I intend to dump the oldest compost around the drip line of our Japanese plum trees (p. mume, fruiting type), just to help things along come blossom-time. Best compost discovery has been that home-polishing brown rice produces a fine bran which is not only good for pickles, it keeps the compost heap clean and busy too.

 

My spring "edible salad" plants always include nasturtiums, and for some reason, they are still flowering! Since I have so little time for our rather shady garden, I am all for leafy food plants which are next door to weeds - tetragon, Malabar spinach, garlic chives, chameleon plant and so on. 

[KennethT]

@cyalexaThey are the same as garlic chives!  That would be awesome to see if you had some seed heads!  I would really appreciate it!

[cyalexa]

17 hours ago, KennethT said:

@cyalexaThey are the same as garlic chives!  That would be awesome to see if you had some seed heads!  I would really appreciate it!

I'll check today and PM you. You must promise, however, not to blame me if they become invasive! 

[shain]

Those haven't flowered in about 5 years. The original bulbs are more than 25 years old.

 

[Chris Hennes]

@shain --  Paper white narcissus? (Surely not garlic chives!)

[shain]

@Chris Hennes indid so. Got those planted in a few spots, only this group (there about 6 more plants around those two) are flowering now. They usually only grow leaves. 

Did a quick Google search (should have done so years ago...) seems that clumping due to bulb division and lack of nutrients might be the cause. Seems easy enough to fix. 

[Martin Fisher]

Ordered any seeds recently? 

 

I think I'll probably only be ordering from Pinetree and Fedco this year.

[kayb]

1 hour ago, DiggingDogFarm said:

Ordered any seeds recently? 

 

I think I'll probably only be ordering from Pinetree and Fedco this year.

Have just recently learned about Pinetree and am impressed. I suspect I'll order from them. I have a good, sunny window in which to start seedlings.

 

 

[Martin Fisher]

1 minute ago, kayb said:

Have just recently learned about Pinetree and am impressed. I suspect I'll order from them. I have a good, sunny window in which to start seedlings.

 

 

 

FWIW, Pinetree offered free shipping around Christmas time.

Next year I plan to have my order ready and hope they do the same.

 

Fedco ships seed orders of $30 and over for free.

[ElainaA]

I just pulled out all my seed catalogs. Pinetree  has been my main supplier for at least 15 years, closely followed by Johnny's. I figure anything that will grow in Maine will grow in central NY. Last year I ordered from Territorial for the first time and I am intrigued by High Mowing Seeds due to @DiggingDogFarm's comments last growing season. I'm thinking of trying artichokes in the hoop house this year and I know they need a very long indoor start so I better get moving. 

I would love to hear any recommendations - especially for tomatoes which are my main crop. 

Edited January 16, 2017 by ElainaA (log)

[haresfur]

First tomatoes of the year. Could have used a few more days but I was ready.

 

[shain]

I was quite surprised to notice this today - 

 

 

 

That's a plumeria plant, about 30 year old, covered with blossoms every year, but never have I seen it fruiting until this day.
This pair of fruits is are the only ones on the plant.
I wonder if it's due to the especially warm winter this year.

 

Doe's anyone knows how to tell it's mature? I'll sure be glad to have lots of baby plumerias  

[djyee100]

 

Very early spring on my front deck. Parma violets (in the blue pot) are always the first flowers to bloom in my garden. Also in the pic, thyme, parsley, creeping winter savory, chives. Lavender in the big pot on the right side. These plants stayed green and grew slowly over the winter. The plant in the foreground is alpine strawberry. I waited for it to freeze over, but in my protected front deck area it never did. It kept blooming and fruiting thru the winter, even though the fruit was tart. I'll grow this one again. It's an alpine strawberry cultivar named 'Mignonette' (Fragaria vesca 'Mignonette').

　

Everything else in my garden is coming up 2-3 weeks earlier than usual. My roses started sprouting two weeks ago, and my salvia is showing signs of life. It does worry me a bit. Global warming? What global warming? Well, I'm not in denial about it.

[KennethT]

I'm going to be growing 'Mignonette' as well as a few other varieties coming soon!!!!  I can't wait!

[kayb]

Must order seeds. Like, immediately.

[KennethT]

@kayb Check out http://fraisesdesbois.com/

[djyee100]

8 hours ago, KennethT said:

I'm going to be growing 'Mignonette' as well as a few other varieties coming soon!!!!  I can't wait!

 

My berries were sweet and delicious in the summer. They became tart in the fall and winter because they didn't ripen as much in the weaker sunlight. Since you control light in your spaceship garden, you could have sweet berries for as long as the plant bears fruit.

 

[KennethT]

Just wait... I've gotten clearance from my wife to create even more spaceship garden in our living room/dining room area!  I'm planning on 2 plants each of 7 different cultivars of alpine strawberries, to get an idea of yield, flavor, etc.  I'm also going to move a lot of the plants I keep for a long time (like basil and other herbs which I never harvest completely) into a different type of garden which I think may work better for long term care...  I have to think of what to do with the windowsill garden now.  There's pluses and minuses to it.  In winter, it doesn't get enough light, but on sunny days, it can get really hot... in summer, it gets plenty of light, but it definitely gets too hot... cilantro will bolt in a week...  the problem is that I have very little temp control there....  maybe I'll just put some ornamental flowering plants there - some that may be more heat tolerant...

[djyee100]

7 hours ago, KennethT said:

I have to think of what to do with the windowsill garden now. .. in summer, it gets plenty of light, but it definitely gets too hot...

 

How hot is too hot? Some parts of my back deck get blasted with afternoon sun (I live on a ridge). Rosemary and Greek oregano do well there. Think harsh, hot Greek hills.

　

I saw this rosemary at the nursery and thought it could do well in a pot.

http://www.anniesannuals.com/plants/view/?id=3934

This rosemary also sounds pot-friendly. I don't remember seeing it at the nursery, though.

http://www.anniesannuals.com/plants/view/?id=3825

　

I tried this Greek oregano at the nursery (yes, I ate a bit of leaf), and it was so peppery I hesitated to buy it. But it intrigues me. I may grow it this year to satisfy my curiosity. Also, any deer that tries to eat this plant will be sorry.

http://www.anniesannuals.com/plants/view/?id=4518

　

Do you grow mint? It has to be grown in a pot because of its invasiveness, and it thrives in heat and sun. It does grow fast, though, so it has to be repotted regularly. I love the flavor of Moroccan mint.

http://www.anniesannuals.com/plants/view/?id=4729

 

[djyee100]

On ‎1‎/‎21‎/‎2017 at 6:03 AM, shain said:

Doe's anyone knows how to tell it's mature? I'll sure be glad to have lots of baby plumerias  

 

Have you seen this? Info about plumeria, incl propagation from seeds, in this article from the Hawaii Cooperative Extension Service.

http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/OF-24.pdf 

 

[KennethT]

29 minutes ago, djyee100 said:

 

How hot is too hot? Some parts of my back deck get blasted with afternoon sun (I live on a ridge). Rosemary and Greek oregano do well there. Think harsh, hot Greek hills.

Since the windowsill garden is only a few inches from the window, on a sunny day, the plants can feel like it is over 90 degrees.  In fact, even in winter, on a sunny day, we have to turn on the A/C otherwise the living room turns into an oven.

 

29 minutes ago, djyee100 said:

　

I saw this rosemary at the nursery and thought it could do well in a pot.

http://www.anniesannuals.com/plants/view/?id=3934

This rosemary also sounds pot-friendly. I don't remember seeing it at the nursery, though.

http://www.anniesannuals.com/plants/view/?id=3825

I don't know about these particular rosemarys, but years ago, I used to grow rosemary and it did quite well.  But I find that I almost never used it!

 

29 minutes ago, djyee100 said:

　

I tried this Greek oregano at the nursery (yes, I ate a bit of leaf), and it was so peppery I hesitated to buy it. But it intrigues me. I may grow it this year to satisfy my curiosity. Also, any deer that tries to eat this plant will be sorry.

http://www.anniesannuals.com/plants/view/?id=4518

I also used to grow oregano, but again, barely used it...  so that the plants became huge, even when I would wind up throwing out or giving away the clippings since I got so much and used so little.

 

29 minutes ago, djyee100 said:

　

Do you grow mint? It has to be grown in a pot because of its invasiveness, and it thrives in heat and sun. It does grow fast, though, so it has to be repotted regularly. I love the flavor of Moroccan mint.

http://www.anniesannuals.com/plants/view/?id=4729

I grew mint (a few varieties that I got from Wellsweep herb farm) in my windowsill garden, and you're right - it's invasive!  The roots spread up and down the entire trough!  I will actually be growing Vietnamese mint in the new garden, coming soon...  That garden is going to be a hydroponic flood table, with separate containers to contain the roots from spreading to each other, since a few of the other herbs I grow do similar things as the mint.

 

[shain]

33 minutes ago, djyee100 said:

 

Have you seen this? Info about plumeria, incl propagation from seeds, in this article from the Hawaii Cooperative Extension Service.

http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/OF-24.pdf 

 

 

Thanks! So it seems I'll have some waiting to do - That's fine  I kind of hope it will grow interesting plants, but I don't think there are non-white bushes around for it to pollinate from.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

5 hours ago, KennethT said:

I don't know about these particular rosemarys, but years ago, I used to grow rosemary and it did quite well.  But I find that I almost never used it!

 

I love rosemary.  I use rosemary several times a week.  (Not to mention tonight.)  I have a large potted rosemary bush in the dining room.  I can't bring myself to cut her so I buy my rosemary in a jar.