Gardening: (2016– )

[Senior Sea Kayaker]

44 minutes ago, dcarch said:

I learned that I am stupid.

 

 

Not at all. Shit happens, we correct our mistakes and it eventually becomes a good story.

 

[heidih]

My physician friend who has lived in Los Angeles since just after med school and retired now forever marked my brain about fertilizer transport. He has family farm land in Indiana and tells tales of the fertilizer trucks rattling through town. Its a thing and can be scary.

Edited June 27, 2023 by heidih (log)

[Senior Sea Kayaker]

First scapes harvested, enough lettuce for a salad and some of my tomato plants.

 

[rotuts]

@Senior Sea Kayaker 

 

nice.

 

do your tomato plans need some nitrogen ?

 

I used to solar feed mine

 

fro time to time

 

when I hadthm.

[Senior Sea Kayaker]

2 minutes ago, rotuts said:

@Senior Sea Kayaker 

 

nice.

 

do your tomato plans need some nitrogen ?

 

I used to solar feed mine

 

fro time to time

 

when I hadthm.

 

One possibility. I'm having one of my neighbors, retired but used to work at the local farmers' co-op,  over to get her opinion and advice.

 

 

[rotuts]

I hope its not a soil problem

 

harder to fix.

 

good luck !

[gfweb]

My tomatoes are all hearty, but not bearing much. We need some heat and some sun

[lindag]

A wet and cool Spring here has the home gardeners kvetching about the lack of sun and heat here as well.  Too bad, everyone looks forward to the summer veg.

 

[TicTac]

1 hour ago, Senior Sea Kayaker said:

 

One possibility. I'm having one of my neighbors, retired but used to work at the local farmers' co-op,  over to get her opinion and advice.

 

 

Good luck.

 

Are those their forever pots?

 

If you have any stinging nettle nearby, consider making a tea from it (leaving it in a pail of water for a week) and watering your plants with that.  You could also include a bit of molasses, some banana peels and Epsom salts.  If you include all the latter items, get some dirt from a nearby elderly tree - it will introduce some great life into that tea.  Ideally, an aquarium pump tossed in the bottom of the pail for oxygen/circulation.

 

 

 

 

[Senior Sea Kayaker]

2 hours ago, lindag said:

A wet and cool Spring here has the home gardeners kvetching about the lack of sun and heat here as well.  Too bad, everyone looks forward to the summer veg.

 

 

Here in Cape Breton it's been unseasonably cool with night temps around 5 C. and day temps in the low teens. 

Not the optimal conditions for tomatoes and peppers.

 

[rotuts]

@gfweb 

 

I used to grew tomatoes ,

 

and in my studies I discovered that there is a tomato hormone spray

 

available at that time from Seed companies .

 

it seems tomatoes need a 70 degree or so if not more 

 

any way , some worth at night , then the tomato releases the hormone

 

and flowers set.

 

I used to spray my first blossoms w it , and got tomatoes a month earlier 

 

and kept at it until weather did the trick.

 

My mother grew tomatoes in California , on the peninsula

 

her first ripe Early Girls had similar timing to mine in NE

 

her plans went in in early feb 

 

the reason ?  its very cool at night on the Peninsula until much later

 

sent her a spray bottle .   Early Girls were much much earlier the following year.

 

tomatoes area very interesting plants 

 

you can do all sorts of things , easily ,  that will effect your first perfectly ripe

 

tomato

 

https://calag.ucanr.edu/archive/?type=pdf&article=ca.v003n07p8

 

https://bonide.com/product/tomato-blossom-set-spray-rtu/

 

https://www.amazon.com/Bonide-BND544-Tomato-Blossom-Hormone/dp/B002CA92NC

Edited June 28, 2023 by rotuts (log)

[lindag]

1 hour ago, Senior Sea Kayaker said:

 

Here in Cape Breton it's been unseasonably cool with night temps around 5 C. and day temps in the low teens. 

Not the optimal conditions for tomatoes and peppers.

 

No, and our growing seasons are already abnormally short.

 

[TicTac]

7 hours ago, rotuts said:

@gfweb 

 

I used to grew tomatoes ,

 

and in my studies I discovered that there is a tomato hormone spray

 

available at that time from Seed companies .

 

it seems tomatoes need a 70 degree or so if not more 

 

any way , some worth at night , then the tomato releases the hormone

 

and flowers set.

 

I used to spray my first blossoms w it , and got tomatoes a month earlier 

 

and kept at it until weather did the trick.

 

My mother grew tomatoes in California , on the peninsula

 

her first ripe Early Girls had similar timing to mine in NE

 

her plans went in in early feb 

 

the reason ?  its very cool at night on the Peninsula until much later

 

sent her a spray bottle .   Early Girls were much much earlier the following year.

 

tomatoes area very interesting plants 

 

you can do all sorts of things , easily ,  that will effect your first perfectly ripe

 

tomato

 

https://calag.ucanr.edu/archive/?type=pdf&article=ca.v003n07p8

 

https://bonide.com/product/tomato-blossom-set-spray-rtu/

 

https://www.amazon.com/Bonide-BND544-Tomato-Blossom-Hormone/dp/B002CA92NC

Far too many warnings and health hazards.  Patience trumps health risks, in this case.

 

California is a very environmental and health conscious state - if it's not permitted there, then fugetabowtit!

 

 

 

[Shelby]

Been harvesting a lot of onions.  Best ones I've ever grown.

 

 

 

 

First dig of Yukon Golds

 

[Shelby]

Today's pick.  First okra!

 

[FauxPas]

I've been getting small but steady amounts of strawberries. Usually just enough to have with yogurt or cottage cheese for breakfast or to start a fruit salad. 

 

 

And a surprising number of zucchinis from a single plant. I can't believe the way it has taken off. I've already harvested 8 or more zukes from it and here are 4 more from yesterday. I'm not a big zucchini fan, my friend grew some from seed and gifted me one of the small seedlings. I delayed in transplanting it and it was looking a bit neglected when I finally did, I wasn't sure it would make it. 😄

 

 

Sometimes I just sit and admire the flowers, though. They really are lovely, aren't they? 

 

[Shelby]

2 minutes ago, FauxPas said:

I've been getting small but steady amounts of strawberries. Usually just enough to have with yogurt or cottage cheese for breakfast or to start a fruit salad. 

 

 

And a surprising number of zucchinis from a single plant. I can't believe the way it has taken off. I've already harvested 8 or more zukes from it and here are 4 more from yesterday. I'm not a big zucchini fan, my friend grew some from seed and gifted me one of the small seedlings. I delayed in transplanting it and it was looking a bit neglected when I finally did, I wasn't sure it would make it. 😄

 

 

Sometimes I just sit and admire the flowers, though. They really are lovely, aren't they? 

 

Gorgeous strawberries.  I bet they taste heavenly.

 

 

You are now an official member of the Sneak Zucchini To Your Neighbors club. 

[FauxPas]

2 minutes ago, Shelby said:

You are now an official member of the Sneak Zucchini To Your Neighbors club. 

 

I'm still at Stage One: Try to sneak them into meals so my husband won't know, ha. 

 

But yes, if this plant keeps on producing I'll be ringing doorbells and running. 😄

[gfweb]

My first Paw Paws!

[rotuts]

@gfweb 

 

nice !

 

do squirrels like paw paws ?

 

just checking.

[gfweb]

5 minutes ago, rotuts said:

@gfweb 

 

nice !

 

do squirrels like paw paws ?

 

just checking.

 

I worry.

 

I'm going to wrap them with netting

[FauxPas]

15 minutes ago, gfweb said:

My first Paw Paws!

 

They look gorgeous! How old is the tree? Is it one that you recently planted? 

[chromedome]

First meaningful harvest for me, yesterday.

 

 

From L to R: Radish greens, Black Magic kale (a Tuscan/"dinosaur"/lacinato variety), mixed salad greens, chard, and Prism kale (a curly variety). Not pictured, the first dozen or so snap peas which disappeared quickly as a snack. The chard and Black Magic went into my GF's dinner, the radish greens went into mine, the salad greens went into the fridge for the next few days' lunches, and the Prism kale was blanched and frozen. The first of many, many bags of greens that will go into my freezer over the next few months.

 

[rotuts]

@gfweb 

 

I wish you the beat of luck. luck .

 

Ive had experience growing up

 

w a fig tree and an almond tree

 

my father loved collecting the nuts

 

my mother loved the find.

 

times changed .  the squirrel population increased 

 

that as that.

 

here , in the winter ,

 

I put put a 10 lb bag of Daawat rice

 

 

out on my entry way.  20 degree nights 

 

have a small problem  w pantry moths 

 

I was lazy ang lett it out for a couple os days 

 

noticed a small tear , and a few grains of loose rice.

 

You know who

 

later , for two or three non-food packages , 

 

Amanon'd   the squirrels riped out each corner .

 

So , hope it works this year

 

starless steel , w an alarm next year ?

 

 

[gfweb]

48 minutes ago, FauxPas said:

 

They look gorgeous! How old is the tree? Is it one that you recently planted? 

 

I think its 4 years old, might be off by a year.