Gardening: (2016– )

[haresfur]

19 minutes ago, kayb said:

My father always contended one should plant one’s garden on Good Friday. I will not make that this year.

 

Good Friday seems problematic since it moves around. And most of my American friends are complaining about late snow so probably good to wait.

 

Here they say don't plant tomatoes until Melbourne Cup Day (Big deal horse race that is becoming less of a deal but is still a public holiday in my state). With climate change it seems I can sneak them in earlier. I do need to think about my winter crops though. I'll be gone for 6 weeks in May and June so it will have to be something that can be neglected. 

[haresfur]

A couple of my butternut pumpkins. I have a fair number more including some I don't expect to get ripe. All look kind of weird - stumpy instead of the classic shape. The one at the top with no seeds to scoop, I assume is a hybrid because I didn't know you shouldn't plant them near zucchinis. No seeds to scoop. "It's not a bug, it's a feature"

 

[TicTac]

Second time this winter that the curry leaf plant is flowering.  Produces the most amazingly intense seeds!  
 

[KennethT]

42 minutes ago, TicTac said:

Second time this winter that the curry leaf plant is flowering.  Produces the most amazingly intense seeds!  
 

Wow!  She's looking great!  How much light do you give her? Do you know the DLI or light intensity and how many hours?  I usually pick the flowers just after bud break because I want it to focus on leaves, but I can't argue with your results!

[haresfur]

1 hour ago, TicTac said:

Second time this winter that the curry leaf plant is flowering.  Produces the most amazingly intense seeds!  
 

 

What do you do with the seeds?

[TicTac]

3 hours ago, KennethT said:

Wow!  She's looking great!  How much light do you give her? Do you know the DLI or light intensity and how many hours?  I usually pick the flowers just after bud break because I want it to focus on leaves, but I can't argue with your results!

When temps hit about 15+ out I take her outside to full sun, once temps go below 5, she comes in and sits in a South facing window.  Indirect light for a couple hours a day, she definitely sheds a lot of her weight over the winter and I collect lots of leaves, summer bulks up, etc.  They liked to be starved of water, just like my bay leave, so they sit together.  Maybe a newly found symbiosis!?   

 

3 hours ago, haresfur said:

 

What do you do with the seeds?

So far, just saved and admired them.  I have not looked up uses, besides further germination which we might try this summer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Shelby]

I finally got my seeds ordered--Burpee was out of the kind of radishes I wanted.  Ronnie had some seeds squirreled away though so phew.  I had thoughts of whittling down and having a smaller garden but, it's like making soup, I can't make a small batch of soup and I can't seem to make a small garden lol.  So, this year:

 

Pumpkins

Radishes

Collard greens--new kind that says it makes giant, but tender, leaves.  We will see.

Red, yellow and white onions

Tomatoes.  Lots of tomatoes hopefully.  

Nirvana corn

Potatoes--Yukon and russet

Green beans

Squash

Peppers-jalapeno, shishito

Lettuce

Basil

Cilantro

Dill

Okra

Sunflowers

 

We are having the usual wild Kansas spring weather.  Today we are under a red flag warning --"extreme to catastrophic grassland fire danger" is forecast.  Humidity is less than 9% and the wind is blowing 25-35 mph with gusts to 55.  Then the lows dip into the high 20's so we had to move all of the plants back in to the greenhouse this morning. I took some pictures.  Ronnie has been doing some excellent work growing tomatoes.

 

 

 

 

 

I planted the onions a couple of weeks ago--200-300 of them I lost count lol.  They are all up and looking good.  Finally got my order of russet potatoes from Burpee yesterday so we planted those this morning. Still waiting for the Yukons.  We usually plant potatoes around St Patrick's Day so it's late.  I don't know why they wait so long to send them.  Ronnie planted the collards and radishes yesterday so we are in pretty good shape.

 

Only issue is the pepper plants that Ronnie is trying to start.  We have the worst time getting pepper seeds to germinate.  Does anyone have any tips?  He uses the usual potting soil--it's a new bag so it hasn't been depleted of any nutrients by reusing or anything.  

[FauxPas]

1 hour ago, Shelby said:

Only issue is the pepper plants that Ronnie is trying to start.  We have the worst time getting pepper seeds to germinate.  Does anyone have any tips?  He uses the usual potting soil--it's a new bag so it hasn't been depleted of any nutrients by reusing or anything.  

 

I'm not very knowledgeable at all but Sandia Seeds sells a lot of pepper seeds and seems to have some good tips. I have some pepper seeds I was going to try and start and I should do it pronto if I'm going to do it at all. Sandia says to use a seedling mix rather than potting soil and make sure they are kept warm for germination. Consistent watering but well-draining soil mix. 

https://www.sandiaseed.com/blogs/news/pepper-seed-germination

 

You could try the paper towel method also. 

[heidih]

@Shelby on your sslow-poke pepper seeds - the soil is not the factor until tthey sprout - all the nutrition is in the magical seed. Do they sprout and sto'The link (with  suoer annoying adds) is a nice summary although I;ve never doine the chamomile tea soak. Soaking generally is worth a go, and you can scoe some as a trial by rubbing them around gently on a light grade sandpaper. Remember the hotter varieties are the most stubborn and take longer. 

The biggest thing I;ve noticed is soil temp. Is he using a seed heating mat?  

Good luck.    https://peppergeek.com/germinate-peppers-seeds-fast/

[Shelby]

Just now, heidih said:

@Shelby on your sslow-poke pepper seeds - the soil is not the factor until tthey sprout - all the nutrition is in the magical seed. Do they sprout and sto'The link (with  suoer annoying adds) is a nice summary although I;ve never doine the chamomile tea soak. Soaking generally is worth a go, and you can scoe some as a trial by rubbing them around gently on a light grade sandpaper. Remember the hotter varieties are the most stubborn and take longer. 

The biggest thing I;ve noticed is soil temp. Is he using a seed heating mat?  

Good luck.    https://peppergeek.com/germinate-peppers-seeds-fast/

We have a heater in the greenhouse that keeps it quite toasty so I think the temperature is good.  Thanks to you and @FauxPasfor the suggestions.  I'm going to ask him, but I think he's tried the soaking.  I bet he hasn't tried tried the sandpaper trick.

[FauxPas]

20 minutes ago, Shelby said:

We have a heater in the greenhouse that keeps it quite toasty so I think the temperature is good.  Thanks to you and @FauxPasfor the suggestions.  I'm going to ask him, but I think he's tried the soaking.  I bet he hasn't tried tried the sandpaper trick.

 

Let us know if you notice anything that improves the germination rate. I don't know what I'm going to do with mine. I have some hot pepper seeds and some sweet ones. 

[heidih]

19 minutes ago, Shelby said:

We have a heater in the greenhouse that keeps it quite toasty so I think the temperature is good.  Thanks to you and @FauxPasfor the suggestions.  I'm going to ask him, but I think he's tried the soaking.  I bet he hasn't tried tried the sandpaper trick.

Heater is nice but heat from below that actually heats soil is more ideal. Also humidity esp with hot air drying things out. - Some cover seed trays with a piece of plastic. Just make sure to air out daily so condensation on plastic does not overwhelm a struggling seedling.  There is always the option of singin them encouraging things like "I think I can, I think I can --Yes I will  

[Senior Sea Kayaker]

@Shelby These are my habanero and serrano seeds after 14 days (about a 50% germination rate so far). Keeping the soil warm is important however I think moisture is more important. I use a 1 liter spray bottle with room temperature water to mist the surface about 3 times a day.

Seems to work for me.

 

 

One of my raised beds not quite ready for planting.

 

 

Another bed with more solar exposure showing garlic peeking out.

 

[chromedome]

On a gardening page I follow on FB, someone commented yesterday that "Buying seeds is a whole other hobby apart from gardening, I swear!"

[Senior Sea Kayaker]

2 hours ago, chromedome said:

On a gardening page I follow on FB, someone commented yesterday that "Buying seeds is a whole other hobby apart from gardening, I swear!"

 

Going through seed catalogs, even if I'm not planning or need any more, is half my reading time in February and March. 😆

 

[TicTac]

3 hours ago, Senior Sea Kayaker said:

 

Going through seed catalogs, even if I'm not planning or need any more, is half my reading time in February and March. 😆

 

Kind of like my Oct-Jan Lee Valley Catalogue obsession

 

 

[Shelby]

It's an absolutely gorgeous morning.  Everything is blooming.  

 

 

 

First sprigs of asparagus are up.  I finally received my Yukon gold potatoes yesterday so they went in to the ground this morning along with 13 tomato plants that couldn't wait any longer in the green house.  They are so big and needed to get in the dirt.  I've never planted tomatoes and potatoes on the same day lol.

 

 

Ronnie's been working hard plowing and fertilizing the garden areas.

 

 

Onions are looking good.  I got them weeded this morning too.

 

[FauxPas]

2 hours ago, Shelby said:

It's an absolutely gorgeous morning.  Everything is blooming.

 

I love the promise of Spring. Also love the promise of a newly started garden. Hope you have a great season. 🙂

 

[chromedome]

The snow has finally melted from (almost all of) my garden. The garlic is up, and I seem to have overwintered some kale without really meaning to. It should be going great guns by the time everything else is ready to plant, six weeks from now.

[heidih]

@Shelby You mentioned having gotten all the onions weeded. With your rather large garden, what is your weeding method?

 

As I walked down to get the mail, carefully looking down as asphalt a disaster from expansion and contraction with long drought and now rains - my head jerked up and over. The sweet scent of blooming citrus was intoxicating. Just opening up so from afar not a cloud of white. So many and still so many last season oranges and tangelos. I can afford to harvest some flowers for a relaxing tisane. I'd feared the massive rains & winds might have knocked the emerging blooms off. Happily all well.

 

 

[Senior Sea Kayaker]

Spring is certainly progressing although this area is known for late season snowstorms.

Started direct sowing of radishes, lettuces, chard, kale, collards, sugar snap and snow peas.

Garlic springing up

 

 

My modest indoor seedling start for tomatoes and hot peppers.

 

 

Our resident ducks have returned to the pond.

 

 

Picked this up on a walkabout.

 

[chromedome]

Yesterday was gloriously hot and sunny, and I finally blocked out a day to assemble the greenhouse I'd purchased last autumn.

First I laid out sheets of cardboard to suppress weeds and serve as a temporary floor (there'll be gravel, later).

 

 

The rest of the sequence more or less speaks for itself:

 

 

 

...and an interior shot.

 

Those were the last photos I took, but there's now a line of folding tables down the left side (soon to be filled with starter pots) and a seating area in the back right for my sweetie to lounge and keep me company while I garden.

 

The documentation calls this a 3-person project, and doubtless it would have been easier with extra hands, but I did the whole thing myself in about 5 hours' actual work (between feeding rabbits and myself, kibitzing with grandkids and girlfriend, etc). My handyman skills are more "Tim the Tool Man" than Bob Vila, but it wasn't a complicated build. I made things more difficult than they needed to be at a couple of points (putting the cover on inside-out, for example) but that's not the manufacturer's fault.

 

 

 

 

Edited April 16, 2023 by chromedome
Remove superfluous photos (log)

[Shelby]

On 4/14/2023 at 3:10 PM, heidih said:

@Shelby You mentioned having gotten all the onions weeded. With your rather large garden, what is your weeding method?

 

As I walked down to get the mail, carefully looking down as asphalt a disaster from expansion and contraction with long drought and now rains - my head jerked up and over. The sweet scent of blooming citrus was intoxicating. Just opening up so from afar not a cloud of white. So many and still so many last season oranges and tangelos. I can afford to harvest some flowers for a relaxing tisane. I'd feared the massive rains & winds might have knocked the emerging blooms off. Happily all well.

 

 

It depends on if you're talking spring, mid-summer or September 🤣.  Spring I'm anal and meticulous about getting every weed, summer it depends how hot it is and how close a big weed is to a plant, September I'm over it lol.

 

Seriously, we both take our hoes out in the morning and use those.  If you do it every day, it's not a lot to keep up with.  Buuuuut, skip a few days and you're in trouble.  After the tomatoes are all planted we get a huge round bale of straw and spread that--it helps.  I know we could lay down newspaper etc.  but we don't.  We also have a small tiller. It sounds like a chainsaw and the damn carburetor has to be replaced every year it seems like, but it's handy to go up and down rows.   Right now it's the hoes and my fingers plucking out weeds that are too close to the onions to hoe safely.

[sartoric]

On 4/3/2023 at 1:04 AM, haresfur said:

 

What do you do with the seeds?

The berries of the curry tree are really delicious.

Edited April 16, 2023 by sartoric
Add detail. (log)

[KennethT]

59 minutes ago, sartoric said:

The berries of the curry tree are really delicious.

What do they taste like?  Do you eat them as berries au natural or put them in something?