Gardening: (2016– )

Senior Sea Kayaker · September 11, 2023

15 hours ago, KennethT said:

When I grew tomatoes indoors, the needed to be hand pollinated. If I wanted a fruit to set, I vibrated the truss with an electric toothbrush, otherwise the flower would drop off. I had to do similar when growing strawberries - although for that, since there were so many flowers, I used an electric hairdryer only blowing cool air.

I have a fan that I set up every few days and circulate air around the plants. This also stimulates the plants to produce stronger stems and not go 'leggy' (simulating outdoor air flow due to wind).

Darienne · September 12, 2023

I need some advice about what to plant in my window garden. I have already grown green onions, and I can grow cherry tomatoes. I have a pot of basil to divide and I'll get Ed to buy me a pot of parsley if this is available. I know that Senior Sea Kayaker (hither-forth to be called SSK...sorry for the impertinence on my part) grows peppers, two kinds of basil and cilantro, etc. I'll go for the Italian parsley...not the cilantro...and I don't know about the peppers. What others things are recommended, please? And when should this or that be started? Don't go to any trouble please, just a few ideas...

Edited September 12, 2023 by Darienne (log)

rotuts · September 12, 2023

@Darienne

sounds like you are going to have a grand time .

locate a bit more space to items that are going to be difficult

for you to buy locally are there fresh herbs you enjoy

both fresh and dried ? Sage and rosemary are easy to grow.

but you have to like them . they are different fresh vs dried

you are going to have a fine time .

Edited September 12, 2023 by rotuts (log)

Senior Sea Kayaker · September 12, 2023

38 minutes ago, Darienne said:

I need some advice about what to plant in my window garden. I have already grown green onions, and I can grow cherry tomatoes. I have a pot of basil to divide and I'll get Ed to buy me a pot of parsley if this is available. I know that Senior Sea Kayaker (hither-forth to be called SSK...sorry for the impertinence on my part) grows peppers, two kinds of basil and cilantro, etc. I'll go for the Italian parsley...not the cilantro...and I don't know about the peppers. What others things are recommended, please? And when should this or that be started? Don't go to any trouble please, just a few ideas...

You're on the right track by focusing on what you'll use in everyday cooking.

Most of what I grow indoors over the winter are herbs I like and use on an almost daily basis and are best fresh. Dried are a poor substitute and purchasing them in those small packages is expensive and generally wasteful. So chives, basil, dill, Italian parsley, cilantro.... Some herbs are great dried, such as oregano, summer savoury and others.

I've started almost all from seed in potting soil except for basil which I've serially propagated from cuttings (lots of YouTube videos on that and for that matter on container gardening indoors)

I'm growing hot peppers this year because the prices for said peppers are crazy here ($1 for a single Scotch bonnet or habanero).

Good luck.

Darienne · September 12, 2023

58 minutes ago, Senior Sea Kayaker said:

I'm growing hot peppers this year because the prices for said peppers are crazy here ($1 for a single Scotch bonnet or habanero).

I'd grow Poblanos if I could. I use a lot of them over the year. They are not only very expensive, but they simply don't show up regularly in the ONE and only grocery store which carries them in Peterborough. The produce man told Ed they are shorted for peppers quite regularly. I tried growing them this summer in my dirt bag garden...was surprised to find seedlings at a local grocery store where I got my wonderful Beefsteak tomatoes ...but they simply didn't thrive or produce. I could try them in the window if you think there's an off chance I'd get two peppers for my effort. I'd have to buy seeds from Richter's I would imagine.

chromedome · September 13, 2023

A busy harvest day for me today, in witness whereof...

From L to R in front we have a late handful of shelling peas (they're almost done); a Sugar Baby watermelon that weighed in at just under 6 lbs; a few florets of broccoli (there's lots more, but this was all I needed for today); a half-dozen zucchini (2 lbs); 3 podgy little cucumbers; and 2 fennel bulbs mostly buried under 2 lbs of bush beans. L to R in back we have 2 lbs of chard, kale and beet tops; and a large quantity of lemon balm bound for the dehydrator.

I'm really happy about the watermelon, those have been difficult for me over the years. It looks like I'll get at least 3 or 4 cantaloupes as well, and maybe double that depending how long the weather holds.

Then there's this:

You'll remember I'd mentioned that the deluge of tomatoes had begun? Well here's 10 pounds of them, mostly cherry and cocktail tomatoes but with some Romas along the back and sides and a couple of Black Krims (they're the ones with the dark shoulders; these ones didn't get enough sun and heat over the past few days to darken them up). Note that a few are underripe and I normally would have left them, but I needed to tie a few heavily-burdened vines back up to their stakes with extra supports and some of these (especially the Romas) fell by the wayside during that process.

So I'm eating tomatoes on toast for lunch these days, and made a quick salsa yesterday with tomatoes, green onions, cilantro and jalapenos from the garden. Now that I've restocked on lids and rings, I'll start canning tomatoes in the next day or two. Doubtless we'll make some tomato sauce and cooked salsa for canning as well, but my reasoning is that we can do either of those things just as easily with the canned tomatoes at a less-frantic time of the year.

Senior Sea Kayaker · September 13, 2023

13 hours ago, Darienne said:

I'd grow Poblanos if I could. I use a lot of them over the year. They are not only very expensive, but they simply don't show up regularly in the ONE and only grocery store which carries them in Peterborough. The produce man told Ed they are shorted for peppers quite regularly. I tried growing them this summer in my dirt bag garden...was surprised to find seedlings at a local grocery store where I got my wonderful Beefsteak tomatoes ...but they simply didn't thrive or produce. I could try them in the window if you think there's an off chance I'd get two peppers for my effort. I'd have to buy seeds from Richter's I would imagine.

I really have no advice with regards to growing poblano pepper indoors or out. I've generally stayed away from growing large peppers as they take up too much space for yield.

I'm not trying to dissuade you trying but I can't give an informed opinion.

Darienne · September 13, 2023

47 minutes ago, Senior Sea Kayaker said:

I really have no advice with regards to growing poblano pepper indoors or out. I've generally stayed away from growing large peppers as they take up too much space for yield.

I'm not trying to dissuade you trying but I can't give an informed opinion.

Thanks. I really hadn't thought about it in those terms. Of course, they are large. Won't try it again probably. I'm really not a gardener and for me it's too late to do large projects. For a few years we had a large vegetable garden and then for two years we tried to grow hard-shelled gourds...the first year was a success...the second wasn't...but that was 20 years ago.

What is the thinking if I grow one large pot of potatoes...just for fun basically. Actually that is probably what's behind this whole idea...the joy of growing something.

KennethT · September 13, 2023

16 hours ago, Darienne said:

I need some advice about what to plant in my window garden. I have already grown green onions, and I can grow cherry tomatoes. I have a pot of basil to divide and I'll get Ed to buy me a pot of parsley if this is available. I know that Senior Sea Kayaker (hither-forth to be called SSK...sorry for the impertinence on my part) grows peppers, two kinds of basil and cilantro, etc. I'll go for the Italian parsley...not the cilantro...and I don't know about the peppers. What others things are recommended, please? And when should this or that be started? Don't go to any trouble please, just a few ideas...

As @Senior Sea Kayaker talked about, a good place to start is to grow things you use all the time. But like it was alluded to, for me, I typically grow things that I don't necessarily use every day but are either hard to find or really expensive if I do find it. Or, for instance, in the case of my kaffir lime and curry trees, both of their leaves are available, but I have to buy a ridiculous amount of them for $$$ when all I need is 1 sprig at a time. Sure, they're ok from frozen so I can freeze what I don't use, but they degrade a lot more than things like galangal which typically gets ground up anyway or Thai chillies which I'd chop up finely also. My sawtooth coriander (aka culantro) is unavailable unless I go to a market far away which isn't practical for me as my time is pretty limited as it is, so even though I onkly use a few leaves at a time, it's great to have when I want it.

In your location, I'd be concerned that you get enough light in a windowsill to get things like peppers to fruit, especially in winter. Even things like basil might get leggy over the winter. However, nowadays, there are lots of really inexpensive LED plant lights on the market, most of which would be fine for 1 plant. And the nice thing about having a light is that you're not confined to keeping the plants in the window - you can put them anywhere you have extra space and will get some ventilation. LEDs don't use much power so you won't notice your electric bill go up. But if you were to go that route, I'd also recommend an outlet timer so you don't have to remember to turn the light on and off every day.

Darienne · September 13, 2023

@KennethT When you say inexpensive, are you saying that this light available at Canadian Tire "NOMA T5 Grow Full Spectrum LED Light Strip, 800 Lumens, 7.5W" for $29.99 might actually be worth the buying. Alas, I have to think about that aspect of it. The garden is going to cost me probably far more than the worth of what I get from it, as did my summer dirt bag garden. So I have to put a limit on what I spend. If someething this inexpensive is really not worth the buying, as say is an inexpensive Teflon coated pan, do let me know.

Thanks.

chromedome · September 13, 2023

9 minutes ago, Darienne said:

@KennethT When you say inexpensive, are you saying that this light available at Canadian Tire "NOMA T5 Grow Full Spectrum LED Light Strip, 800 Lumens, 7.5W" for $29.99 might actually be worth the buying. Alas, I have to think about that aspect of it. The garden is going to cost me probably far more than the worth of what I get from it, as did my summer dirt bag garden. So I have to put a limit on what I spend. If someething this inexpensive is really not worth the buying, as say is an inexpensive Teflon coated pan, do let me know.

Thanks.

Not KennethT, but I have the equivalent light in a different brand (Sun Blaster) and it worked well for me in a windowsill scenario to augment the (inadequate) light my plants got there.

I also have a few like this one (they're available in a number of brand names; prices vary by $20-$25), which have more umph and can be used anywhere (ie, no window required). The downside is that they consume more power.

https://www.amazon.ca/Light-Spectrum-Coverage-Flowers-Growing/dp/B0BN3889GW/ref=sr_1_92?crid=6I78D2XO9WSC&keywords=led+grow+lights+for+indoor+plants&qid=1694609984&sprefix=led+grow+light%2Caps%2C108&sr=8-92

KennethT · September 13, 2023

1 hour ago, Darienne said:

@KennethT When you say inexpensive, are you saying that this light available at Canadian Tire "NOMA T5 Grow Full Spectrum LED Light Strip, 800 Lumens, 7.5W" for $29.99 might actually be worth the buying. Alas, I have to think about that aspect of it. The garden is going to cost me probably far more than the worth of what I get from it, as did my summer dirt bag garden. So I have to put a limit on what I spend. If someething this inexpensive is really not worth the buying, as say is an inexpensive Teflon coated pan, do let me know.

Thanks.

Sorry - $30 may not be enough to get an LED light that will actually do anything. And, unfortunately, plant lights really should not be rated in lumens as that's not a good indication of what the plant gets. Plants use something called PAR - which doesn't really have a conversion factor to lumens as they're measured very differently. In any case, 7.5W lets me know that this light will not give you a lot of light, unless it is focused in a tight pattern, but because it's a strip, means it won't be. It would be fine for seed starting, or growing low light things like lettuce or some less needy herbs. Basil is a light hog.

The light linked to by @chromedome looks like a decent light, but puts out a LOT more light than you would need for 1 plant. The light he linked to would be good for like a 4 foot by 4 foot area for fruiting plants- so if you wanted to have a small pepper farm, it's great! Or an even bigger area for less light intensive plants like herbs but you'd have to mount it pretty high above the plants to get that.

To do things really cheaply, you could do what I've done for a long time - use a decent power compact fluorescent bulb in one of those clamp on reflectors you can get at Home Depot or similar.

Reflector

Something like this bulb might be ok for a single pepper plant or a whole bunch of herb/lettuce/bok choi type plants. It won't last as long as an LED light but then again, it's price makes it practically disposable. It should definitely last a year or two before dying completely or losing enough of its output where the plants would notice.

Darienne · September 13, 2023

1 hour ago, KennethT said:

Sorry - $30 may not be enough to get an LED light that will actually do anything. And, unfortunately, plant lights really should not be rated in lumens as that's not a good indication of what the plant gets. Plants use something called PAR - which doesn't really have a conversion factor to lumens as they're measured very differently. In any case, 7.5W lets me know that this light will not give you a lot of light, unless it is focused in a tight pattern, but because it's a strip, means it won't be. It would be fine for seed starting, or growing low light things like lettuce or some less needy herbs. Basil is a light hog.

The light linked to by @chromedome looks like a decent light, but puts out a LOT more light than you would need for 1 plant. The light he linked to would be good for like a 4 foot by 4 foot area for fruiting plants- so if you wanted to have a small pepper farm, it's great! Or an even bigger area for less light intensive plants like herbs but you'd have to mount it pretty high above the plants to get that.

To do things really cheaply, you could do what I've done for a long time - use a decent power compact fluorescent bulb in one of those clamp on reflectors you can get at Home Depot or similar.

Reflector

Something like this bulb might be ok for a single pepper plant or a whole bunch of herb/lettuce/bok choi type plants. It won't last as long as an LED light but then again, it's price makes it practically disposable. It should definitely last a year or two before dying completely or losing enough of its output where the plants would notice.

Thanks for all the information. I can certainly go more than the $30...I just am currently uneducated about grow lights and what is useful and what is not...and I would have to be able to justify in my own mind whatever money I end up spending. Now your information has been very useful as is that of @chromedomeand @Senior Sea Kayaker

Senior Sea Kayaker · September 13, 2023

3 hours ago, Darienne said:

What is the thinking if I grow one large pot of potatoes...just for fun basically. Actually that is probably what's behind this whole idea...the joy of growing something.

That sounds good to me. Growing plants does bring a sense of accomplishment.

Darienne · September 13, 2023

Saw a video online which I found really useful. The narrator looked at the kitchen vegetables which are being touted online videos as being fun to plant and worth growing and explained fully why in fact a good number of these plants are not going to give the grower any usable vegetable in return.

rotuts · September 13, 2023

@Darienne

interesting video .

I take supermarket direct green onions

I buy the bunch that has roots prominet

and put then in a yogurt container w a few inches of water

they sit right next to a window in my kitchen that gets afternoon sun

they continue to grow , and I snip off the outer green part and let them go at it

I change the water from time to time , and get green tops

I use for garnish until the new grows gets tiny.

the green onions harvested this way do increase in ' onion strength '

and the white parts get soft and gummy and are not used.

much better than putting the bunch in the refrigerator.

Darienne · September 13, 2023

3 minutes ago, rotuts said:

@Darienne

interesting video .

I take supermarket direct green onions

I buy the bunch that has roots prominet

and put then in a yogurt container w a few inches of water

they sit right next to a window in my kitchen that gets afternoon sun

they continue to grow , and I snip off the outer green part and let them go at it

I change the water from time to time , and get green tops

I use for garnish until the new grows gets tiny.

the green onions harvested this way do increase in ' onion strength '

and the white parts get soft and gummy and are not used.

much better than putting the bunch in the refrigerator.

I have been growing green onions for some time now and one bunch actually gave me 6 harvests. I couldn't believe it when the little Dickens just kept on putting forth and putting forth. I finally laid them to read after harvest #6 and started a new bunch.

Senior Sea Kayaker · September 16, 2023

Since it's a dreary windy rainy day processed my dried Italian parsley seed heads.

I'll use these to seed an indoor planter and to seed outdoors next season.

My purslane is developing a lot of seed pods and when ready I'll be processing those. This is the planter growth. It also grew in one of the outdoor beds.

lemniscate · September 20, 2023

It's late in the Evil Fruit season. These are from the neighbor's front yard. Soaking and then I will steam juice them and give the remains to the wildlife. Opuntia (or 'tuna), or prickly pear fruit if you aren't familiar.

I usually make a syrup to flavor vodka and tequilas for gifting.

Darienne · September 20, 2023

47 minutes ago, lemniscate said:

It's late in the Evil Fruit season. These are from the neighbor's front yard. Soaking and then I will steam juice them and give the remains to the wildlife. Opuntia (or 'tuna), or prickly pear fruit if you aren't familiar.

I usually make a syrup to flavor vodka and tequilas for gifting.

OK. Why is the fruit 'evil' ?

Darienne · September 20, 2023

I am getting nearer to my winter garden. A much younger and haler friend helped me move my desk around so that I now have a wide window sill and a shelf on which to place plant containers. It still is a mess because I must reorganize my life to accommodate the changes. That's the end of the tomatoes...about 1/15th of what his wife gave us. The window is old and the seal is broken and of course the outside is dirty. It has not been washed in our 28 years here. Couldn't access it. We might replace it. Probably not.

And outside, a good neighbor, the one who gifted us with all that produce a couple of days ago, came with his tractor fitted out with this thing he invented and built and pulled the huge ugly old bush out from the ground in one fell swoop and then deposited it wherever it was that Ed told him to put it. Amazing. Now my indoor vegetable garden will have full south sun light...as much as we get in a Canadian winter. And now Ed has some work to do to make this mess into lawn.

lemniscate · September 20, 2023

21 minutes ago, Darienne said:

OK. Why is the fruit 'evil' ?

Glochids. They are covered with glochids. There are big spines you can see, but you can't see the tiny glochids which will lodge in you and you feel but can't see. They don't want to be harvested and fight back.

Both the pads (nopales) and the fruit (tunas) are edible, but caution should be taken with both harvesting and preparation. While the pads may or may not have spines, both the pads and fruit have tiny hair-like barbed thorns that are referred to as thorns or “glochids.” These easily detach and will lodge in skin or other tender membranes.

Darienne · September 20, 2023

3 minutes ago, lemniscate said:

Glochids. They are covered with glochids. There are big spines you can see, but you can't see the tiny glochids which will lodge in you and you feel but can't see. They don't want to be harvested and fight back.

Both the pads (nopales) and the fruit (tunas) are edible, but caution should be taken with both harvesting and preparation. While the pads may or may not have spines, both the pads and fruit have tiny hair-like barbed thorns that are referred to as thorns or “glochids.” These easily detach and will lodge in skin or other tender membranes.

Ouch.

Two days ago I got stabbed by the tiny spines on a Chinese Eggplant. Had to use a needle to get the darned thing out.

lemniscate · September 21, 2023

Small update, here's the juice extracted so far. I expect to get a bit more in the next couple hours. I think there was 80ish fruit in the bucket.

**Smithy** · September 21, 2023

17 hours ago, lemniscate said:

Small update, here's the juice extracted so far. I expect to get a bit more in the next couple hours. I think there was 80ish fruit in the bucket.

I love that stuff. I don't have regular access to the fruit, but I've had delicious ice cream and drinks made from it when I was near them at the right time. If you'd like a recipe for prickly pear fruit ice cream, let me know.

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