We all began talking about seed catalogi coming in ...and looking through them. There was a thread about acquisitions and new plants... and some lucky folks have actually already begun planting. There are other members on my lottie complex who have already germinated plants and have them in their garden plots. Today there is snow, rain and ice rain--so I shall not be going out to the lottie. Today was seed planting day. First the broad beans. I use root trainers, as I will not plant them on into a second pot before setting them out. Once they have two or three sets of leaves, have hardened off a bit, and their root ball is like I want to see it-- In the garden they will go regardless of the weather. The type that I use are winter hardy and can take it. I like to get them in the ground as soon as possible so that I can harvest them before the black aphids attack. The second thing that was planted was the spinach. Doing it a little differently this year. Normally they are planted in rows out in the veggie plot. That worked oké, but it was a bit difficult to harvest it, and I found that the nature of sprinkling the seeds in the furrow meant that they were inevitably too close together. The plants remained stunted. To be fair though, I did get two harvests from them. This year, we planted them in their own cells...about five seeds per cell. These will not be weeded out and placed in pots, one-to-a-pot. Instead it will grow as a "bunch", and that is how they will be planted. Planted in a row, but as little bunches. They will grow into each other and be (hopefully) easier to harvest and have larger leaves. There will be a row planted in the normal fashion...to compare. Plus, with a trial, I want to have a back-up, should the little clump idea not work out well. We shall be looking to see if it is easier to harvest this way, if the yield will be as great and to note if the row plants or clump plants will shoot more easily than the other. I like experimenting...but I need the back-up. You know like a tightrope walker--I want the safety net. The process: Step One--fill the cells with soil especially for germination. I do not know why the seeding soil in this foto looks redish, for it is definitely black in colour as iot comes out of the bag. Step Two--spread ~5 seeds in each cell. Scattered, not all five touching each other like bird eggs in a nest. The individual plants will have a bit of room to "eat" without feeling the competition in the early stages. Step Three--I then covered the seeds with a tad of soil and then vermiculite and watered them in. Step Four--After labelling the cell trays, they went onto the windowsill--the first of the season. Let the show begin. Here a little "tip": There are any number of ways to give your seeds or seedlings water, you can also apply the water from the top or the bottom depending on the stage of development and the type of plant it is. Generally speaking, I give water on the top of the soil when the seeds are first planted; thereafter, from the bottom. My two reasons for this are that I do not want to wash what nutrition there is in the little cell of soil downwards and out. Secondly, I believe that if I give the right amount of water to the bottom then fungal and bacterial infections will be less likely to occur on top of the soil or on the plantlet stems at the soil line. I am waffling now, the real tip is the use of water stream control. I use these small and inexpensive tops that I just screw onto the top of the empty cola bottles which I use as watering bottles. These are available in Europe and I believe that they are available in such distant lands as America as well. You may have to specifically ask for them in the garden centres though, as they are small and easy to overlook on the shelves.
cool tips. I haven't seen those, but I don't really need them. I do use a 1 gallon pressure sprayer for my seeds and seedlings while they are really tiny. it has a tip that adjusts from a mist to a stream. It is also great if I see aphids on something. and speaking of aphids can you buy ladybugs to release on your lottie when you see the aphids begin to appear? I did that last year in my one greenhouse when I couldn't control them on the pansies early in the year... terrible pests! or lacewings? they would do a fine job, too.
Great tips Sjoerd. I usually do a row of spinach in situ, but it always seems to bolt before I get a good harvest. Maybe I should start it earlier.
I'm going to look for some of those tips the next time I go to the 'big' city. Thank you for that tip. I had so much trouble with spinach bolting that I gave up and now I plant chard instead. We actually like it better, it isn't very fussy, plus the leaves are larger and are much easier to pick.
Yeah C--those little tips are not really meant for folks with a big operation like you...you'd be busy for HOUUUUUUURS. I have never seen ladybugs for sale over here. We do get quite a few in the lottie though, and as for lacewings--well, I only see them once in a great while. Well NETTY--I will tell you that once the spinach comes up I water them every day in between the rows and around the edges every day that it doesn't rain. I have found that the two main reasons that certain crops shoot is because of two things--too little water and too much heat. Spinach definitely does better when the weather is cooler, I would certainly suggest that you start earlier. I plant out in march each year, but your temps nay still be too severe for that timetable...in which case you could simply plant as soon as it doesn't freeze every night in a row. 2OF--I know what you mean. I grow Swiss chard every year and personally find the flavour better than spinach too. I harvest it throughout the winter. I do go for variety in in the freezer though. Both freeze in well. I hope that you can find them in the big city, if not you may be able to order them from Thompson and Morgan (u.s.a.). That is where I got mine. They gave them to me as a gift with a big order a few years ago.
For those that have the same problem of too many seeds in one spot. I save my empty spice bottles that have a shaker top then choose the ones with larger holes for larger seed. Tape up the holes from the inside of the lid until you find the number of open holes that gives you the proper spacing. Just sprinkle the seeds down the row from the shaker bottle. No more overplanting.
Last year our chard was so infected with leaf miners that it was almost un-useable. I've been on-line several times and have ordered an eviromesh covering plus will cover the ground under the chard with plastic, so the larva can't get to the soil to pupate and also try yellow sticky traps. Neem oil was also recommended but I have never used any pesticides in my gardens. I think if I'm diligent about checking the leaves for the eggs, removing any infected leaves,etc. we may get a decent harvest. Are there any other suggestions anyone has used or heard of?
Pyrethrin, made from chrysanthemums it is certified organic. You can add a TBSP to a spray bottle with a squirt of dish soap and add about 4c water for a spray that should take care of them. Pyrethrin is the same thing used in cat flea spray and you can use it the same.
That is a really good tip, MART--you are such a knowledgeable person and have quite good advice on here. I like the spice shaker idea. The Pyrethrin suggestion to 2OF ought to help. 2OF-- It sounds like you are taking good measures. I am a big believer in enviromesh...you can use it to protect many crops--great investment. I use them every year...Why, I even sewed two together and wrap my fruit trees with them to keep the wasps and tits out. They're great. Glad you liked the posting 102.-- You are most certainly welcome.
Eh... Can you please repeat what you just said? I was too preoccupied with the green grass and bare soil to pay attention. On a more serious note, you're good at experimenting. I wonder how your test will turn out.
Droopy,, when does it get green for you ? Sjoerd,, when you have as many bugs as we do in Texas,, you had better know all the tricks. Otherwise I might as well hang out a "Marts Diner,, Bugs Welcome" sign in my garden..
mart, that depends. Some years we get spring in February, others in May. This year we're still waiting, but hoping to see something other than snowdrops in a week or two.
I am crossing my fingers it will be soon. Enjoyed the pics of your horses in the snow. I have 6 and they all need a bath. My two gray mares look like paints where they have rolled in the dirt & mud.
