FINALLY it's GROWING WEATHER

Category: gardening | Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2008 5:43 pm

Mother Nature couldn't make up Her mind what she wanted to do weather-wise, but OUT a number of plants went the first week in June. Rather felt like I was "throwing them to the wolves" for a while there as temps were up and down, were like riding a pogo stick, never knew from one day to the next what to expect! Needless to say, there were several plant varieties that just sat there looking back at me, almost asking "WHY have you done this to me?".
The weather broke just a few weeks ago, everything has been "triggered" into a fast pace of growth to say the least! A Marianna's Peace tomato, put out in latter May and wrapped with plastic, has now gone over the top of the cage which is 3 feet high, is setting fruit and has too many blossoms to count. The others (Oregon Spring; Grandma Mary's Paste; Original Goliath; Ugly; Bush Early Girl; and hybrid Patios) are coming into their own right, appear to be growing INCHES per day, and are beginning to bloom. Two zuchinni plants, in a large container, are doing what only zuchinnis can do: are producing squashes like there's no tomorrow! Other squashes, and cukes, are trying to play "catch up", even an heirloom winter squash variety I'm leaving in the greenhouse to assure it won't be killed by frost before fruits can ripen (am hand-pollinating these to be SURE they'll produce). What looked like was going to be a sure bust gardening season has, amzingly, turned around and become VERY promising indeed, not only for the veggies, but flowers and herbs as well (have a Russian tarragon plant, started from seed 3 years ago, that's topping out at SIX FEET TALL!).
My absolute pride and joy, however, are double petunias started from seed this spring and put into hanging baskets. I counted OVER 20 opened, very double white/purple and white/red frilly blooms on one basket yesterday. Had only gotten packages of 30 seeds for each color, germination was 50%, and when transplanted into the baskets, seedlings were extremely SMALL, looked almost lost in the 12 inch containers. When transplanting the seedlings, I lined the inside of plastic baskets HEAVY with dampened sphagnum moss for better water retention, plants are now overflowing them in all directions and offer a beautiful "spicy" aroma if you're anywhere within the vicinity of where they're at.
Yes..it's finally "growing weather". Didn't believe it'd EVER arrive, but it's HERE in all it's glory!

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gardengater wrote on Thu Jul 03, 2008 5:53 pm:

Congratulations on your plant outburst. I'm happy to know you can grow petunia from seed. I've been gathering some from plants I bought. My husband built me a mini greenhouse out back, but it seems to get too hot for plants even with the lid opened. I will need to vent it before putting in seed flats. Any advice?
Gardengater

glendann wrote on Thu Jul 03, 2008 6:00 pm:

It sounds like you will have a bumper crop.
The heat has already done mine in.

weeds n seeds wrote on Thu Jul 03, 2008 7:18 pm:

gardengater: Sounds like you need some cross-ventilation in your mini. A top vent just lets heat escape to a certain extent, but interior still needs air movement, especially if you've plants in it. A cheap circulating fan would help; possibly putting a screen shade over top also (if in constant full sun). Another thing you might look into is installing a louvered window in very back of greenhouse, using a solar-powered opener on it (will automatically open/close window according to heat it "senses"), plus leaving GH door open when weather permits for extra air flow..that is MOST important!
Petunias can be rather HARD to raise. If you're saving seed from store-boughts..especially multi-colored ones..you may find they won't come true-to-color because of hybridization. Do start the seed very EARLY, like around the end of February, so they'll begin blooming last of May. Germination tends to be "scanty" on some varieties, planting heavy is the secret.
Hope I've helped a bit..