This is fun. Planning and hoping that next year will be even better than this year. I can't wait to get started. I may just have to start some kind of jerry-rigged greenhouse to get some seed started. Anyone have any suggestions for starting seeds without spending a lot of money on indoor equipment?
Seed starting indoors.. Just about anything can be used for containers: old milk cartons cut in half; yogurt cups; styrofoam cups bought at a Dollar Store (love these as they let forming root systems breath); and the big family-sized plastic meat trays..like from Wal Mart..make excellant water-proof holding ones for containers. Make sure drainage holes are punched in bottoms of whatever you chose to start seeds in, tho. Seeds need warmth to germinate: a south-facing window works well or on top of a fridge. As for soil, I would highly recommend a bag of Jiffy Pro Starter Seeding mix as regular potting soils usually contain fertilizers and this can "kill" seeds to a large extent, and NEVER let the soil dry out! Once the "kids" have popped up and get first true leaves, begin fertilizing at regular intervals using ONLY 1/2 the recommended strength on product. Light is an important factor or seedlings will get "leggy". A cheap two-tube shop light, using cool white bulbs, can help here, can be continually adjusted to hang 6-8 inches above them, and supply that light 10-12 hours a day if plants are in a rather dark place. As to when to start various seeds, any good gardening book/catalogue will tell you how many weeks prior to transplanting outdoors. Peppers, I've found, are best started in February, but other things are usually 6 weeks before. If you're planning on starting vines inside (cukes, squashes, etc.), they can be started a month ahead in 3 inch peat pots to eliminate disturbing root systems..which they hate!..plant pot and all at proper time. There's nothing like growing everything from seed: takes time, patience, and a bit of cash output to get started, but you'll get 2-3 years worth out of one packet of seed and end results are very gratifying! Do, however, plant several seeds per container to insure germination, CUT extra seedlings off at soil level that aren't needed: you'll cry! at each one, but pulling them up will harm forming root system of one you want to raise for production. I've been at this so long, it's almost a second nature, start growing in November with pansies, continue on right thru May with other varieties of plants. Have had more than my share of flops, but that's part of it all..live and learn when it comes to gardening! Hope I've helped you a bit, Weeds n Seeds
Gosh Weeds n seeds. That is amazing - all the work and you can say that it is just routine. You are my idea of the constant gardener. That is something I aspire to. Currently I am too far from that ideal. Will take a number of years of practice on my side.
Has anyone thought about doing a Garden Diary 2008 on their blog? I saw a Garden Diary 2007 on the blog called "Destination AndyLand" at andy.2boyz.co.uk/?page_id=112 Has anyone done anything similar? Would you all like to do something like this for 2008? It would be cool to have a group of Garden Diaries (with lots of pictures and expirments) for 2008 that all linked to each other, this way we could see what everyone else is doing.
what I'm planning for garden of 2008 I need to turn the soil over in the side garden. That is where the tomato plants go. This area is a southern exposure. The last time I used this space for the tomatoes, I had a problem with tomato worms. That was the summer of 2006. I read somewhere that any area that had a problem with these worms shouldn't be planted in for 2 or 3 yrs. Has anyone ever heard this???
Tomato worms.. There are several differant kinds that cause tomato problems (the hornworm, fruitworm, pinworm,etc.), the majority of which are caused by a flying critter that lays eggs on the plants and develope from there to do damage to this member of the nightshade family. Crop rotation, or planting somewhere else, is usually recommended in the case of when diseases/viruses have infected the plants, then it IS wise not to plant in the same location for 4 years. If you're worried the worms might be "overwintering" in the bed and breeding, mixing diatomaceous earth (D.E.) into soil early in season may help the situation: D.E. is an ancient, minute coral containing sharp, spear-like "threads" that puncture the soft bodies of soil borne larva..like snails and cuttworms..and kill them. Because of it's fine composition, great care should be taken NOT to apply D.E. on a windy day, and it's advisable to wear a mask when doing so as the threads can be inhaled and cause damage to the lungs. It can be purchased thru gardening catalogues or nursuries. Otherwise, using an organic spray, ment especially for the type of worm (a definate indentification of the insect is necessary) you're having problems with, applied at regular intervals throughout the growing season should alleviate the cause of destruction unless it's the hornworm that should be hand-picked off plants and destroyed when found. Hope this helps a bit...
Happy New Year The New Year is upon us. It is now time to make those resolutions to grow the best garden you have ever cultivated. Ready? Everyone... All at once... My resolution for 2008 is to grow the most beautiful, the most fruitful _______(your chice of plant goes here) that has ever been planted by my own hand. I know. I'm goofy. Hope you all have a happy, healthy and fruitful new year.
WOW! weeds, you are just FULL of information! NICE!! rgasperson... I'm with ya! But could ya remind me I said that? LOL
I took the pledge and added a general wish for all my plants to be the best. I guess I hope for my new Angel Trumpet to be stunning. I visited the garden nursery today. The race is on for the best garden of 2008.
Thank y'all for humoring my new year tidings. I think I am adding some new ideas to my 2008 garden. I have an avocado tree coming back from a frost disaster. I left it outside during the first few nights of below zero temperatures. All the leaves turned brown. I was woried that I was going to loose the tree so I cut it all the way back and moved it to my desk at work. Check out the picture: Now I am wondering if I can get a peach stone to grow. I know that I may not get very good fruit, but I thought I would give it a try. Who knows. I have also been wondering if I might be able to grow a lemon or orange tree. I don't know if they will produce either. I do want to get a few maple trees started. I think I could sell these, if I can get them started. These would all be expiriments. What do y'all think?
Started Planting Seed Today: I planted Cucumbers, Bell Peppers, Roma Tomatoes and Big Boy Tomatoes. It is supposed to be freezing tonight. I am not sure what I am going to do about that just yet.
I haven't even made a list of tomato varieties I'll be growing. Prob like 15 types. This yr I want to grow more oxhearts and bicolors. I don't think I will be planting out Roma this yr as I have several other paste types- Speckled Roman, Long Tom, NJ Devil and Banana Legs (yellow).
I was pretty successful last year growing Romas. I like them becasue they have more meat and less seed. They eat better right off the vine. I got a nice big boy tomato from a friend who was growing them. I thought I would take a shot at them. It turns out that I probably didn't store the seed very well over the winter. I took them out of the tomato and dried them in a paper towel and left them in the towel over the winter. When I went to plant them, they were stuck to the towel. I planted them anyway. I figure they will still come up. We will see. We have still had some frost at night. The seeds that I planted on Sunday, I just covered up with a Rubbermaid container. I am hoping that was enough to keep them from freezing. I am excited about this season. It should be fun.
I Broke Ground Yesterday! Nice little 4'x8' bed. Mostly Clay. Mixed in some grass clippings from last summer. I'm thinking about mixing in a couple bags of top soil. I forgot to cover my seed pots last night. They got a little bit of frost Hopefully they were not harmed.
