Saturday Gardening, Puttering and Adventure thread, March 26

Hi, everybody! Has spring come where you are? Even if it hasn't, Suzanne sent in a photo of her orchid, which we saw growing earlier (indoors). Now it's blooming:

I thought I would send in a picture of my little orchid in full bloom. I just love it.
Enjoy the weekend wherever you are.

Look how well the color goes with the Phoenicia Azalea from 40 Miles North. It is growing outdoors.

Edible Gardening

I have no great pictures because it is still a bit too cold to here in Indiana - but the trees are budding, and I've already done the dormant oil soap on the apple tree.
But the most important thing to do now - besides taking advantage of a dry spell to roto-till the gardens now - is getting the seeds started so you can plant something in those gardens during the next months.
72 Plants - Tomatoes, Peppers, Herbs, Eggplant and Muskmelon
Hopefully they will turn into better pictures and excellent food later this year.
Black JEM

am going to transplant (the melons) into bigger pots. I'm pleased they came up. I'm really interested in how they turn out. My Italian flat leaf parsley is being pokey - I'm covering some of the disks individually now to give them a little more help to sprout. It's always the same, some sprout quicker, some don't sprout at all, and I don't have the ability to easily deal with each. I'll get it done. The joy of doing it yourself.

Parsley takes a long time to sprout. Some folks say it has to go to hell and back first.

WeirdDave's Garden: Way beyond puttering

Well, WeirdDave has finished (mostly) his YUUUGE garden! It is designed for the Square Foot Gardening method:

OK, here it is.
Garden's ready! Last year I planted a traditional row garden, and frankly the weeds got me. First part of the summer was good, then we went away for a week, caught COVID, and that combined with a very rainy 3 weeks meant that when I got back to the garden it was weed central. This past winter I decided that I was going to build raised beds and implement the square foot gardening method. Raised beds make it easier to ensure rich soil, easier to weed, drain well, facilitate focused fertilization, and allow for precise planting with the SFG method. All winter I built beds, hauled dirt to fill them and built the trellises. Last weekend I transplanted or planted all my warm weather crops, and here's what I have so far, by bed.

First, a note on SFG. SFG is a method that allows you to grow many more plants in a confined space. You divide up your garden into 1' by 1' squares, and then you plant each square according to how many plants of each vegetable type that square can support. For example, one square might support 1 tomato plant, 4 lettuce plants or 9 spinach plants. The whole concept was developed by an engineer (of course) named Mel Bartholomew back in the 80s, and it works. It's great for the home gardener who wants to maximize yields in a confined space, or for those who want to get the biggest harvest from their available growing area. In my garden, using 4X8 beds, there are 32 squares per box, theoretically each square could be planted with a different vegetable.

1 Corn. Originally, corn was a 1 plant per square crop. But as time went on, gardeners realized that 4 per square worked well, and 9 per square was quite possible if you fertilized with nitrogen. I'm ambitious, I'm attempting 9 per square, with each row being planted 2 weeks apart. That should give me a rolling crop from 32 plants per row all through the summer.

2 Squash, cucumbers and New Zealand spinach. The squash is planted to grow over the arch trellis. There's a separate trellis for the cukes behind that and a tall trellis for New Zealand spinach (not spinach at all, but it tastes like spinach when cooked, and it's very heat tolerant, which is important here in Texas.) I have 2 rows uncommitted in this bed.

3 Peppers, cukes and zucchini. Most of this bed is peppers (Bell, purple bell, banana, jalapeno, ancho, serrano and ghost.), but at the base of the trellis I'm growing zucchini ( I hate zucchini, but my wife likes it, so I put in a few plants) and cucumbers. The plan is for them to grow up the arched trellis and create a leafy tunnel by mid summer.

4 Watermelon, cantaloupe, bush beans and herbs. The watermelon and cantaloupe are planted to grow up the arch (I have melon bags to hold the fruit while it ripens), while the beans are taking up half the remaining space with herbs (dill, oregano, basil, cilantro, sage, parsley, thyme, rosemary).

5 Sweet potatoes. Not quite time for them to go out yet, they'll be planted in a few weeks.

6 Rhubarb. The starts are on order.

7, 11 Tomatoes. Theoretically, you could plant one plant per square, but it would be very hard to get to the plants in the middle of the box to pick the fruit, so I split the plants between 2 beds and planted in a checkerboard pattern.

8 Green beans, okra. Pole beans on the left to grow up the trellis and okra on the right, half seeded and half transplants

9 Fallow so far. Maybe I'll do flowers. What are flowers that make good companions to veggies?

10. Plants I'm trying out. Swiss chard, rutabagas, parsnip, beets, collards, and mustard. I'll see what I like and adjust for next year.

12 Strawberries. Gonna have to build a net above them to protect from birds.

13 Garlic, onions, kohlrabi, corn salad, spinach and different varieties of lettuce, both head and leaf

14 Pumpkins and broccoli. The broccoli was planted late, I'm worried that it's going to bolt. Either way, by the time the broccoli is done, I'll have space to train the pumpkin vines into the rest of the bed.

15 Potatoes. Boil 'em, mash 'em, put them in a stew. Yukon gold, purple and russet.

16, 20 Berries and grapes. Blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. Grape vines are planted at the base of the vertical beams of the trellis. The hope is that they'll grow up and over when I put lattice on top. That'll take a few years, however. I'll probably have to transplant the berry bushes then too.

17 Sugar snap peas, cabbage, carrots and radish. The peas are growing up the trellis in the middle, the others in columns alongside.

18 Asparagus. Hopefully the whole bed will produce for a decade or more

19 Brussels sprouts, broccoli and cauliflower. This is where I planted broccoli a month or so ago so I'll get to harvest it before it bolts.

21A&B Potato towers. I've read that potato towers do and don't work. Either way, I'm trying them out. If they don't work, I'll replant them with horseradish. You have to contain the horseradish or it will spread EVERYWHERE. These are tailor made.

And that's it. Gingy is into pressure canning, so we're going to store everything extra. What do y'all think?

Wow! A lot of garden there! I sent Dave some ideas earlier, but here's an interesting historical thing I found on "victory gardens" this week, which sort of fits into Gingy's pressure canning.

The ad mentions Pacific-Crosman seeds, "famous for over 100 years" in 1944. Still around as Crosman's seeds. They have some bean varieties that might be good for Dave's garden, and even more for more northerly gardens. Plus old-fashioned flowers for pollination. A good catalog to use to send a child a gift order. We can discuss varieties in the comments.

Critters

Well, THIS is exciting. CaliGirl caught some night photos of a mountain lion. Kinda sends a thrill up my spine.

Neal in Israel caught a photo of a bee on a stock blossom.

Moar Flowers

When you grow stocks from seed, they usually come up as a mixture of single and double blossoms. The single ones are more attractive to bees. But people tend to like the double ones.

They would look nice with the Osteosperum that 40 Miles North grew.

If you would like to send information and/or photos for the Saturday Gardening Thread, the address is:

ktinthegarden
at that g mail dot com place

Include the nic by which you wish to be known when you comment at AoSHQ,
unless you want to remain a lurker.

Posted by: K.T. at 01:18 PM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Good afternoon Greenthumbs

Posted by: Skip at March 26, 2022 01:24 PM (2JoB8)

2 And that's it. Gingy is into pressure canning, so we're going to store everything extra. What do y'all think?

Weird Dave, I would suggest you get or build a dehydrator too. Most of that crop can be canned, but some will dry very well, and the joy of dried veggies is that you don't have to use a full pint or quart jar, you can use a handful and be OK with closing the jar back up and putting it back on the shelf.

SFG is water intensive, I spread my plants out further because all my water is metered, I don't have a lake to pull out of.

Posted by: Kindltot at March 26, 2022 01:25 PM (xhaym)

3 Flowers are all about vaginas. Amirite?

Posted by: Puddinhead at March 26, 2022 01:31 PM (0CuV9)

4 My charcoal making
First how it's made
https://tinyurl.com/ep9xw27s
Sealed old clean paint can, small hole in top to let out steam and wood chemicals
1 pot of cross cut maple branches
https://tinyurl.com/c7u5pn4p
1 pot of split maple
https://tinyurl.com/ysbrr3zu

Posted by: Skip at March 26, 2022 01:31 PM (2JoB8)

5 Watched the two part podcast of David the Good with Ice Age Farmer

https://youtu.be/n8QCeKkSVuc
https://youtu.be/Y07WCaHt3tY

I actually watched part two first. It's important to just do something. Don't just talk, don't expect perfection.

Posted by: Notsothoreau - look forward at March 26, 2022 01:34 PM (YynYJ)

6 I estimate a packed pot might weigh a couple 3? Pounds but when done can't be 1/3 of beginning weight. Towards end its a jet flame coming out ( picture is this) the trick is when smoke stops it's done but have yet to get that far but seems done.
Hoping for some nice day this next week to grill a steak

Posted by: Skip at March 26, 2022 01:35 PM (2JoB8)

7 Noticed my chives are up at least 4 inches, daffodils have popped out and wife says some oregano but need to clean out weeds and see how garden oregano is

Posted by: Skip at March 26, 2022 01:36 PM (2JoB8)

8 I tilled my gardens yesterday, it is too early because our heavy clay soil is still wet, except for the one upper garden that has tons of compost tilled into it and is above the old leach field.
That one I planted my early potatoes, and I will be putting in bokchoy and swiss chard and lettuce in the rest.

I will till the rest in a week or so to make them plantable. No hurry to till until my plants are big enough to transplant, and it is warm enough to get decent germination.

Two of the plum grafts I tried are breaking bud now, so I have great hopes they will survive to be fruiting trees. The green of the new leaves is just peeking through the buds now, which makes me happy.
I suspect the other root stock I was trying to graft onto was not compatible with my grafts, either it is of a different ancestry, like an asian plum, or just "wrong" Both the rootstock and the grafts were volunteers so there is no way to know. That rootstock I couldn't graft onto took a lovely Damson-like plum and is now a burst of white flowers.

I do love Spring.

Posted by: Kindltot at March 26, 2022 01:36 PM (xhaym)

9 hey weird dave, I'll be very interested to know if your Rhubarb is successful! I had always thought that was only a northern crop, but I really don't know anyone around here who's ever tried it.

I have some chard I planted in my own back yard over the winter that is getting full grown now, and is quite tasty.

Posted by: Tom Servo at March 26, 2022 01:37 PM (evAgx)

10 Thanks for the GT KT.

That is a quite the ambitious SFG WD!
I was wondering what you were going to do with all the produce until I saw the canning/preserving goal.
Good luck!

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at March 26, 2022 01:37 PM (R0vP5)

11 OT, I know. But have you seen American Thinker today? The boss got some love from Thomas Lifson.

Can't link from tablet. Look for headline "USA Today beclowns itself trying to cover for Ketanji Brown Jackson..."

Posted by: creeper at March 26, 2022 01:38 PM (cTCuP)

12 As I mentioned, we had a migration of hummingbirds come through. I don't normally have the feeder out this time of year, so it's probably why I've never seen this. The local hummingbirds stay year round. I think they are Anna's Hummingbird. The visitors had either a blue back or a rusty brown back and they were smaller. Lots of fights across the yard. I'd have a bird at the feeder every five minutes. They were gone by afternoon and I haven't seen them since.

Posted by: Notsothoreau - look forward at March 26, 2022 01:38 PM (YynYJ)

13 We have a dehydrator. The basil and oregano I use when cooking is from plants we grew indoors over the winter.

And I can't actually pull from the lake. Well, I could if I had to, but the homeowner's association bylaws say we can't. I doubt anyone would care, however. County water is cheap (and a ripoff, the minimum monthly charge is like $25, plus the water used on top of that. Since we've lived here I think the highest bill we've had was maybe $32)

Posted by: Weirddave at March 26, 2022 01:38 PM (kvOk1)

14 WOW @ all the bright flower colors!

all those seedlings remind me I need to start my seeds harvested from last year.

Posted by: kallisto at March 26, 2022 01:38 PM (DJFLF)

15 "That one I planted my early potatoes, and I will be putting in bokchoy and swiss chard and lettuce in the rest. "

Um, I mean the rest of that particular plot. The other gardens are getting tomatoes and corn and everything else

Posted by: Kindltot at March 26, 2022 01:38 PM (xhaym)

16 Lovely pictures. The spring bulbs, tulips, daffy, etc are starting to come up here. I enjoy the flowers but am too lazy to get or keep the beds fully weeded and grass free so it is never picture worthy even I had any camera skills. I get vicarious enjoyment from the green thumbs here.

Posted by: PaleRider, simply irredeemable at March 26, 2022 01:40 PM (3cGpq)

17 Tom,

Gingy's from the north, so she misses it. The plants we ordered are supposed to be heat tolerant up to zone 9, so we'll see what happens.

Posted by: Weirddave at March 26, 2022 01:40 PM (kvOk1)

18 Weird Dave what a layout and plan, well, done

Posted by: Skip at March 26, 2022 01:42 PM (2JoB8)

19 one early plant that I know I'm going to have to work to limit; last year I transplanted both some spearmint and lemon mint into a bed where everything had frozen. (I do like spearmint in Tea, a lot) Well apparently those roots propagated like wild over the winter, and now it's coming up everywhere!

Posted by: Tom Servo at March 26, 2022 01:42 PM (evAgx)

20 2020 and 2021 I couldn't find canning lids in the stores, I wound up buying 174 count sleeves from Fillmore Container.
I believe Ball and Kerr are back up and running with jars and lids, but I always suggest people to buy lids early, and if you can afford it, buy a year ahead as well.

Just because

Posted by: Kindltot at March 26, 2022 01:44 PM (xhaym)

21 Fertilizer up 33% since last year. F___ Joe Biden!

Posted by: cool breeze at March 26, 2022 01:45 PM (UGKMd)

22 Nice flowers, wonder if we should start including nutritional information?

Posted by: sven at March 26, 2022 01:45 PM (Lzpvj)

23 Dave hats off that is a nice layout for your garden.

I am impressed.

Posted by: sven at March 26, 2022 01:52 PM (Lzpvj)

24 Weird Dave, I would suggest you get or build a dehydrator too. Most of that crop can be canned, but some will dry very well, and the joy of dried veggies is that you don't have to use a full pint or quart jar, you can use a handful and be OK with closing the jar back up and putting it back on the shelf.
Kindltot at March 26, 2022 01:25

We dehydrate peppers, cherry tomatoes, meats (jerky).
Have done fruits, but we aren't fans.

Posted by: MkY at March 26, 2022 01:52 PM (cPGH3)

25 Weirddave at March 26, 2022 01:40 PM

The USDA climate zones are for winter cold. There is another climate map for heat. If rhubarb doesn't make it in the open, try it in part shade. Check with your county extension.

Posted by: KT at March 26, 2022 01:52 PM (0ghg2)

26 TS Eliot thought "April is the cruelest month" but March, around here, is the most frustrating. Earlier this week we had weather like a gentle June day. The forecast, if it holds, looks more like early February. Just when you are thinking of putting out seedlings and working the soil, hard frost warnings show up. I'm beginning to take it personally.

Posted by: JTB at March 26, 2022 01:56 PM (7EjX1)

27 Fertilizer up 33% since last year. F___ Joe Biden!
Posted by: cool breeze at March 26, 2022 01:45

But... keep in mind that the more organics you have (up to a certain percentage) the less important macronutrient levels are. Also, pH goes out the window, as does "even watering".
He who has the most OM wins.
And OM is cheap and easy to come by. All it takes is labor.

Posted by: MkY at March 26, 2022 01:57 PM (cPGH3)

28 Love those gorgeous photos. So beautiful. And Dave and Gingy's garden looks great. I really hope it works out for them.

Posted by: JTB at March 26, 2022 01:58 PM (7EjX1)

29 Same here JTB. Landscapers are coming on Monday to tear out old rotting railroad ties that make up the garden/retaining wall around the patio and replacing with stone. I'm hoping they can save most of the rose bushes.

Posted by: Infidel at March 26, 2022 01:58 PM (ou23q)

30 I started some tomato seeds earlier in the month in my Aerogarden, choosing cherry varieties recommended for containers. the Cocoa Hybrid has the first tomatoes showing up.

Posted by: Lirio100 at March 26, 2022 01:59 PM (uFOGo)

31 I'm hoping they can save most of the rose bushes.
Posted by: Infidel at March 26, 2022 01:58

I've seen you mention that before, Infidel, and I share your enthusiasm!
You honestly can't hurt roses. When they are dug up, if they have to stay out a while, put them in a shady spot, mulch them, and water them once (maybe more if it goes on a while).
If you saw how rose producers treat theirs, you'd be less skittish.

Posted by: MkY at March 26, 2022 02:01 PM (cPGH3)

32 The redbud in our front yard put out the buds, seeming overnight. One more night and they all seem to have blossomed. I know it takes a little longer but that is the impression. Maybe I need to look out the window more often.

Posted by: JTB at March 26, 2022 02:02 PM (7EjX1)

33 By "put them in a shady spot", I mean lay them on their side, in a pile.

Posted by: MkY at March 26, 2022 02:02 PM (cPGH3)

34 Lirio100 at March 26, 2022 01:59 PM

Is your Aerogarden like Black JEM's in the post?

Impressive that you have tomatoes already.

Posted by: KT at March 26, 2022 02:05 PM (0ghg2)

35 Not having much luck with the cherry tomato seeds, at least so far. But the summer squash, basil, and sweet peppers are looking good. The squash is the Lebanese type, my favorite summer squash when they succeed. They are the closest I've found to the Kuta squash long discontinued.

Posted by: JTB at March 26, 2022 02:05 PM (7EjX1)

36 MkY, I am excited. I tossed the plastic plants dad had and am so looking forward to the weed barrier and bark to be gone. I saved up all last year for this. Since I'm unemployed now I should probably save the $ but food is important. Hoping to grow enough tomatoes to can.

Posted by: Infidel at March 26, 2022 02:05 PM (ou23q)

37 He who has the most OM wins.
And OM is cheap and easy to come by. All it takes is labor.
Posted by: MkY at March 26, 2022 01:57 PM (cPGH3)

I spent time last winter digging holes in the garden with a post hole digger and putting in compost, charcoal and leaves as a form of trench composting.
I was trying to follow the suggestions on amending with charcoal to add in, and hold onto, organic material in the soil. If nothing else, it helped turn over the soil and break up the hard-pan, and it was entertaining.

Some authorities like Steve Solomon warn that you can only get so much percentage of organics into the soil before it all rots out. There is some indication that the charcoal (biochar I suppose) will help sequester nutrients and orgainics better.

Posted by: Kindltot at March 26, 2022 02:07 PM (xhaym)

38 Posted by: Skip at March 26, 2022 01:31 PM (2JoB

you certainly are resourceful!

Posted by: kallisto at March 26, 2022 02:07 PM (DJFLF)

39 One tip for WeirdDave and all other gardeners: Write down the names of the varieties you plant in a notebook or some other permanent sort of place where you can look back on what worked from year to year. Sometimes variety makes A LOT of difference in the success of certain veggies in certain climates.

WeirdDave can also write down their locations in his SFG.

Posted by: KT at March 26, 2022 02:08 PM (0ghg2)

40 Sadly, the daffodils in our area are starting to fade. But, damn, they were glorious when the sunlight hit them.

On the other hand, the flowering pears and cherries are almost in full bloom. They are like delicate clouds of pastels.

Posted by: JTB at March 26, 2022 02:10 PM (7EjX1)

41 Weed barrier (landscape cloth) is the debil. It was developed to overcome all the deficiencies of plastic over plant roots. BUT... after 6 or 8 years, it clogs up, and acts exactly like plastic. No air, no water filtration, and the weeds grow on top. Plus, all that organic matter sets there right on top.
I hate it.

Posted by: MkY at March 26, 2022 02:10 PM (cPGH3)

42 Also WHEN you plant is important. People think about frost a lot, but in Southern climates especially, it is often important to get plants started before the summer heat hits.

Check planting guides from your county extension, etc. Though year-to-year variability can make a difference.

Posted by: KT at March 26, 2022 02:11 PM (0ghg2)

43 No, my Aerogarden is the more standard type, it has space for seven starts. I've never tried tomatoes in it, this time I deliberately chose cherry tomatoes that were smaller in size and recommended for containers. The cocoa hybrid is supposed to grow only 6 to 8 inches tall. I also have an odd gadget called an artificial bee that I used to buzz the flowers and make sure they pollinated. The tomatoes are self-fertile but not necessarily self-pollinated.

Posted by: Lirio100 at March 26, 2022 02:12 PM (uFOGo)

44 GARDENING Q:
So our little ornamental weeping cherry tree survived our planting and overwatering it last fall, made it thru winter, and has little buds! Yay.
According to the interwebs, we should fertilize it now, early spring, with an all purpose 10-10-10.
So I bought a small bag at lowes.

But how much fertilizer?

Posted by: vmom stabby stabby stabby stabby stabamillion at March 26, 2022 02:14 PM (gU0yi)

45 Some authorities like Steve Solomon warn that you can only get so much percentage of organics into the soil before it all rots out. There is some indication that the charcoal (biochar I suppose) will help sequester nutrients and orgainics better.
Posted by: Kindltot at March 26, 2022 02:07

There is a place in South or Central America where the biochar history is amazing. Can't recall where, or where I saw it, but it prompted me to see if I could produce that from my woodchips (I couldn't easily).
100% compost isn't good. It's half way to soil. It will become soil. If you put 100% compost in a raised bed, after the first year, you have half your soil volume.
Also, bringing up your clay is amazingly productive. Clay has huge nutrient values, but has lousy cation exchange capacity... the nutrients are there, but it will not give them up. Blending clay with soils and organics yields huge benefits.

Posted by: MkY at March 26, 2022 02:16 PM (cPGH3)

46 Kitty!

Posted by: Weasel at March 26, 2022 02:16 PM (0IeYL)

47 "Check planting guides from your county extension, etc. Though year-to-year variability can make a difference."

Good advice, KT. Our niece and her husband, early 30s, are getting serious about a veggie garden in Tennessee. It is new for them. We answered some of their questions, when we could, but told them to check with their local extension service. (The one in our area is very helpful.) They didn't even know the service existed.

Posted by: JTB at March 26, 2022 02:17 PM (7EjX1)

48
There is a place in South or Central America where the biochar history is amazing. Can't recall where, or where I saw it, but it prompted me to see if I could produce that from my woodchips (I couldn't easily).

Posted by: MkY at March 26, 2022 02:16 PM (cPGH3)

Look up biochar, and Terra Preto. David the Good has a Youtoob that discusses it too.

Posted by: Kindltot at March 26, 2022 02:20 PM (xhaym)

49 If you're cold, they're cold. Let the kitty in!

Posted by: Blanco Basura - moronhorde.com. Not insurgents, counterrevolutionaries. at March 26, 2022 02:21 PM (SchxB)

50 But how much fertilizer?

You'll see two methods on the bag. One is the trunk diameter method. NEVER use that. Use the square foot method, and that tree only has a small footprint right now, so fertilize an area about 5X5, or 25 square feet.
Trees only can handle about 4-6# N/1000/sq ft, so ... do the math... it ain't much.

Posted by: MkY at March 26, 2022 02:23 PM (cPGH3)

51 LOL Blanco. I'm thinking it is a good thing CaliGirl got the stray dog to come in the office and then into a shelter or foster a few weeks ago before it became a mountain lion meal.

Posted by: PaleRider, simply irredeemable at March 26, 2022 02:25 PM (3cGpq)

52 If you look at the Crosman seedrack, you will find that the beans, peas and corn are separated from the other veggie seeds. This is because they keep their prices low, but charge more for shipping these three types.

https://www.crosmanseed.com/beans-peas-corn

For our hot-summer climate, I have had success with Romanette bean (halfway between a Blue Lake and Romano) planted early, as well as Fordhook limas. There are several bean varieties for more moderate summer climates. Tendergreen is a nice bush bean. Landreth has a history.

Posted by: KT at March 26, 2022 02:25 PM (0ghg2)

53 Thanks kindltot.
Amazing, no?

Posted by: MkY at March 26, 2022 02:25 PM (cPGH3)

54 JTB at March 26, 2022 02:05 PM

See if you can find Magda squash.

Posted by: KT at March 26, 2022 02:27 PM (0ghg2)

55 39 One tip for WeirdDave and all other gardeners: Write down the names of the varieties you plant in a notebook or some other permanent sort of place where you can look back on what worked from year to year. Sometimes variety makes A LOT of difference in the success of certain veggies in certain climates.

WeirdDave can also write down their locations in his SFG.
Posted by: KT at March

That's a really good idea. I always forget which varieties did well and which ones didn't.

Posted by: CaliGirl at March 26, 2022 02:28 PM (KvJ5z)

56 Notsothoreau - look forward at March 26, 2022 01:34 PM

Thanks for the video links.

Posted by: KT at March 26, 2022 02:29 PM (0ghg2)

57 Anyone have experience with Aerogardens? I'm thinking of one for having herbs year round in the house. Are they worth the cost and do they work? Our window sill space is very limited.

Posted by: JTB at March 26, 2022 02:29 PM (7EjX1)

58 >> 14 WOW @ all the bright flower colors!

Yes it's starting to look like Spring here. I will send in a photo of my nectarine tree next. I might have a decent nectarine crop this year if I can protect them from the opossums.

Posted by: 40 Miles North at March 26, 2022 02:30 PM (uWF4x)

59 Dave, good luck getting rhubarb to grow in this county.

Posted by: Eromero at March 26, 2022 02:30 PM (/RDPd)

60 54 ... "See if you can find Magda squash."

Thanks for the tip, KT. The search begins later today.

Posted by: JTB at March 26, 2022 02:31 PM (7EjX1)

61 Nice job with that orchid, Suzanne.

Posted by: 40 Miles North at March 26, 2022 02:31 PM (uWF4x)

62 Skip at March 26, 2022 01:31 PM

Fascinating, Skip!

Posted by: KT at March 26, 2022 02:33 PM (0ghg2)

63 Thinking about planting peas tomorrow but it's only going to be 28 degrees as the high the next day and 20 at night. Should I wait until it warms up?

Posted by: Ziba at March 26, 2022 02:35 PM (S1hrL)

64 KT,

I wanted to report my friend told me there were a lot more Monarch Butterflies this year wintering in Pismo. I meant to go look at them but I never did.

There were a lot more than in previous years.

Posted by: CaliGirl at March 26, 2022 02:37 PM (KvJ5z)

65 Kudos Weird Dave, very ambitious. I write down what varieties work but I also have to mark them in the garden or I forget what is where or which one is which. I tend to scatter everything about so it gets confusing if I don't mark it. Rhubarb grew like a weed for me in CA, but since I moved to AZ it won't grow. Too dry I think. Can't wait to see your progress.

Posted by: WeeKreekFarmGirl at March 26, 2022 02:39 PM (mlShC)

66 General breakdown of some regular bean categories:

1. Luxury beans like Fortex pole and mayby Emerite, a French type (makes hollow beans here), suitable for moderate climates. Romano pole beans.

2. Pole beans with more weather tolerance: Kentucky wonder, one purple type I grew once.

3. New England types chosen to germinate in cold soil and grow in cool weather, like Provider.

4. Contender, an early Southern bush bean with stringless pods like Kentucky Wonder, for cooking Southern-style with ham and potatoes, or for canning or drying.

5. Commercial type bush beans. May have concentrated sets or may bear over a few weeks. Check descriptions. If you live in a hot-summer climate, get one that says "heat tolerant".

6. Dual-purpose shelling and snap beans for fall. Use as snaps unless the weather turns the pods tough. Some hot weather beans will be useless in fall. Since they are planted in summer, dark-seeded beans may need to be planted indoors to hydrate properly.

Posted by: KT at March 26, 2022 02:43 PM (0ghg2)

67 Peas can take light frost but that sounds too cold for germination. If you have space, plant a small amount and see how they do.

Posted by: Notsothoreau - look forward at March 26, 2022 02:43 PM (YynYJ)

68 When I bought my first house in 99 there was rhubarb growing next the open irrigation ditch behind the back fence. I cut a bunch off and made a strawberry/rhubarb pie and cake. It was yummy. It only lasted until they piped the ditch a few years later.

Posted by: Infidel at March 26, 2022 02:44 PM (ou23q)

69 I have a three start and a seven start Aerogarden. The lights do need to be replaced yearly. For seed starting intended for planting out I think the Aerogarden intended for that is the best choice, roots grow rapidly and they're hard to transplant later on.

Posted by: Lirio100 at March 26, 2022 02:44 PM (uFOGo)

70 CaliGirl at March 26, 2022 02:37 PM

That's great! Consistent with what the naturalists say, too.

Posted by: KT at March 26, 2022 02:46 PM (0ghg2)

71 Gorgeous flowers.

I'm in awe of Weird Dave's garden. That's a lot of work!

Posted by: JuJuBee at March 26, 2022 02:47 PM (mNhhD)

72 Cold wind blowin' out thar.

Posted by: JT at March 26, 2022 02:47 PM (arJlL)

73 I like the arches that go from one box to the next in WeirdDave's garden.

Posted by: KT at March 26, 2022 02:47 PM (0ghg2)

74 I have not been able to find inoculant for peas and beans in the garden centers. Looks like I could get it online. One lady told me she hasn't noticed any difference between using it or not, so I guess I'll go without this year.

Posted by: Emmie at March 26, 2022 02:52 PM (6RgRK)

75 69 ... Lirio100,
Thanks for the tips. They give me a starting point.

Posted by: JTB at March 26, 2022 02:53 PM (7EjX1)

76 Posted by: MkY at March 26, 2022 02:23 PM (cPGH3)

Thanks!

Posted by: vmom stabby stabby stabby stabby stabamillion at March 26, 2022 02:53 PM (gU0yi)

77 If you've grown peas or beans in that spot, you shouldn't need it

Posted by: Notsothoreau - look forward at March 26, 2022 02:54 PM (YynYJ)

78 What an absolutely terrific set of floral photographs ... y'all done REAL good! Great images ...

Posted by: Dr_No at March 26, 2022 02:54 PM (mu5GU)

79 This is from Patera at Appalachian Homestead.

https://youtu.be/Xh5DEzZkJ8E

Seems like the theme for the day is just do it and don't let anyone say you are doing it wrong.

Posted by: Notsothoreau - look forward at March 26, 2022 02:55 PM (YynYJ)

80 Not seeing any good grilling days this week, quite cool and rain often. Had hail, then sleet a few minutes before turning to rain today.

Posted by: Skip at March 26, 2022 02:56 PM (2JoB8)

81 Some old-fashioned easy flowers from Crosman's, many good for pollinators:

Bachelor's Buttons 'Jubilee Gem'
Balsam impatiens
Cosmos 'Sensation'
French Marigold 'Dainty Marietta'
Phlox, Tall Grandiflora
California Poppy Mission Bells

Posted by: KT at March 26, 2022 02:59 PM (0ghg2)

82 I transplanted the basil and mint cuttings I rooted in water, which worked pretty good. Whether they will survive the transplant is always another matter.

I can say that red Solo cups are the gardener's friend. Poke some holes in the bottom, fill with soil, and put in the rooted cuttings. They are big enough to permit significant root growth and the whole thing slides out easily to put outside in the garden. They are reusable. I like cheap and effective.

Posted by: JTB at March 26, 2022 02:59 PM (7EjX1)

83 Mint and thyme are doing well in the smaller garden, I keep that year round, husband uses them in cooking. I did the tomatoes this year in the larger because I was tired of winter--I did pot up a couple of the tomatoes early on but am leaving the rest in the Aerogarden. Basil does quite well too.

Posted by: Lirio100 at March 26, 2022 03:00 PM (uFOGo)

84 PET NOOD

Posted by: Skip advising you of your Nood threads at March 26, 2022 03:01 PM (2JoB8)

85 I have this planter out front. I stuck a few cloves of garlic in it maybe four years ago. I don't do anything to it. It dies back before the dry season. It's completely filled the planter and looks great. I think everyone should try growing it. And fingerling potatoes are fun too. I found some in the laundry baskets I planted last year. I'll see what they do.

Posted by: Notsothoreau - look forward at March 26, 2022 03:03 PM (YynYJ)

86 Maybe tomorrow get basil plant but won't put it out this year for awhile like last year

Posted by: Skip at March 26, 2022 03:03 PM (2JoB8)

87 Skip at March 26, 2022 03:03 PM

Basil is not real cold tolerant.

Posted by: KT at March 26, 2022 03:31 PM (0ghg2)

88 WeirdDave, some of those herbs are annual (cilantro only lasts a few weeks) and some are perennial.

Posted by: KT at March 26, 2022 03:31 PM (0ghg2)

89 Last year put Basil out to early and it struggled for some time, will keep it inside until May

Posted by: Skip at March 26, 2022 03:36 PM (2JoB8)

90 >> He who has the most OM wins.

...but we all miss OM.

Posted by: 40 Miles North at March 26, 2022 04:06 PM (uWF4x)

91 Yesterday was the first Mowing of the Lawn for 2022. Lucky me: mower started right up and I didn't need to tow the sweeper around afterward.

Planted mixed lettuce in one of the biggest pots last weekend, now seeing the tiny sprouts.

Will start jalapenos and mexican sunflowers indoors this weekend. Will plant pole beans in the half-barrel in a few weeks. Nasturtiums will go with the M.sunflowers, all along our deck, in the crappy rocky soil there.

I give up on container-growing tomatoes. Maybe will clear a space out front and plant there. Our 'garden' patch has reverted to lawn over the last few years and I can't keep up with that much garden now anyway.

Posted by: JQ at March 26, 2022 04:07 PM (dpnJh)

92 I had some success with container grown heritage pear tomatoes but the last few years not so much, don't know why. That's why I've decided to try the Aerogarden for the season, with one container grown outside, see what happens.

Posted by: Lirio100 at March 26, 2022 04:17 PM (uFOGo)

93 I know everyone is gone but this is a good podcast on growing ancient grains.

https://youtu.be/kC7av0hAoS4

Posted by: Notsothoreau - look forward at March 26, 2022 05:32 PM (YynYJ)

94 I have come to consider Aerogardens a high maintenance toy. A better choice for indoor herbs is a grow box from a garden patch dot com, and a good grow light from Amazon.

https://tinyurl.com/mr3umu8u

Might be a decent one.

It takes up more space but you will be giving gift bags of fresh herbs to friends.

Posted by: Gordon at March 26, 2022 06:41 PM (SZmVz)

95 Flowers are all about vaginas. Amirite?
Posted by: Puddinhead at March 26, 2022 01:31 PM (0CuV9)

And penises!

Species Plantarum (Latin for "The Species of Plants") is a book by Carl Linnaeus, originally published in 1753, which lists every species of plant known at the time, classified into genera. It is the first work to consistently apply binomial names and was the starting point for the naming of plants.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Species_Plantarum

Posted by: Bonnie Blue reads gardening history at March 26, 2022 06:45 PM (hlxe7)

96 From Boise area: lows 32-46, highs 52-72. Looking at a drought year...

We finished cutting down dead leaves of bunchgrass, Siberian Iris. Husband sprayed some weeds. I rinsed out all the plastic buckets - shoveled compost from finished pile into plastic garbage bins, for future transfer to the corn patch - worked on pulling dead flower stems from raised bed #9 - raked some leaves for the trash.

Planted first outdoor seeds Tues. 22nd - 2 types radish, 2 types lettuce, cabbage, spinach, yellow carrots. Indoor tomato and poblano starts doing well so far (cross fingers).

Hyacinths behind kitchen are nearly in full bloom - lovely scent. Lily of the valley have just started peeking their tops up. Maples are blooming (box elder bugs are proliferating).

The local osprey have arrived back at their nest by the Boise River. We've seen a lot of Canada Geese. And the flickers have been pigging out at the front window seed feeder.

We worked at a Project Appleseed pistol clinic earlier today - went well.

Posted by: Pat* at March 26, 2022 11:01 PM (2pX/F)

97 Since you mentioned orchids, I just have to add this: Action Jackson's #2 daughter works for Green Circle Growers (greencirclegrowers.com). They operate the largest greenhouse in North America...150 acres...of which 40(!) are set aside for orchids. If you see an orchid somewhere (primarily on the east coast) under the "Just Add Ice" brand, thats their stuff. Our tour there was absolutely delightful.

Posted by: Action Jackson is my name. Bold Adventure is my game. at March 27, 2022 09:16 AM (UI6t1)

98 Anyone have experience with Aerogardens? I'm thinking of one for having herbs year round in the house. Are they worth the cost and do they work? Our window sill space is very limited.
Posted by: JTB at March 26, 2022 02:29 PM (7EjX1)
==
I may be too late here - hope I don't get banned! I chose it because of its small space requirements. Some have noted just buy some standard grow lights. Which is true. But I didn't have the space. I have found better seed starting, especially in creating stronger plants as they grow with the AeroGarden. I'm sure there are other brands worth considering. But I have been pleased.

Posted by: Black JEM at March 27, 2022 05:59 PM (LyTO1)

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