I've decided that I will no longer use the plastic domes that come with the seed trays. I think that is the reason my seedlings get "leggy". I remember (decades ago) when my grandfather started seeds. He just used egg crates in the sun porch. Just good old fashioned direct sunlight, and he grew the best garden... in his senior years he cut down to just two acres, lol!
I pulled the plastic cover off the seedlings this week and those that are coming up now are looking way better than the first sprouts which are leggy, this includes my tomatoes which are the worst. I've seeded a new bunch of tomatoes, just in case. I'm hoping everything else works out ok.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Planting seeds in the rain
Tonight I followed the advice of the almanac.com planting calendar for my area and planted seeds... in the rain no less. I find that planting in the rain, a light rain not a downpour, is excellent for seeds planting!
In the new bed that is part shade I planted,
- Frosty Peas (Earl May seeds) - and this year I used an inoculate for the first time. We'll see if it helps because I've never had much luck with peas.
- Early Wonder beets (Earl May seeds) - I've planted these before with good luck
- and my favorite, Little Finger Carrots (Earl May seeds) - which I plant every year with good results every time.... yummy!
My seed trays are doing well although I realized late that I should've taken the plastic cover off sooner. My tomatoes are leggy, I hope they recover ok. I think I'll plant a few more tomato seeds just in case.
In the new bed that is part shade I planted,
- Frosty Peas (Earl May seeds) - and this year I used an inoculate for the first time. We'll see if it helps because I've never had much luck with peas.
- Early Wonder beets (Earl May seeds) - I've planted these before with good luck
- and my favorite, Little Finger Carrots (Earl May seeds) - which I plant every year with good results every time.... yummy!
My seed trays are doing well although I realized late that I should've taken the plastic cover off sooner. My tomatoes are leggy, I hope they recover ok. I think I'll plant a few more tomato seeds just in case.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
I think my asparagus is taunting me
I planted asparagus roots last year, starting from roots to save a year from the "establishment" cycle. This year the asparagus are looking mighty luscious! If I didn't know better, I'd think they're taunting me.
Unfortunately though, I have to wait at least another year before I can slice off a few spears.
For now my notes are:
- didn't cut last season's stalks until this past weekend. It seemed to work really well. The spears were tiny and after cutting they shot up 4 inches in two days. Crazy!!
- I didn't cut the old stalks down low, left a good 3 inches.
- from what I read I may not get away with not trimming every year. Something about a "rust". I may have just been lucky since this was such a mild winter and so early in the development cycle
- also from what I've read, I really need to work on keeping those asparagus ferns contained upright, they can spread from seed. Last year they were leaning over the lawn, the last thing I need is asparagus in the lawn.... I already have peppermint trying to take over the lawn.
Unfortunately though, I have to wait at least another year before I can slice off a few spears.
For now my notes are:
- didn't cut last season's stalks until this past weekend. It seemed to work really well. The spears were tiny and after cutting they shot up 4 inches in two days. Crazy!!
- I didn't cut the old stalks down low, left a good 3 inches.
- from what I read I may not get away with not trimming every year. Something about a "rust". I may have just been lucky since this was such a mild winter and so early in the development cycle
- also from what I've read, I really need to work on keeping those asparagus ferns contained upright, they can spread from seed. Last year they were leaning over the lawn, the last thing I need is asparagus in the lawn.... I already have peppermint trying to take over the lawn.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Garden log and Seed plantings
Up until last summer I kept a separate journal on my computer of my gardening notes, just quick nothing fancy notes. Well that software program crapped out last year and I wasn't able to access my notes. I just figured out how to find and read the notes after digging in the program files and was able to get them out as text. Going forward, I've resolved to keep these notes on my blog where I don't have to worry about this again.
So, that said....
I started my seed trays this week. The weather has been fabulous, in the 80s and because of the warmth I feel so behind on my gardening tasks... which I am, but not too behind. The seeds I started are:
- the last of the Summer Savory seeds from last year (lake valley seeds)
- the last of the American Flag Leek seeds from last year (lake valley seeds)
- sweet banana peppers from Early May
- black beauty eggplant seeds from last year (Ferry Morse heirloom)
- sweet italian basil (lake valley seeds)
- mammoth dill seeds from last year (lake valley seeds)
- triple curled parsley seeds from last year (Burpee organic from Menards)
- cilantro seeds (Earl May)
- catsup roma tomatoes (Earl May)
- dwarf marigold seeds from last year (Earl May)
- and St Johns Fire Salvia seeds (lake valley seeds) that J insisted on planting because he wants to take photos of them
I also need to get the beds turned and get on top of planting these seeds I picked up, I'm always late getting these in (usually mid April) and they are always stunted or slow:
- dwarf dates blue kale - curled scotch sees from last year (Early May)
- little finger carrots (Earl May)
- early wonder beets (Earl May)
- frost peas (Earl may)
So, that said....
I started my seed trays this week. The weather has been fabulous, in the 80s and because of the warmth I feel so behind on my gardening tasks... which I am, but not too behind. The seeds I started are:
- the last of the Summer Savory seeds from last year (lake valley seeds)
- the last of the American Flag Leek seeds from last year (lake valley seeds)
- sweet banana peppers from Early May
- black beauty eggplant seeds from last year (Ferry Morse heirloom)
- sweet italian basil (lake valley seeds)
- mammoth dill seeds from last year (lake valley seeds)
- triple curled parsley seeds from last year (Burpee organic from Menards)
- cilantro seeds (Earl May)
- catsup roma tomatoes (Earl May)
- dwarf marigold seeds from last year (Earl May)
- and St Johns Fire Salvia seeds (lake valley seeds) that J insisted on planting because he wants to take photos of them
I also need to get the beds turned and get on top of planting these seeds I picked up, I'm always late getting these in (usually mid April) and they are always stunted or slow:
- dwarf dates blue kale - curled scotch sees from last year (Early May)
- little finger carrots (Earl May)
- early wonder beets (Earl May)
- frost peas (Earl may)
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Goodbye Tomatillo's
In the last week I've been noticing that the tomatillo plants are dropping leaves. They have been turning yellow and dropping fast. I think the change in the weather for the cooler has not been favorable to them. So, on Tuesday I decided that was it. I tore them out...
What a jungle! It took me over and hour and a half to pick the fruit and tear out the plants. The vines, yes, vines... were intermingled with my overgrown patty pan squash and I had to be delicate so that I could try and save the patty pans.
When I researched growing tomatillo's for the first time this past winter, all indications said they would be about 4ft and bushy.... nope!! If they'd grown straight up I'm sure they would've been 8ft, and definitely leggy! I suppose it could've been the environment this year. Lots of water and extreme heat, and boys do they love the heat!
All in all, I now have a huge stock pot full of tomatillos to make salsa verde this weekend for canning. I'll be making small batches as I'm tweaking the Ball canning recipe, it's not quite the right flavor but close. I'll try to remember to share later...
Oh, and I found a bucket of patty pan's hidden in the process...
What a jungle! It took me over and hour and a half to pick the fruit and tear out the plants. The vines, yes, vines... were intermingled with my overgrown patty pan squash and I had to be delicate so that I could try and save the patty pans.
When I researched growing tomatillo's for the first time this past winter, all indications said they would be about 4ft and bushy.... nope!! If they'd grown straight up I'm sure they would've been 8ft, and definitely leggy! I suppose it could've been the environment this year. Lots of water and extreme heat, and boys do they love the heat!
All in all, I now have a huge stock pot full of tomatillos to make salsa verde this weekend for canning. I'll be making small batches as I'm tweaking the Ball canning recipe, it's not quite the right flavor but close. I'll try to remember to share later...
Oh, and I found a bucket of patty pan's hidden in the process...
What to do....
... When you are getting sick of the garden? Or should I say the work of it?
After coming back from vacation, where I all to quickly got used to the more moderate temperature, I was struggling with garden motivation. I think it was the heat.... on vacation we spent almost 3 weeks in a more moderate climate and came back to extended heat waves in July through August. Ugh! Not the type of weather to want to be outside in,
Fortunately in September has cooled off and the interest has peaked somewhat again.... too bad the garden was scorched and now chilled. Hopefully I get half of the veggies I hope to get.
After coming back from vacation, where I all to quickly got used to the more moderate temperature, I was struggling with garden motivation. I think it was the heat.... on vacation we spent almost 3 weeks in a more moderate climate and came back to extended heat waves in July through August. Ugh! Not the type of weather to want to be outside in,
Fortunately in September has cooled off and the interest has peaked somewhat again.... too bad the garden was scorched and now chilled. Hopefully I get half of the veggies I hope to get.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
How NOT to grow potatoes
Some things I just have to learn the hard way...
Amongst the any other "firsts" this year, I decided to plant potatoes. I had not tried them before now because they are root vegetables and I didn't have the soil in my beds turned deep enough. This year I decided to give it a whirl anyway. I love to eat potatoes!
I decided to grow Blue Caribe because they are drought resistant and Nebraska can get very dry. At the time I had not yet invested in my sprinkler hose system. I only bought one small bag of seed potatoes from my favorite local nursery and I planted them in my corner bed which is an odd L shaped bed for which I did my best to raise mounds. They were not very high mounds though, and in my typical fashion I planted closer than suggested. The plants were slow to start but when they poked through I did my best to hoe the soil despite the close quarters.
In April we had the crazy heat wave in the plus 100F's and the potato plants were not looking good. It was too hot early in their getting established and I wasn't sure that they were going to make it. Fortunately that spell only lasted 3 days and the plants did recover.
Here's the plants on June 4th
By the middle of June I gave up any attempts to hoe, the plants were huge! I had no idea they would get that tall or bushy. I don't recall my grandfathers potato plants ever getting like that. Maybe it was the potato variety, soil, watering system, or even the climate. Whatever the case, I could barely get to the side of the raised bed, let alone get to the soil to hoe it.
I decided to let fate be what it may. This is what they looked like on July 1st
In the middle of July we went away for two weeks vacation during what turned out to be an extended extreme heatwave. When we returned at the end of July, that was it. There was nothing but some dead stalks lying on the ground. Knowing that the potatoes would likely still be under there I set to work digging up what I could find.... And did I ever!
Here's the devastation left by the heatwave
In the end I harvested 2/3rds of a paper bag of beautiful potatoes that are the best tasting I have had in a long time.
My family enjoyed a pan of oven roasted potatoes and they disappeared fast. That paper bag of potatoes is not going to last long enough for us.
I'm am thoroughly pleased with the harvest and will be planting lots more next year, although in a different bed. This time I think I'll try the idea of growing them in a recycled WholeFoods bag with holes in the bottom. Dumping that out to get the potatoes will be a whole lot less work than digging deep. And, I will definitely be taking into account that "drought resistant" does not mean "heat resistant"!
Amongst the any other "firsts" this year, I decided to plant potatoes. I had not tried them before now because they are root vegetables and I didn't have the soil in my beds turned deep enough. This year I decided to give it a whirl anyway. I love to eat potatoes!
I decided to grow Blue Caribe because they are drought resistant and Nebraska can get very dry. At the time I had not yet invested in my sprinkler hose system. I only bought one small bag of seed potatoes from my favorite local nursery and I planted them in my corner bed which is an odd L shaped bed for which I did my best to raise mounds. They were not very high mounds though, and in my typical fashion I planted closer than suggested. The plants were slow to start but when they poked through I did my best to hoe the soil despite the close quarters.
In April we had the crazy heat wave in the plus 100F's and the potato plants were not looking good. It was too hot early in their getting established and I wasn't sure that they were going to make it. Fortunately that spell only lasted 3 days and the plants did recover.
Here's the plants on June 4th
By the middle of June I gave up any attempts to hoe, the plants were huge! I had no idea they would get that tall or bushy. I don't recall my grandfathers potato plants ever getting like that. Maybe it was the potato variety, soil, watering system, or even the climate. Whatever the case, I could barely get to the side of the raised bed, let alone get to the soil to hoe it.
I decided to let fate be what it may. This is what they looked like on July 1st
In the middle of July we went away for two weeks vacation during what turned out to be an extended extreme heatwave. When we returned at the end of July, that was it. There was nothing but some dead stalks lying on the ground. Knowing that the potatoes would likely still be under there I set to work digging up what I could find.... And did I ever!
Here's the devastation left by the heatwave
In the end I harvested 2/3rds of a paper bag of beautiful potatoes that are the best tasting I have had in a long time.
My family enjoyed a pan of oven roasted potatoes and they disappeared fast. That paper bag of potatoes is not going to last long enough for us.
I'm am thoroughly pleased with the harvest and will be planting lots more next year, although in a different bed. This time I think I'll try the idea of growing them in a recycled WholeFoods bag with holes in the bottom. Dumping that out to get the potatoes will be a whole lot less work than digging deep. And, I will definitely be taking into account that "drought resistant" does not mean "heat resistant"!
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