Garden thread

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  • MsCzar
    MsCzar Posts: 1,070 Member
    wendymoreland3796 wrote: »
    Do the quality of the seeds matter? Do people have recommendations on where they buy seeds?

    I've had great luck with 25¢ seeds from Dollar Tree. I'm not trying to grow huge prize winning produce and things like squash and beans seem to be able to thrive no matter what. I also sometimes save seeds from grocery store produce and kitchen scraps and have had good results there. I've found growing peppers from seed - no matter the seed price - to be the most challenging.
  • mtaratoot
    mtaratoot Posts: 14,234 Member
    wendymoreland3796 wrote: »
    I have always started my garden from plants, but this year I want to try from seeds. Do the quality of the seeds matter? Do people have recommendations on where they buy seeds?

    They can, and you also can sort of ignore the "plant by" date. Many seeds are viable for years. You might need to sow heavier because germination rates decline, but if you don't use them all, that's fine. One of the great joys of a cold day in February is perusing the Terretorial Seed catalog for interesting inspiration! I am biased since their farm is an hour away from me.

    Our public library now has a seed library twice a year - spring and fall. People can donate seeds they aren't using, and other people can go take seeds they want. They have seed racks, and they have empty tiny manila envelopes so anyone can take just enough seeds to plant so none are wasted. No charge. It's a cooperative venture with a non-profit called the Sustainability Coalition. They also have classes and other educational materials available. Pretty groovy if ya ask me.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,176 Member
    wendymoreland3796 wrote: »
    I have always started my garden from plants, but this year I want to try from seeds. Do the quality of the seeds matter? Do people have recommendations on where they buy seeds?

    It depends on where you garden, but IMO some things are better from plants, others from seeds. (Whether garden centers sell them as plants is not a good guide. They sell quite a few things here as plants that grow well from seeds, and have a reputation for not liking to be transplanted.)

    I tried growing tomatoes, peppers, and their kin from seeds. Here (at the time zone 5b), one has to start them indoors. I was never able to get the conditions right to produce as robust, sturdy plants as I could get from a good garden center or the farmers market. I think light was the problem. I don't have a greenhouse or even a good South window exposure, and even growing under grow lights and on heat mats didn't equal the quality of plants I could get in small pots.

    OTOH, even the long-ish season vine-y things (Winter squash, for example) did fine from seed, though I hilled them and used Hotkaps or similar to get a small jump start. The brassicas (cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts) have been variable for me. Some of the smaller leafy things in that genus did fine from seed (mustard greens, bok choy, etc.). Some of the heading types (cabbage, broccoli) did better from purchased plants. YMMV for sure.

    There are some herbs I wouldn't grow from seed. Oregano has a reputation for not coming true from seed in flavor, even seed from good plants. I prefer to buy a plant so I can at least smell it. Mints are also unpredictable from seed, IME.

    For sure, I'd grow annual herbs from seed. I especially see people buying basil plants and wonder why: They don't take long to mature from seed, and I want more than a couple of dinky plants. I liked to plant my tomatoes (caged) in 3-foot square spaces, right in the middle. Then I would plant basil in a band all around the edge. By the time the tomatoes started wanting all their space in mid-summer, the basil was ready to go. I'd cut most of it (other than a bit planted on its own at intervals for later use) and make vast amounts of pesto or even just olive oil/basil paste to freeze in jam-sized canning jars. (Frozen pesto is a nice Christmas present for foodie friends.)

    The quality of the seeds isn't a big deal in terms of germination, usually, unless they've been handled badly (stored in a hot location, for example). I think that was the issue with the chives and garlic chives I mentioned.

    That said, I do prefer to order seeds from a home garden specialist retailer online. Admittedly, they're more expensive, but OK with me given the amount of effort and money I'll invest overall. For some reason, many of the seed varieties in garden centers are varieties that would be commercially grown. Often, their breeding is optimized for appearance and shipping qualities, maybe simultaneous ripening, other things commercial growers prize.

    There are specialty seed sources that focus more on home or farmers garden type varieties. They're more likely to be bred for flavor, disease resistance, possibly for particular regions, and that sort of thing.

    For me, gardening in Michigan, Johnny's Selected Seeds in Albion, Maine was my main go-to, because they specialize in Northern gardens. They also have the most informative descriptions I've ever seen. Many vendors will be all glow-y prose about how wonderful every variety they sell is. That's dumb. Johnny's will be very explicit about tradeoffs (this bean is earliest, that most prolific, another more disease resistant, etc.). They also provide more detailed culture information than others on their web site. Love them.

    There are others that have that kind of home grower specialization, too. It's been too long since I've veggie gardened much, so I don't have many specifics. I think Renee's Garden is one that's still in business. I'm sure there are others. Some of the biggies (Burpee, Ferry Morse, etc.) sell online, but mostly sell the same varieties you can get in packets at a decent garden center. Some good garden centers these days will carry a seed line that's more home garden oriented, though.



  • mtaratoot
    mtaratoot Posts: 14,234 Member
    After the melt-off I went and looked at my garden. I expect the cardboard insulated the ground under all the ice somewhat. I wonder if that means the critters buried underground fared better than if it weren't there.

    My artichokes have survived almost 20 years. Maybe more. They've been through deep snow and cold weather that was even colder than we just went through, so I'm optimistic that the below-ground portion is still alive and will bounce back in the spring. What's growing above ground is wilted, and I expect it will continue to die back to the ground. That actually might make it easier to pull some of the annoying weeds that are otherwise hard to get to between the plants.

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  • mtaratoot
    mtaratoot Posts: 14,234 Member
    I got my other two fig trees pruned up today. Pulling on the saw, it was very obvious to me I was at the gym yesterday. Not painful, just could tell that I'd been using those muscles. It's some of my weaker muscles, so I'll be happy if I increase their strength. I filled the Green Waste Cart. It gets emptied tomorrow, so I can move on to whatever is next. Now all I have left is two pear trees (Bartlett and Chojuro), a cherry tree (plus a flowering cherry if I decide it needs some work), a plum tree, the grapes, the raspberries, the blueberries, and I guess the red currant and gooseberry if I decide to do them. There's some other things too, but that's all the fruit. I don't mind pruning some of the other things any time of the year unless it affects the flowering. I did a walk around, and I don't think there's a whole lot that needs much work. There's some shrubs I may get to in spring after they flower.

    And I also noticed that I no longer have to worry about those sprouted acorns I was going to plant. I checked to see if they survived all the ice. I can't say whether they did. None of them had grown upwards yet - just roots. Well, I checked on them again today. They have "flown away." Either a scrub jay or a squirrel I presume. I bet it was a scrub jay. Grrrr. If I go back out to that trail, maybe I'll bring a plastic bag and small trowel and see about collecting some more. I think it must be a mast year.

    I need to get out to one of the independent garden centers north of town that has a bonsai section. I need a big bag of potting mix; I think I need to repot all of the surviving bonsai this year. I won't need any for those oak trees... But I do have some other trees that are ready for bonsai pots. Two incense-cedars and two Port Orford-cedars.
  • mtaratoot
    mtaratoot Posts: 14,234 Member
    It wasn't raining. I even saw a little part of the sky that looked kind of blue. We had unseasonably warm weather - near record setting even. So the idea of going INSIDE the gym to swim just sounded like a bad idea.

    Instead I got to go up and down and up and down and up and down on an orchard ladder. I got both of my pear trees (Bartlett and Chojuro, which is an Asian pear variety), my Stella (dark red cherry), and my Italian Prune Plum tree done. I filled the green waste cart with branches from the pear trees and most of the branches from the cherry. There's still a pile from the cherry left for after the cart gets emptied on Friday. First I'll lop off the larger pieces to save for the grill - cherry smoke is really good on fish. The branches from the plum are just sitting where they fell. I'll deal with them another time.

    I still had some energy, and so I made quick work of the raspberries. Old canes cut out. New canes tied up to the wire and pruned shorter. Excess canes pruned away.

    I will still need to work on the blueberries and grapes. The flowering cherry out front needs some work, but I can do that any time - even after it blooms. I have a few more shrubs that need attention. The filbert needs some work, but I'll need to borrow a chainsaw for that.

    Nice way to spend three hours or so in the yard. Some birds stopped by to say hi. I stepped in "presents" left by either some neighbor cats or raccoons. Yuck.

    We have more warm weather for another couple days, but not quite as warm as today. Thank goodness. I want the snow to keep piling up in the mountains. We are supposed to start getting more precipitation, but alas - if it's as warm as predicted, it's going to be rain even up on the passes, and that will melt the snow. Sad. It's the bank so to speak where this summer's water comes from.
  • MsCzar
    MsCzar Posts: 1,070 Member
    edited January 29
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    The bad news is that I live in US Zone 6b and it will be 2-3 months before I can even think of moving them outside. :'(
  • mtaratoot
    mtaratoot Posts: 14,234 Member
    The first blooms of my "spring" bulbs appeared today.

    I have been seeing crocus around town, but mine are "late bloomers." I only planted them a year and a half ago, so their first blossom was last year. I see the green shoots, but the flowers are several weeks away still at least.

    But imagine my surprise when I walked out to the garden today and one of the areas where I have "Spring Snowflakes" (Leucojum vernum) has a few flowers on it. Wow. How lovely. That tells me they survived the ice storm.

    I used to think they were "Snowdrops" (Gallanthus), but they aren't.

    My camellias are weeks away. Others in the neighborhood are earlier. One neighbor has a bush that reliably blooms right around new years. I am thinking flowering quince is right around the corner. I saw Daphne odora blooming on my walk today to meet a friend. I sure miss mine. Maybe I should spring for a new one - they are so expensive.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,176 Member
    Even here in Michigan, we're seeing some of the Spring bulbs and early-flowering plants start earlier than average.

    I had my first snowdrops (Galanthus sp.) in early January. Then, it was just one clump behind the garage that's always earlier than the others, but now many are starting to pop out, too. The earlier Hellebores (usually the ones with some H. niger in their lineage) are in full bud, and even some of the H. orientalis hybrids are showing a tiny bit of bud color. It'll be a while, though. (Shown: The early Galanthus clump on January 2, and H. niger on December 30 (buds are plumper now, and yes, they're semi-evergreen all Winter here).)

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  • mtaratoot
    mtaratoot Posts: 14,234 Member
    I have a Corsican hellebore that starts to bloom early. This year it was in December I think. Or sooner. There's still blooms, but they're getting worn out.

    I transplanted a clump of Hellebore from the neighbor, but it appears it's been eaten by something. Oh well. It was kind of a boring color, and I really didn't have the room for it.

    I need to consult my phenology to decide how soon to trim some branches from the Mt. Fuji to bring in and force bloom.
  • Mrs_Hull
    Mrs_Hull Posts: 25 Member
    Hi, I haven’t gardened in probably six or seven years but I’m working from home and ready to try my hand at it again. I have three 4’x8’ raised beds that I used to use for square foot gardening. In the past, I was successful starting snap peas by Valentines Day, with turnips to follow by March. My summer veggies included cucumbers (grown upwards on trellises), tomatoes, zucchini, and peppers.

    My beds are terribly overgrown. Does anyone have suggestions for how I can start to get them ready now, without completely breaking my back with the weeding?
  • mtaratoot
    mtaratoot Posts: 14,234 Member
    Mrs_Hull wrote: »
    My beds are terribly overgrown. Does anyone have suggestions for how I can start to get them ready now, without completely breaking my back with the weeding?

    It's a little late, but...

    Cover them with cardboard.

    Or, maybe better, cover them with sheets of newspaper and then cover that with compost a few inches deep. The lack of light will kill the weeds, but won't eliminate weed SEEDS. The paper will decompose faster than cardboard, and you can plant right in it when it's time.

    If you want to really take the beds back over and can be OK with not planting them all right away, get some clear plastic, not black. Cover the beds with the plastic. When it gets hot out, the plastic will hold in heat like a greenhouse. It will get really hot when the sun is strong. This can even kill weed seeds. Maybe that will be your FALL garden bed or beds, then you can do the treatment on the untreated beds next.
  • MsCzar
    MsCzar Posts: 1,070 Member
    Mrs_Hull wrote: »
    My beds are terribly overgrown. Does anyone have suggestions for how I can start to get them ready now, without completely breaking my back with the weeding?

    Do you have access to grass clippings? I pile my clippings 6"-10" thick. The thicker the better! The grass will create a nitrogen rich hot compost that will not only burn out/rot and light starve any weeds, but will form a solid barrier that wont allow weeds to pop through. When it's time to plant, I just clear out just enough space for my seedlings. Grass clippings are also great for regulating soil temperature and retaining moisture. I have used this method for years and rarely pull a weed.

  • mtaratoot
    mtaratoot Posts: 14,234 Member
    I noticed the first daffodil in my yard yesterday. Also the first couple hyacinth. Way too early. I made a note, but I still need to add those to my phenology.

    I cut one tiny hyacinth and brought it inside to smell.

    I wish I knew what was eating all the buds though. Most of them will have few or no flowers because they've all been munched.

    I should take advantage of the good weather to mow the lawn again, but I can wait until the weekend when trails are busy. I might go to do a long hike in a state park tomorrow that has ten large waterfalls. It's about an hour's drive. I have an annual parking pass this year, so I plan to go several times. It's less crowded in the winter. It's less crowded on week days. The creeks are more exciting this time of year. It's been warm enough that even though it's higher elevation, the trails should be ice-free.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,176 Member
    Things here (mid-palm of Michigan's lower peninsula) are not as far along as @mtaratoot is seeing out in the Pacific NW - not surprising. It's an early year, here, though, for early Spring flowers. (I'm concerned for the fruit farms - a big thing here - because this early warm patch could start developing fruit blossoms, o.nly for a hard frost to kill them and this year's crops.)

    This is what's up in my yard so far (mostly literally yard, not garden, because the early Spring bulbs naturalize in the lawn.

    There have been many patches of Snowdrops (Galanthus sp.), with the first patch blooming back at the start of January. This is one of many groups, in a garden bed where perennials will come back later. (I don't clean up the bed until after nights get to around 50F, so beneficial insects have safe habitat through cold weather.)

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    I've been trying to get Winter Aconite (Eranthis hyemalis) going for a while in my lawn. They're a thug at the local botanical garden, but not so much for me :( . They may be coming along a little better this year, but only a few are up now. We'll see.

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    Tommie crocus (Crocus tommasinianus) are the earliest crocus for me. There will be lots of these pretty soon, but only a few are out now. These have naturalized beautifully all through one of the perennial beds, and way out into the lawn.

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    The earliest Hellebore (with some Helleborus niger in its lineage, I think) is coming along, but not fully open yet. The other Hellebores (more H. orientalis, possibly some H. multifidus or H. argutifolius in the hybrid mix) will be later, but more colorful (magenta, pink, green, near-black).

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    The stuff that grows in the lawn is all done and withering by the time we need to start lawn-mowing, so they're very lawn-compatible.

  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
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  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    CoffeeCastle wrote: »
    I love to garden! I always do really well with tomatoes, cucumbers, and zucchini. Tried lettuce for the first time last year and that went really well. Oh and kale! I got tons of great kale. The thing I always have trouble with are herbs. My herbs never stay nice for very long. This year I’d like to master that.

    Some herbs, definitely cilantro, and possibly dill, etc., are short-lived, so you have to plan to keep replanting them. Those are the ones I struggle with. Other than that, are you giving them the right amount of water?
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,176 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
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    This resonates. Right now, though, it's aphids (all over my calla, currently in indoor over-Winter life), spider mites (in the orchids), and it seems to be the start of brown marmorated stink bug season (they don't bother the plants, but they're not good housemates for me). It's always something. Since it's indoors, it's insecticidal soap and yellow sticky traps for the aphids, mostly humidity for the spider mites. If the BMSB reach sufficient volume indoors, I'll set up a trap (desk lamp above a bowl of water with dish soap).

    As long as I'm here: It's pseudo-hot here, 70F (21C) at 1PM. The record high for this day was 64F in 1867. All the early Spring bulbs are popping fast, and won't last. There are Tommie Crocus (Crocus Tommasinianus) all over in the garden beds and lawn, way beyond where I ever planted any. They're even invading the North neighbor' lawn. (I don't think they mind.)

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  • xbowhunter
    xbowhunter Posts: 1,227 Member
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    Looking forward to growing my own again. :)
  • SuzanneC1l9zz
    SuzanneC1l9zz Posts: 456 Member
    <peers sadly at you all over the top of the windrows the city left everywhere from plowing the 20+ cm snow dump a couple of days ago> 😢
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
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  • mtaratoot
    mtaratoot Posts: 14,234 Member
    I brought in some small branches from my flowering cherry tree a week or so ago and put them in water in a couple places.

    The flowers opened yesterday. We're still a month away from the tree really going. I'll bring in more branches soon for the next forced bloom. But not right now. I know it's just weather, but I don't want to be looking up into the canopy with that mix of rain and snow that's coming down now.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    mtaratoot wrote: »
    I brought in some small branches from my flowering cherry tree a week or so ago and put them in water in a couple places.

    The flowers opened yesterday. We're still a month away from the tree really going. I'll bring in more branches soon for the next forced bloom. But not right now. I know it's just weather, but I don't want to be looking up into the canopy with that mix of rain and snow that's coming down now.

    Nice! I'm going to have to scrounge up some forsythia to force.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    The puddle is in my neighbor's yard. I thought I was getting some Japanese iris from a woman in my gardening group. These have high water requirements, so I thought they'd be perfect in a new bed on my side of the fence. While I was digging up the last clump of iris, she said they were actually Siberian iris. I love those, but I already have them, and would not have put them here. (They need half the water.) But I got them and already broke ground, so will proceed.

    Normally I'd dig out all the grass, but I was waffling, both because they will use some water plus it's a lot for my back. The iris would eventually eat the grass. I'd have to cut it by hand or my boyfriend's head will explode. Or maybe I can just put wood mulch over the grass...

    Suggestions welcome!

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  • Fuzzipeg
    Fuzzipeg Posts: 2,301 Member
    I'm so pleased you can get out into the garden. Here in the UK we have so much rain since the end of September, we have not had a wet winter like it in my lifetime. Today has been dry, we've even seen the sun! Many places are likely to flood even with minimal additional rain. Our garden with clay soil is still like a skid pan. It will be good when we can get out and do all the jobs we've not been able to do all winter.
    Enjoy your gardens.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
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