Garden thread
Replies
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girlwithcurls2 wrote: »Our crocus and iris are long gone, but they were ridiculously early this year (Oregon). I have tulips that are up and ready to bloom, but we're getting a nighttime cold snap, so they're probably going to stay closed for another couple of weeks. Daffodils are in full bloom, magnolias too. I was going to put my cold weather veggies in, but with temps in the 20s at night now, I'll wait.
One thing I lost all of last year was butternut squash. I had over a dozen at my community garden plot and the squirrels got them ALL. That's never happened. I always lose some produce to pests, but an entire crop, never. I'll be planting more flowers this year...
Mom has problems with turkeys pecking at her butternut squash, but so far has never lost an entire crop. She's going to plant some Blue Hubbard squash this year - that has a thicker rind so should keep them safer. She found one last year and made it into a pie. I don't like pumpkin pie, but I liked this!
https://simpleseasonal.com/how-to/all-about-blue-hubbard-squash
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My hyacinths just started poking up.
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Well here in zone 7 my salad greens and radishes are doing good. Inside I have started tomatoes eggplants , peppers . I am super excited about my artichoke seedlings even though they are a long shot.
Unseasonably warm but only cold weather crops going to stay outside as still supposed to get into 20s later this week overnight.1 -
Yum! The farm down the road from us has these, but I wasn’t sure what to do with them. I like trying new squash varieties, but rarely have success with family approval of them (usually only if it’s a sweet recipe).kshama2001 wrote: »girlwithcurls2 wrote: »Our crocus and iris are long gone, but they were ridiculously early this year (Oregon). I have tulips that are up and ready to bloom, but we're getting a nighttime cold snap, so they're probably going to stay closed for another couple of weeks. Daffodils are in full bloom, magnolias too. I was going to put my cold weather veggies in, but with temps in the 20s at night now, I'll wait.
One thing I lost all of last year was butternut squash. I had over a dozen at my community garden plot and the squirrels got them ALL. That's never happened. I always lose some produce to pests, but an entire crop, never. I'll be planting more flowers this year...
Mom has problems with turkeys pecking at her butternut squash, but so far has never lost an entire crop. She's going to plant some Blue Hubbard squash this year - that has a thicker rind so should keep them safer. She found one last year and made it into a pie. I don't like pumpkin pie, but I liked this!
https://simpleseasonal.com/how-to/all-about-blue-hubbard-squash
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I just bought some frames for raised beds. I want to grow watermelons and some simple veggies like lettuce. I do not have a green thumb. Tips from seasoned gardeners appreciated!
I know I can handle the lettuce but the watermelon packet makes me think the plants are fussy. They need a certain pH apparently
Lettuce is easy and you are likely to be successful.
Watermelons the hardest bit is they take a long time. I want you to google your last frost date in spring and first frost date in fall and figure out how many days are between them. Large watermelon take a really long number of days.
If you have lots of days and lots of bery su,ny space you will be fine.
I’m in zone 6, so the growing season is 4-6 months. I am worried I’m going to run short on time for the watermelon. At least they aren’t the big ones. I’ll make sure to start them early.0 -
@moonangel12 -what a great spot for a garden. I haven't seen any bees yet. I plan to plant more sunflowers this year hopefully it will attract more bees.1
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Back on the Spring bulbs and other blooms obsession, my usual order here in 5b is (Snowdrops and/or Winter Aconite), Tommie Crocus, Iris 'George', regular Dutch/Spring crocus (mostly C. vernus), Narcissus 'Rijnveld's Early Sensation', other rock garden Iris, other Narcissus, with some of the Hellebores blooming rather variably with the H. Niger and its related hybrids usually on the early side (sometimes first of everything, this year quite late - not blooming yet) and the H. orientalis and hybrids usually later, but not always).
I think the Snowdrops I have are more than one species of Galanthus, but I don't really remember which without finding my planting diagrams, and besides, they've naturalized quite messily, so who knows.
Both the snowdrops (no photo) and the Tommie crocus (C. tommasinianus, the lavendar-y ones in varying shades) are wandering out well into the lawn, as with the Tommies shown. The cream colored Crocus is one of the standard species, probably C. vernus. Narcissus not on yet, but soon. Ditto Hellebores.
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Back on the Spring bulbs and other blooms obsession, my usual order here in 5b is (Snowdrops and/or Winter Aconite), Tommie Crocus, Iris 'George', regular Dutch/Spring crocus (mostly C. vernus), Narcissus 'Rijnveld's Early Sensation', other rock garden Iris, other Narcissus, with some of the Hellebores blooming rather variably with the H. Niger and its related hybrids usually on the early side (sometimes first of everything, this year quite late - not blooming yet) and the H. orientalis and hybrids usually later, but not always).
I think the Snowdrops I have are more than one species of Galanthus, but I don't really remember which without finding my planting diagrams, and besides, they've naturalized quite messily, so who knows.
Both the snowdrops (no photo) and the Tommie crocus (C. tommasinianus, the lavendar-y ones in varying shades) are wandering out well into the lawn, as with the Tommies shown. The cream colored Crocus is one of the standard species, probably C. vernus. Narcissus not on yet, but soon. Ditto Hellebores.
I am a bit further north of you. Jealous. I want flowers
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Back on the Spring bulbs and other blooms obsession, my usual order here in 5b is (Snowdrops and/or Winter Aconite), Tommie Crocus, Iris 'George', regular Dutch/Spring crocus (mostly C. vernus), Narcissus 'Rijnveld's Early Sensation', other rock garden Iris, other Narcissus, with some of the Hellebores blooming rather variably with the H. Niger and its related hybrids usually on the early side (sometimes first of everything, this year quite late - not blooming yet) and the H. orientalis and hybrids usually later, but not always).
I think the Snowdrops I have are more than one species of Galanthus, but I don't really remember which without finding my planting diagrams, and besides, they've naturalized quite messily, so who knows.
Both the snowdrops (no photo) and the Tommie crocus (C. tommasinianus, the lavendar-y ones in varying shades) are wandering out well into the lawn, as with the Tommies shown. The cream colored Crocus is one of the standard species, probably C. vernus. Narcissus not on yet, but soon. Ditto Hellebores.
I am a bit further north of you. Jealous. I want flowers
Soon!
(or should that be :flowerforyou: ? ) 2 -
So far so good for my tiny garden
Tomato plants going well.
Curly Kale doing brilliant
Cabbage started
Sweet peppers starting
Just planted French beans4 -
strawberries are coming up
and irises
maybe horseradish?
no mint yet. or snowdrops. or tulips.
5b6 -
@mbaker566- great picture of your strawberry plants. I am going to pick some plants up in a couple of weeks
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Just checked and I see more green in my garden (right on the line between zones 4b/5a). I rearranged some of the perennials last fall and kind of forgot where I put some but I think the new pips coming up are the amsonia and the balloon flowers. The cranesbill is also showing growth and I see a few branch/leaf buds starting on my clematis. Of course, we are supposed to get a few snow showers this week but nothing should accumulate.
Balloon flowers (platycodon) are really cute. Zone 3-8, about 12-18" high. Mine are white but they come in shades of purple and pink too. I picked them up as a potted plant but put it in my perennial garden.
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Just for something a little different . . . and a little more prickly and possibly plant-nerd-y er (still not exactly veggies/herbs, though technically some parts are edible). I grow these guys in pots, outdoors year 'round, in Michigan (5b). In Winter, they tend to get wrinkly and even more ratty than usual (as shown, though they've already plumped a bit from their most depleted), then perk up and look better by the end of the favorable-weather seasons. (I admit, I grow them more for the fun, as a party trick, rather than because they're bee-you-tee-full. I like weird plants.) Some types are believed native in the state, but others have been introduced and grow wild. These are all cultivated types, of course.
As an aside, you can see that a couple are in cement-y looking containers. Those are hypertufa troughs/pots that I made myself. Hypertufa containers are a fun outdoor summer-day gardener project (I grow my mint in one, too, to isolate it; and they're great for things like alpines or other tiny cute specialty plants). Hypertufa is a "lightweight" (relatively
) mix of cement, peat moss, perlite/vermiculite, maybe sand or other stuff - instructions easily found online. The resulting containers have been fairly (but not perfectly) Winter-stable for me (in terms of cracking/breakage from freezing). The larger rectangular one in the upper right was molded in a plastic dishpan, just to give you an idea of scale. Especially fun: A "hypertufa" party we had here one summer when I and a couple of friends made a big batch of varied containers, pretty much an all-day event.
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Fun! I like things for their funkiness as wellJust for something a little different . . . and a little more prickly and possibly plant-nerd-y er (still not exactly veggies/herbs, though technically some parts are edible). I grow these guys in pots, outdoors year 'round, in Michigan (5b). In Winter, they tend to get wrinkly and even more ratty than usual (as shown, though they've already plumped a bit from their most depleted), then perk up and look better by the end of the favorable-weather seasons. (I admit, I grow them more for the fun, as a party trick, rather than because they're bee-you-tee-full. I like weird plants.) Some types are believed native in the state, but others have been introduced and grow wild. These are all cultivated types, of course.
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With next weekend's plans looking like they will fall through, I'm thinking of planting peas instead. Here in 6b we can do that as early as St. Patrick's Day, which is March 17.
Last Fall, my FaceBook gardening group recommended not doing a traditional fall cleanup, which may have been based on this article, so I have a fair amount of work ahead:
https://savvygardening.com/6-reasons-not-to-clean-up-your-garden-this-fall/
I was wondering when it won't be too early to do spring cleanup. This article says to wait until daytime temperatures are consistently in the 50s, and we are very close to that point:
https://savvygardening.com/spring-garden-clean-done-right/2 -
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I spent the day clearing my yard of sticks ,mulching my beds, weeding, and general garden prep. I also planted out my peas and beets1
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@lemurcat2 what's your soil temperature?
https://todayshomeowner.com/how-to-measure-soil-temperature-for-planting/
Garden Vegetable Seed Germination Temperatures
The soil temperature for planting vegetables should be:- 40° F or warmer: Lettuce, kale, peas, spinach.
- 50° F or warmer: Onions, leeks, turnips, Swiss chard.
- 60° F or warmer: Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, beans, beets.
- 70° F or warmer: Tomatoes, squash, corn, cucumbers, melons, peppers.
The seed germination temperature is often much warmer than the plant’s growing temperature. Once established, many veggies can handle much cooler air temperatures as long as the soil is warm enough. To get a head start on spring planting, plant seeds indoors or use plastic row covers to warm the soil more quickly.3 -
Don't know how to check that. Standard estimate seems to be that I'm in 50 degrees after May 5 area. This (https://dtn.ilfb.org/index.cfm?show=1&mapID=20&showMenu=0) says 36 degrees.
I do know none of my perennials are doing anything visible yet.
I think it's late enough to at least start some things sprouting indoors and to plant some others outside, but it's not that nice out -- it's supposed to snow some. I think I'll curl up and read some gardening books today1 -
Also, funny your link mentions a soil thermometer, which I may get. I realized I have no personal thermometer, so am trying to get one, and in searching on amazon I realized I need a new meat thermometer (I have a questionable one), so ordered that. It's thermometer week!3
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kshama2001 wrote: »@lemurcat2 what's your soil temperature?
https://todayshomeowner.com/how-to-measure-soil-temperature-for-planting/
Garden Vegetable Seed Germination Temperatures
The soil temperature for planting vegetables should be:- 40° F or warmer: Lettuce, kale, peas, spinach.
- 50° F or warmer: Onions, leeks, turnips, Swiss chard.
- 60° F or warmer: Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, beans, beets.
- 70° F or warmer: Tomatoes, squash, corn, cucumbers, melons, peppers.
The seed germination temperature is often much warmer than the plant’s growing temperature. Once established, many veggies can handle much cooler air temperatures as long as the soil is warm enough. To get a head start on spring planting, plant seeds indoors or use plastic row covers to warm the soil more quickly.
Last I knew, one could also buy a special heating mat (like a low-temp heating pad) for indoor seed-starting use in cool areas that have enough light.
People who haven't used cloches, including HotKaps (a little dome made out of waxed paper), might want to consider that option, as another alternative to row covers. As someone whose situation made hills vs. rows of vining veggies a more practical planting layout, these were very helpful. The literal hilling of the soil means the area where the seeds are warms faster, and the cloche/HotKap accelerates that further. Put something nice and nitrogenous (but not burningly so) below the hill for heavy feeders to grow their roots down into eventually, and you've got yourself a system.
If you use fixed cloches (reusable, plastic or glass), they either then need closeable ventilation ports, or need take other steps to make sure baby plants don't over-heat as days warm and it's very sunny. Though the HotKaps are disposable/single-use waxed paper, one can gradually tear an increasing-sizede hole in the top as the weather warms, to accomplish this.2 -
Also, funny your link mentions a soil thermometer, which I may get. I realized I have no personal thermometer, so am trying to get one, and in searching on amazon I realized I need a new meat thermometer (I have a questionable one), so ordered that. It's thermometer week!
I just use my meat thermometer in the garden as well. It's a CDN, which was well rated by America's Test Kitchen at the time of purchase. That was @ 5 years ago, so may not be this exact model: https://smile.amazon.com/CDN-DTQ450X-Thin-Tip-Thermometer/dp/B0021AEAG2/
(If someone knows why using a meat thermometer in the garden wouldn't be accurate, please advise.)2 -
kshama2001 wrote: »@lemurcat2 what's your soil temperature?
https://todayshomeowner.com/how-to-measure-soil-temperature-for-planting/
Garden Vegetable Seed Germination Temperatures
The soil temperature for planting vegetables should be:- 40° F or warmer: Lettuce, kale, peas, spinach.
- 50° F or warmer: Onions, leeks, turnips, Swiss chard.
- 60° F or warmer: Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, beans, beets.
- 70° F or warmer: Tomatoes, squash, corn, cucumbers, melons, peppers.
The seed germination temperature is often much warmer than the plant’s growing temperature. Once established, many veggies can handle much cooler air temperatures as long as the soil is warm enough. To get a head start on spring planting, plant seeds indoors or use plastic row covers to warm the soil more quickly.
Last I knew, one could also buy a special heating mat (like a low-temp heating pad) for indoor seed-starting use in cool areas that have enough light.
People who haven't used cloches, including HotKaps (a little dome made out of waxed paper), might want to consider that option, as another alternative to row covers. As someone whose situation made hills vs. rows of vining veggies a more practical planting layout, these were very helpful. The literal hilling of the soil means the area where the seeds are warms faster, and the cloche/HotKap accelerates that further. Put something nice and nitrogenous (but not burningly so) below the hill for heavy feeders to grow their roots down into eventually, and you've got yourself a system.
If you use fixed cloches (reusable, plastic or glass), they either then need closeable ventilation ports, or need take other steps to make sure baby plants don't over-heat as days warm and it's very sunny. Though the HotKaps are disposable/single-use waxed paper, one can gradually tear an increasing-sizede hole in the top as the weather warms, to accomplish this.
While looking for an article that talks about using empty 16 oz salad green "clamshells" as cloches, I found "12 Seed Starting Ideas using Recycled Materials" and wanted to share:
https://lovelygreens.com/seed-starting-with-recycled-materials/
10. Sow your Seeds in Eggshells
Not only do these eggshell planters look incredibly cute but they too can be planted out directly into the garden. Just make sure to gently crack the eggshells before you put them in the soil.
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kshama2001 wrote: »kshama2001 wrote: »@lemurcat2 what's your soil temperature?
https://todayshomeowner.com/how-to-measure-soil-temperature-for-planting/
Garden Vegetable Seed Germination Temperatures
The soil temperature for planting vegetables should be:- 40° F or warmer: Lettuce, kale, peas, spinach.
- 50° F or warmer: Onions, leeks, turnips, Swiss chard.
- 60° F or warmer: Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, beans, beets.
- 70° F or warmer: Tomatoes, squash, corn, cucumbers, melons, peppers.
The seed germination temperature is often much warmer than the plant’s growing temperature. Once established, many veggies can handle much cooler air temperatures as long as the soil is warm enough. To get a head start on spring planting, plant seeds indoors or use plastic row covers to warm the soil more quickly.
Last I knew, one could also buy a special heating mat (like a low-temp heating pad) for indoor seed-starting use in cool areas that have enough light.
People who haven't used cloches, including HotKaps (a little dome made out of waxed paper), might want to consider that option, as another alternative to row covers. As someone whose situation made hills vs. rows of vining veggies a more practical planting layout, these were very helpful. The literal hilling of the soil means the area where the seeds are warms faster, and the cloche/HotKap accelerates that further. Put something nice and nitrogenous (but not burningly so) below the hill for heavy feeders to grow their roots down into eventually, and you've got yourself a system.
If you use fixed cloches (reusable, plastic or glass), they either then need closeable ventilation ports, or need take other steps to make sure baby plants don't over-heat as days warm and it's very sunny. Though the HotKaps are disposable/single-use waxed paper, one can gradually tear an increasing-sizede hole in the top as the weather warms, to accomplish this.
While looking for an article that talk about using empty 16 oz salad green "clamshells" as cloches, I found "12 Seed Starting Ideas using Recycled Materials" and wanted to share:
https://lovelygreens.com/seed-starting-with-recycled-materials/
10. Sow your Seeds in Eggshells
Not only do these eggshell planters look incredibly cute but they too can be planted out directly into the garden. Just make sure to gently crack the eggshells before you put them in the soil.
(snip image, for length)
Good article! With the eggshells specifically, I wonder if there are meaningful implications from the alkalinity or the calcium, for some sensitive plants. Yeah, I'm geeking out pretty far, here.
I suspect a lot of us have soil we need to alkalyze a bit for best results, for some plants, in the first place.
I've done some of the other things in the article (newpaper pots, paper egg cartons, veg trays, paper towel seeds though not for tomatoes but others). Good stuff.
The regular styro egg cartons are decent seed-starters, too; and hard to recycle in most places unless you get eggs from a local source that re-uses. Poking from below or gently scooping to get the babies out does work, though I'd avoid it for things that resent transplanting in the first place, of course.
Plastic milk cartons and soda bottles are so diversely useful in the garden (if not very upscale looking ), and in areas without bottle deposits, they usually are just as recycleable after garden use, if washed up after. I liked milk cartons part-buried in some of the vine-hills' centers, as a drip-watering option. 2 -
Also, funny your link mentions a soil thermometer, which I may get. I realized I have no personal thermometer, so am trying to get one, and in searching on amazon I realized I need a new meat thermometer (I have a questionable one), so ordered that. It's thermometer week!
I have a 3-in-1 that gives temp, moisture, and pH. I really just got it for the pH so I can make sure the soil around my blueberries is a bit acidic. I like the temp part since this year I plan to spread beneficial nematodes as soon as the temp is warm enough.2 -
kshama2001 wrote: »Also, funny your link mentions a soil thermometer, which I may get. I realized I have no personal thermometer, so am trying to get one, and in searching on amazon I realized I need a new meat thermometer (I have a questionable one), so ordered that. It's thermometer week!
I just use my meat thermometer in the garden as well. It's a CDN, which was well rated by America's Test Kitchen at the time of purchase. That was @ 5 years ago, so may not be this exact model: https://smile.amazon.com/CDN-DTQ450X-Thin-Tip-Thermometer/dp/B0021AEAG2/
(If someone knows why using a meat thermometer in the garden wouldn't be accurate, please advise.)
Cool, that's helpful.0 -
Also, funny your link mentions a soil thermometer, which I may get. I realized I have no personal thermometer, so am trying to get one, and in searching on amazon I realized I need a new meat thermometer (I have a questionable one), so ordered that. It's thermometer week!
I have a 3-in-1 that gives temp, moisture, and pH. I really just got it for the pH so I can make sure the soil around my blueberries is a bit acidic. I like the temp part since this year I plan to spread beneficial nematodes as soon as the temp is warm enough.
Nice, I want this.
Currently it's some cross between snowing and hailing so reading the gardening books is still winning over gardening, but I do want to buy things.1 -
I have tried growing a Virginia creeper i planted the seeds last may but nothing I know they can take a ,long time. Then a few weeks ago I decided to put some more in water but this time to remove thr outer coating after they had been in water overnight and two weeks later shoots so hopefully they will do well!1
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Also, funny your link mentions a soil thermometer, which I may get. I realized I have no personal thermometer, so am trying to get one, and in searching on amazon I realized I need a new meat thermometer (I have a questionable one), so ordered that. It's thermometer week!
I have a 3-in-1 that gives temp, moisture, and pH. I really just got it for the pH so I can make sure the soil around my blueberries is a bit acidic. I like the temp part since this year I plan to spread beneficial nematodes as soon as the temp is warm enough.
@earlnabby I want one too! What's the brand?
Where do you buy your beneficial nematodes, which plants get these, and at what temperature?0
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