Garden thread

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  • ladyreva78
    ladyreva78 Posts: 4,080 Member
    amtyrell wrote: »
    Ladyreva lettuce is pretty easy you want to sow rather dense and do cut and come again

    Problem is more the age of the seed (best by date is around 10 years ago). Thanks for the tip. I'll seed triple what the suggest on the pack :smile:
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,881 Member
    ladyreva78 wrote: »
    For a little cheer:
    <snip>

    We were planning on buying lettuce seedlings. All shops closed, so we'll be trying to use the old seeds we found in the back of the cupboard. Wish us luck. :smiley:

    I was about to suggest Home Depot or Lowes but you are in Switzerland, right?
  • ladyreva78
    ladyreva78 Posts: 4,080 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    ladyreva78 wrote: »
    For a little cheer:
    <snip>

    We were planning on buying lettuce seedlings. All shops closed, so we'll be trying to use the old seeds we found in the back of the cupboard. Wish us luck. :smiley:

    I was about to suggest Home Depot or Lowes but you are in Switzerland, right?

    Indeed. Garden centers are closed and garden areas in regular grocery stores are also closed. Except for food and other essentials, they're not allowed to sell things.

    So we'll be testing granna's old seeds. :wink:
  • Katmary71
    Katmary71 Posts: 6,526 Member
    ladyreva78 wrote: »
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    ladyreva78 wrote: »
    For a little cheer:
    <snip>

    We were planning on buying lettuce seedlings. All shops closed, so we'll be trying to use the old seeds we found in the back of the cupboard. Wish us luck. :smiley:

    I was about to suggest Home Depot or Lowes but you are in Switzerland, right?

    Indeed. Garden centers are closed and garden areas in regular grocery stores are also closed. Except for food and other essentials, they're not allowed to sell things.

    So we'll be testing granna's old seeds. :wink:

    I started a bunch of 10 year old seeds a few months ago and either got a ton of one kind or none. Loose leaf and basils especially did great. Just started a few flats of heirloom tomatoes, Armenian cucumbers, and herbs. I only need 4 tomato plants so we'll see how it goes! I got 35 basil seedlings and 4 sage but put them outside and it hailed, basil didn't do too hot.
  • ladyreva78
    ladyreva78 Posts: 4,080 Member
    Katmary71 wrote: »
    ladyreva78 wrote: »
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    ladyreva78 wrote: »
    For a little cheer:
    <snip>

    We were planning on buying lettuce seedlings. All shops closed, so we'll be trying to use the old seeds we found in the back of the cupboard. Wish us luck. :smiley:

    I was about to suggest Home Depot or Lowes but you are in Switzerland, right?

    Indeed. Garden centers are closed and garden areas in regular grocery stores are also closed. Except for food and other essentials, they're not allowed to sell things.

    So we'll be testing granna's old seeds. :wink:

    I started a bunch of 10 year old seeds a few months ago and either got a ton of one kind or none. Loose leaf and basils especially did great. Just started a few flats of heirloom tomatoes, Armenian cucumbers, and herbs. I only need 4 tomato plants so we'll see how it goes! I got 35 basil seedlings and 4 sage but put them outside and it hailed, basil didn't do too hot.

    Yeah, we seeded way more than we'll need.

    I ended up calling our garden center. The very nice lady told me that they are allowed to do deliveries or pick up. They're just not allowed to directly interact with customers or allow them into the sales shop or seedling nursery. Mom and I will sit down and figure out what we need when and then place the order. For now and for late Mai.

    We're still curious what seeds will actually sprout :tongue:
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,881 Member
    edited March 2020
    I'd mis-remembered what white flowers I'd transplanted from the woods last year. It was these, not snowdrops.

    4gkgrfcyvvbs.jpeg

    I found a bunch more of these in the woods, plus some crocuses and daffodils (different parts of the woods) - people dump baskets of bulbs, and then leaves, and sometimes they take.

    None of my neighbors like to garden and are happy to have me do it. My own beds aren't big enough to keep me busy all year, so I have taken over their neglected beds. I'd given up on the one I see from my office window after the house sold and there is a language barrier with the new neighbors. But it was in dire need of a cleanup, and the wife was outside, so I pantomimed planting some of the white flours there, and then cleaning up the morning glories from last year, which she agreed to, and felt that gave me permission to clean up the whole bed :smiley:

    I find it hilarious that I can tolerate a lot of disorder inside my house, but not outside. My OH is not amused :lol:

    He came home while I was working across the street and said, "I hope you asked permission" - meaning that in his mind, there was doubt :lol:
  • annliz23
    annliz23 Posts: 3,239 Member
    Just planted some lettice seeds and young onions are growing well!
  • ReenieHJ
    ReenieHJ Posts: 9,724 Member
    You're all out gardening and watching flowers spring up while I shoveled 10" of snow yesterday. Lol

    I've skimmed through about 10 pages here but will ask the question because I must've missed it somewhere.
    I'd like to save seeds from some of the veggies I buy such as peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes. Is it extremely hard to start plants from those and how would I do it? Brown thumb here. :(
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    (I wasn't saying it had been asked, but just thinking you'd be interested in the thread.)
  • vaman
    vaman Posts: 253 Member
    Just a quick note....starting plants from seed is a great idea and can be very rewarding to do, just remember that quite a few of the veggies (store bought) are hybrid varieties and won't produce true to the parent plant. Purchasing packets of seeds from the garden center or grocery store gives you a much better chance for success.😎
  • moonangel12
    moonangel12 Posts: 971 Member
    vaman wrote: »
    Just a quick note....starting plants from seed is a great idea and can be very rewarding to do, just remember that quite a few of the veggies (store bought) are hybrid varieties and won't produce true to the parent plant. Purchasing packets of seeds from the garden center or grocery store gives you a much better chance for success.😎
    And if you do heirloom varieties you will be able to save seed next year!

  • vaman
    vaman Posts: 253 Member
    vaman wrote: »
    Just a quick note....starting plants from seed is a great idea and can be very rewarding to do, just remember that quite a few of the veggies (store bought) are hybrid varieties and won't produce true to the parent plant. Purchasing packets of seeds from the garden center or grocery store gives you a much better chance for success.😎
    And if you do heirloom varieties you will be able to save seed next year!

    Absolutely right, I'm glad that you mentioned that, thanks.

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 31,935 Member
    ReenieHJ wrote: »
    You're all out gardening and watching flowers spring up while I shoveled 10" of snow yesterday. Lol

    I've skimmed through about 10 pages here but will ask the question because I must've missed it somewhere.
    I'd like to save seeds from some of the veggies I buy such as peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes. Is it extremely hard to start plants from those and how would I do it? Brown thumb here. :(

    I'm not in a position to give you a complete run-down, but a thing to be aware of is that certain foods we eat are young fruit, i.e., the seeds they contain may not be mature enough to be viable.

    I know that certain types, when my family used to save seed from non-hybrid types, required us to leave a fruit on the plant until full ripeness, which was well beyond normal eating stage. Cucumbers come to mind as an example: They will get fat and usually yellow, and have coarser, harder seeds than what is in cucumbers from the store.

    It's not hard to start most common garden plants from seed, if the seed is viable.

    It's OK to try seed from hybrids, the issue isn't mostly that they won't grow, it's that they won't be as good in some way (flavor, size, disease resistance, abundance of produce, whatever).

    It would be better to buy seed, if you can, and mail order may still be an option.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,881 Member
    https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/23/opinion/coronavirus-nature-outdoors.html

    The Beautiful World Beside the Broken One

    Nature is wide open for business. Here is the alternate world we need right now.
  • ReenieHJ
    ReenieHJ Posts: 9,724 Member
    lemurcat2 wrote: »
    (I wasn't saying it had been asked, but just thinking you'd be interested in the thread.)

    Oh I realize that. :) And I've enjoyed reading the posts; just hope some of the green thumbs rub off on me. :/
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    Things are starting to show life! I see the beginnings of my daylilies and chives and the growth buds on my clematis and honeysuckle are swelling. I even have a few baby leaves on the honeysuckle. Yay!
  • ReenieHJ
    ReenieHJ Posts: 9,724 Member
    Thanks for replies all! I assumed it was easier. My dh said he saw where a person threw slices of tomatoes into soil and poof, like magic.... lol
    Better to buy seeds then, or same as I usually do and get starter plants. :) (I don't know until I ask, right?) :)
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    ReenieHJ wrote: »
    lemurcat2 wrote: »
    (I wasn't saying it had been asked, but just thinking you'd be interested in the thread.)

    Oh I realize that. :) And I've enjoyed reading the posts; just hope some of the green thumbs rub off on me. :/

    I'm hoping that too!
  • annliz23
    annliz23 Posts: 3,239 Member
    Feeling quite pleased my dog ran over my conifer a few months ago and snapped off the top hubby was going to out it in the bin but I planted it with rooting powder and it has rooted again 😀
    Curly kale is going crazy as soon as its warm enough I will get it in the garden!
    Just planted cherry Tom seeds to go in a hanging basket other seeds already started and going well as well as cabbage, mini cauliflowers, peppers and chillies.