Garden Log

[jennypenny]

Neat video. I like the way he germinates the seeds. I'm going to try it. https://youtu.be/gMjmqcmUwBc

[George the original one]

That germination method is how I test old seeds viability. Don't like the tedious transplant though.

[George the original one]

Demonstration of Compost Benefits

When we bought the retirement residence in January 2012, the field had been mowed in the fall before we bought and all the clippings had been collected in one giant pile, about 4' high and 10' in diameter. Gradually the pile collapsed as it decomposed through the spring months. In the partially collapsed state, elk would occasionally paw deep into the pile and pick out a morsel, presumably some fungus that they enjoy(*). Around towards the end of May, it was about a foot deep when I went to mow, so I kicked it around to about 15' diameter so I could go over it with the mower.

It became an obvious bare spot in the grass for that summer, with broadleafs getting a toehold. However, by the next summer, the grass had re-established and the broadleafs were back to normal (after a little mechanical weed control).

I didn't really think much about the spot again until 2015's hot & dry summer. That's when I noticed that there is now a dark green circle where the pile used to be. Just like the smaller dark green circles that occur where the elk leave droppings, but much longer lasting. The rest of the field is the usual mottled yellow/green. So an obvious nitrogen boost has lasted many years.

(*) Fungus is my reasoning since we've also seen elk & rabbits muzzle through purchased compost that didn't have a drop of green in it.

[George the original one]

*#&!@% birds! Two of my pea sprouts were yanked out of the ground. Not eaten, just yanked out. Which means I'm just going to have to keep covering sprouting plants with chicken wire cages.

[George the original one]

We're on our last dry sunny day and then it's back to showers or mist or just plain damp. Most of this time I've been screening rocks from the soil where the greenhouse will go. Radishes sprouted yesterday/today. Somehow, in my digging about, I seemed to have pummeled the arugula bed.

Two months until the last frost, but danger of hard freeze is over. Time to step up the cool season plantings! Direct-seeded lettuce, kale, onions, spinach, beets, and more arugula. If I could find the carrot seed, I'd put some of that in, too.

Our daffodils began blooming this week. The ones along the highway at 250' lower elevation have been blooming for about 2 weeks, along with the ornamental cherry trees.

[cmonkey]

@GTOO, pictures would greatly enhance things. Doesn't matter how many seedling I've seen or started I still love seeing them.

[George the original one]

Yeah, pictures... one of these days.

Forgot to mention I was buzzed by a couple of very big bumblebees today. Definitely spring weather!

[jennypenny]

I'm getting different answers when I search for my hardiness zone. I knew it had changed, but I'm getting conflicting information. Is one site better than another for looking it up?

[enigmaT120]

I would use this, and not just because I work for the USDA:

http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/

[Dragline]

Thought you folks would appreciate this article and video -- the video is pretty inspiring:

http://diycozyhome.com/6000-lbs-of-food/

[cmonkey]

We've started our first seeds of the season. Celery and onions and shallots for tonight.

Here's our grow setup until we build our greenhouse. I built it a couple years ago out of pvc pipe. The lights are suspended by flexible wire so I can move them up and down. Very cheap to build and it takes 20 minutes to set up. Each layer is cemented together and stackable so we could add/remove layers as needed.





Two of our amaryllis are blooming this year and both sent up two flower stalks. The one is red lion and the others looks like apple blossom but is a double! Not sure what it is.

[jennypenny]

Hooray! It's gardening time!

I figured out my zone. Turns out that my zip is a higher zone than the surrounding towns because of where we're positioned along the river. It means the frost free date is a little earlier (and now I'm a little late ), but at least I've solved the mystery. I'm planting seeds inside and outside. Most of the beds are turned over and manured. I've been using plastic bottles and milk cartons in addition to the old pots I had to start the seeds. If I run out, I'll scour the house for other items like shoe boxes, etc. I've been cutting plastic bottles in half so I can use the bottom for seeds and the top as a cloche. I have a few heat mats. I might try setting up a couple of flower pot heaters to keep the seeds warm when the temps drop again later in the week. Another option is to set up a mini-greenhouse using a few clear plastic tarps. They should trap enough heat to keep the seedlings warm overnight. I don't need grow lights because of the glass ceiling.

Our Home Depot was practically giving away amaryllis bulbs after Christmas. I bought several and they are doing well. I love the pop of color.

[enigmaT120]

That's cool: even though PEX exists there's still a use for PVC.

[vexed87]

25kg of seed potatoes have arrived, drying out before I put some of them in seed trays/egg cartons for chitting, I doubt I have enough for this amount. They are currently taking up 1/4 of the bathroom floor space, SO is going to kill me. I may have overdone it in terms of quantity... I don't even have the patches dug yet. This is the first time I am growing potatoes.

Are they edible, that would be one way of using up the larger ones?



Anyone local to Leeds UK that wants to help out can have half my harvest, otherwise, I may need to get hold of a rotavator

[cmonkey]

That is a ton of seed potatoes! Mostly not edible, no. I mean you could probably eat them but they wouldn't taste good. Normally I cut each in half, so you could technically plant out double the amount you are looking at. Planting each without cutting in half would give a bigger plant. Have fun.

[vexed87]

I may have to give some away. >.<

[Toska2]

Seed potatoes are sprayed with an rooting or antifungal compound. Not edible. Also, as with all potatoes, a cool dark & dry place is the best for storage. Not a fridge as that's too cold.

[7Wannabe5]

@vexed87: Why not experiment with some no till methods since you have so many? You could just cut some holes in newspaper of cardboard, cover with a minimal bit of compost and then use straw. I'm going to try old tire towers this year myself. At the end of the season, I can just hire some gangs of 6th grade boys to come kick them over for me.

@cmonkey: Great rack! I am making due with an old table under some ballasts hanging from ropes. One year we wanted to take the kids camping for a week at the same time I had a bunch of seeds started, so I attached a simple wicking system and when I got back I found the seedlings in even better condition than if I had tended them.

Today I went to my garden and shoveled more snow from the sidewalks(sigh.) I need for it to warm up a bit before I can even fix the damage the wind storm did to my greenhouse. My flimsy dome suffered much less damage than the sturdy wooden fence next door which was completely toppled, but my err-on-the-side-of-cheap-plastic-cover was shredded. I've started a few things under the lights, but I am getting a bunch of transplants from the urban gardening program next month, so mostly I am working on figuring out exact placement of my trees and shrubs which I will pick up in early April. Does anybody know whether American Plum will successfully cross-pollinate Domestic Plum? It seems highly likely, but I can't find confirmation.

[llorona]

Whoa, Vexed! Are you trying to start a potato farm or something?

[George the original one]

You've obviously bought seed potatoes in bulk, so the price per pound should have been low enough to not need to cut the seed potatoes. In damp climates, you'll have less chance of rot that way.

Now just imagine a conservative 5-fold increase at harvest time... what varieties did you get?

If it makes you feel any better, I have to plant about that much, too, but they won't be here for another month. Still, I need to open up more garden space...