Mary, Mary, quite contrary, How does your garden grow? · Page 25

Got a lot done, but didn't get it finished. Ran out of insulators for the wire. Wife thought she ordered enough, but didn't.

But we got the grounding wires in and a lot of other stuff done. I'd say we got about 35 or 40% more to do.

Mowed the big garden with the old 1515.

Gonna grab a bite to eat and then maybe weedeat around my buildings...

Jakethesnake86
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a year ago

#485

Got 3 tomato plants in celebrity is my favorite variety so three of those and I’m gonna get some “medium rare” in in the next week or so I hope. Started some in those little greenhouse thingys in the newspaper pots I made which I still love

I’m the snake

BuckyB93
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a year ago

#486

I don't have a grow room nor an outdoor greenhouse so I bought these thingies to get my seedlings going.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08PFW3469?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

Doing cucumbers, pole beans and peas from seed. I'll but my peppers and tomatoes from the local garden center. I'll try some herbs from seed but I usually buy those from the garden center too. Haven't done garlic before but I think I'll try those from cloves and some green onions. I just do a deck garden so I don't have tons of space.

Bought a couple of these last fall when I saw them on sale and I still have planting bags that I've used in the past few years.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BQR7LX16?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_2&th=1

Renter on the second floor moved out and we got rid of all the scrap metal they had behind the garage so I'll sprinkle a bunch of wild flower seeds back there. Hopefully the soil will support plant growth and we have a small pack of wild flowers to attract pollinators. They are perennials so hopefully they self seed next year and get established.

Jakethesnake86
Herf-A-Holic

a year ago

#487

Those little things work pretty good Bucky I use random stuff I find to do the same thing. Like anything with a clear lid

I’m the snake

BuckyB93
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a year ago

#488

I start the seeds using wet paper towels in a ziplock bag. Once the seeds crack and some root growth, I transfer them to seedling containers like the ones I bought above. Jeepers, one day later they have broken ground. I just used a mix of 2/3 coco coir instead of peat moss and 1/3 of my black gold compost.

I bought a couple 10 lbs bricks of coco coir last fall when I saw them on sale for like 20 lbs for $10. Never used it before but damn, when hydrated, they expand like crazy. I mixed it in with my composts last fall. It don't add much nutritional value. As I understand it, the coco coir is neutral pH and mostly used for water retention, aeration, and drainage. A good replacement for peat moss. I'll use it as mulch for my beds too.

I had to Google the newspaper pot that you mentioned. That looks easy to do and they would be nice little pots after the seedlings out grow the little sprout stage.

I don't have newspapers other than junk mail from grocery stores but I think brown paper lunch bags or Kraft paper packing material might work just the same. A little more thicker than news print but would likely work the same. If I did them out of kraft paper or paper bags, I'd poke some holes and/or slits in it for the roots to migrate out of as the paper decomposed. It would also add some good "brown" to the soil and help in water retention.

RayR
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a year ago

#489

I don't have a grow room nor an outdoor greenhouse so I bought these thingies to get my seedlings going.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08PFW3469?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

BuckyB93 wrote:

Those mini greenhouse thingies might be OK for starting seedlings, but with the weather warming up, you'd be better off getting the seedlings into real sunlight ASAP. The LED light may say it is full spectrum, but I bet it is photon-deficient. And take the dome off when in direct sunlight, otherwise you'll fry the seedlings.

BuckyB93
Herf-A-Holic Topic Starter

a year ago

#490

True.

They are just breaking ground now. I'm a bit behind schedule because the weather here in North Central MA has been a bit bipolar this spring. (That's my story and I'll stick to it). One day it's high of 70's, next day high of 50's.

After they get some good roots and some real leaves, gonna bring them outside on the deck or the covered porch to harden them off. Actually, might just put them on the covered porch that has full Sun for most of the day. That's probably the best call. As they get established they will also need a wind breeze to strengthen the main stalk and stuff as they exercise.

I agree with you. Nothing compares to full natural light and a good breeze to strengthen them.

Edited by user a year ago | Reason: Not specified

RobertHively
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a year ago

#491

RayR wrote:

https://imgur.com/a/plants-gM0MM7G

It's been warm, so prolly shoulda started last week😟

Jakethesnake86
Herf-A-Holic

a year ago

#492

RayR wrote:

Agreed 100 percent

I’m the snake

BuckyB93
Herf-A-Holic Topic Starter

a year ago

#493

We are still getting overnight lows in the mid 30's overnight so I'm a little hesitant to put them outside. I put the ones that have broken ground (beans and cukes) and have started making real leafs in the 3 season porch where they will get south-eastern sun. Still waiting for the peas to pop.

Sprinkled some herb seeds in the seedling pots just yesterday. I usually just buy them from the local garden center but since I had the seeds, might as well try it.

Bought some window box planter things that I'll use for herbs.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09P8357QT?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

The chives I grew last year in a pot have woken up. I didn't expect that so that's a plus.

3D printing some planter brackets so I can hang the window boxes off off the deck railings.
https://makerworld.com/en/models/679240-planter-holder-plant-pot-bracket#profileId-607495

Will garlic grow OK in window box planters? I've never tried to grow garlic so this will be a new one for me. I'll try it from cloves. I'll probably do some green onions/scallions in the same planter.

Since I'm doing a deck garden, I'm going to go vertical as much as I can. The peppers and tomatoes will take up some real estate. Grow pole beans rather than bush beans and stuff. Not sure if I'm gonna do a Teepee pole structure or a lattice for them (peas and beans) to climb onto. Prolly do a flat lattice for a wall of green. It takes up less garden real estate and I can plant stuff like carrots that grow shorter.

I'm not looking to grow a major garden that produces veggies that will supply me all year long, just a hobby garden for fresh veggies during the growing season and maybe jar some at the end of the growing season.

Edited by user a year ago | Reason: Not specified

RayR
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a year ago

#494

Chives are perennial, and once they are mature, they will flower and make seeds. Maybe not the first year from seed but your chives from last year probably will.. They are very cold-hardy. I have mature stands of chives in the ground and some in pots. The chives in pots can even freeze solid over the winter and will grow back in the spring
It's the same with garlic chives.

Hardneck Garlic will grow in your window box planters, but you won't get big garlic bulbs. Garlic cloves are best planted in the ground in the fall, six to eight weeks before the ground freezes, so it can develop a good root system to carry them through winter dormancy. Garlic needs that cold period as part of its life cycle. The plants will grow new top growth like crazy in the spring and should be ready for harvest in July. Before that, harvest the garlic scapes once they show up in summer. Cutting the scapes will force the plant to put its energy into making bigger bulbs instead of flowering. Garlic scapes are very tasty when young and tender.
I've never tried to start garlic in the spring, but they say the cloves should be refrigerated 6-8 weeks before planting unless the bulbs were already stored cold during winter.

BuckyB93
Herf-A-Holic Topic Starter

a year ago

#495

I knew chives are perennial. At a previous house I lived in, I had a pretty well established garden but that was mostly growing out of the ground and they would come up year after year. I was not expecting them to last the winter freeze in a 8" pot. Live and learn.

As for the garlic, I've never tried it before. It was my Son's idea. I bought some cloves from the grocery store and they have been in my fridge for about 2 or three months. Then I looked into growing them on the websites and, as you said, I should have planted them last fall so they get a good freeze. We'll see how they work out. I don't even know if the garlic I bought is hardneck or softneck variety. By looking at them, I think they are softneck and they have started to sprout in the fridge. Again, live and learn. We'll see how they turn out.

RayR
Herf-A-Holic

a year ago

#496

Where do you live, Bucky? And where was the garlic grown that you bought at the grocery store?

RobertHively
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a year ago

#497

https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/chionanthus-virginicus/

"In late spring, fragrant flower clusters with creamy white fringe-like petals appear."

We have one of these right beside this old farmhouse. It's decent size, maybe 10 to 12 feet tall. So it must have been planted many decades ago.

Shortly after we arrived here I spoke to my neighbor, that lives down the road a little ways, about the clean-up of this place.

Told him I was going to cut down some trees around the house, and he said he wouldn't cut this one down; "It goes with the place." Lol

Glad I listened to him, bc it is prolly the best smelling, flowering tree, that I have ever encountered.

People around here call it "Grandpas Beard"

BuckyB93
Herf-A-Holic Topic Starter

a year ago

#498

Where do you live, Bucky? And where was the garlic grown that you bought at the grocery store?

RayR wrote:

I live in north central MA, about a 15 min drive from the NH border.

The tag on the "sock" of cloves says product of Argentina.

I'll plant then in a window box that hangs off the deck railing. The "window" boxes are about 6" wide, 6" deep, 16" long. Probably sister up a few cloves with some green onions in that box. I have 5 window boxes for things like this. A couple others will be used for herbs.

That leaves about 2 more that will be used for annual flowers of some sort for looking at* and attract pollinators. Not sure what flowers yet, I'll have to see what the local nursery has when its time to set them up. Prolly a couple weeks or so away. I'll also do some hanging flower plants too.

*whenever I hear this phrase or something similar I think about a scene of one on my favorite movies when Josey Wales met Chief Lone Watie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HRtcBAbCLE

Edited by user a year ago | Reason: Not specified

RobertHively
Herf-A-Holic

a year ago

#499

BuckyB93 wrote:

That's a good idea. 👍

You'll be able to fit a lot more plants by doing that...

RobertHively
Herf-A-Holic

a year ago

#500

Got the remaining insulators we needed, for the electric fence, in the mail.

Finished the placing them around the entire garden--even the 3 entrances.

All that's left to do is run the two wires and turn it on....Sunday.

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