Voicelessness and Emotional Survival Message Board
Voicelessness and Emotional Survival => Voicelessness and Emotional Survival Message Board => Topic started by: lighter on February 04, 2014, 05:51:24 PM
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We've tilled the garden this week..... will add amendments and till again before planting.
All very exciting for me. I've had gardens, fairly large gardens, but never one this big before.
And this year we're planting mostly heirloom plants, non GMO, varieties.
All sorts of wonderful things, some new, some well loved favorites.
Is anyone else planning a garden for this Spring?
Lighter
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We're expecting 2-4 more inches of snow the next couple days, Lighter. I've been flipping through seed catalogs... and the raised beds are built - next step is liners and soil. Meanwhile, I'm doing a ceiling to floor "spring cleaning" - keeps me warm! ;)
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sKep:
We got the soil tilled, and 10/10/10 fertilizer down, before the rain this morning.
I'm sprouting 5 different varieties of tomato plants, and crossing my fingers on a number of other things.... will have to see :D
Cleaning and organizing is something I've been driven to knock out too.
Do you think these cold snaps will effect the bugs?
Lighter
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When it gets a bit drying, will till up soil once again, and add the lime.
I have SO many seedlings. So happy about it, began germinating many more. Pumpkins, and watermelons, and squashes, and cauliflower, and....
turns out parsnip seeds don't last very well. Have to get new ones, but everything else, everything is doing well. Leeks, and broccolini and beets, and eggplant and everything.
Very exciting..... grow light on and aimed at a tray right now. Trying to figure out what to use as antifungal... cinnamon or charcoal, or tea? Hmmmm. Any suggestions?
lighter
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Can't wait for growing season! We had a harsh winter and still have snow on the ground so it's going to take a while before the soil can be worked. I usually buy over the counter antifungal's that are specific to what I'm trying to treat. I have used homemade treatments for powdery mildew in the past, diluted milk (1 part milk 9 parts water) works for that. If you're worried about dampening off, cinnamon should work. I start my garden in late April and direct seed I also plant transplants from a local nursery when the weather is right so I don't usually have to worry about the early season stuff. Off topic but have you ever tried Readers Digest's gardening by the moon? They have a calender on their website for the best times and days to plant for your region depending on the weather and moon phases. I use it and have had good luck....not sure if the moon phases have anything to do with it though :lol:
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Thanks fraidy:
I started using cinnamon, and about that time separated what was left of the long straggely tomatoes..... less than 36 out of 120.
All the sudden they sturdied, up and got happy. Whoo hoo. Now, to keep the bottoms moist/wet and the top of the soil dry.... not a drop of water on the leaves, etc.... am using a turkey infuser. Interesting for children to join in...... about 30 plants left by now, and I have many more germinating, just in case I kill these off too. Looks good though.
I put one tomato plant outside, in the sun, for a few hours today. He was big enough to move to a larger pot, and I wanted to see if the sun helps or hurts...... learning as I go.
Ready to begin fertilizing them soon, as second set of leaves starting to pop out.
I haven't had Reader's Digest in the house since I was a teenager. Will look it up on the internet.... love the sound of gardening by the moon.
Obviously, I'm in a warmer climate than you.... already have some beans and snow peas in the garden.
We removed a boulder..... large enough to seat 8 around the fire pit, from the garden yesterday with heavy equipment. Always wondered why the tiller skipped there; )
Lighter
ps Anyone love a particular fertilizer for new seedlings? Thinking fish emulsion.
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Sounds great Lighter! When you take them out to harden off start them in the shade for a few hours the first few days then gradually give them more time outside. After a few days they can take sun for a few hours and stay out over night if the weathers nice. It takes about a week to harden off. As far as the fertilizer goes if your potting soil already has fertilizer in it you may not need it, otherwise wait until they have true leaves (not the oval shaped leaves that come first) I till in compost before planting seeds or transplants then use fertilizer a few weeks later. After that about once a month and cut back when the plant sets fruit or flower. Really looking forward to spring this year, we had it rough this winter here. Best of luck!!
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Awww, these are great Glimpses of Gardens.
Sigh.
Deer.
Hungry brave ones who sleep outside my window half the winter.
Is there any deer fencing that won't cost thousands to install and will still to the job and not be TOTALLY hideous?
Hops
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Thanks, fraidy: )
Lots of information..... I moved little plants to bigger pots today.
Walking meditation.
Hops, I think hog wire is the cheapest, but it's not pretty. I'm guessing you wouldn't go for the "hog wire with 2 strands of barbed wire at the top version either.
I'm considering hog wiring in a dog run around the hog wired in garden, which the deer neatly hop over from a standstill. :shock:
The possum climb it.
I was going to put the dog at one end of the garden, but those darned deer are SO smart....
they'd figure out they can neatly hop 3 sides, and eat their fill, while the dog barks at them from his lonely end.
lighter
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I have the Scarecrow motion activated sprinkler for deer, it works great... if you remember to turn it on! It hooks on to your garden hose, I turn it on at dusk and off at dawn but have forgot a few times and took an unexpected shower! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jHYV6nJksw
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Hee.
SO much easier than fencing.
lighter
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At first I thought it was expensive for what it is (around $60 online) but still the cheapest solution so I gave it a try. I've had mine for about 10 years now and only have to replace the 9 volt battery once a year. It works on other animals too without harming them. Once you figure out what kind of animal or animals that are causing the problem and get to know their habits daytime/nighttime it's very efficient. I'm happy with it and have only had to use it at the beginning of the season for deer, they seem to remember and avoid it. Squirrels are a different story! I envy your early planting times, gardening is very therapeutic.
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I'm going OK with tomatoes, beans, Okra, and squash, etc, but the beets, cauliflower, and other tiny little seedling aren't making it. I find they're getting very thin at the soil line and dying.
I'm using cinnamon but that's not fixing problem.
Any ideas?
lighter
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Is there a brown discoloration at the base of the plant near the soil line? If there is it is most likely "damping off". It's caused by planting in soil that is too moist and too cold. If there are any plants that aren't affected you can apply some clear plastic on each side of the row to heat the soil and kill the fungus that's causing it. Also there are chemical preventatives that you can use prior to planting, thirim or captain are applied to the seed before planting if your starting over. Delayed plantings don't run as much of a risk of damping off because the weather is warmer. Hope that helps.
Fraidy
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Is there a brown discoloration at the base of the plant near the soil line?Ya....::hanging head::... that. If there is it is most likely "damping off". It's caused by planting in soil that is too moist and too cold. I'll try putting the new seedlings back on the heating pad. Darnit. I have a fresh batch of dying eggplants, cauliflower, broccoli, and a few other skinny little hard to keep alive seed varieties. If there are any plants that aren't affected you can apply some clear plastic on each side of the row to heat the soil and kill the fungus that's causing it. I'm able to picture doing that several overwhelming ways, and so will try another fix for now. Also there are chemical preventatives that you can use prior to planting, thirim or captain hmmmm.... I'm trying to go all organic, non GMO and heirloom, but it might be that I HAVE to do something if I can't figure this thing out. Maybe a heating pad AND a fan to keep air moving?are applied to the seed before planting if your starting over. Delayed plantings don't run as much of a risk of damping off because the weather is warmer. Hope that helps. I think I have enough seeds left to actually sew in the ground. All your tips appreciated and welcome, Fraidy; ) lighter
Fraidy
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I've always had damping off when I got over-eager to get the seeds started too soon. Grow lights and heating pads help; but I do think the plants are smart enough to respond better to real sun -- and the length of light in the day -- just like we do. Sometimes, it's over-crowding that sets it off - and once it starts - it's almost an instant kill on the whole tray. (I just loose sew in a flat o' dirt)
Hops: there is some green/black plastic fencing available that deters the deer enough to get things to grow. It comes in various widths - so it's easier to make a 6 ft high "cage" sometimes, with the narrower fence & just wrap two lengths around the posts. For some things, I even made "lids" to go on top, so the deer can't lean over the fence and nibble the tops of things. I have a baby redbud tree that's in one of those. The metal fence posts are all you need to hold the plastic fence up and it comes with small enough holes to keep bunnies & such out too. I use a 1/2 in mesh - because we're overrun with squirrels who dig worse than cats burying all kinds of nuts and I really don't approve of their landscaping plan.
One thing I'm thinking about doing this year, is planting shrubs/perennials that attract bees. The variety of plants here on the sandbar aren't the right kind or enough of them, to keep a healthy population of bees around. Worried about pollination, a bit.
OH - and a friend put me on to a new (to me) type of soil amendment. There's a lot of stuff online, if you're so inclined to research it. It's called bio-char and it's DIY fertilizer. He recommended it to me, for my super-sandy soil with not enough organic matter to hold moisture or nutrients.
I have about a 1/3 of the beds filled with soil and covered with bird nets (to keep the squirrels out). The tents held up in our 45 mph gale winds last week, so I'm encouraged. I ordered a good selection of heirloom seeds, too. But I'm going to plant the seed I bought on clearance a year or so ago this year - to see what happens. It's a first-year garden and so many things can go wrong. The seed will keep longer than a year; just need to vacumn seal and freeze... or stash in a hand-sealed canning jar.
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sKep:
You're a busy girl. Is that fencing you're talking about a type that blows in the wind, scaring the dear away? I heard there was a bright purple one that works particularly well for deer problems.
I noticed my Sow True Seed SALE 2013 heirloom seeds did pretty well...... all the tomatoes came out beautifully, with the Chadwick Cherry tomatoes germinating slowly compared to the others..... Cherokee Purple, Persimmon, Mortgage Lifter, and Homestead varieties. I'm eager to see how each does in this soil.
Parsnip seeds don't keep long, but the ones I have eventually germinated sloooooooowly. Everything else is doing fine..... germinating fine that is.
I did overcrowd in the beginning. Sorted that, and on to keeping air flow, heating pad, grow lights and soil tops dry/sprinkled with cinnamon. You'd think this would be duck soup by now, but transferring to larger pots is where things go South.......... they're so slender, and delicate. I keep breaking/bending the wee things. I'm afraid to touch the kale seedlings.
The tomato plants were slender and shot up too quickly too, but plucked out all but one seedling quickly on second try, then began brushing them to increase strength of plant. Worked well.
I'm particularly thrilled to have Thai Basil.... it's so much better than the regular basil we get at the grocery store. MMmmmmm lemonade blended with a huge handful of Thai Basil, and ice.
::swooning:: Green and refreshing. Tart. SO good.
Lots of different squash planted, including a pink jumbo variety that gets up to 30lbs. Sweet Potato Squash, and Crook Neck, and Butternut of course. Okra, cucumbers, zucchini, loverly.
Watermelon seedlings doing great.
I'll have lots of jalapenos, and banana peppers, and bell peppers hopefully.
Anyone ever eaten snow pea leaves in a Chinese restaurant before? I usually pay $8.00 a plate, but this year will have tons from the garden (that's the plan, anyway.) The children love them.... very tender, buttery greens, IMO. Good stir fried with garlic and chili oil. MMMm.
Does anyone grow Cow Peas? Are they good?
Any advice on growing carrots, onions, parsnips, beets, and fennel? We have garlic that comes back every year, but that's the only subterranean plant we've ever grown. Can I crowd them a bit, or not?
We found a huge berry hedgerow, and will transplant some of the smaller seedlings to the farm, likely in the fall. Maybe put them in pots till it's cool enough. Thoughts?
Lighter
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So far, the hybrid snow peas are coming up strong in the garden, and the heirloom tomato seeds are all over the place, after germinating them in the house. I'll be putting them out in a week or so to harden off, then into the garden they'll go.
Some tomato plants are 8 inches high, and some have barely sprouted. I'll assume the wee ones aren't healthy, and pull up accordingly.
I didn't do much research on how productive heirloom vegetable varieties are, compared with hybrids. I'm about to get an education in it.
lighter
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I love snow peas, Lighter! Didn't know you could eat the leaves, tho. I imagine hubs & I will be eating different things soon - I need my rice & vegetable diet back for awhile... our diet has been so protein heavy (his preference) supported with a heavy starch... that it's no wonder I feel my metabolism dwindling away to nothing - while packing on some totally avoidable weight right where I don't want it.
My beds are covered with individual tents - the netting lets the sun, wind and rain through - and are shock-corded/staked into the ground. They survived a 45 mph nor'easter just fine - so I don't guess I'll have to chase too many. We're expecting ONE MORE cold snap next week - so I could get my maters seeded in flats this weekend. I ran out of time, trying to get organized for the party - which was a good time had by all - and had oysters left over, so we'll see if conditions are right in my creek to "grow" them. Should be; the creek flows into the sound at both ends. Having "farmed" oysters could be a good thing in the long run...
Party went well; it was a little cold & windy - hubs & I have paid the price in a head cold sort of thing. We spent hours playing a game called "Cards Against Humanity" - it's an ADULT game; fair warning on the content!! - there are question cards & answer cards. You're dealt x number of answer cards and the questions rotate turns through the group (we had 7). The "fun" is that the combinations are so abominably awful, and NOT politically correct or socially redeeming, that the poor carder often can't even read the combinations together because they're laughing too hard. By then, of course, so was everyone else. Our ribs hurt... from laughing so hard. :shock:
And hubs is over his apprehension at reaching this age, finally.
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Thanks, TT:
I like black eyed peas.
sKep:
I have all these tiny little plants, like little tiny mouths, in the house staring at me. Waiting for water, or bemoaning too much water,
all
the
time.
I feel like I'm about to scream waiting to get them in the ground!
And yes, the same cold snap sneaking up on you is bearing down on me.
I want so much just to get them in the ground, and hand off some of the care.
My tomato seedlings are every size, from half inch to a foot high, waiting waiting waiting to get into the garden.
I think two are wilting! AHHHH.
Just kidding, but not really.
I was just about to google putting them out into direct sun for a few days, out of doors. Can they take it? I know I was told to put them in the shade FIRST, but.....
Lighter
ps Glad your hubs has made peace with his age, and a good time was had by all. Let us know how the oyster bed goes. I think it's a good idea too. ::nodding::
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Tomato plants all happy, but some of the eggplant seedlings have perished.
DRAT!
So tiny, and if they get dry, POOF! Gone.
I crushed, accidentally, some of the cucumber plants, which are pretty sturdy by now.
I really really want them in the ground!
Also, we have a HUGE garden this year. Lots of room for hills, and melons, and pumpkins, along with the usual things, and an entire field devoted just to corn, which is new.
I wondered out loud what we'd DO with all that corn.....
my sib let me know, we really don't have to worry about that.
The deer will handle it. :shock:
One year, honestly, every ear was eaten cleanly, off the stalks, which were left standing.
Had to be deer, right?
:shock:
lighter
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Hardening off plants in the garage right now.
They're doing fine, thank goodness.
I'm going to check out greenhouses for next year, if these seedlings do well.
lighter