Don't know what they are, don't know where they came from ... but they do have a fondness for basil.
Posted on 04/19/2013 1:07:02 PM PDT by greeneyes
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LOL! It all works together!
Been working on Darlin to get a grow light, at least for next year! What seems to be hamstringing me (and I realize I’m not by myself, here!) is the unseasonably cold weather. These things would have been outside a couple or 3 weeks ago! They want to go outside and PLAY!!!
You describe a very cozy scene. I love beans and cornbread! Yum!
Oh wow! A corsage??!! Thanks for the encouragement!
No, it isn’t really my first time. I’ve plunked away at it in a very non-serious manner in the past....but last year was my first time to really be strongly desirous of gaining some success. I did grow some sunflowers and some herbs from seed and kept them and a few flowers going through the deep drought of last summer.
So this year is my second season. I’ve wanted to get more into some veggies, because I’ve never really been successful at any of those ever.
In the past, I’ve been successful at growing sprouts for sandwiches, etc, but have not ever grown them to completion. So in that sense, this is a first!
Thanks for the link. I’ll be sure to watch it!
You have made me all inspired, so I brought my little seedlings back inside after their ‘sun lunch,’ and planted some replacement seeds for some of the tomatoes and okra that didn’t make it. So we shall see!
I'll write more tomorrow. It's my bedtime.....zzzzzz.....
I love beans and cornbread too. Manna from heaven and the garden. It’s one of my favorite meals. Especially if I have some chopped onion in the beans, some fried taters, and a couple of sliced tomatoes from the garden(no supermarket tasteless trash for me).
There’s a jump start lighting system in a lot of the seed ca
talogs for around 80 bucks or so. It has a stand and the light is adjustable. It is a high intensity full spectrum light. If you watch on Amazon and Ebay sometimes you can get it for around half price or less. It is just a bit over 2 ft.
Walmart had some cheap grow lights for around 20 bucks that will suffice for growing greens. We attached it to a board then attached it to each end of an old microwave table with a couple of other boards so that it was about 18 inches up above the table. Then plug the light into an outlet. That way we can roll the cart around where ever we need to.
Anyway you don’t have to spend big bucks to get something that works especially for just starting seedlings.
I was always the brown thumb gal. Killed every houseplant that I ever tried to grow. My daughter bought me the square foot garden book.
I started small just a 3 by 4 ft bed. Grew corn, beans, and watermelon. Hubby laughed at it, cause he didn’t understand the sq. foot method. Everything was planted so close together he told me nothing would grow.
Best corn I ever ate. I grew the tomatoes in 3 gallon pots that first year. Anyway, as the recession got worse, and the politicians got even more spend happy ignorant, I knew prices of food would continue to go up.
Since we are retired sort of, I also knew we would not be increasing the budget for food. That’s when I got really really serious about growing food and returned to canning and stuff like that.
Each year, I try something new and look up new ways to provide. For example, I know how to make sugar using beets. This year I’ll be growing Sorghum and exploring syrup making or else sunflowers and pressing oil for sunflower oil.
The first year I grew cucumbers, we had such a big harvest, that I couldn’t use them all, but I canned 52 pints of dil pickles, bread and butter pickles, and pickle relish. That summer we ate all kinds of fresh cukes, and a pint each week of relish.
That winter we fell back into a more normal consumption pattern, so we are still eating the bread and butter and pickle relish. The dills are gone. So this summer, I am going to have to have some cukes or buy them at the farmer’s market. LOL.
Anyhow, I figure that if I can do it. Anyone can.LOL
Don't know what they are, don't know where they came from ... but they do have a fondness for basil.
“I love beans and cornbread too. Manna from heaven and the garden. It’s one of my favorite meals. Especially if I have some chopped onion in the beans, some fried taters, and a couple of sliced tomatoes from the garden(no supermarket tasteless trash for me).”
That borders on food porn! Yum! [...with me on a calorie-restricted diet today! I could have the beans and onions and maters, but would have to pass on the cornbread and fries! So...please pass me some beans and maters! :-D]
“There’s a jump start lighting system in a lot of the seed catalogs for around 80 bucks or so. It has a stand and the light is adjustable. It is a high intensity full spectrum light. If you watch on Amazon and Ebay sometimes you can get it for around half price or less. It is just a bit over 2 ft.
Walmart had some cheap grow lights for around 20 bucks that will suffice for growing greens. We attached it to a board then attached it to each end of an old microwave table with a couple of other boards so that it was about 18 inches up above the table. Then plug the light into an outlet. That way we can roll the cart around where ever we need to.”
Thanks for the tips on grow lights. We actually are set up nicely with light fixtures which would accept a grow light bulb, but my darlin’ has simply had resistance to obtaining such. But you are correct. While it is a little pricier than a regular bulb, fairly inexpensive alternatives for grow lights do exist! Like I said, this year our need is rapidly diminishing, -— but you can bet I have it on the list for next year! :-D (Darlin has made some softening noises about them as well in past couple of days...)
I don’t think I can truly claim the brown thumb - although it has made a good excuse over the years for my own neglect and shortcomings! In college, I had several decorative house plants that were very cooperative and thrived. (Airplane plants which took over, a diffenbachia which got huge, some aloe vera which took over...)
I just had not had the time and intense interest to pursue outside gardening. My reasoning for making it a focus of attention was similar to yours.
You said,
“Each year, I try something new and look up new ways to provide. For example, I know how to make sugar using beets. This year I’ll be growing Sorghum and exploring syrup making or else sunflowers and pressing oil for sunflower oil.”
I have similar interests, but have not pursued them either. Do you have a link for info you are looking at regarding oil pressing? Also, would you be willing to share info on the sugar beet process? THANKS!
As you may have noted from previous posts, I have been learning about some of the native plants which are available in our area. Last year I made an intense study and learned to identify several. I transplanted some purslane into my herb garden and was delighted that it appears each one of them is taking off! I also obtained some seeds for sheep sorrel, but have not planted them yet.
We have a respectable stand of Echinacea, and this year I am hoping to add chamomile and flax.
We all have a certain degree of the Brown Thumb Gene... the secret is to grow a lot of things so your successes out number your failures.
Hungry little buggers aren’’t they! What plant are the leaves from?
LOL! Indeed!
I like that secret! Today at the Box Store, I was looking at the plants and seeds. I decided that at least for a while my experiment this year will be to try as much as possible to grow my plants from seed. Later, I may allow myself to break down and buy some ‘mater plants if my experiment isn’t successful. But for now, that is the plan!
I’m glad now that I planted a boat load of the tomato seeds, because it appears that only one of them has a shot at making it, and even that doesn’t look extremely promising.
Yesterday I started some more seeds, and with the bunch I bought today, maybe someone out of the bunch will have the right chemistry and survive! I’m glad to be doing this when my life isn’t depending on it.
They resemble webworms. Have you tried spraying them with neem oil?
Basil
Nah, I removed all the basil from the garden and isolated them in containers ... picked off the critters by hand ... trimmed the plants to almost nothingness ... took cuttings that I hope will root in water ... and made pesto for dinner.
I don’t know either. Maybe post it again Friday on the new thread so that more of the gardeners see it.
Well there you go. Just a little more softening then ....
Let's hope we get more regular rain this year.
I love that you grew sunflowers. I started with those too. That was the year I learned that the plants want to live, in-spite of me, lol.
Good luck!
If you’re going to press sunflower seeds for oil I”m assuming you’ve seen the Piteba oil press at Bountiful?
We are also on a well and that is why we just let the garden go last year. The neighbors well went dry. Ours did not because we used extra conservation efforts.
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