Posted on 03/28/2014 12:39:07 PM PDT by greeneyes
The Weekly Gardening Thread is a weekly gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you. This thread is non-political, although you will find that most here are conservative folks.
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The Mammoth Grey Stripe I kept seeing in the store was marked “hybrid”. I’m not afraid of saving seeds from hybrids, but I’ve got enough plant breeding projects on my plate right now, I wanted this to be something I can throw in the ground and ignore for a while.
Sunflowers of any type are very forgiving.
I bet if they had fifteen grandpas, you would still be their favorite grandpa.
It's not complicated at all.
We start latin this summer with the 6 year old. I'm still dragging out books and figuring out tests.
Hebrew will be next summer. Greek to follow.
I'll be happy with them getting the alphabets and a few nouns and verbs.
They work on Spanish daily.
/johnny
Very similar to what we have been going through the last few weeks.
Maybe you can grow some tilapia to eat.
Ah...trebouchet, The king of boy’s toys. I have a plan for a small one, about 20” tall, around here in a magazine somewhere. I want to build it before the grandboys come out this year.
I may have posted this before, but tilapia is farmed in Lower Ms and has escaped into some local streams and now can be caught “wild” in some places.
Did you homeschool your kids?
Did Your seeds come yesterday?
Hebrew, Latin, Greek, and Spanish?
Your not just some chef gone Galt.
This is good that they get classical education. My grandmother who went to school in the early 1900s and graduated 8th grade, was very very educated. I think my parents generation were taught corruption. My generation was the first experiment at dumbing down. In the 1990s I was asked to tutor children in math and was astonished, astonished - they don’t even memorize the multiplication tables. Public schooling should be the very last option available.
I spotted Johnny's intelligence and humor right away on FR and that's why he and I clicked. He is brilliant with a great sense of humor and that combination makes him a real jewel.
I first learned of Satsumas growing at the Austin http://www.boggycreekfarm.com/main/ site. I’ll add your other two to my someday list.
Oh, the things you learn at FR. How long did it take the grocery store grape to start producing?
By starting peanuts early inside, it’s possible to squeeze in two seasons.
/johnny
Hello, Everyone!
Checking into class tardy again!
Just got back from a recognition day for my weight loss organization. Received my 5 year consecutive been-at-goal pin! Gardening would not be possible without my having made the effort to try to win my fitness back. Plus, I’m now discovering that gardening helps me in my health program of maintenance. I encourage any and all who may be challenged as I have been (and continue to be) to never give up on yourself and to summon that courage to confront what is holding you back. If I could do it, you can do it. It IS possible! /fitness sermon concluded LOL! >
Just before I left, I put my sprouted seedlings into dirt cups, and while the cups aren’t as pretty as Johnnie’s picture of his, I am pleased with them! Plus I don’t have quite as many! :-)
Onions
I’m sad to report that I am beginning to suspect that my potted sprouted grocery store onion has not survived. The leaves have dried out, and the root seems to have rotted. I fear that after almost killing it from not enough water, I overcompensated and put too much water in the pot. I have not seen the walking onions make an appearance yet which I planted last fall... Not really. Before the last freeze I saw a little show of green, but none since then. *Sigh*
I do have some walking onion sets which I held in reserve, so perhaps I can still get them established. Have not set out the grocery store onion sets Darlin and I bought several days ago.
Tomatoes
The 2 heirloom and 1 hybrid Lowes tomato plants are blooming and seem very happy! :-D The Atkins heirloom tomato seeds have sprouted nicely.
I still have not planted the onion sets.
Parsley
I had some parsley sprouts which I planted, just as last year, and just as last year, they do not seem to have made an appearance. I read in my herb gardening book last night that they are VERY sensitive to transferring, so that is probably where I have been making my mistakes. The book says that parsley really should be sewn in the place you want it to grow. Still have not seen evidence of come-back of the parsley I was trying to see if would overwinter. That last freeze does seem to have killed it....however, the oregano and thyme, which have in the past come back have not done so yet either, so Darlin said not to give up quite yet. So we’re still lookin’!
Remembering back, I think I had tried to plant some parsley in place several years ago and had not been successful. The likelihood perhaps is that the seeds in that instance may have been too old or unviable for some reason. But I don’t truly know. Think good thoughts for me to break through the self perception that parsley does not love me! LOL!
New Seedlings
The seeds I planted and which have sprouted and continue to pursue life with dirt around their toes are (WOW!They are very enthusiastic - and getting with it!:
TBone Squash
Daikon Radish
Asian long trellis beans
Atkins tomato sprouts
Plantain
Flax
Sugar Snap Peas
Cucumbers
Potatoes
I have not done much with the sprouted sweet potatoes. The two that have access to the best window conditions are the ones that probably will survive, but the others in the less good condition are still alive. Their vines are really long and leggy and twined about things and may be difficult to extract to put outside. Darlin said we should try them, but they may not make it. The white grocery store potato is still sprouting in the root veggie basket and when the weather is for sure good, I’ll cut it up into 2 or 3 pieces and start it out.
Home Despot
While in the Big City yesterday, we went to a Home Despot and I found some Miracle Grow GUARANTEED-to-grow “seed pods” with the dirt, fertilizer, and 2 seeds in them. I decided to try 1 each of the bush beans and the zucchini squash. (I know, I know - a sucker is born every day! LOL!)Maybe I can ward off the squash bugs this year and actually HAVE some squash! Other people in our area do, so let’s see if I can too! They had some beautiful lettuce plants, but I shy away from them after last year. Probably a mistake which I might reconsider.
I have other seeds, but don’t want to have too many to care for. I do still want to put in my okra and sunflower seeds. Temps have been dipping here at night to near freezing, and Darlin advised that just in case, I probably should still be in the mode of putting out and bringing in for now. Maybe next week?
Hope everyone is in Garden Springtime Heaven these days!
Thanks for the link from SunkenCiv!
That is truly a beautiful sight, Johnny! Glad you are back on the net!
THanks for the post 16 pix with pollinating instructions! Very helpful!
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