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!
I was looking at TexasPrepper2's vid's yesterday on Youtube. He has one called Squash Bugs Must Die..He put one tablepoon of Dawn in one Gallon of watter, and then, with a hose of regular water, sprayed the base of the squash plants. The Squash bugs climbed up to the tops to escape the water, then he sprayed them with his dawn/water mix. Those suckers were dead within less than a minute..
You might want to do some quick research on cut potatos eyes.
I believe that you might cut off the sprouted eyes for planting , and leave in the sun for a couple of days so that they form a 'callous'.
Without the callous , there is a potential 'rotten spot' for bacteria to grow on, thus killing the growing plant.
Commercial potato breeders generally dip "seed potatos" in a powder to ward off any disease or bacterial rot. Just a suggestion .. YMMV
Texokie Congratulations- on your fitness, and all those gardening milestones too.
I have a link on crop roots depth and heights and interplanting, that some may be interested in:
http://www.harvesttotable.com/2009/04/interplanting_vegetables_root/
I have taken a turn around the perimeter of our little acre today. We are at 60 degrees today, and really nice sunshine. Was able to turn off the heaters. I am collecting the various pots and containers, and planning which ones will look the best and grow the best sitting on top of the retainer wall.
I checked out the stuff in the bottom of my composter. It is beautiful dark, and smells great. Still has some pieces of egg shells, but that won’t hurt anything.
I just came in for a bit to refresh my memory on interplanting and root depth, so I gotta go and get some work done. I am going to put some bags of potting soil over one of the beds to kill some weeds, and maybe plant some spinach, lettuce, carrots and onions outdoors.
There are a lot of sunny spots that will be shaded later when the leaves come out on the trees, so it’s a good place for lettuce. Will keep it cooler and growing longer without bolting.
If I didn’t have the garden’s MUST DO chores, I’d be sitting on my backside. With my knees, it’s too painful to do much so my day is scheduled around a few minutes on them here and there throughout the day and that’s not enough to lose any weight so it’s a vicious cycle.
Don’t give up on old seeds. Broadcast your old seeds into an area of dirt see what happens. I potted up some 15 year old peanuts a few days ago and they all have come up which is simply thrilling. Also, tried for two years to get chamomille to grow with no luck but last month about 5 popped up after being totally neglected since last summer.
I was suckered into buying a Burpee self watering seed tray last year - ha, never again. The little potting soil pellets were too hard and never did soak up water. Another tray was too small to get the plants out of without ripping them to pieces. Money down the drain. It’s much better and cheaper and kinder to the plants to stick to the tried and true method of recycling old cups and kitchen containers.
I went on my yearly trek to Home Despot (like that) last week and came home with more NOT NEEDED seeds. Normally, I get the cheap 10-50 cent Walmart seeds but was suckered into the pretty packages. But it appears the cukes planted a couple weeks ago aren’t coming up so going to try a new variety with these expensive $1.50+ seeds. My only excuse is the new plants will produce seeds so no need to buy any more in the future (yeah, right, snort).
Oooh, just saw the most beautiful blue jay outside the puter window! Ok, off to the garden again for a few minutes to measure more paths.