General Discussion & Chat: Best/Worse/What did I Learn Today? Come sit awhile and share your day..newcomers welcome, 1 by NewLeafTX

NewLeafTX wrote:
Prayers to God for all who are not well. Hope those of you up North stay warm as much as possible, & weather the storm OK.

We\'ve had a cool and rainy snap here, as the cold air from up N. makes its way South. A cool & wet March is \"ideal\" for agriculture and for gardens, in these parts. We have been hurting for rain here in TX, so it\'s lovely and a relief now that we are finally receiving a good drenching!

Soil very muddy today & not good for sowing nor for working in the Cottage garden... doing so would compact the garden soil, not recommended. I\'ll have to gingerly tiptoe may way around that area later tonight (8-9 PM) to do a slug & snail round up, but it should be a bit less soaked by then. If I don\'t round up the slimies, they will eat up the majority of my baby plants-- especially the Brassicas & salad mix seedlings!

These cool temps are a blessing too, because many of my seeds will not germinate above 70F. Today, I sowed Oregano seeds in the 8\" terracotta rear patio pot, which held just a few tiny weed seedlings (such as the ubiquitous, & invasive, Ruellia) when I found it.

Most of what I have sown so far has sprouted. The most recent arrivals are Nasturtium which had been awaiting this cool spell; it likes germination temps below 65F. Something is peeking up in the Shiso pot. Too early yet, to ID the sprouts.

Only a few seed types had low germination rates. Fortuitous, considering I used all seeds packed for 2023 (last year\'s leftovers).

Found an under- utilised sunny spot on the rear patio. Carefully removed the eight 1/2\" tall Boehmeria cylindrica – False Nettle seedlings growing there. Transplanted them all out into their own shady/moist spots in the yard because they are a butterfly host species. Nettles, including this stingless one, also have uses in herbalism and in cover cropping/composting.

False nettle is also known as \"Bog Hemp\" & is a Host Plant for the following winged beauties–
Red Admiral, Eastern Comma, Question Mark

Preferring wettish and semi-shady sites, Boehmeria cylindrica lacks the stinging hairs of its nettle cousins. Stringy heads of tiny yellow-green flowers form between leaf stems in summer.
Pic 1: Boehmeria cylindrica, adult plant in bloom- Pic by Prairie Moon nursery in Minnesota.
To be Uploaded later: Nasturtium seedling/s, & Oregano pot


This message was edited Mar 21, 2024 5:40 PM

This message was edited Mar 21, 2024 5:57 PM