STARTING OUR SPRING VEGGIE GARDEN Pt. 2

We came from here: http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1295701/#new

Ooh, those are beautiful tomato plants.

Started onion (Red Wing), shallot (Picador), and leek (King Richard) seeds already, just starting to sprout. Started Space hybrid spinach indoors yesterday. Zone 5 garden season 2013 indoor seed starting has commenced.

Got a few more weeks to go before tomatoes get started here, much less get to that size.

This message was edited Feb 11, 2013 9:01 PM

My little radishes, sugar snaps, and a little lettuce just coming up.

The only thing in my garden is some garlic and leeks, it is a start .. I have a few radishes that have gone wild , all year they are always in the garden someplace.

Stephanie, are those the plants you started in your roaster oven? How old are they? They look great...

They do look nice!! Stephanie, my cats would have a party with all those plants on the window sill.

Happytail, those seedlings look happy.

Juhur, at least you have those plants, it's so cold up here I have to wait and watch you guys growing wonderful things. I do have those two frozen avocado trees (in the house now) miraculously coming back to life, and some strawberry plants still in their cups, rescued from the great outdoors. Some I put back out so they could get their chill time, but these I'll probably put in the fridge for a while before I plant them in the Dutch buckets. I'm waiting to get vermiculite/perlite to start some seeds for the hydroponics.

Cybrczch, I want to grow onions so bad. I started some last year, and they grew to about five inches, very spindly things, and then died. Maybe too much water, I don't know, but I cook with onions a lot, so it would be so great to have some organic onions stored up or dried in jars. Tonight, I had some french fries and instead of catsup, I mixed chopped green onions and sour cream to dip them in. Oh man, I'll never eat catsup with fries again (probably).

Raindrops for Mardi Gras- weather only a crawdad would love

Solace, they were only on the window sill long enough to get a pic! My cats would've eaten them in no time flat if they'd have been left unattended for long.

Lisa, these are the ones started in the roaster oven. I'll check the dates I sowed them when I get home from work this evening.

The weather man was right this time.
No planting out my tomatoes on February 15th as I did planned ... oohhhh
My next planting out date will be February 25th ... which it will be the latest I ever transplanted out my tomatoes in the last 4 years.
I am hardening off the plants in the back porch (when the temperature is good ... not today).
The plants are growing really good and they have started to make flowers and suckers - but I am removing them.
The leaves are a bright green color and they are very healthy looking plants.
Those plants are only 6 weeks old.

The tallest variety is CHOCOLATE CHERRY - first year growing this kind.

MY GARDEN UPDATE:
I have collard seedlings coming up, and the Italian Spinach, Gigante D'Inverno? are looking very robust. I took a chance on more cool weather, and, it is right on time! If the nights keep cooling off, I may actually get more greens by April! Still waiting on my mustard seeds to pop. Sowed all these outside in the colorful "drawer" trays and a couple patented EBs pressed into service as seed beds.

I transplanted more beet seedlings into some large planters on the patio, and they are looking great and growing fast, too! The beets in RB #1 have taken off (finally) and, for some reason, the pillbugs aren't bothering them, or the turnip greens, anymore. Could be the last application of Sluggo Plus coupled with the nighttime dips that have them on the run. I'll be able to harvest some "hole free" turnip greens after all!

The long white (Hansel? Gretyl?) eggplants from last spring/summer have started blooming all over again in the eBuckets, so I'm going to lift them out, refresh the soil, and repot them.

My bell pepper seedlings inside under lights have started making blooms!! They are the most robust bell peppers I've started since the Emerald Giants a few seasons ago. Truly deep green and very healthy!

I have a new flat of cabbage seedlings to plant into one of the RBs.

Dug post holes in the opposite end of RB #1 to extend the tomato frame across the entire bed. Trellising them on the guide lines is so EZ, much neater, and takes up very minimal space in the bed. No cages or stakes all over the place. This time though, I'm putting PVC sleeves into the holes, so at the end of the season, I can lift the frame out of that end and cap the sleeves til next time. Didn't think to do this on the original end, which is permanently in place. But, it's still neat, since I painted it to match my fence. Not obtrusive at all.

Attended an Urban Harvest class this past Sunday. Toured a large community garden, and did a walkabout of the instructor's home garden. EVERY square inch of his property (front and back) is filled with edible landscaping! All sorts of citrus trees, fruit trees, veggies, native flora, a chicken coop (4 hens), and a 4x4 compost bin that stands about 6 ft. tall. Three sections filled with leaves/veggie peels, partially decomposed compost, and black gold in the last section.

PRICELESS!

Scheduled for one more class, this time a "'Hands On', down in the dirt, let's do it," class. I figured I need to take at least ONE local class, seeing as all I know about veggie gardening I've learned from you guys here on Dave's! And, most of you are outside of Houston proper, or in other states! I don't even know the recommended local veggie varieties to grow! Not that I would, of course. Ya'll know I'm an "outside the box," "push the veggie envelope" kinda girl!

LOLOLOL! ^^_^^

P.S. Going to order the Dripworks starter kit for my RBs. The garden industry feels that T-Tape is the wave of the future, and will be sustainable in the long run.

Hugs!

Linda, you are our Super Hero! Thanks for sharing with us. (Im still laid up with the Upper Respiratory Monster Thing). Im interested in the drip thing too so let us know how that goes.

Steadycam3,
Hate that you're under the weather! But, don't play around with that Monster! It can lay you out, as you already know.

BTW,
Do you still have the broccoli seedlings? I'm game to still take some.

LMK.

Hugs!

Linda, who wishes she was a true Super Hero, who could grow mega pounds of veggies to give away to those in need...

Yes I still have the broc seedlings and theyve been on the back porch for several weeks now so no need to harden off. They are not growing that fast so still small in six packs. I'd love for you to have them. Maybe we could meet in the middle but dont get to close to me. I dont know if Im still contagious.

Great!

Just lmk when we can meet.

I placed them at the curb just minutes ago. Later when Im germ free, let's plan to meet for something.

I started tomatoes and peppers tonight. It seems I will have to break out the lights -- there aren't any sunny warm days in the forecast, which is strange for this time of year.

Rain Rain and more rain with cold cloudy days. I heard March is suppose to be extra cold for a little while too before we start warming up around here.


I have transplanted 98 sprouted spinach seeds and about 72 more tomorrow. I want to can some spinach but have no idea what I am doing. Have never grown spinach before now. Happy I got the seed to germinate. It's gonna be an interesting gardening year all the way around. I am sure I can grow it....my only fear is bugs.

Oh....I was talking to someone about how my grandmother use to rinse tons of turnip green leaves. She rinsed them through the washing machine.....just on the gentle rinse cycle twice. Since I am growing lots of green stuff this year for canning, I think I will try it.

It's just a giant electric salad spinner, right!

I wish I had one of those "water-miser" washers that rinse using a slow spin while water just sprays onto the drum.

Ya'll do know that we never get ALL the bugs, right?

I was cleaning a head of Bok Choy in my sink when a HUGE slug crawled out of the center and plopped into the sink.

Yuck.

Yep, 'Thas what Ah'm talkin' 'bout...

I've started washing outside with a preliminary blast from the hose.

That's just gross, Rick! Ick!!

Lisa, I sowed these tomato seeds on Jan 13th. They're doing great! I need to plant them into larger containers.

Pantano Romanesco tomato seedling.

Flat of various seedlings, stevia, borage (for the tomatoes), and Purple Morado Tomatillos

Steph,
Your seedlings are gorgeous!

Wonderful experiment you conducted.

>> That's just gross, Rick! Ick!!

Yeah. Especially since he did most of his damage, hidden, on the inside. I was just thinking "this head is pretty clean, no dirt and few holes, how much do I really need to wash this one ... " PLOP!

Please, please don't tell me they add protein to a salad!

This message was edited Feb 13, 2013 4:25 PM

Okay ,!! but how about ""no extra charge"" for the meat? lol

A couple of skinny tomato plants you can joke about , they will be plenty big and thick,by time for them to go to the garden,

Juhur7,
How big is that container on the ends? Do you start your seed of in that size, or did you transplant up to that container?

Half gallon commercial , no,, were not seeded in those , started in Styrofoam cups, potted up to the larger and they will grow from there to the garden , no more potting up .
This is same plant last week..one of them anyway...

Ok. Got it!

Tomorrow is my day off, so I plan on "up-potting" all my seedlings to 16oz cups. Do you think those will work or should I go for something bigger/deeper? They are currently in 6oz yogurt cups. One thing I've done this year is water them weekly with a weak solution of fish emulsion & seaweed. I've also been watering them from the bottom every 2-3 days.

My peppers that I planted have done absolutely NOTHING in the roaster oven! Tomorrow, I'm going to re-sow those and start them on a heating mat or heating pad elevated over a baking cooling rack. I also need to sow more borage and I have some parsley that's been stratifying in my fridge. I also have some daylily seeds that have been in there for a couple of years. I should probably try to start those, too! LOL

If I'm really feeling good tomorrow, I'll do some winter sowing of my flowers. We'll see if I'm that industrious!

Steph,
Don't give up on the peppers just yet. They take considerably longer to pop. Just the way they are... Mine started off just a slowly, but they've caught up by leaps and bounds! Some even about to put on blooms, under the fluorescent lights.

16 oz. Solo cups would be fine. That's my method, and they'll make nice, big root balls. Try to find clear cups. For some reason, mine always grow stronger in the clear cups vs. the Red Solo Cups. I think it's because the light reaches them even from the sides, and it seems to make a difference in the growth.

PRAY TELL, which flowers are you going to start winter sowing (when you do...)

Linda

I have marigolds, salvia, and zinnias to sow. I could probably just cast the seeds out, but I'd probably think they were weeds when they sprouted!

I also have carrots to sow and taters to get planted.

Just potting them up ,gives you neater plants , I use those yogurt size cups for my annual flowers , The tomato plants I have there I will put a bamboo stake with them the same as the market does their plants ,
It is that way as months will pass before it is time for them to go to the garden ,like May or June , yours go in next month or a day or two after that? Lots of difference , I too am trying to start some Borage and herbs but room is limited and a dozen tomato plants take up a lot of room . As it warms up I can set plants in the garage and start more, things get less hectic as far as room concerns ,
It is worth it for the choices it allows though , after all ,when was the last time you got an heirloom beefsteak or good large yellow sweet tomato at your local market?

My garden has a lot of structural changes ,that are to be made, Concrete reinforcing wiring wire to grow these plants on ,a few cement poles to wire the fence unto , Blocks to go around, the garden beds , Things that should of been finished years ago but have waited because of other concerns ,
Lot of old ways of doing things I always like growing the tomato plants this way as lettuce or parsley ,or greens of sorts always grow well set in around the tomatoes.
Makes the gardener ,namely me , much more satisfied about it when I get two or three crops from the same space, keeps the motivations a lot happier. You have all mentioned this bunches so this is as to say I agree , something to keep the hopes going... it counts ....

Thanks, Steph!

Juhur7,
Thanks for the tip about using the yogurt cups! I've got about a BAZILLION of them, already prepped and ready to go.

Steph,
I have gallon milk jugs to sow seeds in. Is the process the same as for the tomatoes? Once they're up and out and get a couple good leaves, transplant them into individual cups to grow on until they go out into the garden?

Now, I'm REALLY, REALLY, REALLY excited, because I've been wanting flowers on my property since I bought it in 2005, and this will be the first year I could actually have CURB APPEAL!!!!!

Work with me, Steph, every step of the way, ok? I'm here, and I'm listening and learning.

Post plenty pictures, too!

Linda ^^_^^^^_^^^^_^^ (Linda, Steph, and Juhur7 doing the flower dance!)

I'll post a link to my winter sowing tutorial when I get home from work.

Great!

Chicory, Coneflowers, last august , a couple of visitors too!!! YEP!!!! The best of weeds and bugs !! all right...lol