Seed starting MAF part 3 5/23/14

I guess by now a beanstalk is appropriate! We came from here:
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1354984/#new

Where's Jack??????

:o)

Just for you Gita!

Ahhhh---that is cute, Ric.....Thanks!

You should change the top picture---can you? Not sure..

hope to direct sow some seeds in between raindrops today. and divide some seedlings as well

I wish the swap was closer and we were going. A) to see everyone, and B) we have extra seedlings including several kinds of heirloom tomatoes and Turkish eggplant

Oh Wind, I wish you were going too! I was sort of saving a 'Purple Majesty' Millet baby for you!

BTW, since you've grown it before, is the seedling normally a little green before it gets older and turns purple? It wouldn't be the first time I got seeds from Pinetree that were supposed to be purple but some of the seeds didn't come true (purple ruffles basil did this).

awwww typ that would have been so great. so thoughtful of you... yes the seedlings start off green. PMM is such a great plant in arrangements especially surrounded by coleus

***Ric****

Just got back from HD.
YES! Bonnies has Sweet Potato "Beauregard" for sale in a 9pack--$3.48.
G.

I've got to pot up my zinnias I think they're all roots at this point. I can't keep them watered, lol. There is never any thyme!

Critter: Speaking of tomatoes I heard Dutch Farm has 100 varieties? Is that true? Are their prices good? If so I may have to visit next year.

got some seeds in the ground just in time before last nights rain. love it when it works out like that!

planted: Arugula (finally!! hope the seeds germinate. used '09 seeds because back then the flavor was much better than the newer cultivars that just don't have as much peppery zip), Choy, and Red Russian Kale

Harry put together a new indestructible raised bed from Gardeners Supply

planted heirloom tomatoes (large yellow) that were started from seeds

a lone asparagus spear popped up next to a tomato plant!

and the Salvia officinalis ‘Sage of Bath’ from Greenthumb last year is quite happy cascading out of one of the raised beds ^_^

Wind I agree--always nice when mother nature waters for us right after planting! Fresh asparagus sounds nice.

Terp, I never answered about the zinnia, but if you can bring them I'm sure someone will want them. I haven't decided how to add color in the front yard, but do need some annuals for color somewhere.

I have several seedlings for red zinnias I could bring if anyone is interested. Also cosmos and marigold.

I tried some old marigold seed and have nothing so far. I'd take marigolds.

I'm forgetting that pretty soon I will see Melampodium butter daisy seedlings in several places. They are sucha nonstop summer bloom annuals with light green leaves and many small yellow flowers, compact plant.

Perilla, purple- I have a zillion this year

Dogwoods- this is a great year for dogwood volunteers,

Okie doke Sally. I have pot marigold (calendula officinalis) and french marigold (tagetes patula var Nana). Do you have a preference or a few of each?

Sally--

I would like to have a few Butter daisies--please...

How about planting the Wasabi Coleus in your shady front side? They spread nicely.
They will really pop with their chartreuse color. I still have plenty to share--give me a number!

BTW--how far along is your Hosta we divided? Mine is leafing out nicely...Picture?

And--on the Ha...ha.. front----after your Article--I wonder who gave me my Spiderwart???
We still friends????.........:o)

french marigold, they are supposed to be good in the vegetable garden thanks!!

Oh hi Gita. Yes, I'll take some Wasabi, like three I guess?-five -six?How many do you have looking for homes? THey should 'glow' in the shade.This is for the left side where the the azalea and little Hydrangea are, mostly high shade from Dogwood and overhang. Then I'd get something contrasting for the sunnier part near the front door.

I'll try to get a picture of my (your) hosta today, they look nice, three are in the bed and fourth in a pot with couple other things.

Of course we are friends, if YOU will have ME, after the spiderwort!. Watch for little suckers.

Okay sally got you down for french marigold!

Hey Gita did you get my dmail asking about the wasabi?

Haha yes that was a great article Sally. Full disclosure Muddy the spiderwort has been a bit of a thug in my bed where it's planted! :-)

Cat--yes! I have you down already for a wasabi Coleus.

Sally--will put you down for 3 right now. These are in decent sized 6-packs..like 2" sq.

You can always re-pinch them and root the tops to make more . I have done it already--
and they don't even blink!

I have not yet tagged all requests in my cache--but am keeping good track of them
in my "haves" list. Maybe Monday I will start tagging all requested plants with names.

Maybe Lowes has these again. That is where I got them--on the clearance rack--
collected some broken off pieces....and that is how I have so many.

Gita

Thanks Gita!

My spinach is already bolting. Is this normal? It's a late bolting variety so I was hoping it would hold on a bit longer.

ssg- I planted Bloomsdale Long Standing spinach early spring, and mine has bolted. I ripped it out yesterday, with disgust at the poor performance. Nex time I will look at Johnnys catalog, and try something different . Last year I had a good spring harvest from fall planted spinach - (Johnny's called 'Lombardi', or something) but this year, voles or the long winter melted many of my fall sown spinach plants. I planted these Bloomsdales really early and barely picked a leaf from any. Very disappointed.

thanks Gita!

I potted a few seeds for Red Castor Bean today- Catbird?

Sigh. I guess I'll try again this fall. We've only had a couple of really hot days so I was hoping it would hold on. I wonder if it'll taste ok if cooked.

Probaly OK to eat, but a pain because the leaves get so small and there's more stem. Try again in fall though, home grown spinach can be so delicious.
It may be day length rather than heat that made it bolt.

I got nearly the entire garden planted. I have room for maybe 1 more row of something and a few stray plants I might pick up next weekend. One thing I didn't plant is green beans, Holly says we never pick them soon enough for them to be tender and they are so cheap to buy so...
I shared my experience of using strips of carpet as walk ways on ATP, and most people loved it. It really reduces evaporation, soil compaction, and weeding. I use it year after year till it's in really bad shape, then trash it, and start watching for a neighbor to recarpet one of their rooms. I'm just giving it a delay en route to the landfill. It also help the kids to figure out where they are supposed to walk. LOL

and easy on the bare feet! I bought pine straw from North Carolina one year. I guess it comes from the big plantings of pulp wood pines. - wow that stuff is a really hard long needle, not like the soft ones I get from my neighbors.
I have tomatoes, cukes, okra, green beans LOL summer squash and winter squash. A little of each. I have some sprouty potatoes I might stick in a new empty spot.

I enjoy the planting more than the picking and prepping.

congrats Ric on getting your garden planted. we still have a bit more to go too. We are fashionably late in getting ours going. Today, a friend just dropped off a bag FULL of fresh picked lettuce etc from her harvest; this is after sharing with her large family... shows who the real gardeners are lol.

Nice that you plant Okra Sally. Our cats ate one of our seedlings; we now only have one left to plant. I may still plant a few seeds.

Today, I planted heirloom Tarahumara Popping Sorghum in between some cannas in the back border. Not sure what to expect; first time trying it. It's supposed to grow tall.

Also, planted seedlings of Quinoa Cherry Vanilla. It looks like it is starting to go to show buds and they are only 4 - 5 inches tall versus 4 or 5 feet tall. we'll see what happens now that they are in the ground. Another first.

Diana, the local produce stand okra looked pretty haggard most of the time. I don't make a whole side dish of it usually, but I cut the pods as they get big enough, slice them into plastic tubs and freeze immediately for soup or other recipes later. I don't quite think one stalk is gonna do it for you LOL Kind of pretty though.
I forgot I have lettuce too. Looks like a bibb or romaine so I'm waiting. I usually grow Green Ice leaf and pick at will. With all the shade on my garden anymore, lettuce and greens will have to become my focus.

I harvested most of the lettuce and planted the rest of my peppers and basil. I noticed that the peppers had nice strong root systems that filled the entire peat pot but the basil roots were only about an inch deep. The roots never grew into the new soil when transplanted into the peat pots. I realize now that I started the basil waaay too early. I think I'll just direct sow next year.

Question---

I have customers still asking for Lettuce or Spinach plants (from Bonnies).

I tell them those are cold crops and they are no longer available.

Can they still be grown, at this time of year, and have successful crops?
We could then suggest they buy some seeds and plant them themselves.

Yes? No? Thanks. Gita

I don't think spinach germinates well at all in warm soil, and lettuce can probably only stay alive in shade. Tell, them GET REAL, you aren't going to grow any good lettuce or spinach in June and July. If they don't already know it, then they are not very dedicated gardeners anyway and they won't have any success.

I used up all my nice helpfulness by 9 pm...LOL

I have a bunch of lettuce to harvest as well as shard. The good news is that I have strawberries to pick. I watered the veggie garden for the first time this evening as well as many other things today.

Do cucumbers need to be grown when it's cool out, too?

Cucumbers grow in warm weather Plant now if you have not already.

thanks, Sally. It's in the ground but has been looking unhappy. I'm not sure what it needs... It gets direct afternoon sun where it is.

G. although they prefer cool weather, we grow lettuce, chard and arugula etc all summer into fall. Of course, even bolt resistant types do poorly in the hot hot heat of August, but there are many bolt resistant plants available now. I'm happy with snipped lettuce leaves for salads and sandwiches and don't need full huge heads of lettuce to harvest like you would best get in cooler months.

We have seedlings growing now for heirloom greens, arugula, peppermint stick chard, red russian kale and baby heirloom bok choy

Thanks, Wind...

Mostly these customers are looking for already growing plants of these--
like is available from the Bonnies tables at HD.

I don't think they want to be growing these from seeds--but i will suggest that.

Gita

Seasoning celery is coming along. haven't tasted it yet

oregano patch is huge this year. I didn't start the original from seed. I'm sure it was a plant from a garden center. It's been in that spot for several years now

potatoes are showing flower buds already. we didn't hill those in this bed; all just arrived from last year's leftovers

hoping to plant another bed of organic seed potatoes today. Only this time I'm going to plant them in rows and as they grow hill them like you're supposed to do. I just learned about it and thought I'd try it