Well, I thought I'd go ahead and try putting out a few seeds and see what happens. I set out some sweet peas, snow peas, snap peas, turnips, beets, mustard, spinach and assorted lettuces.
I noticed one of the nurseries has potatoes, brussel sprouts, broccoli and onion sets for sale.
Next week I'm going to put out some more larkspur, poppy and bachelor buttons seeds.
What are you all planting or got going indoors?
I only have a rosebush, coleus, carolina jasmine and passion vine struggling to live in here. Soon as it is warm they will get thrown outside. The rosebush is a mini rose and it will be outside year round in a container. Easier to take care of I hope. Coleus will go outside a bit later as well as the other 2. The only one coming back in this winter will be the passion vine since it's not hardy.
No seed starts yet. Have a ton coming to me though thru a swap.
Will start peppers and egg plant this week tomatoes in the end of next week hope the weather starts to get better so i can start on a new raised bed for my beets, carrots, and potatoes can we say three year rabbit gold
dave719
As soon as my compost barrel thaws out, hubby will spread it over the top of my new raised lasagna bed for veggies, probably still a few weeks away.
It's interesting to know what folks in this area are doing.
Has anyone done any planting by the moon? I got an atomic clock that shows the moon phases and I thought that might be fun to experiment with.
I have one of those clocks and have even read books/articles on the subject. But I plant when the weather, time, energy, and mood hit me all at once. Usually in spirts actually. I think I'll plant some of my own potatoes for sets since I didn't have any disease last year. I have a lot of good size ones and they have some nice sprouts on them. I may spring plant some more garlic cloves. Depends on how well the fall planted ones are doing in May. Onions are a lost cause for me.
I need to spread the bunny poo I saved from the RU last fall on the new asparagus bed in a few weeks. That should get it off to a good start this season. Some of it may be harvestable this spring. I'm still fighting off the morning glories in that bed. I do let a white brug grow in one corner of that bed. It self sows each year. Seems to come up later and later each spring. I may put a plastic cover over that corner and see if they will sprout sooner.
I want to plant more asparagus beans this season. In succession so I'll have fresh beans over a longer period.
I'm looking forward to this season.
Those asparagus beans are interesting. I let some go to seed and they seem to be very hardy little plants. Do you fix yours just like regular green beans?
Yes, Deb, and I find these are even good fresh off the vine. The only other green bean I ever liked raw was the Royal Burgandy pole beans. They are a deep dark purple until they are in boiling water for a minute or so then they turn so bright green you would think they are dyed.
Leaflady do you grow anything else "odd" or "unusual"?
I grow a few saffron crocus that bloom in the fall. I 've harvested the threads but haven't used them in any dishes yet.
Last year I was very successful raising a new kind of winter squash and something like luffa squash/gourds which developed to late to be any good. I raised Bright Lights Swiss Chard last year too. Not the first time for it, but the first time I remember eating it. It didn't taste like the old chard my mother use to raise and that I tried a few times when the children were all home. I like to try something new every year. Also end up dropping off something old most years just because I realize I don't use it or wasn't successful after several trys. I really raise very little gardenwise anymore. No need to anymore.
GOD bless and keep each of you.
New things are always fun try.
I planted some seeds last weekend. I'm so tired of winter, I had to get some dirt under my fingernails. I planted some new for me Purple Bell Vine (rhodochiton), snail vine, gaillardia and 2 kinds of rudbeckia. I bought 3 or 4 varieties of sunflower seeds, but I'm going to direct sow them later toward the back of the yard for some privacy. I hope they are pretty, do good and mature to feed the birds and provide a cheery privacy screen. I also have seed for some coleus, marigold, LeafLady's Mexican sunflower and other annuals, but it's too soon to sow, I don't want them getting leggy and spider mitey before its warm enough to set out. I think the Mexican sunflowers will look good in front of the "American" sunflowers. I grew some of those "luffa" squash years ago, my girls were small and we cleaned them up and tied ribbons around them for Christmas presents.. I think we planted them next to a fence and pretty much forgot about them till fall harvest. Seems like we soaked them in water with a small bit of bleach... and the girls' little fingers were just the right size to jab or grab the seeds inside. Aw, those were special times, they weren't as spoiled, then. lol
I ordered 3 each of 2 cultivars of hornless blackberries and a Royal Star Magnolia.
Mmmm, Blackberry pie! Have you ever grown blueberries? I keep seeing them in the catalogs, ones that will grow in pots... I wonder how they would do.. I like to use them in salad and desserts or as garnish.. it'd be fun to grow your own... I spend a pretty penny for them in the store in July when I'm making straw/blueberry cheese cake for the 4th, I'd probably eat them more if they were "free" and available outside my door.
AuntB, I have tried so many times to grow so many cultivars of blueberries I can't count them and don't want to think of the money I have spent on this venture. And I still do not have a live plant. It is less expensive in the long run to find some place like a dutch market and buy 10#s of them and freeze them in serving or recipe size packages. That is what I finally did. Mine are in 1/2 cup portions in snack size bags. Ten #s will last a long time.
Blueberries love acid soil. That's part of the reason they are so hard to grow around here. I have a friend sending me some of hers this spring and I am gonna try growing them. I plan on helping with the acid by dumping parts of peppers we don't use and other stuff that can provide acid around them. Will buy acid stuff at the store also and ask at work what else will work.
I used the special blueberry fertilizer & it didn't help that I could see. I think drainage must be a problem here tho I used a specially mixed growing medium in the pots I used for the patio blueberries.
I planted rhododendrons in the front when I landscaped several years ago, the nursery people told me use Pine bark mulch around them for acid.. I might try a patio one, if I find a good deal locally. Thanks for the tip on the acid... I don't know if I'd use up a bulk pkg, but maybe if they were available, I would... That's probably what I'll end up doing, but I want to try one in a container for fun. Royal Star Magnolia... I need to look that one up.
Blueberries by the patio, what a lovely thought. Do they take our midwest heat?
All the catalogs are saying they will. But I always have to prove things for myself...
We had a blueberry bush for a while then it croaked. I know there are some people who have them established around here maybe I can see if they have any "secrets" to share.
I'm cleaning out my seed safe box. I already did one round of giving things away and composting stuff that was probably too old. So, now I've decided to plant, plant and plant. I have things divided into flowers, herbs, vegetables, trees and lotus seeds. Lotus seed will keep for a loooooooooong time. A friend had this lotus seed in a Christmas display for at least 15 years till I asked her if I could have some. As you can see from the red glitter it sprouted.
Anybody got any old seed stories to share?
darlindeb, One of the best gardeners I ever knew planted by the moon.. But, I would have to wonder what that eclipse the other night would have done to the planting charts.:)
The saffron crocus sounds cool!
I only have planted Black Seeded Simpson lettuce outside so far... I have planted 6 flats of lettuce in my tiny 6x8 HF Greenhouse.. Last year ,, I used large plastic tubs for the lettuce in the greenhouse.. It worked amazingly well, except it took up too much of my propagation space. I am hoping that the flats give my leaf lettuce enough growing space for the roots. I learn something every year...
I have 10 plug trays full of various and assundry seeds... Each plug tray has 116 individual "plugs" Those have a mix of tomatos, peppers, broccoli, eggplant, cabbage, cauliflower. I sound like quite a gardener so far? no.. I give most of it away.. Just love to propagate. I also have big walnut trees in the yard.. So most plants have to go way away from any of those trees.
I have about 55 milk jugs planted for winter sowing.. My first year for this... I have had some interesting discussions with friends and family about this... First... I usually "introduce" my ideas with my co-workers... so began the friendly competiton for milk jugs.. One of my co-workers said that I had tied up the free milk jug market in the tri-county area..
I was at my oldest daughter's house... She told me where "my" saved milk jugs were... My SIL , all of a sudden needed a couple of them for watering the chickens.. so, You know, He's out of the will. :) He will also have to BEG me for the tomato plants this year.... Hehehe!!! I would be tougher on them, but they have one cute kid living at their house..
My seeds in milk jugs are a little of everything... some are new seeds purchased from online seed catalogs.. Others, are from generous people here on Dave's, trading , etc.. and then some are some older seeds I thought the milk jugs would be an inexpensive experiment for those old seeds... So , I may have some old seeds stories.. We'll see.
and wasn't the weather beautiful yesterday? I was in GH heaven, Ahhhhh. Potting up little coleus plants that have looked pretty sad in their window rooting jars ... I have been silly enough to run a couple of flats of coleus , begonias and other foliage annuals back and forth between the GH on sunny days and the house when the temps dropped.. It has been fun and exhausting.. So, I thought I would turn the heater on for last night in the GH and leave them out there .. I forgot to turn the heater on.. Woke up about 2... Realized my error... looked out the window and saw snow..!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I moved pretty fast... Ran out and turned the heater on.. Whew..! They look ok this morning.. the thermometer read 40. Silly silly me..
I have luffa gourd seeds to plant this year..
Leaflady, I am always amazed when I hear there is anything you can't grow.
I think I'm jealous you 'll are saying what a pretty you had it was 40 wet cloudy and cold here and it don't do a thing for old joints lol
LOL Dave.
darlindeb-
I finally got my lotus to sprout. What's really cool is that it 'walks'- at 10 am, the seed is on its side, and by 6 pm, it's standing up on one end! Just moved them to a large bucket with aquatic soil.
Right now I have seedlings of: Oenothera rosea, O. 'Apricot Delight', Tacca chantrieri, Campanula 'Elizabeth', Actinidia melandra and chinensis, Cyperus 'Chira', Plumeria rubra, Beschorneria yuccoides, Jacaranda mimosifolia, Clitoria ternatea (had to do it just for the name!), Aquilegia 'Green Apples', and a couple different Echiums. Needless to say, I have a greenhouse for the tropicals, but the Oenothera, Actinidia, Campanula, and Aquilegia will be planted out after Memorial Day.
Growing seeds is the only way to make it through winter!
Oops- meant to attach pics:
And the lotus:
I have greenhouse envy.
Kathy Jo do share what you know about planting by the moon and how you learned it.
plantaholic 186 Lotus seeds are hoot to grow. I put some in a sunny window in tall vases and it was astounding how much they could grow in a day. Is there any story behind the lotus seeds you are growing?
I sometimes plant my lettuce seed in former hanging flower baskets and put them up on the fence out of the way of the rabbits and slugs. I call them my salad bowls. LOL :-D
darlindeb- what a great way to deal with rabbits! I have a vision of eating dinner outside and reaching up to pick my salad.
The only story behind the lotus is that I went through quite a few before I got the hang of it. I never realized how deeply the seeds have to be sanded. So it's SO gratifying to see them grow!
Plantaholic 186 I usually just take mine and scrape the side (not the end's) on some cement till I see a bit of white. It usually takes about 2 years till I would get a bloom.
Have you tried growing any of the bowl lotus?
Here is a photo of one I grew from a tuber last year. The penny in the picture will give you some idea of scale of bloom and plant size.
Bowl lotus? Now, don't go getting me addicted to a new plant! : p
I had to get a rather large patch of white to get the seeds to sprout. I hadn't thought about cement- very clever.
Here's a pic of the one I bought last year.
Oh, that looks kinda like 'Strawberry Blonde.' I've heard that if a lotus has some yellow in the flower that it was produced by crossing it with a native American lotus called N. luteau
which has a yellow flower. Do you know the name of the one in your photo?
Well, it was only identified as N. nucifera, so it's anyone's guess if it's a cultivar. The flower does look yellower in that pic than this one:
Talk to me about this bowl lotus... I've tried a miniature lotus, Kwan Basu? I never saw a bloom. It got buds and some critter got in the pond and tore it to shreds.. it did grow and revive, but I didn't winter it properly..... now the bowl lotus, that's more my size. Did you purchase the tuber locally?
The bowl lotus which I think is 'Sunrise Bowl' was a gift; however, the person got it from Water's Edge in Lawrence, KS. I contacted them to see if they did mail order, but last year they were only selling from their shop. Y ou can go to their website.www.watersedge.com and check them out.
I had tried a different variety of bowl lotus several years back with no luck; however, this one performed very well with five blooms. The blooms didn't set seed or I'd send you a seed Aunt B. I grew this one in a large size plastic salad bowl in a 3 ft wide patio pond and had it rigged so the bowl was only about 2 or 3 inches below the water line.
With the ice storm and power outage we had in December I don't know what is going to make it in my water gardens. Only time will tell.
I love lotus. I wish I could talk my husband into building me a bog area where I could grow more.
About the middle of May I will endeavor to start all my lotus seeds.
There is a whole gardening by the moon forum here at Dave's! I guess I can add that to my list of things to experiment with.
I planted more snow peas today and 3 different varieties of radish. I'm so anxious for something to come up.
'Sunrise Bowl' is beautiful! Put me in line for a seed as well! : )
I thought I responded to the planting by the moon thing, but guess it didn't hit the right button..
anyhow, What I learned was to plant root vegetables by the dark of the moon, and everything else by the light of the moon..
darlindeb, there's a DG forum for "gardening by the moon". You might check them out to see what everyone has to say.
I went looking around at waxing and waning moons over at the gardening by the moon forum. There is also a site in the U.K. that talks about 3 different approaches to planting by the moon. Now that I've gone back to work it looks like I'll have to plant when I can LOL.
My experiment for the the day was to plant Larkspur, Bachelor Buttons and various poppies in cardboard egg cartoons. I did this because sometimes I forget what seedlings look like. I have those seeds planted in various beds and I hope they do well. So frustrating when you weed some plant out only to discover it was something you wanted.
I've been saving my wooden chopsticks when I get oriental food and using those to mark planted areas. I've been able to write what I planted on the side of some the squarer style chopsticks with a permanent marker.
We have a neighbor up the road who has some chickens so we spent an hour and a half helping him clean up his coops. We had quite a bit on our trailer after all the scraping and shoveling. Hubby unloaded it with a front end loader and then mixed it into a giant compost pile we have going. I guess it will have to sit for a year or more before we can use it. I've always heard Chicken manaure can burn plants if you put it on too soon.
What I really want is some sheep pooh. I've heard it's great for tomatoes.
Aunt B and Plantaholic 186. I'll try to remember to save you a seed from the 'Sunrise Bowl' if it makes seed this year. I don't know exactly how "true" lotus seed are.
I ordered some weird stuff today from www.rareseeds.com I wonder if any of you all have grown some of this stuff: 'Chioggia' beet, 'Tigger' and 'Charentais' melons, 'Siam Queen' Thia Basil and 'Hungarian Blue' breadseed poppy.
Anything exciting happening with anybody?
