Saturday, February 28, 2009

New Garden Bed!

Once upon a time I was just a shrub
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Now I'm an unsightly new garden bed *with so much potential*! (Promises it will be worth it for having removed the bush which I feel much guilt about)
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And my blueberry bushes didn't get totally destroyed by our extra cold and snowy winter... they have little buds all over them.
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Spinach or weed? I can't tell
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Also sprouts of the day: Potato (from seed!) and artichoke which took five days. Zoinks. Still waiting on celery.
Bonus: DH fixed my leaky rain barrel (we think. It hasn't rained since this morning so we'll see tomorrow).

Currently: 46.1 °F and Overcast
Windchill: 44 °F
Humidity: 63%
Dew Point: 34 °F

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Rain barrel woes

Lies! Looks like I have a slow leak out of the front spigot - dang it. I'll have to drain it, take out the faucet bit, retape and reinstall. Not too bad considering. Should take a couple of minutes tomorrow.... just wondering now where I'm going to drain all the water off to? (Too bad my celery isn't in the ground yet! lol)

Wednesday Musings

So of course the first thing I did this morning was check to see how full the rain barrel got....

ALL THE WAY!

I also successfully sealed all the hoses and don't have any leaks that I can detect so that's good news. My Sweetheart Tomatoes also sprouted over night too. Happy Wednesday to me!

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Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Rainy Day Yay!

It's sprinkling right now and I managed to hook my rain barrel up to the down spout (via the watersaver) about an hour ago. I'm kind excited about it. Actually I'm totally excited about it. I'm such a dork I went out in the near-dark and the rain to watch the water pour into the bottom of the barrel... lol. I was surprised at how much was actually was going in... it was like leaving the water faucet on medium-low. Yay for free water!

Edited to add:

I got on Gardenweb forums to see if I could figure out what was wrong with my purple pepper leaves - Seems I might have been over heating the plant. So now it's been off the little heating pad for a few hours and it does most defiantly seem perkier but it's still purple. I'll give it a few days. I'm worried about the pimento peppers too, as they're starting to look a little leggy. In general though, all the peppers seem a lot happier off the hot pad. Naughty me. But what do I know? I've never started peppers from seed before. Live and learn. In my defense I thought it was about 60°F daytime temps in the basement - turns out it was actually 70°F - the heating pad warms things up about 10° so I was on the right track just off the right temperature! Ooops.

Monday, February 23, 2009

Rainy Day Blues

So of course today is the day that the garden watersaver arrives. We've had a week or more of cool but sunny days and today it rains. Why couldn't it show up yesterday? I want to hook up the rain barrel so bad! Bah.

At least I started the tomatoes last night. And I'm braving potatoes from seeds... also started last night. I didn't write up the whole little thing I usually do. Busy, busy. I might also have to bust out the Square Foot Garden book again - I think I can squish more plants into my beds then I've been planning for.

I still can't tell if I'm being taunted by weeds or if I really did get a little spinach sprout in the garden bed. Now there are two of them.

And since everyone else has been flaunting their seedling trays here are a few pictures of mine.

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Oh does anyone know what it means if your sweet pepper leaves turn purple? Are they phosphorus deficient?
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And my friend wants me to grow a Loofa for her.. lolz. She's funny. I'm not sure but I think it might be too late to start one and where in the world would I put it? Anyone have any luck growing these in the PNW?

And holy cow - I just realized I didn't start my artichoke seeds?! How did that happen?! Aw man... I wonder if it's too late. =(

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Could it be?!

Spring!
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Tomatoes, Rain Barrels and Garden Gnomes

Re: Spinach
I have, three days later, one teeny tiny little sproutling that's come up right where I planted these seeds directly in the garden beds. I'd love to say it's my spinach but in all honesty, I'm not sure! I'll keep my peepers peeped and confirm when more come up or when it starts to look like spinach and not a weed. Heh.

Re: Tomatoes
I'm a lazy so-and-so and have yet to start my tomatoes. What the heck am I waiting for? I really better do that tomorrow.

Re: Staking Tomatoes
So PA left a comment about a tomato staking product which they were wondering if they should use or not. While the stake itself looks fairly sturdy the method of holding the plant to it, I don't agree with. They've twisted a hard piece of wire through the stake (it has holes) and around the stem of the plant. This not only creates direct contact, ie. rubbing of vine to stake which can potentially open the vine up to insects and disease but it also doesn't allow for growth. You'd have to monitor the wire twist to make sure that as the vine grows the twist doesn't get too tight around the plant.

I always try to use a softer material to tie any and all plants with that need tying. Often a strip of plastic grocery bag will do the job just fine. While it still needs to be monitored that it doesn't become too tight I tend to tie loose and check often - I've yet to cut off one my plants with this method. I never tie the stem directly to the stake but make a circle eight with the string or strip of bag. This keeps them from rubbing up against one another. Obviously not a tomato plant but hey - it's still only Feb so I used what I could find! ;^) (poor little branch)
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Re: Cages and Props
These are the tomato cages I've used in the past. They are very sturdy and won't blow over in any wind. (One of PA's concerns). They are excellent for determinate type tomatoes that are shrubbier. I'm still working on indeterminate tomato type staking. I'll most likely start with one of these cages to hold the base of the plant up and put some plastic rebar type staking with it as the plant grows late into the season. We'll see how it goes.
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Re: Garden Gnome & Rain Barrels
My little garden gnome "helping" me put together the rain barrel the other day. She always makes me laugh.
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Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Sweet Hearts Grape Tomato

Sweet Hearts Grape Tomato
73 days. The quickest way to a gardener's heart is through a tomato, and Sweet Hearts went straight for ours! Feverishly productive, indeterminate plants continuously set loads of very uniform, crack-resistant fruit throughout the season. The ruby red morsels grow on thick clusters from branched stems. Snap off a stem and you've got mouthfuls of deliciously sweet, 1½ inch long, grape tomatoes. Resistant to Tomato Mosaic Virus, Strains 0, 1, and 2

"Lycopersicon lycopersicum: Find out why everyone is talking about this sought after sweet and flavorful type of tomato. Grape tomatoes are aptly named because they resemble the shape and size of grapes. Top off your fresh summer greens with Morning Light and Jolly Elf. You just can't build a prettier or more delicious salad.

CULTURE: Sow seeds indoors into sterile seedling mix 6-8 weeks before your last spring frost. Plant 1/4-1/2 inch deep, water lightly, and cover with plastic or a Propagation Dome to keep the seeds from drying out. Optimum soil temperature for germination: 70-90°F. Days to emergence: 6-14. When the first set of true leaves has emerged, up-pot into 3-4 inch pots and place in an area with full light and cooler temperatures (60-70°F). This will help prevent legginess. Water carefully, allowing the soil to dry on the surface between watering, but don't let the plants wilt. Fertilize with fish emulsion every 10-14 days. Seven to ten days before you want to transplant outside, set the plants in a sheltered area outdoors to harden off. Bring in or cover at night to protect from frost. After the danger of frost has passed, transplant into well worked garden soil. Blend 1/4 cup of our complete fertilizer into the soil around each plant. If you have acid soils or have been bothered by blossom end rot, a handful of bone meal should also be added. Space determinate varieties 18-24 inches apart and indeterminate varieties 20-30 inches apart. Allow 36-48 inches between rows. If your plants have become leggy, plant them deeper; the stems will actually sprout roots. Water very lightly at first, allowing the stems to adapt. To promote early growth and better yields use season extending products such as Wallo' Waters, Kozy Coats, Solar Bell Cloches, or Red Plastic Mulch. Refer to the Garden Accessories section of this catalog.
DETERMINATE/INDETERMINATE: Determinate varieties spread laterally and therefore do not require staking. Determinate varieties ripen at once so are a good choice for gardeners who love to can. Indeterminate varieties grow vertically until the bitter end and need to be staked or trellised for best production. They produce fruit until frost, leaving you some green tomatoes at the end of the season.
INSECTS/PESTS: Non-organic options: Use Rotenone-Pyrethrin or crop row covers to discourage flea beetles early in the season, when they can be most destructive. Tomato hornworms can be controlled with Bacillus thuringienses (a bacteria also known as BT) sold as Thuricide.
DISEASES: Natural genetic plant resistance is the best form of disease control. For diseases like early and late blight, a strict 3 year rotation and a sanitation program that includes destroying all the vines at the end of the year are your best defenses. Contact your local county extension agent for more information.
SEED SPECS: Minimum germination standard: 80%. Usual seed life: 3 years. Days to maturity are calculated from date of transplanting; add 30-35 days if direct seeding. Approximately 35-40 seeds per 1/8 gram, about 300 seeds per gram; 1/4 ounce is 7 grams.

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WHEN TO PLANT: Plant seeds indoors in flats six to eight weeks before your frost free date.
HOW TO PLANT: Cover the seeds; they germinate better in the dark. Keep the soil temperature as close as possible to 80°F for prompt germination. Transplant at least once, into larger flats with 2" between plants, setting the seedlings deeper than they grew before, especially if they have gotten leggy. Tomato seedlings growing indoors should be kept near 60°F to prevent overly rapid growth that is difficult to harden.
Vernalization - chilling to induce early bloom - often works well with tomatoes, but it must be done early, when the first true leaves are opening up and the plant is only about 1 1/2" tall. Night temperatures of 50°F to 55°F for two to three weeks are usually effective. Not all vegetable specialists agree that this method makes sense. If you decide to try it, treat only part of your crop so you'll have some unchilled plants for comparison.
Wait until you're reasonably sure you've had your last frost date before setting out your tomato plants. That's mid-May for us, about the time the barn swallows return. Another old rule of thumb is to set out tomato transplants when the dogwoods are in full bloom.
Set unstaked plants about 3' apart in rows 3' apart. Staked tomatoes may be planted 2' apart, and you can space cherry tomato and some early varieties as close as 15" - 18". Remember to protect them from cut worms. since spring winds can still be punishing during the last two weeks in May, I like to bury my tomato plants, parallel to the soil surface, right up to the top tuft of leaves. Dig a long, shallow trench for this, rather than a deep hole. It's too cold way down there in the ground for the roots of the warmth loving tomato, which is at its best between 70°F and 90°F.
DIRECT SEEDING: As an alternative to prestarted transplants, you might like to try direct-seeding some kinds of tomatoes. The small early cherry tomatoes and the new cold-resistant subarctics are obvious candidates for this treatment, but any except very late varieties are worth a try. Seeds planted at the time the maples bloom will wait out the early cold and germinate when the weather's right, just like all those volunteer tomatoes that grow well without any help from us. Such plants will be a bit later to come into bearing, but they'll often take over at the end of the season when the main planting is on the decline.
GROWING CONDITIONS: Good drainage and soil aeration, reasonable fertility and an ample supply of potash and phosphorus are important. Purple-leaved tomato seedlings are most likely to be suffering from a phosphorus deficiency. Dig in rock phosphate and bone meal before the final transplanting. A seedling that develops purple leaves just before it is planted out often returns to normal when transplanted to the garden row, if the soil is adequate. Avoid giving too much nitrogen during early growth; it will promote vining at the expense of fruiting. The tomato's nitrogen requirements rise a blossoming time, though, and that's when you can give the plants a boost of manure tea or diluted fish emulsion.
Mulching helps to promote even tomato growth throughout the season, but it should not be done until the soil warms up. It's often mid-june, at least, before I have my tomato patch mulched.
STAKING: Staking of tomatoes isn't necessary, but it keeps the fruit clean and promotes slightly earlier ripening. Since we've reduced the size of our tomato patch (to more than enough for two people rather then more than enough for four), we now stake our plants. Formerly, though, we let our plants sprawl on a deep mulch, trading some spoiled fruit and tangled patch for the time we'd have to spend tying the plants and pruning the sucker that appear in the leaf axils. Staked tomatoes produce more fruit per foot of row, though less per plant, than those that are not staked.
If you do stake, it's a good idea to sink the support soon after planting so you remember where you've buried the long stem of the tomato plant. Use soft cloth strips of old sheets or kit fabric to tie plants. Encircle the plant stem once, make a loose knot, and then tie a second circle with the same strip of cloth around the stake. This prevents damage to the plant from rubbing. Many gardeners report excellent results using either wooden frames set over the plants for support or surrounding teach plant with a circle of hog wire or concrete reinforcing wire with holes large enough to reach in for fruit picking.
REMARKS: Avoid planting tomatoes near walnut trees; they are extremely sensitive to the toxin juglone, which is exuded by walnut tree roots. They are also sensitive to unnatural chemicals in the soil and vulnerable to diseases spread by tobacco users. Indoors, natural gas leaking from cooking stoves or other appliances may retard tomato seedlings.

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These are far more then I would normally spend on seeds, but I was seed shopping on Valentines Day and my baby girl *loves* grape tomatoes. Loves. How could I then resist? Sweet Hearts for my Sweet Heart on Valentines Day. I hope they live up to my expectations!
PURCHASED: 15 seeds from Territorial Seed Co. Feb '09. $7.05. Started seeds on 02/22/09 in a yogurt cup on the heat mat. Covered with plastic wrap and chip bag to keep them in the dark. They came up in 3 days! 02/25/09. Moved them off the heat mat and uncovered them. Did a diluted seaweed feed on 3/2/09.
STARTED SEED:
HARDENED OFF:
TRANSPLANTED IN GARDEN:
DISEASE ISSUES:
INSECT ISSUES:
HARVEST YEILD & DURATION:
OTHER NOTES:

03/02/09
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03/16/09
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03/23/09
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A good day

My shy little chocolate bells sent up one little timid sprout this morning. Success!

I also built the platform to elevate my new rain barrel out of some old pavers we had laying around. I'm not sure it's high enough. Actually, I know it's not high enough but I just need to figure out what I can use to make it higher and still keep it stable. Then I assembled
the rain barrel itself. It was pretty easy, mostly just attaching hoses and whatnot. The best part? It was a gorgeous *sunny* afternoon with 54° weather - which after this frigid winter we've had felt like the warmest sunniest summer day. It was lovely! For a while I was in just a tee shirt even. I still need to order and install the Garden Watersaver before my rain-barrel project is complete.

While I was tinkering around in the back yard I also got my spinach seeds planted directly into the garden bed. I hope it's warm enough for them out there... guess we'll find out. 0.o

Now I'm off to start my tomatoes!

Oregon Star Tomato

Oregon Star Tomato
80-85 days. Large, vigorous, determinate vines will produce huge fruit, 3 inches wide by 5 inches long when well grown. One of the earliest maturing BIG tomatoes that we sell. Makes the most thick and creamy tomato juice we have seen. Developed by Dr. Jim Baggett at OSU. Parthenocarpic. Resistant to Verticillium Wilt, Race 1. OP

"Lycopersicon lycopersicum: Sauce varieties are very low in juice and high in pulp. Growing sauce tomatoes for the chef in your family will win you points! These cultivars require much less cooking time to obtain a thick sauce because they contain far less water than tomatoes bred for fresh eating. These same qualities make them excellent for drying. Perfect for casseroles and for topping pizza, too. While our sauce varieties are early-maturing and productive, yields will vary according to the climate in your area.

CULTURE: Sow seeds indoors into sterile seedling mix 6-8 weeks before your last spring frost. Plant 1/4-1/2 inch deep, water lightly, and cover with plastic or a Propagation Dome to keep the seeds from drying out. Optimum soil temperature for germination: 70-90°F. Days to emergence: 6-14. When the first set of true leaves has emerged, up-pot into 3-4 inch pots and place in an area with full light and cooler temperatures (60-70°F). This will help prevent legginess. Water carefully, allowing the soil to dry on the surface between watering, but don't let the plants wilt. Fertilize with fish emulsion every 10-14 days. Seven to ten days before you want to transplant outside, set the plants in a sheltered area outdoors to harden off. Bring in or cover at night to protect from frost. After the danger of frost has passed, transplant into well worked garden soil. Blend 1/4 cup of our complete fertilizer into the soil around each plant. If you have acid soils or have been bothered by blossom end rot, a handful of bone meal should also be added. Space determinate varieties 18-24 inches apart and indeterminate varieties 20-30 inches apart. Allow 36-48 inches between rows. If your plants have become leggy, plant them deeper; the stems will actually sprout roots. Water very lightly at first, allowing the stems to adapt. To promote early growth and better yields use season extending products such as Wallo' Waters, Kozy Coats, Solar Bell Cloches, or Red Plastic Mulch. Refer to the Garden Accessories section of this catalog.
DETERMINATE/INDETERMINATE: Determinate varieties spread laterally and therefore do not require staking. Determinate varieties ripen at once so are a good choice for gardeners who love to can. Indeterminate varieties grow vertically until the bitter end and need to be staked or trellised for best production. They produce fruit until frost, leaving you some green tomatoes at the end of the season.
INSECTS/PESTS: Non-organic options: Use Rotenone-Pyrethrin or crop row covers to discourage flea beetles early in the season, when they can be most destructive. Tomato hornworms can be controlled with Bacillus thuringienses (a bacteria also known as BT) sold as Thuricide.
DISEASES: Natural genetic plant resistance is the best form of disease control. For diseases like early and late blight, a strict 3 year rotation and a sanitation program that includes destroying all the vines at the end of the year are your best defenses. Contact your local county extension agent for more information.
SEED SPECS: Minimum germination standard: 80%. Usual seed life: 3 years. Days to maturity are calculated from date of transplanting; add 30-35 days if direct seeding. Approximately 35-40 seeds per 1/8 gram, about 300 seeds per gram; 1/4 ounce is 7 grams.

-----------
WHEN TO PLANT: Plant seeds indoors in flats six to eight weeks before your frost free date.
HOW TO PLANT: Cover the seeds; they germinate better in the dark. Keep the soil temperature as close as possible to 80°F for prompt germination. Transplant at least once, into larger flats with 2" between plants, setting the seedlings deeper than they grew before, especially if they have gotten leggy. Tomato seedlings growing indoors should be kept near 60°F to prevent overly rapid growth that is difficult to harden.
Vernalization - chilling to induce early bloom - often works well with tomatoes, but it must be done early, when the first true leaves are opening up and the plant is only about 1 1/2" tall. Night temperatures of 50°F to 55°F for two to three weeks are usually effective. Not all vegetable specialists agree that this method makes sense. If you decide to try it, treat only part of your crop so you'll have some unchilled plants for comparison.
Wait until you're reasonably sure you've had your last frost date before setting out your tomato plants. That's mid-May for us, about the time the barn swallows return. Another old rule of thumb is to set out tomato transplants when the dogwoods are in full bloom.
Set unstaked plants about 3' apart in rows 3' apart. Staked tomatoes may be planted 2' apart, and you can space cherry tomato and some early varieties as close as 15" - 18". Remember to protect them from cut worms. since spring winds can still be punishing during the last two weeks in May, I like to bury my tomato plants, parallel to the soil surface, right up to the top tuft of leaves. Dig a long, shallow trench for this, rather than a deep hole. It's too cold way down there in the ground for the roots of the warmth loving tomato, which is at its best between 70°F and 90°F.
DIRECT SEEDING: As an alternative to prestarted transplants, you might like to try direct-seeding some kinds of tomatoes. The small early cherry tomatoes and the new cold-resistant subarctics are obvious candidates for this treatment, but any except very late varieties are worth a try. Seeds planted at the time the maples bloom will wait out the early cold and germinate when the weather's right, just like all those volunteer tomatoes that grow well without any help from us. Such plants will be a bit later to come into bearing, but they'll often take over at the end of the season when the main planting is on the decline.
GROWING CONDITIONS: Good drainage and soil aeration, reasonable fertility and an ample supply of potash and phosphorus are important. Purple-leaved tomato seedlings are most likely to be suffering from a phosphorus deficiency. Dig in rock phosphate and bone meal before the final transplanting. A seedling that develops purple leaves just before it is planted out often returns to normal when transplanted to the garden row, if the soil is adequate. Avoid giving too much nitrogen during early growth; it will promote vining at the expense of fruiting. The tomato's nitrogen requirements rise a blossoming time, though, and that's when you can give the plants a boost of manure tea or diluted fish emulsion.
Mulching helps to promote even tomato growth throughout the season, but it should not be done until the soil warms up. It's often mid-june, at least, before I have my tomato patch mulched.
STAKING: Staking of tomatoes isn't necessary, but it keeps the fruit clean and promotes slightly earlier ripening. Since we've reduced the size of our tomato patch (to more than enough for two people rather then more than enough for four), we now stake our plants. Formerly, though, we let our plants sprawl on a deep mulch, trading some spoiled fruit and tangled patch for the time we'd have to spend tying the plants and pruning the sucker that appear in the leaf axils. Staked tomatoes produce more fruit per foot of row, though less per plant, than those that are not staked.
If you do stake, it's a good idea to sink the support soon after planting so you remember where you've buried the long stem of the tomato plant. Use soft cloth strips of old sheets or kit fabric to tie plants. Encircle the plant stem once, make a loose knot, and then tie a second circle with the same strip of cloth around the stake. This prevents damage to the plant from rubbing. Many gardeners report excellent results using either wooden frames set over the plants for support or surrounding teach plant with a circle of hog wire or concrete reinforcing wire with holes large enough to reach in for fruit picking.
REMARKS: Avoid planting tomatoes near walnut trees; they are extremely sensitive to the toxin juglone, which is exuded by walnut tree roots. They are also sensitive to unnatural chemicals in the soil and vulnerable to diseases spread by tobacco users. Indoors, natural gas leaking from cooking stoves or other appliances may retard tomato seedlings.

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PURCHASED: 1/8g from Territorial Seed Co. Feb '09. $3.05. Started seeds on 02/22/09 in a yogurt cup on the heat mat. Covered with plastic wrap and chip bag to keep them in the dark. I didn't note the day they sprouted but I think it took them five days? Did a complete fertilizer feed on 3/2/09 and added more soil to their cup because they were getting leggy.
STARTED SEED:
HARDENED OFF:
TRANSPLANTED IN GARDEN:
DISEASE ISSUES:
INSECT ISSUES:
HARVEST YEILD & DURATION:
OTHER NOTES:

03/02/09
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03/16/09
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03/23/09
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Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Homemade Organic Fungicide/Insecticide/Fertilizer

I'm not usually one to spray stuff on plants but maybe if I develop any issues later this season I'll keep this recipe in mind.

Homemade Organic Fungicide/Insecticide/Fertilizer

2 oz. of liquid seaweed (kelp)
2 tbsp. baking soda
1 tsp. liquid hand dish washing soap
1 quart (litre) water

Mix the ingredients above and spray on your Roses, or other plants, once a week.

Explanation
Liquid seaweed provides nutrients to keep the plant healthy
Baking Soda changes the leaf surface PH to Alkaline. Fungal
Molds need an Acidic base to grow
Soap helps the solution stick to the surface and acts as a mild
insecticide

Happy Birthday to Me!

My sister and I headed off to the Portland Nursery yesterday because my she needed Orchid food. It was not the leisurely browsing session we would've had if we didn't have to chase my kiddlet all over. She was good at the beginning but I gave her a blueberry muffin - mistake #1! Then Kiki decided to let her out of the stroller - mistake #2! This culminated in a rambunctious toddler with no patience for browsing soil amendments. After an unwanted game of chase and hide and seek we left. Bah. Then my sis humored me by heading over to Garden Fever because I'd seen the rain barrel of my dreams there. Yes, I dream about silly things like oversized plastic buckets. Heh. Plus I had all my Birthday and Craig's List money burning a hole in my pocket. I was sort of saving it for an emergency but due to the *craptacularness* of my day (which I'm not going to go into) I decided to blow it on something just for me that I'd really love. So there. Done. Now it's not an issue and I have a rain barrel. *Squeee*! The plants will be very happy this summer to not have ice water dumped on them. The water coming out of our faucet is nearly always freezing no matter what time of year it is.

Did I mention that my paprika and red bells sprouted? They did! In a record six days! My chocolate bell's though are quite shy and I'm nervous that something's wrong. I'm sure it's just a matter of time; it's only been nine days and they say 8 to 25. If nothing else, a garden will teach you patience. I also must remember to feed them once they get their second set of leaves. My onions didn't come up quite as vigorous as I was hoping for either. I might have to try direct seeding in the garden once it's warm enough. Parsley also came up in record time - 10 days! That was a nice little surprise this morning when I went down to check in on the "kids". ;^)

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Yay!

I was gifted a very nice present for my Birthday this week - seeds! I got to pick them out too. I finally have all the plants I want for the garden this year. I'm so excited! Now if the weather would just cooperate. ;^)

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

A glint of spring in winter's eye

Well slowing but surely a little bit of spring is gifted to me. My leek seeds sprouted two days earlier then expected!
I was also pleasantly surprised by this little violet growing sideways out of a brick wall as I took a walk around the neighborhood yesterday afternoon.
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Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Again?

I can't believe it's snowing again. Where is my lovely spring?

Monday, February 9, 2009

A garden limerick

Quick! Garden Rant is giving away seeds... how fun! Here is my submission for your entertainment.

There once was a lass without seeds
Her arms tired of pulling up weeds
She tied back her dreads
and put in raised beds
Now is eyeing this post with her needs!


Yeah, it's pretty terrible but I had to at least give it a shot. I still need tomatoes!

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Lady Bell Pepper

Lady Bell Pepper
71 days. Reliably bountiful, this robust bell has a delicious, sweet flavor and crisp, crunchy texture. The 3-4 lobed fruit have moderately thick, juicy walls and turn from a glossy green to a bright red at maturity. They flourished and ripened during an unusually chilly summer at our trial farm. We love the beefy, elongated bells for everything from salads to stuffing or frying. Also available as a plant. HV

"Capsicum annuum: From the hottest habaneros to the mildest sweet bells, we have selected an outstanding array of peppers for the kitchen gardener and the pepper fancier. Although peppers are tropical, heat-loving plants, almost anyone can successfully grow a good crop.

CULTURE: Using a sterile seedling mix sow seeds 1/2 inch deep 8-10 weeks before your last frost. Optimum soil temperature for germination is 70-85°F. Days to emergence are 8-25 days. Germination rates may be erratic if soil is allowed to dry out. Once the seedlings have 2 sets of true leaves, they can be up-potted to a 3-inch pot, and grown at 70°F during the day and 60°F during the night. Make sure the seedlings have plenty of light, and give them an organic liquid fertilizer solution, such as 2-1-1 Earth Juice Grow fertilizer. Remember strong transplants perform best and will give highest yields. Peppers grow very slowly, or not at all, in cold soils, so resist the temptation to plant outside too early. The timing for transplanting is perfect when the plants are just starting to become root bound, the garden soil has warmed to at least 60°F, and the nighttime temperatures remain above 50°F. Transplant peppers outside 2-3 weeks after tomatoes, typically the first half of June. The bed should be rich and well supplied with nitrogen, such as blood meal, fish bone meal, or composted chicken manure. This helps the plants make vigorous vegetative growth for their first 6 weeks in the garden. At planting time, use about 1/2 cup of nitrogen fertilizer side dressed below and around each plant. Set the plants 12-18 inches apart in rows 24-30 inches apart. When the plants start to flower, side dress 1/2 cup of complete fertilizer around each plant. As an option, consider using Black or Silver Mulch in the pepper bed. Also covering the plant with a floating row cover such as Reemay or Gro-therm can be especially helpful in early plantings. Be mindful of high daytime temperatures as the season progresses, as even heat loving vegetables such as peppers can get too hot. Remember to keep peppers uniformly moist throughout the growing season and you'll be enjoying the explosion of color, flavor, and heat that peppers offer.
INSECTS/DISEASES: Most insects and diseases that attack tomatoes will also affect peppers. Liquid Rotenone-Pyrethrin or a floating row cover will effectively eliminate insect pests if used early in the season. Whenever possible use disease-resistant varieties and proper sanitation in the garden. If you have experienced disease problems with either tomatoes or peppers, don't plant in the same spot for 2 seasons and rotate with a green manure crop.
HARVEST: Fruit set after late August usually will not fully develop or ripen. Peppers are generally fully ripe and have the most flavor and vitamins when they turn red, yellow, purple, or orange. They can be kept in good condition for at least 40 days at 32°F and 95% relative humidity.
SEED SPECS: Minimum germination standard: 70%. Usual seed life: 2 years. Days to maturity are calculated from date of transplanting and reflect edible green fruit. Approximately 35 seeds per 1/4 gram, about 140 seeds per gram; 14 grams per 1/2 ounce.

----------
WHEN TO PLANT: Although the traditional time table for starting pepper plants is 6 to 8 weeks before outdoor planting, I've had excellent results with much earlier seeding in late January or early February, which for me is a good 12 to 14 weeks before the frost free date.
HOW TO PLANT: If you can keep the soil temperature of your planting flat around 80°F to 85°F the peppers will germinate more rapidly then at 70°F, at which they usually take two or even three weeks. At cooler temperatures, 55°F to 60°F the seeds may rot before they germinate. Once when I let a flat of planted pepper seeds dry out, the seedlings emerged just as I was ready to give up on them. Later I learned that peppers, unlike most other vegetables, can germinate with low soil moisture.
Transplant the young seedlings at least once to a roomier flat and harden them off a week or two before your last frost date. If they're in blossom when you set them out, you might find it worthwhile to cover the plants at night until night temperatures are warmer. Cool nights in May and June can cause blossom drop, as can hot weather - especially over 90°F - in summer. The ideal temperature for these natives of the moist South American tropics is 70°F to 80°F.
Local garden sages advise setting out pepper transplants after the dogwood blossoms fall. Mine usually go into the ground about a week after our mid-May frost free date. If you want to get really technical, the soil 4" deep should measure 65°F at 8 o'clock in the morning.
When setting out pepper plants, I bury them 2"-4" deeper then they were in the flat, but not on their sides in a trench like tomatoes. Recent studies have shown that pepper plants spaced 12"-15" apart produce as much per foot of row as those more widely spaced and suffer much less sun scald.
GROWING CONDITIONS: Peppers do well without much added nitrogen, but they need a good supply of magnesium. They are also more tolerant of acid soil than many garden vegetables. Hot peppers are less likely then sweet peppers to obhect to the low levels of aeration in heavy clay soils. Water them well in hot and dry weather.
PESTS AND DISEASES: Protect them from cutworms and avoid soil where related plants - tomatoes, eggplant or potatoes - have recently grown if you've had disease problems.
Don't let tobacco users handle your pepper seedlings without washing their hands first. The virus that causes tobacco mosaic, which effects peppers, survives cigarette manufacturing processes.
REMARKS: According to a Dutch horticulturalist who tried removing all but four to six of the first blossoms from the pepper plants, this practice results in a higher mid or late season yields and also produces larger peppers.

----------
PURCHASED: 25 seeds/Sampler from Territorial Seed Co. (via Portland Nursery) Feb '09. $3.55
STARTED SEED: 2/8/2009 - in yogurt cups on the heating mat. Soil temp is 76°F at time of planting. First sprouts came up on 2/14/2009. What a nice Valentine's Day present! Germinated in a record 6 days! Leaves turned purple on 2/21/09. Phosphorous deficiency? I'll have to look into that. I sprinkled a little bit of fertlilzer on them this morning 02/24/09. Someone suggested that they are stressed because they're too warm. I've taken them off of the little heating mat they've been sitting on and moved them under the lights with the rest of the flats. Hopefully we'll see them go back to being green! They sprouted their second set of leaves which were a hale and hearty green. I seperated them out in to their own pots on 03/02/09 and give them a bit of seaweed feed.
HARDENED OFF:
TRANSPLANTED IN GARDEN:
DISEASE ISSUES: 04/12/09: As if I didn't have enough issues the peppers, today I noticed that I have what I think is Bacterial Leaf Spot. I clipped off the effected areas and bleached the scissors afterwards. I hope that's enough for now. I also need to get some 5-10-10 to help the plant recover, or so I'm advised. It's spread by moisture and water. Hard to escape that in the PNW. A copper based organic fungicide may help. I'm not there yet.
INSECT ISSUES:
HARVEST YEILD & DURATION:
OTHER NOTES:

02/23/09
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03/02/09
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03/16/09
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03/23/09
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Alma Paprika Pepper

Alma Paprika Pepper
80 days. Grow your own paprika seasoning! Alma is one of the best paprika-type peppers for drying and grinding, but can also be eaten fresh from the garden. Plants are loaded with round, thick-walled, sweet peppers that have just a hint of warmth. The 1-2 inch fruits start out creamy white, and then turn to orange before finally turning shiny red. Harvest red for drying purposes. Your goulash and paprikash will never taste so good.  OP
Also available as a plant.

"Capsicum annuum: From the hottest habaneros to the mildest sweet bells, we have selected an outstanding array of peppers for the kitchen gardener and the pepper fancier. Although peppers are tropical, heat-loving plants, almost anyone can successfully grow a good crop.

CULTURE: Using a sterile seedling mix sow seeds 1/2 inch deep 8-10 weeks before your last frost. Optimum soil temperature for germination is 70-85°F. Days to emergence are 8-25 days. Germination rates may be erratic if soil is allowed to dry out. Once the seedlings have 2 sets of true leaves, they can be up-potted to a 3-inch pot, and grown at 70°F during the day and 60°F during the night. Make sure the seedlings have plenty of light, and give them an organic liquid fertilizer solution, such as 2-1-1 Earth Juice Grow fertilizer. Remember strong transplants perform best and will give highest yields. Peppers grow very slowly, or not at all, in cold soils, so resist the temptation to plant outside too early. The timing for transplanting is perfect when the plants are just starting to become root bound, the garden soil has warmed to at least 60°F, and the nighttime temperatures remain above 50°F. Transplant peppers outside 2-3 weeks after tomatoes, typically the first half of June. The bed should be rich and well supplied with nitrogen, such as blood meal, fish bone meal, or composted chicken manure. This helps the plants make vigorous vegetative growth for their first 6 weeks in the garden. At planting time, use about 1/2 cup of nitrogen fertilizer side dressed below and around each plant. Set the plants 12-18 inches apart in rows 24-30 inches apart. When the plants start to flower, side dress 1/2 cup of complete fertilizer around each plant. As an option, consider using Black or Silver Mulch in the pepper bed. Also covering the plant with a floating row cover such as Reemay or Gro-therm can be especially helpful in early plantings. Be mindful of high daytime temperatures as the season progresses, as even heat loving vegetables such as peppers can get too hot. Remember to keep peppers uniformly moist throughout the growing season and you'll be enjoying the explosion of color, flavor, and heat that peppers offer.
INSECTS/DISEASES: Most insects and diseases that attack tomatoes will also affect peppers. Liquid Rotenone-Pyrethrin or a floating row cover will effectively eliminate insect pests if used early in the season. Whenever possible use disease-resistant varieties and proper sanitation in the garden. If you have experienced disease problems with either tomatoes or peppers, don't plant in the same spot for 2 seasons and rotate with a green manure crop.
HARVEST: Fruit set after late August usually will not fully develop or ripen. Peppers are generally fully ripe and have the most flavor and vitamins when they turn red, yellow, purple, or orange. They can be kept in good condition for at least 40 days at 32°F and 95% relative humidity.
SEED SPECS: Minimum germination standard: 70%. Usual seed life: 2 years. Days to maturity are calculated from date of transplanting and reflect edible green fruit. Approximately 35 seeds per 1/4 gram, about 140 seeds per gram; 14 grams per 1/2 ounce.

----------
WHEN TO PLANT: Although the traditional time table for starting pepper plants is 6 to 8 weeks before outdoor planting, I've had excellent results with much earlier seeding in late January or early February, which for me is a good 12 to 14 weeks before the frost free date.
HOW TO PLANT: If you can keep the soil temperature of your planting flat around 80°F to 85°F the peppers will germinate more rapidly then at 70°F, at which they usually take two or even three weeks. At cooler temperatures, 55°F to 60°F the seeds may rot before they germinate. Once when I let a flat of planted pepper seeds dry out, the seedlings emerged just as I was ready to give up on them. Later I learned that peppers, unlike most other vegetables, can germinate with low soil moisture.
Transplant the young seedlings at least once to a roomier flat and harden them off a week or two before your last frost date. If they're in blossom when you set them out, you might find it worthwhile to cover the plants at night until night temperatures are warmer. Cool nights in May and June can cause blossom drop, as can hot weather - especially over 90°F - in summer. The ideal temperature for these natives of the moist South American tropics is 70°F to 80°F.
Local garden sages advise setting out pepper transplants after the dogwood blossoms fall. Mine usually go into the ground about a week after our mid-May frost free date. If you want to get really technical, the soil 4" deep should measure 65°F at 8 o'clock in the morning.
When setting out pepper plants, I bury them 2"-4" deeper then they were in the flat, but not on their sides in a trench like tomatoes. Recent studies have shown that pepper plants spaced 12"-15" apart produce as much per foot of row as those more widely spaced and suffer much less sun scald.
GROWING CONDITIONS: Peppers do well without much added nitrogen, but they need a good supply of magnesium. They are also more tolerant of acid soil than many garden vegetables. Hot peppers are less likely then sweet peppers to obhect to the low levels of aeration in heavy clay soils. Water them well in hot and dry weather.
PESTS AND DISEASES: Protect them from cutworms and avoid soil where related plants - tomatoes, eggplant or potatoes - have recently grown if you've had disease problems.
Don't let tobacco users handle your pepper seedlings without washing their hands first. The virus that causes tobacco mosaic, which effects peppers, survives cigarette manufacturing processes.
REMARKS: According to a Dutch horticulturalist who tried removing all but four to six of the first blossoms from the pepper plants, this practice results in a higher mid or late season yields and also produces larger peppers.

----------
PURCHASED: 1/4g from Territorial Seed Co. (via Portland Nursery) Feb '09. $3.25
STARTED SEED: 2/8/2009 - in yogurt cups on the heating mat. Soil temp is 76°F at time of planting. First sprouts came up on 2/14/2009. What a nice Valentine's Day present! Germinated in a record 6 days! Gave them a little sprinkle of complete fertilizer on 03/02/09. Up-potted them on 3/7/09.
HARDENED OFF:
TRANSPLANTED IN GARDEN: Experimented with taking a "left over" seedling while up-potting and plunking it directly in the garden with no hardening off. I would've been culling it anyway - so I kinda exiled it to a "Siberian Gulag" (it's supposed to snow tonight), lol poor little creature. It stands a better chance there then in the compost pile!
DISEASE ISSUES:
INSECT ISSUES:
HARVEST YEILD & DURATION:
OTHER NOTES:

02/23/09
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03/02/09
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03/16/09
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03/23/09
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Miniature Chocolate Bell Pepper

Miniature Chocolate Bell Pepper
55 days. This impressive miniature bell really pumps out the peppers! The chocolate 3-lobed fruit are 2 1/2 inches wide by 1 1/4 inches long. Very sweet, and excellent on veggie platters, in salads, stuffed, or cored and eaten whole. Peppers ripen from green to chocolate. OP.
Also available as a plant.

"Capsicum annuum: From the hottest habaneros to the mildest sweet bells, we have selected an outstanding array of peppers for the kitchen gardener and the pepper fancier. Although peppers are tropical, heat-loving plants, almost anyone can successfully grow a good crop.

CULTURE: Using a sterile seedling mix sow seeds 1/2 inch deep 8-10 weeks before your last frost. Optimum soil temperature for germination is 70-85°F. Days to emergence are 8-25 days. Germination rates may be erratic if soil is allowed to dry out. Once the seedlings have 2 sets of true leaves, they can be up-potted to a 3-inch pot, and grown at 70°F during the day and 60°F during the night. Make sure the seedlings have plenty of light, and give them an organic liquid fertilizer solution, such as 2-1-1 Earth Juice Grow fertilizer. Remember strong transplants perform best and will give highest yields. Peppers grow very slowly, or not at all, in cold soils, so resist the temptation to plant outside too early. The timing for transplanting is perfect when the plants are just starting to become root bound, the garden soil has warmed to at least 60°F, and the nighttime temperatures remain above 50°F. Transplant peppers outside 2-3 weeks after tomatoes, typically the first half of June. The bed should be rich and well supplied with nitrogen, such as blood meal, fish bone meal, or composted chicken manure. This helps the plants make vigorous vegetative growth for their first 6 weeks in the garden. At planting time, use about 1/2 cup of nitrogen fertilizer side dressed below and around each plant. Set the plants 12-18 inches apart in rows 24-30 inches apart. When the plants start to flower, side dress 1/2 cup of complete fertilizer around each plant. As an option, consider using Black or Silver Mulch in the pepper bed. Also covering the plant with a floating row cover such as Reemay or Gro-therm can be especially helpful in early plantings. Be mindful of high daytime temperatures as the season progresses, as even heat loving vegetables such as peppers can get too hot. Remember to keep peppers uniformly moist throughout the growing season and you'll be enjoying the explosion of color, flavor, and heat that peppers offer.
INSECTS/DISEASES: Most insects and diseases that attack tomatoes will also affect peppers. Liquid Rotenone-Pyrethrin or a floating row cover will effectively eliminate insect pests if used early in the season. Whenever possible use disease-resistant varieties and proper sanitation in the garden. If you have experienced disease problems with either tomatoes or peppers, don't plant in the same spot for 2 seasons and rotate with a green manure crop.
HARVEST: Fruit set after late August usually will not fully develop or ripen. Peppers are generally fully ripe and have the most flavor and vitamins when they turn red, yellow, purple, or orange. They can be kept in good condition for at least 40 days at 32°F and 95% relative humidity.
SEED SPECS: Minimum germination standard: 70%. Usual seed life: 2 years. Days to maturity are calculated from date of transplanting and reflect edible green fruit. Approximately 35 seeds per 1/4 gram, about 140 seeds per gram; 14 grams per 1/2 ounce.

----------
WHEN TO PLANT: Although the traditional time table for starting pepper plants is 6 to 8 weeks before outdoor planting, I've had excellent results with much earlier seeding in late January or early February, which for me is a good 12 to 14 weeks before the frost free date.
HOW TO PLANT: If you can keep the soil temperature of your planting flat around 80°F to 85°F the peppers will germinate more rapidly then at 70°F, at which they usually take two or even three weeks. At cooler temperatures, 55°F to 60°F the seeds may rot before they germinate. Once when I let a flat of planted pepper seeds dry out, the seedlings emerged just as I was ready to give up on them. Later I learned that peppers, unlike most other vegetables, can germinate with low soil moisture.
Transplant the young seedlings at least once to a roomier flat and harden them off a week or two before your last frost date. If they're in blossom when you set them out, you might find it worthwhile to cover the plants at night until night temperatures are warmer. Cool nights in May and June can cause blossom drop, as can hot weather - especially over 90°F - in summer. The ideal temperature for these natives of the moist South American tropics is 70°F to 80°F.
Local garden sages advise setting out pepper transplants after the dogwood blossoms fall. Mine usually go into the ground about a week after our mid-May frost free date. If you want to get really technical, the soil 4" deep should measure 65°F at 8 o'clock in the morning.
When setting out pepper plants, I bury them 2"-4" deeper then they were in the flat, but not on their sides in a trench like tomatoes. Recent studies have shown that pepper plants spaced 12"-15" apart produce as much per foot of row as those more widely spaced and suffer much less sun scald.
GROWING CONDITIONS: Peppers do well without much added nitrogen, but they need a good supply of magnesium. They are also more tolerant of acid soil than many garden vegetables. Hot peppers are less likely then sweet peppers to obhect to the low levels of aeration in heavy clay soils. Water them well in hot and dry weather.
PESTS AND DISEASES: Protect them from cutworms and avoid soil where related plants - tomatoes, eggplant or potatoes - have recently grown if you've had disease problems.
Don't let tobacco users handle your pepper seedlings without washing their hands first. The virus that causes tobacco mosaic, which effects peppers, survives cigarette manufacturing processes.
REMARKS: According to a Dutch horticulturalist who tried removing all but four to six of the first blossoms from the pepper plants, this practice results in a higher mid or late season yields and also produces larger peppers.

----------
PURCHASED: 1/4g from Territorial Seed Co. (via Portland Nursery) Feb '09. $3.25
STARTED SEED: 2/8/2009 - in yogurt cups on the heating mat. Soil temp is 76°F at time of planting. These sprouted a little later then my other bells. Plants came up on 02/16/09. 8 days. Also germination rate was poor. I planted five seeds, only two sprouted. Gave them a little seaweed feed on 3/2/09. Had a third sprout come up on 3/14/09 - I axed it along with the weaker of the two that did come up so they'd stop competing for nutrients.
HARDENED OFF:
TRANSPLANTED IN GARDEN:
DISEASE ISSUES:
INSECT ISSUES:
HARVEST YEILD & DURATION:
OTHER NOTES:

2/23/09
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03/02/09
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03/16/09
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03/23/09
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Brussels Sprouts - Long Island Improved

Brussels Sprouts - Long Island Improved
Brassica oleracea
Open pollinated
100 days
2'
Heirloom

DESCRIPTION: Highly productive of medium green 1" to 1.5" round, firm sprouts. Good for home gardens becausee sprouts mature over a period of several weeks. This variety is great for freezing.

PLANTING DIRECTIONS: Sow seeds in a cold frame or indoors in early spring with a soil temperature of 50°F to 80°F. Sow seeds in flats or pots 1/4" deep. Germination takes 7-12 days. Prepare soil early in the spring, adding a complete fertilizer high in phosphorus and potassium or incorporate rich compost into planting area. Brussels sprouts are a heavy feeder. Grows best in cool weather. Needs full sun, but will not do well in heat. Transplant when plants are 3"-6" tall, spacing them 2' apart. Transplant after last frost in your area. Set seedlings up to 3" deeper than they were in seed pots. Water moderately keeping soil evenly moist. NOTE: Do not plant where other brassicas grew the previous two years.

HARVEST: Harvest sprouts from bottom of plant up as heads mature.

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WHEN TO PLANT: A cool season crop, which does best when planted in late spring either in the garden row or in flats in the cold frame and transplanted to its permanent spot when 3"-5" high. May or early June seedlings grow into mature, harvest sized plants by fall. Don't bother to plant brussels sprouts in early spring for summer crop. The tiny leafy heads that are so delicious after frost taste pretty murky before being nipped by cold.
HOW TO PLANT: Space transplants 2' apart. For good solid sprouts, firm the transplants well into the soil. Loose, leafy sprouts often result from drying or insufficient soil-root contact at transplanting time.
GROWING CONDITIONS: Brussles sprouts aren't especially particular about soil type, but shortages of potash, phosphorus, or magnesium will hold them back. Gardeners working in cold climates should prune off the top rosette of leaves from their plants in early September to encourage prompt development of sprouts all along the stem.

----------
PURCHASED: 1g from Nichols Garden Nursery (via Garden Fever) Feb '09. $1.85
STARTED SEED:
HARDENED OFF:
TRANSPLANTED IN GARDEN:
DISEASE ISSUES:
INSECT ISSUES:
HARVEST YEILD & DURATION:
OTHER NOTES:

Newburg Onion

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Newburg Onion
Allium cepa
Rare - Seeds of Change Original - Organic
3-4 in. Hardy Biennial
SEEDS OF CHANGE ORIGINAL! A hot-flavored, yellow storage onion, these globe- shaped bulbs have amber brown wrapper leaves and crisp white flesh. It is an exceptional keeper because the leafy green tops die back well, leaving small necks. Sow 1 seed per inch directly into prepared garden soil as soon as the soil can be worked in spring.Harvest when green tops begin to fall over.Cure in warm, dry, well ventilated area until tops are completely dry. Remove tops and store in a cool area.

Planting Depth: 1/4"
Soil Temp. for Germ.: 50-90°F
Days to Germ.: 4-13
Plant Spacing: 4"
Days to Maturity: 110
Full Sun
Frequent Water
Pack weight .400gms ~ 100 seeds


----------
Easily grown from seed if you get an early start and control the weeds while plants are spindly and defenseless. If possible, plant onions to follow either a vegetable that requires clean cultivation or a weed smothering crop.
WHEN TO PLANT: Sow onion seeds indoors in January or February; outdoors in April or May.
Why is it necessary to get such and early start with onions from seed? Because the onion's ability to form a bulb is influenced by the length of the day. It's the short dark period that makes onions shape up. Onions suitable for the northern states are called long day onions. They start to form bulbs when days grown long and night grow short. If you've gotten a head start with your seedlings, your onion plants will be well developed at bulbing time and therefore vigorous enough to produce a good sized bulb. When the day length becomes right, a spindly young onion plant will bulb up on que just like an older one, but the bulb will be puny. Our southern states, being closer to the equator, have somewhat longer summer nights, so growers there choose short-day varieties, which don't require such a short period to trigger bulbing.
HOW TO PLANT: Plant onion seeds in flats indoors. use fresh seeds; onion seeds lose much of their viability if not kept cool and dry. For good strong plants, transplant the onion seedlings, leaving 1" between plants. If you're short of space, or if you grow so many onions that you end up tripping over flats of onion seedlings scattered everywhere, you can carefully space the seeds 1/4" apart when planting them, and then leave them in the same flat until time to plant them in the row.
You can also plant onion seeds directly in the ground for summer-bunching or fall-storage onions. Sow the seeds in April or May, no more than 1/2" deep (1/4" deep in heavy soils) and thin to 4" apart when the top spears have become as thick as spears of chives.
Onion seeds germinate best at 65°F to 80°F, but young plants should be grown in cooler temperatures, near 60°F and no higher then 70°F by day and 50°F at night. Set them out after proper hardening off a good month or six weeks before your frost free date. Wide bands of onion plants spaced 4" apart make the best use of space.
GROWING CONDITIONS: Onions prefer soil that is not strongly acid. When grown in potassium-deficient soil, they will keep poorly, and phosphorus-deficient soil causes thick necks and delayed maturity. For sweeter onions, avoid fertilizing with gypsum, which contains sulfer. Weeds are your worst enemy when plants are young. They sometimes shoulder ahead of seeds planted in mid-spring before the grasslike seedlings can get off the ground.
BULBING: As summer progresses, days become longer and warmer. Both of these conditions encourage bulbing, which is really the formation of additional storage tissue. If the weather is too cold, onions won't bulb up no matter how long the days are. The size of the onion is also important. As it grows bigger, it becomes increasingly sensitive to the bulb-inducing influences of longer day length and warmer temperature. The day length necessary to initiate bulbing varies according to the variety but is genearlly 12 to 16 hours. A day length considerably longer than the minimum necessary to start bulb formation will exert a very strong impetus toward bulbing.
Within the plants normal critical day-length range, though, bulbing is more susceptible to the influence of other environmental factors. For example, high soil nitrogen tends to delay bulbing within the critical photoperiod but no in an extra-long day. Warmth alone won't trigger bulbing, but it is necessary for the development of a good sized bulb. Day length remains consist from year to year but soil and air temperatures change considerably, so even if you duplicate varieties planted and the treatment given your onion plants, crop quality may vary from year to year because of the weather.
ONION SETS: Perhaps you'd like to try growing your own onion sets, those miniature dry bulbs that grown into eating sized onions when planted in their second spring. Just set aside a few feet square, or a wide row and in eaerly spring, scatter about an ounce of seeds in a row 2" wide and 25' long. Don't thin the onions. Crowding keeps them small. Pull the plants late in July before they reach a diameter of 3/4". The smaller sets will give you larger bulbs and are less likely to bolt to seed next year. Any sets larger than 1" in diameter should be tossed into the pickle crock. Cure the sets in the sun until the tops are throughly dry - a week or ten days - and then remove the tops at the neck of the small bulb. Store inn a dry, airy, cool but not freezing place.
When planting sets in the spring, push them into the soft earth just far enough to hold them in place, if your soil is heavy. In sandy soil plant them a trifle deeper, but don't cover them. If you have a cat that likes to scratch in the garden as we do, you might have to do some resetting of bulbs for a week or two until the roots grow.

----------
PURCHASED: 1/2g from Seeds of Change (via Portland Nursery) Feb '09. $3.29
STARTED SEED: 2/8/09. First bit of green popped up on 2/13. Five days to germinate. Happy BD to me!
HARDENED OFF: 3/15/09: One hour in the cold frame.
TRANSPLANTED IN GARDEN:
DISEASE ISSUES:
INSECT ISSUES:
HARVEST YEILD & DURATION:
OTHER NOTES:

03/02/09
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03/16/09
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03/23/09
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Rossa Di Milano Onion

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Rossa Di Milano Onion
Allium cepa
Rare - Organic
3-4 in. Hardy Biennial
A mild, mid-sized, Italian red onion that is flat on top, tapering to a barrel-shaped bottom. Stores well. A long-day type that does reasonably well in short-season areas. Sow 2 seeds per inch as soon as the soil can be worked in the spring. In short-season areas, best started indoors in January or February and transplanted into rows 10 inch apart in April. Harvesting tips. Harvest when green tops begin to fall over, before the first frost. Cure in a warm, dry, well-ventilated area until tops are completely dry. Remove tops and store in cool area.

Planting Depth: 1/4"
Soil Temp. for Germ.: 50-90°F
Days to Germ.: 4-13
Plant Spacing: 4"
Days to Maturity: 110
Full Sun
Water Often
Pack weight .400gms ~ 100 seeds


----------
Easily grown from seed if you get an early start and control the weeds while plants are spindly and defenseless. If possible, plant onions to follow either a vegetable that requires clean cultivation or a weed smothering crop.
WHEN TO PLANT: Sow onion seeds indoors in January or February; outdoors in April or May.
Why is it necessary to get such and early start with onions from seed? Because the onion's ability to form a bulb is influenced by the length of the day. It's the short dark period that makes onions shape up. Onions suitable for the northern states are called long day onions. They start to form bulbs when days grown long and night grow short. If you've gotten a head start with your seedlings, your onion plants will be well developed at bulbing time and therefore vigorous enough to produce a good sized bulb. When the day length becomes right, a spindly young onion plant will bulb up on que just like an older one, but the bulb will be puny. Our southern states, being closer to the equator, have somewhat longer summer nights, so growers there choose short-day varieties, which don't require such a short period to trigger bulbing.
HOW TO PLANT: Plant onion seeds in flats indoors. use fresh seeds; onion seeds lose much of their viability if not kept cool and dry. For good strong plants, transplant the onion seedlings, leaving 1" between plants. If you're short of space, or if you grow so many onions that you end up tripping over flats of onion seedlings scattered everywhere, you can carefully space the seeds 1/4" apart when planting them, and then leave them in the same flat until time to plant them in the row.
You can also plant onion seeds directly in the ground for summer-bunching or fall-storage onions. Sow the seeds in April or May, no more than 1/2" deep (1/4" deep in heavy soils) and thin to 4" apart when the top spears have become as thick as spears of chives.
Onion seeds germinate best at 65°F to 80°F, but young plants should be grown in cooler temperatures, near 60°F and no higher then 70°F by day and 50°F at night. Set them out after proper hardening off a good month or six weeks before your frost free date. Wide bands of onion plants spaced 4" apart make the best use of space.
GROWING CONDITIONS: Onions prefer soil that is not strongly acid. When grown in potassium-deficient soil, they will keep poorly, and phosphorus-deficient soil causes thick necks and delayed maturity. For sweeter onions, avoid fertilizing with gypsum, which contains sulfer. Weeds are your worst enemy when plants are young. They sometimes shoulder ahead of seeds planted in mid-spring before the grasslike seedlings can get off the ground.
BULBING: As summer progresses, days become longer and warmer. Both of these conditions encourage bulbing, which is really the formation of additional storage tissue. If the weather is too cold, onions won't bulb up no matter how long the days are. The size of the onion is also important. As it grows bigger, it becomes increasingly sensitive to the bulb-inducing influences of longer day length and warmer temperature. The day length necessary to initiate bulbing varies according to the variety but is genearlly 12 to 16 hours. A day length considerably longer than the minimum necessary to start bulb formation will exert a very strong impetus toward bulbing.
Within the plants normal critical day-length range, though, bulbing is more susceptible to the influence of other environmental factors. For example, high soil nitrogen tends to delay bulbing within the critical photoperiod but no in an extra-long day. Warmth alone won't trigger bulbing, but it is necessary for the development of a good sized bulb. Day length remains consist from year to year but soil and air temperatures change considerably, so even if you duplicate varieties planted and the treatment given your onion plants, crop quality may vary from year to year because of the weather.
ONION SETS: Perhaps you'd like to try growing your own onion sets, those miniature dry bulbs that grown into eating sized onions when planted in their second spring. Just set aside a few feet square, or a wide row and in eaerly spring, scatter about an ounce of seeds in a row 2" wide and 25' long. Don't thin the onions. Crowding keeps them small. Pull the plants late in July before they reach a diameter of 3/4". The smaller sets will give you larger bulbs and are less likely to bolt to seed next year. Any sets larger than 1" in diameter should be tossed into the pickle crock. Cure the sets in the sun until the tops are throughly dry - a week or ten days - and then remove the tops at the neck of the small bulb. Store inn a dry, airy, cool but not freezing place.
When planting sets in the spring, push them into the soft earth just far enough to hold them in place, if your soil is heavy. In sandy soil plant them a trifle deeper, but don't cover them. If you have a cat that likes to scratch in the garden as we do, you might have to do some resetting of bulbs for a week or two until the roots grow.

----------
PURCHASED: 1/2g from Seeds of Change via Portland Nursery, Feb '09. $3.29
STARTED SEED: 2/8/09. First bit of green popped up late on 2/13. Five days to germinate. Happy BD to me!
HARDENED OFF: 3/15/09: One hour in the cold frame.
TRANSPLANTED IN GARDEN:
DISEASE ISSUES:
INSECT ISSUES:
HARVEST YEILD & DURATION:
OTHER NOTES:

02/23/09
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03/02/09
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03/16/09
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Plans!

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I really do need more space... My poor garden is crammed in with one of everything! Oh how I wish I could grow several varieties of each but better a little bit of beautiful fresh vegg out of the garden then nothing at all, eh? I'm besided for spring!

Edited to add: Sorry this is kinda a small image. Anyway if you really care I can e-mail you a larger version (.pdf file) if you want to take a better gander, just let me know. ;^) I also used the 30 day free trial of Growveg website to create the graphic. It's a pretty fun little tool.

Saturday, February 7, 2009

For the birds!

Can I say how delightful I find this bird house? Yeah, it's not your typical little house which is apart of it's charm for me. I also find the fact that it has a "garage/carport" kinda funny. I might also be partial because I live in a mid-century house and I like the modern aesthetic. Maybe when the garden feels more settled I'll make one. Right now there's so many other things to do!

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Source

Friday, February 6, 2009

Butter And Eggs Marigold

Butter And Eggs Marigold
Targetes patula
Hardy Annual 2-3"plant
1-1 1/2"flowers
A recent favorite from our breeding program, this attractive marigold has soft golden 1-1/2 yellow flowers brushed with burnt orange radiating from the center. Sow 1 seed per inch directly in the garden when danger of frost has passed. For earlier blooms start indoors 4-6 weeks before last frost date and transplant when danger of frost has passed. Enrich the soil with compost. Harvesting tips: pick at the peak of bloom.

Planting Depth: 1/4"
Soil Temp. for Germ.: 65-80°F
Days to Germ.: 6-10
Plant Spacing: 12-18"
Days to Maturity: 80-90
Full Sun
Moderate Water
Pack weight .420gms ~ 100 seeds


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If you grow any flowers at all, marigolds are probably among them, but did you know how many marigold choices you have, from the dwarf single-flowered signets to the bushy midsized French types to the stately 3', late blooming American marigolds? Their sunny Aztec colors range from mahogany through orange, yellow, cream and now even white. A fourth marigold type, the hybrid triploids, are a cross between the American and French marigolds with intermediate size, wider color range then the Americans, and extra-generous blooming habit.
WHEN TO PLANT: Triploid plants are sterile, and seeds for triploids are more expensive and have a lower germination rate then other marigolds, so these types should always be sown under cover, starting in early spring and set out as transplants after frost danger has passed. American marigolds should also be started early because they are so late to bloom. French and signet marigolds may be either direct seeded after frost or grown as transplants.
HOW TO PLANT: Spacing varies from 8-10" for shorter varieties up to 18" for taller kinds.
GROWING CONDITIONS: Marigolds need full sun but not rich soil and they should not be overwatered. They appreciate good drainage.

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PURCHASED: 1/2g from Seeds of Change, Feb '09. $2.99
STARTED SEED: Should start this around April 1st
HARDENED OFF:
TRANSPLANTED IN GARDEN:
DISEASE ISSUES:
INSECT ISSUES:
HARVEST YEILD & DURATION:
OTHER NOTES:

Italian Flat Leaf Parsley

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Italian Flat Leaf Parsley
Petroselinium crispum
Heirloom - Organic
12-18 in. Hardy Biennial
This is our favorite for seasoning and drying. Introduced before 1806, its larger than normal leaves are a dark, glossy green with a stronger and more concentrated flavor than standard strains. Best started indoors in very early spring. Takes up to 3 weeks to germinate. Transplant into the garden in rows 8-12 inches apart. Enrich soil with mature compost. Harvest outer leaves by gently twisting the stem away from the base of the plant. Can be used fresh, dried, or frozen.

Planting Depth: 1/8-1/4"
Soil Temp. for Germ.: 60-70°F
Days to Germ.: 14-21
Plant Spacing: 8-12
Days to Maturity: 75-85
Full Sun to Partial Shade
Moderate Water
Pack weight .170gms ~ 100 seeds


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An 8" biennial that is usually planted as an annual, parsley is one herb that almost everyone grows. It is easy to grow but slow to start. Just when you're ready to reorder seeds, those pesky little scalloped-edged seedlings begin to emerge. Parsley seeds, and those of several other related plants as well, contain furanocoumarins, compounds that block germination, especially in the presence of sunlight.
DAYS TO GERMINATION: 21 days at around 70°
WHEN TO PLANT: Plant parsley seeds outdoors as early in the spring as you can work the garden soil.
HOW TO PLANT: Sow two row seeds along the row to mark the spot. Weeds often appear first and must be kept under control. Sometimes I beat the weeds by starting parsley seedlings early in the greenhouse and seeding them out in April. Be sure seeds are covered - not deeply but thoroughly - because they germinate more completely in the absence of light. Thin plants to 6" apart.
GROWING CONDITIONS: Fertilize once or twice during the growing season.
REMARKS: To knock a week or more off of parsley's usual three week sprouting time, soak the parsley seeds in water for 48 hours, changing the water twice, before planting them. This dissolves some of those inhibiting compounds. Discard the water, though. Don't do as I used to do (before I knew about furanocoumarins) and pour it on the planted seeds. i've gotten relatively prompt germination of late-spring sowings after pouring very hot water or the planted seeds. Once planted, though, parsley seeds germinate best when the soil temp is below 85°.
It was an old country custom to hang a parsley seed heat on a tree, arbor, or fence adjoining the garden so that the windblown seeds would be scattered in the garden. If you try this bit of lore, don't count on it for your whole crop. Plant some seeds in the ground too.

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PURCHASED: 1g from Seeds of Change (via Garden Fever) Feb '09. $2.99
STARTED SEED: Started a 48 hour seed soak on 2/8. Put seeds into unheated starter trays on 2/11/09. These germinate better in the dark but I didn't have a place for them that was warm enough, I sprouted them in a flat with other plants under light. I cut out a wide strip of foiled chip bag and put it over the little row after it was planted to keep them warm but in the dark while under the lights. My first two seeds sprouted on 02/17/09. So 10 days to sprout from starting the soak and only 7 from putting them in the soil mix!
HARDENED OFF: 3/15/09: One hour in the cold frame. Increased the time daily until they were out for a full day after about a week. Sadly they sat in their flat and I didn't get around to transplanting them for nearly two weeks!
TRANSPLANTED IN GARDEN: 3/30/09.
DISEASE ISSUES:
INSECT ISSUES:
HARVEST YEILD & DURATION:
OTHER NOTES:

02/23/09
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03/02/09
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03/16/09
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The good, the bad and the ugly

TOO HOT!
So I think the seed flat that was sitting on the warmer got a little too hot - 95°! I was running my little experiment to see which flat would germinate first but I'm pretty sure that cooking the seeds aren't going to get me anywhere. So I turned the heating mat off. It's not like I'm trying to start pumpkins, corn or squash. (Which I'll save the mat for when the time comes). Good to know I don't need to rush out and get another one. The heat from the lights seem to be keeping the soil warm enough; after a full day under lights the unheated mat was 86°. Poor lettuce seeds, the little things are probably sweating to death! (I also raised the lights one chain up so it's a little cooler there too...)

MORE SEEDS
I also picked up a few more seed packs today. (The shaking of which gives me great pleasure). I wanted to get about seven different things but couldn't find half of what I was looking for. Maybe Sunday morning I'll head over to the nursery I usually shop at to see if they have what I want. It's getting late for onion and parsley! I did find the flat leafed parsley I wanted so I should be okay there. I might start the seeds tomorrow morning and I couldn't find the onion I wanted. Oh noze! I'm still looking for sweet peppers but there's time. I also grabbed Brussels Sprouts and flowers that are good as companion plants to a veggie garden: marigolds, nasturtium* and morning glory.

*Growing up in the Bay Area (Calif.) nasturtiums were everywhere along the coast. They remind me of my childhood - right along with night blooming star jasmine and the not so lovely ice plant (which I still dislike).

ID?

A dear friend mentioned that my bulb cluster might actually be Tete-a-Tete daffodils. I think she might be right. As I said... I don't remember!

I should also remember to get some snow drops next fall... they're so pretty blooming in my neighbors yard right now.

A garden to be

"Seeeee!? It's not too early to start planting seeds!"
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It's so nice to see a little life in the garden even if they are calling for snow again on Sunday. ::groan:: Granted they're most likely crocus (I honestly don't remember what I planted there last fall - I had too many bags of bulbs. lol Not a bad thing unless you loose track!)

I'm hoping that these will be coming up soon too. They were the most beautiful color. I just had to take a picture (which of course does them no justice). I started the germination process last night. Yay! Looking forward to early spring salad. (These are lettuce seeds)
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I had a little help lining the flats with moss. I'm sure this would've been a much cleaner process without the help of a three year old! But she was having fun... whatcha gonna do?
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And for those of you who love to look at dirt in trays. *Look*! Dirt in trays!
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The new seed set up! What a buggar to put together. It should've been simple but it seems even the easiest tasks sometimes cause a bit of a challenge. However it was extremely satisfying when it was all done. =)
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I set up two trays one with a heating mat which has has kept the soil consistently at 82° and one without any other heat source which started out at 72° but dropped to 62° this morning. Note that the lights were off all night too. It's my little experiment to see if I should invest in another heating mat! (Which set of seeds will germinate first?)