What did you do in the garden today?

[TJAnonymous]

OK... I'm not crazy. I went back through the invoices for all my orders between last July (7/2023) and March (3/2024). Everything highlighted in YELLOW failed to germinate AT ALL. The one highlighted in ORANGE had low germination but still had something. Those not highlighted at all had high germination.

 

[Smokerbill]

I’ve had very good luck with direct seeding okra @Smokerbill.

My okra row was a little shorter than I thought. I was able to plant 14 hills of okra, 18" apart, with two or three seeds in each. Plus I have 17 solo-cup-potted okra seeds as backup if the direct seeded okra goes bust.

I replaced the iffy black currant cutting with a nicer one, and I planted the last two currants at the ends of the okra row.

 

[Smokerbill]

OK... I'm not crazy. I went back through the invoices for all my orders between last July (7/2023) and March (3/2024). Everything highlighted in YELLOW failed to germinate AT ALL. The one highlighted in ORANGE had low germination but still had something. Those not highlighted at all had high germination.

View attachment 3832931View attachment 3832932View attachment 3832933View attachment 3832934

I'd definitely contact Baker Creek and ask for replacements or a refund. They have a guarantee, but I'm not sure of its details.

 

[cj2024]

I just bought this set from amazon on impulse. I couldn't resist the plastic scrapers. I am all set, just waiting on my sour dough starter to bubble up.

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

The front yard is mowed and weed whacked. I wanted to work in the backyard but there were few breaks in the drizzle. Tomorrow looks to be a washout so it looks like a good day to make bread.

 

[WthrLady]

Interesting. Were those onions planted as seeds, sets or plants? Did they bolt last year?

One of the black currant cuttings I planted last week is looking pretty bad so I'm going to yank it out today and put in one of the replacements I have. All the others are looking great! I just really, really hope that the deer don't develop a taste for them. Maybe I should somehow protect them just in case.

They were parts of onion sets that got lost in the tomato plant row last year. The tops died off and I forgot all about them. They are now thicker and taller than I've ever seen, about 2 feet high. At one point, when they were about 4 inches high, a rabbit chewed them down to about an inch. As soon as they flop, I'm digging them up.

 

[fuzzi]

did a 50% water change to my 75 gallon fish tank. The total dissolved solids were over 800ppm so I figured it was time. I used my python and put the water into 5 gallon buckets out in the yard. Mixed in some fertilizer and my nematode drench concentrate with each bucket full. Got everything fed and watered! And a good drench of the nematode control solution. Three birds with one stone!

On Sunday I did a major cleaning, 16 gallon water change on my 29g tank, a little more than 50%, but I didn't check the nitrates, they're always about 5-10ppm due to the plants. I used to dump the buckets of dirty water on my shrubs, but my gardenia is dying, and I think it's due to root rot from all that water. I did put some tank water on my flowers.

When I finished stripping down the tank to sand I discovered I still had four Kuhli loaches. A couple of them are almost 8 years old.

 

[fuzzi]

Yeah, I'm not sure why I've had so much trouble with Baker flower seeds this year. I also sowed 3 different packets of yarrow from Baker, in addition to the other seeds I listed. None of those have germinated either.

Over a dozen flower seed packets, from multiple shipments, without a single germination...

And at least 6 flower seed packets that had low germination with under 5 plants maximum.

Wonder if I should reach out to them?

I have had mixed results from my Baker Creek seeds this year. The borage and one variety of lettuce didn't germinate, even after sowing twice, BUT the Black-seeded Simpson did great, and all the squash and melons have germinated well, too.

 

[Smokerbill]

The front yard is mowed and weed whacked. I wanted to work in the backyard but there were few breaks in the drizzle. Tomorrow looks to be a washout so it looks like a good day to make bread.

Hey, I just finished mowing my yard too, but I didn't pull out the weed eater. Minus the garden, buildings and areas under the trees I think I have about a half acre to mow.

They were parts of onion sets that got lost in the tomato plant row last year. The tops died off and I forgot all about them. They are now thicker and taller than I've ever seen, about 2 feet high. At one point, when they were about 4 inches high, a rabbit chewed them down to about an inch. As soon as they flop, I'm digging them up.

Thanks. I planted onion sets this spring. If I remember I'll leave a few and see what they do next year. I didn't know rabbits would eat onions.

On Sunday I did a major cleaning, 16 gallon water change on my 29g tank, a little more than 50%, but I didn't check the nitrates, they're always about 5-10ppm due to the plants. I used to dump the buckets of dirty water on my shrubs, but my gardenia is dying, and I think it's due to root rot from all that water. I did put some tank water on my flowers.
View attachment 3833169

When I finished stripping down the tank to sand I discovered I still had four Kuhli loaches. A couple of them are almost 8 years old.
View attachment 3833170

Those Kuhli loaches are cool-i! For some reason they make me think of those poisonous sea snakes.

 

[Sally PB]

The overwintered in the ground onions are nicer and larger than any onions I've EVER planted in the spring. Hmmmm. I might have to repeat this 'accident'.

Interesting. Were those onions planted as seeds, sets or plants? Did they bolt last year?

They were parts of onion sets that got lost in the tomato plant row last year. The tops died off and I forgot all about them. They are now thicker and taller than I've ever seen, about 2 feet high. At one point, when they were about 4 inches high, a rabbit chewed them down to about an inch. As soon as they flop, I'm digging them up.

When I've pulled up "missed" onions from the year before, the bulb is nothing but mush. The tops might look great, but the bulb is bleah. These were planted as sets last year.