What did you do in the garden today?

[Sally PB]

I see a show on TV about gardening in Ireland and took a few tips on potatoes among other things.

Like what? I'm all eyes.

 

[BReeder!]

Like what? I'm all eyes.

They plant potatoes and then cover with a frost blanket that looks much like an insect cover you would find at a garden center. A white floss that let's light through. The idea seems to be airborne moisture will settle as frost on the blanket instead of the leaves below it.
Another thing they do in the show is feed pants with just chicken manure (a pelleted version, but still chicken manure) and dried seaweed powder. They start seeds in a compost mix, but a rule of thumb they stick to is the compost mix feeds the plant for 6 weeks and then added nutrients is needed.

I forgot the name of the show. It was on Amazon Prime or Netflix. It might have been GIY (Garden It Yourself).

 

[BReeder!]

My native onions (planted for flowers) and celery are beginning to sprout.

Onions:

Celery:

 

[Sally PB]

They plant potatoes and then cover with a frost blanket that looks much like an insect cover you would find at a garden center. A white floss that let's light through. The idea seems to be airborne moisture will settle as frost on the blanket instead of the leaves below it.

Ah! I've seen those. I used some bed sheets over my strawberry and bean plants when we got some frost last season. It works exactly like that too... the moisture settles on the sheet, and the plants below are safe. The warmth in the ground keeps them warm enough, and any moisture on the sheets is up above them, out of the way.

The sheets worked so well in the spring with the strawberries that I made some "frost sheets" out of some other old bed sheets. I cut the corners open on the fitted bottom sheets so that they could be spread out flat. I stuff the sheets in some pillow cases and put them in the closet when I don't need them.

I also tented them over my young fruit trees last spring. They're too young to be yielding fruit (apples and cherries), but the leaf buds were saved.

 

[Artichoke Lover]

Got the last of the peas in the ground! Ended up putting 1 row in the main garden since I ran out of room in the spring bed. Also planted the Radishes and lettuce today. If the forecast is right we should see a freeze or frost here for at least a week! Everything but the artichokes seem to be doing well. The artichokes seemed to be infected with wilt so I culled them and started another 6 pots out in the greenhouse. The first round of oregano, peppers and eggplant are up and I’m starting the next round today. I’ll also start a few tomatoes for my grandparents who live about an hour south. I won’t start mine until next weekend. Also reported the catnip since it was getting root bound

 

[WthrLady]

Not planting seeds for at least another two weeks.
Heck, I still need to get to town to get some supplies. Am SO slow this year.
6 more inches and we break our highest snowfall totals here.....and we always get big, wet snows in end of Feb and march, fair game until april 11th really.

 

[BReeder!]

How long do you think tomatoes will live in 6" pots planted from seed?

I don't mind fertilizing them if needed and my DIY starter mix has composted manure in it to feed them too. I'm wanting to get pants the size of what you might buy from a garden center - actual plants not just a few leaves.

 

[Artichoke Lover]

How long do you think tomatoes will live in 6" pots planted from seed?

I don't mind fertilizing them if needed and my DIY starter mix has composted manure in it to feed them too. I'm wanting to get pants the size of what you might buy from a garden center - actual plants not just a few leaves.

I’ve kept mine in 4 inch pots for 8 weeks so I’d think maybe 10-12 weeks. I would only fertilize them lightly at maybe 8-10 weeks and they will probably be fine without any. If you keep them in pots that long you may have pinch off flowers to keep them from blooming in the pots.

 

[WthrLady]

The tomato guy. He's great.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGwHWxpp7vxEZ3jgsOuD0Xg

 

[Sally PB]

When I start tomatoes, I end up with somewhat leggy plants, no matter what I do. I put that legginess to use. When I plant my starts, I snip off leaves from the bottom until there are 2-4 pairs of leaves. Then I bury the plant to about 1/2-1" of stem from the bottom leaves. The stem will send out roots, helping the plant grow.

If you do this, be aware that for a while (a week? two?), the little plant will look like nothing is happening. Then, zoom. That has been my experience, anyway.