What did you do in the garden today?

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

Good morning gardeners. I received my fingerling seed potatoes in the mail yesterday. It's a nice mix of red, white and purple. I can start prepping and warming the beds they're going in. Also, it looks like the rain is finished for the day so perhaps I can spray my peach tree this afternoon. I was able to check the garlic bed yesterday. No signs of life, but it's still early and cold. I picked up my gutters for the potting shed yesterday as well. I was really happy they actually fit almost all the way into my car. While I was at Lowes I noticed the price of wood has come down quite a bit. That's good news. About the Bok or Pak Choy @gtaus. So many different spellings. This is the first year I'm planting it but I'm assuming the "baby bok choi" is the less mature version of the plant. Pick them when they are little and don't let them grow to full size. That's my plan. Also, as with many vegetables I suspect the multitude of names is for the many different varieties. I'll be planting the starts I'm now growing and then direct seed a few more. I prefer the baby bok choi to the larger, mature plant because it's a bit sweeter. Regarding the chicken wire @jnicholes. I think you can guide the stems through the holes in the chicken wire. You could also snip the wire around stem for more grow room. Just a thought. You could also try some critter ridder or coyote urine to deter the kittys. I need to get moving, laundry day.

 

[Sueby]

Not very exciting like y’all with your starts, but it all I got…I walked thru the garden yesterday, it was so nice out. Took some pics…
Garlic is getting big:

One random flower that pops up every year in the middle of the yard

My strawberries, I didn’t cover them or get to pull the soaker hose. Looks like they’ll be just fine anyway. Wish I could clean up the bed a little but no can do.

 

[Sequel]

The plants will grow through it easily, too. Be sure to pull it up before winter, as it gets harder and harder to get out of there the longer it sits. Or just plan to plant seeds in the holes next year. In which case, chicken wire would be easier ( and cheaper) than hardware cloth.

Here's some info about saving brassica seeds. They can cross pollinate.
https://www.redwoodseeds.net/blogs/the-story-of-seed/14200361-brassica-basics-seed-saving-101

Thank you Sally, that was a wonderful seed saving article. I have wondered why my Giant Red Mustard and my Siberian Kale never cross, I've been saving their seed for 25+ years!

 

[jerryse]

Shucks... Sounds like saving the seeds from some of my plants is not such a good idea. I was aware that my pepper plants could cross pollinate so I have never saved seeds from them. I have had good luck with saving my bean seeds, but now I wonder if it has been more "luck" then I thought!? I grow a variety of beans all in the same location, so I bet they are cross pollinating and the seeds I saved are probably no longer true to their type.

The more I learn.... But I guess it's all good to know because I don't want to waste my time and effort on saving bad seeds. Thanks.

Beans pollinate before the flower is fully open. Crossing is rare. Controlled crosses are done. I have tried and failed. So your seeds are good. Tomatoes also pollinate before the flower is fully open but not all do this. I have had some cross on their own. It seems some. varaties the pistil grows longer exposing it to outside pollen. Each species has its own way. Bok choi is a mustard and probably safe in MN. Here we have a wild black seeded mustard which could contaminate your seed. Any compatible species will have to bloom at the same time to cross. I used to open pollinate popcorn here in a corn growing area. I simply planted my corn so it pollinated after the field corn.

 

[BReeder!]

Thanks, but won’t chicken wire get in the way of the stems of the plants? If not, I’m more than happy to try this.

If it's right on the dirt the plants will grow through it just fine.

 

[BReeder!]

One random flower that pops up every year in the middle of the yard

That looks like a crocus. It will have a tiny bulb you can dig up and move to a safer place if you want to keep it without mowing it over in future years. We have a bunch of crocus near the front steps.

 

[BReeder!]

Well I should have double checked the weather yesterday... it's a high of 39 today and the greenhouse got down to 27.7 F last night. The 10 was looking like lows in the mid 30s to 40s and highs in the 50s when I checked the other day, so I decided yesterday to move a few trays out of the DIY grow tent in the garage that was full and into the greenhouse. I moved out a tray worth of 3.5" pots of tomato plants and a tray of 3.5" pots of various herbs along with the tray of lettuce and brassicas I already had in there. I'm not too worried about the lettuce and brassicas as they are cold hardy enough, but I'm afraid to check on the tomatoes and some of the herbs. Going to take a bath on my lunch break here (woke up late...) and then I will go out there and take a look. Fingers crossed they're doing OK. My hope is that the greenhouse kept the frost enough and that the freeze wasn't for long enough to cause long term damage. The toms did all have true leaves and were 6-8 inch tall plants, so a bit better prepared than a seedling. I'm worried though.

 

[TJAnonymous]

I moved my tomato starts to a sunny window ledge for the day instead of under the grow lights. I'm thinking about moving them outdoors during the day time. Maybe that will help the leaf curl issue? Here's the latest pictures of a couple of them....

 

[Sally PB]

@BReeder!, hoping they're ok..!

 

[jnicholes]

I have a follow up question concerning the chicken wire to deter the cats.

What size of chicken wire do I need to get? I’m picking it up today.