What did you do in the garden today?

[pennyJo1960]

Not patient waiting for new peeps to show up.
Gardner's 6 are to be here.

 

[Rick589]

In our climate (similar to yours, I think), our growing season isn't long enough for tomatoes and peppers to bear unless I start them inside about 6-8 weeks ahead of our "safe to plant" date.

I start my frost-sensitive plants around April 1 in the green house. This year, I started hubby's hot peppers on a heat mat mid-March. The plants are about 6" tall. The peppers I planted in the green house are about 1" tall.

The green house is only passive solar heat.

Good point, although being in zone 7B the the jump start on transplants versus direct seeding seems to be minimal. Still, I seed start indoors, always too early though.

 

[WthrLady]

I feel you on this. The amount of space for the amount of yield just doesn’t seem to equate. Everything I grow is with an eye toward canning or freezing everything harvested. Did this once or twice with corn and between the space, versus yield, versus processing just wasn’t worth it.

I feel you on this. The amount of space for the amount of yield just doesn’t seem to equate. Everything I grow is with an eye toward canning or freezing everything harvested. Did this once or twice with corn and between the space, versus yield, versus processing just wasn’t worth it.

This- the way I feel about green beans and peas, too much space, too much work for the output.
Sweet corn is hard to come by here, and when you do the quality is hit or miss. When it's in the stores, it's $$$.

 

[TJAnonymous]

I feel you on this. The amount of space for the amount of yield just doesn’t seem to equate. Everything I grow is with an eye toward canning or freezing everything harvested. Did this once or twice with corn and between the space, versus yield, versus processing just wasn’t worth it.

I've grown, or tried to grow, sweet corn every year for the past 5 years. The first year, coons got the entire harvest the night before I was going to reap it. The next 3 years, I tried growing it inside my hoop house which protected it from critters but interfered with consistent germination. Last year, I moved it into a protected in-ground garden area but only had a 3' x 8' plot so, needless to say, I hardly got much corn for the effort. This year I tilled a 15 ft x 10 ft area in an unused pasture which is close to the garden (for watering purposes) but flash flooding wiped out half my seedlings last week so I had to replant. All of this to say that it would be a million times easier and cheaper to just BUY sweet corn and can it.

 

[akroberts1085]

I have read that corn should be planted in a North facing area. I believe that maybe electro culture could make corn a viable crop for preservation. It would depend on whether you have the time and patience to build some. You need copper wire and a pipe or a stout stick to make them. They say that there needs to be 6 inches of wire in the ground. The top is supposed to be shaped like a cone. Just a thought.

 

[Rick589]

This- the way I feel about green beans and peas, too much space, too much work for the output.
Sweet corn is hard to come by here, and when you do the quality is hit or miss. When it's in the stores, it's $$$.

Beans overrun me every year, still have bean canned and frozen from two years ago, peas aren’t as productive but still give a good crop. I do fight with beets however and corn is readily available from all of the produce stands here so better to just buy than fight.

 

[cj2024]

I looked it up saw this is sold out, yet it seems somehow familiar. Check our seed stash and yes we did already buy this one to try this year. Maybe a little bit of a seed addiction here!

The original seeds I got from Baker Creek took over a month to sprout. I gave up on them and left the tray uncovered outside and kept them moist and a few sprouted, it felt like 2 months later.
This year they sprouted from fruit I left to compost. I kept only 2 plants out of hundreds.
The seeds from the discarded squash last year were dormant for a while, and they sprouted naturally during a period of heavy rain. This tells me to sow my seeds at my location around March.
This year I cut off the side branches, it makes me feel like I am in control. Last year, I got overwhelmed. One wild vine can produce a lot of giant 40lbs squash.

 

[cj2024]

The stressful part about Carrie mangoes is I have to pick them green or else they will fall on the ground and bruise. The drawback of picking them green is a bunch of them get ripe about the same time.

 

[Rick589]

Getting taller wader boots and almost ready for a snorkel. The hull of the ark is close to ready.

Anywhere close to starting the main deck?

 

[cj2024]

McMurray Hatchery updated their availability list for their Red Star alias for Isa Brown. I got the last 15 for September's hatch (5 hens and 10 straight run). I was going to order only 6, but they have a $70 small order charge, so I had to get 15 chicks with free shipping.

I placed the order after I candled my Isa Brown eggs in my incubator. I saw only one moving around, and one was blank, and the rest were too dark to see any movement. Thus far my experience with mailed eggs is terrible. When they do hatch it's always been below 50%.