Your 2024 Garden

[tripletfeb]

Peppers take longer to grow than tomatoes. I start mine a couple weeks before I start my tomatoes. Gardening is a great science experiment! Have fun and I hope they both germinate for you!

I've started seeds before but just from seeds I bought, never from what I've saved. Usually they do bad for me and I end up having to buy starts anyway. I bought grow lights and heat mats this year so I'm hoping for more success. I also have my peppers that I over wintered if the seeds don't grow

 

[tripletfeb]

Yeah I start my peppers in January (was late this year, and started in Feb) and tomatoes as late as March. Generally tomatoes go out in early May for me, so that's plenty of time to get them big enough to plant outside, whereas peppers need to stay in longer as they generally want warmer temps.

I can't get any of mine outside until at least Mother's Day, usually later. We've had snow on Mother's Day more often lately so I don't want anything out too early

 

[rosemarythyme]

I can't get any of mine outside until at least Mother's Day, usually later. We've had snow on Mother's Day more often lately so I don't want anything out too early

Yeah it took me a bit of experimenting to figure out when was a good time for what. I do keep a close eye on the forecasts as we get near the planting times I've written down from the last few years, and I adjust as needed.

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

Great story indeed. TY for sharing.

I haven’t planted anything outside, and glad I didn’t because it hailed. Now it’s been sunny again & I gots to build a coop/pen but guess what storm incoming! Hoping I can get some stuff done in the morning, then get the seed started inside when the rain comes.

 

[tripletfeb]

I also bought myself and my sister a Clyde's Garden Planter Calendar. Lots of great info on both sides

 

[LTAY1946]

I almost got some of my tomato plants in the ground but just didn't get around to it with all the tilling up of new ground. Well a few minutes ago we had a hail storm.

 

[NanaK]

Well a few minutes ago we had a hail storm.

Hope damage is minimal!

 

[LTAY1946]

Not sure how much damage but I know we will have to gather dead tree limbs after what we heard go across last night. I am so glad now that things kept interfering with my getting tomato and egg plants in the ground and not getting the onion sets watered in. l know we will have some erosion damage. There should be enough grass trash mixed in the corn patch ground it didn't wash away. This is the biggest storm we've had in a long, long time.

 

[Sally PB]

I’ve also grown popcorn from the stuff I buy at the store for the air popper.

How do you dry your popcorn? My parents grew it when I was a teenager, and it was hit-or-miss when we tried popping it. Did it just sizzle in the pan, because it was still to wet, pop nicely, or barely crack open the kernel because it was too dry?

I eat a lot (LOT) of hot air popped popcorn, and I'd grow my own (I have the space for corn) if I could be more certain of getting a good result.

 

[Lauravonsmurf]

I live in a hot climate, I do not harvest till stalks completely dry and the corn feels dry, then it should be hung upside down, inside and dried sort of like you dry herbs… use clothes pins and you don’t want them touching each other, I haven’t tried the mesh bag method yet. But that method you move the corn in it around and rotate the bags around. Hanging method check the kernels once or twice a week by collecting a few off of different cobs… then see how it pops. When it seems to be popping good, go ahead and shell it, place the kernels in an air tight container.

There is a dehydrator method I have not used that yet, but apparently you can also pop the popcorn in it. But I need to do more research on how best to use dehydrator for this. The temperature I do have so far for this is 120-130 F

If your dried popcorn is not popping in could have gotten to dry as the popcorn needs to have some moisture in it to pop about 14%. But if you are like me I don’t have a way to measure water content so I just have to eyeball and test and adjust. You can add moisture back by filling a quart jar with popcorn and add 1 tablespoon of water, shake well, check it every now and then and shake again till water absorbed. Check to see if it will pop every three to 4 days, if water absorbed but not popping well, repeat the process till it pops properly.

I hope this helps.