Posted on 01/20/2012 9:56:41 AM PST by JustaDumbBlonde
It was just a couple of weeks ago that I was really glad that the last of my garden had frozen. Being blessed with a long growing season is not always what it's cracked-up to be. You understand ... gardening is hard work! When it lasts from March or April until December, it can get tedious.
Then, yesterday, my first order of seeds that I don't need came in from John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds. Four beautiful little envelopes that sound like maracas; Baby Lincoln Leeks, Tres Fine Maraichere Endive, Beaumont Broccoli, and Large Fruited Mixture Ornamental Gourds.
I am stoked.
Yep, that's all it takes to get the soil coursing through my veins once again. Newspaper pots are about to be made ... my plastic trays need to be washed in a sudsy bleach solution. Clean off a couple of shelves in the garage and hang up the grow lights. Now, if I could just remember where I put that 55 quart bag of moisture control potting soil ...
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Last week, the Weekly Gardening Thread welcomed the 500th member of the ping list. What a great way to begin our 2012 gardening season! More members = more information to share. Let's grow!
The Weekly Gardening Thread is a weekly gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you.
This thread is non-political, although you will find that most here are conservative folks. No matter what, you won’t be flamed and the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked.
It is impossible to hijack the Weekly Gardening Thread ... there is no telling where it will go and that is part of the fun and interest. Jump in and join us!
The choice was Gizzards or Ox Tail...
Have you been to Chromo lately... haha
What’s a “cutout?”
For your review:
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We were in Chromo this past September ... and Pagosa ... and spent two weeks hunting on the Escalante Ranch. We love Colorado!
Here is a photo of a cutout that we did last year in the roof over a bay window:
What we do during a cutout is take as much brood comb as is needed to keep the hive alive, some of the honey stores for food, and as many bees as we can catch or vacuum, including the queen. If we can't manage to get the queen, it is a bit more difficult to get the hive going in its new home, but not impossible. If you have a strong hive, they will hatch a new queen. You can also buy a queen from a breeder and "re-queen" the hive.
I have tried several variations on that link, and can’t get it to work.
Thank you for this most excellent gardening thread!
Between this FR thread and a couple YouTube channels (praxxus55712 and voodoogarden) and all the catalogs I learned about here, it’s going to be a brilliant gardening year!
This Spring will bring a new vegetable garden to the new house. 12 raised beds - @ 500 sq ft. Fruit trees and chickens to follow in the Fall.
If anyone has any heirloom/old school vegetable seeds they are willing to share, I will send a SASE. (The only seeds I can offer in exchange are baby blue morning glory seeds - great way to hide an ugly chain link fence.)
It would be an honor to grow other people’s favorite plants here.
Here is Charleston, SC - zone 8b. We can grow just about anything here, with gardening being mostly weed and insect control, it seems.
Photos to follow as the garden progresses - primary day here today (I’d vote for mama grizz if she was on the ballot) - then back to putting in the raised beds.
Take care - have a blessed day!
Thank you for this most excellent gardening thread!
Between this FR thread and a couple YouTube channels (praxxus55712 and voodoogarden) and all the catalogs I learned about here, it’s going to be a brilliant gardening year!
This Spring will bring a new vegetable garden to the new house. 12 raised beds - @ 500 sq ft. Fruit trees and chickens to follow in the Fall.
If anyone has any heirloom/old school vegetable seeds they are willing to share, I will send a SASE. (The only seeds I can offer in exchange are baby blue morning glory seeds - great way to hide an ugly chain link fence.)
It would be an honor to grow other people’s favorite plants here.
Here is Charleston, SC - zone 8b. We can grow just about anything here, with gardening being mostly weed and insect control, it seems.
Photos to follow as the garden progresses - primary day here today (I’d vote for mama grizz if she was on the ballot) - then back to putting in the raised beds.
Take care - have a blessed day!
Those are beautiful. When I lived on Merrit Island, I planted a hibiscus hedge. I loved it and so did my neighbor. We had no fences, I think he planted gardenias.
Wonderful news!
Seed catalogs are arriving and plans for this year's garden are starting!
Great news, Red. I know you’ll be able to have your vegetable garden.
Fellow freedom gardners I need a some bits of information that may be at your fingertips.
My friend is a state legislator who is a constitutional conservative. He called me Thurs. evening. He is interested in drafting legislation relating to food freedom, i.e., farmers’ markets, on-premise sales, roadside stands, etc., in that any foods grown and sold within the state shall be free from oppressive regulations. He’s willing to include raw milk, too.
I steered him towards the movie trailer “Farmaggedon” but there might be sample state legislation out there to use as a point-of-beginning.
I would appreciate you forwarding some links, info and the like on this topic. I have been working a part-time, non-farming job this winter and I’m booked this weekend, thus my humble request for help.
We will likely call it the “Food Freedom Act.”
What’s interesting is I’m a FReeping right winger whose has made food freedom a common cause with the “lovely” liberals. Who’d a thought ... freedom unites! :)
Thanks again in advance for your help.
WOW! Just WOW!
The view this morning - plants covered in ice after sleet last night. This is an ancient bush ... I believe it is Flowering Quince.
From February 9-26, plants will be sold by the Bexar County Master Gardner association at their booth inside the Buckaroos on the Ranch: A Truly Texas Experience pavilion. Though I've already seeded my choices, I'll probably pick up a six pack. Proceeds support their "Junior Master Gardener program and other countywide youth gardening activities, along with horticulture scholarships."
The BHN variety I chose was BHN-640, plus Celebrity and 4th of July. I've also seeded 10 other mostly indeterminant varieties, not all of which will make it into the garden or containers. I like choices.
I didn't have much luck with last year's Rodeo Tomato, the Tycoon. Just down the street, however, my father-in-law had excellect luck with them. The only difference we can guess is his backyard had shade. Last summer was a dry scorcher.
"Rodriguez said last year experts from AgriLife Extension and volunteers from the agency's Bexar County Master Gardener association and the Garden Volunteers of South Texas, planted more than 4,500 tomato plants at Verstuyft Farms in south Bexar County.
"'The BHN 602 variety was selected as this year's rodeo tomato due to its superior production and quality characteristics,' he said. 'It is a well-adapted plant that produces a large, rich, red, firm, succulent fruit.'
"This year, the group planted mainly varieties which were expected to produce the large, round fruit indicative of fresh-market tomatoes, said Dr. Larry Stein, AgriLife Extension horticulturist at the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Uvalde who oversaw the trials.
"'Some of these varieties included SunStart, Sunshine, Bella Rosa, Applause and BHN 602 varieties,' Stein said. 'They also planted some 'grape-determinant' varieties which produce a significantly smaller tomato.'
"These annual tomato plantings are part of a research field trial to determine new adaptive tomato varieties that will grow well in this region, Rodriguez said. The rodeo tomato was selected from the various tomatoes tested and assessed during these trials.
"In these trials we put them to the test to find the one with the color, size, texture and flavor characteristics we know to be most appealing to home-gardeners and consumers in this region," he said "This year, BHN 602, which was originally developed at a research center in Florida, was the clear winner as this year's rodeo tomato in that it adapted exceedingly well to the Texas climate and produced some exceptional quality fruit."
'Rodeo' tomato, other varieties picked from Bexar County fields, January 20, 2012
Excellent. Good luck and hope the owners work with you.
Krikeee! Look at the pheenominal root growth on this Kale after being placed into the system less than two weeks ago!When I put it in the net pot, there was one tiiiinee little thread of a root hanging out the bottom.Looks like this Aqueeeponics thing Realllly works!
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