[JRandomFreeper]

We had a great week up until today. Mostly highs in the 70s and lows in the 40s. Lots of seeds started and doing well in on the sun shelf.

I did have to transplant my first batch of Roma tomatoes into their 16oz containers only 11 days into starting them. I started the second batch when I transplanted.

Usually, I start tomatoes every 2 weeks for 6 weeks, in case I get caught by a late freeze after I set them out, I'll have backups ready.

Kids are supposed to come over this weekend to help me get a couple of truckloads of the free mulch for the garden.

I'm ready for spring to really show up so I can start moving some of this jungle into the ground. ;)

/johnny

[JRandomFreeper]

One other thing. For Texas gardeners, I found this video on YouTube. Bob Webster does a good job of explaining some things. It's more geared to central Texas than North or South, but it's good info.

I wound up making notes during it.

/johnny

[Marcella]

Johnny:
Made it to Lowes yesterday. Got two four packs of Roma tomato plants which is 8 plants. (Read about these and they don't grow higher than 4-5 feet and that's good for me.) I assume they are hybrids since it doesn't say non-hybrid or heirloom. All these plants were outside the wire of the main gardening supplies.

As you know, I don't know jack about what I'm doing, so went inside the wire, found a guy who works there, and said “Think small.” Said I wanted bags of potting soil I could carry since I have no man. I got bags of 16 qt size and I can lift them.

Now, two or so years ago, I read about growing a plant using the bag of potting soil for the container. Punch a few holes in the bottom of bag for drainage, then cut the top side away enough to get your plant into the soil and there is the pot (bag) with plant planted.

I expect to hear growls from you guys about growing a plant that way, but I'm doing it anyway to see if it works. I'll put the bag up on a table so I won't have to bend to the ground for a while. I'll start two of the Romas in one bag and pick the better one after they grow some. I have pots for the other tomato plants and will put them on a table for the time being.

Told the man worker I wanted a thingy with little cups in it to start seeds. He took me to those and the only one there will start 70 seeds. That's overkill size but got it. I'll get the tobacco seeds in there by end of today.

I've got a long planter attached to a brick wall at waist high and would like lettuce and onion planted in that. Didn't get plants for that but need to. Question: Do I get lettuce seed and onion seed or buy the plants?

If I can keep these plants off the ground, I won't have to get the graduated water fed thing and that's a fair amount of money saved.

Question: Can I grow garlic? Is that seed or plant?

On the brighter side, I got my PINK Ruger 22LR rifle and it's on my PINK marble top coffee table. May just leave it there as a conversation piece and to send a message to anyone coming to see me. Only friends are allowed in this house. Everyone else gets killed by my Ruger 38 special when they think that pink rifle is all I have.

I have gotten small cases to hold 50 cartridges of the various weapons I have so I can get access to the extra ammo fast. For the rest of the boxes of ammo, I got two ammo cases, about the size of the military ammo cases except these are heavy duty plastic with pictures of ZOMBIES on the front. I also got moisture control packets to put in those boxes. One box has the large rifle and shotgun ammo in it. The other one has the boxes of handgun and LR 22 ammo in it.

See, I'm protecting my plants outside :o) can't get to the small garden unless one first goes through the gun field. :o)

[greeneyes]

Sounds like your pre planting season is going well. I too am so ready for warmer weather. Cold weather makes my bones ache.

[murrie]

So how many tomato plants to you routinely grow? You could end up with quite a few doing a batch every two weeks. That sounds like a good system.