WEEKLY GARDEN THREAD MARCH 3, 2017

freerepublic | 3/3/2017 | greeenyes

[Redleg Duke]

Actually, you need to do it by the light of a new moon.

[who knows what evil?]

LOL...doesn't everybody 'plant by the signs '?

[who knows what evil?]

I’m moved on to Cherokee Purple Hearts...more bang for your buck tomato goodness.

[oldasrocks]

Strange that they did not sprout. I have 84 seeds in pot waiting for them to sprout. Planted on March 1st. I sure hope that company is wrong or I’ll be way behind. Maybe I should lime the spritzer water? Might try this on one tray of extra plants.

I have a PH tester around here someplace. Rarely used stuff tends to get buried somewhere so I’ll have to hunt for it.

[oldasrocks]

I use Zabara fence chargers. Just was the cheapest one at the local farm store. I figured it said good for a 3 mile fence and the garden is only 50 ft X 60 ft so good enough. There are 4 wires 12 inches apart so only 880 ft of wire.

My cherry tomatoes are peeking out of the pots!

[matthew fuller]

Apparently, there are mixed feelings about this-

CON:
http://www.ecoseeds.com/Pepper.growing.tips.html
http://www.doublehelixfarms.com/planting_guide

I’m not going to print the Pro’s, There are many (most).
You can search “Germination of pepper seed in Jiffy pots pellets”.

[oldasrocks]

Well that makes me so SAD. I have over 70 seeds in peat pots. I wonder if I can treat the pots with lime now. I planted on the first of the month. The cherry tomatoes are already up and the Parks are peaking through.

[Arkansas Tider]

Peppers are very finicky, I seed twice the amount I intend on planting in the field, this year I was at about 60% germination, I ended up with around 250 plants. The peat pellets you mention are not a good option, you would be much better off planting in Miracle Gro potting soil. I mix my own starting mix now, which is different for each variety of plant I am starting.

[Arkansas Tider]

I will look into Cherokee Purple hearts, I try to plant a few new varieties each year and see how well they do at the market. This year I’m trying Ninevah and Carbon.

[matthew fuller]

I saw more results on my search that said you’re OK than said otherwise. Good luck.

[oldasrocks]

Thanks, I’m going to sweat till they get repotted HA. I’ve used these pots for several years and have an average growth rate. Never 100% and maybe this is why.

[Augie]

And yet another unseasonably warm weekend has passed here in Central Missouri. Mrs. Augie and #1 Marine Daughter Leah are somewhere in western kansass this morning, making their way home from Camp Pendleton, CA. Daughter has fulfilled her obligation to the Corps and will be returning to civilian life! It's going to be nice having her home. I won't have to feed her horses!

The old 1970 or so Crasftsman garden tiller had been giving me some grief so I dragged it into the shop for a little tune-up. The sprag clutch that engages the starter rope wasn't, so I disassembled, cleaned and reassembled it. Problem solved. Left side tire has been losing air so I pulled it off and gave it a good dose of fix-a-flat goo. It had been awhile since it was off the axle.

I seeded 64 starter cells with kale, and another 64 with green salad and stuck those in the new cold frame. It's still not built exactly how I'd like it, but it will do for now.

I hauled two trailer loads of stall waste home from the neighbor lady's horse stable and added that to my pile. I finished cleaning up the kitchen garden yesterday morning, then used the little Massey to put out some of that composted manure. I have to admit it was much easier using the tractor compared to the wheelbarrow.

[tubebender]

If I ever quit gardening IT WILL BE YOUR FAULT!!!

[Augie]

Don’t slow down on my account.

I’m just a poor mountaineer trying to keep my family fed. LOL

[Covenantor]

Did a FR search for hydropnic resulting in only one article.

Have you tillers of the soil dicussed hydroponic gardening and specifically the Kratky method?

[tubebender]

I have too much fun gardening and getting dirty doing it. The local grower supply houses sell some to the dopers but most use grow bags or boxes or direct plant in the enriched soil. Now that it is “legal” to grow, large warehouse rents have sky rocketed in price

[greeneyes]

Nope not much. We all tend to be dirt grubbers. LOL

[greeneyes]

Thanks for the pictures. It has been so nice, I keep expecting some big frost. We have lots of blossoms on the fruit trees.

So glad to hear your daughter will be coming back from California. It’s not a good place to be right now, for many reasons. JMHO.

[oldasrocks]

My tomatoes are mostly up and some of the green peppers are too. Hot peppers evidently have a longer germination time.

I have Ploy melon seeds coming for laughters and also some
Passiflora quadrangularis Erotica.

I like to grow strange things.

[ApplegateRanch]

My eldest brother used a 6’ fence for his garden, with a second, outer, 4’ fence about 3’ from the 6’ Deer could jump into that beagle run (grin) but could only jump back out at the corners. Too narrow for them to get over either fence, and too wide a gap for them to clear both at once. The dogs loved it.