Gardening From Seeds is a Growing Pastime

77 Square ^ | April 24, 2009 | Chris Martell

[Gabz]

I would love to know where all those rocks and stones keep coming from. They seem to multiply faster than mint.

[Viking2002]

Yeah, they add a lot of kick with very little input. But tasty. But that capsaicin gets into your skin and doesn't want to give up the ghost. I remember making a pot of chili once, and even after washing my hands, I took my contacts out several hours later and got a very painful lesson. And those suckers are mild compared to the Datil, Thai, Habanero, and Scotch Bonnet varieties. I've kind of developed an affinity for the Datils since I live so close to Florida now. St. Augustine has become my hot sauce heaven. LOL

[Tarheel]

How heavy are those topsy turvey planters when they have soil and water in them? I have been looking at them for a couple of years but thought I might need a crane to hold them!

[Marmolade]

We just put in some asparagus last weekend. I hope it does OK. We put some in quite a few years back. We dug a trench as the directions said. Then we had tons of rain and I think all of it must have rotted from too much water. I trenched a little bit this time, but not as deep. I figured I would just hill up around the plants this time. Of course we are getting many days of rain again, but I don’t think the drainage will be a problem.

I ordered an heirloom apple tree and some heirloom fingerling potatoes from Jung’s this year. The apple tree went in last weekend, haven’t gotten to the potatoes yet.

[Gabz]

The only things I have put in the ground so far (and actually they are in containers) are peas and mint. Everything else is still in flats in the greenhouse, or haven’t even been started yet.

The peas are an experiment in hanging baskets. But I fear this weird heatwave we are having is going to do them in.

I’m hoping to get some limas and green beans in the ground tomorrow.

I have had very little luck with peppers so far, but have far more tomatoes than I ever expected. I think I’m going to be transplanting about half of them to newspaper pots and selling them.

[Gabz]

Use lemon juice or sour cream on your hands after handling the hot peppers.

[tubebender]

We live in Eureka on Humboldt Bay and the soil is still to cold to germinate even 75% so I transplant the corn and get 100% row fill. My rows are 12 feet long and I plant 5 rows 2 plants to a hill with the hills 12” apart. I buy the earliest maturing Sh2 and then battle to Raccoons later. This year it is Trinity from Stokes. I have purchased from Jungs and my Wife has also. Out #1 source is Territorial Seed in Oregon as they specialize in the maritime belt of North West...

[Vendome]

Gawd!!! Wish I knew. Sucked. Which brings up an old joke.

Q. What keeps Texas from falling into the Gulf of Mexico?

A. Oklahoma Sucks!

Just a joke Okies. No flames. I tell this joke to alot of people and if they are familiar with Geography they laugh pretty hard. Especially the ones from Texas.

[eggman]

My father had about an acre of asparagus when I was young. My brother just started a new crop for about 1/2 acre last year. He wound up having to buy some extra crowns to fill in as he didn't get quite enough from the seed he sowed.

If you plant it from seed you have a long wait. You have to sow it and painstakingly weed the small plants for a year to harvest the crowns. The easy way is to purchase 1 or 2 year old crowns and just plant them. The second year they need to get established and the third year you can start harvesting a little.

As long as you maintain the plants they'll last a long time. You can keep harvesting until the new shoots are too skinny then just let them grow the rest of the year. They like well drained soil and a nice sunny spot. Once they're establshed they are fairly easy to maintain.

[mysterio]

Dug my garden today. Will be growing several plants from seed.

[Yaelle]

LOVE the peat pellets. The kids and I have been gardening today, and it is a wonderful pastime. Plus then you know how organic they are, and who has had his hands on your food.

[Squantos]

Won’t yer boss be angry if you don’t post a link to the company web site so we can support freepers businesses.....:o)

Baaaad Diana baaaaad !

I normally use Burpee seed catalog yet will change to support a freeper !

[Viking2002]

Actually, they only weigh about 10 lbs. apiece. (Dry!) And they come with more-than-adequate hardware to hold them up - they use braided steel wire. I ran heavy-duty planter hooks into my porch to suspend them, but they come with eye screws. They probably go about 20-25 lbs., fully watered. But my veggies are going gangbusters so far - even better than putting them in the usual over-tilled, over-watered, over-fertilized patch I've tried to maintain over the last few years. Buy one, put a plant of choice in it, and observe for a couple of weeks. If you think it's the way to go, then run riot.

[Viking2002]

Sour cream is a new one to me. But that was a lesson learned 25 years ago. I'm much more diligent and cautious now. LOL

[eggman]

I learned that too. Wear rubber gloves and a mask when grinding the dried peppers. Also do it out in the garage and the powder can be nasty if inhaled.

I stick to the serranos, jalepenos and pablanos. I like it hot but not painfully hot.

[Viking2002]

I keep a bottle of Lizard Spit from Mara's Hotter Side in St. Augustine on my table at all times. It has an exceptional flavor. A subtle garlic-centric undertone that a lot of others don't have. Very nice condiment.

[GloriaJane]

I bought heirloom seeds and I have a half plat of green peppers, a half plat of jalapeno peppers, a half plat of Beefstake tomato’s and a half plat of Rutgers tomato’s all growing in my windows.

The other heirloom seeds I bought like beans and corn we will have to wait and plant outside in the garden.

I hope to have a lot of tomato’s this year so I can freeze them. I love having fresh frozen tomato’s of my own to cook with. Things just seem to taste better.

[Gabz]

That makes sense. I’ll stick with just planting my sweet corn as usual, but I think I will try head starting the “vanity” types I’m planning on trying this year.

[Gabz]

My husband used to live in Texas -— I understand the joke :)

We had a spell of decent weather back in early to mid March and my husband hoed up my “kitchen” garden. Wednesday I went at it with the hand cultivator so that I could start getting some beans and such in there and I have this (not so) lovely collection of rocks, again. My outside cats made be annoying and mischievous, but I know danged well THEY didn’t put all those rocks in there. And the 10 year old has spent enough time digging and weeding, etc., to know better than to be putting rocks in there.

[Ellendra]

Anybody want to help me plow my garden?

In 2007 I bought 5 acres and started planting fruit trees, 2 months later had a back injury and was stuck in a wheelchair. Still need the chair about half the time, but considering the situation I’m going to try planting my garden anyway, if nothing else it’ll make me feel like I’m doing something.

I’ve got melons, 3 kinds of squash, tomatoes, beets, assorted greens, and tobacco seeds all started in my room. I’m also planning to plant seeds from the fruits we eat this summer. I know they won’t grow true from seed, but it’ll still be fruit. And I can do a lot with less-than-commercial-quality fruit, just ask anyone who’s tried my crabapple butter :p