[greeneyes]

We have a gloomy moderately cold day today. The kind that makes you want to curl up in front of the fireplace with a cup of hot tea and some gardening books.

I will be sowing some clover soon to turn under later as soil improvement crop. Indoor peppers are in bloom again, and lemons are a little larger than olives. Garlic is doing well outside.

Have a great weekend. God Bless.

[JRandomFreeper]

It's been a great weather day here in Texas. 64F now and sunny. I spent time working on the herb/salad garden, added peat moss (sandy soil here), compost, and commercial fertilizer.

Building a cold frame for the herb/salad garden today, too. Kid came by and we went to pick up lumber and plastic for the cold frame. Daughters are a blessing.

Got to see some of my grandkids, scored a deal on Hatch chili peppers while shopping, and those are roasted now, and awaiting processing.

Early tobacco sets growing well. Tomatoes are a little leggy, so I'm leaving them outside to chill and backing off on the water.

Jalapenos are in a starter flat and should peek out in a week or so.

Hiring a kid this weekend to finish tilling the main garden.

All in all, it's been a blessed week.

/johnny

[greeneyes]

Pinging the list. My internet service has been acting up today. It keeps going down right in the middle of trying to get this thread and list posted. Finally I have the thread posted, still trying to get the list pinged.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

My garden seed order went out yesterday to Gurney’s and Baker Creek in Mansfield, MO. Gurney’s was once in South Dakota and now is mailing their catalog from Indiana. I suspect the big box stores have crushed much of the catalog business.
I noted Gurney’s is offering grafted tomato and pepper plants. I wonder if anyone has experience with grafted tomatoes ?

[DaxtonBrown]

I have five varieties of tomatoes sprouted in peat pots. Lesson one: don’t use the small size, the roots get crimped too soon. Lesson two, better using plastic cups with holes in bottom. Peat pots wick water away from sides too fast.

I’m in Vegas, so I have to start early to beat the heat.

I’ve compiled a whole book on survival food gardening for preppers if anyone is interested.

http://www.futurnamics.com/garden.php

[fidelis]

Cool day out in the desert today, 64 with a little chill in the breeze. Supposed to rain some tonight.

Transplanted my zinnia and marigold seedlings to bigger pots this morning and letting them spend some time outside. I think I'm giving up on my alyssum seedlings; I just let them get to leggy and now they are small, weak and floppy. I'll start over with new seeds and this time put them closer to the light in the little greenhouse--that might help.

I think I mentioned before one of my freesia bulbs in the pot came up last week; she's about 2 inches high now. The other nine are lagging, and I hope to see them soon. :)

My pepper seedlings (Explosive Ember and Bolivian Rainbow) are now starting to leaf. Yay! My wife's tomatoes and other veggies are coming along well; she's even having remarkable success with her Moringa (Miracle Plant) seedlings. We'll have more than we know what to do with! :)

[greeneyes]

fanfan, I saw your pics on another thread of your wintersown containers. Can you tell me more about that experience. Is this the first year you have tried wintersowing?

[Sarajevo]

We put about 100 onion sets in the hoophouse this week. Tomato's are sprouting in the peat pots, and last years pepper "trees" are sprouting new leaves in the greenhouse. If the warm weather persists, we may have an early harvest. Heck, I may even see full size fruit on my papaya!
We really need rain though. We only got a few sprinkles from the front that passed south of San Antonio a couple days ago

[ApplegateRanch]

Yea! I get to look at seed packets for the next 8 weeks or so!

Jung’s sent the seeds I ordered; the plants & sets will come later.

[ApplegateRanch]

Oh, yeah, got back less than an hour ago from taking the tiller to the deler...50+ miles each way...mainly to have my new set of tines installed, and the reverse disc replaced, in addition to a general servicing.

There are small shops much closer, but the last time I took a chainsaw to one, they didn’t replace a rotten fuel line; it sucked air, and destroyed the cylinder. Time before, another one decided to unexpectedly close for a 6-8 week summer vacation, with no way to pick up the saw.

OTOH, Tim does it right, reasonably, and timely; and is very accommodating.

[Ellendra]

It’s been a day of ups and down today. I’m not sure whether to celebrate or cry.

One of my medical tests finally came back with something. I’ve had some serious health issues on and off for the last 6 years, and just about every test comes back clean, so it’s been frustrating. They found fibroids, which are a type of tumor. I see the doctor Moday to figure out what to do about it.

5 minutes later I got an email with a very nice job offer, I start Monday. This is after being unemployed for a little over a year.

Monday is going to be a busy day. I’m just a little freaked out.

[JRandomFreeper]

Ping to a thread you may find useful.

/johnny

[mrsmith]

Anyone have a better alternative than using peat pots for starting plants in a ‘greenhouse’(plastic lean-to)?
Not more expensive, a little more work is OK though.

[Free Vulcan]

Already starting some of the early plants - red and yellow alpine strawberries, 4 kinds of leeks, and a number of herbs: stone orpine, maral root, rhodiola, balloon flower, blue camas, amole, and lady’s mantle. Brassicas next week and maybe some pics.

[Alice in Wonderland]

I'm trying something new this year ....

Hay Bale Gardening

[MissMagnolia]

I was listening to our local Garden Guru Andre Viette this morning ... a favorite thing to do with a cup of coffee on Saturday mornings .... and people were calling in raving about ‘garden socks’. Well, I looked it up and here is a website with a couple of videos about using ‘Garden Soxx’ for a 30-minute garden. Looks interesting!

http://www.blueridgecompost.com/