Posted on 03/25/2023 6:47:01 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
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.
If you have specific question about a plant/problem you are having, please remember to state the Growing Zone where you are located.
This thread is a non-political respite. 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. Planting, Harvest to Table Recipes, Preserving, Good Living - there is no telling where it will go - and that is part of the fun and interest. Jump in and join us! Send a Private Message to Diana in Wisconsin if you'd like to be added to our New & Improved Ping List.
NOTE: This is a once a week Ping List. We do post to the thread during the week. Links to related articles and discussions which might be of interest to Gardeners are welcomed any time!
(Diana here: Of all the articles sorted through for this week, good old Farmer’s Almanac seemed to have everything anyone could need in one spot.)
Seed Starting 101: Get Growing Now!
Hello, gardeners! Ready to get growing? You’ve come to the right place!
Starting vegetable seeds indoors is a great way to get a jump on the season and extend your harvest. If you live in a location with a very short growing season (like we do in Maine), starting your seeds ahead of time is a must in order to have a diverse garden full of crops like tomatoes, peppers, or squash.
There are other great reasons to start your seeds a few months ahead. You’ll save money by buying seeds rather seedlings, you’ll have a wider selection of plants to grow, and you’ll give yourself a little bit more control over the germination of your plants to avoid potential climate or pest interruptions. Don’t be intimidated—seed starting is easy with these steps.
Get Started—It’s Easy
To get started you’ll want to choose the vegetables you plan to grow and purchase or gather the supplies you need. You don’t need a fancy high tunnel greenhouse or expensive supplies to start your vegetables.
Make Sure Your Seedlings Have…
A safe, warm, dray place away from drafts and pets to put your seeds before they move to the window. A south-facing or sunny window with a large ledge or a space to put a table in front.
Potting soil that you trust. You want one that has a light, loamy texture with a blend of vermiculite. Try to avoid buying a mix that is reinforced with synthetic fertilizers if you want your plants to have an organic start.
Pots and plant trays. You can find these materials at any garden store or you can recycle materials like yogurt containers, egg shells, egg cartons, or cut-off milk cartons. You can even use TP tubes! You want to make sure that your starter containers are at least 2-3 inches wide and 2-3 inches deep.
Continues here:
https://www.farmersalmanac.com/seed-starting-101-12003
My onions are in flats that I put our on the porch every day it is above freezing, once they have sprouted.
I keep them in until they sprout then work on hardening them off right from the get go.
Onions are one thing I’ve never tried from seed. I usually buy ‘sets’ which are onion bulbs that I direct sew once my soil is warm enough.
What variety(s) have you started? Is it one you’ve planted before?
Good Morning! :-)
Rosa DiMilano, a red one that is an excellent keeper, and Stuttgarter that I actually saved seeds from.
I also ordered Stuttgarter onion sets just in case the plants don’t start well.
The Stuttgarter are also excellent keepers. The ones I have in the garage are still in great shape, juicy, crisp, and some are just barely starting to show a green shoot in the center when we cut them open.
I’ll likely have to break down and buy some before next season’s crop comes in, but what a great feeling of satisfaction knowing that they were so successful.
There are seedlings as tall as 4” sitting 4 feet from my current seat. Even a tomato that has 4 fully developed leaves even though it’s only 1” tall!
Basil, oregano, cilantro, catnip are all up and as tall as 3”.
The radishes are slow. They’ve been in the medium for 6 days, and still no sign.
90% of the yard is now snow-free, but it’s currently 24* out there...
I am going to try barrier planting this year to keep the deer out, by using plants they are averse to (pennyroyal, mint, plantain, anything with furry leaves) as a shield to discourage their entering the cultivated areas. Having a creek as the back property line has its downside. Over the next few years I plan to weave the various berry plants into a natural fence. I am still trying to work out a gate that doesn’t look too obtrusive to place in the “thicket fence”.
I’ve heard of that red, and ‘Stuttgarter’ is the ‘yellow’ in the onion set mix (yellow, white and red) that Jung’s sells, so I’ve grown that one, too.
Probably the best tasting onion I’ve ever had is ‘Candy.’ You can buy that as plants, versus sets. It’s not the best keeper, but I chop and freeze onions on a cookie sheet, then bag them up for future cooking.
To me, a bag of chopped onions in the freezer, all ready to go, is the ULTIMATE in luxury. :)
Looks like I can start my squash seeds indoors now.
Can’t wait to see how this works out.
I am going to try growing them in containers.
Drucken die Daumen!
Yes I’ll keep you posted on the parsley. It was supposed to rain all day but about half hour ago it changed to snow - heavy, bet we wind up with 3 or 4 more inches. Starting broccoli seeds indoors today.
Give it a wide berth and don’t plant it too deep. If you bare root it just churn up the ground and stick it on top. You want that root flare to show. Temporary staking is OK but if it is small then no worries. Feed it good with coffee grounds (used).
You cannot plant a tree too high. Too low and it won’t last.
In the wild, you see root flare. That is what you should be after.
More at dirtdoctor.com.
I plant sets....and cut the greens all through the growing season. $3 at Walmart.
I have tried seeds and sets and never had them develop onions. Well, sets worked once, then never again.
We started getting a product from a grower, they come in bundles, they’re little plants, green with roots. Not sure what to call them, but they have worked for the last 3 years or so. They come in several different varieties. We have about 50 in the ground now.
“bag of chopped onions in the freezer,”
That’s a good idea, we always end up with more than we use.
They say that Pin Oaks and Red Oaks are the easiest to transplant as long as they are under 3 years of age and less than 3 feet tall.
Good How-To, here:
https://www.doityourself.com/stry/relocate-and-transplant-an-oak-tree
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