soon Posted January 19, 2018 Share Posted January 19, 2018 Where I live I can email our local Master Gardeners with questions and they respond with in the week, often the next day. I can send pictures too to help the discussion, or to find out 'Whats this thing in my garden?" I think there are volunteer Master Gardeners help lines in most places, but Im not sure? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cineater Posted January 20, 2018 Share Posted January 20, 2018 Master Gardeners is the group I belong to. It's in the USA only, it's part of a land grant to your state universities that they provide outreach services in each county. Some groups run information lines. We get most of our answers from the net. Our group has demonstration gardens and a greenhouse. It's all volunteers and gardners, while solitary creatures by nature, are nice folks when we stop to chat. If you're looking for a group to join, I've enjoyed this one. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gracii Guns Posted January 20, 2018 Author Share Posted January 20, 2018 Yesterday: Shed organised Onion sets planted Patch weeded ready for daffodil bulbs Cauliflower seeds sown indoors And this dude dropped by… 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soon Posted January 20, 2018 Share Posted January 20, 2018 @Gracii Guns when do you plant outdoors where you are? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gracii Guns Posted January 20, 2018 Author Share Posted January 20, 2018 17 minutes ago, soon said: @Gracii Guns when do you plant outdoors where you are? March-April, though it has been known to snow in March, so we just keep an eye on the weather. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoulMonster Posted January 20, 2018 Share Posted January 20, 2018 You lucky southerners. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soon Posted January 20, 2018 Share Posted January 20, 2018 (edited) Lucky indeed! Where I live in Canada, it will likely be June when I plant. Since this is the state of my herb garden today, and more than likely what it will still look like in March... ... I used the grow space left behind after harvesting my baby kale the other day. I walked through this ice and snow with these resilient herbs from the store. So heres my newest indoor herb garden. Cilantro, Basil and Italian Parsley: I also made some pop/soda with my lemon balm, catnip and hibiscus. And I ordered some straw for my new mushroom substrate along with a new paper making rig to utilize my corn husks. So kinda had a day in the garden. But now these still-in-the-shell Flax Seeds are starring me down... nah, another day, lol. Edited January 20, 2018 by soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gracii Guns Posted January 20, 2018 Author Share Posted January 20, 2018 @soon How do you keep basil alive? I love making pesto, but can't keep the plant alive for more than a couple of weeks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soon Posted January 20, 2018 Share Posted January 20, 2018 (edited) 1 hour ago, Gracii Guns said: @soon How do you keep basil alive? I love making pesto, but can't keep the plant alive for more than a couple of weeks. They wont last forever indoors, but they should survive longer then that. Do you use grow lights on them? A fan every now and then does wonders too (cheap solar powered fans available on Alibaba). I also fertilize just a pinch of bone meal (clean, air dry for a bit, then gently bake some bones from meats you consume, smash em with a hammer and grind in food processor). For Basil specifically it likes to be harvested often, but not in large quantities. So if you want pesto, you might consider keeping a few plants to clip a bit from each for a batch of pesto. As Im sure you know, they like to be clipped right at the point where new leaves grow opposite of the previous ones. This promotes growth. With growth you can repot to larger pot, extending life. Clean, gently baked and powdered egg shells can help roots develop, but store bought root nutrient is likely better. The downside being that you may find your self with too much basil. So the good news is that Basil propagates well. You can cut a mature stem and follow these directions to have an endless supply, as long as you have good light and re-pot according to root development: Often I will finely slice the bottom of the stem onto four to help the roots grow out before placing them in water. Hope this is helpful, I'm in no place to be giving advice, lol Edited January 20, 2018 by soon 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cineater Posted January 21, 2018 Share Posted January 21, 2018 I learned something. I grew Thai basil last year for the first time. Really cool looking plant. The seed head is there all season so it looks like it is blooming. I didn't try to cook with it though because I suck at that but it is supposed to be able to handle higher heat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cineater Posted January 21, 2018 Share Posted January 21, 2018 Did you know you can use the leaf blower to blow dry your car? No more annoying little water droplets. Put those garden tools to work. Learn something new everyday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janrichmond Posted January 21, 2018 Share Posted January 21, 2018 38 minutes ago, cineater said: Did you know you can use the leaf blower to blow dry your car? No more annoying little water droplets. Put those garden tools to work. Learn something new everyday. Or get the kids doing it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DieselDaisy Posted January 21, 2018 Share Posted January 21, 2018 22 hours ago, soon said: Lucky indeed! Where I live in Canada, it will likely be June when I plant. Since this is the state of my herb garden today, and more than likely what it will still look like in March... ... I used the grow space left behind after harvesting my baby kale the other day. I walked through this ice and snow with these resilient herbs from the store. So heres my newest indoor herb garden. Cilantro, Basil and Italian Parsley: I also made some pop/soda with my lemon balm, catnip and hibiscus. And I ordered some straw for my new mushroom substrate along with a new paper making rig to utilize my corn husks. So kinda had a day in the garden. But now these still-in-the-shell Flax Seeds are starring me down... nah, another day, lol. As soon as I looked at your second picture the first thing that entered my head was, ''that sort of set-up would be perfect for my marijuana plants''. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soon Posted January 21, 2018 Share Posted January 21, 2018 19 minutes ago, DieselDaisy said: As soon as I looked at your second picture the first thing that entered my head was, ''that sort of set-up would be perfect for my marijuana plants''. Oh yeah, you mentioned you grew some. Was your set up like this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soon Posted January 22, 2018 Share Posted January 22, 2018 This particular Basil is not liking that set up. The other two love it. Cilantro doesnt last too long anyway though. Basil moved to window. Hopefully it will be happier there. @Gracii Guns how do you keep your Basil? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gracii Guns Posted January 23, 2018 Author Share Posted January 23, 2018 11 hours ago, soon said: This particular Basil is not liking that set up. The other two love it. Cilantro doesnt last too long anyway though. Basil moved to window. Hopefully it will be happier there. @Gracii Guns how do you keep your Basil? I made the mistake of keeping it on a sunny windowsil in my kitchen. Because I reckoned I was Nigella Lawson. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soon Posted January 23, 2018 Share Posted January 23, 2018 8 hours ago, Gracii Guns said: I made the mistake of keeping it on a sunny windowsil in my kitchen. Because I reckoned I was Nigella Lawson. I tried the Lawson method and it solved part of the issue the basil was having - the leaves firmed up fully. I think the cool draft suited the basil. But I dont get enough light in that window so I reduced the hours the grow lights are on and the basil seems happy again. Im gonna start a clipping of it today if it still looks healthy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soon Posted January 28, 2018 Share Posted January 28, 2018 Anyone ever grow mushrooms? I have a bit, but not Oysters and Im planning to try them out. They grow well in used coffee grounds. When I make coffee, its a blend with Chaga mushrooms in it. I also add cocoa powder and collagen peptides (gelatine that doesn't thicken or set). I believe the collagen fully absorbs. I dont believe the chaga is spores, plus its dehydrated and powdered. Also if it wanted to grow in coffee it would already be doing so, right? Will the chocolate effect mushrooms growing? Will any of the non coffee stuffs get in the way? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soon Posted February 11, 2018 Share Posted February 11, 2018 This poor guy got forgotten about behind a curtain. Staring to recover but Im still not sure if he'll survive. I had to remove the entire main shoot. But I did a cutting and it spent a week in water under a grow light for 3 hours a day, with full spectrum room light on and off as well. And is loving its new home in the pot. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cineater Posted February 11, 2018 Share Posted February 11, 2018 Looks like he will make it. My lights are on 18 hours a day but I'm coming up from seed. Love just sitting in there with the plants and lights. I'm out of light. I transplanted the columbine and ended up with 64 plants. I've got two trays sitting on a side table and still have more plants to transplant. Once it hits 50 they have to start going outside to harden off and then they can go to the greenhouse March first. I'm not sure how the greenhouse got in the condition it is in but I can guarantee you it won't look like that next year! Apparently I have a massive order for marigolds. I grow those but usually I go in ground with those and they just happen. Unfortunately, I got noticed. I was hoping to focus more on food plants this year and herbs rather than flowers. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cineater Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 I started the seedlings on the fan. It's amazing how much stronger/sturdier they become with a little breeze on them. You can usually tell within the first 24 hours that they've toughen up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soon Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 10 hours ago, cineater said: I started the seedlings on the fan. It's amazing how much stronger/sturdier they become with a little breeze on them. You can usually tell within the first 24 hours that they've toughen up. It's exciting to watch this thread as peoples season approach and one by one seedlings are being raised! I decided against starting any seedlings that require a long germination and time before transplant this year, so where I live Im still a ways out from starting tomatoes and peppers. Wish I could utilize a green house, but thats not an option currently. Im looking to move to an apartment closer to my largest garden, and the thought of being closer is a real joy. Using google street view, 'walking' from perspective apartments to the garden, has actually been satisfying the gardening urge to some extent, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soon Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 How long are you putting the fan on them for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoulMonster Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 That is one of few things I remember from a botany course I took, plants grow better with a little spanking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willl Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 Last weekend I planted 6 saplings in my garden Not that confident that they'll grow as the ground up here is full of clay and stone, but thought I would at least try. 3 apple trees, 1 cherry tree, 1 plum tree and 1 pear tree. If I ever see a leaf or a piece of fruit on them I'll definitely post a pic 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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