cineater Posted March 8, 2018 Share Posted March 8, 2018 Bad kitty. Join that group. They're probably people who have been gardening all their life and know more shit than you'll ever get out of a book. Our group is mostly the senior crowd too but we have the working crowd too, you just don't see them as much. The only problem with a gardening group is everybody has plants to give away. At first it's great but after a while you're like don't give me another fucking plant! And seniors are generally pretty nice to you, treat you just like a grandkid and who doesn't need more nice folks in their life? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gracii Guns Posted March 8, 2018 Author Share Posted March 8, 2018 16 minutes ago, cineater said: Our group is mostly the senior crowd too but we have the working crowd too, you just don't see them as much. That's a good point. The photos I've seen of them are from their days out. Presumably the younger folk are at work. A client of mine is actually doing a speaking gig at that club in a few weeks. I'm meeting him a few days after. I'll ask him to report back on the demographic before I dismiss it entirely. There is an agricultural college a few miles away, which I might start hanging around when I have a car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soon Posted March 9, 2018 Share Posted March 9, 2018 (edited) On March 8, 2018 at 5:17 AM, Gracii Guns said: Yep, it is. The project aims to expose all the kinds of horti jobs there are. Domestic gardeners are really the tip of the iceberg. This is the project, watch the video at the bottom of the page. http://abelldesign.co.uk/2018/01/12/greatest-career/ I want to join a gardening club, but my local one is 100% pensioners. My cauliflower is germinating (bottom), as is my coriander (top). I think the coriander is all growing on one side of the tray because the cat knocked it over and all the seeds fell to one side. The video and website look great! As do these lil guys. Its great that you get sufficient sun light. Kinda jealous. Im hoping to bang out a lot of cilantro this year. Do you or anyone know how to keep cilantro from bolting so fast? Ive been tending to harvest the small leaves once and then the entire plant once it fills back in, because I find it bolts after a second trimming as a mature plant. Edited March 9, 2018 by soon 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cineater Posted March 18, 2018 Share Posted March 18, 2018 Google it but I think that is because it's a cool season plant and it's gotten too warm after the second trim. My shade perennials went to the hoop house today to finish growing for the plant sale. Tomatoes and Peppers are next. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cineater Posted April 2, 2018 Share Posted April 2, 2018 I started tomatoes. My lights were off while I was on vacation but I'm starting round two, more marigolds. The ornamental sweet potato vines are starting to show growth. Wasn't sure if they would grow from last years tubes. They don't have eyes like regular potatoes. Dug them up and threw them in the garage to over winter and half buried them in some soil 3 weeks ago. A few of the tubes were so big, we cut them in quarters. Those are growing too. We haven't had much sun so the industrial lights are on in the greenhouse. Everybody is slowly growing. Hasn't really affected the outdoors, yards are greening up, daffs are up and blooming and the trees are budding out, we got snow yesterday. It's a cold and wet one but spring is here. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soon Posted April 3, 2018 Share Posted April 3, 2018 Getting serious about garden plans for the season. Looking what seeds I need to order. I stared saving my own seeds last year - just a few. My one garden will be out of commission for first half of season due to contamination. Need ti dig out some perennials from under the snow - if Im able to get into the frozen earth - before the construction begins. So the biggest garden at other location is getting lots of attention and a bunch of new perennials this year. Im at 45 types of plants and growing for that plot, lol! The best part about planning the coming vegetable season is that I get to raid my pantry more liberally... to make room for the upcoming harvest. Just made a gorgeous tomato sauce. Smelling it as it simmers is a good match for selecting this years tomato varieties. Making some seafood sauce with last of the horseradish too. I. Cannot. Wait. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cineater Posted April 3, 2018 Share Posted April 3, 2018 Sounds good, I want to learn how to do that. How long is your growing season? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soon Posted April 4, 2018 Share Posted April 4, 2018 My trusty local handbook says its a 150 day growing season, but in my limited experience 130 days is the longest season I've seen. Other then Swiss Chard and Kale staying in ground until late November - but they dont grow after the snow, they just dont die until I harvest the last leaf. The handbook calls for transferring tomatoes in early May which hasn't really been an option for at least the last 4 years. The early spring perennials I have like lovage and chives are growing by early May but often the soils been too wet to step on and work until later May or June. I'll start my tomatoes and peppers next week to have the option of mid may transfer, but last year was June. How long is your going season? What is it you want to learn how to do? I cant imagine I know how to do anything you don't know how to! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cineater Posted April 4, 2018 Share Posted April 4, 2018 Learn how to cook my crops. I especially want to focus on herbs. I don't know a whole lot. Learning seems to get overshadowed by get it in the ground and take care of it. We get 170 days but the last few years we have had an extended growing season. This year though, I'm thinking we better figure out where we put all that frost cloth and get those tunnels back up. And we are really wet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soon Posted April 4, 2018 Share Posted April 4, 2018 170+ days sounds amazing!!!! If I had the workload you do I wouldnt be having time to cook it either. I started off my garden using a version of "the salsa garden" and would have another section called the 'Shepherds Pie Garden' and so on. It was also helpful that I got a veggie CSA for a few years to be kinda forced to learn to adapt to cooking whatever was in the box, because the nursery and neighbours usually give me so many new veggies I'd never had. Im really focused on my herbs this season too! I'm keen to explore herb and berry pairings more. Desserts and sweets from the garden seems to be the mission statement for me this season. And i want fresh cilantro in my salad every day! And Im finally gonna crack the KFC blend, lol Herbs are so fun. All herbs pesto. All herbs broth. Vinegar infusion is easy and pays off big, imo. And having my own sage in the stuffing for the holidays is a favourite of mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cineater Posted April 4, 2018 Share Posted April 4, 2018 Half my work load ended April 1, I retired! I've accomplished everything I set out to do and all I should. I can totally fuck off now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soon Posted April 4, 2018 Share Posted April 4, 2018 Congratulations! Time to get your herb game on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cineater Posted April 5, 2018 Share Posted April 5, 2018 I watered the tomato seeds this morning and when I checked on them tonight a couple had sprouted a good inch. I'm really into the Thai and Cardinal basil. The seed heads are really showy and lasted the whole growing season. I'm going to put them where I normally put annual flowers. Plus my little experiment to put herb seed heads in my pots to keep the squirrels from digging in them seems to work. I'm wondering if it would have any effect on squash bores. Those little fuckers took out all my spaghetti squash two years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soon Posted April 5, 2018 Share Posted April 5, 2018 Great idea about the herb seed heads! I get so excited with the new sprouts. Me soon; Im starting some seeds today. Placed my order for more and when they arrive the puzzle of keeping em all under lights should be interesting, haha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cineater Posted April 6, 2018 Share Posted April 6, 2018 I know, I get excited with new sprouts. Never enough lights. Finally! The sun comes out next Wednesday and stays out. I'm calling for the evening watering crews to start. It gets hot in that greenhouse. By the end I just want to get out the hose. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soon Posted April 6, 2018 Share Posted April 6, 2018 Wish I could call in a watering crew, lol! I'm hoping I'll have a water fight buddy for this season. If time, money and energy allows, Im going to try out drip irrigation for at least the tomatoes this year, actually. My little herb garden is almost fully thawed of snow. It was so cool to see some green leaves! Firm, crisp, alive, green leaves! On garlic and nettle. Its amazing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cineater Posted April 7, 2018 Share Posted April 7, 2018 I love seeing the garlic. I don't know about those drip methods. I think they are more trouble than they are worth. Remember tomatoes don't like water. You would think they would. We sprayed the top of the soil with a 10% hydroxide solution to kill off those little nats. Took two people 5 and an a half hours! It works for about 2 weeks and then you have to do it again. Apparently the place we got some of our plugs from had some pest problems and we also have spider mites. They treat those with soapy water. I'm not real good at pest identification. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soon Posted April 7, 2018 Share Posted April 7, 2018 (edited) Sucks that you inherited spider mites from supplier! Worst I face is that my seed person often mixes in a few different vegetables in a seed packet, lol. Thats a huge undertaking every two weeks! Will the second application be the last? The drippers Ive checked out seem to be of poor quality, but some with well made mini-spigots look promising. I have mobility challenges so that is the main motivation. Standing with a hose at edge of garden and just blasting in every direction from one place works for me, but the tomato plants leaves are sensitive to being wet and can get that yellow blight like issue and die or really decrease production. And then I have to get into all of them and cut off all the effected stems and leaves. My method of watering isnt very precise and soaks the leaves. So drip on them would avoid the blight, in theory. But yeah, I bury them at least two sets of true leafs deep and provide the stems with plenty of egg shells in the hole when planting to support the roots so they pretty much have every advantage to water themselves. The person I get the seeds from does this method and doesnt water them at all (she's got too much going to bother) and most years she returns to find some healthy plants with enough fruit to make it worth it. Edited April 7, 2018 by soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cineater Posted April 8, 2018 Share Posted April 8, 2018 How about just soaker hoses on a timer? I assume we will do it again in two weeks but my feeling is, I did my turn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
action Posted April 8, 2018 Share Posted April 8, 2018 yesterday, it was a sunny day and I could do a lot of gardening. pruning, fertilising, cleaning up the front yard, squirting poison on my buxus plants (buxus moths are a fucking plague). it's all so relaxing and satisfying 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soon Posted April 8, 2018 Share Posted April 8, 2018 18 hours ago, cineater said: How about just soaker hoses on a timer? I assume we will do it again in two weeks but my feeling is, I did my turn. Nice I didnt know there was a difference between a soaker hose and a drip hose. Thanks for this. Sounds good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cineater Posted April 8, 2018 Share Posted April 8, 2018 2 hours ago, soon said: Nice I didnt know there was a difference between a soaker hose and a drip hose. Thanks for this. Sounds good. We might be talking about the same thing. Drippers hit only the plant and soakers get all along the line. I think with both you still get uneven moisture. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soon Posted April 11, 2018 Share Posted April 11, 2018 Germinating some hot peppers, which really prefer to be extra warm for this time. They can even fail if not warm enough. I cant find my seedling tray heater but had to start em anyways. Im really living on the edge! lol 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gracii Guns Posted April 11, 2018 Author Share Posted April 11, 2018 The weather has been awful lately. I’ve managed to do some weeding and have dressed the lawn. My list of gardening jobs is lengthening, and the weather is expected to be magnificent next week, so I’ll try for a full five days in the garden. The cauliflower is ready to sow out, but it’s just acclimatising to the lower temperature at the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soon Posted April 11, 2018 Share Posted April 11, 2018 (edited) Who's more of a planner and who's more of a 'feel' gardener? Im doing my plans and Im getting a bit overwhelmed, but in the back of my mind I still feel like once Im in the space, touching the soil, the math will do itself and all the plants will find a home. 1250 sqft. 34 types of plants including 23 perennial types being transplanted from two other gardens. Between one and 75 of each type of plant. Starting large amounts of 5 plants under grow lights. Direct sowing 6. Zero budget for soil amendments after a flooded garden last year is the scariest number to crunch. But there is free wood mulch on site at least. Edited April 11, 2018 by soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.