2022 Garden Thread
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Thanks...I looked it up but I spelled it wrong and it gave me 56 words that are made out of chiting--its two T.s and I figured it was when a potato was cut in half-lol but now I know--thanks,,clancey
Dan Freeman
Minister of Fire
Chitting it is a way of preparing potatoes for planting by encouraging them to sprout before planting in the ground. This gives the tubers a head start and encourages faster growth and heavier crops once the seed potatoes are planted.
Here's a good article on the subject:
Chitting Potatoes Gives Them a Head Start
Dan Freeman
Minister of Fire
I just went out to the greenhouse to water my pots and to my surprise, I already have tomato plants breaking through, only 5 days after planting the seeds! I attribute this to the pots I am using this year. I switched from peat pots to plastic pots. The peat pots did not absorb and hold the heat from the seedling heat mats well, but the plastic pots do. Now, my worry is will I have to up pot them before they are ready to plant outside.
Good to see you in this thread again, Begreen. It hasn’t been the same without your reports and photos the past few weeks.No chit!
Potting up is one of the things I don’t actually enjoy about gardening. My husband helped me do the tomatoes this year, and that made it a lot better. I had few enough peppers that it didn’t seem burdensome. I just don’t enjoy filling little containers with soil and getting the small plants situated. I really enjoy it when it’s done, though, and the plants begin to take off. Some of my tomatoes are probably a foot high by now, and I have noticed roots poking through the sides of the nursery bags. Depending on the forecast and the actual temperatures I see at our house this week, I may put the tomatoes in the ground next Saturday.
I was disappointed to discover yesterday in my garden that my Lacinato/Dinosaur/Tuscan kale seedlings that I planted last month all seem to have burned up and died. (Actually a couple had already succumbed to pests). Everyone is my household has been sick this week with either strep throat or the flu or even both at the same time in some cases, and I’ve been busy getting everyone to the doctor or picking up prescriptions at the pharmacy before getting sick myself. I didn’t, therefore, check on the garden much, and I guess the hot sun this week got to the kale, and I didn’t notice and rescue it with surface water. That tells me that the roots weren’t very well developed since they couldn’t get moisture from my ollas. Now I’ll have to figure out whether to replant or to try something else. It’s already past the frost date here, and spring can get warm quickly for many greens. I may end up eating broccoli and cauliflower leaves if those don’t set heads soon.
I love broccoli leaves! I was so saddened to find out they were trendy! I had the same reaction when Brussels sprouts got popular.
I’m going to up my game and challenge them with Lima beans!
Can you direct sow the kale? It grows fast enough and germinates quickly enough I’ve never done it another way.
I’m going to up my game and challenge them with Lima beans!
Can you direct sow the kale? It grows fast enough and germinates quickly enough I’ve never done it another way.
I am running behind this season. The tomatoes and broccoli has sprouted and the fresno peppers. I have been starting to wake up beds.
Trendy! You have got to be kidding me! I had no idea.
I haven’t succeeded in growing Brussels sprouts down here in Texas yet, but we enjoy those, too. I knew that they have made inroads in recent years, which I actually appreciate since I prefer to buy them fresh. (I think frozen Brussels sprouts are what gave the vegetable its bad name.)
I love Lima beans, too, but I’ve never tried growing those. There are too many good vegetables to fit them all in my garden. They would do well in our heat, though.
I used to do a lot more direct sowing of plants in Virginia than I do down here in Texas. I’ve had a lot of failures with things that I always used to direct sow. I’d prefer to do it that way, but I think the sun just dries my soil so fast that unless it’s a crop that wants to be planted pretty deeply, it’s better for me to start in my Aerogarden. I actually had six empty sponges in the one I’m using at the moment, so I decided to put Kale in three and Komatsuna in three. I’ve never grown the latter before, but I received some free seeds this spring, and it reportedly matures quickly, so I may have time to get in a few harvests before the heat comes on too strong.
I understand. I keep having to remind myself that it’s till pretty early in the season, too. I’ll look forward to your beautiful pictures later in this summer.
Why not direct seeding if you could time it right for the area? Heck that's what I want to do is dig the ground and put seeds in the garden area and see what happens..--lazy gardener I am and I found this article on the net...a more simple one I think...the article...clancey
www.johnnyseeds.com
Direct Seeding Guidelines | Johnny's Selected Seeds
Follow these guidelines for success when direct seeding crops into the garden or field. Detailed instructions + how to address common post-germination issues.
www.johnnyseeds.com
Some crops direct seed well, others are much better off to plant from starts. A seedling is weak and vulnerable. It can fail due to low soil temps, diseases at the surface of the soil, heavy rain or hail, bugs or birds eating them, etc. And some plants have a long growing season so they need a head start unless one lives in the tropics. For this reason we start most seeds inside. The exceptions are vigorous growers and deep root plants like corn, beans, radishes, beets, etc. Peas will start in the ground here without problem, except that birds love the seedlings, sparrows especially. They can also get attacked by wireworms so I will start them inside and then cover them after transplanting until they get over 6" tall.
Texas had some pretty rough weather and just wondering how you and your plants are doing? clancey
Yes, there was definitely rough weather in much of the state, but most of it was north and east of where we live. We were very thankful to get one quarter inch of gentle rain. It was the first time that a number of my young plants had ever seen actual rain, and they sure looked like they liked it. The danger of wildfire is high here, but thankfully I know of nothing close by. We are praying for folks who have been hit hard by storms and fires.
My sweet potato slips are growing long. Unfortunately I just spotted some aphids on some of the the leaves and stems, so I mixed up a quart bottle with some water and neem oil and gave them a good spraying. I sprayed the tomatoes, peppers, and other seedlings that have been spending nights nearby. I didn’t see aphids on them, but I don’t want to give them a foothold.
Dan Freeman
Minister of Fire
I was about to whine that it was taking my tomato and pepper seeds too long to sprout. I just looked at them and the tomatoes have popped! I guess it’s time to move them to light!
Dan Freeman
Minister of Fire
Good news, Limestone. I got all the fruit trees fertilized yesterday and 200 feet of hose run down to the field, so I don't have to lug water down there. I'm hoping to put an underground line in later this summer if I have the time. Hoping I can get the raspberries, blackberries and blueberries done today. Each takes a different fertilizer.
I’ve never had to fertilize the raspberries. They were planted in heavy leaf mound though. That might have taken care of everything.
Dan Freeman
Minister of Fire
I have never fertilized our wild raspberries and they do just fine. Since I paid a lot for these particular cultivars, I figured I would fertilize them as well. I got all 9 berry plants pruned and fertilized today. Also, got down some more cardboard and wood chips over the Zoysia grass in the food forest. Now all 20 trees and bushes have been pruned and fertilized. 13 more arriving in the next week to 10 days.
what is the best approach for last years dead growth in my pollenator's garden? cut it all away, or let it alone?
If it’s only for pollinators, you’ll want to cut the dead away. If for other wildlife like birds/bunnies, etc you’ll want to leave the cover.
I found a really nice seed starter tray today made by Burpee. It’s a reusable hard plastic like rubber made totes with silicone bottoms. They put a lot of thought into it. I hope to start the okra in them after the peppers germinate
Those do look nice with the squishy bottoms.
I start okra inside sometimes, and sometimes I just sprout the seeds inside and then direct sow so as to avoid disturbing the long taproot. If that root gets disturbed, okra really can sulk. It also really sulks if temperatures are too low, so I can’t imagine you would want it out before, maybe, Memorial Day where you are. It usually matures in about two months from germination, so you don’t really need to rush the way you might for a tomato that takes three months from transplant.
My okra probably won’t get planted till about the middle of May because I’ll need to harvest garlic first to have the beds available. I’m giving more space to okra this year because we eat up all I grow. I’d really like to freeze some. I saved seeds last year from a really productive Heavy Hitter Okra plant, so I’m hoping its offspring will be similarly vigorous.
Dan Freeman
Minister of Fire
Decided to buy some 4 x 16 cattle panels from Tractor Supply and build some arched trellises to grow my cantaloupe, acorn squash, cucumbers, and perhaps grapes on. I was watching some YouTube's last night where folks even grow watermelons and pumpkins this way. Keeping them off the ground appears to cut down on so many problems and saves space. I'll only be able to get 2 at a time, so I'll have to make a few trips. The only local place I could find that delivers is Lowe's, but they charge more per panel and want $80 to deliver them.
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