August 2, 2011

fall sowing

I sowed a tray of seeds today. A few experiments. Since my carrots and parsnips didn’t sprout well this spring from direct seeding in the garden, I’m trying seeding in pots for the first time. They need constant moisture and it was dry this spring/summer, and I didn’t keep up with irrigation. Don’t know if they do well being transplanted. I think I can dig a deep hole and line up the root so I get a straight root. Carrots, Bolero and Mokum Parsnips, Beets, Chiogga, Lutz, and Detroit White…

June 22, 2011

young melon seedlings

I tucked my melons under the garlic this year. It’s my third year trying (unsuccessfully so far) to get a fully grown ripe melon. I think this will be the year. The garlic will come out in a few weeks and then the melons can have free run. I’m going to find tomato supports for each hill of melons. I have 7 varieties / 7 hills this year: Melon, Charantais, Savor F1Melon, Charantais, Edonis F1Melon, Anne ArundelMelon, San JuanWatermelon, Ice Box MickeyleeWatermelon, YellowWatermelon, Red Sugar Baby It seems to me…

June 19, 2011

popcorn sprouts

My popcorn is a couple inches tall now. I thinned it once to about 2-3 inches apart and will thin again to about 6 inches soon. There is a giant sunflower that volunteered at the far end of the bed. It should be able to outgrow the corn. I am planning to order some parasitic warps this year to see it I can get ears without worms. I need to order these soon.

May 25, 2011

sad seedlings

This is a picture of my sad basil and pepper seedlings. They were in seed cells that didn’t drain well in my closed cold frame during the very wet, cold weather last week. The seedlings have a problem called damping off. Its caused by a fungus that attacks the stem and makes the plant fall over and die. 🙁 I brought the trays inside yesterday and put them under lights to warm up and dry out. Cold, wet weather is hard for a cold frame. I didn’t know whether to…

April 14, 2011

cold frame seedlings

I had a zoom lens on my camera, so these photos show only parts of my cold frame. Its filling fast. My dad says the orchids don’t belong in a vegetable cold frame. Maybe not, but they seem to be enjoying it. They’ve suffered from the long dry dark winter inside and my neglect.

April 9, 2011

pea planting

It was a beautiful spring day yesterday. Perfect for planting peas. I cleared off a couple of my garden beds, added a few bags of compost and manure, and then put int 3 wide rows of peas.

April 3, 2011

sprouts

March 27, 2011

transplanting seedlings to the garden

I got an urgent email a couple days ago with the subject header: too many seedlings. The text follows. Dear Neighbor,I’m right across Route 2 from you (in Arlington). I’ve got three Jiffy trays of seedlings going. Two trays are still unsprung for the most part, but 1 tray is sort of exploding. It looks like a chia pet, and it is only 5 days old. It has Kale, Romaine, Bibb, Cabbage, Broccoli, and something else I can’t remember. Rather than thinning each cell out, I’m tempted to try to…

March 20, 2011

more seeds planted

Yesterday I started another tray of seeds: fennel, beets, marigolds, asters, kale, and eggplant.

March 15, 2011

sowing seeds

Diane reminded me that its nearly time to plant the tomatoes. I printed out a planting calender for myself (from the on-line calendar link on my side bar). I will plant eggplant, peppers, marigolds, basil and beets this week. Next week, tomatoes and cabbage. I have pots and soil ready.

weeks and counting until my last spring frost

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2	3	4	5	6	7	8
9	10	11	12	13	14	15
16	17	18	19	20	21	22
23	24	25	26	27	28	29
30	31