How About an Official 2015 Gardening Thread?y

[wildcat junkie]

I'll kick it off. I just finished planting 200 "Jiffy 7" peat pellets.

45 with Sun King Broccolli

25 with Early Jalapeño hybrid peppers

20 with California Wonder green bell peppers

15 with Big Bertha green bell peppers

15 with Karma red bell peppers

20 with Nikita orange bell peppers

15 with Park's Wopper tomato

15 with Beefmaster tomato

15 with Steakhiuse tomato

15 with Supersweet 100 hybrid Cherry tomatoes

I have them in covered trays sitting on a wire rack civered with a beach towel over a small electric heater.

It took me most of the day from hydrating the pellets, planting the seed, to setting up the heated rack.

Edited April 1, 2015 by wildcat junkie

[Paula]

That's a lot of tomatoes

[wildcat junkie]

That's a lot of tomatoes

I'll sell what I don't use at the local Weight Watchers meetings. I only set about 12 plants in the garden. 2 will be Cherry tomatoes. I'm trying the Steakhouse tomatoes for the 1st time so I'll only set 2 plants. That leaves room for 4 of the Whoppers & 4 of the Beefmasters. I usually keep 1 plant of each variety to replace any that don't take to the transplanting well.

I just planted what the seed envelopes contained, a few of the pellets got 2 seeds to make things come out right. I pretty much filled three 11" x 21" trays.

In a few weeks, I'll start some cantaloupe & watermelon. I'm going to get 5" round peat pots to transplant 3 Jiffy 7 plants in each so I can plant one 5" pot in each hill. That should reduce any shock. I'll also plant some seeds direct around the last week of May to have a longer harvest.

Edited April 1, 2015 by wildcat junkie

[ATbuckhunter]

Well most of my garden is trees now with 7 fig trees (4 different kinds) and 3 peach trees  (2 kinds), but ill probably be planting around 10 tomato plants with most of those being cherry tomatoes. I also have some strawberries and sage.  

[sbuff]

Was going to do seeds today just didn't have time. If the steakhouse are like the beef steaks sometimes they get to big and to much weight. what temp you think the heater is at. I was going to use a fluorescent lamp fixture.

[greg54]

I have scorpion, jalapeno, habanero and bell peppers, along with some beefsteak and cherry tomatoes. All have sprouted except the scorpion peppers, they take a bit longer. I have them on heat pads inside indoor greenhouse. 

[wildcat junkie]

Was going to do seeds today just didn't have time. If the steakhouse are like the beef steaks sometimes they get to big and to much weight. what temp you think the heater is at. I was going to use a fluorescent lamp fixture.

I'm not sure what the actual temperature is but the thick bath towel over the wire rack of the shelf is nice & warm to the touch. I can hear the bimetal strip kicking the heater off & on. I'm using the heat to germinate. after the seeds germinate, I can "harden off" the plants to sunlight on the kitchen table as there is an East facing sliding door next to it.

Be careful using fluorescent lights as you will have to gradually get the plants used to sunlight or they will fry the 1st time they get a good dose of direct sunlight.

I have a South facing closed in porch off the kitchen W/a propane heater. Over e next few days I'm going to get some 8" cinder blocks W/some plywood set up to raise the rack to window sill level. The propane heat along with the electric heater underneath should keep the plants happy until it warms up enough so I can move them into my 6' x 6' collapsible greenhouse.

http://cdn2.bigcommerce.com/server2900/7a5b1/products/32/images/218/SpringHousewhite_background__56277.1405352240.1280.1280.JPG?c=2

Edited April 2, 2015 by wildcat junkie

[Paula]

We cut back on plants the last couple years and I have not made sauce last two years. Still have not talked about out garden yet

[stoneam2006]

I'll sell what I don't use at the local Weight Watchers meetings. I only set about 12 plants in the garden. 2 will be Cherry tomatoes. I'm trying the Steakhouse tomatoes for the 1st time so I'll only set 2 plants. That leaves room for 4 of the Whoppers & 4 of the Beefmasters. I usually keep 1 plant of each variety to replace any that don't take to the transplanting well.

I just planted what the seed envelopes contained, a few of the pellets got 2 seeds to make things come out right. I pretty much filled three 11" x 21" trays.

In a few weeks, I'll start some cantaloupe & watermelon. I'm going to get 5" round peat pots to transplant 3 Jiffy 7 plants in each so I can plant one 5" pot in each hill. That should reduce any shock. I'll also plant some seeds direct around the last week of May to have a longer harvest.

Is there a trick to watermelon and cantaloupe I've tried unsuccessfully to grow any? Idk why I follow instructions and do fine with my other stuff...

[wildcat junkie]

Is there a trick to watermelon and cantaloupe I've tried unsuccessfully to grow any? Idk why I follow instructions and do fine with my other stuff...

I had good luck getting them to grow last year, but weeds took over really bad. I'm going to use black visqeen pre-drilled on the roll for water drainage to mulch.

I burry a shovel full of rooted horse manure under each hill & mix it in with soil. Once the vines get established & the roots get into the manure they really take off. Well drained sandy soil helps too.

Melons don't transplant well so I'm going to start individual seeds in Jiffy 7 pellets, then transplant 3 plants into 5" peat pots as soon as they have 4 true leaves. That will give me a whole hill of plants in one pot.

Edited April 2, 2015 by wildcat junkie

[stoneam2006]

I'm gonna have to try again...sounds like my soil may be the problem I'll have to get a truck load and fill my bed this year and try that....

[fasteddie]

I have a section of the yard that I till and plant cherry and beefsteak tomatoes as well as some peppers . I made some boxes so the wife could do her raised garden plants that seem to do well every year . Her organic garden is always pretty healthy .

[G-Man]

Deer = no garden, them long legged fuzzy rats eat everything....

[wildcat junkie]

Seeds are sprouting already!

I had a few of the Sun King broccoli sprouting yesterday as well as Cherry tomotoes. Today I noticed some of the Beefmaster & Park's Whopper tomatoes peeking out.

The only tomatoes not sprouting yet are the Steakhouse.

The peppers should be about a week behind. It looks like the heater under the rack is working well to speed up sprouting.

[jersey guy]

Unfortunedly I dont have time to start seeds so I buy plants from local garden store .i plant tomatoes peppers, eggplant ,cucomber and zucchini

[wildcat junkie]

Deer = no garden, them long legged fuzzy rats eat everything....

I would have the same issue if I didn't put some electric fence around the garden.

I use cedar posts at the corners, then, fiberglass poles about every 15' between. I use 2" wide tape 4' from the ground at he top, then 4 strands of poly wire between, all the way down to about 4" from the bottom to discourage rodents. I must keep the bottom trimmed with a weed eater every time I mow.

The thin poly wire seem to catch the deer off guard & confuse them. I think they concentrate on the visable 2" tape at the top & get a surprise when they hit the poly wire. I haven't had any deer jump the top tape yet.

<<<<knocking on wood>>>>

Edited April 5, 2015 by wildcat junkie

[G-Man]

I do plant but large acreage a 1/2 of corn to get a few dozen ears off, no farms by Mr for many years, though the fallow fields about 1/2 mile away are being put into cow corn now, might relieve the pressure from the garden...

[growalot]

Don't count on that! I now have a bigger problem with rabbits,chucks and Turkey.Inactive buy the cheap plastic Bird and deer netting. 7'x100', I cut it in half and lined the bottom of fence...helped but the turkey fly in.

Edited April 6, 2015 by growalot

[wildcat junkie]

Out of 59 peat pellets planted with tomato seeds, (the cat got one of my tomato pellets as well as one of the broccoli) I have 43 that spouted. 73% germination so far. The "Park's Whopper" seeds seem to be lagging behind the rest with only 5 of 15 sprouting.

I took the flat off the heated rack this morning and sat it on the table next to the sliding glass doors to get some natural sunlight. Until I either get some more germination or determine that all that will sprout are up, I will return it to the heat at night.

After some early success, the broccolli doesn't seem to be doing well. I also have a few California Wonder & Big Bertha peppers peaking through.

Edited April 10, 2015 by wildcat junkie

[Paula]

Sounds like your still in good shape with them

[growalot]

You aren't putting the broccoli on heat are you? They germinate in low temps ,room temps,heat will sometimes rot the seed .

I Have seeds planted ,a bunch of tomato and peppers,swt and hot

Planting peas today or tomorrow in the garden. Thanks to the winds..maybe an Apple and a couple of grapes as well.

Edited April 11, 2015 by growalot

[wildcat junkie]

You aren't putting the broccoli on heat are you? They germinate in low temps ,room temps,heat will sometimes rot the seed .

That explains the dismal failure of the broccolli.

So far, the tomatos are doing great. I now have 53 of 59 pellets sprouting. California Wonder, Big Bertha. Karma (red) and Nakita (orange) peppers are starting to sprout. Jalapeños aren't doing anything yet.

I'll have to replant the broccolli tomorrow & set them on the porch.

[growalot]

Well had to fix tiller auughh....easy fix..spring....but had to dismantle the darn thing to reach it! So pea/ spinach area is done.Dang! It got hot out there in the bright Sun...love it! Need to lime some new spots in garden, but the winds blowing hard. Farmer behind us was chopping corn stubble in and you could see the cloud of top soil blowing into the neighboring farmers hay field...I thought "How neighborly of him!"....lol

[Two Track]

Haven't started mine yet.

 

Normally a couple varities of radishes, red peppers, tomatoes, scallions, lettuce, squash, and black raspberries. 

 

Deer ate the apple tree (now it is just a large twig).

Deer ate the tops off of half the radishes and the raspberries last year. They didn't seem to mind the thorns.

 

Wife was going to start in seed trays last year, got her the trays and starter soil - still in the garage.

This winter got a "green house" rack stand with cover to get plants started - still in the box.  Maybe she can get it started on Saturday will I am out on a college visit.

 

I am not doing melons.  No sandy soil.  Besides I harvested, loaded/unloaded melons 6 days a week for 5 years to make money for college.  I may eat a slice of melon once through a whole summer - maybe.

 

Once I get the garden expanded some more, thinking about putting in some potatoes.

 

[Twax10]

I think I've finally realized I'm too young to be on this forum