Author Topic: GARDENING TIPS (Read 54125 times)

Mimi · « **Reply #20 on:** March 09, 2008, 03:32:15 PM »

So far I have planted from seeds, six tomato plants and 2 varieties of lettuce. I have just begun. :

My difficulty at the moment is spotting some sunshine. We are to have some in the next few days.

LindaRS · « **Reply #21 on:** March 09, 2008, 04:37:15 PM »

Sunshine? We're having trouble just seeing the ground around here for more than a fleeing moment before the next snow arrives. Everyone is ready to see something growing outside.

Mimi · « **Reply #22 on:** March 22, 2008, 05:19:06 PM »

Quote from: Mimi on March 09, 2008, 03:32:15 PM

So far I have planted from seeds, six tomato plants and 2 varieties of lettuce. I have just begun. : My difficulty at the moment is spotting some sunshine. We are to have some in the next few days.

They arose! Two precious little tomato plants popped up yesterday! What a blessing!

Mimi · « **Reply #23 on:** March 28, 2008, 04:40:48 PM »

Organic vine-ripened tomatoes @ Vitamin Cottage = $5.98/pound

Mimi · « **Reply #24 on:** April 08, 2008, 11:21:04 AM »

Five of the six tomato plants are doing well - up and beginning to look like tomato plants. The lettuce, however, has not peeked yet. Is there a trick to growing lettuce? I would think it would be quite simple. Advice, please. Thanx

Wally · « **Reply #25 on:** April 08, 2008, 04:58:09 PM »

Quote from: Mimi on April 08, 2008, 11:21:04 AM

Five of the six tomato plants are doing well - up and beginning to look like tomato plants. The lettuce, however, has not peeked yet. Is there a trick to growing lettuce? I would think it would be quite simple. Advice, please. Thanx

What type of lettuce are you trying to grow? I'm going to send an e-mail to a friend of mine in Nova Scotia (who just happens to be an organic grower, and former supplier of lettuce to our store-when they farmed nearby) and get his advice.

Mimi · « **Reply #26 on:** April 08, 2008, 05:28:40 PM »

Thank you, Wally. One is Redprize Lettuce and the other is Black-seeded Simpson. Neither are exotic and they are Burpee seeds, so they should be fairly good. They should have germinated a couple of weeks ago, but not.

We are not freezing at night. So at this point, I am going to set the pot out so it can get full sun. It doesn't get that inside. What can I lose except two little packages? I can get more.

Wally · « **Reply #27 on:** April 09, 2008, 05:13:35 PM »

Quote from: Mimi on April 08, 2008, 05:28:40 PM

We are not freezing at night.

There you go, trying to rub it in again.

I don't think we have had a night above freezing since November. However, it's been in the 50's for 3 days now, and the snow is going pretty fast.

I haven't heard back from my friend up north, yet, but I sent him another e-mail mentioning the 2 varieties. All I can do is wait. He's going to university as well as doing some farming, so I suspect he's pretty busy.

Mimi · « **Reply #28 on:** April 09, 2008, 05:31:25 PM »

Well, my friend - you will be interested to know that we are sitting under a severe winter storm alert today through tomorrow. Freezing temps and approximately 6 to 7 inches of snow. So there you go! The Lord knows what He is doing with the weather - and sometimes I have thought that He sends a late winter storm just to keep His servants humble.

AND, I should not expect paradise until the end of May anyway. Anything is possible until then.

Richard Myers · « **Reply #29 on:** April 10, 2008, 12:45:35 PM »

What is the advantage of raised beds? I want to try a few. Any good suggestions? Should I dig out below the beds and do I need to put in a wire bottom to keep out the critters?

Wally · « **Reply #30 on:** April 10, 2008, 05:21:02 PM »

Quote from: Richard Myers on April 10, 2008, 12:45:35 PM

What is the advantage of raised beds? I want to try a few. Any good suggestions? Should I dig out below the beds and do I need to put in a wire bottom to keep out the critters?

Quite a few of my customers (and my former employer) use raised beds. If you have wet soil (here in Maine there is a lot of clay soil which is slow to thaw and slow to dry in the spring) raised beds will thaw & dry sooner in the spring, and you can get a head start on the season--at least with cold-tolerant crops. (I realize that the idea of frozen soil is foreign to those of you who live west of the Sierra Nevada range; and you may not understand this concept of getting a head start on spring, since you live in the land where the term "winter" is erroneously used to descibe the rainy season, which is warmer than our spring or fall!!

) The main disadvantage of raised beds is that you have to water more often, even here where we get regular rainfall in the summer. That's probably no big deal for you folks out west since you have to water all the time, anyway. If you have burrowing creatures that would get into your crops, putting a wire underneath would be a good thing. Raised beds are also easier to keep weeded. Everyone I talk to considers them well worth the effort.

Richard Myers · « **Reply #31 on:** April 11, 2008, 06:27:10 AM »

It seems that the soil can be kept in better condition since you are able to contain it. And, it therefore is easier to weed. I am going to give it a try. Anyone have experience with them? Any does and don'ts?

Mimi · « **Reply #32 on:** April 11, 2008, 06:46:08 AM »

... and easier to weed because you don't have to bend over so far!

Richard Myers · « **Reply #33 on:** April 11, 2008, 07:04:24 AM »

Ahhh...Bring them up to counter top level?

How high is high enough?

Mimi · « **Reply #34 on:** April 11, 2008, 07:54:04 AM »

Mine are going to be knee level - or about 18 inches. I will be building mine of cedar to sit on concrete - so I will put in a bottom with drain holes - probably some very thick plastic of some kind instead of wood. The gophers cannot possibly mess with food roots this year!

Richard Myers · « **Reply #35 on:** April 12, 2008, 10:24:03 PM »

Let's talk about the bottom of the bed. Don't we want deep roots? Should not the bottom go down deep?

Mimi · « **Reply #36 on:** April 13, 2008, 05:56:45 AM »

If you build yours, say, twenty-four inches on top of the ground, that is two feet of root space for your food. And, if you have a screen at the bottom to keep out the gophers, moles from the roots, anything beyond two feet of root growth stands to be eaten by the varmints anyway. This is my take on it. Otherwise, we can plow the earth long and deep, install thick screens all along the trough to keep out the pests and do away with the idea of raised beds.

Of course, below each raised bed, one could dig down deeply, install the pest screen and build it up from there.

Richard Myers · « **Reply #37 on:** April 13, 2008, 11:12:24 AM »

There are advantages to a raised bed, but one does not have to inhibit the downward growth to have use a raised bed. This is where I would like a little expert advice. Anyone have any ideas about the blessings to come from going down as well as up with the raised bed?

20 inches will be my raised bed. Seems a little shallow. If I want a wire bottom I need to know how far down to go. If I don't use a wire bottom, then how deep do I dig and do I want some rock in the bottom?

I know that for some plants, the deeper soil will prove a blessing. Just need to know how deep.

It seems that going to the effort to build a raised bed requires some forethought to get is right. Hate to have to move to the bed to get a better garden after the fact!

Wally · « **Reply #38 on:** April 13, 2008, 02:03:30 PM »

Quote from: Mimi on April 08, 2008, 05:28:40 PM

Thank you, Wally. One is Redprize Lettuce and the other is Black-seeded Simpson. Neither are exotic and they are Burpee seeds, so they should be fairly good. They should have germinated a couple of weeks ago, but not.

We are not freezing at night. So at this point, I am going to set the pot out so it can get full sun. It doesn't get that inside. What can I lose except two little packages? I can get more.

Here is the message I got from my friends in Nova Scotia today. I hope it is useful to you.

Lettuce enjoys cool growing conditions but NOT cool germination conditions.
Ideal germination temp is 20 c or 68 f. You can germinate it in flats, and
transplant it out for that early crop , or you can put low hoops up and
put row cover over the seedbed outdoors. I am not familiar with Redprize, but simpson
usually germinates easily. Is your seed old? If disease is a problem,
you might consider trying some new varieties. The
more humid the conditions are, the more disease you will see.Also,
overcrowding of heads will often encourage bottom rot, mildew, etc.
If you use rowcover, you will want to open it up on hot days, even
early in the season. I hope this helps. We are impressed with saladbowl, and royal
oak- for ease of growing and good flavour. Red sails is also easy to grow, if you are
ready to broaden your horizons

Quite a lot of info there, but they know what they are doing. Happy gardening.

Mine is still covered with snow.

Wally · « **Reply #39 on:** April 13, 2008, 02:06:22 PM »

Quote from: Richard Myers on April 13, 2008, 11:12:24 AM

There are advantages to a raised bed, but one does not have to inhibit the downward growth to have use a raised bed. This is where I would like a little expert advice. Anyone have any ideas about the blessings to come from going down as well as up with the raised bed?

20 inches will be my raised bed. Seems a little shallow. If I want a wire bottom I need to know how far down to go. If I don't use a wire bottom, then how deep do I dig and do I want some rock in the bottom?

I know that for some plants, the deeper soil will prove a blessing. Just need to know how deep. It seems that going to the effort to build a raised bed requires some forethought to get is right. Hate to have to move to the bed to get a better garden after the fact!

Brother Richard, I have several customers, a couple of my employees, and my former boss, who all have raised beds, and I think I can get a pretty good consensus from them this week on the best methods, if you're still looking for pointers.