What Are Some Tips for Successful Gardening?

[Evo]

Unfortunately I do container gardening, there are a lot of issues with the soil in small containers.

 

[Evo]

I promised drizzle that I would post a picture from the ice storm we had Sunday. I took this photo this morning from my bedroom window, looks like christmas lights.

 

[Evo]

I bought a patio tomato plant last year that just produced like crazy. I have seeds from some of the tomatoes. Do you think if I plant those that they will be as good as the original plant?

 

[rewebster]

probably not---

most tomatoes are hybrids, and the seeds aren't hybrid stock.

I leave a couple plants that are from the drops from the year before and they never produce as well

 

[Evo]

probably not---

most tomatoes are hybrids, and the seeds aren't hybrid stock.

I leave a couple plants that are from the drops from the year before and they never produce as well

Yeah, that's what I'm worried about. :(

 

[turbo]

Yeah, that's what I'm worried about. :(

Most of the world's basic crops already cut off the farmers at the ankles. The crops don't propagate or seed. Monsanto is happy. Farmers (many of then 3rd world) starve or die.

 

[rewebster]

Yeah, that's what I'm worried about. :(

most of your last year cost was containers etc---plants aren't very expensive, if you go the same place as last year to get your plants, there's a good chance they will be similar to last year's plants

 

[Proton Soup]

you can still buy heirloom seed, tho. and even Bonnie has a few sprouted plants that are heirloom or heirloom hybrid. i planted some yellow tomatoes last year that were quite nice. i saved a few seed, even tho they may have crossed with the pink ones, or the red ones. who knows, they might sprout. won't hurt to try.

 

[Evo]

I'm not crazy about heirloom tomatoes, there is a reason that better varieties gained favor. I'll try some of these patio tomatoes and see what happens.

 

[Astronuc]

I bought a patio tomato plant last year that just produced like crazy. I have seeds from some of the tomatoes. Do you think if I plant those that they will be as good as the original plant?

I think it depends on the variety. We've had a few plants come back from drops, and they were pretty productive.

With container growing, especially with tomatoes and similar plants, it's best to empty the soil out and blend in new fresh soil and compost manure (and not composted mushroom stuff). Also, if one suspects blight or other deleterious organisms, it's best to empty soil in a black bag and let it cook over the summer in a black bag. Make sure there are no worms in the soil when placing it into the bag.

 

[rewebster]

there was snow in this spot two days ago

 

[Evo]

Nice, I haven't even seen the snow crocus here yet, maybe in the next couple of weeks.

 

[Astronuc]

I promised drizzle that I would post a picture from the ice storm we had Sunday. I took this photo this morning from my bedroom window, looks like christmas lights.

Ooooh! Sparkles. Reminds me of . . . .

Our place is still under a foot of snow.

Meanwhile down south, we're supposed to have snow tonight. Flying home tomorrow should be interesting.

 

[turbo]

Ooooh! Sparkles. Reminds me of . . . .

Our place is still under a foot of snow.

Meanwhile down south, we're supposed to have snow tonight. Flying home tomorrow should be interesting.

Please not to JFK. Cross-winds have reduced the place to one usable runway. Delay!

 

[Astronuc]

Please not to JFK. Cross-winds have reduced the place to one usable runway. Delay!

I have to fly through Charlotte and Philadelphia - in little jets.

 

[turbo]

I have to fly through Charlotte and Philadelphia - in little jets.

My last legs to Maine from most places like Newark were always on little turbo-props. Nice scenes of the ground, but we often had some rough rides. Often I could get out of Bangor or Portland on a jet because they were over-night holds for planes and crew, but the ride home was frequently loud and bumpy.

 

[Evo]

The only time I was on a little 6 seater plane was my flight from Denver to Steamboat Springs for a ski trip.

My scariest flight was from Cozumel to Cancun in a vintage WWII prop plane with sparks flying out of the engines and we barely skimmed the water the entire way. Ropes for seat belts but we did get dixie cups of warm coke out of a bottle. We had to wake the pilot up because he forgot us and he showed up unshaven, barefoot, in a dirty torn undershirt, and shorts.

 

[turbo]

Reminder: It might be a good idea to order your vegetable seeds early this year, and order some extras of things that might have germination problems. I made sure to get more pickling-cuke seeds than normal because last season, lots of folks had poor germination in the cool damp spring and had to re-plant. Seeds got scarce pretty fast. We managed to find some tucked away in a hardware store last year, but the garden shops were picked clean.

 

[Astronuc]

I've been thinking about a cold box or a set of portable greenhouses in which to start seeds, or starting the gemination inside. Unfortunately, the cats try to get to the seedlings and chomp on them. The local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) project is starting up. I think the greenhouse opens this week, so I'll need to check into it. I might see if I can take some of their excess, in exchange for donating seeds.

Most of our ground is still covered in snow.

It's time to turn the soil, and add some compost and manure.

Hopefully this spring will be a tad warmer than last year.


http://www.localharvest.org/csa/

http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/csa.html

There should be some info at USDA, but their links seem to be bad.


Edit: Growing for Market provides useful information for the serious produce garnder or farmer.
http://www.growingformarket.com/

 

[Evo]

Ooh pink tomatoes, pretty. They're available from www.burpeeseeds.com.

http://www.burpee.com/images/en_US/local/products/viewlarger/b68145_lg.jpg

 

[dlgoff]

IMO Early Girls are the best tasting. Around here (in Kansas) where there's lots of good sun, they produce clusters (3 or 6) all over the vines.

http://www.irisheyesgardenseeds.com/images/EarlyGirlWeb.jpg

The Early Girl Tomatoes were juicy, but not overly so. There was a good balance of sweetness with acid in the juice. They had a moist / meaty texture that was just right... not mushy, not hard or tough, but tender with body.

http://www.tandjenterprises.com/earlygirltomato.htm"

 

[turbo]

Marianas are firm and flavorful tomatoes. Bushy high-yielding plants are easy to take care of without training to trellises, pruning suckers, etc. You may have to order from Johnny's Selected Seeds to get this variety because it is a relatively new one, but if you like tomatoes you might want to give this variety a try. My wife and I usually plant Early Girls, Big Boys, Muscovy, etc, but we were quite pleasantly surprised by the Marianas last season. They are wonderful in sauces and soups.

 

[turbo]

Glenn Beck is running ads from this scam outfit on his show. For "only" $149, you get about $20-30 worth of seeds. The site claims that what they will send you is enough seed to plant an entire acre, and will produce thousands of pounds of food. I've got a garden spot that is around 2000 ft² or maybe a bit more. My garden spot is about 1/22 of an acre, and the seed packets that they show on the site could not possibly seed an area the size of my garden. I bought 'WAY more seed than that for the upcoming season for $34.40 plus shipping.

http://www.survivalseedbank.com/

 

[Evo]

IMO Early Girls are the best tasting. Around here (in Kansas) where there's lots of good sun, they produce clusters (3 or 6) all over the vines.

http://www.irisheyesgardenseeds.com/images/EarlyGirlWeb.jpg



http://www.tandjenterprises.com/earlygirltomato.htm"

I grow early girls, they come in a bush type for containers.

 

[Moonbear]

My crocuses are starting to emerge and bud, in spite of the snow still on the ground! Now, I wonder if I will get to enjoy the flowers before the deer do? (I'm going to have to change my plans on where to put my vegetable garden...with all the snow, I was able to see the deer tracks, and the other day, watched the whole herd of 7 deer wander through my yard...seems the spot I was planning to put the garden is right along their path to the field across from me...DRAT!)

 

[turbo]

My crocuses are starting to emerge and bud, in spite of the snow still on the ground! Now, I wonder if I will get to enjoy the flowers before the deer do? (I'm going to have to change my plans on where to put my vegetable garden...with all the snow, I was able to see the deer tracks, and the other day, watched the whole herd of 7 deer wander through my yard...seems the spot I was planning to put the garden is right along their path to the field across from me...DRAT!)

My neighbor's daughter's crocuses are blooming already. In Maine, in early March. This is the warmest winter in recent memory. I just hope my garlic crop doesn't emerge too early and get damaged by some serious cold. We're not truly into freeze-free weather here until mid-May at the soonest. Some brave souls plant peas in early May (for bragging rights), but generally, it is not safe to sow from seed here until Memorial day.

 

[hypatia]

I am so ready for spring. I have a few herbs started on window sills, but I think I'll buy veggie plants from the nursery this year.

 

[Borek]

I don't like early girls, I prefer to sleep long in the morning.

 

[rewebster]

a couple of crocuses (yellow) blooming here today

pl. croci ?

 

[turbo]

a couple of crocuses (yellow) blooming here today

pl. croci ?

Saffron flowers!