Checking On Jalapeño and Serrano Pepper Seedlings. 3.13.22

 I had debated throwing these out and starting over, but decided to give them a chance.  They were growing nicely but got some whitefly, so I sprayed them with Neem oil.  The Neem burned the leaves and tip shoots. They stopped growing.

I usually cut the tip shoot anyway to make them grow low branches.  So I cut those out, and am just giving normal seedling care.  I usually give a very dilute solution of Miracle Gro but wondered if that wasn't helping, so bought some Schultz liquid.  It easier to give as a dilute solution because it's liquid drops in a dropper bottle.  

Looking very very closely, I think these are looking like they might be about  to grow new shoots at the leaf axils.  It might be my imagination, but I think these seedlings look a bit more robust now, too.  So I'll just keep taking care of them and see how they do.

The other thing that is encouraging is they have healthy looking roots emerging through the bottom holes. They shouldn't do that if there is a problem with the potting soil.  I don't recall if I used an older bacth of soil for these.  But I think they are OK.

I have other pepper plants to up-pot soon.  These are the pioneers which will tell me if conditions are right.

Seedling Puttering. Tomatoes and Peppers. 3.13.22.

 Today I thinned the tomato seedlings to one plant per cell.

The fourth six pack is basil, which I thinned to a few plants per cell.

I also up-potted the first tabasco and Thai pepper seedlings into larger silicone six packs.  I'm not crazy about those, the silicone is too floppy.  I bought them because after using and washing them, they can be sterilized in the dishwasher.  If the six pack is kept on a tray, it might be OK.

I'm hesitant to use the potting soil.  It is Miracle Gro branded I bought on Amazon.  The last plants I up-potted in it were carnations.  They got some kind of root rot and died in a few days.  But that might be because I used plastic pots from the shed, snd didn't clean them well.  I will see how these do.  Usually, when I start peppers they look kind of puny and weak, then I up pot them and they start to grow much better.  Given the unknowns, these are kind of an experiment.

First Kitchen Garden Harvest of 2022. Egyptian Walking Onions. 3.13.22

 These were from one bulb, overwintered in the kitchen garden with no care other than weeding and a dose of plant food two weeks ago.  They are not from Egypt and they don't walk.  These are quite strong flavored but I like the idea of harvesting scallions before most things can even be planted.   Respected sources report that stronger flavored onions are better health promoters compared to the mild ones.

My great aunt, Emma Herrmann, grew these back in the 1960s.  I don't know where she got her start.  She gave me some back then, which I grew in my garden.  My batch was lost in time.  I bought the start for these from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange back 21 years ago.  They have been prospering in my kitchen garden ever since then.  I'm always trying to give away starts but most people don't want them.

The starts from topsets have barely started to grow.  The overwintered bulbs, on the other hand, are ready to eat now.

A Nice Dendrobium Orchid. 3.13.22

 I forget the name of this one.  The original was too big so I downsized it by rooting a keiki.  It's just growing in arborist tree chips since planting it last summer.

Planting Potatoes, Guernsey Lilies, Moving A Rhubarb and a Redcurrant. 3.12.22

Today I planted these potato starts that I bought a few weeks ago. They have minimal sprouting so far. I had cut the larger tubers in half, so instead of five starts per type there are eight.

For someone who gardens for nutrition, potatoes yield the highest caloric product per square foot of garden.  They are high protein, high potassium, low fat. I don't know how tree fruits or nuts fit into that equation. As someone who eats about one potato per day, two rows of potatoes will yield about two or three months worth of potatoes. Plus, chickens like them a lot, so they eat the rejects and extras. 

 I also planted the Guernsey lily in the photo. My great aunt Emma grew "Surprise Lilies" which are quite similar but I can't get them to grow here. Gurnsey Lilies take their place. 

 In one of the orchard enclosures, I had planted a Redcurrant and forgot about it. Last year it yielded enough currants to make a small batch of jam, healthy and tasty. I think they are high vitamin C.  It was planted close to the fence, and deer had taken a liking to the leaves. Today I moved it to a sunnier spot in the main kitchen garden. Space there is very precious, but this is a nice fruit that isn't found easily at the stores. 

Last year I had also divided a very nice rhubarb last year, and planted it there too. Unfortunately I kept stepping on the plant. So now I moved it to a better spot. Deer don't eat rhubarb, because they are stupid, so now it's in the deer park among lavendar, sage, rosemary, and others.