The corn seedlings and many of the squashes were ready to be planted outside.
I planted next to the fig row where I had covered with black plastic for 2 or 3 months. The grass was dead, there were no significant remaining roots, and the soil was moist and easy to work.
I watered with diluted fish emulsion, and sprinkled some old blood meal / hot pepper powder around each to repel rabbits. I don't know if that will work. It's too much to fence each plant.
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
Effect of trimming tree seedling roots, ginkgo biloba. 5.19.15
The ginkgo seedling on the left, is the same age as the other two. I was unable to dig it up with intact roots, last fall. It had almost no roots. I kept it potted, and did not prune the top. The other two were smaller, and I was able to dig the roots intact.
The two with intact roots are growing fast, with elongating main stem and large leaves. The one with almost no roots, survived, but growth is very limited. The limitation of roots has resulted in limitation of leaf size and stem elongation. It will be interesting to see if it catches up, this year or next year.
Labels:
fruit bagging,
Ginkgo biloba,
ginkgo seedling,
root pruning
Bearded Irises. 5.19.15
Sunday, May 17, 2015
Presprouting Beans. 5.17.15
Ning wants some Chinese beans. He has old packages of seeds. I dont know the age. Some packages are unopened. They are made with a plastic-impregnated paper, and have bern in a cool place.
To give them the best chance I can, I am pre-sprouting them on moist paper towels, in zipper bags, on the seed sprouting warming mat. I used seeds from 6 different packets. I also did the same with some 1-year old corn seeds, to test before actually planting them.
Vegetable Seed Planting and Germination. 5.17.15
Image via vintageprintable.com |
About half of the squash and pumpkin seeds have germinated. I moved them from peat pots into slightly larger containers for root room. Same as sweet corn, I need to prep the garden bed.
Today I planted melon seeds:
Petite Yellow Watermelon 65-80 days
Blacktail Mountain Watermelon 65-75 days
Minnesota Midget Cantaloupe - 60 - 75 days
Sakata Sweet Asian Melon - 85-95 days
Edens Gem Cantaloupe - 65-80 days
So far only one outdoor bush bean has germinated.
It's still early to on-time for all of the squashes, beans, and corn. Corn was planted 5.12.15, beans 5.11.15, and squashes/pumpkins 5.11.15
Labels:
canteloupe,
melon,
squash,
Sweet Corn,
vegetable seeds,
watermelon
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
More Seeds Planted. 5.12.15
Seed starting stand, sunroom. 5.12.15 |
I'm not accustomed to planting squashes and corn indoors in containers. That may be needed here due to cool spring season soil and temps. Yesterday and today are cool and rainy.
I have planted most of the winter squash seeds, the summer squashes, green and yellow zucchinis.
Today I planted sweet corn, Trinity Hybrid, sold as a cool tolerant, early bearing variety that may work here.
LaCrosse Seed lists Trinity as "Trinity is a homozygous sugary enhancer bicolor with a clean compact plant, refined ear and good husk protection." Purdue states, Sugar enhancer sweet corn "has a higher sugar content and is more tender than standard sweet corn" also "Isolation Requirements All sweet corn types should be isolated from field corn pollen by a distance of 250 ft. or by a tasseling date of 14 days. Supersweet (sh2 ) varieties must be isolated from standard (su) and sugar-enhanced (se) types by a distance of 250 ft. or by a tasseling date of 14 days. If not isolated, kernels of both varieties will be starchy instead of sweet.". There is no nearby field corn. I also have seed for Early Sunglow Hybrid which is an su type. Continuing, "It is not essential to isolate sugar-enhanced (se) sweet corn from standard sweet corn: cross-pollination will not result in starchy kernels. However, isolation will permit the full expression of the sugar-enhanced traits. To maintain purity of color, white corn should be isolated from yellow or bi-color corn. Pollen from yellow or bi-color corn will cause some yellow kernels in white varieties. Pollen from yellow corn will lead to extra yellow kernels in bi-color varieties. Pollen from white corn will not affect yellow or bi-color varieties" So I may decide to either plant the Early Sunglow 2 weeks later, or distant from the Trinity. Complicated.
Sunday, May 10, 2015
Mushroom box. 5.11.15
Last week I bought a mushroom growing box at Home Depot. Impulse. Followed the directions. Simple.
Today I noted the mushrooms are starting to grow. The label states ready to harvest in 10 days.
Today I noted the mushrooms are starting to grow. The label states ready to harvest in 10 days.
Vegetable Gardening in Raised Beds. 5.11.15
Raised bed planted with bean seeds and protected with fencing. 5.11.15 |
In this bed, I planted Roma and Yellow Wax beans. Also a small row of cilantro and some onion sets that were laying around already sprouted.
The cover is meant to deter deer and rabbits.
Tomato plants ready to set outside. 5.11.15 |
Tomato plants in the sunroom were ready for planting. That meant removing weeds from a second raised bed. I had prepped it during winter but failed to cover to prevent weed growth. The grasses were over 3 feet tall. I pulled, then used weed eater, turned the soil over and raked somewhat smooth. Planted tomatoes. Mulched with thin cardboard food packaging. Not pretty. that gets covered with straw or grass clippings later and will no longer show.
Tomatoes started in raised bed, cardboard mulch. 5.11.15 |
Labels:
bush beans,
cardboard,
kitchen garden,
mulch,
Raised Beds,
Tomatoes
Saturday, May 09, 2015
Set up Warré beehive. 5.9.15
Warré beehive set up 5.9.15 |
The Warre hive was developed by Gustave Emile Warre (1857-1951) which he referred to as "Ruche Populaire " or "The People's Hive".
These hives look very easy to build from scratch. The only part I can't easily do at the moment is the rabbet. Maybe I can give myself a router as a retirement present next year, with a rabbet bit.
I lost the info, but I think these new bees are Russian:Carniolan hybrids. That was on the Beethinking website last year.
Strawberry Bed. 5.8.15
Start of Strawberry bed. 5.8.15 |
The prior strawberry bed developed too many weeds. Most of the strawberry plants died. I had not been able to maintain it.
This is in an area not visible from the street or neighbor. For the moment, I mulched with newspaper. The boards are there to prevent wind from blowing the newspaper away. The cage is there for deer.
I added a couple of wheelbarrows of yard soil to the previous strawberry bed. The soil is from a pile we make from planting and removing sod. I mixed it into the compost amended soil and planted Roma and Yellow Wax bush beans, and a row of cilantro. I did not plant strawberries, not knowing if the strawberry plants died due to viral disease. Viral disease has been described as an issue with older strawberries, best to start a new bed.
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