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Hello Guest!
Welcome to the official Square Foot Gardening Forum.
There's lots to learn here by reading as a guest. However, if you become a member (it's free, ad free and spam-free) you'll have access to our large vermiculite databases, our seed exchange spreadsheets, Mel's Mix calculator, and many more members' pictures in the Gallery. Enjoy.

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PNW First of April updates

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dreamcatchersw1032
FamilyGardening
Nonna.PapaVino
camprn
Daniel9999
Furbalsmom
gwennifer
Too Tall Tomatoes
GWN
curio
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boffer
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Post  boffer 4/2/2012, 10:54 am

The cool crop garden.
PNW First of April updates Dscn1411

Lettuces, radishes, bunching onions, beets, and seedlings. Love my H3s! Lettuce and rads planted in January.
PNW First of April updates Dscn1512

Onions and garlic.
PNW First of April updates Dscn1510

Beets, broccoli and cauliflower seedlings.
PNW First of April updates Dscn1516

For 35¢ a piece, I couldn't resist getting some seedlings from the nursery. Broccoli and cauliflower.
PNW First of April updates Dscn1517

Warm crop garden where the chickens had the run of the place all winter. No close ups until I get the disaster cleaned up! (and get some warm crops planted)
PNW First of April updates Dscn1413

First salad of the year, on 3/31, always tastes the best.
PNW First of April updates Dscn1513

Still no sign of the three plantings of peas and potatoes.
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Post  kittykat 4/2/2012, 10:58 am

Boffer! Look at your set-up! You are amazing!

I made a hoop house that fits a 2 x 5 row. I got all anal, though, and duct-taped the poly to the pvc frame, and then fitted the ends with windows and screens and duct taped them all together to the frame. It's a solid little structure, but I like the versatility of yours better. Thanks for the great pics - I love seeing how other people have things set up!

PNW First of April updates 73140 <--- (bowing to your greatness)... PNW First of April updates 593714
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Post  boffer 4/2/2012, 11:03 am

Thanks, I tried being anal in the garden, but as soon as I got it absolutely 100% perfect...I changed it! I think that's why gardeners always have 'stuff' around...to fiddle with.
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Post  Lavender Debs 4/2/2012, 11:06 am

I can never resist a start or two either, even though I love starting my own.

BTW......Is FBmom ok? I desperately miss her.

Debs....up-potted purple asparagus (actually potted, it was winter sown) from seed that was not supposed to be viable and planted most of my starts from January and February. Today...more soil blocks…Two kinds of parsley needs attention today.
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Post  UnderTheBlackWalnut 4/2/2012, 11:07 am

OH YA! hyper How I have missed your double T's and your triple H's Boffer! Thanks for the pics! PS - LOVED the cart you made with the cement tubs in another thread... praise

(...wondering how many of your pics are copied onto some unsuspecting spouse's "honeydo" list... Smile )

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Post  curio 4/2/2012, 11:08 am

Lookin' good Boffer Smile
Ours isn't as elaborate, but I think it's going to be fun!
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Post  GWN 4/2/2012, 11:12 am

wow, that is great.
You can grow all that stuff already WOW.... cheers
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Post  Too Tall Tomatoes 4/2/2012, 11:18 am

It's just amazing to see gardens such as this one. Impressive Shocked
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Post  boffer 4/2/2012, 11:21 am

GWN wrote:wow, that is great.
You can grow all that stuff already WOW.... cheers

I'm near the foothills and colder than most here in the rainy zone. The secret is the soil heating cables. I just finished my fifth H3, and it has tomatoes seedlings in it.

https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t6953-heated-hoop-houses
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Post  gwennifer 4/2/2012, 12:23 pm

PNW First of April updates 211713 That salad looks fantastic. Great job! Thanks for sharing all your pics. I just knew you had those H3's up and going and were holding out on us.

My broccoli starts looks about the same as yours. I can't figure out how the ones in the little six and nine packs from the nursery grow so big. Mine seemed to get stunted until curio's thread helped me realize I needed to up pot them. They are happier now, but it's too late for them to do much in their bigger pots - time to start hardening them off.
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Post  Furbalsmom 4/2/2012, 2:26 pm

Thanks to Boffer for starting our PNW April thread. I apologize for my absence, but there have been family medical issues that took me away.

March on the Southern Oregon Coast has been really difficult with 21 inches of rain in our neighborhood.

The peas planted in my Table Top late February got swollen and rose to the top of the Mel's Mix in early March and were pushed back into the mix. They never germinated. Sad Hope to replant soon.

You may remember that I started Broccoli, Cauliflower and Kohlrabi in vermiculite then transplanted to cells. Those are now hardened off and ready for the Table Top as soon as I get the hoops covered.

Broccoli transplanted to cells on 3/4/12 and grown inside under lights and on heat mat, hardening off on unheated porch

PNW First of April updates Brocco11

Broccoli transplanted to cells on the same day but grown on an unheated porch

PNW First of April updates Brocco12

Parris Island Cos Romaine Lettuce and Drunken Women Frizzy Headed Lettuce transplanted on 3/4/12 to "Round Foot" Garden on enclosed porch

PNW First of April updates Parris12

Parris Island Cos Romaine Lettuce transplanted the same day to unprotected outdoor railing planter

PNW First of April updates Parris13

Onions and herbs are still indoors waiting their turn.
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Post  gwennifer 4/3/2012, 12:35 am

Okay, wow - look at that broccoli! Transplanted to cells 3/4? As in, started in vermiculite and then transplanted into cells once they sprouted? I was just saying that I can't figure out how the nurseries grow their broccoli's so big in those cell packs, but there you've gone and done it. I tried my first hardening off experience with my broccoli's today (I planted them 3/3). Set them out on my covered front porch. I checked on them after 45 minutes and they were almost all wilted! They were cold I guess. We'll see how long they can make it tomorrow.

I got a project done today; it's nearly a miracle. I planted my potatoes. I am trying them in faux (as in plastic) half wine barrels, in the soft shade of the fence. And because I was paranoid about drainage, I had to build little stands for the barrels to sit on. Which meant using the chop saw, the drill, and the hammer. I have two barrels planted with German Butterballs and I'm shooting for the additional rooting along the stem with those. One barrel with Yukon Golds, which I'm going to add more seed potatoes to once the first ones sprout and I've added more potting mix. I was purposefully waiting until April instead of the traditional St. Paddy's planting, so I'm only a day behind my goal. Unfortunately, accomplishing that goal meant not making a fresh dinner and ultimately losing my patience with my kids as well. *sigh* Hats off to you moms who can do it all.
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Post  curio 4/3/2012, 8:51 am

Curious on the Yukon golds... what sort of spacing did you use? I've got them planted one per square, but am wondering if they could go tighter?

Yesterday was nice enough here for me to raise the cloche "walls", and I noticed that one of my little cauliflower kids was a bit "droopy" when I went back to close it up, so gave everyone in there a pretty nice misting with the water wand. I'll check back this morning, and hopefully he'll have perked back up.
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Post  gwennifer 4/3/2012, 11:55 am

curio, the half barrels are 22" diameter. I put five in there in a dice pattern. I figured five, for the size of the container, was a good compromise between the 4 per square recommended in the book and 1 per square recommended by Mother Earth news. *shrug* We'll see how it goes!

My broccoli's all perked back up in the sunny window within a couple of hours yesterday. No sunshine today so I'll wait until later in the afternoon to set them outside today.
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Post  Lavender Debs 4/3/2012, 12:02 pm

gwennifer wrote:....snip....My broccoli's all perked back up in the sunny window within a couple of hours yesterday. No sunshine today so I'll wait until later in the afternoon to set them outside today.


Sometimes they like being out on a cloudy day. Mine are less likely to be stressed if their first time out they do not have to deal with bright light. It seems to shock them after being in the house. If the temp is above 43*F I would put them out.

Transpiration can be an issue if they are exposed to drying wind. Mine will fall over like you described when they are too tender than pop back when I bring them into the house. It is why I like their first trip or three out to be in an unsealed cold-frame or plastic green house. A little air movement toughens them up.
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Post  gwennifer 4/3/2012, 12:22 pm

Thanks Debs - it's always windy here so that explains it, since I didn't put them out in the sun. I certainly noticed their poor, droopy leaves fluttering in the breeze when I rescued them. Laughing I hadn't heard the 43 degree thing before, so that's very helpful too. Thanks!
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Post  Lavender Debs 4/3/2012, 12:30 pm

You can probably go cooler, that is just the temp I watch for. No science, just me so as ever, your mileage may vary.
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Post  Daniel9999 4/3/2012, 10:04 pm

Shocked

That is one huge impressive Garden Boffer!
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Post  boffer 4/4/2012, 10:58 am

I had two boxes the first year; added two new ones the second year; and have been adding a few boxes every year since. I'm fortunate to have the room to do so.
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Post  Daniel9999 4/11/2012, 12:26 am

The peas, radishes and carrots I sowed have finally popped up ....seems like the direct sowing method worked.

Just waiting for the lettuce, potatoes,beets and shallots to show up.
Hurry Up Gosh Darn it.....Lazy plants.... sawing logs

Razz
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Post  gwennifer 4/11/2012, 12:14 pm

Daniel, probably a blessing in disguise that your friend didn't start your carrots for you like you'd wanted(I think I'm remembering that from you anyway). They don't handle being transplanted very well. Hard not to disturb their tap root and end up with forked carrots and such. Glad everything is popping up for you! Seems quick. I don't have enough Mel's mix left to fill my carrot high-rise! I'm hoping to mix up another batch this weekend so I can fill it in time for carrot week.

I'm still waiting on half my spinach, radishes, and peas, and no sign of potatoes yet though they've only been in ten days. I spent the last week hardening off my broccoli. What a rag-tag looking bunch they are now! This is my first time growing my own starts and I can't say I'm enjoying the process. If after all this they don't survive being transplanted into the garden I'm going to be a little annoyed. They've spent the last couple of nights outside now and are ready for the garden I guess. Wasn't sure this was a good time to tranpslant them with all the rain these next few days, so they've been on the covered porch.

curio was right about the peppers. They've doubled in size since I up potted them into Mel's mix just two weeks ago.
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Post  boffer 4/11/2012, 1:44 pm

I direct seeded everything you did except shallots. Everything is slow this year that I did not plant in a hoop house.
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Post  gwennifer 4/11/2012, 8:39 pm

I direct seeded the peas, spinach, and radishes out in my unprotected SFG. Odd thing is, my first sowing of spinach yielded 4 of 9. My second sowing, just 1 of 9. *shrug* I don't get it. The peas were opposite with only 1 of 8 sprouting from my first sowing, and 7 of 8 from my second sowing. The radishes are doing okay, I think they are getting washed out a lot because they are coming up all over the place.

Anyway, I've got some holes I'd like to get filled in and I'm going to try something I believe BBG was experimenting with - starting them indoors on the heat mat, but taking them outside the moment they sprout. No messing with hardening off. I tried it with my flowers seeds and it's worked. They'd likely have grown faster if I left them inside first, but I'm not worried about that with cold weather stuff.
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Post  Daniel9999 4/12/2012, 12:46 am

@Boffer

Its been cooler and wetter than usual here...farmers here are already grumbling about the somewhat miserable spring we are having and how its gonna affect crops like onions.

I hope this weather doesn't carry over to to the summer....I hoping for a decent tomato harvest this year.

@gwennifer

It certainly did turn out to be a blessing in disguise....I am extremely happy something germinated as its always kinda a crap shoot with direct sow especially with the weather we have been having and its a good sign that the "dirt" in my new bed is turning out ok so far.
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Post  Furbalsmom 4/14/2012, 8:29 pm

Gwennifer wrote:Okay, wow - look at that broccoli! Transplanted to cells 3/4? As in, started in vermiculite and then transplanted into cells once they sprouted? I was just saying that I can't figure out how the nurseries grow their broccoli's so big in those cell packs, but there you've gone and done it.

My Calabrese Broccoli, Veronica Broccoli, Kongo Kohlrabi, and Snow Crown Cauliflower were all started in vermiculite then transplanted on March 3rd to 9 pack seedling cells with sterile seedling mix and weekly doses of very weak fertilizer.

I was amazed at how much larger the seedlings that grew inside on a heat mat with lots of supplemental lighting grew compared to those seedlings transplanted to cells the same day, but grown on an enclosed and unheated porch with no supplemental light and subjected to much cooler temps (minimum was 40 degrees F at night)

The lettuce seedlings transplanted March 3, directly outside in an unprotected planter have really struggled compared to those planted the same day in a planter on the enclosed porch. Both sets of seedlings were transplanted directly to Mel's Mix. There were more lettuces transplanted to 9 pack seedling cells and kept on the porch.

I do have many more seedlings than required for a 2 person household, but the community garden opened 4/1/12 and I am sure some of those members will be able to use the excess.

This just enforces the need for Boffer's H3's in our cool wet climate.
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