Goose Garden - 2014

Well,    is here!  My sunflowers from seed are doing just fine out in the yard (so far).  216 onions now about 3-4 inches tall.  Of my 2 varieties of seed garlic that were supposed to be planted last October but did not make it into the ground until a few weeks ago, the Japanese did nothing (as I expected, it did not look bad but not good either), but the Nootka is doing great! I have about 10 that are about 3 inches tall and a few more that are just starting to poke out of the ground. 160 carrot seeds put in tonight.  Peppers, tomatoes, and basil are hardening off nicely and should be ready to take their permanent spots outside by the end of the weekend. Also scattered flower seeds for a cutting garden in my L-shaped raised brick bed.  Neighbor's cat has claimed it as a litter box, so it is becoming a permanent self-seeding cutting bed.  I figure if I don't fight it on the litter box, maybe it will leave the other beds alone.   

GG

Goosegirl wrote: Peppers, tomatoes, and basil are hardening off nicely and should be ready to take their permanent spots outside by the end of the weekend.  
GG

This is a new experience -- it was windy yesterday but I couldn't stand my leggy tomato babies still inside.  I took the tallest tomatoes (not hardened off) and stuck them down in the bottom of one foot deep beds, still had maybe 6 to 10 inches above the soil line. Had loads of panty-hose nylon rings that were cut up over the winter and was able to support everything nicely on the trellis.  This morning the plants still look good without being properly hardened off.  Placed a burlap cover above the plants to protect from too much sun all at once. Maybe sometimes rules can be broken and throw in a little luck for good measure.
 

 Also scattered flower seeds for a cutting garden in my L-shaped raised brick bed.  Neighbor's cat has claimed it as a litter box, so it is becoming a permanent self-seeding cutting bed.  I figure if I don't fight it on the litter box, maybe it will leave the other beds alone.  

    Guess you got to chose your battles.    I am thrilled this year because I have cilantro, dill, fennel and carrots all seeding them selves... OH and california poppies.
I have  been very brave and planted all my tomatoes without hardening them off, but making sure that they are very well watered.
So fare all but one have survived

This is a new experience -- it was windy yesterday but I couldn't stand my leggy tomato babies still inside.  I took the tallest tomatoes (not hardened off) and stuck them down in the bottom of one foot deep beds, still had maybe 6 to 10 inches above the soil line. Had loads of panty-hose nylon rings that were cut up over the winter and was able to support everything nicely on the trellis.  This morning the plants still look good without being properly hardened off.  Placed a burlap cover above the plants to protect from too much sun all at once. Maybe sometimes rules can be broken and throw in a little luck for good measure.

LM     I am trying very hard to picture this, .... do you have a picture, if it works, you may be onto something and then you will WANT pictures

llama momma wrote:

Goosegirl wrote: Peppers, tomatoes, and basil are hardening off nicely and should be ready to take their permanent spots outside by the end of the weekend.  
GG

This is a new experience -- it was windy yesterday but I couldn't stand my leggy tomato babies still inside.  I took the tallest tomatoes (not hardened off) and stuck them down in the bottom of one foot deep beds, still had maybe 6 to 10 inches above the soil line. Had loads of panty-hose nylon rings that were cut up over the winter and was able to support everything nicely on the trellis.  This morning the plants still look good without being properly hardened off.  Placed a burlap cover above the plants to protect from too much sun all at once. Maybe sometimes rules can be broken and throw in a little luck for good measure.
 

Actually turned out that my tomatoes (tho' leggy) and my peppers are doing fine. However, my basil, which had been out a few times and had actually been in a window for quite a while getting sun, is what did not fare well. I watered it well and will hope for the best, but I may just end up throwing out some seed in a box.

GG

I have heard it said that the way to know if it is warm enough outside for basil is if you only need a light sweater to go out at night.... then it is warm enough for basil at night
What are your night time temps

GWN wrote:I have heard it said that the way to know if it is warm enough outside for basil is if you only need a light sweater to go out at night.... then it is warm enough for basil at night
What are your night time temps

Mid to upper 50's. I think the problem was that they are in a big ceramic bowl and the roots may have heated up too much. They will cool down tonight, and tomorrow I will put them on the side porch instead of the front (west).

GG

All mine have died too. They haven't been able to take the temps going from a bit over 40 to near 100 in not just a week, but sometimes within a single day. I finally just bought some starts, to at least get going. But I'll keep seeding them.

I've found a lot of plants seem tougher than I thought when it comes to cold temps and quick temperature changes -- like cukes and watermelon and tomatoes -- but basil is one that even when babied more seems to survive less. At least for me.

It is especially maddening because these were the best basil seedlings I have ever had. Never had much success starting basil from seed. Now that I know it CAN be done, I will try again, but maybe just outside in the cold frame.

GG

So sorry but thank you, all, for sharing about your basil. I'd almost forgotten that I learned last year that basil was pretty fussy about cold weather. Someone, I think it was quiltbee, mentioned that basil does not like whether in the low 50s. So when my weather last fall headed down into the 50's I brought it in and afterward I watched as other peoples basil turned black and died.

This year is my first attempt at growing them from seed and I haven't put them out yet. But they sure want to go out! I don't know how much longer they will last in those little cell packs. Hopefully tomorrow someone will turn on the Capes summer switch so I can plant the peppers, zinnias, basil and ground cherries hanging out in the bay window right now.
CC

We generally skip spring here and go right into summer.  No different this year.  A week ago we had 3 nights of frost in a row, currently it is 84, and was 72 at 9 am.  I have given up on broccoli as a spring crop.  This year I am putting in some in July for a fall harvest.  Going to throw down some basil seeds today as well, in hopes something comes up.  Otherwise, it is back to buying starts, again.....

GG

PS - 18 Nootka garlic sprouts are up and several more cloves still look promising.  Also, just noticed last night that I have a BUMPER crop of volunteer cilantro sprouts in my carrot/onion box.   

Well, I got 12 'maters in the ground, as well as 8 peppers.  Sawed off 2 more unwanted trees growing between our foundation and sidewalk.  Wanted to throw down more seed and clean out 4 boxes, as well as move irises and clean up the herb bed.  Learning my limitations and stopped before I would be dead for a week!

GG

Update - this morning I put in my beans - 72 seeds. Hope to get the zuke seeds in this afternoon - after we get the air conditioners in the windows!

Latest in the Goose Garden:  Dug up the dead asparagus crowns, cleaned up the bed, and planted Zinnias, Marigolds, and threw out some Phlox seeds, to go with the sparse but ever-present Phlox that managed to crowd out and kill off the asparagus.  Cleaned out the rest of the unwanted volunteer saplings along the north of the house and scattered the majority of the Phlox seeds there, to cover over the bare spots from digging out the trees.  Moved and cleaned up some of the irises. Slowly but surely the place is becoming more low-maintenance.  Next up - cleaning up the herb bed!

GG

I Binged "phlox". What a beautiful flower. Is it easy to grow?

sanderson wrote:I Binged "phlox".  What a beautiful flower.  Is it easy to grow?

Hard to kill, actually! There is a purple variety that is wild around here which spreads by roots and will crowd out just about anything. But it is SO beautiful.

GG

Had my first REAL harvest yesterday. BEANS!!! Tried a new (to me) variety from Baker Creek: Calima. At first, when they sprouted, I was not happy   . The stems were thinner than I was used to for a bush bean, and so they seemed pretty wimpy. As they grew, they started to flop over (I was not happy     ), and when I mowed my lawn this week I was REALLY crabby because they have flopped over the side of the box and I had to bend over and hold them all up with one hand while trying to push the mower with the other. Not easy for a short woman with short arms       ! I was grumbling to myself that if I wanted to support beans I would have planted POLE beans! ............................ And then I saw the beans. They are the most beautiful green beans I have ever grown! They are consistent 8" thin filet type pods. My first picking, and I picked a gallon bag's worth, and I just realized that I skipped harvesting 2 full sq ft. If they taste as good as they look, I will GLADLY set up a little support system for them next year!

GG, Nice harvest! Will they continue producing?

Cool, GG. Are you going to pull them or leave them in to see if you'll get some more beans out of them?

They are just at the beginning of their production - this was my first picking. There are LOTS more little beans that will be ready to harvest in a few more days. I should get several weeks of production out of them as long as I keep picking them before the beans mature and signal to the plant to shrivel up and die. I want to make sure that I leave some good pods on when I am ready to let them mature so I can save lots of seeds for next year.

Cool. This is my first time growing bush beans and I'm pretty curious what to expect in terms of volume per square foot. Especially since so many seed packets say the beans in them are productive that I have to start to wonder, "So which ones are NOT productive then? Any? What's productive even supposed to mean?"

Marc - what variety are you growing? I have had good success with Tenderpod, Dragon's Tongue, Blue Lake, and Kentucky Wonder. Dragon's Tongue actually had the least production, but it was still good, and they are soooooo cool looking that they were worth it!

Goosegirl wrote:Marc - what variety are you growing?  I have had good success with Tenderpod, Dragon's Tongue, Blue Lake, and Kentucky Wonder.  Dragon's Tongue actually had the least production, but it was still good, and they are soooooo cool looking that they were worth it!  

Marc and GG... I am also trying beans for the first time.  It was a special request from the couple who gave me my first Earthboxes.  I planted Kentucky Wonder bush.  They are quite strong at the moment and they are growing quickly.  They are really loving Mel's Mix.

GG...  Question:  I have some of my bush beans surrounded by tomato cages.  Do you think this will be sufficient support?

Oh... and I was reading the posts about basil.  I have always planted Genova basil.  This year I skipped planting in doors.  I just direct seeded them in an Earthbox and a raised bed.  They sprouted nicely.  Last season (when it first got cold) I also brought in my basil (which was HUGE).  Unfortunately, our cats got to them... they treated it like catnip.  I suppose this makes sense because they are both from the mint family.

Last year I made a huge mistake when some of my basil harvest.  I began cutting down what I did not have room for inside.  I put the stalks ends in a bucket of water.  I wasn't feeling well that day, so I just left them in the water for a day.  Well, any leaf that was in the water turned black.  I did not know that basil can't stand being wet like that.  (Sheesh, what a rookie mistake!)

Well, I rescued what was left and I made a lemon basil pest (courtesy of a recipe from Giada De Laurentiis).  It was amazing.   I still have some in the freezer.  Not sure how well it keeps, but you've inspired to to thaw it out and have some angel hair with pesto.

Windmere, you got free earthboxes? What a lucky score. Those things are so expensive!

GG, I'm growing Dragon Tongue, Royal Burgundy, and Speedy bush beans. Last year I grew the pole version of Kentucky Wonder.

Oh, also two kinds of yellow wax bush beans -- I forget ... maybe Golden Wonder and Pencil Pod?

Windmere - Tomato cages should work just fine!

Marc Iverson wrote:Windmere, you got free earthboxes?  What a lucky score.  Those things are so expensive!

GG, I'm growing Dragon Tongue, Royal Burgundy, and Speedy bush beans.  Last year I grew the pole version of Kentucky Wonder.

Oh, also two kinds of yellow wax bush beans -- I forget ... maybe Golden Wonder and Pencil Pod?

Yeah... they are a dear sweet older couple.  The husband got sick and could not garden any longer.  Last year I mentioned to them that I was going to start a garden and they told me they had some EarthBoxes and would I like to have them?  Marc, I knew nothing about gardening... and I certainly did not know just how generous their offer was.  I used them last season.  This season I bought just two more (my wallet said ouch!).

So... it's really important to me that I manage to give them some green beans.  Here's hoping...

Goosegirl:  Thanks!  Just what I need to hear.