Re: CANADIAN REGION - What are you doing in APRIL 2015

Its all coming back to me now: most ink would run, but if you mark the paper towel before you wet it using crayon, grease pencil or a laundry marker it should stay readable.

Thanks for that tip, FRED.

Hello Canadian folks, I just noticed this thread -  for the welcome a while back! Its great to have some support in the great white north...feeling some relief about my seed-timing. Thanks Fred!

I'm hoping by the end of the month to have some sort of rabbit-preventing fence up around my new beds, and I think I'll switch out the wood SF markers for string on nails. Once the rain came I saw I need to top up at least one box with more compost. 

But either way I threw some snow pea seeds in two squares on the weekend - fingers crossed! Should I cover them with something when they come up?

Indoors I've got one cherry tomato (not sure what happened to the others), a few san marzano, and several "mystery" tomato plants (seeds from a friend) coming up. I also have several Zinnia planters, 3 lettuce varieties, one eggplant (I was hoping for two), two artichoke, basil, thyme, oregano, and a rhubarb coming up (yes, I know you shouldn't try rhubarb from seed because it takes like 3 yrs to get edible...but I like a challenge!). Plus several herbs...still waiting on the Cilantro, sage and rosemary to sprout...and my nasturtiums and celery are also taking their sweet time. DH is entertaining all of this fairly well.

Thinking about throwing some dill seeds in the garden this weekend - too soon?

Glad you made your way here, TastyTurnip.

Myself, I plant my snow peas about an inch deep and they are coming up now.

At the beginning of this thread there is a STICKY where you can find the last Frost Dates for any part of Canada.  Hope that helps. As Canada is such a vast Region I think that is the best I can do unless I am talking to someone near me.

Rabbit problems? With that Airedale? Wow! K-W bunnies are tough!

I grew rhubarb from seed once before. I had three plants and got enough the second year for one strawberry-rhubarb  pie and one rhubarb crisp. I am really interested un the celery. I have never grown it because it has a reputation of being difficult. Please tell us about your progress.

Flurries here and "chunks" in the rain last night. Is there an emoticon for "depressed"?

Good tip Kelejan. Im zone D...but im a skeptic! So I've planned everything for a week later at the risk of less yield. I also don't have a good cover system...and like Fred I don't have any pop bottles around...maybe next year I'll design something.

Fred, I was surprised with the rabbits too! But all my neighbours have fences so I'm taking that as a sign. Every morning they're out there. She is guilty of taking at least one down...at some point I could try to make the entire yard rabbit proof...

I transplanted eight Brandywine tomatoes into larger pots today. They were getting very "leggy", which I think means that there wasn't enough light. I've doubled the light and planted the seedlings right up to the leaves. I will get to the rest of the tomatoes tomorrow.

I love my new garden tools for seedlings: a disposable plastic fork and spoon. I'm using the fork for separating the delicate seedlings and the spoon for scooping potting mix. I have a plastic knife too, but I haven't figured out a use for it.

haha I love that! I have stolen a dollar store spoon from the back of the cutlery drawer. 

I also transplanted my tomato seedlings to larger pots yesterday - got more than I was hoping for which I am excited about. What size of container should I use for a single tomato plant?

Well that was lazy of me - just checked the packet - now on the hunt for some large solitary containers 

FRED58 wrote: I have a plastic knife too, but I haven't figured out a use for it.

Plastic knives make good plant labels.

Food grade buckets from Home Depot or free from bakeries?

TastyTurnip wrote:haha I love that! I have stolen a dollar store spoon from the back of the cutlery drawer. 

I also transplanted my tomato seedlings to larger pots yesterday - got more than I was hoping for which I am excited about. What size of container should I use for a single tomato plant?

AS Fred says, plant it up to the leaves so that the whole stem is covered.

Thanks Kelejan! I did do that, watched a YouTube video on how the little hairs each form roots - so cool! I love this seed starting. Just when I've given up hope, another one sprouts that celery will be tricky though...

I plant4ed some celery transplants but did not do well due to lack of knowledge. I will try again this year. Did not do well with leeks, same lack again.

Even though I am the Canadian Regional Host (grand title), I have an awful lot to learn myself and I am relying on everyone else to help me.

yolos wrote:

FRED58 wrote: I have a plastic knife too, but I haven't figured out a use for it.

Plastic knives make good plant labels.

Thanks! (Why didn't I think of that?)

FRED58 wrote:

yolos wrote:

FRED58 wrote: I have a plastic knife too, but I haven't figured out a use for it.

Plastic knives make good plant labels.

Thanks! (Why didn't I think of that?)

They make better plant labels than do forks or spoons.

GOT THE VERMICULITE!

Looking for compost. (Sphagnum moss is easy).

The plan is to have the beds in place by Mother's Day weekend (next weekend will be a write-off). I know that will be a bit late for the cold-weather crops, but it will have to do. 

The long keeper tomatoes were just starting to peek out of the seeds yesterday before I left for Toronto.

Best of luck in your search, Fred. Do have have good ideas where to search?

I have finally got to the stage where I have compost on hand, some finished and most at different stages and people dropping off  chicken manure, leaves, kitchen scraps etc without even asking me and I have not bought any for a couple of years now.

I was raking up leaf debris and this little friend landed on my husband's coffee cup:


We were worried it might go into the drink, but I gently scooped it up and it flew off. We have a few little colonies of ground-dwelling bees in our yard. They've never been aggressive, and I'm happy to have them, and know they've survived another year.

"Winterpeg, Manisnowba"
Good one!

CC From Alaskachusetts

CapeCoddess wrote:"Winterpeg, Manisnowba"
Good one!

CC From Alaskachusetts

+ 1 Amethyst, I see you have a sense of humour.  You needed it this past winter.  We had it pretty it easy in British Columbia in comparision.

I love people who treat ort little friends with kindness. We need every one of them.

Kelejan

Manisnowba, Minnesnowta , welcome to Ontarisnow. For that matter, my home, despite all the Scottish-sounding names, "Bruce" county was not named for Robert the Bruce, but actually for an old Ojibwa word for "the Land of the Horizontal Snow". Highway 21 is about the most frequently closed road in  North America. When the mayor of Toronto called in the Army to clear the snow, Highway 21 had just re-opened after being closed for five days straight.

It makes the summer so much more enjoyable.

As for compost I  have composted cattle and sheep manure, mushroom compost (just a bit), composted forest compost (bark fines and leaf yard compost), worm castings and "garden compost", all bagged. It should be "OK" (and I will keep looking).

I think your compost mix is a lot better than many of us started out with, Fred.

Kelejan wrote:I think your compost mix is a lot better than many of us started out with, Fred.

+1   Definitely better than the Kelloggs I used for my first 4 boxes!!   I spent that summer making up for it and starting my first compost pile.

I just got the 'snow' jokes.