Re: N & C Midwest: March 2016

**Scorpio Rising** 3/12/2016, 7:44 pm

Might be cheaper to put a couple corn cobs out for the deer...but you don't want to create a feeding station?..

CitizenKate 3/12/2016, 10:45 pm

landarch wrote:Kate, I've consumed a brew or two in Aggieville.

I've had great luck with seed starting mixes at Menards...I often stock up when they slash prices at some point in the season.

My friends and I visit Aggieville occasionally, and most of the time, it's a vibrant and enjoyable place to hang out. We just try to avoid the mob events.

Which mix do you use for your seeds?

**sanderson** 3/13/2016, 4:58 am

SR, Might be a good time to raise the beds on bricks with plywood bottoms?? No more invasive weeds, at least from the bottom.

landarch 3/13/2016, 10:03 am

Kate, I think I've bought Burpee last year and this spring I bought Jiffy.
N & C Midwest: March 2016 - Page 3 Jiffy10

They also carry peat pellet kits of various brands...I do these to because it's fast and easy but more expensive.

FYI...I'm from Wamego...if you're there check out their community garden...it's supposed to be thriving.

**Scorpio Rising** 3/13/2016, 12:10 pm

sanderson wrote:SR, Might be a good time to raise the beds on bricks with plywood bottoms?? No more invasive weeds, at least from the bottom.

I thought about that, sanderson, but the boxes are not in that great of shape. I am going to build an actual 4x4 this spring, and will put a barrier in the bottom of that box. I don't want to keep the worms and other good guys out, so still considering my options.

I am also going to put in a strawberry bed, and will definitely do a weed barrier there too. Can worms get up through the weed fabric?

**sanderson** 3/13/2016, 2:14 pm

SR, All of my boxes were on the ground when I started and I found a few earthworms in them when I raised the boxes off the ground. They came up through the ground through the teeny space between the weed fabric and the frames. I have red wiggler worm tubes in all of the larger boxes (anything bigger than 4 sq ft) and they survive our relatively mild winters. If I lived where the MM froze, I would have to move them into a worm hotel in the garage, then disperse them again in the spring.

**Scorpio Rising** 3/13/2016, 5:48 pm

OK, very helpful info, thanks, Sanderson!

**Scorpio Rising** 3/13/2016, 8:31 pm

OK, all my plans went out the window, raining all day, so nothing planted out. Temp says 53 but feels cold and yucky. Still soaking my unspouted peas, and my other transplants are patiently under the lights. Need to go down there and look at everything, because I thought I would be dealing with the whole thing before now.

Oh well, since we have a whole "invented" additional hour of light, hopefully I can get some of this done this week, if I get a break from the rain.

Also, need vermiculite. Only found medium, I know my garden place has coarse....but they have super hinkey hours..... Rolling Eyes

CitizenKate 3/13/2016, 10:05 pm

Do you ever make it over to Lima? Menard's has started carrying the Burpee brand of vermiculite, and the price is pretty reasonable.

Sounds like you're getting the rain we had yesterday. (I've got a friend in New Knoxville, and we were always noticing Ohio always seemed to get whatever weather we got a day or so later.)

The rain changed my plans for the day, yesterday, but I finally got out today and got the onion sets in. So now I've got two boxes in operation. Got a few more seedlings almost ready to go out, but the lettuce and cabbage are going very slowly.

CitizenKate 3/13/2016, 10:16 pm

sanderson wrote:If I lived where the MM froze, I would have to move them into a worm hotel in the garage, then disperse them again in the spring.

That's exactly what I tried to do this past year, since my boxes are (were) lined. No worms were getting into them on their own. They aren't much trouble to overwinter in our garage, and they are doing really well - having LOTS of babies - but I don't really enjoy worm farming, especially when it's time to scoop out the poo and put in fresh bedding. So I'm opening up the bottoms of my boxes, so they can come and go on their own. I just don't know what I'm going to do when the grass starts to show up. thinking

CitizenKate 3/13/2016, 10:27 pm

landarch wrote:Kate, I think I've bought Burpee last year and this spring I bought Jiffy.

They also carry peat pellet kits of various brands...I do these to because it's fast and easy but more expensive.

FYI...I'm from Wamego...if you're there check out their community garden...it's supposed to be thriving.

I will do that, I make it out that way occasionally to visit friends there.

Thanks for the info on the mixes - Menard's now has a full line of Burpee products and Home Depot has the Jiffy. I'll give them a try. I'll even splurge for the peat pellets if it proves to be something I can rely on year after year. Still waiting on the results from the Pro Mix, but the carrots immediately gave it their vote of approval. The peppers are still deciding, and the lettuce is coming up slower than I'm used to seeing. It seems like good stuff - nice smell, nice fine texture... we'll see.

**Scorpio Rising** 3/13/2016, 10:56 pm

CitizenKate wrote:Do you ever make it over to Lima? Menard's has started carrying the Burpee brand of vermiculite, and the price is pretty reasonable.

Sounds like you're getting the rain we had yesterday. (I've got a friend in New Knoxville, and we were always noticing Ohio always seemed to get whatever weather we got a day or so later.)

The rain changed my plans for the day, yesterday, but I finally got out today and got the onion sets in. So now I've got two boxes in operation. Got a few more seedlings almost ready to go out, but the lettuce and cabbage are going very slowly.

Yes! I get to Lima all the time! Good to know, thanks, Kate! We are a day behind you almost exactly....

**Scorpio Rising** 3/14/2016, 9:31 pm

Got some vermiculite, it is fine, but will do. Raining again ...cannot get peas in. They will have to go tomorrow or die.

Other stuff can wait. Drenching pounding rains. Not where you want your seedlings. Sad

**Scorpio Rising** 3/15/2016, 10:49 am

Well, just slogged through standing water, but got 20 sugar snap Super Sugar peas, 2 Dwarf Blue Vates kale, 4 Black Seeded Simpson lettuce, Sparkler, White Icicle and Chinese Red Meat radishes, and 2 squares of spinach Bloomsdale Longstanding in the beds. Didn't water, as MM was damp and rain predicted. Didn't count on the lettuce being so far along. My Ruby Crunch lettuce hasn't even germinated yet.

Peppers are up under lights, some of the bunching onions, and some of the lettuces. Marigolds too tall for under the dome, so moved them out to be free! LOL

It's a start! N & C Midwest: March 2016 - Page 3 3170584802

N & C Midwest: March 2016 - Page 3 3170584802

**trolleydriver** 3/15/2016, 11:40 am

Well done SR. I'm still weeks away from being able to plant anything out.

landarch 3/15/2016, 1:43 pm

I planted a few cole crops in the rain over the weekend...then took off early yesterday to plant more cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, lettuce, sugar peas, lettuce, and spinach. Wind and rain predicted in forecast...along with low temps approaching freezing.

Peppers putting on true leaves. Tomato seedlings germinating nicely in 2-3 days and are under lights.

**Scorpio Rising** 3/15/2016, 5:37 pm

trolleydriver wrote:Well done SR. I'm still weeks away from being able to plant anything out.

Your day will come, TD!

**Scorpio Rising** 3/15/2016, 5:41 pm

landarch wrote:I planted a few cole crops in the rain over the weekend...then took off early yesterday to plant more cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, lettuce, sugar peas, lettuce, and spinach. Wind and rain predicted in forecast...along with low temps approaching freezing.

Peppers putting on true leaves. Tomato seedlings germinating nicely in 2-3 days and are under lights.

Yeah, we are going to get into the upper 20s, but I had to move on them. Will cover and hope for the best.

CitizenKate 3/15/2016, 11:46 pm

Yep, we've got colder weather coming. I just finished (in the dark) a new box cage with a better way to attach various coverings (shade, frost, bugs, etc.), just in time for tonight's lower temps. I'll post a photo when I can get shot of it during the day.

**Scorpio Rising** 3/16/2016, 6:24 pm

Nice, Kate! Perfect timing for sure. That will be nice to have! I brought 22 clear plastic pop bottles to cut the bottoms out of for tomorrow night. Tonight in 40s, should be OK.

landarch 3/16/2016, 10:31 pm

Here's some of my recent work at the community garden...

King Arthur bell peppers about ready to pot up...getting real sun for over a week.
N & C Midwest: March 2016 - Page 3 75549_10

N & C Midwest: March 2016 - Page 3 75549_10

Sugar Ann sugar peas in a soil block...great for getting non-root bound plants.
N & C Midwest: March 2016 - Page 3 14548911

My SFG beds covered with Agribon 19 (over wire hoop loops from Johnny's Seeds...larger condiut hoops go in later to keep cabbage looper away from cole crops.
N & C Midwest: March 2016 - Page 3 19158311

N & C Midwest: March 2016 - Page 3 19158311

Sweet Pea Tower of Power - sweet pea transplants at the base of a 25' long panel trellis. Sugar Ann peas don't really need a trellis but last year I found that they produced much better when on a trellis. This is a modification of SFG for the community garden. Peas are planted on the north side of the trellis...I can still be picking peas while cucumbers and tomatoes get planted on the south side in mid-May.
N & C Midwest: March 2016 - Page 3 10660211

N & C Midwest: March 2016 - Page 3 10660211

CitizenKate 3/17/2016, 12:16 am

Your peppers look fantastic. N & C Midwest: March 2016 - Page 3 3170584802

**Scorpio Rising** 3/17/2016, 7:27 am

They sure do, and pretty ingenius use of a long trellis!

**AtlantaMarie** 3/17/2016, 8:42 am

Wow, Landarch! Looks fantastic!

CapeCoddess 3/17/2016, 2:56 pm

AtlantaMarie wrote:Wow, Landarch! Looks fantastic!

Agree!
Your peppers look so healthy!
I'll be doing the agribon covers tomorrow. We're expecting some cold, possibly nasty, weather over the next few days.
Sad

CC

Sponsored content


	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.