Cholyk's First SFG Garden in Toronto

So excited to try gardening! We have a tiny backyard with a miniscule patch that gets decent sun so square foot gardening seemed like a no-brainer.  Last year we splurged on artificial grass so I decided to build an elevated 3x5 box with a trellis.  Our neighbour also put a bird feeder right on the other side of the fence so the squirrels use the fence like a highway with a birdfeeder rest-stop. I'm convinced they're going to decide our garden is a buffet so I'm also working on chicken wire cage that will cover the trellis as well. Can't wait to seed our first plants April 3!

Welcome cholyk!

That's a nice bit of craftsmanship you got going! I'm just going to pretend I'm not envious

Is your box stationed against a north wall, then?

markqz wrote:Welcome cholyk!

That's a nice bit of craftsmanship you got going! I'm just going to pretend I'm not envious

Is your box stationed against a north wall, then?

Thanks! And yes, the fence is on the north side. The west side has a stand of trees between us and the neighbourhood soccer field so we get quite a bit of shade but a decent amount of midday sun (I think?)

Beautiful bed!

cholyk wrote:The west side has a stand of trees between us and the neighbourhood soccer field so we get quite a bit of shade but a decent amount of midday sun (I think?)

It should get some midday sun, and of course you'll have those nice 15 hour days.

I can't say whether it actually helped, but what I did with my north-wall garden was to paint the wall behind it white to reflect more light. This year I'm thinking of covering it with aluminum foil. Like you I have trees on the west (north west) so my hours of direct sunlight are a bit truncated. Or is that  trunk-ated ?

Hi Cholyk.  Welcome from Atlanta, GA!  That IS a beautiful bed....  :-)

AtlantaMarie wrote:Hi Cholyk.  Welcome from Atlanta, GA!  That IS a beautiful bed....  :-)

Thanks AtlantaMarie! I wish we had more space and sunlight to make it bigger. I’ve add a cage and raised the trellis on Sanderson’s advice. And I’ve added my Mel’s Mix. Now I just need the plants!

When everyone recommends you start small, there's a reason, lol!  It's very easy to get overwhelmed....  I think you have a great size to start with!

LOL, I know. I'm restraining myself. I realized yesterday that our barbeque actually gets sunlight most of the day. My husband is giving me the evil eye but I think there will be a second 3x5ft garden where the bbq is next year!

Hey Cholyk, time to change the headline in this thread and make it your own. That empty line above is waiting for your new title so that people do not forget who you are.

If you do not want to, I will not be worried as it is your choice.

And it is beautiful box, I wish it were mine. 

Cholyk, I customized the name of your thread.

Thanks Sanderson, you have more authority then I.  (or is it me?) English was never my strong point at school.

Thanks guys, I think I've got it!

Kelejan wrote:Thanks Sanderson, you have more authority then I.  (or is it me?) English was never my strong point at school.

I have to really think some things through. You have more than me. Or, you have more than I do.

Holy cow, that's satisfying! 7 days and our first precocious pea has poked it' little head out! We've had unseasonably warm weather and I covered the box in plastic to try to warm the soil. I guess it worked!

Cholyk,

Seeing your photo, I have to ask about the ingredients in your Mel's Mix.

From the picture, I see large-ish chunks of what appears to be compost material, as well as uncomposted wood materials.  Which composts did you use?

I bought a compost called Duck Dirt from a local company. They said it was "young" compost and they weren't ready to sell for another month but said if I mixed it with other compost, it should be fine since I wanted to start planting right away.  I think that's where the bigger chunks came from.  I also used mushroom compost, "Premium" compost, and worm castings in equal proportions. It is an extreme closeup but yes, there are some bigger not fully composted bits in there.

Hi Cholyk:  Welcome to our world, little pea shoot, and may there be many more to keep you company.

Hello!
It's been 14 days and 5 of 9 peas have made an appearance. Do you think I should plant a couple more just in case, or should I just wait longer to see what happens?

The weather was really warm and sunny the first week but then turned cooler and rainy. The ones that came out early are going gang busters but the two that came out later remain small and 4 peas haven't broken the surface at all. I planted 9 thinking I'd pull the smallest if they didn't all make it. I know I'm aiming for 8 when all is said and done.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Patience is a virtue, but one not held by most gardeners....

cholyk wrote:Hello!
It's been 14 days and 5 of 9 peas have made an appearance. Do you think I should plant a couple more just in case, or should I just wait longer to see what happens?

The weather was really warm and sunny the first week but then turned cooler and rainy.

I experience this all the time even though I live in a warmer place than you. Plants grow like crazy for a week, but then clouds will roll in, the temperatures drop, and stuff just stalls. Low temperatures for me means 60F, but that's still low enough to impair growth when accompanied by lack of sunlight.

Seeds generally want temperatures between 75F and 85F for germinating. So if your soil temps drop below that, the plants won't pop. Lately I've been using a heatpad on my germinating plants, to increase the probability of success. But it only raises temps 10F above ambient, so if temps drop to 60F, that's still not good enough. Although peas can germinate as low as 40F, I think you'll find the rate of germination is pretty low at the low end.

If it was me in your location, I would consider starting my plants indoors to guarantee germination -- I imagine you have some warm area above the water heater or near the furnace that is always warm. There's a whole section in "the book" about starting plants in vermiculite you might want to check out.

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cholyk wrote:Hello!
It's been 14 days and 5 of 9 peas have made an appearance. Do you think I should plant a couple more just in case, or should I just wait longer to see what happens?

The weather was really warm and sunny the first week but then turned cooler and rainy. The ones that came out early are going gang busters but the two that came out later remain small and 4 peas haven't broken the surface at all. I planted 9 thinking I'd pull the smallest if they didn't all make it. I know I'm aiming for 8 when all is said and done.

Any advice would be appreciated.

What I do with my peas is I sprout them indoors using a plain old glass jar with a lid on it. I soak the seeds first overnight or until they look properly swelled up, then rinse and drain the water out leaving the peas just sitting in their own residual moisture. Rinse and repeat at least twice daily. In no time you'll see the peas sprouting. Put some in your salad if too many sprouted and plant the rest when they've got a good root going. That speeds things up nicely. HTH!

My first pea began to sprout 15 days after planting.  As of yesterday, I had 24 of 64.  They were pre-soaked.  Sunday will make it 3 weeks.  I'm giving it time.

I do the same as Mollyhespra.  I presprout them because I plant them in cold weather and they will germinate better inside and after germination I plant them outside.

Hi all,
Things have been going along pretty well with just a few head scratchers (I’m pretty sure my lettuce should be way bigger by now).

Anyway, we went from 30C to 3C in three days and had about 8mm of rain yesterday. Now several of my little bean seedlings have wilted/curled leaves and both my cucumber plants leaves are wilted. And my jalapeño looks droopy and sad. 

1. Do you think it was the cold? 
2. Should I have covered them last night? The weather network promised no frost! 
3. Do you think they are too wet? The soil does not seem waterlogged and I have a good Mel’s mix?
4. Will they bounce back?
5. Is there anything I should have done/should do next time?