| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Mar 04 2010 : 05:09:02 AM
I started 100 tomato seeds last week and they are comin' up!! Oh my! I have more to get started, too. This is so fun.
I also planted lettuce and spinach in a cold frame last week. They are all coming up already. Yeah!
And I am getting seeds nearly every day in the mail. I will start Early cabbage today that I got from Baker Creek. There's 300 seeds in that pack. Geeze Louise! But they will be sold or eaten. I want to make lots of kraut this year.
I ordered a package deal of all heirloom seeds from www. bulkherbstore.com. I think there are 38 packs of heirloom seed varieties for only $89.95. Not bad. There are herbs and flowers also. I am so excited to get them. And I also ordered heirloom and organic seeds from Johnny's. So I will be at least 95% heirloom this year.
Now if it will only get warm and this nasty cold winter will go away. Then I can get out there and get to work.
Happy planting, Ya'll!
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| 25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Mar 15 2010 : 2:47:13 PM
It's been raining here for days now. And is supposed to keep raining a few more days. I am so tired of rain! And mud. Yuck! I want some nice solid dry ground now. It seems like winter just wants to hang on for all it's worth. And it's cold, too. Boo hoo.
My tomato seedlings are looking great. The stems are getting thicker and they are putting on some new leaves.
The whole tray of 76 cabbage seeds all came up. They are about 4" tall and very leggy. Only 2 leaves at the very top and the stems are very small. They are all laying over. Is this normal? What should I do with them?
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Mar 12 2010 : 7:23:39 PM
Alee, did you get to work out in the garden today? I wanted to ask you what kind of weed fabric you use to be able to reuse it. Mine is always all tore up by the time the season is over. Is yours a thicker kind? Your ideas sound real good. I like the idea of the wooden frame. There are so many nice pretty ideas floating around in y head for a pretty garden. I always do this and never get a thing done. ABout the pretty cute garden that is. It's mostly all work.
I had a call from a big organic CSA about they have a grant to put together a listing of all the gardens and farms within 100 miles of Chattanooga. And it's free to the farmers! I have til the 20th of March. So I need to get busy and get my app. in. That is so exciting!
I won't be able to work in my garden for awhile. We have had rain the past 2 days. It's flooded out there. I might be able to transplant anothe rbed of strawberries, though. And plant some tree seedlings. But that may be it for awhile.
I hope some of you have had nice gardening weather.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| Alee |
Posted - Mar 11 2010 : 5:33:12 PM
Well I ended up wasting most of the day and then this afternoon I decided to spend some of it with Tala. A horse fix is always a good idea! ;)
Anyway I just came inside as the light is fading fast. I haven't spent 4 hours in sunlight in ages! It feels so good!
I got about a quarter of the garden dug over and raked. It sure was nice to turn over the soil and not have it be frozen or too terribly wet! It is almost planting workable! By the time I get the whole thing dug over I will be able to start planting out of doors.
So here is what I am thinking. We will be here for the next three years at least so I am going to get the soil prepared this year and cover it with that black weed fabric. I am then going to do my planting and after the seedlings have come up and started to get established I will cover the weed fabric with mulch.
Each fall I will work the mulch into the soil for the winter and roll up the weed fabric. By the end of the third year the garden should be extremely well established. Too bad I will have to start fresh when we buy a house.
I also might encase the garden with a wooden frame- almost like raised beds. I think it will make it easier to mow around.
What do you think?
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Mar 11 2010 : 10:20:10 AM
Yeah, Candy!!! I love to go check every day at the progress. In the spring that is. After awhile it gets old again. But still fun.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| Candy C. |
Posted - Mar 11 2010 : 08:50:49 AM
All my little seeds I planted on Sunday have sprouted!!
Don't ya' just love watching things grow?! 
Candy C.
Farmgirl Sister #977
Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Mar 11 2010 : 08:06:12 AM
Lucky you, Alee! What a great dream. Sounds like such fun. Does Nora like to help you dig in the dirt? If I dig out there I'll only get mud pies right now. It's been raining since Tuesday night. BUT everything is so green and beautiful out there. So I am ok with it. I know we need it for things to grow. I am willing to wait a abit longer. I hope you have a wonderful day out in your garden, Alee.
My tomatoe plants are about 3" high now! And all the cabbage is looking great, too. So fun. I just hope the tomatoes don't get too tall too fast. Thanks for the advice, Lillian.
Linda, BS are my favorite fresh veggie. I used to hate them til I grew them myself. There is nothing better than fresh BS or brocolli. Love them!
Yep, It's a mess out there. Just sprinkling right now. But a wet mess. Lots of worms lovin' this.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| Alee |
Posted - Mar 11 2010 : 07:31:34 AM
Ladies- I was DREAMING about gardening when I was waking up this morning. And I am so excited that it looks like it will be bright and sun shiny this morning! I am going to hurry up and do some chores inside and then this afternoon we can spend the rest of the day in the clean air and sunshine! I am digging up my garden. I am going to add some horse manure to the soil. It will get to age for another month and a half before I start planting into the soil so I think it will be fine.
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.awarmheart.com
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
| LBP |
Posted - Mar 11 2010 : 05:39:57 AM
I just love the "magic" of planting those tiny seeds and then in a few days seeing them pop up! What a thrill! I have tomatoes, peppers galore, brussel sprouts and some lupine started in my laundry room. Some will be ready to take to the greenhouse this weekend. I love gardening!
Linda |
| Ms.Lilly |
Posted - Mar 09 2010 : 2:58:13 PM
Yes, you can take the top off, but make sure they are still warm enough. Or you can place some popsicle sticks in each corner and prop the lid up a little bit and that will help keep the moisture in. When my tomatos are to the point where all of the lids are off the trays I add a fan to the element. Place it close enough that when on the tomatos will just get a light breeze and it will help build stronger stems. If you can't do that then run your hand across them a couple times a day and this will help.
Lillian |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Mar 09 2010 : 2:49:00 PM
Tina, my hubby likes radishes too, for some reason. Not me. Since he's not around much I don't plant them anymore. They just go to seed. Sounds like you have alot of stuff going already. Good for you.
I have a dumb question now. I grew seeds in my cold frame last year but this year I have them in the little greenhouse typw trays in my dining room on the window seat. The tomatoes are touching the tops now. So do I take the tops off now? I know, should know this. But I don't. I am turning them so they don't all grow one way. They seem to like where they are.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| cajungrammie |
Posted - Mar 08 2010 : 7:07:11 PM
wow you girls are energetic!my garden space is small,but most of my seedlings are up and growing.all my herbs are up.i have peppers,tomatoes,lettuce,radishes(for Hubby)eggplant,cucumbers,squash and a few flowers.can't wait to get them in the ground.we always have a cold snap around easter so i am waiting until then to get them in the ground.
Sometimes I think I know Everything!!Then I wake Up!! |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Mar 08 2010 : 3:01:55 PM
Candy, that's a bif enuf garden. You can get alot of plants in that size space. I think I want to do mine different. It's alot of hard work, but I want to do the raised rows. We did that a few years back and I loved it. But it is hard to do. It gets down to hard ground and the weeds hardly had a chance to poke up out of the ground. Plus heavy mulch helps, too. And I can get much more planted. I hope your plants do well in the sun.
Lillian , I could use some lessons from you! You should have a canning class. I like to barter, too. I'd much rather do that.
I dug up 6 little maple trees in the garden and need to go get them replanted tonight. Rain is heading our way Wed. through the weekend.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| Ms.Lilly |
Posted - Mar 08 2010 : 1:37:33 PM
Yea Kris that is a lot of peppers, but every bit of them will either be frozen or dehydrated for use this winter. I put up over 600 jars of fruits and veggies last season and plan to do the same this year. Most of the peppers are bell peppers, about 60 of them are hot peppers for salsa and making hot pepper powder out of. As far as the tomatos go I will only be putting 60 in my garden 10 are slated for Mom and another 10 for my SIL. Oh yeah the man I bartered with for another light for my tomatos will get a few. Maybe if the chickens are good I will throw them a few ripe ones. Enjoy that warm weather we were 34 and raining here this morning!
Lillian |
| Candy C. |
Posted - Mar 08 2010 : 11:47:17 AM
quote:
Originally posted by kristin sherrill
Well good for you, Candy! It is so fun to see them all coming up. I check every day to see the progress. I guess they like where they are right now, in the front window getting all the morning and afternoon sun. I have a wide window seat that's a perfect "greenhouse" for them. This is the first time I have used the little greenhouse type trays and the top is just full of water drops. The plants are about 1 1/2" so far. I turn them evry few days. I forgot about the tp rolls. I need to start saving them. As much as we go through I should have had enuf now.
I am so glad you got some things started. I can't wait now to get the gardens tilled and get all this in the ground. How big is your garden, Candy?
Kris
Happiness is simple.
My garden really isn't very big, right now it is about 20 x 20 but DH is going to expand it for me for the summer garden to 30 x 20. Since I'm trying to use the square-foot gardening method now I don't need as much room as I did before. Some of the tomato plants will go to one of my friends for her garden and I am going to sell started plants at the Farmers Market too.
I put my little toilet paper pots in cut-off plastic milk jugs and plastic trays from the deli at the grocery store and then put them inside a plastic bag and closed it to create a mini greenhouse effect. I set them in a south window and covered them with a towel to try to hold in some heat but today it is raining (AGAIN!! ), so I'm not sure how warm they are without any sunshine! We should have more sun tomorrow. Once things start sprouting, they are going to go outside during the day to get plenty of sun (luckily, we are warm enough during the day to do that) and then into the cold frame at night. This is all new to me, sure hope it works!  I usually just buy started plants but that is getting way too expensive.
Candy C.
Farmgirl Sister #977
Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Mar 08 2010 : 11:41:49 AM
Wow, that's alot of maters, Lillian. Even cutting back, that's alot. You must like peppers. What kinds do you grow? I want some of the sweet mini bell peppers. I can eat those like candy. But I think they are a hybrid. I tried to start some seeds from one of the peppers. It took over a month for them to sprout but they never did anything.
All the 76 cabbage seeds are up and running! I just planted them last week. I am so hoping all these plants make it. I have never grown cabbage from seeds. It's so exciting to see them sprouting. I'll be able to make lots of kraut this fall, I hope.
I wemt out today and dug up enuf strawberry plants to fill one 8x4 raised bed. I'll do a few more later. It's HOT out there today! I am sunburned and sweaty nasty already and it's not even 3 yet. I am pooped, too. Good grief, I should have been working out all winter. I am not in shape to be doing all this work all at once. I'm too old.
I hope ya'll are having as good a day in your neck of the woods as I am. I think it might rain tomorrow. I should get a place ready for the peas today, too.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| Ms.Lilly |
Posted - Mar 08 2010 : 07:00:54 AM
Kris- I start my tomato plants in February and don't have a problem with the leggey-ness, but the secret to that is making sure they have enough light on them. Which means some sort of flourecent light on them during the evening hours. I usually grow 225+ tomatos and sell them, but this year I have chose to just focus on my own garden. So with that said there are only 85 tomatos started in my greenhouse. Also started are 227 peppers, 48 celery, 148 flowers, and 4 artichokes. The cabbage, spinach, and kale allready have been started and transplanted outside in a raised bed. I just can't wait another few weeks and the rest of the seeds can be started.
AmyGrace- Get those maters started even if you have to use a heating pad and flourecent lamp. You won't be sorry!!
Lillian |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Mar 08 2010 : 05:27:25 AM
Well good for you, Candy! It is so fun to see them all coming up. I check every day to see the progress. I guess they like where they are right now, in the front window getting all the morning and afternoon sun. I have a wide window seat that's a perfect "greenhouse" for them. This is the first time I have used the little greenhouse type trays and the top is just full of water drops. The plants are about 1 1/2" so far. I turn them evry few days. I forgot about the tp rolls. I need to start saving them. As much as we go through I should have had enuf now.
I am so glad you got some things started. I can't wait now to get the gardens tilled and get all this in the ground. How big is your garden, Candy?
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| Candy C. |
Posted - Mar 08 2010 : 05:01:47 AM
Kris,
You inspired me to FINALLY get the tomatoes, peppers and eggplant seeds into little pots this past weekend! I planted 65 pots all together. Can't wait until they start coming up! I used the toilet paper roll idea and made my own little "peat pots!"
Candy C.
Farmgirl Sister #977
Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Mar 06 2010 : 07:59:33 AM
Kelly, isn't it beautiful out there? I am waiting a little longer to go out til it warms up some more. I need to work on my raised beds and make a few more. Then I'll need to go gey more soil to put in them. I've been saving my grain bags to put down in the bottom to keep weeds down. I knew those bags would come in handy.
Everything is so expensive. I was going to get a whole bundle of those 2' wooden stakes and they are $1 each now. And they're wood. And I'll need stakes for my tomatoes, too. This gardening sure costs. But well worth it.
I hope you have a great time in your garden today, Kelly. I am lovin' this nice weather. But Monday here comes the rain. I wanted to plant some peas too. This should be a good time to do that.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| KellyWall |
Posted - Mar 06 2010 : 07:13:01 AM
I am so excited for you Kris!
I mail ordered all of my seeds and they came in. I even snuck a few Lillies in my order! I can't wait to get them in the ground this afternoon!
Kelly #238
May your bobbin always be full... |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Mar 05 2010 : 7:32:10 PM
Kinda sorta, Mary Ann. I sell at farmer's markets. And put up alot, too. I will sell some of the plants also to a few friends that only want maybe 6. But last year my chickens found out how good ripe juicy tomatoes are and ate all they could before we did. I only got maybe the last part of the season. So I will have some this year one way or another. I only have 21 chickens this year so it will be a little easier to handle.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| Annika |
Posted - Mar 05 2010 : 6:09:46 PM
I am so dying to get out and garden ! I've got tons of seeds coming...this is going to be such a good year!
Kris! 100+ 'mater plants...YAY!!! You go sister!
Good garden blessing for everyone!
Annika
Farmgirl & sister #13
Palouse Prairie Girls Chapter
http://palouseprairiegirls.blogspot.com/
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. ~Leonardo DaVinci
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| Mary Ann Newcomer |
Posted - Mar 05 2010 : 5:57:53 PM
Goodness! Kristin, do you have a truck farm? 100 tomato seedlings = 100 potential tomato plants. WOW! I am all smiles over this
Farmgirl w/a city garden, Dirt Diva on the radio. Sister chick #246
www.gardensofthewildwildwestcom |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Mar 05 2010 : 4:58:56 PM
Amy Grace, I am always afriad of the frost, too. It got some things last year. So I should know better. I was looking on the tomato seed pack I got today and it says to start seeds 6-8 weeks prior to last frost. hmmm... And this is March. I may just wait a little longer to start these 4 new packs of tomatoes.
Marly, what are onion tops? I don't think I have heard that before. There is a pack of spicy purple onion seeds in an heirloom collection I just bought. I have never started onions from seeds before. Is it pretty easy to do? I always get the onion sets and just throw them in the ground. I'll see how this works. And you start your okra inside?
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| Bear5 |
Posted - Mar 05 2010 : 4:46:04 PM
Hi Kris:
Our seeds are sprouting also!!!! We have tomatoes, parsley, onion tops (they are tall now), carrots(not up yet), squash, and okra. I can't wait to make fresh salads. Marly
"It's only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth- and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up- that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had." Elisabeth Kurler-Ross |
