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Post by Baz Faz on Mar 12, 2023 19:16:21 GMT 2
Every single broad bean has germinated.
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Post by tzarine on Mar 12, 2023 23:48:35 GMT 2
my mini greens are sprouting nicely im pretty good @ windowsill gardening
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Post by auntieannie on Mar 13, 2023 9:41:13 GMT 2
That a good thing, Baz?
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Post by sophie on Mar 16, 2023 5:05:49 GMT 2
We started another batch of lettuce today as well as tomatoes and squash.
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Post by Baz Faz on Mar 23, 2023 18:29:47 GMT 2
Red lettuce seeds have germinated.
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Post by Baz Faz on Mar 25, 2023 13:27:58 GMT 2
The tomato seeds are germinating. The cherry tomatoes are still sulking underground but the Mountain Magic are coming up. MM are virus resistant which is important here. Down at the allotment everyone's tomatoes were wiped out by the virus a couple of years ago. But not the Mountain Magic.
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Post by sophie on Mar 25, 2023 16:49:57 GMT 2
Some of ours have germinated as have zucchini and three types of squash. Also some of the flowers.
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Post by Baz Faz on Mar 30, 2023 10:44:20 GMT 2
Parsley seeds have to go seven times to the devil before they germinate. I am pleased to report the first parsley has completed its travels and is now showing in the pot.
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Post by Baz Faz on Mar 30, 2023 12:14:40 GMT 2
Since breakfast a second parsley has appeared.
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Post by Baz Faz on Mar 31, 2023 17:26:04 GMT 2
Radishes are up in the allotment. And the first two asparagus spears are poking their noses above ground. This is the first year we'll get an asparagus crop after planting the crowns a couple of years ago.
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Post by auntieannie on Mar 31, 2023 19:22:41 GMT 2
oh, asparagi?! did you plant them in sandy soil?
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Post by Baz Faz on Mar 31, 2023 22:56:37 GMT 2
The soil is not particularly sandy but other allotmenteers do well with asparagus. I dug in compost and manure before planting the crowns and the bed has been covered this winter with mushroom compost.
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Post by Voy on Apr 1, 2023 15:29:41 GMT 2
at the farm my asparagus flourished in what had started as very clayey soil... as Baz says I added lots of rotten manure to start.
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Post by Baz Faz on Apr 1, 2023 18:34:36 GMT 2
When I lived in the Dordogne it wasn't worth growing asparagus. I went to the asparagus farm in the valley and asked for half a kilo. How many are you? Two. He was of the opinion that 4 fat spears each was right - about 750 grams. Then he told me to pick up a cardboard box and he loaded it with 2 or 3 kilos more. He said he wouldn't be able to sell them because they had a green tip or had a slight kink. No charge.
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Post by Scrubb on Apr 3, 2023 7:12:11 GMT 2
Because I have plans to be away a lot in summer and fall, I gave up my community garden plot last month.
But then my friend told me he would babysit it for me, so I didn't have to give it up (and will have it next year when I'm around more).
So I asked - and luckily, someone on the waiting list for a plot changed their mind so I got hers!
I'll plant a couple of early fruiting tomatoes, that I will be able to enjoy before I go away, and otherwise things that my friend wants, and that are easy to care for. Maybe some kale, as it's early ready too.
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Post by Baz Faz on Apr 3, 2023 18:45:53 GMT 2
This afternoon I sowed spinach and more chillis (failure with the first sowing) and red orach. I know nothing abour orach except it grows a metre tall, young leaves can be used as a salad and mature leaves can be cooked like spinach. I like to try something new.
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Post by Baz Faz on Apr 21, 2023 18:04:35 GMT 2
This afternoon I cut our first asparagus. That's not much. But a fellow allotmenteer gave me another dozen spears. So that's tonight's starter.
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Post by Baz Faz on Apr 24, 2023 10:52:02 GMT 2
This spring has been cold. Seeds are not germinating. When the seedlings do appear (and germination has been poor) they are not growing.
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Post by Baz Faz on May 1, 2023 18:43:54 GMT 2
Mrs Faz harvested a dozen spears of asparagus.
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Post by Baz Faz on May 2, 2023 18:21:47 GMT 2
We pruned the fig tree today. This meant cutting out every single growing tip. This forces the sap to go into swelling the fruit and not into leaf growth (this will start in about 3 weeks). In hot climates this is not necessary but I think it is here.
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Post by Scrubb on May 9, 2023 5:31:34 GMT 2
Went to the nursery today! I now have LOTS of hot pepper plants - 4 giant jalapeno, 4 normal jalapeno, 1 scotch bonnet, and 2 habanero. Last year I brought them all inside at the end of the summer, in pots, and they did very well after that. And I found all kinds of things to do with them.
Of course, I just realized that as my friend is looking after the garden for me this late summer/fall, now he's going to have to deal with them. He's welcome to have all he wants of the peppers, but he has a weird thing in his mouth that doesn't allow him to eat spicy things anymore. :-(
Also have pea seeds and kale seeds, and am planning to find arugula seeds. The rest of the plot will be filled with tomatoes.
Also got several herbs - I always grow mint, basil, and parsley in pots in my back yard, and a couple/few other herbs too. This year I got oregano and thyme. Also sage and chives, but I will plant them in the community plot of the community garden.
And flowers! I have portulaca, zinnias, and dahlias. Not sure where I'm planting them all yet but think I might put the zinnias in my garden plot. They grew well there a few years ago and if I line the outside edge of the plot, instead of tomato plants like I usually do, it may dissuade passersby from stealing tomatoes.
also got a catnip plant, which I am going to try to grow a fair bit before I let my cats near it, as they destroyed the last one I got in a few hours by rolling on it. It was worth the $3.49 to see them ecstatically crush it to death, but I'd like to stretch it out a bit this time :-)
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Post by Baz Faz on May 10, 2023 11:11:15 GMT 2
We were going to put in tomato plants yesterday but there was a cold wind so we'll wait a few days. We must get them in the ground before we go away at the end of next week. Also the climbing beans. And the courgettes. And the sweetcorn.
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Post by sophie on May 10, 2023 16:03:21 GMT 2
Heat wave coming.. tomatoes are planted as is everything but basil and a few flowers which were too small. I’ll try and plant the stragglers in the next few days. Lawn seed is starting to sprout.. soon green fuzz will be all over.
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Post by Scrubb on May 11, 2023 7:41:20 GMT 2
Picked up some arugula seeds today. Got catnip seeds, too! Also some wildflowers which I seeded in front of the house in our little patch that is usually full of weeds. (I worked the soil first and pulled out all the weeds and their roots from the top, plus added a bunch of compost.)
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Post by Scrubb on May 14, 2023 7:04:26 GMT 2
Today was hard work! I planted a bunch of flowers in our back yard - that wasn't so hard. In the front where we have a disastrous area that fills up with weeds and is totally out of control, I dug up the top layer and worked all the weeds and their roots out, then added a lot of compost to the area and worked it in a bit. then planted a bunch of flowers. Then I prepared a bunch of pots and planted my herbs in them. And finally, I used the garden fork on the dead patch in the lawn in the back yard to aerate it a bit, then put some compost on top, forked it some more, sprinkled white clover seed all over the compost, raked it, then sprinkled a little more compost on top.
It was about 25C and very sunny - I was exhausted by the time I finished everything! Lots of compost shoveling and digging.
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Post by Voy on May 14, 2023 14:02:54 GMT 2
You're a braver man than I ,Gunga Din ! We had frost again last night - the transplanted hostas look ok, but I'm glad I didn't do any flowers -
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Post by sophie on May 14, 2023 16:45:43 GMT 2
That was a lot of work, Scrubb! I’m lucky because at the moment there isn’t too much to do in the garden.. mostly watering the grass seed and watch it turn into green fuzz is rather gratifying!
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Post by Scrubb on May 18, 2023 1:43:19 GMT 2
I'd like to start putting some seeds in my garden plot (peas, anyway) but the air is so smoky here that it's recommended to stay inside :-(
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Post by Scrubb on May 20, 2023 5:10:27 GMT 2
Planted my vegetable garden plot today! It feels risky putting it in before the long weekend, but the forecast is good so I took a chance and even put in my tomatoes!
9 varieties of heirloom tomatoes, and 4 kinds of hot peppers (jalapeno, giant jalapeno, scotch bonnet, and habanero). Also seeded kale, arugula, and peas.
I'm tired out now...
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Post by sophie on May 20, 2023 5:15:26 GMT 2
My husband is loving his greenhouse. Not only has he started all his own tomatoes this year but he has planted veggies inside the greenhouse which will give him cukes or tomatoes much earlier.. he thinks one cucumber might be ready early June.
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