lakngulf
Veteran Member
Larro, your plants look really healthy. What is your secret for starting those good looking plants?
How does your garden grow?
- Thread starter Larro Darro
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Larro Darro
Elite Member
I'm not sure how much it matters, but when I can, I plant and transplant by the moon signs. A good quality, light potting soil does give quicker root growth. I start my seeds in trays in the house, catching the morning sun. I transplant the sprouts into cups when they are a little taller than the cup. Because I have so many trays in the house, I have to put the plants outside as soon as they go in cups. I set them under a tall oak so the midday sun doesn't shine on them right away. Even then I lose a few from too much sun. I don't give them any blue juice {plant food} until they are outside, and then only about 1/3 strength. I always give away many more than I have room to plant in the garden. I need to learn to plant fewer seeds.
I had the first sprouts of Cayenne peppers this morning. Also had a few more sprouts of my Chinese Orange trees. I have two of the trees at my river camp, and some years they make lots fruit. Last year there was only one orange and I planted all the seeds from it. I want to start some here at the house where I can remember to pick the fruit. This tree has an amazing amount of cold resistance.
Larro
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Larro Darro
Elite Member
I did another row of the beefsteak tomatoes today. It was cloudy, but the tomato plants I put out yesterday was still pretty wilted. The peppers were looking good though.
Larro
Larro
Tororider
Veteran Member
TomSeller
Super Member
This reminds me, I have to get my seed pots started. I had a problem with insects eating the sprouts the last few years on the outside starts. I am going to try tanglefoot this year on the legs of the stands.
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Larro Darro
Elite Member
Last night when I got in from work I transplanted three or four trays of sprouts into cups and set them outside. It hit 90F here today, and I wish I had room to keep the young plants inside for a couple of days. There were quite a few of the young ones laying over this afternoon.
We stopped by a local nursery yesterday afternoon. Margie's 1st cousin owns it and in addition to the flowers we bought, I brought home a bunch of black pots. I had been using some of my old ones for the tomatoes, but this will make it easier.
I worked everything in the garden with the stirrup hoe this morning. Even the Iraq cucumbers are coming up. It is finally starting to look like a garden.
Larro
TomSeller
Super Member
I see you have been saving up your drink cups for a while.
KevT
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I just found this thread, and am quite proud of my first garden. My squash and peas have flowers, but no sign of bees. Any suggestions
?
?
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Larro Darro
Elite Member
Most of them come from the Civic Center {where I work}. The customers will go around cleaning off the tables and stack the cups after an event, even if they have hired me to do the cleanup. So if they are easy to get, I'll dump them all in a sink of hot soapy water while I clean up. It's not uncommon to get a couple hundred at a time this way. But if you were to run the numbers on it, it might be cheaper to buy them. I get paid a fee for the cleanups, and I make between $25 and $75 an hour according to how fast it goes, so ten minutes washing cups might cost more than they are worth.
Larro
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Larro Darro
Elite Member
Kev, welcome to the thread. You have a little head start on me, garden wise. I don't see very many regular honey bees up here anymore. I did have a wild bee tree in the yard for years, but they swarmed and left a couple years ago. There is a much smaller bee that comes around, as well as lots of wasp and other stinging critters. Also lots of butterflies. I plant a few flowers in the garden to draw more of them in. But so far I haven't had a problem with not getting enough pollen moved around.
Larro
Larro
