Let the Battle Begin!

It's funny how memory works.  You would think that something that wasn't exactly a fond memory would assert itself and kick you in the butt...yelling at you "Hey Turkey...you wanna do THIS again???"
I guess that I, at least, have selective memory. I kinda forget all the bad stuff!
Last week, I remembered I had a bunch of summer bulbs that really needed to get in bed.  So, I headed to the cellar for the bin of Acidanthera (Peacock Orchid) that I had dug last fall.  One of the chores I had listed for myself back then was to cut off the foliage of all those bulbs when they dried.  Hmm...how did this get past me?  Oh well, I said "I guess now is as good a time as any".  I cut the foliage off and tossed the bulbs back into the bin.  In 5 or 6 minutes I was done.  I grabbed a trowel and headed out the back door, bin in hand.  "Hmm...lessee...where am I gonna stick all of these?"  I walked about a bit...trying to find a nice spot.  Now you have to understand that I yell at my kids all the time - telling them that they think TOO much!  Uhh....ya think they got it from ME?  Naah...that can't be.  Well maybe...oh ok yeah I'm to blame!  I can come up with eleven teen excuses why this shouldn't be planted here.  This is how I run out of time.  Anyway, I did end up putting a couple dozen of the babies in bed.   Yay!  When I covered them and firmed the soil, I watered them a bit and rolled up the hose.  I heard my recliner calling me at that point and decided I was done for the day.  Now, here's where the memory thing came into play.  The next day when I got home, I did my usual walk around.  "HEY!  What the $%#@?  The area opposite the back door garden, where I had planted some caladiums was all dug up....
Well, what I had forgotten about was the fact that I have a family of weird reverse colored skunks living somewhere very close to my backyard.  That and the fact that they are the laziest skunks I've run across.  NOT literally run across you understand.  Even I know that can't have a good result.  Unless your sense of smell has been burnt out of you. Perhaps by running over a skunk.  Anyway, they are lazy because they won't help ME out at all by digging somewhere I'd love to have pre-dug for me.  NOooo, all THEY do is dig where I made it easy for THEM.  Like where I planted seeds, or some bulbs!  Grr!.  And I wondered why I never got a single pumpkin for Antman last year!
Ok, well I"m off to the army/navy store to see what kind of anti skunk firepower they might have that isn't on back-order. 
Have a wonderful play date with your favorite dirt!

Transplant time is here!

Ok, are you ready?  Gather your materials:  bag of soil-less mix, cups, drill (or other device) to make holes in cups, plastic bin for the mix, small trowel, water, and bins to hold the cups later (optional).

First thing is to put a small diameter drill bit into your drill.  Grab a stack of cups, say 10 or so and flip them over so they are bottom side up on a clean surface.  Now make 3 holes through all of the cups in the stack.  If you don't have a drill, then you might punch the holes with a nail or other pointy thing.  Just be careful not to put a hole in YOU!!

Repeat until all the cups have 3 holes.  The holes will be for drainage, or preferably if you use the bins, then they will soak UP water.  I prefer to bottom water and let the plant take what it needs.  So the picture shows how it looks.  It's not necessary to make them perfectly spaced.

Now, one by one, we will take a cup and add about an inch of mix in the bottom.  This is necessary so that the roots that will be displaced won't be sitting on plastic.

Now we will select our first seedling from the trays.  I work on ONE variety at a time so as to insure I don't mix them up.  Using a 'sharpie' marker, mark the cup with the variety.  Lift the tray so you can get at the underside.  Grab one of the cells and kind of squeeze it gently, in both directions, as in the picture on the left.  If the roots are sticking out as shown on the right, then gather them together directly under the hole and, inserting your finger, push up on the soil while GENTLY pulling the plant with your other hand.  You may have to repeat that a couple of times to get it to co-operate.

Before you place the seedling in the cup, try and pull apart the rootball a bit because if you leave it the roots will tend to just circle around as they have been.  I liken untangling the roots to untanglind a gold necklace.  Gently.  Don't worry if you break a couple of roots, but minmize breakage.  Now set the seedling on top of the bit of mix you put in the cup.  Holding the plant in the center with your fingers, trowel some mix into the cup until you are almost up to the first leaves.  If you look closely at the stem, you will see a bunch of 'hairs'.  These will become roots if you bury the stem.  With your thumb and forefingernails, 'pinch' off the first leaves.  Add more mix until you almost fill the cup. 

Repeat for the rest of your little ones.  When all have been inserted into their cups, arrange the cups into a plastic bin (or just line them up).  GENTLY add a small amount of water to the top of the cup to settle the mix around the roots.  You may continue to water this way, but I prefer to add water to a binfull of cups.  After a half hour, there should be no more water in the bin.  After a few tries you will know how much water to add to the bin.  Keep the bin in the same light situation you have been.  If you are going to bring the babies OUTSIDE....please remember that they can and WILL sunburn like we do.  They haven't experienced raw sun, so if you do bring them out, don't let them have full sun for more than 15 minutes the first time.  Extend the time each time they are out, and after they have seen full sun for an hour they should be ready for full sun anytime.  Keep the mix MOIST...not soggy.  They will be in the cups for the next 2 weeks at least here in zone 6 Connecticut.

Transplanting outside will not be until May 15th (our average last  frost date).  Come back then for more info.  In the mean time, there will be more postings and of course we'd love to answer any of your questions! 

Until next time, Happy Gardening!! 

Update...

Easter weekend went nicely....with the dire predictions of my two daughters...not being able to help with the pierogi NOT coming true...they both were here enough that we kicked butt and got 15 dozen done!  (anyone that wants my recipe...or more info...please  just ask!)
Well, from last post, I'm sure you are all ready to begin the transplant process.  That's good...but we will wait for the weekend.  Well, one thing is for sure...I really NEED to get my camera fixed!  I feel really badly that I can't show you  pics of what I am talking about.  You know that thing about one pic is worth...well...it is SO true! 
Anyway, until then, I just thought I'd give a yard tour!  The Peony's are growing really well.  I have a 3 legged hoop support over them and they are about to pass through the hoop (with a bit of help when needed!).  Strawberry escapees are running rampant and barring any wierd weather....I should end up with about 15 pounds of berries.  (Yummm!  Ice cream, shortcake....strawberry ANYTHING!)  The crocus flowers have vanished leaving only their grassy looking leaves as evidence of their visit.  In fact all of the little bulb flowers have gone.  The tulips opened the other day, just as we were due for some bad storms.  Fortunately, the weather prognosticators were, dare I say it?  WRONG again.  I was impressed this year with the show of hyacinth.  Normally, the ones you see in my gardens are the transplants of the Easter gifts.  Last  year though I bought a bag of bulbs and the yard smelled wonderfully the other day when the wind was still.  The side garden's hostas, astilbes, ferns and bleeding hearts have all accepted this years invitation to return to the party. 
Well, I'm  off to get the rest of the supplies ready for Saturday and tomato transplanting.  Join me then.

Transplant time soon!

Transplanting your seedlings should wait until they have at least 2 sets of true leaves.  At LEAST.  If they  already have them, it won't hurt to wait a bit.  Just to make sure you are ready for this step, you will need one container for each seedling you have.  I use 'party' cups with holes drilled in the bottoms, but there is no rule as long as there are holes to let the excess water run out and the water you are providing a way in.  The other thing you will definitely need is some soil-less mix.  Optionally, plastic bins to hold your containers. 
Next time we will transplant our seedlings.

Change in the Weather

Hi everyone!  It's been a typical New England April....not enough sunshine to charge a flashlight battery, nowhere near enough to make my mood come up above water.
It's been just a same old, same old situation.  Come home from work and hit the recliner and take a nap.  Well of course this is a short week with Good Friday day after tomorrow.  So, when I got home today, in that bleary cloudy day mood...and the sun came out, lo and behold I hit the back yard with rake in hand instead of the chair!
I actually tired myself out 2 or 3 times and had to sit on one of the rocks in the backyard to rest up.
Speaking of rocks, my daughter called on Sunday past to tell me that she and my grandson were coming to visit.  "Good for me", I thought.  Hmm....let me tell you a bit about Anthony (we call him Antman).  He is just 5 and 1/2....with a vocabulary that would make an 8th grader hide his head in shame.  Anyway, as per usual, he said "Grandpa, can we go for a walk?"  I said "Sure, where are we going today?"  Expecting to hear 'The Grand Canyon" (which for some reason, to him,  is a large ELEVATED rock and not a canyon at all), I was surprised when he suggested something different.  In case you didn't pick up on this elsewhere, Kat and I live in a condo.  In typical New England fashion, whenever you dig in the dirt here, you end up with a boulder every twenty-'leven feet.  So, when they built the place, it was easier to just use the boulders as decorations than to actually take them somewhere else.  Given that information, you can well imagine that each building group is kind of ANNOUNCED by a dratted BIG rock!  Anyway, we walked a new way (to him anyway) and he saw this BIG boulder and just got all excited!  He had to climb it, of course.  This one was so big and tall that I had to help him by providing a foothold.  When he got to the top and I joined him, I noticed that one of the birdhouses that our maintenance guys made was hanging in a big oak just next to us.  "Antman, look..see there is a sparrow sitting right in front of that birdhouse.  Let's see if he goes in.  He immediately started to 'shush' me everytime I tried to say something.  In a minute daddy bird flew off....but I kept looking and pointed out that mommy bird was INSIDE the house looking out. In a minute, mommy bird flew off too and as nothing else happened in a minute, his attention was drawn elsewhere.  There was a natural cup shape in the rock and it was full of water.  In this tiny pool floated an acorn cap.  The breeze was blowing it back and forth.  As I am wont to do, I use the situation to try to make him think.  I asked him if we had a piece of metal shaped like the acorn cap, whether it would float or not.  He wasn't at all sure, so I suggested we go back home and do an experiment. This we did and we floated lots of different things until it was time for him to go home with mom.
Well, my little buddy will be here a lot this weekend. Jenn (His mom) is my 'volunteer' to help me make the pierogi this year.  Good Friday and making pierogi was a tradition with MY mom and me until she passed on.  Now the kids help and it takes ALL day.  Saturday, all the kids and Ant will be here to dye eggs. (And make a mess...we NEVER get through the process without at least ONE of the dye cups being spilled!)
Sunday of course is Easter and I 'll be cooking as usual.   Monday I will go back to work to get a REST!
Happy Easter to all!  May the Lord's blessing shine on you!  Don't eat too......LITTLE!

Peas and other hodge podge

Last time I suggested I might be talkin' about support ideas for them there peas!  What I usually do with peas and beans and the like, is to set up a "teepee" of 1 x 1's wrapped with jute twine.  It's not a big deal how you do it.  What you NEED to do is supply the vines with something to grab onto.  Set 3 pieces of 8 foot long 1 x 1's outside the pan....tie them together at the top with jute...and then working down, a foot or so at a time, wrap the jute in a continuous piece...around each upright as you work downward.  Tie it off about a foot above the mix.  Help the trailers (the vine tendrils) find support if they need it.  Keep monitoring the situation and help as needed!  If you like, you can also mount a plywood circle on a bamboo stake and run strings of jute to the pan (you may drill the pan to attach them....use your imagination!.  No hard and fast rules here....just give the pea vines something to hold onto.

It's about time to plant summer bulbs.  The soil should be about the right temp now.   So, the gladiolus, the acidanthera (peacock orchids) and others can be set now.

Too early for the green or yellow beans yet.   They hate cold...and if you plant them...they will either sulk until it's warm enough for their liking...or they will rot...and give you nothing. So it is my opinion that you wait till the soil is warm.

If you grow cukes in hanging baskets, go ahead and do at least one basket (3 seeds to a 12 inch basket) and leave it in the house till they sprout.  Hang the baskets outside before you leave for work on days when there is no danger of frost.

Peas? Please!

I NEVER understand it when someone tells me that they HATE peas.  It's like someone telling me that SUGAR is something they would never put in their mouth.  Well, as I always say, it's what you grow up with.  If peas came in a can for them....well maybe I get it.  Uhh...mushie mess! (and I feel that way about 95% of CANNED veggies!  But if they EVER ate them frozen or better yet fresh...or even better yet....picked, shelled, and consumed right there in the garden....I KNOW I wouldn't ever hear that!  PEAS are amazin' little green balls of sugar!  How could you not like them?  Ah well, I guess I can't convince EVERYONE....but give me the benefit of the doubt.  For less than $2 you can buy a package of seeds.  Mine were set today, in one of those half barrel plastic pans (designed to sit atop a half barrel so you don't have to fill the whole thing.) My pans just sit on the ground.  I had one in under a butterfly bush that I hadn't used in a while (the PAN, not the bush silly!), because a few of those 'escapee' plants I talked about were in residence.  I transplanted the 3 strawberry plants that had taken up residence, added a bit more container mix and planted a couple dozen seeds around the perimeter of the pan.  The ones I planted were a snap pea (means you don't have to get the peas OUT of the pod...you just eat the pod and all!) that need support. We'll talk about support for the vines next time.  If you plant in the ground.....make a row....in the east to west direction....and plant in the ground as per instructions on the packet.  Dig that area at least 12 inches deep first, removing all rocks.  Rake smooth and then lay your seed on the soil surface.  Push into the soil with your finger, cover the holes with more soil and press down gently.  If the soil was dry, give the area a drink.

Tomatoes continued...

Just a quick update on the tomatoes that you started.  Most if not all of the seeds that you planted should have sprouted by now.  Mine are MOSTLY up....there are always a few that like to 'sleep in'.  Anyway, I took the covers off as SOON as I saw the first ones popping through.  My two, 72 cell trays are still sitting on my dining room floor (they get morning sun..and up to about 2 pm).  The trays are sitting with the narrow end facing the sliding glass doors...and I've been turning them 180 degrees each day so keep them from a permanent bend in the stem.  Now is the time you want to make a decision on the light issue.  If the plants are getting 'leggy'....long stems between the mix and the leaves....then you may want to consider that 'shop light' I described in a previous post.   At around $10....it's not  a bad outlay and you should get at least 2 years out of it.    I have shelves in my basement with 5 shoplights.  A couple years ago I had a flood down there about planting time, I so had the trays on the dining room floor.  When I saw that the sunlight just wasn't cutting it, I brought up one of the light fixtures. and hung it from a wall shelf that I have in the dining room.  Point being if you need to supplement the light....it's not too hard to come up with a jury rig.  Like hang the light's chain from a dowel set across 2 chairs.  The trick is to get the light bulb to within 2 inches of the top of the plants.  Then it is simply a matter of adjusting the chain to maintain that distance as the plants grow. You may also want to consider a cheapie timer....so you don't have to worry about forgetting to turn the light on or off.  Nothing else to do at this point except making sure they don't dry out.  I'm using a spray bottle to mist the plants and soil once in the morning and once in the afternoon.  Before next time.....look for a cheap source for 'Party' cups.  Buy enough cups to acomodate the number of plants you have.  Also, while you are buying stuff, a bag of potting mix will come handy when it's time to move your babies to their second home before moving into the world.  I'm using Miracle Grow potting mix at present, but as always whatever works for you is ok.  Obviously, the biggest bag available is usually the best buy.  (HINT:  Before you hit the stores.....google 'coupon codes' and then look for a coupon for the store or the brand you will be shopping at or for.  The manufacturer's site is also a good place to look for coupons.  And of course this also applies to ANYTHING you are buying.  Ok....do your homework.....and don't forget...you may ask any question you need an answer to.  Till next time....play in the dirt!

Seed Starting 101

Well, what we'll do first is mix some of our starting mix with water.  I use a small rectangular plastic storage bin to do this.  I usually make more than I think I will need.  Generally, you probably don't want to fill it more than about half full of dry soilless mix.  Then I sprinkle the mix with water and mix it with a trowel.  Add more water and mix, repeating the process until the mix is moist but not sopping. 
Now, we need to fill the trays.  I usually put the tray on a sheet of plastic so I can reuse the mix that I spill as I fill the cells.  Using a plastic party cup, scoop  the mix onto the trays.  I use a plastic ruler to spread the mix over the entire surface of the tray.  You really don't want to press the mix down into the cells, but kinda of let it fall in.  Repeat the process until all the cells are full to the top.  Move the tray to the water pan now.
The next step is actually placing the seeds.  Open ONE of your packets and pour the seeds onto a clean paper plate.  I use a tooth pick moistened in water to pick up seeds one at a time.  Pick up a seed by laying the flat of the toothpick on a seed.  It will stick.  Place it on top of the mix in the center of the cell.  Work down each column and across each row until you are out of seed.  Don't forget to mark that section of the tray with the date and variety.  Repeat the process with the other varieties.  When all the seeds are placed, one per cell, take your toothpick and gently poke the seed a quarter inch down into the mix.  When all are poked in, take a bit more mix and cover each seed.  GENTLY, just touch the surface to firm it, without really pressing down.  Cut the clear cover on the tray.  Continue with any additional trays. 
Keep your trays in a warm location, and check daily to make sure the mix isn't drying out.  When watering your trays, add water to the water pan and not to the surface of the mix.  No more than 1/2 inch of water should be in the pan at any specific time.  Keep watching and after a week you should see the baby tomato plants Poking up.  As SOON as you see the first one, remove the clear top and get them into the brightest light you can.  Preferably, under a 4 foot fluorescent shop light.  (These are available for $10 or so at the local big box hardware store).  If you use the shop light hang it so you can adjust the height.  Keep the bulbs about 2 inches above the top of the plants an raise it as they grow.
That's it for now.  Don't forget to keep an eye on them.  Don't let them dry out and don't let them sit in water.  Remember that they will use more water as they get bigger. 
Feel free to ask any questions.  I'd love to read any comments you might like to pass along.

Making Babies!

We'll be actually starting our seeds today.  Hopefully, you've all got the needed materials together that we talked about last time.  We'll get to that in a bit.
Hope you all had a good week.  My weather has been up and down this past few days, with a nasty cold rain on Wednesday to a decent spring day Thursday to an actually too warm day on Friday.  I spent a little while walking in the wooded area near where I work and saw the normal telltales of Spring:  The skunk cabbage was poking up as expected, and the grass in the sunniest areas was actually looking like it was trying to lengthen itself.  Could be just wishful thinking. In my backyard, the crocus are all up and flowering their best and the daffs, tulips, and hyacinths are getting ready to shoot up flower stalks. This morning as I tried to convince myself it would be a better thing to be upright, rather than curled up in the water bed, I realized I was hearing something I hadn't heard in a while.  The chatter of my State Bird, The Robin!  I haven't seen one as yet, but now that I realized what I had heard, I remembered hearing one a few days ago too.  That is a good thing. 
I finally got myself up and headed down for my coffee.  Of course, I looked out back to see what was stirring.  The cat that the neighborhood adopted last summer was at my door looking for his handout.  I slid the door open a bit and poured a handful of catfood onto his plate.  He thanked me with a meow and went straight to work on it.  As I stood to close the door, I glanced over to the forsythia bush on the corner of the yard.  Usually, this houses a couple dozen sparrows of various types.  This morning was no different, except maybe the noise was a bit louder than it has been.  Well, it IS mating season, after all. 
Anyway, the thing that caught my eye, was a male cardinal.  "OhOh", I thought....then realized Kathy had left for work.  She seems not to be fond of them and tells them to "GO HOME" whenever she sees one.  Must be an association with snow.  Speaking of which, I noticed the snow shovel is still by the door.  She doesn't want to tempt mother nature by putting it away.
I checked the feeders before I shut the door, and made a mental note to fix the one by the back door.  One section of the feeder has screen instead of plastic, and one of the local squirrels has figured out that if he puts a claw into in and pulls, he doesn't have to work so hard for breakfast. 
So, I am off to find mine...then we can get to work.

Fed up to here:

Saturday (about 14 days ago).

The day started out as one of those BIG TEASE of SPRING days! The sun was bright and my wireless thermometer was nudging the 50 degree mark. I was out the door early that morning, deciding I did not have time to change out of my pajammas to impress the neighbors. I loaded the bird feeders on the way out. Mug of coffee in hand, I was inspecting here, there, and everywhere looking for evidence of GREEN! ANYTHING? Anything at ALL? Green would be a salve to my being! There were snow piles in my brain and in most of the gardens, though the lawn was mostly bare. A few white piles in the shadows of the picnic table, grill, and shrubs that make up my "yard". I grabbed a rake and halfheartedly raked at some of the snow piles...giving them a gentle nudge to GO AWAY a bit more quickly (with the implied threat that if they didn't go away, I'd be breaking out the weed burner)! The grass was HINTING at being green and as I looked a bit more closely, I noticed that the crocus were just poking out a bit! Ahh.....It really IS coming! Then reality hit....the clouds came in fast and the rather warm air got downright chilly very quickly. Grumbling under my breath....I headed for the back door.
Up to my office to check the weather thingie on my computer desktop and see if those dratted clouds were going away. NO such luck!  Back down to the dining room I went and stood staring out the slider at the yard. I guess I was there a bit of a while too long, because my wife finally asked what it was I was doing. "Look'natthetmtplnts" I mumbled. "Excuse me"?, she said. Kinda coming back to consciousness....I said..."looking at the tomato plants"! "SURE you are'', she replied. "IT'S MARCH!" Well, I know THAT... but its TIME....and I was kinda viewing them in the future tense, anyway!
Now, I love seed catalogs....but I am also a New Englander... and that means I won't stand for those high shipping charges. So I make my list of wants....then head down the hill to the local discount store. They have the Burpee display and the price is 40% off the list price. So, I find anything they have that's on my list and buy them. Then I go back up the hill and order whatever I can't get locally.
Well, two weeks have come and gone and the seeds have come and stayed. I have all the seeds I want to pre-start in the house. I have replaced the two 72 cell trays that just didn't have the gumption to last another year. All the water trays, the cells, and other components of the growing system have been sterilized in the big plastic tote I got at the discount store.
Do you want to grow your own? I guarantee that what YOU grow will be a darn sight better than anything you can buy in the grocery. OK...follow along and we'll see how good we can do this year together. I can't wait to hear how you do! I'll be here right along to help if need be. Next time: we'll go through the actual seed planting. If you are new to this but don't know where to start....here's your homework for this week:
Decide how many plants you want to grow. Remember, there is no such thing as TOO MANY plants! I always plant 30 -36 seeds of EACH variety that I want to plant for the year. More on why in a minute.
OK, now think about varieties. There are SO many!. So, if this is new to you, I suggest this: Try one cherry or grape type...one medium 'slicer'...and one 'Beefsteak' type. If you like to make sauce, maybe a plum type also. Take a trip to a store that sells seed. Read the packages and just pick one of each type that appeals to you. Note that there are 2 types of plants-determinate and indeterminate. Only difference is that the inderterminant types just keep on getting longer. This is not an issue. If it is appealing...buy it. Most packets will yield that 30 - 36 seeds.
Once you have decided on your seeds, you will know how many seed starting kits to buy. I always use the 72 cell kits. Each 72 cell kit will accomodate 2 seed packets.
Now here is something important: For filling the trays...DO NOT use DIRT!  Or by another name.....POTTING soil! What you want to buy is soiless mix, seed starting mix, or similar. These mixes are all a combination mainly of peat and perlite. There are lots of companies that sell these materials and they are available at most garden centers or the big box stores that have garden departments.
Ok....just to finish up before you head off to the store. Here's why I always do so many: Sometimes ALL the seeds don't sprout or you lose a few on the way. Once we get to the transplant stage....I pick the best ones for myself. Then I sell or give away the rest to friends and neighbors who are more than happy to fork over a buck or so a plant. It never costs me anything to start my plants...and I make a bunch of people happy to boot. OH and here is why I start from seed. I'll bet you a box of donuts...that 2 hours before you looked at a bunch of plants at the Big Box Hyper Garden Center, there is a possibilty that those poor things were wilted and droopy and half DEAD because the employees were too busy taking their coffee break to give them any water. Stressed plants never do as well as ones that are given TLC!  Know for sure and start from seed! Note: I want to assure you that if you buy plants from a REAL garden center...that won't be a problem. They NEVER let that happen. So if you want to go that route, please feel free, but choose a reputable garden center. One final thought. There really aren't any hard and fast rules. If you do something and it works....do it again!