Carminator1,
Excellent article you posted!
That's just why I've started my seeds already. In 30 days (July 31) they should be a good size to pot up to some 12-16 oz cups and grow for another 30 days (Aug 31).
Then stagger transplant to the eBuckets/garden beginning Sept 1st, setting some out every three weeks.
Then, we should be getting some harvests by December, and ev'ry few weeks thereafter until probably mid-March, when either the weather will cause 'em 2 bolt or the worms will have moved in. Either way, we should have a satisfactory yield before then!
Thanks again for the great article!
Linda
ZONES 8-9 FALL/WINTER 2010
Come on guys! I'm still praying over my summer garden! We went from no rain to buckets of rain. When do you plant rice (teasing, I think)
Lisac,
Not 2 worry. You can come get some 'a my seedlings!
It may seem soon, but it's taken me much too long 2 learn that my Houston weather will not wait on Me. I've got to be ready to strike when my planting window of opportunity opens. It's a narrow window!
I've had great success growing my brassicas so far, and I've just had a taste of the benefits of winter sowing seeds to get a headstart on the season. Now I'm consolidating my knowledge into a new and improved system for starting my fall/winter garden.
Hopefully I'll have hit upon a process that takes most of the guesswork out of my equation and results in a largely successful crop the great majority of the rest of my gardening life!
Most of the successful gardeners here have developed personal planting schedules that run like clockwork. "When Fluffy, the cat, turns around 3 times, yawns, and passes gas before she lays down, we plant rhubarb the next morning!".
Or, something like that...
Well, Stella's about 2 find her groove!
This message was edited Jul 2, 2010 9:20 AM
GG I have always had good luck with cole crops too, except when the goat got in the greens garden and ate the broc. twice! Its interesting to see how everybody does theirs.
You know, they grow rice in Arkansas, so I bet you could grow it here if you really wanted!
Leave it to us and we'll find a way.
Rice'll grow here. There are some big rice farms here south of Houston. Seems like a lot of work for what you get. Once of these days, I'm adding quinoa to our garden. Don't know why I don't do it now considering that I have a whole batch of organic quinoa in the pantry.
sapphire I was just searching about quinoa on the net, very interesting I really had no clue what quinoa was, but I can also say that about all kinds of veggies, last year for example I had never heard of kolrabi until I got some seeds from Twiggy and I was able to try it for the first time ever.
Ok. I'll bite. What's quinoa?
Linda this is the website that I looked at regarding quinoa, I had no idea what it was either and I have not seen it in the stores, probably have to go to an organic store to get it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinoa
I was joking about the rice because we have gotten so much rain!
Its a supergrain. Actually a seed. Counts as protein, fiber, and carbohydrate. It also has all the amino acids you need. I get it in bulk at the big HEB, but I've seen it at Sam's Wholesale and Kroger's too. It is yummy too and has a funny little pop when you eat it. I like to mix it with some cornbread dressing and spoon that over summer squashes, carrots, onion and garlic. Full meal right there. No extra fat or salt.
Would anybody be interested in a thread about growing quinoa? (so we don't clog this thread)
This message was edited Jul 2, 2010 2:53 PM
I'm interested in quinoa...if a separate thread was started, I would follow along.
Carmen ~ Do you sow your broccoli and cabbage outdoors in a seedbed or indoors under lights? Just want to know which way is best...thanks!
I'm direct sowing this year. Everything has been direct sown this year except my spring tomatoes which haven't done squat yet. The volunteers on the other hand have been going like crazy!
evelyn, I actually sow almost all my veggies inside and under the lights this way it does give me a nice head start and also the cut worms have a harder time. I do direct sow some seeds as well though, like lettuces, radishes, and I will be doing carrots for the first time this winter. I used to direct sow all my leggumes as well but just the last couple of times for some reason I had horrible germination so I decided to try and just sow the legumes inside as well and when they get to a decent size I can transplant them outside, I just did that with some soybeans and it worked great.
If I had more room to grow things and also no hurricains I would love to invest in a greenhouse, this way I could just start all my seedlings there but for now the light system works great although sometimes I just run out of space.
Ok, Carmen...I have another question...do you ever start any outside in seedboxes or flats as opposed or in addition to starting inside? And when you get them started inside, when is the earliest that you bring them outside? I am asking this as I have limited space indoors...thanks!
Evelyn actually I never have but I have heard many people using the wintersowing method and they swear by it, I might give it a try myself this year and see how well it works. I run out of space every once in a while, in which case I start placing some of the seedlings outside just to harden a little bit, I usually wait as long as I can at least 2 to 3 weeks before placing them outside. I start hardening them off at least for 3 days.
If I have enough space inside then I usually wait at least 4 weeks before bringing them outside for hardening, now tomatoes are usually 6 to 8 weeks and peppers about 8 to 9 weeks. Now cucumbers and melons are very fast growers so as soon as they get their 2 pair or true leaves or even the 1st pair I harden them off for about 3-4 days and then transplant them outside, they don't like to be in the containers for very long as they can get rootbound.
I only have 2 flats right now but I do really like them so I will definetely buy more and more planting cells as well. Right now I tend to reuse a lot of yougurt containers and also paper rolls to plant. Paper rolls work really good if you don't want to disturb the roots of the plants because they biodegrade once they are in the ground.
Hope this helps.
I'll go start a quinoa thread. :)
Apparently my potatoes have gotten off to an early start even though I haven't planted any potatoes yet. LOL
Looks like someone forgot a spud or two...or three!
Remember the cabbage seeds I planted last week? Well, here's what you get after the long holiday weekend. Today's my first day back since last Thursday...
One more... I'm thinking this germination happened in about 4 days. It's still cold in my office...
Now I gotta rig up a light kit. That's the hard part since I got busted once before for having a shop light at work...
This message was edited Jul 7, 2010 10:57 AM
You're going to have tons of cabbages, Linda!
Ya'll,
Yesterday, I did a site check on my temporary living arrangement with my nephew's family. They've got lots of storage space, so I can bring most of my precious articles with me while I'm there.
And then I saw the yard......
Can you say "GROWING SPACE!!!" The yard is completely EMPTY. Just grass and a fence. NO TREES ANYWHERE...SUNSHINE GALORE! But, I digress...
All I need is a run along one side of the fence to situate my NINE EBs. Yep, I can place all nine. Help me here. Which side of the yard should I be setting up on again? South, east? The house faces east, and there's a short space on the back of the house (about 9 ft). But South gets me a whole side fenceline, approximately 15-25 ft!
There's only one not-so-small issue I'll have to address -- Beauty, the 50 lb., one-yr-old, UNTAMED, Rottweiler "puppy" that stands taller than my shoulders. They don't leave her in the yard right now since there's no shade. She occupies the garage, but probably as soon as it gets cooler, they'll let her in the yard.
I need ideas on a temporary barrier for my garden line. How about concrete blocks with fence posts through the holes?
Help!
Linda
I'd go for the south facing side. That way you don't get the hot afternoon west side sun. For fencing, you probably need something like cattle panels or chain link. I think the dog would be able to bump over the cinder blocks and fence posts too easily.
Yes Linda unfortunately the dog will need some better fencing. Now is it EB or your E buckets that you have made that you are talking about?
Actually, I have 9 original EBs, 30 eBuckets, and about five 18-24" conversion ePlanters. Since I'll be a guest in their home, I'm going to try to make the veggie garden as neat and tidy as possible. I think the EBs on a bed of rubber mulch bordered with some railroad ties will be awesome.
As I was sorting through yet more "stuff" yesterday, I pulled out some color pictures of TPlants EB setup from probably 3 years ago. EXACTLY the look I'm going for. I'll see if I can find it again and post the link.
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=4183250
In that case I am even wondering whether their dog will disturb your EB at all, I have 2 dogs and they don't bother mine at all but I have to confess they are very good dogies and well trained too. I am wondering if maybe you can use a dog repellent if the dog bothers your EB instead of going through the expense of placing a fence.
Sorry to write this in the veggie garden section but I thought some of you might want to know. As many of you know I am also raising chickeens, my DH surprised me this last spring with 4 very nice chicks. Well they were growing and almost ready to start laying eggs pretty soon, I was so looking forward to that. Yesterday with all the chaos in my house, getting the kids ready for their swimming lessons, getting my DH out to work and the fact that I got up late and was already running late, I forgot to open the little door for the chickens to go out into their run, and so by the time I realized what I had done it was 6 p.m when I opened the door only one came out the others were laying dead in their coops because of heat and dehydration, I feel so horrible, yesterday I practically cried all afternoon. To raise them from when they were babies and to see them die like that was hearthbreaking. I guess I have learned my lesson although a very hard one. I still have one left I guess, right now I am thinking of getting at least another one so it can keep this one company, she seems nervous and does not enjoy beign by herself, chickens just do better when there are others around.
I am so sorry to hear this. Hugs to you.
Yes, and obedience school for its owners...LOL!! That WOULD work...☺
Oh, Carmen,
I am so sorry about your little babies. Please don't be so hard on yourself over this.
It is an oversight that could have happened to any one of us...
Should I be trying to pot up those cabbage seedlings yet, or wait for some true leaves?
Yes, Carmen, what a sad experience...that is worse than me letting my seedlings dry up. Get some new chicks and put a note on your door, "are the chicks out?", so before you leave the house you won't leave the chicks in the heat...(just an idea....)
Evelyn
Thank you guys for your encouragement. Yes I am already thinking of more chickens, the one and only survivor feels prety lonely.
Evelyn, actually this morning I placed 2 big notes one where I ussually place my car keys and another in the garare door, I am also thinking of placing one in my car as well to remind me.
Linda I have not potted mine up just yet I am going to let them grow a little bigger, just maybe until they get a couple of true leaves before transplanting into their ind cells, I really think you have the room in your container for them to get a little bigger. Just a thought.
What sad news, Carm! I'm so sorry for you.
Linda, I think I'd wait to plant those seedlings until they've got some true leaves on them.
Carmen, so sorry about your chickens. I know you're upset - those were your babies. But things happen and look on the bright side - you still have one left! Definitely get her a companion. They don't do well solo.
Linda - get those babies under some lights and wait for some true leaves...
Steph I hear yah. Thought about the Rubbermade light Box one of our DGers made. Perfect camouflage for my office!
Carmen,
I found the original light box. discussion on your original feeding the soil first thread. I'm gonna make one and put under my desk at the office. I can run the lights during the day.
Also, I'm gonna use a glue stick and line the interior of the tub with aluminum foil to reflect even more light inside.
Look for "grow light components" in the tags.
Linda I think that is a fantastic idea, I do love the grow light system that you are talking about and you'll be able to use it in your office no problem.