STARTING OUR 2012 FALL/WINTER VEGGIE GARDENS - PT. 2

Ok, I finally got to pot up seedlings last night. One and 1/2 of two 15-cell seed trays turned into 45 seedlings in individual drinking water bottles! They multiply like TRIBBLES! (old Star Trek episode, "The Trouble with Tribbles). I still have 2-1/2 trays to pot up, so I'm guess-timating there will be approx. 120 seedlings in this 1st batch. But, folks are lined up already, so that's not many at all. Starting another batch this weekend.

What amazed me is the difference from the very first time I potted up seedlings and last night. I grabbed those leaves and yanked and tugged, and my whole thought was, " either you're gonna make it, or not!" No babying here! LOL!

After the up potting, I bottom-watered them in the trays. I put a drop of Super Thrive and two capsful of Hydrogen Peroxide in a gallon of water, then put them to bed in the dark for the night. They were crisp this morning, which is a good sign!

Here's a thousand words...from this,

This message was edited Aug 28, 2012 10:13 AM

To this!

These seedlings could actually be hardened off and put out into the garden next week, but, my RBs aren't ready to receive them just yet, and it's still too hot out FOR ME.

But we have a loooong weekend, ahead, so I'll be getting a yard of veggie soil and a yard of compost to finish filling RB #2. I think I'm gonna pull the okras from the buckets, too. They have little pods on them, but they're slowing down, and they were already growing at a snail's pace. The three stalks in RB #1 are huge, and I'm afraid to even see how far down the roots go!

Any advice on how to get these stalks out of that bed would be appreciated. How do ya'll get yours out?

Linda

Found some tiny caterpillars eating my cabbage seedlings yesterday (I have them outside in the shade). Took care of that little problem. Sorry guys, I want to eat those. They are about ready for transplant. I'll probably to that today. Meanwhile 2 of the ones i direct seeded in the garden managed to survive the slugs.

Some of my garden turnips are ready. I guess I know what is for dinner tonight! It's gonna rain buckets here over the next several days in to the weekend. I gave them a good watering the other day so hopefully the radishes and turnips won't suck up all the extra water and split.

Regarding big stalks... I just cut them off at the base. I figure the roots are good organic material as they rot. Some things do get pretty persistent and keep trying to come up. And it does require planting around them a bit.

You could transplant now and try shading them?

Nice looking seedlings, Gymgirl! I went out to water this morning and discovered a bunch of dead and dying leaves on my Anaheims in the bale. Further inspection revealed a white puffy web beneath on leaf (which is now burned to a crisp by the way/the others thrown in the trash). I was just sick. I gave the peppers a spattering of compost tea, but I think I'll have to break down and get some Neem oil for those plants. That was an awful sight. Just overnight, too.

I finally have transplants in the raised bed that will eventually be covered with the greenhouse (we always kidded my dad for buying livestock and THEN building a fence for them - now I'm doing the same. Apple doesn't fall far from the tree, alright). The Squash, Okra, and Beefsteak Tomatoes are doing well after transplant. I planted some Bantam corn on the north end of the bed (which runs north and south) and it's not up yet. The Moon and Stars watermelons are all wilted looking, then perky, then wilted. They don't like their new home, but I have shaded them from our harsh sun, here, and they're hanging in there. The others are still in a pot in the hothouse awaiting another bed. I sure felt my age getting that first bed done. I wish I'd done all this when I was 20, lol, and I'd just be enjoying the spoils by now. I had to do it a little at a time. Dreading the next one. There will be three beds, and the rest of the crops will be in pots. First frost can be at the end of the first week of September here, so I'm scrambling. I already have most of the cattle panels (which will be crimped together to span a little less than 32 feet for a total finished area of 14' x 20' greenhouse. That should give me some headroom, and not be as closed-in feeling as the 7' tall hothouse (cattle panel covered with cheap clear tarp). Beds will be in cement blocks like the first one. Murderous moving those, by the way. A little at a time, though, and one finally gets to the destination.
Blessings everyone!
DJ

Or if they are really, really bad, take a sharp knife and 'core' the main stalk out of the bucket and add fill, the smaller roots won't be so bad.

Peas I planted a few days ago coming up nicely.

Here are some peas in a pot already flowering.

Found Gymgirl some new ebuckets- couldnt figure out how to get em home, sorry Linda, chuckl. (westward into Columbus, Ohio - a rest area)

Now, Kitt!

That picture is TOO SPECIAL! Thanks for thinking of me!

Hugs!

Those are super nice planters.

Yeah- I was thinking of all the things I would plant in em other than redbuds! Then I went to imaging how big a sand pile I would need to make one, helps while away the time.

I thinned out the broc seedlings today. My cabbage never did come up so I need to try to resow some seeds.

might pretreat the soil before you plant- even with all that spraying up there, or even check for worms and see if the ground is alive!

They're not spraying in my area.

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Linda