Author Topic: It's time! !  (Read 990 times)

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Offline Ranger99

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It's time! !
« on: January 30, 2024, 11:35:03 AM »
I should have already been cleaning
leaves and dead weeds and stems and
such from my beds, but the weather
has been especially dreary and cold
for a while.
The nice day today reminded me that
it's time to get with it and fertilize
and work any soil amendments in
and get ready for action
18 MINUTES.  . . . . . .

Offline wtxbadger

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Re: It's time! !
« Reply #1 on: January 30, 2024, 03:01:24 PM »
Yep it's time to plant onions and start getting everything ready for another growing season. Haven't decided everything to plant yet but I'm leaning towards lots of black eye peas this year.
wtxbadger

Online ironglow

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Re: It's time! !
« Reply #2 on: January 31, 2024, 02:30:37 AM »
  It will be another 2.5 months before I even start my tomato plants ..indoors.. ;) ;D
If you don't want the truth, don't ask me.  If you want something sugar coated...go eat a donut !  (anon)

Offline Bob Riebe

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Re: It's time! !
« Reply #3 on: January 31, 2024, 08:53:50 AM »
Looking out at the garden and seeing in the right side the debris in piles and bags I did not bury last fall, kinda-sorta annoys me for not doing when I could/should have.
Annoying up here to look at bare ground in January; seeing a white blanket of snow hides the unfiinished business .

Seed catalogs have trickled in but they are turning into same crap different pile as seed companies are bought out . one is now actually dealing with the same mega company regardless of name on the catalog.
I still buy potatoes on-line because I like new varieties but a high-priced place in Maine bought out a shop called Potato Garden, and have eliminated the uncommon varieties the PG carried and jacked up prices double what PG charged.  >:(

Offline Ranger99

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Re: It's time! !
« Reply #4 on: January 31, 2024, 11:53:57 AM »
IMO the seed companies have
been bending the consumer
level seed buyers for years.
I'm sure I've posted about that
before. Years ago, there was a
nursery a few miles away that
sold good bulk seed that always
had good germination and always
produced a good quantity of fruits
and vegetables. The started plants
were also very affordable and
hardy and produced well.
For more than a decade the seed
available here has been mediocre
at best. The started plants haven't
been affordable for some time, so
I can't speak for the quality of those.


I'm going to try again even though
things haven't worked at all lately.
Won't know if I don't try
18 MINUTES.  . . . . . .
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Online ironglow

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Re: It's time! !
« Reply #5 on: January 31, 2024, 02:24:52 PM »
  I get you, Ranger..  Used to be, when you mail  order a packet of tomato or radish seeds, for about $1.95 to $3.25, you would recieve maybe 50
    tomato seeds or enough radishes to make a decent short row.

  Now they  out ount the tomato seeds, anywhere from 10 to 20 seeds....and for anywhere fro $4.00 to $7.25..per packet.

  Used to be, even Walmart had 6 packs of started tomatoes..now they seem to only sell them in single, potted plants.

  I really don't normally buy from Wally World anyway...but from a local feed mill.

   
If you don't want the truth, don't ask me.  If you want something sugar coated...go eat a donut !  (anon)

Offline wtxbadger

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Re: It's time! !
« Reply #6 on: January 31, 2024, 02:41:39 PM »
The local nursery in town closed down a few years ago, for seedlings our only options are wally world or Ace hardware. I did find a seed company that seems to have reliable seeds with good germination that we order from.
wtxbadger

Online ironglow

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Re: It's time! !
« Reply #7 on: February 01, 2024, 05:33:01 AM »
  I have bought from Parks, Gurney and fields over the years..

  But I have had great success over the years with this company,  however , you may not want to get seeds from Maine;
   
  https://www.johnnyseeds.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=BL%20|%20Search%20|%20DSA%20|%20PRP&utm_keyword=&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAn-2tBhDVARIsAGmStVk_rYLAFWePrknmSE-FnqqaKY5iZFdx-Mo1Bvw_Jd5LJalxjkwFQtIaAtXHEALw_wcB

  My favcorite plant is tomato..so I have ordered often from 'Totally Tomatoes',, which used to be in Augusta, Georgia..but has now moved.

  ..But never fear, they have seeds for all growing areas, plus other varities of plants and seeds.   https://www.totallytomato.com/
If you don't want the truth, don't ask me.  If you want something sugar coated...go eat a donut !  (anon)

Offline Bob Riebe

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Re: It's time! !
« Reply #8 on: March 19, 2024, 03:52:22 PM »
Well I was going dig some holes in the garden, last week , and bury some garden debris but ended up helping clean the house for Easter.
Now, we are getting lows in the twenties and teens so the garden has frozen already.

I could take a pick and break the surface but just have no urge to work dirt when the highs are in the thirties.
Extremely glad I did not uncover the roses; twenty years ago when we had some early warm spells, the other half would whine I should uncover the roses or they would cook.
Now as I had dealt with roses for deades then already, she had never grown a rose,  I gave in to shutting up the annoying noise.

I found out the hard way, roses can stand hard freezes in the fall with no problem; in the spring that is certain death.
The worst is they do not die quickly, they just sort of fade away.

Offline mcbammer

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Re: It's time! !
« Reply #9 on: March 19, 2024, 04:19:48 PM »
 
             https://www.willhiteseed.com/   

            Been ordering our seed from this Southern seed company for over 50 years .   

Offline wtxbadger

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Re: It's time! !
« Reply #10 on: March 19, 2024, 04:35:56 PM »
Ran across Willhite years back and they have good germination rates compared to other seed companies we tried in the past.

Been slow going on getting our garden cleaned up and ready this year with work, wife's health problems along her mother's health problems when I have the time to actually work in the garden I'm not real motivated to do anything. Thinking about scaling back and just planting tomatoes, squash, some beets and black eye peas.

wtxbadger

Offline mcbammer

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Re: It's time! !
« Reply #11 on: March 20, 2024, 04:43:28 AM »
Ran across Willhite years back and they have good germination rates compared to other seed companies we tried in the past.

Been slow going on getting our garden cleaned up and ready this year with work, wife's health problems along her mother's health problems when I have the time to actually work in the garden I'm not real motivated to do anything. Thinking about scaling back and just planting tomatoes, squash, some beets and black eye peas.

Willhite started out specializing in W- melon seed ,then started increasing  into vegetable seed as time went on . My G- father truck farmed W-melons and bought seed by the pounds . I recently ran across one of their old catalogs in his old homeplace . Brought back a lot of memories .
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Online Mule 11

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Re: It's time! !
« Reply #12 on: March 20, 2024, 05:21:17 AM »
Ran across Willhite years back and they have good germination rates compared to other seed companies we tried in the past.

Been slow going on getting our garden cleaned up and ready this year with work, wife's health problems along her mother's health problems when I have the time to actually work in the garden I'm not real motivated to do anything. Thinking about scaling back and just planting tomatoes, squash, some beets and black eye peas.

Willhite started out specializing in W- melon seed ,then started increasing  into vegetable seed as time went on . My G- father truck farmed W-melons and bought seed by the pounds . I recently ran across one of their old catalogs in his old homeplace . Brought back a lot of memories .

How racist :)
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Online ironglow

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Re: It's time! !
« Reply #13 on: March 20, 2024, 11:21:57 AM »
 
             https://www.willhiteseed.com/   

            Been ordering our seed from this Southern seed company for over 50 years .

  With 50 years satisfaction...no need to look any further..  Probably good to stay regional too.
If you don't want the truth, don't ask me.  If you want something sugar coated...go eat a donut !  (anon)

Offline Ranger99

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Re: It's time! !
« Reply #14 on: March 20, 2024, 07:28:10 PM »
Well I have tomatoes up, mustard up.
Haven't seen any sign  of green beans
or peppers. Any peppers I've ever
grown are always slow until the warmth
is consistent
We'll see.  . .

Didn't bother with onions.
Still have a few volunteers, and
buying sets in this area is usually
a push because buying the sets
and labor is negated by the low
cost of onions at the grocery store

Tomatoes are always mandatory.
You can't buy storebought tomatoes
here that compare flavor-wise with
a fresh tomato from the garden
that was on the vine minutes before
18 MINUTES.  . . . . . .

Offline Lloyd Smale

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Re: It's time! !
« Reply #15 on: March 21, 2024, 02:44:40 AM »
only thing growing here is icicles. oh well it keeps the tourist south
blue lives matter

Offline Bob Riebe

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Re: It's time! !
« Reply #16 on: April 16, 2024, 08:51:35 AM »
It's raining, it's pouring, the Old Man is Snoring!

We have had 2 inches of rain so far, with temps. in the mid-forties.
Now I wish I had done more garden prep. work as the garden will be a sloppy mess; especially pile of plant debris and leaves I did not burn last that I should have.

I have been told garden shops are opening and IF, IF one can believe long range forecast, they will not get burned by need propane heaters this year to protect the pants.
Some thing that has been a nasty occurance a lot in the past ten years. 8)

Offline Ranger99

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Re: It's time! !
« Reply #17 on: April 16, 2024, 12:07:47 PM »
Gonna have to hunt up the Sevin dust if
I still have any. Some something nibbled
several of my young tomatoes (about 9")
down to the stems
I have some small ones started for a contingency
JIC,  but still.  . . . . . >:(
18 MINUTES.  . . . . . .

Offline wtxbadger

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Re: It's time! !
« Reply #18 on: April 16, 2024, 02:31:27 PM »
Decided this year about the only thing I'm growing for now is tomatoes. Too many irons in the fire and not enough time to do a full garden justice. If things calm down later might try growing a Fall crop of black eye peas.
wtxbadger

Offline Bob Riebe

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Re: It's time! !
« Reply #19 on: April 23, 2024, 09:25:39 AM »

I finally got out the past few days and did some garden clean-up.
I dug a four ft. by four ft. by 12 inch deep hole and dumped in the marigold, zinnia, coffee grounds and kitchen waste, they I put the corn shock, clusters , broken in half and bured it all up. -- at least the corn and flower stalks.

It is one-half covered now and I am going around the garden to straighten the border and throwing clumps of quack grass on the pile.
I should have done this earlier as it would have decomposed more by now but I will wet it down and put some compost boost on the pile before I full cover it.
It is amazing how quickly corn shocks will burn.

We went to Fleet Farm yesterday and bought some Liquid Chelated Iron and some Root Booster.
I gave in and bought some Dark Red LaSoda and Dakota Pearl potatoes, along with a Elephant Garlic clump and four Yellow Shallot clumps.
I will order on-line today at least one more potato for variety and probably two clusters different onions.

Now all that is left is buying some plants or maybe, just maybe start a tomato or so in the basement.
Have a happy Canada Book Day and World Table Tennis Day.  8)

Offline Ranger99

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Re: It's time! !
« Reply #20 on: April 23, 2024, 01:44:00 PM »
Replanted a few maters
Trying the rumored version of
orange peels in close to the plants
to head off any more pests.
We'll see.
Gonna have to have some steady
sunshine and dispense with the
cold nights if anything is gonna
grow and make vegetables.
At least I'll have a serving or two
of greens ( if something doesn't happen)
Collards aren't in the mood, but the
mustard is looking eager to please me.
Not sure what happened to the yard-long
green beans. I have yet to see a plant
pop up. Probably too much bragging on
my part about how productive they've been
in the past for me. The one year I had a
couple of freezer shelves jam packed
with gallon bags of yard-long green beans.
Had so many I was giving away bags
18 MINUTES.  . . . . . .

Offline Bob Riebe

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Re: It's time! !
« Reply #21 on: April 24, 2024, 09:04:43 AM »

Logged into Filaree Farms yesterday, and Just Could Not keep my credit card in my pocket, so:
Yellow Potato Onion
Dutch Red Shallot
Umatilla Russet
Valery Potato
Zoe Potato

Add those to the Dark Red Norland, Dakota Pearl, Yellow Shallot and Elephant Garlic I got a Fleet Farm, my on-line ordering is all but done, but then , I have said that before.

Have Happy Mark's Eve.

St Mark's Eve

24 April – The feast day of St Mark the Evangelist (founder of the Church of Alexandria) falls on 25th April, but there are some interesting folk customs that fall on the eve of the feast.

Divining Who Is To Die
Between the 17th and 19th century it was thought that holding a vigil in a church porch during the hours of 11.00pm through to 1.00am on three successive years would reveal the identities of those due to die and be buried in the churchyard over the coming year as their apparitions (or coffins or headless corpses depending on the source) entered the church in procession. This was a tradition throughout Britain though probably more popular in the North and West. It is no wonder then that there are variations on the tradition. Some accounts say this vigil must be repeated each year of your live instead of just three. Others say the exterior of church had to walked around before the vigil begins and some say that those undertaking the task had to be fasting.

'Tis now, replied the village belle,
St. Mark's mysterious eve,
And all that old traditions tell
I tremblingly believe;

How, when the midnight signal tolls,
Along the churchyard green,
A mournful train of sentenced souls
In winding-sheets are seen.

The ghosts of all whom death shall doom
Within the coming year,
In pale procession walk the gloom,
Amid the silence drear.'

Divining For Future Husbands
St Marks Eve was also the time when young maids would try to use divination to discover the identity of their true love and husband to be. One method was to hang their smock before the fireplace and await for the arrival of an apparition of the man your due to marry to come in and turn it for you.

On St. Mark's eve, at twelve o'clock,
The fair maid will watch her smock,
To find her husband in the dark,
By praying unto good St. Mark.'

In North Kelsey, Lincolnshire young women would visit the Maiden Well on St Marks Eve. 'Girls coming to the spring with the view of divination must walk towards it backwards, and go round it three times in the same manner, each girl, meanwhile, wishing the wish that she may see her destined sweetheart. After the third circle is complete, the inquirer must kneel down and gaze into the spring, in which she will see her lover looking up out of the depths.'
(County Folk-Lore by Gutch and Peacock,1908)

Another method of employed by young women was to place a nut by the heath and whisper the name of the man they believe may be their true love. If the nut jumped from the fire then the love was meant to be.

Offline Ranger99

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Re: It's time! !
« Reply #22 on: May 07, 2024, 04:16:05 AM »
The surviving tomatoes are looking
decent, and there's some blossoms
getting ready.
Mustard greens are looking good.
Might have a batch ready to eat
in a couple of weeks.
Not sure what happened to the
beans and the collards. No
germination at all.
Hints of teeny pepper seedlings
showing up.
Gonna have to figure out a reliable
source of seed somehow and not
have to buy at these discount stores
or mail order whatever and depend
on the sketchy delivery in this area
and that the seller sends proper
varieties for this zone
The only other relative I know that
gardens anymore has been using
some source of heirloom seeds
and I'll see if I can coerce a few
seeds from them and start saving
seed for each year
18 MINUTES.  . . . . . .