23,594 Garden Web Discussions | Vegetable Gardening
Well if you plan on doing any cool season gardening now is the perfect time to plant things like spinach & peas etc outside- they can be planted 4 to 6 weeks before your last frost, no need to start them indoors or in seed trays! I would plant out your cilantro as soon as you have passed your frost date, they like cool weather but i think can be damaged by freezing. Good luck with all your warm season starts too :)
So its not safe to just stick something down the edges of the ells and pull out the seedlings with their dirt?
No.
Also seedlings once they've started to grow don't benefit from the heating mat?
No, it can be harmful. It can cook the roots and causes leggy growth that is top heavy with poor root development. Discussed in detail on the Growing from Seed forum.
I also got a 7'' dome to put over them once they got larger and I moved them to pots/cups (plastic cups with holes in the bottom.)
Domes are used for germination phase only, and not for growing on. Trapped humidity caused plants to damp-off and die.
Dave
No problem. Although I do have to correct myself (this is pretty common theme in my life....)
I was doing some research the other day on some other biology stuff and I came across in one of my other books a much better description of a eudicot then the one I had before. It seems I have forgotten more things then I ever actually knew...
Eudicots (meaning "true dicots") does indeed refer to plants which have three openings on the pollen grains (monocots have only one) but there are several other traits that differentiate the two. The number of "seed leaves", or cotyledons, and their structure (the fact I didn't remember THAT when its in the darn name is really embarrassing), Eudicots have two cotyledons, monocots have only one sheath-like cleoptile from which the flag leaf emerges. The cleoptile also serves to protect the seedling as it pushes through the surface. In eudicots, this function is preformed by way of hypocotyl, gently pulling the seedling through the dirt. The root structure is also different as monocots generally lack the tap root of eudicots. Leaf structures and vascular tissues are also different.
So, not that any of that is important or really relates to the post, I just wanted to correct my previous mistake.
With temps in the 30s it sounds too early to transplant them outside though if you construct a low tunnel then you might be okay. Low tunnels are really easy to make out of rebar, pvc, and builders plastic.
Maybe you want to hedge your bet some and leave some inside and put some out with protection.
You might want to ask the Florida gardeners over on the Florida Gardening forum for advice on when they can go out. From what I have read over there your normal plant out date would be end of February but this year's weather there may delay that into March.
Dave
Here is a link that might be useful: Florida Gardening
markwv
I did not care too much for the Mrs Amerson but I only grew it one year and it could do well in your area. I got my seed from Sand Hill. Does not keep as well as a maxima.
My favorite so far is Canada Crookneck for a moschata and Sibley for a maxima but maximas are harder to grow here in the midwest. I only got three last year before the SVB got them. The others that set did not mature.
Our other favorite is Dickenson, a Moschata that I believe Libby used for their pumpkin. That is what we use it for; pumpkin pie, pumpkin bars, pumpkin bread, etc. Seed from Sand Hill. There is also a hybrid called Buckskin but I only see it from NE Seed. I usually try one or two new varieties each year so might try Sunshine this year and maybe Bucksin, but we really like the Dickenson.
I am really getting spring fever as this has been a cold snowy winter. Monday will be -20 and more snow tomorrow. Lp prices have skyrocketed.
DKH2
Looks similar to sweat meat but that is a maxima and your pumpkin-acorn squash would be c pepo more than likely. I had a cross with my Sibley last year so must isolate or hand pollinate.
I have grown this variety twice. It is a very good summer variety. The taste is quite good. It is somewhat resistant to Squash Vine Borers and it produces fairly well for the size. I have a blog post about my experience below.
Here is a link that might be useful: Rounde De Nice
Dear Vic,
I think that price is really high. 5-10 cents per seed for a small packet is acceptable. Some hybrid seed sometimes goes for a lot more, but what is the use if you can only grow the plant once? There are some good open-pollinated varieties still left out there.
The company which produces territorial seeds web application has a version for the ipad... check out growveg.com I have been using spreadsheets for a few years and this year I started the free trial with territorial seeds and boy is it easy.... and I will say I am pretty proficient with spreadsheets and I still found it nice to use the app.
My friend uses gardentracker which is also available for the ipad/iphone crowd.
(I am a android junkie so I am waiting for these guys to come out with a android version.)
Thanks for all of the thoughtful posts. I am sure Blue Jade is a good one for me; it even looks blue at the milk stage apparently, and gets darken when its cooked. I will probably get that for an OP heirloom selection, and choose another from the local seed rack based on maturity time.
I was wondering, if I want the corn to have a chewier texture and be a little less sweet, could I just choose an SE type and leave it on the stalk a little bit longer than normal? Or do they suddenly loose all of their sweetness overnight?
It is not a sudden transition from sugar to starch as you would see in older varieties. Silver Queen (normal sugary) would go past the milk stage faster than a good SE variety. I admit I don't really need the SE characteristic because we watch the ears like coons, can't wait to eat them. However, the sugar level of Luscious comes out at a balanced level after the corn has been blanched and frozen.
That link didn't exactly work. However, it will take you to "Wake up-World" website and you can go under the gardening / DIY section. I think the article is on page 3. Certain foods (like potatoes) are treated with chemicals to prevent them from sprouting.
The potato treatment old-wife's-tale just won't die. I grow potatoes from the supermarket every year without problem.
The main problem with trying to grow from kitchen cuttings is that you only get as many plants as you eat. Not very productive. You could stick a few scallion roots in a pot, but that won't feed the family.