23,594 Garden Web Discussions | Vegetable Gardening

You can provide shade and some insulation from direct sun during germination time. Seeds do not need light/sun to germinate but proper soil temperature. So , if the things you want to grow are heat loving types, then they can benefit from warm weather. I know, for example, that eggplant and peppers are like that.

Here's my favorite chart of optimum soil temps for germination of various common vegetables - alas, not your oriental varieties.

As other posters are saying, the key is soil temperature. To take soil temp, get a digital meat thermometer. I find it really helps at this time of year to use cold water out of a hose - let all the warmed water out of it before turning it on your seeded rows.

Here is a link that might be useful: optimum soil temperatures for germination

Are your silks supposed to be red like that or is it just my screen?. I got corn rust one time & it turned the tips all over red & pollinated horribly.

The silks look normal to me, a bit of red tint is common in the corn I planted. The tassel looks weird, I'd never seen anything like it. Sorry, can't help you with that.

Do you mean allergic by ingesting them or by contact? I am severely allergic to them by touch and have to cover my skin thoroughly when working in the garden. But if you mean you're allergic to eating them, then I am so sorry. :(

I also have nightshade allergy. I had a bad episode as a child and was never allowed to have a raw tomato (but growing up in an Italian home, had lots of tomato sauce or gravy, as we call it). Unfortunately a few years ago, it started to get worse and I can't have eggplant or peppers either. Nightshades have toxins in them that cause problems in some people. I even have a tough time with the tomato plants (my husband loves tomatoes, so I grow them for him) touching the leaves and then touching my face gives me a rash.

I don't know of any low toxin variety. The neurotoxins that are in nightshades are saponins, alkaloids and lectins. Tabacco is also a nightshade and it is some of these toxins that cause inflammation and even cancer. If you are sensitive to it, I suggest you avoid them.

First year gardens are so exciting. I wish you continued success and a bountiful harvest. Warning - its addictive. My first year was a 12x12 foot plot, 4 years later and It has taken over much of my yard

My new tomato trellis

I noticed the lack of weeds, one of the reasons it looks so neat and tidy. What a great idea to cover that pergola and make it a chicken run.

That is one beautiful garden and I wish mine looked that way. However, I have plenty of weeds for the both of us.

They root very quickly if the water is warm (80 to 90 degrees). Use a heat mat to speed rooting. Avoid exposure to sunlight until they have rooted.

Hey! Thanks everyone. Jay, that's very kind of you to offer to send me some, but I put a couple of cuttings in a glass of water yesterday and I can already see root nubs starting to poke out, so I think I'm probably good. I appreciate your "gardener's generosity", though.

Looking forward to some sweet potatoes in September or so...

Hmm... Ok, I'll give it a good water tomorrow and throw some mulch around them and see what happens... I'm getting a little worried about the sole survivor of this one type of pumpkin... Its' leaves are getting more splotchy... I didn't think it was something like temps or soil because other pumpkin varieties in the same bed seemed to be doing well... I have a different bed near with some zucchini in it and they have been out growing everything (except some peas, perhaps)... but, it gets a bit different sun overall...

The bed is a foot tall , but i dug an extra 1/2 - 1' deep in the ground.. It is a new bed this year... I put a soil/compost mix in as I did in my other bed (last year) with the local nursery recommended amounts..

Well, i chose not to mulch because we were forecast to have a lot of rain and cooler temps roll through today before sun and warming tomorrow.. I figured it would not be a great idea to mulch and lock in cool/damp soil... (i could be overthinking all of this)

However, today, I looked at this plant again and noticed the following with its' new growth... it doesn't look healthy, but I cannot figure out if it looks like it was eaten or wilted. I am looking for pests under leaves and such....

One reason i have not been thinking something "global" like soil nutrients or temps was the first plant that up and died... It seemed to shrivel up and die all alone with only minor issues with the other plants around it.

It would be very likely that they would go to seed, if you had not pulled them. Any over wintered onion(full size) will flower eventually, given enough time.

Another thing is that some onions are compound inside. When you cut them you'll see two (or more)hearts. I think in the wild nature onions also multiply. Isn't that another way to MULTIPLY? :D

madroneb & seysonn: I haven't done a "lift & separate" yet but I will do that & grow them out. Probably end up with enough seed to cover the planet. I'll try to remember to make a follow-up post when the results become clear.

Agree that the odds they are actually cabbage loopers on tomato plants is slim. But dusting with Bt is effective on all eating caterpillars.

Dave

Here in Socal, it doesn't matter what I plant -- once it warms up some, it's looper haven. Of course, I'm sure it doesn't help that I grow brassicas into and through the summer.

Kevin

I had a slug problem. Sluggo fixed it quickly!

Iron phosphate pellets, sluggo is one brand name. In your case, I suspect they are hiding under the pots during the day, but basically they live everywhere in little pockets of moist plant decay. Very helpful in nature, a bit destructive when they get into gardens in large numbers.

Lovely! I just had a nice salad of storebought grapefruit and homegrown romaine, sweet onion and tarragon with a oil and vinegar dressing. But the oil was hazelnut and the vinegar was homemade tarragon vinegar. Garden food is the best.

Yummy! I havent harvested anything but lettuce and cilantro yet, and not much of that.