24,795 Garden Web Discussions | Vegetable Gardening

Well, perhaps I'll follow everyone's suggestions -- try to save these seedlings but also start more as soon as I can with the new instructions. If all happen to survive, we'll just have two crops several weeks apart. We eat a lot of broccoli.
While I have people's attention, I'll sneak in a basil question. I started basil at the same time and in the same conditions as the broccoli, but it germinated more slowly (and only some of the pots germinated -- I think I buried the seeds too deeply). Now I have many tiny basil seedlings, not leggy. But I read that while broccoli is a cool weather crop, basil likes a lot of warmth as well as light. I'll put both types of seedlings out in the daytime, but should I continue to keep the basil artificially warmed to 66-75 degrees at night, or will it be okay with the broccoli, at lower indoor nighttime temps maybe down to 50?

Again, this is all Growing from Seed forum info - the primary reason that forum and all its detailed FAQs was created. Please check out all those resources.
But one point I think you may have missed is the light issue. All other factors aside, without sufficient supplemental lighting you cannot grow successful transplants. They will be leggy, have long narrow stems and weak circulatory systems, and be prone to diseases. Even in our greenhouse supplemental lighting is required this time of year.
Please understand that full spectrum and full intensity light is simply not available from the sun this time of year in the northern hemisphere. That is a fact of life.
should I continue to keep the basil artificially warmed to 66-75 degrees at night,
All plants once they germinate prefer cooler growing temperatures in the 60 degree range as long as they are growing in an artificial environment of any kind. That basically means anything except in the garden.
It slows the top growth and allows for stronger root development instead.
Dave

Lettuces, spinach, and kale should all be planted asap, the weather is perfect for them- sunny and not too hot. With this warm, dry winter we've been having I have volunteer tomato seedlings that have come up and begun to flower. It's always possible we'll get a cold spell but if you're coastal frost is not really much of a worry - or even where my farm's at in Fallbrook. Tomatoes (in coastal areas) and kale can both be grown as perennials here although tomatoes usually don't do much past thanksgiving. I still have peppers ripening on my plants at this time.
One of the major perks to being a gardener here is that there isn't as much worry about too early or too late. You can sow your tomato seeds now and then plant them out once any danger of frost has passed (if you even get frosts, much of the county doesn't in any regular fashion). The other side to the coin is that starting plants early indoors here where we have a long growing season and nearly frost free weather is arguably not worth it. I wouldn't bother personally unless you have a greenhouse or are trying to get the crop to market ahead of your competitors. You'll find more experience with starting seeds indoors among northern gardeners who might completely miss a crop if it's not sown at the right time.
What I've described mostly just applies to indeterminate tomatoes. Determinate varieties would make more sense to sow in early spring in order for the plant to reach maturity during good fruiting weather. Ditto for cucumbers. They mature quickly and do well direct sown. I'll sow cucumbers mid spring and then again in late summer because the first planting is likely to be spent by then.

As others have already said, San Diego has one of the most forgiving climates in the country. You can start most of your garden outside with no worries. Tomatoes, on the other hand, are best started inside if you have the right set-up. A very detailed description of tomato culture can be found here:
Tomatoes grown in the Biodynamic French Intensive System
Here is a link that might be useful: Alan Chadwick

I think it really depends on what areal coverage you're after. The Burpee Ultimate Grow Light illuminates a 12x12 inch square with about 1000 lumens -- that's maybe about 9 small pots. A CFL in a desk lamp will do exactly that for $15-20. Now, a shop light will cover a lot more area, maybe 4x1 foot, with about 4000 lumens. No question that in $/unit area covered, a shop light is the way to go if you need the coverage and have the room for it.

Yes Nature, that was it.
I have two 48" shop lights set up on a table with shelves that I am using. I bought the table from Lowes it is ideal. The shop lights were free, I have been replacing some lights at work and they were headed for the dumpster.
I was just looking for something to be able to use on the top shelf that would be an easy set up. I bought 4 of the "goose neck" table lamps from BL's.



For future reference... we too experienced the cold. On 2 consecutive days, temperatures reached 19 deg F lows and we were below freezing for 18 hours each day. Broccoli, cauliflower Brussels Sprouts all survived. However, the cauliflower leaves do look a bit droopy and the plants may take a bit longer to recover.
This post was edited by grandad on Fri, Jan 10, 14 at 13:39

Single digits Tue. and Wed. here. 4F. My turnips and mustard greens are yellow but still alive after we finally UN-thawed. My collards are droopy but still green.
I didn't/couldn't cover them because the cold snap kept me at work all day preparing for it and repairing the damage later there.


It's out of stock currently, but you could try again next year: http://sustainableseedco.com/heirloom-vegetable-seeds/a-ca/bean-heirloom-seeds/misc.-beans/crimson-flowered-fava-bean-seed.html. Or you could take a field trip to Canada: http://www.heritageharvestseed.com/beansbroad.html
Good luck!
-Anne

Banana peppers start out yellow and turn red when ripe. Whatever you grew grew was not a banana type. The generic "Banana" is availalable as either a sweet or hot variety. There are several hybrid versions Sweet Spot, Banana Bounty, Pageant, Bananarama. Sounds like a seed source problem.


Bob,
Your empathy with living creatures is an admirable trait. What would you do with the live gopher though, if you caught it? Would you release it in a wild meadow somewhere?
I have reluctantly come to the conclusion that the only practical way to deal with them is to catch them in lethal traps.
With lethal traps, there is no need to use bait. You just put the trap in one of their tunnels that is in active use, and they trip the trap.
I don't know what kind of trap you have, so I don't know how to advise you about it. Maybe you could post a picture.
--McKenzie

Unfortunately it isn't that simple. I'm only familiar with its use in hydroponics and detailed tables are available for it use in that situation - see the Hydroponics forum here if you want those. The amount used is done by weight, not volume, and it is measured in grams. (ie: 1 gram to 100 ml. of 40 C water) or if converted, approx. 0.03 oz. to 3.5 oz water at 104 degrees F.
Plus the mixture will be much weaker if used as a foliar spray or as a fungicide to avoid burning the plant leaves. And the solubility all depends on the temperature of the water you are using to dissolve it in - it is a very wide range of solubility.
You also have to factor in the effect it has on pH and when using soil rather than water your native soil pH has to be established first and then adjusted to compensate.
Then there is the issue of its use being banned in many states - especially if you live near a body of water of any kind - because of the run-off contamination. You don't give any location so I can't help with that aspect.
So all that said and acknowledging that there are much better giant vegetable fertilizers available (see the Giant Vegetables forum here) I'd recommend either finding one of the alternatives or at least posting this question on one of the many growing giant pumpkins forums out there in the hopes of finding someone who has actually used it for that purpose.
Contacting the maker of the particular brand for tips on dilution of their particular product would also be an excellent option assuming you'd need more details than just what is on the product label.
Hope this is of some help.
Dave

Here is what I have found, MonoPotassium Phosphate is the same ingredient used in some bloom and fruit fertilizers also known as MKP
MKP is a fully water-soluble mono-potassium phosphate fertilizer, a highly efficient source of phosphorus and potassium for plants. As a nitrogen-free fertilizer, MKP is the preferred source of phosphorus and potassium when nitrogen fertilization should be limited.
A common case is at early growing season, when phosphorus and potassium are needed at high rates for the establishment of root system.
Application of MKP at the productive stages of sugar-rich fruit crops helps to increase sugar content and to improve the quality of these.
MKP can be applied in combination with other fertilizers to meet crop nutritional needs throughout the growth cycle. Its high purity and water-solubility make MKP an ideal fertilizer for fertigation and for foliar application.
Additionally, MKP is suitable for preparation of fertilizer blends and production of liquid fertilizers.
When applied as foliar spray, MKP acts as a suppressor of powdery mildew.
Use approximately 1 (one) teaspoon of fertilizer per gallon of water for every 100 square feet of application area
For larger batches use 1 (one) pound of fertilizer per 100 gallons of water.
We have this product in bulk and repackage it into smaller sizes.


You can it it is available. It won't hurt anything as it will just lie there until the weather warms. But if your zone 7 is like mine we get periods of warmer weather off an on until spring and during those periods the compost can activate and have beneficial effects.
If you decide to lay on several inches now then plan to add more approx. 2 weeks prior to planting time.
Dave


Looks like what I'd call a woodlouse. There are hundreds of local names for them - slaters, pea bugs, pill bugs, roly polies, chucky pigs and there are many different species. Whether they do any harm is a moot point. One school of thought maintains they eat only dead and decaying plant material. Others maintain stoutly that they have seen them with their own eyes eating young plants.
Here is a link that might be useful: Pill bug threads
Thanks floral