23,948 Garden Web Discussions | Vegetable Gardening

Agree that hybridization concern isn't applicable in seed potatoes.

Many people do just as your son did and have for many years with no problems. It used to be the only option - growing your own seed potatoes. Production is just as good assuming growing conditions provided are as good.

The only restriction on doing it that I am aware of is if you had any Late Blight (p. infestans) in the garden the previous year as it will over-winter on potatoes and re-surge in the spring garden.

Dave

Thanks, everyone! He'll be relieved to know this.

Of all my plants started from seed my peppers were the smallest and most pathetic looking. I did some research and found that peppers are slow growers. I started mine on March 1 and planted them out a few days ago but they were only about five inches tall if that. They now have flowers and I'm worried that tiny plant won't be able to support a pepper but we shall see!!!

I've seen those foot-tall vegetable plants in the stores, and never had a clue why anyone would buy them. I don't often transplant a plant (peppers, tomatoes) taller than 4-6 inches. I think there is some psychological attraction to a large plant that looks like it's up and ready to produce instantaneous fruit, and you pay heavily for that emotion. Once transplanted, any plant will take a few weeks setting roots. But even the tiny ones will take off like a shot when conditions are good. I should say that, yes, peppers really wait until it gets very warm. They grow slowly before that, but then grow explosively outside when you've got the a/c on inside. The big ones in the store are hot-house grown.

I actually very much dislike buying 4" or larger pots, except if an interesting variety is only available in that form. I'd rather get six-packs. My indoor lighting is poor, so if I'm starting seeds in the window, and because of that, the plants tend to go outside when they're pretty puny. No sweat.

Gardenlen;

Yes it took us a lot of time and money. We spent several thousand dollars fighting this. However, we are planning to sue the township and those involved in the case to recoup our losses. I have also contacted the district attorney's office, and the attorney generals office of pennsylvania to file a civil rights violation case against the township. There is also a new public corruption task force that was implemented and I am trying to contact them as well. The commissioner whom I mentioned in this story has lost his political backing for the new election this year. Hopefully this story has alerted the residents to the type of person he is and he will loose his seat.

Galiana;

It's funny you mentioned moving. My fiance and myself, have just bought a home in another county. One with a much larger piece of property. In the town we are moving to, chickens and goats are legal. I am very excited about starting a new garden the way I have always wanted to, after learning from all the mistakes i made my first several years of gardening. I already have the plans drawn up for the chicken coop and garden. I will post pictures of the new place at the end of the summer.

One thing I do not look forward to is digging up my 20+ apple, apricot, and plum trees. I also have 36 blueberry bushes and 15 honey berry and currant bushes to dig up as well. It will be a busy, busy, fall, but I look forward to the prospects of the new garden.

pitcom,

we wish you good tidings in your future legal exploits, the truth be known if we all stood together our gov's could not then treat us in these ways.

len

t-bird: That was your problem -- CEDAR is fine as a mulch, but never as an amendment.

seysonn: That's what I do -- any large pieces get raked off and the rest gets tilled in. It's pretty much a compost at that point after the original composting done by the landfill and then sitting in my garden for 9 months.

Kevin

I have been using wood chips and rock dust in my garden for over 10 years. No problems at all. Sure I get fungus on the mulch, but it's never been a problem. Breaks down beautifully, keeps the soil moist....my only tip is that if you need to turn soil, rake off the chips, turn and re-apply the same chips and apply another layer on top (excludes light from any weed seeds that have fallen on old wood chips). This keeps the older wood chips in contact with the soil so they can continue to compost. My chips have either come from my trees, or from a tree I saw the crew cutting (then ask them to come and give me the mulch). There are just some trees (like black walnut, or magnolia) that I won't use.

IMO there is no way that plants can get that leggy unless they are reaching for the sun. I'm guessing that they are getting no more than 5 hours of sun per day.

It does look a bit dry.. tomatoes need plenty of water.. the leaves look healthy albeit spaced out.. might try digging it up, cut off all the branches except the top two., dig a trench and plant it laying down with only top sticking out.. the entire stem that is planted will become part of the root structure. don't worry if it is crooked. it will right itself.. but,, if you don't have it in full sunlight,, it continue to get long and lanky.. maters need full sun.. and plenty of H2O

Well, the plant started getting dry, and every time i watered it, the water would run STRAIGHT THROUGH the canna coco, like ALL the water...

I'm thinking that the canna coco isn't the best choice for a container (don't know what it is, though)
Any time the water runs straight through usually means the soil is so dried out that it repels water, and either needs to be broken up and soaked or replaced. If you want to try and salvage what you have, I would soak the pot (we're talking under water) until bubbles stop coming up. I would also poke the soil deep with a chopstick or something to get the water into the soil.
This is mostly house plant/container ideas. I truly think it's time to start over!
Look into the container gardening forum for better advise! Nancy

I think the one thing that needs to be zeroed in on, is what nancyjane said.. "so dried out that it repels water"
seed starting mixes and other types of soil are so fine they will repel the water.. my sons friend almost killed 10 plants.. he replanted ,, watered and walked away.. I was in the greenhouse and picked up one of the pots.. which was as light as a feather.. the water just ran through. the top looked wet bet it was bone dry underneath.. water is heavy. so a well watered container should be heavy also. it is a good way to tell how moist your soil is..

Good luck.. :)

I would not do anythind. All you need eyes on seeds.
The seed will actually rot in the ground anyway. The starch in the seed is just food for the genes to nurish on while growing roots and stems.

Thanks for your input. Still haven't planted because there is still snow / ice on my planting area. I have been trying to clean it but there is still ice... also still probable freezing in the future

I think the term "scallion" simply means the young green shoot of an edible allium. It doesn't tell anything about species. A young garlic plant could be called a scallion, though certainly most of what are called scallions are in allium cepa.

Then we have the term "onion" which is at least as broad and imprecise.

in our area they sell green walla walla sweets, and they label them as walla walla. but iv'e never tryed regrowing them.

Yes, the oaks leaf-out very late here because of the cool maritime spring (I guess). Beeches and maples are leafed, mostly. Further inland the oaks will be more advanced. Probably it is about equal here to way upstate NY.

I just chopped down mine a week ago. :) They are pretty, for sure. I left one for the bees, though they have plenty other sources... Like my strawberries! Do you just let that self sow?

coffee grounds are great, and if you live near a coffee house/cafe - maybe able to get them in quantity.

I think I'm going to end up buying and putting down mini bark nuggets on Monday unless I get a better suggestion before that.

Pine straw sounded like my best option but is not available at any of my local garden centers. Online it is $59 for a box delivered, a bit more than I want to pay for a cover.

I am not going to a coffee house to ask for grinds. Besides it would take a long time to accumulate the quantity I need. I want to put the cover down all at once.

I an not going to use straw (whole or shredded) based on the possiblity of it having been previously treated with something (there is another thread in the soil forum that I created after I started this thread in the veggie forum).

Actually, I've put some toothpicks into a sweet potato, put the bottom half in water (changing the water every couple of days) and had the vines grow all the way around my kitchen window! It would save some garden space and you'd have them right there in the house year round!
I'm hoping I'm not confusing sweet potatoes with yams (if there's a difference) I don't know, I don't eat either one.LOL Nancy

What they commonly sell as "Yams" in the USA are sweet potatoes. There are actual yams, but they are not common in the US.

Sweet Potatoes are easy to grow, especially if all you care about is the leaves. The vines could be ornamental, just like the light green and purple types they sell for just the looks.

Frankly, I would just restart them directly in the ground. You haven't really lost much time, plus pumpkins don't have to be picked until October. I'm not even starting my pumpkins or melons yet. Will direct seed them late May or Early June, and the pumpkins will probably still be ready too early.

After your last frost date.

did you rip the bottom of the peat pot off? that always binds them in I find....not as easily rotted as reputed to be.

Thanks all.... I hardened a little - only a couple days. IT seems to be doing better... I didn't rip the bottom of the peat pot off but the roots were already starting to come out the bottom of it so I did not want to hurt anything... thanks for the follow up.