23,822 Garden Web Discussions | Vegetable Gardening

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galiana(5a NH)

It depends on where you live. You don't list your zone on your profile, and we'd need to know that before we can tell you.

It also depends on how well the seedlings are doing, and whether you've hardened them off. Do a search for "hardening off" on this forum or on google to learn how to do that.

    Bookmark     May 6, 2013 at 5:01PM
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xxnonamexx(7a)

I live in Westchester New York zone 7a. I have been doing the hardening process the past week.

    Bookmark     May 7, 2013 at 8:37AM
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woohooman San Diego CA zone 10a

Never grown it so I wouldn't know. But, one thing I found interesting about fennel while researching companion planting for veggies -- almost nothing is good as a companion.

Kevin

Here is a link that might be useful: according to wikipedia

    Bookmark     May 6, 2013 at 10:43PM
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planatus(6)

I grow bulb fennel twice a year, in spring and fall. It's a reasonably heavy feeder, but the plants take a while to gain size -- longer than the seed packets say. Any good garden soil of average fertility is fine. I mix a standard application of organic fertilizer into the soil before planting, and drench with a high N liquid when the plants start to bulb. The spring crop matures in late June, the fall crop (started indoors in July) is ready in October.

    Bookmark     May 7, 2013 at 8:08AM
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jrslick (North Central Kansas, Zone 5B)

Jonfrum:

I disagree 100%, carrot do sweeten in the winter. We have been growing winter carrots for the last 4 years and I look forward to them every year. More so than the first tomato!

We like Napoli. We have grown Nelson, Mokum and Yaya during the winter too. They just aren't quite as hardy as Napoli We plant them at the end of July to the First week of August. We Harvest them from mid October- March. We still have some growing now and while they aren't as good as the earlier ones, they taste better than the ones in the store. Our spring carrots will be ready in a few weeks. They were planted in January.

We grow ours in movable high tunnels. We plant the crop outside, then after the frost takes the tomatoes, mid November, we move the high tunnel over the carrots and it stays there until spring. We grow over 1000 square feet of carrots for winter sales. I will probably up this by 250-300 more square feet as we almost ran out this year. Each building has 5, 30 inch beds in it. Each bed has 4 rows planted in it. It is a whole lot of carrots.

Don't just take my word for it, google Eliot Coleman and Candy Carrots.

Jay

    Bookmark     May 6, 2013 at 11:02PM
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planatus(6)

I pull all of my carrots in late fall because voles and other critters will damage them if left in the soil. I often miss a few and have noticed that the red-skinned carrots seem to survive winter in style. A few weeks ago I dug out some Dragons that were still edible.

Parsnips that sit through winter are really good.

    Bookmark     May 7, 2013 at 8:02AM
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ltilton

Be sure to keep an eye on the weather forecast. Temps in the 30s forecast for a couple of weeks from today. You don't want your tender plants out in that.

    Bookmark     May 6, 2013 at 11:24PM
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woohooman San Diego CA zone 10a

I don't water daily after I put in ground. I create a pretty large whole with my hands, mix in some compost or bagged garden soil along with a couple handfuls of balanced organic ferts(cottonseed, bone, and alfalfa meals), plant seedlings, and give a good soak. I usually don't water again for another week or so. This is in conjunction to my tilling of copious amounts of compost a month or 2 beforehand and a broadcast of bonemeal(since bonemeal takes so long to break down).

Kevin

    Bookmark     May 7, 2013 at 1:25AM
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ChicagoDeli37

Thanks

    Bookmark     May 6, 2013 at 10:10AM
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nohbudi(5)

I've resorted to a different type of squirrel cage...

    Bookmark     May 7, 2013 at 12:34AM
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ditnc(7 NC)

Yes, but not to that extreme. Individual leaves just going vertically downward. They still have good leaves as well. Too late to revive? Thnx.

    Bookmark     May 6, 2013 at 5:03PM
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ditnc(7 NC)

Well, I googled damping off of peppers, and it doesn't sound good.

Trying to decide whether to segregate those with wilts from those that don't, throw the ones with wilted leaves away, or try to dry them all out in the bathroom with the space heater and hope for the best.

It was a lot of work getting them to this point...I'm pretty bummed out...

I can't figure out where it came from. I used new cell packs, brand new seed starter mix, etc. All was fine until they got wet and the weather turned cool. :(

    Bookmark     May 6, 2013 at 6:06PM
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zzackey(8b GA)

Please post a picture.

    Bookmark     May 6, 2013 at 6:01PM
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greenmonster182(7)

I thought I did I will try again

    Bookmark     May 6, 2013 at 6:04PM
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uncle_t(Z6 Ontario CAN)

You want to keep the surface soil moist to make it easy for seedlings to break the surface; so keep misting at least twice a day.

Carrot, beets and radish need to develop tap roots long enough to find moisture for themselves several inches below growing surface. That means keep misting until they develop at least 1 set of true leaves. Peas also need continual moisture until true leaves. After that you can back off the misting and consider adding much--unless you're growing intensive spacing.

    Bookmark     May 6, 2013 at 3:17PM
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digdirt2(6b-7a No.Cent. AR HZ8 Sun-35)

"Constantly moist" is for germination only so they can break the soil surface as mentioned. That is where misting plays a role.

Once germinated water needs switch to what is normal for the plant and the soil it is in.

Dave

    Bookmark     May 6, 2013 at 5:32PM
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uncle_t(Z6 Ontario CAN)

Yesterday I planted a 10 ft. line of NP seeds. It's rather early for our zone, but ground temps are good. The weather has been fantastic and is supposed to stay warm and sunny for another two weeks. It that happens, we should be in the clear regarding frost or near frost temps. If it doesn't, all I've lost is a line of seeds.

I prefer to direct sow cucumbers and I'll trellis this line.

    Bookmark     May 6, 2013 at 2:29PM
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organic_girl_ma

They are big... ok, I will put them into an Earth Box, with a trellis leaning on the wall. Hopefully this should work..

    Bookmark     May 6, 2013 at 3:21PM
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Edymnion(7a)

I kept reading that they needed to be "certified seed potatoes" or something like that.

The difference is that certified seed potatoes are specifically grown in sterile soil to ensure they are as close to 100% disease free as possible.

I generally find that its a waste of money for anyone but major planters (actual farmers doing acres of plants) to bother with them. Potatoes you buy in the grocery store will be very unlikely to be diseased (and most of the diseases that matter you could see just by looking at the malformed tuber), and they will grow just fine.

---

That said, yeah, plant now. A potato will only die if the tuber freezes pretty much solid. Assuming you're planting the normal 6-8 inches deep, it will basically never freeze that hard anywhere south of the arctic circle. While it may grow up and then have the top die back due to freezing, the tubers will be safe and will just sit there happily waiting on warmer weather.

    Bookmark     May 2, 2013 at 2:03PM
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purple1701(5B Chicago)

They are just now starting to sprout above the ground! So exciting :-)

(can you tell I'm a new gardener? LOL)

    Bookmark     May 6, 2013 at 11:46AM
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macky77(2a)

The method of weed control you use will vary with the type of weed. Annual weeds that germinate from seed can be smothered by all sorts of mulches. Perennial weeds that keep coming from the root no matter how many times you sever or kill the tops are an entirely different story.

For the best results, identify your weeds first.

    Bookmark     May 6, 2013 at 11:09AM
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digdirt2(6b-7a No.Cent. AR HZ8 Sun-35)

Couple of different possibilities. Start with the easiest - look at the underside of the leaves. Do the spots go all the way through? Look for aphids, squash bugs, spider mites.

If no pests than it's the most likely, especially given your weather - Downey Mildew. The spores can come from all sorts of sources - the mulch, pests, the soil, even the air. Treatment is fungicides sprays.

Dave

Here is a link that might be useful: Common Cucurbit Problems

    Bookmark     May 3, 2013 at 2:48PM
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Desireea3

Don't see any bugs and no white on the underside. On the underside it is clear not colored at all but look like looking through plastic. Hope this makes sense.

    Bookmark     May 6, 2013 at 10:18AM
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mandolls(4)

My Eggplants are growing faster than expected too. I always start them the same time as my peppers, and I dont remember them growing so much faster. They were started March 8th, a week earlier than last year. I had to pot some of them up to 20 oz cups. Lots of my pepper plants have blooms, but thats the usual for me and I always just leave those to grow.

    Bookmark     May 6, 2013 at 7:11AM
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mwhidden(5b)

@digdirt, @mandolls: Thank you both for your suggestions. I'm reassured that I can either pinch them off or leave them, and yes, I'll wait until a couple of weeks later next year.

    Bookmark     May 6, 2013 at 8:49AM
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tdscpa(z5 NWKS)

Another thought. I assume you plant in a potting, or starter mix. I germinate my seeds in damp paper towels, then transfer to potting mix upon germination.

I have found that the deeper I plant the newly germinated sprouts, the more likely they are to emerge without the seed shell sticking the cotyledons together, or with both cotyledons still encased in the seeds. (Helmet heads.)

You might try planting seed slightly deeper, and packing down the potting mix a little firmer, which should encourage better scrubbing-off of the seed shell.

    Bookmark     May 6, 2013 at 1:23AM
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LynnMarie_(5 SW Kansas)

"Looks like I have finally received my last blizzard and freeze for this cycle."

We can only hope! I am planting my tomatoes this week one way or another. They won't live much longer in their little pots.

Ekgrows, have you tried asking your question on the hot pepper forum? They may have some more ideas for you.

Lynn

    Bookmark     May 6, 2013 at 7:07AM
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digdirt2(6b-7a No.Cent. AR HZ8 Sun-35)

Ahh but these parasites, if they exist, will survive how long exposed to the elements? Plus this assumes that no parasites already exist normally with in soil. They do. tapeworms, whipworms, roundworm, hookworms, misc. protoza, to name just a few. Not to mention all the bacteria and fungi.

As mentioned "Gardens grow in dirt" and it will never be a sterile process, nor would it work if it was. Thus the "wash your hands and wash your food" guideline in gardening.

While pregnant women are advised to avoid dealing with litter boxes due to the possibility of toxoplasmosis they are also advised not to raise chickens or other fowl or be exposed to manures while pregnant due to histoplasmosis, not to work with garden chemicals, and many other things. But we aren't talking about pregnant women and the OP has already pointed out that they are not growing root vegetables or other low growing crops.

So scare warnings about unrelated issues serve no point.

Dave

    Bookmark     May 5, 2013 at 10:16PM
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lucillle

Sigh. A family with a one year old child is a family that might add to their family again. These warnings are on point, not to dissuade gardening, but to give knowledge.
It is the sort of knowledge one appreciates knowing about before the fact.

    Bookmark     May 6, 2013 at 5:48AM
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