23,948 Garden Web Discussions | Vegetable Gardening

Agree. The odds are 9 to 1 that what you have is one of the hybrid varieties simply because they are far more common. Plus asparagus seeds have a very low germination rate and the greens will be the dominate gene so what you get, if anything, will most likely be green.

You will have much better results, faster production, and better quality if you just invest in some additional crowns and plant them instead.

Dave

Understood. I will start by checking my invoice to see what variety I paid for.

The seeds will still get planted because, well, it's fun. I will note germination rates as well as colour results.

Thank you for the responses.

I planted out my leeks on April 9 last year, April 5 the year before. Actually did the artichokes at about the same time, maybe a week later. Both did fine, no need to wait until last frost. Cheers!

If leeks get too much cold weather when they're young, they think they've been through a Mediterranean winter and they bolt.

Seen it several years when we have one of our spring freezes here in WV.

This is what pin rot looks like....The tissue becomes soft and gives off a very bad odor.

Here is a link that might be useful: SalinasValleyAgriculture

This post was edited by mrdoitall on Sat, Jan 10, 15 at 5:39

Thank you - I didn't see anything like this, so don't think that's my issue. Not sure what in the world, but hopefully won't have it again.

to follow up on compost for the garden results:
I might change my answer that compost is enough because we had different results last year when we moved the garden & built new raised beds in a recently cleared area. Our 1st garden in the new location with a lot more sunlight had amazing growth as compared to a few hundred feet away. We joked that with sunlight you can grow anything & there must be some truth to that though some of the stunted growth in the old garden was from the tall conifer roots soaking up the moisture & nutrients.

I moved our rhubarb one day in late March to the new spot outside of the raised beds & observed incredible growth all season. Granted the plants were larger last year than 5 years ago when first planted, but still it was an amazing difference from 2013 to last year 2014 in the new spot. You'd think the plants would have been stunted by digging them up, but because my soil was so loose from the compost amendments it was easy to keep the clumps intact & cart them over to the new spot with the clump of soil attached then I just mulched around after planting. Where before I would wonder what was wrong with my rhubarb that wasn't huge yet like my dad's now I know it was lacking sunlight not nutrients.

Mulch & occasional watering was all we did for the rhubarb back in the old garden & the new spot. I won't spread my compost on it because applying manure when dormant in fall and early winter is easily composted by spring with the rain washing the nutrients down into the soil. I save the compost for mulching in early summer when the soil has warmed.

You may use 10 to 1 diluted urine for fertilizer too, it works pretty good for me, no more chemical fertilizer.

This post was edited by JCTsai on Sat, Jan 10, 15 at 15:39

Thanks for all of the ideas! I like the cornmeal, egg shells and coffee ground ideas the best. The tooth picks sound good too.

Thanks for all of the ideas! I like the cornmeal, egg shells and coffee ground ideas the best. The tooth picks sound good too.

I'm probably not going to be very popular, BUT.... I had a bed that had great soil, but had hardware cloth( wire very strong and spaced very close together) already in place from crops before we planted our gus.
We ended up planting it just about 6" deep and topping it with tons of compost (as we do each year!).
This is not the optimal way of planting asparagus, but for our situation, it has worked very well!
The gus is ever expanding, and we almost have too much! (NoNo! Never mind! Gus soup is in the freezer!) Nancy

I won't be planting until March. I was just taking advantage of a warm December to prepare a new garden space.

I have a large supply of good garden soil from my previous vegetable garden which will no longer be used. It is a raised lasagna-style bed loaded with rich, wormy, black soil. One way or another, that soil will end up in this new garden.

I don't have rodent problems because of the feral cats living in my back yard.

Thanks

Harry

My (limited) experience is that I winter sow brassica seeds in January. They will sprout when mother nature nudges them to. Last year I planted in raised beds 3 weeks prior to average last frost. They (cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower) all did well. I sowed seeds for the fall crop ~ the 7th of July. I had nice fall crops of cauliflower and broccoli, but the cabbage didn't have enough time to form. I may sow seeds this year 1.5 - 3 weeks earlier for cabbage and probably 1 week sooner for the other 2.

For you, you will want to know your average last freeze (spring) and average first freeze (fall) and sow & plant accordingly.

Also see link below to winter sowing.

regards,
tom

Here is a link that might be useful: wintersowing FAQ

The planting dates are really confusing and hard to believe. As others have said, cabbage and broccoli can be double-cropped in 6B, with spring crops seeded indoors in late Feb, and fall crops seeded in early July. Cauliflower seeds need to be started in early July, too.

I have never gotten decent B sprouts or cauliflower from spring plantings. I now start B sprout seeds the first week of June; the plants bear in November.

Yep. Just came back to say I found that forum. Sorry everyone.

Not a problem. :)

Dave

If you decide against towels I sure hope you'll take them to the pound/shelter. Dogs lay on the bare cold cement inside the cages. I know this for a fact. Just donated three old comforters. Pounds always need blankets, towels, quilts, and comforters.

If rain isn't in the forecast while you're on vacation it might be easier just to throw a tarp or a sheet of plastic over the garden. That it as long as you don't have any desirable plants growing.

Rodney

jennieboyer, I generally watch the cauliflower florets at the base of the head and look for separation. I try to catch it when they just start to separate. This is not always easy to see, especially for the self blanching cauliflowers...Below is a Candied Charm head that is noticeably separated.

Here is a Candied Charm head that is just starting to separate.

Here is a Romanesco Veronica head that is showing first hints of separation. Its a bit hard to see - look close at the bottom florets. I picked it because we are supposed to reach 20 degrees in the AM and I did not want to take a chance on an essentially ready-to-pick head This is my first year growing the Romanesco Veronica and I'm not sure of it's hardiness. I have several smaller heads and will soon know of their hardiness.

. But as noted above by farmerdill it's really a matter of preference.

grandad: those are just about perfect.. any more separation and one has waited too long.

Jennie: I wouldn't let FULL size interfere with harvesting a week or so prior to that potential. Better a week early than a week late. :

Kevin

why havent you shown us a pic of the inside ... drooling too much after cutting them open.. to pick the camera back up ... lol...

any observations as to rind thickness etc???

ken

The skin was around 1/2 inch thick or less. The rest was the edible orange area.

bella-trix, I have raised Nancy Hall many times. I kind of like it as I prefer yellow over orange , red, and white ones. Nancy Hall is sweet but a bit grainy. O'Henry is a yellow that is very smooth. Steele Plants carries both.

Since this is an older thread, I'll suggest two varieties that are not mentioned. Bradshaw is one of the best flavored orange sweet potatoes I've grown. Covington is a recent release that is also an excellent sweet potato.