Welcome back!
The stacks of seed catalogs building up around me snapped me out of my winter slumber and now I'm looking forward to Spring!
Here's what happened last time. The summer got hot. I gave up and everything died. Or everything died and then I gave up. Well, maybe a little of both. As the summer baked on, I got tired and literally burnt out. Remember...there's always next year. And guess what? It's already here!! I'm ready to make an early start.
So what can I do for my garden when it's still cold out?
Start seeds.
You can get them anywhere. Take a stroll through the garden center at your local home improvement store and you'll see what I'm talking about. The seeds are being set out, strawberry kits are on the shelves and soon all the new transplants will be rolled in. I'm lucky to be in zone 8b, we have a long growing season. We can plant peas and beans outside now while it's still chilly and get tomatoes and herbs started indoors so we can have some nice, strong transplants ready when it warms up outside.
This year I purchased all of my seed early from Henry Fields. You can sign up on their site for a free catalog. You'll be able to check back here to see how this seed does as the season progresses.
I went hog wild while ordering, so it will be interesting to see how I do. Here's a taste of what I got:
Bush Bean: Early Contender
Snap Pea: Super Sugar Snap
Tomato: Early Girl
Tomato: Hybrid Honey Bunch
Tomato: Yellow Pear
(*I also have two Heirloom varieties (Black Russian and Yellow Northern) from last year- different vendor)
I have 10 other seed packets sitting in front of me, but we're not going to worry about those right now. We're just going to focus on getting the beans and peas in the ground and the tomato seeds started inside. Once this is done, then we'll talk about peppers.
I have lots to do this week! I'll post pics to show my progress!
Go Plant Something!!
Monday, January 25, 2010
Monday, August 31, 2009
RIP Pumpkins!!!
Ok well not all hope is lost...yet! But I'm not having very good luck with my pumpkins.
The temperature hit 108 a couple times this past week and stayed in the 100's the rest of the week. Yes, pumpkins love heat but I think this was overkill! One of the pumpkins that set, and that was turning orange got very soft. There weren't any leaves shading it, and when the high temps hit, it was exposed. I should have tried to shield it a little from the sun, but it didn't dawn on me till it was too late.
I noticed that it was soft yesterday morning. I haven't taken it off the vine yet, I'm still in denial.
The other two are fine and are getting bigger. One is changing color and I'm waiting to see what the other is going to do next...it's growing but it's still very small. I have to take more pics.
I just hope to get at least one big pumpkin by Halloween!!
I planted Conneticuit Field pumpkins and Sugar Pie pumpkins.
The one that is turning orange is the smaller, Sugar Pie. I grew that one out of a container!! Those are my best vines!
Conneticuit Field are traditional jack-o-lantern pumpkins, and Sugar Pie are good for making...you guessed it...Pumpkin Pie!!!
Oh well, it just goes to show you that not everything works out the way we plan it. I planted about 12 seeds, ended up with 9 strong vines and now only have one and a half pumpkins. Those aren't very good odds!
Either way it's been a learning experience...there's always next year!!!
If I don't get the pumpkin of my dreams...I'm going to dress my baby girl up as a pumpkin for Halloween!! She's my pumpkin pie!!!!
The temperature hit 108 a couple times this past week and stayed in the 100's the rest of the week. Yes, pumpkins love heat but I think this was overkill! One of the pumpkins that set, and that was turning orange got very soft. There weren't any leaves shading it, and when the high temps hit, it was exposed. I should have tried to shield it a little from the sun, but it didn't dawn on me till it was too late.
I noticed that it was soft yesterday morning. I haven't taken it off the vine yet, I'm still in denial.
The other two are fine and are getting bigger. One is changing color and I'm waiting to see what the other is going to do next...it's growing but it's still very small. I have to take more pics.
I just hope to get at least one big pumpkin by Halloween!!
I planted Conneticuit Field pumpkins and Sugar Pie pumpkins.
The one that is turning orange is the smaller, Sugar Pie. I grew that one out of a container!! Those are my best vines!
Conneticuit Field are traditional jack-o-lantern pumpkins, and Sugar Pie are good for making...you guessed it...Pumpkin Pie!!!
Oh well, it just goes to show you that not everything works out the way we plan it. I planted about 12 seeds, ended up with 9 strong vines and now only have one and a half pumpkins. Those aren't very good odds!
Either way it's been a learning experience...there's always next year!!!
If I don't get the pumpkin of my dreams...I'm going to dress my baby girl up as a pumpkin for Halloween!! She's my pumpkin pie!!!!
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
My pumpkins are still growing!
I have so many little projects that I want to do but I'm getting lazy! The summer heat is getting to me and I'm ready for Fall! I just need to get some Fall veggies planted, or decide to not do any. (I think I just decided!)
I might just go with some pretty container flowers or something.
All I know is that I have a bunch of empty containers screaming at me to be used!
I'll get to them...and soon I'll be planning out the Spring garden anyway, so I might just wait to use them until then...we'll see!
So the pic at the top of the page is my newest addition...this little guy decided to stick around. I keep walking around the vines everyday pulling off little yellow pumpkins that didn't make it. I was starting to get nervous -- hoping we'd at least get a few for Halloween. But we have three now for sure, and lots of heat left, so you never know!
This one here was the first to set. It's getting bigger and turning orange now! They're starting to look like pumpkins! I have pics of the other one but they came out too dark. I'll have to take more in the morning. I'm using my iPhone right now for pics, so bare with me! lol
There's my little pumpkin patch update for the night! I will be back soon with more!
Friday, August 21, 2009
As Requested...
Hey Jeani Birthstone Rings, thanks for reading and thank you for the comment!! I really appreciate it! I have been meaning to add pictures but I keep getting distracted, so again thanks for pulling me back on track.
My newest pet project is my pumpkin patch. This is my first year growing them and its been fun! I have seriously been talking about pumpkins since April! I planted them in June and I'm finally started to see some actual "fruits" of my labor!
I have sandy soil and an unlandscaped backyard, so I dug a trench -- or as much of a trench as I could dig -- and filled it with bags of garden soil and compost. I kept it watered and planted the
seeds and waited.
I recently saw two new prospects though, so I'm hopeful more will be setting soon.
I learned that pumpkins will start to sprout and set leaves and then they'll just stop for a little while. This is because a lot of the growth is underground.
My newest pet project is my pumpkin patch. This is my first year growing them and its been fun! I have seriously been talking about pumpkins since April! I planted them in June and I'm finally started to see some actual "fruits" of my labor!
I have sandy soil and an unlandscaped backyard, so I dug a trench -- or as much of a trench as I could dig -- and filled it with bags of garden soil and compost. I kept it watered and planted the
seeds and waited.
I also filled a large plastic tote halfway with potting soil and planted some seeds there too. The container sprouted first and the ones in ground took a little longer but they have grown quite a bit!
I recently saw two new prospects though, so I'm hopeful more will be setting soon.
I learned that pumpkins will start to sprout and set leaves and then they'll just stop for a little while. This is because a lot of the growth is underground.They have an extensive root system that takes some time to develop. You start to wonder a little bit...what happened to my plants! They were vigorous then all of a sudden, no growth for like 2 weeks or so. But then all of sudden BAM! They start to vine! They will vine out in all directions and up to 20 feet if you just let them go. You can train them to go where you want, to a degree, but it is possible. I have mine turning all sorts of directions.
Be careful because the stems are very spiny and they will leave tiny splinters in your skin. So wear gloves! I actually need to take my own advice and remember to wear mine!
It's fun to poke around to see where the baby pumpkins are...it's like a treasure hunt!
Once you find your little baby pumpkins keep your eye on them because they grow fast! Mine are changing everyday!
I put a little piece of board underneath them to keep the skin from getting damaged.
I'll update with more pictures soon. The vines are out there growing as I type!
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Fight Fire with...BOILING WATER?!?!?!
Yes! Fire Ants that is!
Do you have a problem with Fire Ants or Red Ants anywhere in your yard? Well if you do...I know first hand what a pain it is!
Now I'm not into randomly killing insects or anything...lots of insects serve a purpose, especially in the garden. But Fire Ants can not only be harmful to you, your family or your pets, but they can also harm your plants! Fire Ants will eat plant tissue and destroy roots. They also mound up right in your soil building a colony of millions of ants. If you see a few dozen ants running around, you know you have thousands right under the surface of your soil.
Now let me tell you a little bit about what I did to get my Fire Ants to move away. Keep in mind, you can never really get rid of these aggressive ants but you can make them move to another location, and hopefully away from your yard.
My Fire Ants popped up right next to my patio slab. I had been turning the soil and pulling out weeds to start my pumpkin patch back in June. After a few weeks, I noticed a mound, and Fire ants swarming the corner of my patio. I freaked because I have a one year old toddling around with me and I also have three dogs who love to lay in the dirt.
Another thing I noticed was a bunch of winged ants fluttering around outside the mound. I started to research this and found that all of the worker ants are sterile, and the winged ants are the ones that mate. On nice, warm, sunny days, they come out of the mound to...well...get it on! Again I freaked! I really didn't want these guys to be reproducing so close to my home, so I had to act fast!
I read about all sorts of ways to control these bad boys! Some were myths, like sprinkling corn meal around so the ants can eat it and explode. Yeah...didn't work! And there were many other methods that involved poison and chemicals but I didn't want to try these since I was going to be planting in this area. Anyway...one thing I did find that sounded interesting was using BOILING WATER.
Water alone will not do the trick since ants can live under water for up to 2 days! Can you believe that! So flooding the mound with a water hose will irritate them, but do nothing to get rid of them. The BOILING part is the key to this solution.
I found this tip online, but I could not find many actual accounts of what happens when you apply this method. So not really knowing what to expect, I tried it.
Let me tell you something...I have never had so much fun boiling water in my life! Sick, I know...but here is what happened...
I filled a large stockpot with water and boiled it, I also threw some squirts of dish soap in, just for good measure. Once it was up to a rolling boil, I cleared my path and headed out with my hot pot and poured it slowly onto the mound and around the area. The water flooded the area, then was absorbed by the dirt and nothing happened. I don't know what I was expecting, but I was a little deflated, so I went back inside.
About an hour or two later, I realized that I had forgotten all about it, and ran out to see if there were any changes to my ant situation. All I could say was...OMG!!!!
There were hundreds upon hundreds of ants pouring out of the mound with another few hundred already dead. I was so amazed! I literally started shaking with excitement and ran inside to fill my pot once more since there were so many ants coming to the surface.
Lets fast forward a little bit...
After each pot I poured, I waited about an hour to check it and I kept seeing the same result. More and more Fire Ants pouring out of the mound.
SIX stock pots later, they finally slowed down.
I gave up for the evening after the 6th pot and the next morning there were still ants coming out, but not nearly as many as the previous day. I was unable to continue pouring water that day but poured another few pots throughout the next day. By the 4th day, there were no more Fire Ants!
I don't know where the rest of them went but they packed up and left my yard. Since then I have not seen any Fire Ants in this area of my yard. Now I see black ants, but they can actually help with pollination in certain plants...but that's another blog entry for another day!
I was so amazed at how many ants were under the surface of my soil! This is one safe, and FREE method that really does work. It is a little time consuming but offers loads of entertainment value, especially if you're a little morbid as I have a tendency to be! You just have to stay on top of it to make sure you get your Fire Ant situation under control.
Here are some tips to remember if you're going to try this out:
Handling boiling water can be very dangerous so BE CAREFUL. Also, make sure that you don't pour any boiling water on any plants that you want to keep around, because the water will kill them. One bonus is that the boiling water will kill any weeds it comes in contact with so that helps if you're prepping an area to plant in.
Good Luck and have FUN!
Do you have a problem with Fire Ants or Red Ants anywhere in your yard? Well if you do...I know first hand what a pain it is!
Now I'm not into randomly killing insects or anything...lots of insects serve a purpose, especially in the garden. But Fire Ants can not only be harmful to you, your family or your pets, but they can also harm your plants! Fire Ants will eat plant tissue and destroy roots. They also mound up right in your soil building a colony of millions of ants. If you see a few dozen ants running around, you know you have thousands right under the surface of your soil.
Now let me tell you a little bit about what I did to get my Fire Ants to move away. Keep in mind, you can never really get rid of these aggressive ants but you can make them move to another location, and hopefully away from your yard.
My Fire Ants popped up right next to my patio slab. I had been turning the soil and pulling out weeds to start my pumpkin patch back in June. After a few weeks, I noticed a mound, and Fire ants swarming the corner of my patio. I freaked because I have a one year old toddling around with me and I also have three dogs who love to lay in the dirt.
Another thing I noticed was a bunch of winged ants fluttering around outside the mound. I started to research this and found that all of the worker ants are sterile, and the winged ants are the ones that mate. On nice, warm, sunny days, they come out of the mound to...well...get it on! Again I freaked! I really didn't want these guys to be reproducing so close to my home, so I had to act fast!
I read about all sorts of ways to control these bad boys! Some were myths, like sprinkling corn meal around so the ants can eat it and explode. Yeah...didn't work! And there were many other methods that involved poison and chemicals but I didn't want to try these since I was going to be planting in this area. Anyway...one thing I did find that sounded interesting was using BOILING WATER.
Water alone will not do the trick since ants can live under water for up to 2 days! Can you believe that! So flooding the mound with a water hose will irritate them, but do nothing to get rid of them. The BOILING part is the key to this solution.
I found this tip online, but I could not find many actual accounts of what happens when you apply this method. So not really knowing what to expect, I tried it.
Let me tell you something...I have never had so much fun boiling water in my life! Sick, I know...but here is what happened...
I filled a large stockpot with water and boiled it, I also threw some squirts of dish soap in, just for good measure. Once it was up to a rolling boil, I cleared my path and headed out with my hot pot and poured it slowly onto the mound and around the area. The water flooded the area, then was absorbed by the dirt and nothing happened. I don't know what I was expecting, but I was a little deflated, so I went back inside.
About an hour or two later, I realized that I had forgotten all about it, and ran out to see if there were any changes to my ant situation. All I could say was...OMG!!!!
There were hundreds upon hundreds of ants pouring out of the mound with another few hundred already dead. I was so amazed! I literally started shaking with excitement and ran inside to fill my pot once more since there were so many ants coming to the surface.
Lets fast forward a little bit...
After each pot I poured, I waited about an hour to check it and I kept seeing the same result. More and more Fire Ants pouring out of the mound.
SIX stock pots later, they finally slowed down.
I gave up for the evening after the 6th pot and the next morning there were still ants coming out, but not nearly as many as the previous day. I was unable to continue pouring water that day but poured another few pots throughout the next day. By the 4th day, there were no more Fire Ants!
I don't know where the rest of them went but they packed up and left my yard. Since then I have not seen any Fire Ants in this area of my yard. Now I see black ants, but they can actually help with pollination in certain plants...but that's another blog entry for another day!
I was so amazed at how many ants were under the surface of my soil! This is one safe, and FREE method that really does work. It is a little time consuming but offers loads of entertainment value, especially if you're a little morbid as I have a tendency to be! You just have to stay on top of it to make sure you get your Fire Ant situation under control.
Here are some tips to remember if you're going to try this out:
- Fill the pot with water and carry it to your desired location BEFORE you boil it! This way you know for sure if you can carry it since water can get very heavy.
- Wear protective gloves.
- Wear shoes! No Flip Flops!
- Wear pants! No shorts! In case the water splashes back on to you.
- Make sure that all children and pets are out of your way.
Handling boiling water can be very dangerous so BE CAREFUL. Also, make sure that you don't pour any boiling water on any plants that you want to keep around, because the water will kill them. One bonus is that the boiling water will kill any weeds it comes in contact with so that helps if you're prepping an area to plant in.
Good Luck and have FUN!
Friday, August 7, 2009
Garden Newbies Unite!
I'm shouting out to all the Newbie Gardeners out there! Are you finding all the answers you need out there on the World Wide Web?
I started this blog out with two "articles" explaining how to start a garden by searching up the web and learning from the experience that others have to offer and followed that up with some ideas to help you get your container garden looking good! If you haven't read those yet, I recommend it. They provide some sort of starting point.
Now to get into some dirt! (*Pun intended)
I want to know what you need to know! If you have any gardening questions that you need help answering...ask me! That's what I'm here for! There is no need to feel alone in your new gardening adventure, and don't get discouraged because the answers are out there to be discovered!
Are master gardeners tired of answering your "newb" questions? Are you forgetting to search the message boards BEFORE you ask your questions and getting scoffed at?
Well...we've all been there! That's why you need to ASK GRACE!
Post any questions that you have in the comment section of any entries I make and I'll help you figure it out, so come back and look for the answer to your question!
I research and research...and research some more. I browse forums all the time looking for great answers and I have found lots of them! So let me share!
Before I leave you, I will end with a tip to help get you growing the garden of your dreams...
Visit with your plants daily...they'll let you know how they're feeling. You don't need some intricate watering schedule, just look at them and you'll know if they're thirsty. If you see your pepper plant wilting but it isn't time to water it yet...don't fret...just give him a drink and I assure you he'll perk right up! Especially since we're in the middle of summer...everyone gets a little parched and our plants are no exception. If they look fine, then just say hi and be on your way and water the next time you come around.
You can also stick your finger or a stick a couple inches down into the soil to see if there is moisture...if the top 2-3 inches are dry, break out the hose. This is just a way to test it out till you get the hang of it all. But I like my plants to tell me what they need.
Bottom Line: TRUST YOURSELF!!!!
I started this blog out with two "articles" explaining how to start a garden by searching up the web and learning from the experience that others have to offer and followed that up with some ideas to help you get your container garden looking good! If you haven't read those yet, I recommend it. They provide some sort of starting point.
Now to get into some dirt! (*Pun intended)
I want to know what you need to know! If you have any gardening questions that you need help answering...ask me! That's what I'm here for! There is no need to feel alone in your new gardening adventure, and don't get discouraged because the answers are out there to be discovered!
Are master gardeners tired of answering your "newb" questions? Are you forgetting to search the message boards BEFORE you ask your questions and getting scoffed at?
Well...we've all been there! That's why you need to ASK GRACE!
Post any questions that you have in the comment section of any entries I make and I'll help you figure it out, so come back and look for the answer to your question!
I research and research...and research some more. I browse forums all the time looking for great answers and I have found lots of them! So let me share!
Before I leave you, I will end with a tip to help get you growing the garden of your dreams...
Visit with your plants daily...they'll let you know how they're feeling. You don't need some intricate watering schedule, just look at them and you'll know if they're thirsty. If you see your pepper plant wilting but it isn't time to water it yet...don't fret...just give him a drink and I assure you he'll perk right up! Especially since we're in the middle of summer...everyone gets a little parched and our plants are no exception. If they look fine, then just say hi and be on your way and water the next time you come around.
You can also stick your finger or a stick a couple inches down into the soil to see if there is moisture...if the top 2-3 inches are dry, break out the hose. This is just a way to test it out till you get the hang of it all. But I like my plants to tell me what they need.
Bottom Line: TRUST YOURSELF!!!!
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