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  • RBeckomRBeckom Posts: 2,191 ✭✭✭
    jgibv:
    RBeckom:
    Bought some Rutgers this week, I plan on trying to get outside this weekend and get them in the ground.
    A late start for sure, but here we have a late frost date so we will see.
    Supposedly we are to dry out somewhat by then, besides, I simply want to feel the sun on my face.
    Rutger is a type of tomato, right?

    If so, I would think that as long as you keep them well watered, and they don't get scorched by the sun/heat ... you got a good shot of getting some fruit before summer's over.

    Either way though --- good luck getting them in the ground, hopefully your soil is easier to work with than ours is right now.
    We haven't had much rain this week and it's been warm and sunny, so the grounds starting to get as hard as a rock.


    I was hoping to transplant our 2 flats hibiscus seedlings into the ground this weekend, but I'm afraid it will be too difficult unless we get a little rain between now and then.
    Might have to wait until next week.



    My problem has been way too much rain this year.
    Rutgers are without a doubt my favorite tomato, firm, juicy and plenty of acid to give it a slight bite.
    I hope things improve for you.
    As for gourds, they're the only thing that has really done well in all this moisture.
  • jgibvjgibv Posts: 9,244 ✭✭✭✭✭
    RBeckom:
    My problem has been way too much rain this year.
    Rutgers are without a doubt my favorite tomato, firm, juicy and plent of acid to give it a slight bite.
    I hope things improve for you.
    As for gourds, they're the only thing that has really done well in all this moisture.
    Too much rain is worse than not enough rain.
    At least I can drag out the hose and give the plants a good drink when needed ... much harder to dry out a water-logged garden.
    I understand your frustrations.

    Hope it gets better for you too and things dry up ... if not you may have to plant some more gourds instead :-/

    * I have a new address as of 3/24/18 *

  • BigshizzaBigshizza Posts: 15,659 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Updated... Lets see how your gardens are doing image
  • RBeckomRBeckom Posts: 2,191 ✭✭✭
    Bigshizza:
    Updated... Lets see how your gardens are doing image



    Nice.
  • jgibvjgibv Posts: 9,244 ✭✭✭✭✭
    -- Sunflowers are as tall as the 6 ft fence now ....
    Only one has flowered already (short plant on the left and the flowers facing the wrong way...not too sure why).
    image

    -- Mint is growing like CRAZY!!
    (Need to drink more mojitos!)
    image

    -- Planted some more leeks and onions --- they seem to be coming along pretty well.
    image

    -- Peppers starting to look good....
    image

    -- So are the tomatoes....
    image

    -- Garden's getting a little crowded though ....
    -- We didn't think the row of tomato plants (on the left) would grow as well as they are ... (we got the seeds for free at Home Depot) ... so next year they're going in a different bed (will have the whole bed to themselves) and I'm going to plant a few more seeds and try to get a dozen or so plants.
    -- The (4) basil plants were twice as tall last week but we chopped them back and dried the leaves this past weekend.
    image

    * I have a new address as of 3/24/18 *

  • RBeckomRBeckom Posts: 2,191 ✭✭✭
    Looks like you will have a fine year.
    As for my garden, my wife pulls knee high grass to feed our ponies.
  • jgibvjgibv Posts: 9,244 ✭✭✭✭✭
    RBeckom:
    Looks like you will have a fine year.
    As for my garden, my wife pulls knee high grass to feed our ponies.
    I'm hoping so .... the rain finally let up but it's going to be in the 90s all week.
    Very humid too.
    I can tell the plants are thriving in the hot weather and just soaking up these long, sunny days. (Going to have to water everyday this week though.)

    I'm very surprised the tomatoes are doing so well.
    I wasn't sure how the sunflowers would do either, so I only made about a 10-15 ft long bed for them ... but seeing how well they're growing makes me want to plant them the whole length of the fence next year.

    And I'm surprised how well some of the other plants have recovered after getting off to a slow start and getting some leaf damage due to a late frost.



    How many ponies do you have, Rodney?
    You should snap a couple pictures and post them if you get a chance. No animals like that here in town; but I love visiting the in-laws house since they live "out in the country." The don't have livestock anymore but we always pass lots of farms with cattle, pigs, or horses on the way to their house.

    * I have a new address as of 3/24/18 *

  • RBeckomRBeckom Posts: 2,191 ✭✭✭
    jgibv:
    RBeckom:
    Looks like you will have a fine year.
    As for my garden, my wife pulls knee high grass to feed our ponies.
    I'm hoping so .... the rain finally let up but it's going to be in the 90s all week.
    Very humid too.
    I can tell the plants are thriving in the hot weather and just soaking up these long, sunny days. (Going to have to water everyday this week though.)

    I'm very surprised the tomatoes are doing so well.
    I wasn't sure how the sunflowers would do either, so I only made about a 10-15 ft long bed for them ... but seeing how well they're growing makes me want to plant them the whole length of the fence next year.

    And I'm surprised how well some of the other plants have recovered after getting off to a slow start and getting some leaf damage due to a late frost.



    How many ponies do you have, Rodney?
    You should snap a couple pictures and post them if you get a chance. No animals like that here in town; but I love visiting the in-laws house since they live "out in the country." The don't have livestock anymore but we always pass lots of farms with cattle, pigs, or horses on the way to their house.



    Just two, a Mare and a Stallion, both miniatures that are kept in my front yard. Hopefully soon we will have a new addition to our little flock. They should fit right in with our eight dogs.
  • RBeckomRBeckom Posts: 2,191 ✭✭✭
    The Stallion is a true miniature standing twenty-eight inches at the shoulder while the Mare is a crossbreed and about four inches taller with black socks on all four feet. Both were free so I have no complaints.
    :-)
    Other than no grass in the front yard!
    photo 100_7161_zps9b20f11a.jpg

    photo 100_7167_zpse641afd2.jpg
  • jgibvjgibv Posts: 9,244 ✭✭✭✭✭
    ^^^^^^^^^^^^
    Very cool, Rodney!

    You're welcome to bring them up this way, they can munch on as much grass in the backyard as they want as long as it saves me from mowing!

    What kinds of dogs do you have? Are they big dogs?
    Either way, I bet it's entertaining to watch the ponies and dogs run around together.

    * I have a new address as of 3/24/18 *

  • RBeckomRBeckom Posts: 2,191 ✭✭✭
    jgibv:
    ^^^^^^^^^^^^
    Very cool, Rodney!

    You're welcome to bring them up this way, they can munch on as much grass in the backyard as they want as long as it saves me from mowing!

    What kinds of dogs do you have? Are they big dogs?
    Either way, I bet it's entertaining to watch the ponies and dogs run around together.



    One thing early taught is that dogs and horses do not mix well. The stallion especially has a ruthless temper for dogs. We keep our pens and hence our yards fenced apart from one another as well as the garden spot, I don't like dog pee on my vegetables.
    :-)
    All our dogs were drop offs or either bottle fed by my wife from day one for one reason or another and all are large breed dogs from a Black Lab to an Australian Shepard and several mixed hounds.
  • RBeckomRBeckom Posts: 2,191 ✭✭✭
    I've been watching the soil closely lately for the chance to fire up the tiller. Manure was applied directly by allowing my mini-horses to clean up my garden this past fall so I should save a lot on fertilizer this season and just may-be after my surgery, which has healed wonderfully, I will not be over run with weeds this year. Time to start collards and cabbage see now. I will be putting them in the ground in mid February. So starts a new year.
    :-)


  • Would love to grow them, but few bumps in the road are preventing that. Where did you get your seeds from?
  • RBeckomRBeckom Posts: 2,191 ✭✭✭
    JMartinez10:
    Would love to grow them, but few bumps in the road are preventing that. Where did you get your seeds from?


    I order from New Zealand and The UK for the most part. I feel that the seed here in the states, with the exception of new varieties, has become intermingled some what but there are several companies in the US that guarantee their seed to be pure. I have used a few such in the past with good results and a few times grew Early Girl tomatoes in place of the Rutgers seed that I had planted. basically I will recommend no one company in particular for the fear of causing you to have a bad experience and it be my fault.
  • jgibvjgibv Posts: 9,244 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Had the 2nd story windows and back porch windows replaced in December...they were the original wood windows from when the house was built in 1920.
    The upstairs windows were smaller so we had the window guys take them away.... but I saved the 7 windows from the back porch. I haven't measured them yet but I'd estimate they're about 36x18 inches.

    I want to build a "mini" greenhouse that I can set on our back deck, the style would be similar to this only ours would not be "decorative". I'd paint the inside black to help hold heat and have shelves for pots/flats. It would be used to start the seeds before transplanting them in the ground --- http://designdreamsbyanne.blogspot.ca/2011/09/how-i-built-baby-greenhouse.html
    I want to construct it in a way that it can be easily disassembled and stored in the garage during the "off months".


    My wife and I have already been planning out the garden for this year. Going to do probably a half dozen mini-sweet bell pepper plants, a dozen or more tomato plants (mix of romas, beefsteak, cherry), and maybe 1 hot pepper plant. We'll have all the "usual" herbs and spices as well. Haven't decided on onions/garlic yet.
    Also, trying to find a better place to plant the sunflowers this year since they were too close to the fence last year and the squirrels absolutely destroyed them.

    * I have a new address as of 3/24/18 *

  • jgibvjgibv Posts: 9,244 ✭✭✭✭✭
    It's 44 here in central Ohio today and the sun is shining. The snow is melting and I can again see patches of grass in the yard and the mulch is starting to peek through the flower beds.
    It's supposed to reach 60 tomorrow. Such a tease.

    I'm itchin' to get outside again. But the cold temps will return next week and there's more snow in the forecast.
    I'll have to keep myself busy with "inside projects" for a little while longer. I'm still planning my build for the "mini-greenhouse/cold frames" and hope to have those constructed in early March.

    The peppers and tomatos could be started soon. I'll have to see if my F-I-L has any extra space indoors and could get a few seeds started for me.

    * I have a new address as of 3/24/18 *

  • jgibvjgibv Posts: 9,244 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Brought the seed packets up from the basement this weekend and got a new 72 cell seed starter tray from the store. Some of the seed packets are a couple years old so I'm not sure if they'll all take ...
    We filled out all the cells, and if we get half to them to sprout and take off, I'll be happy .....
    Anymore than that and I'll have to build another raised bed out in the yard because I won't be able to fit that many plants in the existing beds!!

    We sewed the following seeds:
    Sweet basil - 6 cells ... Lettuce - 11 ... Fennel - 6 ... Peter Red Pepper - 1 ...
    Tomatoes: San Marzano - 12 ... Roma - 6 ... Brandywine - 6 ... Amish Paste - 4 ... Delicious - 4 ... Compact - 4 ... Super Sauce - 3 ... Opalka - 3 ...
    Hoping to get a big yield of tomatoes again this year for canning.

    image

    Talked with my father-in-law over the weekend and he's got a number of seeds started too. And it sounded like he'll be bringing us a dozen or so different plants....including some sweet mini-bell peppers, a mix of tomatoes, red cabbage, & onions....
    Looking to be a full garden this year.....

    * I have a new address as of 3/24/18 *

  • jgibvjgibv Posts: 9,244 ✭✭✭✭✭
    SPROUTS!!!!!
    image

    * I have a new address as of 3/24/18 *

  • SashavoiSashavoi Posts: 8
    I have a small garden on my balcony, mostly dill, parsley and chilli pepers. Haven't planted them yet this year.
  • Thanatos0320Thanatos0320 Posts: 577 ✭✭✭
    I love gardening. I'll have tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, and watermelons this year. I just planted a Stella cherry tree during the fall. I'd like to venture into herbs to see how I like that stuff.
  • rsherman24rsherman24 Posts: 7,297 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Have my pepper seeds starting now. Will be putting the tomato seeds in the cells this weekend. Have 10 weeks till frost date is clear here in PA. Can't wait to get out in the yard and get the beds ready. Planted my first garlic bulbs last fall. Can see them sprouting through the mulch now that the snow has melted
  • Thanatos0320Thanatos0320 Posts: 577 ✭✭✭
    rsherman24:
    Have my pepper seeds starting now. Will be putting the tomato seeds in the cells this weekend. Have 10 weeks till frost date is clear here in PA. Can't wait to get out in the yard and get the beds ready. Planted my first garlic bulbs last fall. Can see them sprouting through the mulch now that the snow has melted
    what type of peppers do you like to grow? A friend of mine wants to try growing some peppers so i'm going to buy him some "Peter" pepper seeds for him as joke
  • rsherman24rsherman24 Posts: 7,297 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Thanatos0320:
    rsherman24:
    Have my pepper seeds starting now. Will be putting the tomato seeds in the cells this weekend. Have 10 weeks till frost date is clear here in PA. Can't wait to get out in the yard and get the beds ready. Planted my first garlic bulbs last fall. Can see them sprouting through the mulch now that the snow has melted
    what type of peppers do you like to grow? A friend of mine wants to try growing some peppers so i'm going to buy him some "Peter" pepper seeds for him as joke
    Tried them once and didn't grow well. Probably my fault, but I will have to try them again. I grow mostly hot peppers and a bell pepper or two. Jalapeno, Cherry, Cayenne, Habanero. I grew Ghost peppers last year, but they were really too hot to do anything with them.
  • jgibvjgibv Posts: 9,244 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Thanatos0320:
    what type of peppers do you like to grow? A friend of mine wants to try growing some peppers so i'm going to buy him some "Peter" pepper seeds for him as joke
    The phallic pepper....LOL.
    Never had this one "raw" but it is great for chili powders.


    rsherman24:
    Have my pepper seeds starting now. Will be putting the tomato seeds in the cells this weekend. Have 10 weeks till frost date is clear here in PA. Can't wait to get out in the yard and get the beds ready. Planted my first garlic bulbs last fall. Can see them sprouting through the mulch now that the snow has melted
    Do you have good luck starting peppers from seeds? Keep us updated on how they do this year.
    I'd be curious to hear more about your set up too .... do you use indoor lights or set the seed tray in front of a windowsill? Do you use a heat mat?
    rsherman24:
    Tried them once and didn't grow well. Probably my fault, but I will have to try them again. I grow mostly hot peppers and a bell pepper or two. Jalapeno, Cherry, Cayenne, Habanero. I grew Ghost peppers last year, but they were really too hot to do anything with them.
    Do you do them in containers or in ground?
    Ever try serranos? Or cowhorns? I had good luck with those two varieties last year, the serranos are a little hotter than a jalapeno though, use them raw sparingly....but best for powders IMO.

    * I have a new address as of 3/24/18 *

  • rsherman24rsherman24 Posts: 7,297 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Do you have good luck starting peppers from seeds? Keep us updated on how they do this year.
    I'd be curious to hear more about your set up too .... do you use indoor lights or set the seed tray in front of a windowsill? Do you use a heat mat?

    Yeah, last year was great. I use a couple of 4 foot shop lights above the flats. Have them on a chain so I can raise them as the plants grow. The heat mats do work really well. I put 1 flat on the heat mat and within a week some of the seeds were sprouting. Peppers take a while and varieties seem to sprout at different times. I had some older seeds, so I pre-sprouted them (if that is the correct term?). Fold a paper towel and put seeds in between the folds. Wet it and stick in a sandwich bag for a week. The seeds sprouted and I put them directly into the cells. They are growing after 3-4 days in the soil. May be my new method. Mats are expensive and a pain if you have a couple of flats. Tomato seeds are in the bag now. Hope to start this weekend.
    Do you do them in containers or in ground?
    Ever try serranos? Or cowhorns? I had good luck with those two varieties last year, the serranos are a little hotter than a jalapeno though, use them raw sparingly....but best for powders IMO.
    I plant them in raised beds and I use the 2-3 foot plastic window boxes as well. They grow well in the containers, but I usually try to put the smaller plants there. The cayenne's I dry and crush up for a crushed red pepper, and the cherry's I stuff or make a siracha type sauce out of. I want to try some powders this year. I am going to try serranos this year and some Poblano. Let me know about your setup as well. Like to hear
  • jgibvjgibv Posts: 9,244 ✭✭✭✭✭
    rsherman24:
    Yeah, last year was great. I use a couple of 4 foot shop lights above the flats. Have them on a chain so I can raise them as the plants grow. The heat mats do work really well. I put 1 flat on the heat mat and within a week some of the seeds were sprouting. Peppers take a while and varieties seem to sprout at different times. I had some older seeds, so I pre-sprouted them (if that is the correct term?). Fold a paper towel and put seeds in between the folds. Wet it and stick in a sandwich bag for a week. The seeds sprouted and I put them directly into the cells. They are growing after 3-4 days in the soil. May be my new method. Mats are expensive and a pain if you have a couple of flats. Tomato seeds are in the bag now. Hope to start this weekend.
    My father-in-law has a similar set up with "adjustable" shop lights, heat mats, etc. He seems to have good luck with just about everything except tomatoes.
    This is our first year doing seeds indoors .... we have a couple second story, south facing windows that get great sunlight so just filled up the seed tray, set it in front of the window, and the pics above are what we go. Pretty happy about it considering we didn't have to do much to get decent results.

    I didn't "pre-sprout" anything (heck I never even heard of that), but probably should have tried it with the lettuce because they're pretty old and I haven't seen anything sprout yet.
    rsherman24:
    I plant them in raised beds and I use the 2-3 foot plastic window boxes as well. They grow well in the containers, but I usually try to put the smaller plants there. The cayenne's I dry and crush up for a crushed red pepper, and the cherry's I stuff or make a siracha type sauce out of. I want to try some powders this year. I am going to try serranos this year and some Poblano. Let me know about your setup as well. Like to hear
    We have a couple raised beds outside that worked great for tomatoes/herbs/peppers last year.
    I've tried tomatoes and peppers in containers in the past and had mixed results....seemed to be more trouble than they're worth though.
    The only thing that seems to do well in containers for us is herbs.....we have about a half-dozen potted herbs, all about 3 years old now. They get set out on the deck in warm weather, and brought indoors and set in front of south-facing windows in the winter. (Our potted lime tree has been doing well too)

    In the past we've mostly bought small starter plants on sale from the local nursery....or my in-laws have given us starter-size plants that they sprouted from seeds...
    Last season was the first time we started plants from seeds, we did 1 pack of "better boy tomato" seeds and those things grew like crazy! Since we had such good luck with those last season, we were inspired to try more this year.

    I love Poblanos!!! I'm thinking about doing a plant or two if there's any room left in the beds once we get everything else planted.
    And good luck with the serranos, mine did awesome last year.

    * I have a new address as of 3/24/18 *

  • rsherman24rsherman24 Posts: 7,297 ✭✭✭✭✭
    If I had some good sunlight, I wouldn't bother with the lights or mats either. This is the first I have heard of sprouting the seeds myself, but it seems to be working pretty well. I start lots of peppers since I like to try different types, and I can usually stick the extras in whatever space I have left or containers. Once I am ready to put them out, I go to a nursery and pick up whatever I don't have or whatever didn't grow well from seed. I think I start from seed just for something to do in these winter months. LOL. Last year I put the tomatoes out a little early and a frost ruined most of those that I started from seeds. I'll keep you updated through the season.
  • jgibvjgibv Posts: 9,244 ✭✭✭✭✭
    rsherman24:
    ..... think I start from seed just for something to do in these winter months. LOL. Last year I put the tomatoes out a little early and a frost ruined most of those that I started from seeds. I'll keep you updated through the season.
    You hit the nail on the head! As soon as the temp gets above 40 for a couple days I get "garden fever" LOL. We did the same thing last year with our peppers and herbs...put them out early and had a couple cold nights with a late frost or two --- the plants were damaged but actually recovered pretty well, just pruned off the dead and gave them some extra fertilizer.

    * I have a new address as of 3/24/18 *

  • rsherman24rsherman24 Posts: 7,297 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Bad part is now that the snow is melting, I can see all the dog rockets in the yard to clean up. Most from the dog, but some half smoked cigars I didn't like and flipped out into the snow during the winter.

    Most of the stuff survived the frost, but the tomato plants basically just turned to mush. I usually plant lettuce and stuff early as they are pretty stable in the cold. Have to show a little more patience this year for the other plants though.
  • jgibvjgibv Posts: 9,244 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I've searched this forum, but there's quite a few threads on the subject but I'm a bit overwhelmed on information overload....
    I've also looked up info on a couple other sites (including fairtradetobacco.com as webmost recommended)

    But I'm looking for some specific info on Tobacco Plants/Seeds:

    Particularly --- what variety of plant/seed should I get?

    I'm more interested in having a nice looking flowering plant --- but if I can get a variety that has nice flowers .... and will give me usable leaves I can roll cigars with, or try in a pipe that's even better.

    I have about a 15 x 3 foot bed that gets full sun.
    I had good luck growing sunflowers there last year until the squirrels got to them...

    I'd like to try a couple tobacco plants in that space this year.... (I'm moving the sunflowers closer to the deck to hopefully deter the squirrels)

    I like the look of this variety, Nicotiana, Heaven Scent seeds from Burpee CLICK HERE. What do you guys think?

    Obviously these will flower but do you think I'll get usable 'baccy from them?
    If not, can you give me suggestions on a better plant that would flower and give me a little usable tobacco ... I may not even try to cure/smoke the tobacco but I think it would be neat to have that option.
    Or can you guys point me to a specific thread here or another website that would tell me what variety I need?

    Thanks fellas!

    * I have a new address as of 3/24/18 *

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