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Post by Deleted on Apr 24, 2009 17:42:39 GMT
In any case, for vegetable gardens, you have to experiment constantly (assuming that you want more varieties of vegetables). It quickly becomes evident what grows really well and what you like the most. You should then devote about 70% of your garden to those things and use the remaining 30% for experiments.
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Post by spindrift on Apr 24, 2009 17:58:41 GMT
Even when I had a greenhouse I couldn't grow brinjals (aubergines). I'm sure they need a lot of sunshine. I also had to grow tomatoes in the greenhouse. It's just too cold in England.
Easy things to grow are: spinach, parsley, runner beans, broad beans, potatoes, beetroot, radishes, lettuce, courgettes (all the squashes)...and all the herbs.
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welle
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om sweet om
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Post by welle on Apr 24, 2009 18:23:35 GMT
I tried to plant some carrot seeds. It's been a couple of weeks at least, and I don't see a thing.
Has anyone grown carrots from seeds here?
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Post by Deleted on Apr 24, 2009 18:34:19 GMT
I have never had my own garden but have participated in my parents' and grandparents' gardens. Some of those damned things take 2 or 3 weeks to sprout. I hate it! I want to see action fast.
I recall that parsley is a really slow sprouter as well, when you plant it from seed.
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Post by Jazz on Apr 24, 2009 19:47:11 GMT
For the first two years, I tried to grow vegetables in about 25% of my garden in the heart of the city. Futile. Not that the veggies didn't grow, they were lush and delicious (the few that I managed to eat), but my garden became an outdoor buffet for the local racoons and squirrels...a feast! Now I grow herbs and they don't seem to want those, thank god. Herbs love my garden soil, and have a beautiful foliage and fragrance. I even plant some in the front garden as a ground cover.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 25, 2009 2:01:13 GMT
My proximity to the river brings all kinds of creatures,opossum,raccoons,squirrels and I occasionally have some munching but not enough to deter my growing. One year they went after my blood oranges,meticulously scraped out rinds,another year they hit my garlic but only a couple of bulbs.Nothing in the winter garden was disturbed. I think down here they have a wide variety of foods to choose from. I suspect my dog and or cats may keep them away as well.Occasionally the compost heap is disturbed after adding to.It all seems to balance out.
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welle
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Post by welle on Apr 25, 2009 6:19:31 GMT
I have never had my own garden but have participated in my parents' and grandparents' gardens. Some of those damned things take 2 or 3 weeks to sprout. I hate it! I want to see action fast. I recall that parsley is a really slow sprouter as well, when you plant it from seed. I hope that's it! I wonder if they got too dry during the hot spell last week. Well, I'll give it a few more days. And I'm with you not being big on seeds. To the carrots, if you're listening: Germinate dammit!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 25, 2009 11:15:15 GMT
moisture is critical for seeds to germinate,carrots are slow.The seed packet usually tells you how many days to germination.Once they've dried out they usually don't,never should dry out between waterings as a general rule for all seeds.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 25, 2009 11:35:14 GMT
Basically I think that all of the items with really tiny seeds take the longest. Bigger seeds are usually ready to pop open fast.
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welle
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Post by welle on Apr 25, 2009 23:27:05 GMT
I still have the package, I'll go check how long they should take.
Can I start some carrot seedlings between some moist tissues, and then plant them when they've germinated? Or put them in a pot inside to germinate? I find it hard to water the garden 1-2 times a day to keep everything constantly moist.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 26, 2009 2:53:47 GMT
I promise it would be 10x easier to water the garden than to try to germinate carrot seeds in moist towels and then try to transplant.I really think carrots are one of those direct sow veggies,I've never seen transplants of them. Again,seed packet should give you the info you need.I guess it depends on how bad you want to grow carrots that will or won't motivate you. :-
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Post by bixaorellana on Apr 26, 2009 15:28:45 GMT
Welle, you are in California, aren't you? I was trying to find information about keeping seed-sown ground damp with newspapers, and ran across this. Since it's still planting season where you are, you might want to get the floating row cover. Anybody know anything about the newspaper trick?
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Post by spindrift on Apr 26, 2009 21:11:28 GMT
Carrots should be sowed directly into the earth and thinned out in due course. Straight carrots are impossible to achieve if the earth is stony. This also applies to parsnips.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 26, 2009 21:36:33 GMT
Tonight on TV, there was mention of a new urbanite desire to grow vegetables in apartment settings. Apparently, lots of people are now growing tomatoes and radishes and herbs in window boxes instead of geraniums, but also even things like potatoes -- now that is just retarded (potatoes at least).
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Post by pookie on Apr 26, 2009 23:44:24 GMT
I have had good results raising seedlings in egg cartons. Put seed raising mix in the indents wet it.sow seeds and put cling wrap over the top.They will stay moist ,If they start to dry out use fine mist spray.Take the cling wrap off when you have a couple of leaves.
I have never raised carrot seeds tho, usually buy seedlings in punnets and plant directly into ground.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 27, 2009 2:53:10 GMT
Why is growing potatoes in windowboxes retarded? They are an attractive plant,nice lavendar white blooms and you get a nice yield(depending on what kind you grow). Then you wouldn't have to worry about them sprouting under your sink.
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Post by spindrift on Apr 27, 2009 6:56:22 GMT
When I lived in a flat in London I was lucky it had a balcony. I grew tomatoes and peppers in growbags as well as flowers. Now, a generation later, my daughter is growing potatoes on a flat roof outside her London window. Nothing changes.
Yesterday, from my seed tray, I planted out 48 parsley seedlings. I sowed fennel and basil seeds that Baz gave me.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 27, 2009 7:17:19 GMT
Casimira, the idea was growing potatoes TO EAT in a window box. That is retarded.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 27, 2009 11:47:58 GMT
I know that's what you meant the first time and I contend,What's retarded about growing potatoes in a window box TO EAT?
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Post by Deleted on Apr 27, 2009 11:51:52 GMT
I don't think the crop would be enough for one meal.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 27, 2009 12:15:32 GMT
One plant's worth.Enough for a meal for me.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 27, 2009 12:26:45 GMT
I think I would prefer geraniums in a window box. Potatoes are 0.50€ a kilo or less at the store downstairs.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 27, 2009 12:37:41 GMT
Well,when the economy tanks I guess this retard will be dining on pommes frites while you admire your lovely geraniums. I think I'll stick some chive plants in between. You should at least consider an edible flower like nasturtiums.
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Post by Jazz on Apr 27, 2009 13:42:33 GMT
Then he could post a recipe for nasturtium salad! That is a rather fine photo of a potato plant.
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welle
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Post by welle on Apr 28, 2009 11:10:13 GMT
Now I want to eat some potatoes after seeing that pic.
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Post by Deleted on May 9, 2009 11:32:30 GMT
Harvested my potatoes yesterday(not grown in window boxes). This weekend will be planting more baby filet beans and some okra and squash. In a slight drought right now so the watering is critical with all these seedlings in the ground. My bitter gourds are taking off.
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Post by Deleted on May 19, 2009 7:28:27 GMT
Here is the vegetable garden that my grandmother and my parents had in eastern France. (I will try to find some photos where you can actually see the vegetables.) The house on the left was my grandparents' house, in which my mother grew up. In 1975, my parents built their own house on the right. Both were sold in 1982 when my parents moved back to the United States with my grandmother in tow.
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Post by spindrift on May 19, 2009 10:52:25 GMT
That's a lovely place to have lived....K.
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Post by Deleted on May 19, 2009 13:48:25 GMT
I planted some seeds of these cassava melons. They have sprouted but I'm doubtful of their making it all the way. They are grown in the SW states. I don't think we qualify. Will wait and see.
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Post by spindrift on May 19, 2009 14:23:49 GMT
I hope they'll thrive.
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