Quarantine Vegetable Gardens

[PayrollNerd]

Try putting a heating pad under your starts. They love warm dirt.

I would have never thought to use a heating pad! Yesterday I was able to get my heavy Christmas Cactus transferred to the “plant condo” aka metal microwave rack. Now that it’s all set up, it occurred to me, when the temp drops, I won’t be able to move it away from the window. The bottom pane of that plastic lanai window is gone. Other than covering the shelf, I was wondering what I was going to do. Thanks so much for the tip!!

 

[mickey2942]

So, I found out today that if you spend over $150 at Home Depot that if you apply for a Home Depot credit card, you get $50 off...

I might have spent some money today, at Home Depot, for my garden...

 

[mickey2942]

Who is starting their garden?

 

[PayrollNerd]

Who is starting their garden?

Text with my oldest....
Her: Can I still plant a mango tree in your back yard?
Me: Of course. But you will need to take care of it because I don’t think I can touch it after the last reaction I had.
Her: I don’t think it needs anything after you plant it.

Blissful gardening ignorance of the young. Oh my. This should be fun to watch. She lives an hour south.

 

[mickey2942]

Text with my oldest....
Her: Can I still plant a mango tree in your back yard?
Me: Of course. But you will need to take care of it because I don’t think I can touch it after the last reaction I had.
Her: I don’t think it needs anything after you plant it.

Blissful gardening ignorance of the young. Oh my. This should be fun to watch. She lives an hour south.

Well, you could water it, without touching it. Florida is a strange place, it seems so humid, but trees need a lot of water.

I should get more motivated, right now it is beautiful outside, 60! But, I know Montana...this weekend, it could blizzard and be 20. This time of year is tricky here.

 

[Kavya01]

Who is starting their garden?

First year in a looong time I am not feeling excited nor motivated. Just tired from this past year and being cooped up 24/7/365 with two teenaged boys and husband (Fully Remote Learning and Fully remote work). Still so cold here in NJ too. Snow predictions for Friday.

But inside under grow lights in their plastic tent are 3 flats bellpepper plants getting their 5th and 6th true leaves,, just up-potted them from their 1 inch cells to 3 inch pots. Also two flats of leek seedlings. Really should start planning when to seed the tomato flats, should do that in the next week or two as well. I just want to spend a few weeks on an uninhabited island in the Caribbean. Alone! with some wine and 50 books!

 

[mickey2942]

First year in a looong time I am not feeling excited nor motivated. Just tired from this past year and being cooped up 24/7/365 with two teenaged boys and husband (Fully Remote Learning and Fully remote work). Still so cold here in NJ too. Snow predictions for Friday.

But inside under grow lights in their plastic tent are 3 flats bellpepper plants getting their 5th and 6th true leaves,, just up-potted them from their 1 inch cells to 3 inch pots. Also two flats of leek seedlings. Really should start planning when to seed the tomato flats, should do that in the next week or two as well. I just want to spend a few weeks on an uninhabited island in the Caribbean. Alone! with some wine and 50 books!

I hear ya'. We had to move to a larger place this year. Home all of the time, a small apartment was not cutting it.

I am going to plant inside tomorrow.

 

[Auntie Cipation]

It's still two and a half months from our usual planting date. I don't have grow lights or anything, though I do have some shelves up high (out of cat reach) in a nice southern window and I have sometimes started a few things there.

I have a rather neglected cold frame in the yard and if I get that cleaned up, I might get some early broccoli or chard going, or maybe even lettuce.

Also, this winter I bought a mini greenhouse kit, and then never got around to putting it up (long line of projects in the way including a large pile of dirt at the intended location, itself awaiting a plumber to install a standpipe, but I don't want to call the plumber until I'm vaccinated, and on and on...) BUT if I find an alternate location I could get going on the greenhouse just to start experimenting with it. I have a few ideas already for where else it might withstand our occasional-but-very-strong winds.

 

[Deleted member 158085]

Who is starting their garden?

My husband just dug out more space and emptied the compost bins on them. So we're starting to prepare.

 

[mickey2942]

My husband just dug out more space and emptied the compost bins on them. So we're starting to prepare.

This is my new hobby. I have grow lights, the whole thing.

 

[Kavya01]

This is my new hobby. I have grow lights, the whole thing.

Looking great, what did you seed?

 

[mickey2942]

Looking great, what did you seed?

Everything! If half of these grow, we may be in a forest. Peppers, tomatoes, herbs, veggies, flowers...I have two raised beds in my garden space, and plan to plant around the perimeter of the yard. Should be interesting.

 

[Midwestmom2019]

Good idea. Not sure I have one. Geez, we have a garage full of clutter...no heat pad.

Of course, and the minute I throw something out to declutter, I NEED IT!!!!

 

[mickey2942]

Of course, and the minute I throw something out to declutter, I NEED IT!!!!

I made grow lights from old lights we had...my husband was very smug..."You told me to get rid of those".

 

[Midwestmom2019]

I made grow lights from old lights we had...my husband was very smug..."You told me to get rid of those".

I saw your shopping post and then decided to add the following: Has it warmed up enough to start your outdoor gardening? As I recall, those grow lights came in handy. I’ve just started sowing seeds. But I was FLOORED that many outdoor annual impatiens survived the sleet and freeze. I guess they were covered with so much leaf mulch that it did nor affect them. Mexican petunias are starting to sprout new shoots from the ground despite the old stalks being frozen solid. Gardenias survived. So much has made it. I’m glad that I didn’t start ripping out what appeared to be dead too soon. The weeds of course came through like old troopers.... did not lose any of them.

 

[Midwestmom2019]

While I’m here, can anyone recommend new gas powered equipment for garden use? My
mower barely survived the flood, but I think it’s finally overcome with age related issues. All the new mowers on line have mixed reviews. Same with leaf vacuum/ blower equipment. After the simple leaf mulch did such a great job of protecting all the plants, I thought sucking them up, grinding them through the blades and then redistributing them over the beds would be a good idea. But the equipment is meh quality. I’m trying to mechanize my gardening chores because I can’t keep up with all the hands on, organic work I used to do in the past.

 

[Midwestmom2019]

While I’m here, can anyone recommend new gas powered equipment for garden use? My
mower barely survived the flood, but I think it’s finally overcome with age related issues. All the new mowers on line have mixed reviews. Same with leaf vacuum/ blower and shredding in one step equipment. After the simple leaf mulch did such a great job of protecting all the plants, I thought sucking them up, grinding them through the blades and then redistributing them over the beds would be a good idea. But the equipment is meh quality. I’m trying to mechanize my gardening chores because I can’t keep up with all the hands on, organic work I used to do in the past.

 

[mickey2942]

I saw your shopping post and then decided to add the following: Has it warmed up enough to start your outdoor gardening? As I recall, those grow lights came in handy. I’ve just started sowing seeds. But I was FLOORED that many outdoor annual impatiens survived the sleet and freeze. I guess they were covered with so much leaf mulch that it did nor affect them. Mexican petunias are starting to sprout new shoots from the ground despite the old stalks being frozen solid. Gardenias survived. So much has made it. I’m glad that I didn’t start ripping out what appeared to be dead too soon. The weeds of course came through like old troopers.... did not lose any of them.

No. There is a weather advisory out today, for snow and severe cold temperatures. I put out some seed potatoes awhile back, will see how they fare.

I am waiting for May to even put out spinach, beets, and peas.

Yeah, the great plan for indoor starting seeds, crash and burn. Our cat loves to "supervise" the seedlings. A few have survived her "help,".

 

[Midwestmom2019]

No. There is a weather advisory out today, for snow and severe cold temperatures. I put out some seed potatoes awhile back, will see how they fare.

I am waiting for May to even put out spinach, beets, and peas.

Yeah, the great plan for indoor starting seeds, crash and burn. Our cat loves to "supervise" the seedlings. A few have survived her "help,".

I saw the great set up. Maybe you could construct a “greenhouse” over the seedlings using hanger wires, bent into a semi circle then covered with clear plastic. Like Quonset huts. If they have claws, mothballs will keep them away. All that work. You must have had a thousand seedlings. Those poor babies....

 

[PayrollNerd]

Me..... the lady who has nothing growing at the moment.... LOL!