The Sprout-2016

Somebody couldn't wait on the garden to get ready...ate two of the lettuce plants.

All these years and we've never had that problem.

Bigfoot?

DoctorShavegood said:

Bigfoot?

Click to expand...

Oh, sorry. I thought the cloven hoof prints would be easily recognizable, especially with the small hoof prints right next to the massacred lettuce.

SWBMO suggested closing the gate to the garden like we usually do, but they can clear a 5 strand barbed wire fence like stepping over a stick...or just go through it. May try closing the gate anyway and see what happens...I have it open now since there are no cows or horses in the pasture right now.

I would close the gate and open the freezer door.

I managed to get a good feed of strawberries. Between the birds and the wife they are hard to get to. I bought some in and left them out for the better half, she accused me of wasting them for not eating what I picked. When I told her that they were for her she advised me that she just eats them in the garden. Hmmmm that explains it.

Strawberries from the garden and French vanilla ice cream. Life is good.

Man waters his garden and Double Trouble strikes.



Thief. Man he's quick.





......and that's why I built the fence. Ok it's the wife, birds and dogs who beat me to the strawberries.
You snooze you lose here.

Chris, spray some pepper juice on those strawberries and see what happens.

DoctorShavegood said:

Chris, spray some pepper juice on those strawberries and see what happens.

Click to expand...

That won't stop it.
May last lab pulled a whole chilli plant loaded with pods out of the garden. She took it into her kennel and eat it all.....hot dog

We've got a dog who has learned to navigate the thorns of the blackberry bush.... I used to get 6-8 gallons of berries per year out of those bushes... now I get 2 gallons and a fat dog.

Guys,
reading this thread motivated me to ruffle through some seed packets my father had accumulated before he died and plant some pots with a few modest things for my kitchen window (living in an apartment...) :

parsley
basil
2 different types of lettuce

Some of the seeds are a bit old, so I'm curious whether these still work...

br,
ToM

Just stick the seeds in some dirt and see what happens. I have used seeds that were a few years old, but someone with more experience may chime in.

And buy another fresh pack or two of whatever you want to put in also...seeds are cheap. Do you have a patio or balcony for your apartment?

My condolences about your Dad...mine is gone also.

tomtom42 said:

Guys,
reading this thread motivated me to ruffle through some seed packets my father had accumulated before he died and plant some pots with a few modest things for my kitchen window (living in an apartment...) :

parsley
basil
2 different types of lettuce

Some of the seeds are a bit old, so I'm curious whether these still work...

br,
ToM

Click to expand...

I hope your seeds germinate ok. Only one way to find out.

simon1 said:

Just stick the seeds in some dirt and see what happens. I have used seeds that were a few years old, but someone with more experience may chime in.

And buy another fresh pack or two of whatever you want to put in also...seeds are cheap. Do you have a patio or balcony for your apartment?

My condolences about your Dad...mine is gone also.

Click to expand...

Hi,
I already stuck some of the seeds into flower pots with dirt - now the waiting has begun :=)
I don't have balcony or patio, so the window sills will have to do.

Thanks for your condolences, it is the way things go...


br,
ToM

Another visitor...bigger tracks this time; looks like from last night. Nothing was massacred this time; looks like just went up and smelled the onions and moved on.

Was going to put the potatoes in this weekend but still too wet. Did get the new small Honda tiller running this afternoon so we can mangle the weeds between the rows...when we get rows.

Maybe you guys can help me. I live in an apartment so I don't have a garden but I am trying to keep a couple of herbs in a pot on my balcony. They are not doing well. I don't have great sun exposure on the balcony but I feel where I have them positioned they should be getting enough. I never had an issue growing herbs next to flowers and vegetables during New England summers and while Florida is a new climate for me this has been a particularly cold couple months so I know the plants aren't getting fried. If anything the cold nights beat up my cilantro and dill. (I plan to expand my selection of herbs if these ones come around). I have tried different watering schedules as I thought I was drowning them because the soil didn't seem to be absorbing water but I don't want to underwater either. I've lately been watering 2-3x/week. The plants are hang on but they aren't producing useful growth atm. If anyone has advice I'd be most appreciative.

I'm definitely not a trained horticulturist so take this for what it's worth. I've tried herbs inside only (the one time I tried them outside we had floods and they drowneded) and the only window where they would be out of the way was the kitchen window which is on the north side of the house with a covered porch outside so not much sun. Didn't have much luck.

I thought about trying a grow light but never got around to it. You can pick up the single bulbs and put them in a drop light or get the longer fluorescent light type for about 40 bucks or so and try that...if you have a place to put it on your balcony.

http://www.gardeners.com/buy/indoor-gardening/grow-lights/

http://www.homedepot.com/b/Lighting-Ceiling-Fans-Commercial-Lighting-Grow-Lights/N-5yc1vZc9h4

Are you doing any feeding? It could also be a bit cold yet for them, but you said you never had a problem up North.

Like I said, I'm not a horticulturist. My gardening technique is about like my mechanic work on cars...if something on the car is not working I just keep throwing parts at it until it's fixed.

Maybe someone with more experience with herbs will chime in.

Probably not enough sun, no substitute for that.

dave

Garlic and rhubarb have punched through.
Planted micro-greens today for the kitchen window sill.
And a crocus, sure sign that spring is almost here, time to move life back outside.dave

^Forty-eight hours on and the micro-greens have started to sprout.
dave

Good stuff Dave, spring has sprung.