While my husband kept his eyes on the road during a Sunday Drive, I took these photos through the windshield
Amazing what the soil, and nature, can produce without our help.
Posts Tagged ‘Seed’
Garden Tips Hints and Cool Things
March 23, 20121) If you are getting ready to sow wildflower seeds, use an empty Parmesan cheese shaker. Fill with a mixture of fine sand and seeds. Then simply shake to spread the seeds as you are planting. The seeds will distribute more evenly. This will also save time.
2) Slugs and snails are coming out. Handpick or place empty 10 to 14oz cans in the ground with the rim at ground level. Fill with beer. The slugs and snails will crawl in for a delicious drink but they won’t get out.
3) Humming birds have arrived, so clean feeders and fill with sugar-water: One part sugar to four parts water, boiled until dissolved, and completely cooled.
If you have garden tips, hints, or something cool or interesting to share, email them to inthegarden@softcom.net and I will post them along with your name.
Happy Friday!
Last Frost Date and Why it Matters
February 22, 2012
With the onset of spring-like weather, it is tempting to put away frost cloths and to plant vegetation and sow seeds outdoors. But, don’t let the sunshine, green field grasses, and emerging buds fool you. Frost and frozen ground can kill or damage plants and seeds leaving you frustrated, discouraged, and broke.
If you are new to gardening or have recently moved, ask your local Master Gardener Chapter or professional nursery person for your zone’s last frost date. They can also tell you what zone you live in or plug in your zip code here to find out. But remember there is more than one zone system. Guest writer and master gardener Robin Ivanoff explains here.
Seed Starting Guide
February 8, 2012
Recently, I came across a FREE, on-line seed-starting guide at Johnny’s Seeds. This is an awesome tool that I hope you will use. Although it’s not a complete list of vegetable and flower crops, it includes those most grown by home gardeners.
In order to explain a couple of things about the guide, I have posted part of it below:
- Once you are at the link, enter the last estimated frost date in your area (where it says mm/dd/yyyy) and the dates following each crop will automatically change accordingly. Is that cool or what!
- In the cell where it says, “Safe time to set out plants (relative to frost-free date)”, the phrase ‘to set out’ simply means ‘hardening off’. This is a horticulture term for placing indoor seedlings outside during daylight to gradually make them more resistant to their new environmental conditions. If you are a gardener who doesn’t have the time or patience to do this and prefer transplanting seedlings directly into the soil, simply protect your tender plants from the hot afternoon sun with a cover cloth until they adjust to the climate.
| Enter spring frost-free date (include year): | mm/dd/yyyy |
|||||
| Crop | Number of weeks to start seeds before setting-out date | When To start inside | Setting-out date | |||
| From | To | Safe time to set out plants (relative to frost-free date) | From | To | ||
| Artichoke | 8 | 19-Feb | on frost-free date | 15-Apr | ||
| Basil | 6 | 11-Mar | 1 week after | 22-Apr | ||
| Beets* | 4 to 6 | 19-Feb | 4-Mar | 2 weeks before | 1-Apr | |
| Broccoli | 4 to 6 | 19-Feb | 4-Mar | 2 weeks before | 1-Apr | |
| Cabbage | 4 to 6 | 5-Feb | 18-Mar | 4 weeks before | 18-Mar | 15-Apr |
After you utilize Johnny’s Seeds’ seed-starting guide, check out their online catalog. I know several master gardeners who are pleased with their service and products. Have fun with both!
In and Around the Garden 