What did you do in the garden today?

[jnicholes]

Hard Nope from me.
8 sets of sheets hanging in the afternoon sunshine on the massive line. Cold front just came through, shifting the wind and snapping them hard. I'll bring them in in a few minutes when I feed the critters.
Got the frost sheets on the hoops made and installed in the old hoop house.
Went to the village and picked up some solo cups, I'll drill those and get to work after grabbing all the sheets.
First time I've dragged out the sunscreen this year.
I watered all the new trees too.
Neighboring field was drilling to put in new cattle posts. Auger was down 4 feet. The soil is so dry it's like dry coffee grounds. We're in trouble. There is NO ground moisture for planting. Rain is nice, but we need deep moisture.

You and me are in the same situation. We’ve been in a drought situation for a while. We are constantly praying for rain and moisture.

 

[allenw]

Anyone else got rain?

We haven't had enough rain to raise hopes since last November

 

[AMM10]

I’m running a little bit over 20 pages behind and working on catching up so don’t be surprised if y’all get a bunch of reactions from me.

 

[WthrLady]

I noticed that there was a small area of wilting seedlings in the mass tomato starts but thought it was just dry. I went to water today, and the ones that had been wilting, were flat and in the center of other wilting seedlings.
I pulled the healthy ones from the outer edge and potted them up, and tossed the tray and soil.
I saw it in one row in a different flat and removed half that soil and tossed it.
I don't know what bacterium made a bullseye in there, but I'm not taking any chances.
Now the ones I transplanted are isolated until I'm sure there is nothing to spread to the rest of the seeding shed.
I dealt with this last year too. And it's always in these green trays I bought.
No idea, they were cleaned and scrubbed, sunned and then baked in the 130 degree greenhouse when I gassed it too. BTW, did you know a sealed hot greenhouse can MELT planting cells?!

 

[Kikilu]

Joining in for the first time on this thread!
Today I stared at my garden wishing for spring. It’s technically spring here but my last frost date is usually beginning to mid June.
Tomato, peppers and onions are started indoors. Wish I had my chickens last year so I had my own compost for this year. Heavy clay soil and lots of moisture makes spring a challenge!

 

[gtaus]

It took me a while to pot up some seeds, but I have now started some Cherry Tomatoes, Sweet Peppers, Black Beauty Eggplant, Long Thin Eggplant and Banana Peppers. Might get some others done later tonight...

My original idea was to start the seeds in 3-inch net cups and put them in a 10X20 tray, on top of a heating mat. But, my 10X20 tray had holes in it, so I could not bottom water the net cups. My next idea was to use the lid of my Hefty Hi-Rise 72qt Storage bins.

These are the bins that make excellent "mini greenhouses" if you turn them upside down and use the lid as the tray for the pots. The lids are pretty heavy duty, so you can fill them up with pots and lock the clear plastic (bottom) dome on the "tray" and carry them around outside. They stack one on top of the other so you don't waste any space when you bring the plants into the house for the night.

Anyway, I put one of these Hefty Hi-Rise lids on top of my Ferry Morris heating pad and have been checking the temperature of the soil in the pots for the past 2 days. The room temperature in the second bathroom is sitting at 63F. The pots, in the Hefty lid, on top of the heating mat, only got up to 65F.

I think the problem is that the Hefty lid is just too thick for the heating mat to penetrate up into the potting soil. I shot the temp of the heating mat itself with my Temperature Gun and the surface temp of the heating mat was 85F. So, I suspect that the mat is working OK.

I ended up digging through my garage until I found another 10X20 tray, and that one did not have any holes in it. I am transferring my potted seed cups over to the 10X20 tray this evening and will place it on the heating mat. No doubt, the 10X20 tray is nowhere near as thick, or strong, as the Hefty Hi-Rise lids so maybe the heating mat will have more of a chance of heating the soil in the cups.

From what I understand, you only use the heating mat until the seeds germinate and shoot those first leaves through the soil. Then you don't use the heating mat for them anymore. At that point, I'll transfer the net cups back onto the Hefty Hi-Rise lids for the rest of their time until they get transplanted outside.

In case anyone wonders, I can get (18) 3-inch net cups in a 10X20 tray, but the Hefty Hi-Rise lid holds (35) 3-inch net cups. That was another reason why I wanted to use the Hefty HI-Rise lids on the heating mat. Oh well, I hope the heating mat will work with the thinner 10X20 plastic trays and I'll just transfer the cups later.

Also, since I am now back to using the 10X20 tray with limited capacity, I reconsidered my idea of only planting one seed per 3-inch net cup. I am now putting 3 seeds in each cup and will either thin them out to 1 plant per cup, or maybe break up the 3 seedlings and plant them in individual cups when they get a little bigger. I would appreciate any thoughts as to the best way to handle that. Thanks.

 

[jerryse]

Tracking storms and a tornado about 1 hour south. Ordered a heat mat and some lights. I need to up pot tomato plants.

 

[jerryse]

It took me a while to pot up some seeds, but I have now started some Cherry Tomatoes, Sweet Peppers, Black Beauty Eggplant, Long Thin Eggplant and Banana Peppers. Might get some others done later tonight...

My original idea was to start the seeds in 3-inch net cups and put them in a 10X20 tray, on top of a heating mat. But, my 10X20 tray had holes in it, so I could not bottom water the net cups. My next idea was to use the lid of my Hefty Hi-Rise 72qt Storage bins.

These are the bins that make excellent "mini greenhouses" if you turn them upside down and use the lid as the tray for the pots. The lids are pretty heavy duty, so you can fill them up with pots and lock the clear plastic (bottom) dome on the "tray" and carry them around outside. They stack one on top of the other so you don't waste any space when you bring the plants into the house for the night.

Anyway, I put one of these Hefty Hi-Rise lids on top of my Ferry Morris heating pad and have been checking the temperature of the soil in the pots for the past 2 days. The room temperature in the second bathroom is sitting at 63F. The pots, in the Hefty lid, on top of the heating mat, only got up to 65F.

I think the problem is that the Hefty lid is just too thick for the heating mat to penetrate up into the potting soil. I shot the temp of the heating mat itself with my Temperature Gun and the surface temp of the heating mat was 85F. So, I suspect that the mat is working OK.

I ended up digging through my garage until I found another 10X20 tray, and that one did not have any holes in it. I am transferring my potted seed cups over to the 10X20 tray this evening and will place it on the heating mat. No doubt, the 10X20 tray is nowhere near as thick, or strong, as the Hefty Hi-Rise lids so maybe the heating mat will have more of a chance of heating the soil in the cups.

From what I understand, you only use the heating mat until the seeds germinate and shoot those first leaves through the soil. Then you don't use the heating mat for them anymore. At that point, I'll transfer the net cups back onto the Hefty Hi-Rise lids for the rest of their time until they get transplanted outside.

In case anyone wonders, I can get (18) 3-inch net cups in a 10X20 tray, but the Hefty Hi-Rise lid holds (35) 3-inch net cups. That was another reason why I wanted to use the Hefty HI-Rise lids on the heating mat. Oh well, I hope the heating mat will work with the thinner 10X20 plastic trays and I'll just transfer the cups later.

Also, since I am now back to using the 10X20 tray with limited capacity, I reconsidered my idea of only planting one seed per 3-inch net cup. I am now putting 3 seeds in each cup and will either thin them out to 1 plant per cup, or maybe break up the 3 seedlings and plant them in individual cups when they get a little bigger. I would appreciate any thoughts as to the best way to handle that. Thanks.

I bought a tote to try for my tomato starts when up potted. Saw that idea.

 

[TJAnonymous]

Did I mention I set some more eggs in the incubator this weekend? Here's to hoping DH let's me keep a couple this time!

 

[Iluveggers]

Did I mention I set some more eggs in the incubator this weekend? Here's to hoping DH let's me keep a couple this time!
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Such pretty colors! Are they from your own flock?