Northern Zone Pushers: watcha doing? - Page 7

bower · March 26, 2014

I was happy to see 55 F in the greenhouse today, very nice for the leeks and turnips and white lisbons and bok choy. Some mizuna and spicy mustard greens have come back from the frozen soil conditions, and even a couple of lettuce plants, to my surprise.
I should put the parsley out too, it's not getting enough light and starting to look like 'var repens'... yes the infamous 'creeping' varieties which are typical indoors in a not so sunny place.

Had a munch of my first bush bean yesterday - they are not Pencil Pod Black Wax at all, I must have mixed up my labels. It's a green bean, and the plant has red speckled stems and violet flowers. Very pretty and a good tasting bean with nice crunch. Could this be Fin de Bagnol? I seeded a couple but thought they didn't germinate. In any case, delighted to grow my first 'late winter bush bean' indoors...success!

Had 20 cm snow to shovel yesterday, and another storm forecast for tonight, they're calling it a 'weather bomb' and is set to deliver 10-15 cm snow and ice pellets, followed by 5-10 mm rain, and winds gusting to 140 km/h which is bad news even by local standards. Yeah... can't wait for spring.

Father'sDaughter · March 26, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmsieglaff

What do you do to prime your spinach seeds? Just give them a soak?

A good one day soak, a day of drying out, and a week in cool storage. I found the info here -- http://www.growveg.com/growblogpost.aspx?id=174

I've never had good luck with spinach germination, so I figured it was worth a shot. They went into DE on Sunday and the watching and waiting has begun.

jmsieglaff · March 27, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by Father'sDaughter

I found the info here -- http://www.growveg.com/growblogpost.aspx?id=174

Great link, thanks for sharing. I've also had the issues with spotty germination, so I'm going to give this a try. The article doesn't say how cool the cool storage period should be--how cool do you store for that week?

Father'sDaughter · March 27, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmsieglaff

Great link, thanks for sharing. I've also had the issues with spotty germination, so I'm going to give this a try. The article doesn't say how cool the cool storage period should be--how cool do you store for that week?

We have a closet with two outside walls and in the winter the temp inside it hangs out in the low to mid 50's, so that's where I put them. I just checked this morning and I see signs of sprouting in five cells!

Kevin1962 · March 27, 2014

Well, I was supposed to get started planting this past weekend, but had to put it on hold so I could build an new enclosure within our hen house for a new LGD pup. So, tomato seeds, pepper seed and everything else will be planted this weekend!

bughunter99 · March 27, 2014

You know that stuff that used to get all over the house when the bean bag chair sprung a leak? That's what was falling from the sky this am. nano-snow balls.

We were supposed to hit a high of 50. Instead we have 40 at 1pm and 30mph gusts. I'll take it I suppose, its not freezing! Though nothing is melting.

The tomatoes have exploded in growth since transplantation they are doing great.

Replanting : spinach, amarynth and malobar spinach and cilantro due to 0% sprouting.

The empty pop-up green house tried to blow away last night. I retrieved it, put it back together and have the usual more tolerant of cold than other things sitting in their today, just to get them some light. They are not stretching but are also not growing, we need some HEAT!

I bought some mini-purple potatoes from the store yesterday that were delicious, so I went back and bought some more to sprout in case my seeds don't get there. They are sprout but smaller than the size of a pencil eraser still, after several weeks.

If I squint, I think a might see a wee bit of green tinge to the deader than I have ever seen it looking lawn. HOPE?

Stacy

Father'sDaughter · March 28, 2014

Just had a honey bee land on my office window!! Spring must be somewhere close by...

bower · March 28, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by Father'sDaughter

Just had a honey bee land on my office window!! Spring must be somewhere close by...

Holy cow.. that is like news from Noah's ark! Land ho!

Cole_Robbie · March 28, 2014

I have a hive next to my greenhouse and had to run from an aggressive bee once today already. My first little seedlings have been going into 6-packs today.

jmsieglaff · March 28, 2014

The deed has been done! Planted tomato seeds today--with final number of plants--mainly for me a couple for others: 8 Sungold (3 plants), 4 Golden Monarch (1 plant), 5 Purple Bumblebee (2 plants), 5 Wisconsin 55 (2 plants), 6 Celebrity (2 plants), 5 Purple Haze (2 plants), 5 Lucky Swirl (2 plants), and 5 Black Krim (1 plant).

Let spring begin!

Cole_Robbie · March 28, 2014

Amen to that. I am a month behind, but happy to have at least something going:
http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x...psec5fdd45.jpg

Kohlrabi, basil, cilantro, parsley, lettuce, cabbage, eggplant, and bell peppers are what is in that picture. The rest are tomatoes.

jakebb · March 28, 2014

Got up to 70 yesterday, but been snowing off and on all day today. The weather can't seem to decide if it is late winter or early spring. Soil hasn't had the chance to re-thaw since the topsoil thawed and then froze again. I think I'll thin my seedlings soon. I had to raise one of my lights for the taller seedlings, some of them were touching the bulbs.

bower · March 28, 2014

The sun shone and it was 90 in the shade in my greenhouse today. Outside the crust on the last storm's snow is the kind so hard you can drive over it without leaving a track. No bees out there for sure. I haven't heard a snipe yet, but then I haven't been outdoors unless I had to be. This time of year, the sound of snipe at dusk is a sign of spring right around the equinox, usually even in a cold year.

I have a couple of trees/herbs in the greenhouse that are normally out by this time of year. The Siberian Ginseng is about to burst into leaf, but the Eucommia and Ginkgo are not showing any sign. Hope they made it, and are just late.

bughunter99 · March 29, 2014

Quote:

Originally Posted by Father'sDaughter

Just had a honey bee land on my office window!! Spring must be somewhere close by...

Its a sign!

bughunter99 · March 29, 2014

Our ten day forecast, while not quite exciting has made some progress. Not a single night below freezing in the forecast for the next ten days, oh its close, mostly 33 and 34's but nothing less! Days are looking like mid-40's except for this weekend. Today is 45 but tomorrow and the next day might tap 60!

That means despite the squish in the soil and the nip in the breeze, hard core work outside the next couple of days.

Pond de-icing, deleafing and water circulation start <--the way things look, I might not get much beyond this, but I remain optimistic. If time allows...

Winter clean up
Mulch pull back on the first beds (if thawed enough) to get the soil warming.
Clean out of all the self watering containers and prep for planting!

I also want to transplant 4 tomato plants that are dragging behind their siblings to see if I can perk them up.

Stacy

March 27, 2014	#95
Kevin1962 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Le Sueur, MN Posts: 9	Well, I was supposed to get started planting this past weekend, but had to put it on hold so I could build an new enclosure within our hen house for a new LGD pup. So, tomato seeds, pepper seed and everything else will be planted this weekend! __________________ *Hoosiertomatoman*

March 27, 2014	#96
bughunter99 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: zone 5 Posts: 821	Bean Bag Dandruff You know that stuff that used to get all over the house when the bean bag chair sprung a leak? That's what was falling from the sky this am. nano-snow balls. We were supposed to hit a high of 50. Instead we have 40 at 1pm and 30mph gusts. I'll take it I suppose, its not freezing! Though nothing is melting. The tomatoes have exploded in growth since transplantation they are doing great. Replanting : spinach, amarynth and malobar spinach and cilantro due to 0% sprouting. The empty pop-up green house tried to blow away last night. I retrieved it, put it back together and have the usual more tolerant of cold than other things sitting in their today, just to get them some light. They are not stretching but are also not growing, we need some HEAT! I bought some mini-purple potatoes from the store yesterday that were delicious, so I went back and bought some more to sprout in case my seeds don't get there. They are sprout but smaller than the size of a pencil eraser still, after several weeks. If I squint, I think a might see a wee bit of green tinge to the deader than I have ever seen it looking lawn. HOPE? Stacy

March 26, 2014	#91
bower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Newfoundland, Canada Posts: 6,793	I was happy to see 55 F in the greenhouse today, very nice for the leeks and turnips and white lisbons and bok choy. Some mizuna and spicy mustard greens have come back from the frozen soil conditions, and even a couple of lettuce plants, to my surprise. I should put the parsley out too, it's not getting enough light and starting to look like 'var repens'... yes the infamous 'creeping' varieties which are typical indoors in a not so sunny place. Had a munch of my first bush bean yesterday - they are not Pencil Pod Black Wax at all, I must have mixed up my labels. It's a green bean, and the plant has red speckled stems and violet flowers. Very pretty and a good tasting bean with nice crunch. Could this be Fin de Bagnol? I seeded a couple but thought they didn't germinate. In any case, delighted to grow my first 'late winter bush bean' indoors...success! Had 20 cm snow to shovel yesterday, and another storm forecast for tonight, they're calling it a 'weather bomb' and is set to deliver 10-15 cm snow and ice pellets, followed by 5-10 mm rain, and winds gusting to 140 km/h which is bad news even by local standards. Yeah... can't wait for spring.

March 28, 2014	#97
Father'sDaughter Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: MA/NH Border Posts: 4,917	Just had a honey bee land on my office window!! Spring must be somewhere close by...

March 28, 2014	#99
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	I have a hive next to my greenhouse and had to run from an aggressive bee once today already. My first little seedlings have been going into 6-packs today.

March 28, 2014	#100
jmsieglaff Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Southern WI Posts: 2,742	The deed has been done! Planted tomato seeds today--with final number of plants--mainly for me a couple for others: 8 Sungold (3 plants), 4 Golden Monarch (1 plant), 5 Purple Bumblebee (2 plants), 5 Wisconsin 55 (2 plants), 6 Celebrity (2 plants), 5 Purple Haze (2 plants), 5 Lucky Swirl (2 plants), and 5 Black Krim (1 plant). Let spring begin!

March 28, 2014	#101
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	Amen to that. I am a month behind, but happy to have at least something going: http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x...psec5fdd45.jpg Kohlrabi, basil, cilantro, parsley, lettuce, cabbage, eggplant, and bell peppers are what is in that picture. The rest are tomatoes.

March 28, 2014	#102
jakebb Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: South Dakota USDA Zone 4b Posts: 24	Got up to 70 yesterday, but been snowing off and on all day today. The weather can't seem to decide if it is late winter or early spring. Soil hasn't had the chance to re-thaw since the topsoil thawed and then froze again. I think I'll thin my seedlings soon. I had to raise one of my lights for the taller seedlings, some of them were touching the bulbs.

March 28, 2014	#103
bower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Newfoundland, Canada Posts: 6,793	The sun shone and it was 90 in the shade in my greenhouse today. Outside the crust on the last storm's snow is the kind so hard you can drive over it without leaving a track. No bees out there for sure. I haven't heard a snipe yet, but then I haven't been outdoors unless I had to be. This time of year, the sound of snipe at dusk is a sign of spring right around the equinox, usually even in a cold year. I have a couple of trees/herbs in the greenhouse that are normally out by this time of year. The Siberian Ginseng is about to burst into leaf, but the Eucommia and Ginkgo are not showing any sign. Hope they made it, and are just late.

March 29, 2014	#105
bughunter99 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: zone 5 Posts: 821	Our ten day forecast, while not quite exciting has made some progress. Not a single night below freezing in the forecast for the next ten days, oh its close, mostly 33 and 34's but nothing less! Days are looking like mid-40's except for this weekend. Today is 45 but tomorrow and the next day might tap 60! That means despite the squish in the soil and the nip in the breeze, hard core work outside the next couple of days. Pond de-icing, deleafing and water circulation start <--the way things look, I might not get much beyond this, but I remain optimistic. If time allows... Winter clean up Mulch pull back on the first beds (if thawed enough) to get the soil warming. Clean out of all the self watering containers and prep for planting! I also want to transplant 4 tomato plants that are dragging behind their siblings to see if I can perk them up. Stacy