When does this forum wake up? :)

[ellenrr]

I'm ready to talk gardening.
so here's what's new since my latest post-
I'll be growing lettuce for a friend - I start it, then give it to her, she can grow it in a big pot on her porch, hopefully safe from critters.
A chef friend asked me to start watermelon radishes. Do you know what they are?
Here is a picture-


beautiful huh?

hope the animals won't eat them.

I'm also going to work with an herbologist who wants me to mentor her in growing a herb garden, and in return I'll learn about harvesting.

I found some great seed-starting soil at a local garden center - a mixture of peat, humus and vermiculite.

ok that's all for me.
I know there must be people out there planning their spring garden....

[NRaleighLiberal]

1. I am wondering the same thing! Big time gardener here- blogging my season

http://nctomatoman.weebly.com/nctomato-and-garden-blog.html

Got thousands of babies up and growing under lights in my garage!

[ellenrr]

2. cool. What are you growing? n/t

[NRaleighLiberal]

3. you name it...right now lettuce, Asian Greens, spinach seedlings,

with tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and tomatillo just behind them...beets, all sorts of flowers and herbs.

[beac]

4. My guess, based on last year... about one more week!

If everyone else is like me, they're excited to get going but dreading the possible disappointment of a hideous, freezing March. ;)

[dgibby]

5. I just moved back to my hometown in Va.

We're up in the mountains-almost WV. I've been away from here for 42yrs, but IIRC, last frost is end of Mar, beginning of Apr. When do you start setting out your plants?

[beac]

6. Where I am in VA, we can get frost as late as the end of May, with the first week

of May being average. I am a 90% container gardener (for my veggies, anyway) and last year I waited until mid-may to put everything out and suffered for that late start. This year, I'll transplant into 1-gallon pots in early April and haul those in and out as necessary and then transplant into the big pots in early May (with sheets and blankets at the ready to cover on cold nights.)


(edited for typo)

[Dover]

7. Waking up...yawn.

It's pretty warm already here - almost to 80 degrees yesterday! - though we're not past last frost date for a few more weeks. But I was brave and planted some things like curly kale and some heirloom tomatoes. I bought six packs and am holding back half of them in my little green house just in case. But even if it does threaten to freeze I think I can just throw some row cover over the ones I planted outdoors. In fact I'd recommend the row cover over hoops for a freeze protection setup (like a tunnel) for anyone wanting to get a jump on things.

[FloriTexan]

8. Things popping up all over...

Daffodils and Hyacinths have broken ground. Seeds germinating in the greenhouse - Holly Hocks, Hyacinth bean vine, a good number of miscellaneous flower seeds from cosmos to zinnias (a surprise mix from my neighbors garden) and basil. Waiting on moon flowers, gerbers and hoping to see a cantebury clematis coming up somewhere. I'm not done planting seeds yet. Going to fertilize the bulbs today, trim the tree. ... ... ... I have a bad case of spring fever.

[Dover]

9. Hotcaps (or rather frostcaps) to protect your plants

I mentioned in my post above that I'll use row cloth over hoops to protect the plants I've started early outside if there's another frost. But perhaps even easier are these little 'caps' of row cloth type material that you just place over your plants until they are stronger and free of frost.
The major difference between this and row cloth, from what I can tell, is that row cloth allows rain to penetrate it where as the description here says nothing will penetrate it (except light of course).






Original Hotkaps™ - Set of 20

Protect plants in seconds
Extend your growing season by up to 4 weeks, and never fear frost again. Protect and nurture plants with these simple, convenient and very effective waxed-paper domes. When cold weather threatens your seedlings, just get out your Hotkaps and shield your plants in seconds. Frost, rain, even insects can't penetrate them. Created in the 1930s for commercial growers.

■Hotkaps can be set in place quickly and easily for emergency protection
■Help to regulate temperature and hold moisture
■100% compostable
■Each about 6 1⁄2"H, 11"OD
■USA made

Note: Hotkaps can be reused if handled with care.

http://www.lehmans.com/store/Gardening___Original_Hotkaps____Set_of_20___1123900?Args=