Gardening 2020...

[d.kaufman]

I lost 6 rows of sweet corn and 1 row of potatoes. What tomato plants I covered with a 5 gal. plastic bucket survived. I sure hope this is the last freeze for the season. Got my sweetcorn replanted today. I am going to wait on the potatoes and see if they come back from any eyes left on the potato underground.

I'm up north so rarely does anything go in the ground before Mothers Day, and it seems like the last few years it's been closer to Memorial Day. We've had 3 frosts in the last 5 days. I haven't even tilled yet this year. Upcoming weekend calling for 1.5" rain. Start of next week looks good, hopefully do it then. Extended forecast showing rain for all 4 days of my long Memorial Day weekend, so not sure when plants will go in. My tomatoes are already over 2 ft tall. I'm so glad I put a greenhouse up this year, at least if nothing else they'll just get transplanted to bigger pots and stay in there

 

[bwframe]

... I am going to wait on the potatoes and see if they come back from any eyes left on the potato underground.

I've had potatoes recover from the tops freezing. I'm guessing they will regrow.

 

[Butch627]

New gardener here. Tomatoes are taking over the house and I want to get them outside. 7 day forecast shows a couple evenings down to 49 degrees next Tuesday night. Is it safe to put them out or am I taking a chance?

 

[Phase2]

49 is no problem at all. However, you don't want to take them out and plant them directly. They aren't used to outside conditions.

I'd bring them out to a protected area to start "hardening" them off so they are used to outside conditions- temperature variations, light, etc. Put them somewhere where they will get partial sun and be protected from high winds. Be sure they are protected from rascally rabbits. Once they've been out 4-days to a week, then you can plant them.

 

[2in1evtime]

All my potatoes got bit but coming back great, we covered everything else that had been planted, tomatoes going in today, and peppers.

 

[Trigger Time]

Corn is in.

 

[tosharri]

Hi...going to start following this thread. We just started four propogation trays about ten days ago...zucchini, lettuce, green onion, broccoli, sweet peppers and hot peppers for veggies (may purchase some plants to complete the rest of our veggies) and herbs - dill, parsley, oregano, basil and catnip...also started some flowers - coreopsis, milkweed, lavender and hollyhock. I'm new at this and probably messed some stuff up but some seedlings are already up and some aren't. The Zucchini are already pretty big, and some of the other seedlings are coming up in clumps. How big should I let the seedlings get before I start thinning the plants? I've attached a photo of what they look like today...Thoughts?

 

[spencer rifle]

The rest of the garden goes in this afternoon. Freezes are done for the foreseeable future, and rain the rest of the week. So it's today or wait a long time.

 

[Phase2]

Hi...going to start following this thread. We just started four propogation trays about ten days ago...zucchini, lettuce, green onion, broccoli, sweet peppers and hot peppers for veggies (may purchase some plants to complete the rest of our veggies) and herbs - dill, parsley, oregano, basil and catnip...also started some flowers - coreopsis, milkweed, lavender and hollyhock. I'm new at this and probably messed some stuff up but some seedlings are already up and some aren't. The Zucchini are already pretty big, and some of the other seedlings are coming up in clumps. How big should I let the seedlings get before I start thinning the plants? I've attached a photo of what they look like today...Thoughts?
View attachment 87061

The basil and lettuce are okay for now. Look for any that are clearly growing larger or lagging. Laggards can be removed at any time. You certainly don't want two plants in a cube as large as those zucchini. When you remove them, if they are tiny, you can probably just pull them out. As they get a little larger, they can entangle the roots and you end up killing both good and bad together. It is safer to clip them when thinning.

Warning: The catnip is in the mint family, which means that it is invasive and will spread. You should either grow it at a part of the properly where you don't care if it ends up spreading or grow it in a container.

 

[tosharri]

The basil and lettuce are okay for now. Look for any that are clearly growing larger or lagging. Laggards can be removed at any time. You certainly don't want two plants in a cube as large as those zucchini. When you remove them, if they are tiny, you can probably just pull them out. As they get a little larger, they can entangle the roots and you end up killing both good and bad together. It is safer to clip them when thinning.

Warning: The catnip is in the mint family, which means that it is invasive and will spread. You should either grow it at a part of the properly where you don't care if it ends up spreading or grow it in a container.

Thank you Phase 2! I will put the catnip in a container all by itself - I understand exactly what you mean by it being part of the mint family and did not know that! Do you think I could try to plant the zucchini now so they don't get in the way?

 

[Phase2]

No- for two reasons.

#1- Looking at the Indy weather, there are thunderstorms over the next 3-4 day and winds of ~20mph tomorrow. Too much for the little guys. They aren't large enough to be a problem in the trays yet.

#2- General rule when going from indoor seed trays to in-ground planting: You need to "harden off" your plants first. They are used to controlled temperature, light and watering. They may wilt and die if thrown directly out into the cold, cruel world.

To harden off seedlings, bring them out to a protected area and get used to outside conditions- temperature variations, light, etc. Put them somewhere where they will get partial sun and be protected from high winds. Be sure they are protected from rascally rabbits. Once they've been out 4-days to a week, then you can plant them. A covered porch may be ideal.

I've killed off plants being too eager to get them going. Don't make that mistake.

 

[tosharri]

All great information - thank you! I've been sitting them outside during the day but bringing them in daily to get them a little more acclimated. Unfortunately don't have a covered porch for them to sit

 

[Phase2]

A porch with the right sun angle is ideal, but under a tree or other shade is fine. Direct sunlight all day can kill off those young seedlings.

 

[PistolBob]

Going to get my plants this weekend....all tilled up, added peat moss and compost...ready to plant peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, and a row of radishes

 

[hoosierdaddy1976]

Pulled the first few radishes this week. They weren't very big but my kids were bugging me to let them try some. My oldest also sampled some of the spinach.

 

[bwframe]

[video=youtube;x55XwEdXlRc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x55XwEdXlRc[/video]

 

[d.kaufman]

With all the rain we've been getting and more to come I still havent been able to even till. Hoping Memorial Day weekend I'll get it done. But for now everything is doing really well in the new greenhouse.

 

[tosharri]

Now that we're starting to settle in our new place, we were thinking of having a little greenhouse/shed built. Any tips anyone? This year I'll just be happy getting my seedlings to grow up

 

[2in1evtime]

Helped wife get the rest of her tomatoes in, then got the new drip irrigation lines ran thru them, dug some horseradish at the neighbors, it was some kind go german type according to him, replanted the tops, soaking roots over night, it was so packed in it was tough to dig out, Hoping it is a good flavored one. went to get onion sets, everyone was out of them??

 

[churchmouse]

Last 2 mater plants are in the ground and caged up. They were half grown when we bought them. That makes 5.
Cucumbers are in the ground.
Should have had the onions in by now but weather and time.