February Winter Gardens: come on in and chat for a spell. What's up?

[Faith-manor]

So in Michigan, it is Antarctic at the moment. According to Mark, the basil, mint, oregano, and green onions are still going okay in the window. He had put a plant light on them to help because it has been so grey all the time.

At shan gra la, the mountain house in Bama, the sun is shining and it is up to 60 degrees. I found the raspberry plants, put in the second week of October were buried in 4 ft deep wet leaves that had blown that far and gotten caught on the fence we made for them to grow on. I have raked all of that out, and the canes look okay. Phew! The leaves are now in a pile free of the fence with eh wind slowly blowing them down into the cove. The fig and kiwi may not have survived that insane cold, ice storm mess at Christmas here. The kids were visiting his parents in P.A. when it happened so they were uncovered. It is a wait and see, but I am not holding out hope. The pomegranate, nectarine, and peach trees all looked pretty good, and the blueberry bushes have new growth, so does the grapevine. They were in a protected area of the yard so potentially did better for that reason.

Mark is coming at the end of the month to make two raised beds for green beans, and two raised beds for tomatoes. To be honest, with a new baby, a premature new baby, I do not see dd being able to handle more than that. She does have strawberry plants coming back in containers on the back deck. So I think that will be the extent of her gardening.

Edited February 5, 2023 by Faith-manor
Typos

[Laura Corin]

I cleared some leaves from the bed outside the sun room so we can see the snowdrops coming through. And I spent an hour cutting back the brambles that come over the wall from the adjoining field . It's a few degrees above freezing here.

Edited February 5, 2023 by Laura Corin

[prairiewindmomma]

Daffodils are up in the neighborhood, but no bud swell yet on the trees. Bare root trees are in the nurseries, but we usually get a Valentine’s Day blizzard so I am holding off on doing much of a spring startup.

I do need to till in my green mulch cover soon so it can be nice and broken down before St. Patrick’s day plantings….

[popmom]

It’s time to prune my roses. I’ve been procrastinating because the climber is a mess!

I’m so obsessed with my new Aerogarden and how well the lettuce has done in it, that I’ve been stalking all the resale sites and Amazon Warehouse for another deal. Apparently that $35 Harvest was a unicorn! So I made my own! 🙂 I bought a cheap aquarium air pump and tubing, cheap air stone, a 10 gallon Sterilite bin from Walmart. The only other thing I had to buy was a hole saw drill bit. I think that was the most expensive part at $11. I’ve been saving used k-cups and making them into grow baskets using a cheap soldering iron. (Then my husband told me he can bring me an endless supply of used k-cups from the office 😍😍😍)

Anyway, it’s up and running under a grow light I already had. We’ll see how it goes. 

[Faith-manor]

1 minute ago, popmom said:

It’s time to prune my roses. I’ve been procrastinating because the climber is a mess!

I’m so obsessed with my new Aerogarden and how well the lettuce has done in it, that I’ve been stalking all the resale sites and Amazon Warehouse for another deal. Apparently that $35 Harvest was a unicorn! So I made my own! 🙂 I bought a cheap aquarium air pump and tubing, cheap air stone, a 10 gallon Sterilite bin from Walmart. The only other thing I had to buy was a hole saw drill bit. I think that was the most expensive part at $11. I’ve been saving used k-cups and making them into grow baskets using a cheap soldering iron. (Then my husband told me he can bring me an endless supply of used k-cups from the office 😍😍😍)

Anyway, it’s up and running under a grow light I already had. We’ll see how it goes. 

I would love to see a picture of it!

[popmom]

Just now, Faith-manor said:

I would love to see a picture of it!

You don’t have to ask me twice lol

hold on

[SHP]

My big February garden update:

I had to buy more garden stakes. So much excitement. Is it March yet?

[Rosie_0801]

It's pretending to be autumn here, but I know better. I'm using the pleasant temperatures to dig a new bed, and I'm threatening the pumpkin vine. If it won't produce pumpkins, I'll eat the damned leaves. Unfortunately, It is not responding to threats. 😠

[SHP]

2 minutes ago, Rosie_0801 said:

It's pretending to be autumn here, but I know better. I'm using the pleasant temperatures to dig a new bed, and I'm threatening the pumpkin vine. If it won't produce pumpkins, I'll eat the damned leaves. Unfortunately, It is not responding to threats. 😠

Did you make sure you have male and female flowers? Pumpkins are not eligible to adopt so same sex unions don't result in pumpkin offspring.

[popmom]

The bin is clear, and that’s bad for hydroponics. I have it wrapped in towels until I find a more permanent solution. I had a really hard time finding the right size bin, so I couldn’t be picky about whether it was opaque or not. Right now the tubing is run where I should have another plant growing. I’ll use the soldering iron to make a small hole in the lid as a permanent home for the tubing. I moved the big lettuce plants out of the aerogarden in to this because they were towering over my slower growing herbs. Nothing has died yet!

[SHP]

27 minutes ago, prairiewindmomma said:

Daffodils are up in the neighborhood, but no bud swell yet on the trees. Bare root trees are in the nurseries, but we usually get a Valentine’s Day blizzard so I am holding off on doing much of a spring startup.

I do need to till in my green mulch cover soon so it can be nice and broken down before St. Patrick’s day plantings….

You can plant trees and bushes in the winter. Some would argue it is better than spring. Just water when above freezing. 

[Faith-manor]

17 minutes ago, Rosie_0801 said:

It's pretending to be autumn here, but I know better. I'm using the pleasant temperatures to dig a new bed, and I'm threatening the pumpkin vine. If it won't produce pumpkins, I'll eat the damned leaves. Unfortunately, It is not responding to threats. 😠

Boy, I hate it when tempestuous plants do NOT respond to verbal abuse! They should be like my students, and do what I tell them to do! 😁

[Faith-manor]

11 minutes ago, popmom said:

The bin is clear, and that’s bad for hydroponics. I have it wrapped in towels until I find a more permanent solution. I had a really hard time finding the right size bin, so I couldn’t be picky about whether it was opaque or not. Right now the tubing is run where I should have another plant growing. I’ll use the soldering iron to make a small hole in the lid as a permanent home for the tubing. I moved the big lettuce plants out of the aerogarden in to this because they were towering over my slower growing herbs. Nothing has died yet!

This is great!!!

[Faith-manor]

41 minutes ago, SHP said:

Did you make sure you have male and female flowers? Pumpkins are not eligible to adopt so same sex unions don't result in pumpkin offspring.

We need to fight for full civil rights for same sex plants!

Edited February 5, 2023 by Faith-manor

[Carol in Cal.]

Bringing in oranges, Bearss limes, Meyer lemons, and the occasional Mandarin from our garden currently.  Not getting scurvy here!

[popmom]

5 minutes ago, Faith-manor said:

This is great!!!

Thanks for geeking out with me! No one in my fam will. Dd1 is annoyed by the bright lights, everyone else gets annoyed with the messes I make. ;). I’m doing better about keeping all my “projects” in this one corner of the basement. And a little on the kitchen counter. And a few under a sunny window, and some stuff on the porch… 🫠

[Miss Tick]

19 minutes ago, popmom said:

The bin is clear, and that’s bad for hydroponics. I have it wrapped in towels until I find a more permanent solution. I had a really hard time finding the right size bin, so I couldn’t be picky about whether it was opaque or not. Right now the tubing is run where I should have another plant growing. I’ll use the soldering iron to make a small hole in the lid as a permanent home for the tubing. I moved the big lettuce plants out of the aerogarden in to this because they were towering over my slower growing herbs. Nothing has died yet!

That looks so good! I would love to do that. Is there a website with instructions that you used, by chance?

[popmom]

Just now, Miss Tick said:

That looks so good! I would love to do that. Is there a website with instructions that you used, by chance?

Yes! I have to take my spoiled dog for a quick drive, but I’ll link when I get back!

[Rosie_0801]

40 minutes ago, SHP said:

Did you make sure you have male and female flowers? Pumpkins are not eligible to adopt so same sex unions don't result in pumpkin offspring.

I have explained all about the birds and the bees...

I guess it wants to stay single.

[Faith-manor]

16 minutes ago, Carol in Cal. said:

Bringing in oranges, Bearss limes, Meyer lemons, and the occasional Mandarin from our garden currently.  Not getting scurvy here!

That is awesome! Dd is going to buy a couple of Meyer Lemon trees and try to grow them as houseplants.

[Carol in Cal.]

19 minutes ago, Rosie_0801 said:

I have explained all about the birds and the bees...

I guess it wants to stay single.

There is a really easy to see difference in appearance of male vs. female flowers that predicts whether you will get pumpkins or not.

Here is more info: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/squash/female-male-squash-blossoms.htm

 

[Carol in Cal.]

20 minutes ago, Faith-manor said:

That is awesome! Dd is going to buy a couple of Meyer Lemon trees and try to grow them as houseplants.

One thing I love about this variety is how well the fruit holds on the tree, so the picking season is very long, almost indefinite.

[Faith-manor]

34 minutes ago, Rosie_0801 said:

I have explained all about the birds and the bees...

I guess it wants to stay single.

Its these Gen Z kids refusing to reproduce. 😠

[popmom]

This is a link to the instructions I used to get started  on the DWC thing. After researching a bit, I decided to go for a bigger size. I think the Aerogarden net pots are 1.5 inches? I decided I wanted to do 2 inch net pots so I have the option of growing something bigger--like a dwarf tomato. Since I'm doing everything as inexpensively as possible, I Googled DIY net pots. I found a Reddit post where someone said that k-cups were the perfect size for 2 inch hydroponic set ups. They aren't quite as deep as I would like, but that shouldn't be a problem once the roots grow out of them. Until then I'll have to be diligent about keeping the water level up high enough.

This is the bin I used.

This one from Target was what I originally wanted. They were out of stock at my store. If this works out, I'll get this next time. It's not quite as deep as the recommended 10 inches, but I think it would work. Plus it's opaque.

Air pump --it has a t connection that will allow me to add one more bin although it may not give me enough bubbles. I'm not trying to keep fish alive though, so...

Air stones

Most aquarium tubing is translucent--which encourages algae. So I found this

I used a 1 3/4 inch hole saw. This has a bit that attaches to any drill. (But not an impact driver--which would be overkill anyway). A 2 inch hole would let the net pots fall through, so that's the reason for the 1 3/4 inch bit. This was the hardest part. Dh had to help me hold the bin still. The plastic discs would get stuck up inside the hole saw, and I would have to pry them out before doing the next hole. Still only took a few minutes.

Plant food I already had for the Aerogarden. It should last many months.

I'm testing out these in place of the typical grow sponges because they are supposed to be reusable. The downside is I have to start my seeds in regular seed starting mix, and then move them to this when they are big enough. I'm trying them with a few purple basil seedlings I had already started. I will probably go ahead and get some regular sponges, too. Starting seeds in the Aerogarden sponges is so easy.

I forgot the soldering iron!

I think that's everything. Total cost (not including the plant food I already had) was $62 plus tax. I won't have to buy any more tools, tubing, or stones if decide to make another one. 

 

 

Edited February 6, 2023 by popmom

[SHP]

FYI: For those of you still in the midst of the cold winter I have some great news! 

Bulbs are steeply discounted right now and you can still plant them!

I suggest a pick ax to break up the frozen ground. Or planters. 

[Serenade]

4 hours ago, Rosie_0801 said:

It's pretending to be autumn here, but I know better. I'm using the pleasant temperatures to dig a new bed, and I'm threatening the pumpkin vine. If it won't produce pumpkins, I'll eat the damned leaves. Unfortunately, It is not responding to threats. 😠

I didn't know you could eat pumpkin leaves!  I thought you were joking, but I looked it up, and sure enough, they can be eaten!  I'm happy to know this. 

[Serenade]

I've not done much other than get a couple of milk jugs sown with echinacea and rose mallow seeds.  I wanted to plant some anise hyssop this weekend, and I brought in my milk jug already filled with dirt because it is so much easier to plant seeds at counter height inside. However, the dirt was frozen since it went down into the teens the other night. So I had to put it in the mud room sink to defrost, and I'll probably try again tomorrow.

[ScoutTN]

My daffodils are 5-6” high and some are getting close to blooming. We need some sunny days! 

[Carol in Cal.]

3 minutes ago, ScoutTN said:

My daffodils are 5-6” high and some are getting close to blooming. We need some sunny days! 

That reminds me--the irises are about 8 inches tall now, but of course no buds yet.

And I seem to be getting an amaryllis plant.  Although it is unlikely to flower.

[Rosie_0801]

17 minutes ago, Serenade said:

I didn't know you could eat pumpkin leaves!  I thought you were joking, but I looked it up, and sure enough, they can be eaten!  I'm happy to know this. 

I think I learned it from the Pasta Grannies channel on Youtube.

[cjzimmer1]

With a good foot of snow of the ground, I'm still only thinking about indoor things.  But I've picked a dozen cucumbers so far and they seriously are one of the best tasting veggies I've eaten in forever (well at least since last summer when I had fresh stuff from the garden). Lettuce stuff is going strong but a couple of plants are starting to go to seed.  I didn't plant near enough to keep up with volume of greens that we eat so will need to work out a system to get more planted as well as have a series so I've got new plants coming on board when the old ones are starting to lose their steam.  My tiny tim tomatoes are about 2 inches tall and looking nice and green.  I think I had the light to bright at first as they were very pale and looked a bit burned.  I turned the brightness down and gave them a dose of fertilizer and the new growth is looking much better.  My potato plants are now about 8 inches tall.  I've never grown potatoes of any kind before so it's a fun experiment to see how they do indoors.  

[Carol in Cal.]

Has anyone else ever tried throwing spinach seed out onto the snow and hoping that it will come up right after the snow melts?  I read this in a novel, of all places (Moo by Jane Smiley, a personal fave) and have tried it several times but it has never worked out.  Any luck?

[SHP]

34 minutes ago, Carol in Cal. said:

Has anyone else ever tried throwing spinach seed out onto the snow and hoping that it will come up right after the snow melts?  I read this in a novel, of all places (Moo by Jane Smiley, a personal fave) and have tried it several times but it has never worked out.  Any luck?

No. Squirrels exist.

[popmom]

2 hours ago, cjzimmer1 said:

With a good foot of snow of the ground, I'm still only thinking about indoor things.  But I've picked a dozen cucumbers so far and they seriously are one of the best tasting veggies I've eaten in forever (well at least since last summer when I had fresh stuff from the garden). Lettuce stuff is going strong but a couple of plants are starting to go to seed.  I didn't plant near enough to keep up with volume of greens that we eat so will need to work out a system to get more planted as well as have a series so I've got new plants coming on board when the old ones are starting to lose their steam.  My tiny tim tomatoes are about 2 inches tall and looking nice and green.  I think I had the light to bright at first as they were very pale and looked a bit burned.  I turned the brightness down and gave them a dose of fertilizer and the new growth is looking much better.  My potato plants are now about 8 inches tall.  I've never grown potatoes of any kind before so it's a fun experiment to see how they do indoors.  

I can’t remember now… how are you growing cucumbers indoors? What variety is it?

[popmom]

55 minutes ago, SHP said:

No. Squirrels exist.

My cats exist, too, for such things. 😉 

They’ve never actually killed a squirrel that I know of, but they are an excellent deterrent. I’m very tender hearted, and supervise my cats as best I can when they go outdoors.** I’ve rescued many chipmunks—enough times that I actually think my cats know I don’t want them to hurt them! 

**once I was made aware that “predation from domestic cats is the number one, direct human caused threat to birds in the U.S. and Canada”, I started keeping closer tabs on their adventures. Mine don’t seem to be interested in birds. Just chipmunks and lizards. 

 

Edited February 6, 2023 by popmom

[SHP]

35 minutes ago, popmom said:

My cats exist, too, for such things. 😉 

They’ve never actually killed a squirrel that I know of, but they are an excellent deterrent. I’m very tender hearted, and supervise my cats as best I can when they go outdoors.** I’ve rescued many chipmunks—enough times that I actually think my cats know I don’t want them to hurt them! 

**once I was made aware that “predation from domestic cats is the number one, direct human caused threat to birds in the U.S. and Canada”, I started keeping closer tabs on their adventures. Mine don’t seem to be interested in birds. Just chipmunks and lizards. 

 

Due to many reasons, I will never again allow a cat to be outside without a leash and leash training. The only exception is if we build a cataco and that is probably not going to happen.

[SHP]

47 minutes ago, popmom said:

I can’t remember now… how are you growing cucumbers indoors? What variety is it?

I think with any variety a human has to facilitate fertility. I could be wrong and would love to be so am waiting the response. 

[popmom]

11 hours ago, SHP said:

Due to many reasons, I will never again allow a cat to be outside without a leash and leash training. The only exception is if we build a cataco and that is probably not going to happen.

That’s wonderful—really ideal.
 

I seek to have a balance. For better or worse these cats are domesticated and not native to our environment, but their natural instincts are still very much who they are. I love them and appreciate everything about them. They adore being outdoors doing their “cat things”. I know of cats who are 100% content staying indoors at all times. Then there are cats who are bound and determined to get outside no matter how hard their owners try to keep them in. I personally think it’s cruel to never allow those cats the opportunity to be outside—off leash. And that boredom/stress will cause issues inside the home. For cats outdoors —It’s a risk—not just to birds—but to the cats as well. I’m well aware of every angle. So, yeah—I think you have to find that balance. We have 3. We let them have access to the outdoors a few times a week. They are usually content to come back inside after a couple of hours. Two of them rarely ever leave our yard. The one that does love to roam—we put a tracking collar on him before letting him out. We pay $13 a month for the service. It’s fascinating to see where he goes! He legitimately needs that stimulation. Otherwise he starts over grooming, losing hair, gets really nasty skin infections…it’s no joke. He becomes miserable. Many vet visits for much $$$—to discover that it’s stress/boredom causing his illness. Feliway helps but is no substitute for what he gets being outdoors. We do the best we can. 🙂

Eta: my orange son was kneading up a storm on my arm as I was responding to this, so I thought I’d share a proud mom photo of him. 🙂 plz pardon my appearance as I’m worn out and not dressed to impress. 😉

 

 

 

Edited February 6, 2023 by popmom
Delete pic for privacy :)

[popmom]

1 hour ago, SHP said:

I think with any variety a human has to facilitate fertility. I could be wrong and would love to be so am waiting the response. 

I hand pollinate squash in summer due to my impatience, so I’m up for it!

[cjzimmer1]

7 hours ago, popmom said:

I can’t remember now… how are you growing cucumbers indoors? What variety is it?

I'm growing a Parthenocarpic variety called Picolino.  I wanted the self polinating kind because I didn't want to have to mess with trying to do that myself.  There are several kinds but I picked that kind for the simple fact that one of the vendors we order from for the greenhouse had that variety so I asked that it be added to the business order so I didn't have to pay shipping. But I sprouted them on a paper towel moved them to dirt and now they are growing on my plant rack under a grow light.  There is also a large window there but due to the cold dreary winters we have, any natural light the plants are getting is minimal at best.  

The cucumbers are similar in size to those smaller kinds  (4 -5 inches) that you find packaged in trays or bags at the grocery store but taste so much better!

[Lady Florida.]

17 hours ago, Carol in Cal. said:

Bringing in oranges, Bearss limes, Meyer lemons, and the occasional Mandarin from our garden currently.  Not getting scurvy here!

I miss that! Growing up everyone had some kind of citrus tree and everyone shared. You might have pink grapefruit, your neighbor had navel oranges, your best friend's family had white grapefruit and Meyer lemons, etc. At the house I grew up in we had a tangelo tree, a navel orange tree and a Valencia orange tree. The house ds grew up in, where we lived for 20 years, had pink grapefruit, Valencia orange, navel orange, and loquat. Between hurricanes, freezes, and development so much of that Florida dh and I knew, and even what ds26 knew, is gone. We lost all but the loquat tree in the 2004 hurricanes. They were already mature trees and the stress of three hurricanes in six weeks was just too much for them. The loquat tree went a few years later. Now it seems no one has citrus, not even people who have been in their houses for years and once had such trees. 😞 

[Faith-manor]

I am very aware of human facilitated plant sex. That said, I have never done this because I don't know how to get the consent of my plants. 😁

[popmom]

4 hours ago, cjzimmer1 said:

I'm growing a Parthenocarpic variety called Picolino.  I wanted the self polinating kind because I didn't want to have to mess with trying to do that myself.  There are several kinds but I picked that kind for the simple fact that one of the vendors we order from for the greenhouse had that variety so I asked that it be added to the business order so I didn't have to pay shipping. But I sprouted them on a paper towel moved them to dirt and now they are growing on my plant rack under a grow light.  There is also a large window there but due to the cold dreary winters we have, any natural light the plants are getting is minimal at best.  

The cucumbers are similar in size to those smaller kinds  (4 -5 inches) that you find packaged in trays or bags at the grocery store but taste so much better!

Those seeds are pricey! But very tempting. I love cucumbers.
 

I like your idea of sprouting on a paper towel. I have been having good luck doing that lately. I’m trying it with some old beet seeds right now. 

[prairiewindmomma]

12 hours ago, SHP said:

Due to many reasons, I will never again allow a cat to be outside without a leash and leash training. The only exception is if we build a cataco and that is probably not going to happen.

Thank you. We have several neighbors who let their cats roam, and they are a menace.

Honestly, I am not in favor of cats as pets.....if it is their nature to roam, and they live where they cannot do so, then they are unsuitable for keeping as a pet.  We fuss about zoos keeping elephants who can't stretch their legs; we should feel the same way about cats.

 

[cjzimmer1]

24 minutes ago, popmom said:

Those seeds are pricey! But very tempting. I love cucumbers.
 

I like your idea of sprouting on a paper towel. I have been having good luck doing that lately. I’m trying it with some old beet seeds right now. 

Yes they are!  I cringed at the price when I first went looking but all the Parthenocarpic kinds are pricey compared to the regular ones and especially if you have to add shipping it can be hard to shallow.  But after I've seen how well they produce, I feel I will certainly still be ahead moneywise from buying the same number of cucumbers in the store and these taste so much better.  I get another packet thrown on the business order for next fall already (I'll plant normal cucumbers for the summer because I have plenty of pollinators outside to get them to produce.

 This is just part of the pot.

Edited February 6, 2023 by cjzimmer1

[popmom]

Quote

@

@cjzimmer1 those look great!

[itsheresomewhere]

Time almost to get the seeds started in the green house.  The bulbs are confused and have been coming up since late December but I hope with the extra leaves I have been throwing on them, they have survived these frigid temps.  All strawberries, mint and other berries are nice and snug under a blanket of leaves.  Lettuce will be planted soon outside in the non covered boxes. 
But right now is my orchid time.  Just got three new ones for my collection. The house plants are very happy right now. 

Edited February 7, 2023 by itsheresomewhere

[popmom]

Today it was 70 degrees and sunny. And I’m sick. 😕 

That’s disappointing.
 

My temp is normal though, so hopefully I’ll be better tomorrow. 

[Faith-manor]

12 hours ago, popmom said:

Today it was 70 degrees and sunny. And I’m sick. 😕 

That’s disappointing.
 

My temp is normal though, so hopefully I’ll be better tomorrow. 

I am so sorry! Feel better soon.

[Spy Car]

On 2/5/2023 at 2:45 PM, Carol in Cal. said:

One thing I love about this variety is how well the fruit holds on the tree, so the picking season is very long, almost indefinite.

And Meyer lemons are so tasty. I rarely see this variety in the markets, so it is nice to have trees.

Our dear neighbors have done something interesting. Long ago they established a long row of (many) Meyer lemon trees that they've trimmed as a modestly tall hedge along their front fence. The plants stays pretty (at least here in temperate Los Angeles) and has fruit for long periods. And it smells wonderful when blossoming.

Nice to have a "hedge" that bears such delicious fruit.

Bill