Vegetable Gardening

[papaver]

I did set up a grow light in the basement, and I used it for the seeds, but what I really need is a greenhouse...so maybe next year...(kayak?...greenhouse?...kayak?...greenhouse?...)

get a plexi see through kayak that you can use as a greenhouse.

[OakLeaf]

You'll need someplace to store your 'yak anyway. Why not in the greenhouse?

FWIW, I never had any trouble with my tomato seeds (or the other nightshades). The soil has to be maintained at 80-90°F (27-32°C) until germination, and the pots and soil should be sterile.

If the ambient temperature is low, to maintain the soil temperature, the heating pad should be set on high and the flats should be loosely covered (and if you're using a household heating pad, make sure it's one that's rated for moist heat!). With a tight cover you could probably get away with setting the pad lower, but then you'd run into troubles with moisture control and ambient molds. I never did invest in a thermostatically controlled seedling heat mat, but I always kept a soil thermometer stuck in one of the cells.

My sweet corn's up . Pre-sprouting the seeds indoors under a damp paper towel for 36-48 hours gives me close to 100% germination of untreated seed, even when the soil temperature is only 60°F or so. I haven't done sweet corn in several years just because it's so resource-intensive - and it's not in the best spot in the garden - so we'll see how it does. I'm going to kidnap some horse manure from my new neighbor.

[tulip]

Ah, well I'm sure the soil wasn't and isn't so warm. My basement, which is a wonderful wine cellar, is about 63F year round. Next year I'll get the heating pad. This year, I'll just buy some plants. It's getting late already!

I love the plexi kayak idea!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Call me lazy, but no way I am doing all that stuff to start seeds in my basement! Our basement is fairly well used already, space wise.
Me, I get intense satisfaction from picking up some great heirloom tomato plantlings from my local nursery a little before Memorial Day weekend. It's fun to pick them out!
I do like planting faster growing things from seed though!

I think if I planted corn I'd have every raccoon in the neighborhood climbing over my fence! (at least that's what the locals tell me)
Happily, organic corn is fairly obtainable and reasonably priced around here now.

Made tuna salad for dinner tonight, which we'll have over a bed of our own lettuces just picked an hour ago.

[short cut sally]

CA in NC
I can tell you what's in my pesto, I just can't give you specific measurements as I just throw it together
Basil, pine nuts (some people use other nuts), olive oil, real grated parmesan cheese, and garlic (use either whole cloves or that chopped stuff from a jar)
I usually put my pine nuts in the food processor first, then add the rest of stuff with the grated cheese absolutely last. You can add as much oil as you like. you want it so it spreads fairly nice but not runny.
From what I hear, in order to make good pesto, basil is to be picked before it flowers. I've used it both ways, When I set up to make pesto, it all goes in the processor. I can't tell one basil leaf from another.
Good luck, it really is simple. Once you get the hang of it..store bought just isn't the same.

[OakLeaf]

I've read that you shouldn't add parmesan to pesto that you plan to freeze; instead, mix it in after it's thawed.

Honestly, I've frozen it both ways and haven't really noticed a difference.

What I do get is a lot of oxidation and discoloration on the top couple of mm. Doesn't seem to affect the flavor though, if it's not too ugly we'll go ahead and eat it.

Any opinions on either of those?


Also, electric fence is mainly for groundhogs, but it keeps the raccoons out too. That's why I have a ground wire between the two hot wires, in case they try to climb it. They did walk off with most of my tomatoes one year. I tried to get a picture of two raccoons raiding my bird feeder last night, but it was too dark to shoot through the window, and when I opened the door, they took off. A friend of mine is having trouble with crows stealing his sweet corn seedlings this year - says this is the first time in years of gardening that that's happened to him. So far they've left mine alone, touch wood.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

This morning I took a few pix of my little tomato patch- that has now become way more than tomatoes!
Thanks to suggestions here, I rearranged the stone path to take up less space and planted quite a few rows of new seed up and down along every single available space...lots of lettuce (leaf and romaine), 3 kinds of radishes (cherry red, white, and French Breakfast), bok choy, scallions, and more chard. As you can see, things are happening!
We've been eating some lettuce and chard in salads already, and I'm now thinning radish seedlings. Today I saw a 1" toad hopping around under the lettuces.
I am so pleased with how much more I am growing (and hope to harvest) from my little space now! It's been about 20 years since I last grew my own lettuce, in Puerto Rico. Interestingly, the same variety- Black Seeded Simpson!

Here are some "Before and After" pictures:

From May 9th (pre-redesign):


From today June 4th:

(Some of the seeds like the scallions and bok choy have not come up just yet)

Views from the other end: