Food Gardening 2026

Too bad the motion part doesn’t work.

Manzano chilis in January in Nor Cal


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I think my lemon problem was the same as yours. When it’s 115- or more- for a few days at a time, if you miss a potted citrus watering 2x a day, you’re going to get some immature fruit drop.
that’s my story and I’m stickin’ with it

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pretty tomatoes

https://www.rareseeds.com/tomato-costoluto-genovese

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If you’re growing those right now, I’m moving into your greenhouse.

Na, I’m just browsing. I have not bought this variety yet.

I don’t start tomatoes early anymore. I have 5 cold frame gardens and some cloches. I don’t have a greenhouse.

I have a lamp to set up seedlings inside. I kept running into issues with mold and mildew when watering with the pad underneath the plants, and also when watering plants from above. And even with the lamp, many seedlings became too leggy. So, I don’t use the lamp anymore. I do use the 4 containers that came with the lamp so at least some of the kit has been useful.

I buy a few tomato plants in late April and early May.

I direct sow most of my seeds or plant in containers some time after Victoria Day.

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I grew those once, and a similar variety with the same first name, that I think set fruit more reliably.

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That’s one wild and crazy fig tree- it’s what my dwarfy little one aspires to be. a couple of the branches lay on the ground, giving the ants easy access to the fruit.

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Speaking of which, does anybody know a good way to propagate fig stems? I remember having done it (with a low success rate) and had no success at all with tenting them and keeping the humidity up, because they just molded and rotted. I think I just potted them in styro cups and kept a close eye on them. I actually propped a violette de bordeaux cutting ( one of about ten) but it didn’t survive when we moved 20 years ago.

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I’m going more aggressive with my pruning this weekend!

I haven’t propagated figs myself, but I think it’s among the easier trees to start with cuttings. I don’t know about the fungal growth but I have not had a problem starting other cuttings with rooting hormone and no plastic tenting; just putting it in a hole in potting soil, then pushing soil around it.

This looks good, but I can’t seem to link this pdf

az2106-2024.pdf (2.4 MB) . This was taken from page 5

Source: UA Cooperative Extension

I noticed this referenced a pomegranate tree!

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Aye, I’ve propagated well over a thousand fig trees over the years, especially when I was working for Monticello’s Center for Historic Plants (CHP).

My preferred time to take the cuttings is early fall, when the tip buds close up and they’re not actively making new leaves. They root best with bottom heat, about 80°F (27°C). A mid-strength rooting hormone is helpful, but not necessary. Make cutting sticks about 6-7 (15-18 cm) inches long. Remove most or all of the leaves. You can leave one or two, near the top. Bury the cut end about 2 inches (5 cm) in a very airy mix that holds moisture, but drains well. I’ve used 60% coarse sand + 40% ProMix (potting soil), or coarse perlite + sphagnum, about 50/50. The latter seems to work better. White kitchen trash bags (not the biodegradable ones) are used to make a humidity tent and diffuse sunlight . Use sticks or non-rusting wire to make supports to keep the plastic off of the cuttings. Keep the cuttings in bright light, avoid full hot sun. Mist about every couple days. Leave a vent hole about 1.5 inches (4 cm) in the top of the tent for air exchange.

After a month or two (time varies a lot), you can start opening the tent more and more as roots develop.

By using mature but not very old wood for the cuttings, they’re less likely to rot. Green/softwood cuttings often root quicker, but rot can also develop easier with the softer tissues. In warmer climates, you can take the cuttings whenever the plants are most dormant, often midwinter.

What was fun at CHP was that by taking fall cuttings from mature trees/shrubs, there were dormant fruit buds in the cuttings. After they rooted and were potted up, they leafed-out and produced figs in the half-gallon pots. Very cute and hard to resist! I seem to remember the target was 250 potted figs each year.

If you’re using LED lights, you can use clear plastic bags to make the tent, Just prevent overheating.

Whatever container and tent you use, make sure it drains and does not puddle water at the bottom.

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Thanks for this, DH may have cut off diseased stuff on MY pruners over the years.

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Anyone getting ready to start seeds? I’m going to start some very special pepper seeds this weekend, and thought I would ask what others use. (Also these).

Here’s some of my supplies. Not shown is a bag of “seed starting mix” which I would describe as finer than the ProMix I use when I got up.

They are not adjustable, and while the mat says it’s designed to raise the soil temp about 10 degrees over ambient,I was curious

The temp in the room is about 70 today. Here are the pads under lights I still have fluorescent lights. :grimacing:

I’ve also been using these plugs which come in these floating trays

Last years tomatoes

And which I have also bought a bag of, but I’m not sure how I feel about the way they don’t seem to break down over a season. Anyone use these? I’d love to read your thoughts.

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I’m late already with the nightshades. Gonna get those happening soon.

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Nice setup!

I’ll try to get started once the weather isn’t trying to kill me! It’s 5°F ( -15°C) outside and my soil bales are buried under 4 inches of ice. We keep losing electricity due to grid demand. Pots and trays are also buried under ice. We shouls start thawing mid day tomorrow, but it’ll take some time.

The hope is to get Physalis peruviana and some peppers going, maybe some long, green eggplants.

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We’ve had a couple of days of nice weather. Spinach, kale, and winter lettuce have been seeded in the beds, with back-ups started in the greenhouse.

The asparagus and rhubarb are both starting to show. The berries and fruit trees are budding!

Next up for seeding directly: carrots and peas. Also need to clean out and trim-up the herb garden. Should have these tasks done in the next week or two.

:sun: :leafy_green: :herb: :woman_farmer: :shovel: :lady_beetle: :root_vegetable:

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Gosh, we are still under snow here.

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I’ve lived on the coast my whole life. I’m not sure I’m tough enough to live inland. :ice_skate: :snowman:

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Today there is some of the first rain in 30 days, hopefully with plenty more to come.

Spring is just around the corner here, and it will be too hot before you know it. Above are some of @bogman ‘s Er Jing Tiao peppers, below my newly widowed pluot tree, and the shallots and garlics.

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