How Does Your Vegetable / Fruit Garden Grow? 2018

thanks for explanation.
I garden almost 8 hours a day, wether permitting but now, with the 65mph wind and very harsh winter, I have a lot of damage and really do not have time to dig plants up.
You are lucky you live in a warmer climate.
I do love tropicals and have them in pots which I bring in to the swimming pool during winter but now, do not know if i can bring them out as son is away.
I will try to grow more fall crocus but have to be sure they wil nto be dug up by the critters.
I hurts me when I see them dig them up not even for food but piled in a corner!
So, the only food plants I grow are few, the once that I cannot fun it it the local supermarket as I live in a rural area , do drive into nearby Virginia every 2-3 weeks for supplies.
I you like tropicals, I can send y ou some pictures,
Tried to send pictures of my tiger lily bud but somehow, it ended up where I cannot upload. Not a computer wheeze, esp with arthritis and cataract, have problem typing and hate to proof read!

I ate three strawberries from my plants today.

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I am renewing my strawberries plants this year, as for the fate the older plants (about 4 years old), are they still useful to make runner plants? Or I should just throw them out?

After three years, you should throw out/compost the older strawberry plants. They tend to pick up diseases, the worst of which are viruses. With older, less or non-productive plants, it’s hard to see if there are virus issues, many of which affect fruit production and not the appearance of foliage. Also, pathogenic root fungi tend to infect older, weaker plants.

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It has been a week since I did my first ever attempt at top-grafting small tomato seedlings. The stems were 2mm wide when this was done. Afterwards, the seedlings were placed into a tray with a humidity dome on top. I started venting the dome a few days ago.

So far, the only plant that died was one I accidentally bumped loose and tried (unsuccessfully) to reattach. 29 out of 30 seem to be healing well. The grafting clips are separating and the center bulge indicates callus forming.
tomgraft

Light level is going up and humidity is being dropped slowly, to get the patients acclimated to the real world. They have been under a fluorescent light, with a cardboard wall around the tray, so the plants would grow more or less straight up; leaning towards light can spoil grafts.

The non-grafted plants (same varieties) are much bigger now, since they didn’t get hacked. I expect the grafted ones will outgrow, outproduce them eventually, if they make it. I’m comparing two, different root stocks to see if there are any big differences.

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I’m having a terrible time with the new seed starting trays from Gardener’s Supply. I used the styrofoam ones for years, replacing parts from time to time, but about two years ago they changed design to black plastic. I seem to be having problems with damping off and rotting seeds that don’t come up. I think I even see some sort of fungus growing on the wickng mat. Is this my imagination? Why such different results?

These are the saddest seedlings I’ve ever grown!
These are from this year: old seedling tray in the back, new in the front.


Different varieties, so not a fair comparison, and looks like I had a pH/ nutrition problem in both trays. Both work the the same seed starting mix, same lights, bottom heat, etc, I’ve used for years.

The trays below are from last year. None of the seeds came up in the black.


Germination as usual in the styrofoam.

My husband treated me to a Skype tour of my garden yesterday - my garlic is moving right along, and my ramps are in full swing! I planted some bare root ramps in the fall of 2016 (right after we moved in) and they did very well last spring, so I ordered and planted more last fall. I have a couple of spots in my yard that are always a bit shady and damp, and the ramps are very happy there, but I planted a couple of clumps in full sun and they seem to be doing fine as well. I should be home in about three weeks so I’ll be joining all of you in your adventures then. Looking forward!

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Shrinkrap, it’s probably not the trays. The top pictures look like not nearly enough light is the main culprit. If “same lights” = same bulbs, that very well could be the issue. Human eyes do not detect the bulbs’ weakening; they look bright even when not producing enough for plant growth. I use HPS, HID, Fluorescent and LED, in different areas. A light meter is very helpful in figuring out when bulbs are failing. Put the sensor in the same spot and distance from the bulb/fixture, e.g. 12 inches, to get a reading. A PAR light meter is even better, but more expensive for a good one. That type measures the amount of photosynthetically useful light, mostly in the red and blue wavelengths. Most folks can do well with a less expensive type that measures foot-candles, if they use plant growth-type bulbs. A PAR meter is better for LEDs, which are the best lights out there right now.

I use plastic trays all the time and grew about 60,000-250,000 plants/year in them, before retiring. I still use them at home. They transmit heat faster than styrofoam and lose heat faster around the sides. If the heat mat does not have a controller (thermostat), the soil temperature may be off. Ideal is somewhere near 84 degrees F (29 C) for most vegetables. The controller probe, on an insulated wire, needs to be in a damp, empty cell, buried in soil.

If the plant growth is soft, from low light and warmth, fungi are likely, especially damp off. Aside from too damp, the group of damp off fungi generally don’t like 84 degrees and strong light.

I hope this helps!

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I have some tray related problem this year too. I grew my first batch of peas in some ex ice-cream plastic box which I drilled some holes. They grew beautifully. My second batch I used the same seeds but a set green plastic trays with transparent covers with air vent that usually placed on heating mat, I covered the trays with covers the first few days without the heating mat. Out of those 5 trays, not a single seedlings. I noticed though there was some slight mold forming on the top of the soil. I don’t know if the problem was due to the fact that I didn’t clean the green trays before using them this year, note that those trays, I have them for several years, but I usually used them with heat mat, and I have never germination nor problem of fungus, except this year.

Second observation. For the second batch of feva beans, I used 2 ice-cream boxes and 2 green trays. The ice-cream box had much more germination. I noticed the roots of the seedlings, from the ice-cream boxes, they were numerous thick but short roots. In comparison, the seedlings from green tray have weaker and very fine roots. For this case, I don’t know if the shape of the trays caused the dramatic difference in root formation. Note that light, heat and watering was the same between the 2 trays. I didn’t cover any of the trays.

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Naf; so many variables.

Bogman “The top pictures look like not nearly enough light is the main culprit. If “same lights” = same bulbs, that very well could be the issue”

Of course! That makes sense. But that wouldn’t effect germination, would it? Maybe damping off.

Favas


Sugar Snap

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It’s been a banner year for my artichoke plant. It sprung up two main stems from where I cut it off last fall, and has produced 6 artichokes, with a couple on the way so far this year. Under conditions of complete neglect.

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Shrinkrap and naf: Any containers should be washed/hard rinsed at the end of the season. I like to let trays dry in the sun; fungi hate that. 10% Chlorine Bleach, for ten minutes is also good, after you rinse off the big particles.

Different trays absorb, lose heat differently. Peas, Fava and many other cool crops can have germination inhibited or stopped if the soil temperature is too high. A controller/ thermostat, or at least a thermometer should be used to know what the soil temperature is at the root zone.

Weak light can stress plants and make their tissues “soft”, easy to infect. Some pathogenic fungi aren’t affected by heat and sun (think tomato blights). Damp off fungi, in general, do not like warmth, good air movement and soil that approaches drying. Peas, favas and other bean family seeds, can get a green, powdery mold (Aspegillus sp. ) if the soil is too wet or cold. Sometimes, the plants live, but are forever stunted as their roots are infected, damaged.

Soil can also be a carrier of troublemakers. Oddly, sterilized soil often gets airborne pathogens going more than biologically active soil (composted and aged a bit). Many of the microbes that “eat” damp off fungi take awhile to show up in sterilized soils, whereas the damp -off spores blow in.

Indeed, so many variables!

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@bogman ; thanks! I will need a moment to absorb it, but I know this much about my gardening; I seem to lean toward things with a good return on my problem solving investment.

I do have a routine for cleaning my seed starting trays, and I hace used the same fresh seed starting mix for years, but I do reuse my potting mix, and I have never had to think much about seed starting various tomatoes with the styrofoam starter trays.

Why now?

Maybe spent pro mix(but not for seed starting) and Mmaybe spent lights, but COULD it be black plastic vs white stryofoam trays? I read something recently about “lightly textured” seed starting trays.

Black plastic is not the issue, unless very strong, full sun is heating the soil beyond normal. That can occur on any dark-colored soil, too. I just raised 200 peppers and tomatoes in black plastic trays, and that’s all I use for many more seedlings. As I mentioned, I’ve started tens of thousands (maybe millions) of healthy seedlings in black plastic; it’s the industry standard.

Reusing potting mix is definitely a bad idea! It’s a gamble, with irregular, unpredictable results. As plants get moved, replanted, etc., tiny root fragments break off in the soil. These damaged root bits can feed bad fungi or bacteria-things that eat roots. Once the bad fungi increase in population, in the soil, you’ll have issues. Plus, used soil: gets depleted of nutrients which may not be in a fertilizing regimen, can lose its pH buffer; the Limestone, used in many mixes, leaches out and the soil goes acidic. Acid soil loses Nitrogen quickly and can cause nutrient uptake issues, if you’re not growing Blueberries or acid-lovers. In addition, any pests, such as root-feeding mites, nematodes, etc. can become established.

If the styrofoam performs better, it may be the heat mat is running without a controller. Styrofoam does not transfer heat well; most of the heat is wasted, goes into the air, around the trays. So the foam could be preventing the soil from getting too hot in an unregulated heating system. One of the real secrets in seed starting is to invest in a heat mat controller. You can set it to the perfect temperature and a metal soil probe monitors, adjusts the temperature, regardless of container size or type.

Textured containers? Soil is textured, so I’m not sure if it matters much. Smooth is easier to clean.

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@bogman
Thanks a lot for your explanation, learn a lot!

Do you have pro tips to test if the grains are still of any good without the need to wait 2 weeks?

I have to confirm that I have 3 black plastic trays similar to yours, I have never trouble in growing any type of seedlings. I never used Styrofoam, no comment there.

I don’t reuse potting mix anymore, as I learned it in the hard way, at times it can be really problematic. I had seeds not germinating and young plants died which I suspected it was the cause.

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First, the best way to keep seed alive is dry and cold. Airtight glass jars, in the fridge work well.

The fastest way to check viability is to soak a sample of the seeds overnight in water that’s close to germination temperature. Then, rinse the seeds off in a fine sieve, drain, and wrap/fold in damp paper towels. Put the seed, paper towels in a jar and record the date. For cool growing crops like peas, fava beans, keep the sprouting seeds about 60-65 F (16-18 C); for tomato, beans peppers, keep the container about 78-84 degrees (25-29 C). Usually, seeds germinate better in the dark, but some seeds, like celery, need light. For those requiring light, you’ll want to use a cool fluorescent or LED light, about 4 hours or so for the first 4-6 days. Sunlight may overheat the jar (mini solar oven).

Start checking the seeds after a few days, and again every couple days for a week or two. Once you see root tips growing out of the seed, you know it’s alive. Usually, you can see results from the above method faster than by sowing in soil, where you can’t see the root tip and must wait for the stem to form and break the soil surface.

It’s useful to count the seeds before you begin and use numbers like 10, 20, 50, 100, so you can get a germination percentage. This can be recorded on the seed container. If germination is 50% and you want 12 tomato plants, you know that at least 24 seeds will be needed.

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“Reusing potting mix is definitely a bad idea”

Yes, I know, but I have 15 or so Earthboxes, each with about two cubic feet of promix, and the Earthbox folks say it can be reused for years. I do mix it with fresh, and dump some of the old on my yard as mulch each season ( I do two or three rotations a year) . I can’t fathom dumping it all and starting fresh every year. I would be dumping about 13 bales of Promix! Seems so wasteful, and that doesn’t fit with my idea of gardening. I’d probably just try to limit my gardening to a fraction of the plants. I’m sure that’s what it will eventually come to, same as I had to eventually limit my vegetable gardening to containers. Lately I’ve been experimenting with “deep water culture” for my smaller pepper plants, and skipping the soil altogether.

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"If the styrofoam performs better, it may be the heat mat is running without a controller. Styrofoam does not transfer heat well; most of the heat is wasted, goes into the air, around the trays. "

That makes sense. I only start my tomatoes and peppers indoors and on mats ( I start peas and beans outside) , and generally think of the mat as heating the environment ( a closet and after germination a light stand draped with a frost protection cover in my unheated garage) because the trays are more than an inch away, on top of reservoirs. I keep thermometers in the closet, in the garage, and where I move the plants for hardening off, and they seem to make enough of a difference. I’m not trying to do anything too ambitious. I mostly just try to take advantage of an already good situation.

I did buy a new heating mat this year, no controller, and I didn’t get around to using it.

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“Yes, I know, but I have 15 or so Earthboxes, each with about two cubic feet of promix, and the Earthbox folks say it can be reused for years. I do mix it with fresh, and dump some of the old on my yard as mulch each season ( I do two or three rotations a year) . I can’t fathom dumping it all and starting fresh every year. I would be dumping about 13 bales of Promix! Seems so wasteful, and that doesn’t fit with my idea of gardening.”

Ah, now I have a better picture of what you are doing. I managed a large number of big to huge pots for a large estate and reused the soil in those pots, but there are tricks to this and there are times when the soil has to be composted.
Pro Mix, or any mix will break down, get mucky, lose nutrients and become acidic over time. The latter may not happen if your water is alkaline. Mixing in some aged compost annually can help with the nutrients. Seaweed extract and Plant or Garden Tone (Espoma) can also add broad-range nutrient boosts. Perlite can aerate and prevent/correct mucky soil whose particle size is too small. Dolomitic lime can correct acid soil. For the latter, you’ll need pH paper or a good meter. Don’t waste your money on those cheap meters with two metal probes that go in the ground; I’ve never seen one that worked.
Small plants may have trouble going into used soil that has no resting period. Before replanting, it’s best to let large containers sit empty for at least a week or two and approach drying out; this creates an unfavorable soil environment for pathogens. The pathogens starve (no food) and get stressed, creating an environment favoring microbes that eat pathogens. During this time, the plants to be put into the large containers are staged in smaller containers, usually up to 4 inch (10 cm). It’s best if each growing season has an unrelated plant type=rotation. However, the soil can become infected despite the best practices. In these cases, it must be discarded, ideally deeply buried and/or sanitized.

Signs of pathogen contamination are usually obvious. Sclerotium fungus makes tiny, mustard-seed like growths near the soil-plant stem line. Many blights, like early blight or late blight cause quick yellowing of foliage, followed by stem collapse. If you see these things, keep in mind the stuff can spread, on your hands, by water. Carefully bag the soil and bleach the pots, far from other containers. The soil can be sanitized if one has hot sun and a solar oven, but that’s not a common thing. We built one which melted a compost thermometer! An oven thermometer read over 180 F (82 C) for over four hours.

Your goal, aside from keeping soil chemistry good, is to keep the bad guys out. To this end, it may be helpful to use Actinovate on a regular basis. This is a biological, Streptomyces lydicus, which can help protect plants from diseases. It’s not cheap, but it can help. New biologicals are being developed all the time. Search “organic fungicides” or “biological fungicides”. Always follow product labels. Most of these are listed as organic.

Much of the other successful practices are obvious: don’t leave dying plants in containers, remove as much of the root ball as possible, don’t overwater, insure good air flow, manicure plants to remove dead/dying leaves or stems, etc.

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