Vegetable Garden
- Thread starter MissCroft
- Start date
^ However, Ceiling Cat the above trick won't work with hybrid tomatos. Also that passing statement about overripe is very important, tomato seeds are only activated when the tomato itself starts to decompose.
Been doing this for years and to date no problems. Had never heard of phytophotodermatitis so looked it up on web md It says this is a childhood rash caused by eating lime juice and the sun(?)
I do appreciate your input but I don't think I have found enough reason to stop harvesting them for my own use, however, I will stop giving them away,....... just in case.
My garden will be anticlimactic after the success my greenhouse has had this year.
I've been feeding on numerous warmer season fruits and veggies for more than a month now.
Surprisingly the ever bearing strawberries have put on a great spread. Couple quarts everyday.
Tomatoes and cukes, onions, zucchini...
Figs have set well but still early days.
Except for citrus and bananas I've hardly visited the produce department.
The heating bill hasn't been as prohibitive as I had thought. About $250-300/mnth or about 1 frolic with a lady.
I've been feeding on numerous warmer season fruits and veggies for more than a month now.
Surprisingly the ever bearing strawberries have put on a great spread. Couple quarts everyday.
Tomatoes and cukes, onions, zucchini...
Figs have set well but still early days.
Except for citrus and bananas I've hardly visited the produce department.
The heating bill hasn't been as prohibitive as I had thought. About $250-300/mnth or about 1 frolic with a lady.
I've potted seeds for many annuals and they are coming up nicely.
Sitting in my chair in the greenhouse it's amazing watching the bees zip about.
Along with all the edibles I have flowers growing to keep them busy and my hibiscus in pots.
Zooming around all day long.
When I turn off the radio you can hear the steady buzz.
Thanks to them the strawberries are ever so tasty.
Sitting in my chair in the greenhouse it's amazing watching the bees zip about.
Along with all the edibles I have flowers growing to keep them busy and my hibiscus in pots.
Zooming around all day long.
When I turn off the radio you can hear the steady buzz.
Thanks to them the strawberries are ever so tasty.
How big is your green house? Crap , I have a small one I put my starter plants in once I can get them outside, but far from big enough to sit in. Plus in April you have bees???
I am so envious, sounds friggin' awesome.
It's a section of commercial greenhouse. Old tyme glass panels, the walls are about 12' high.
Approximately 40x80. It's built against the south wall of my barn so it gets protection from the worst northerly winds
I have a friend that keeps bees. In the spring he rents them out to farmers. Some go as far as Nova Scotia.
We bring in a hive for pollination mid winter.
It is so nice on a shitty winter day, or Sunday and yesterday, to be inside the warm with bees and ladybugs and even a praying mantis going about their work.
Not as bad to heat as I thought it would be when I first started. Supplement with a wood fired furnace during the day.
Yesterday I had to open the roof vents because it got a little too hot.
Dawgger, it is not the parsnips themselves. Absolutely no problems eating them, the problem is when they are growing and the foliage, you just have to be aware to stay away from the plants until frost kills the foliage (which is when you dig the parsnips anyway).
A lot of people don't know about the nasty sunburns you can get if you get sap from the foliage on you.
Okay......we had some for supper last evening, and I was talking to my wife about them and we both agreed we had never seen "parsnip sap". The parsnips we are currently harvesting, have about 2" of green growth, we top this just as we would a carrot or a fall parsnip. In other word the foliage is never really touched, including when they are dug, as you need a fork and a round mouth to get them out of the ground this time of the year. We will be much more cautious than we have been, and as I said we just won't be giving them away. I will proceed with caution, but I will proceed!
I understand what Aardvark154 is saying and really don't think there is a problem if you don't cut into the green growth at the top of the root. Cut into the root about 1/4 to 1/2 inch below the green into the flesh of the root and there should not be a problem, if you still have a concern wear gloves. I am sure Aardvark or someone will advise if I am wrong. I also believe the concern is with parsnips that have been left in the ground over winter. Think we have been doing this for about 25 years, problem free, one of the "old timers" from around here told us to leave them in the ground and eat them the following spring and we tried and liked it. I am currently about the same age now as the "old timer" was then.
Just got 2 tri axels of well rotted horse manure dropped off. Just over 55 tons.
Can only use part of it. The remainder will help break down this years grass clippings and garden waste for the next few years.
Looking forward to this years 36 lb watermelon.
Can only use part of it. The remainder will help break down this years grass clippings and garden waste for the next few years.
Looking forward to this years 36 lb watermelon.
The only problem with horse manure are the seeds that come with it . A neighbor of mine a few years ago got some well rotted horse manure . All kinds of weeds started to grow. Some of these weedy plants were like mint which grows with runners like strawberries . These darn weeds grow every where and end up around fencing and other plants . They have worked themselves from her gardens to mine. I have to pull this crap of my plants and fencing every year . No matter what I do these weeds always come back . Never once had a problem like this until she got some well rotted horse manure that wasn't sterilized .
Were possible I use hot boiling water to kill the weed plants . It has worked so far and the problem isn't as bad as it used to be .
Having a large plot for a vegetable garden and adding horse manure is one thing but adding that unsterilized manure in flower gardens near your neighbours flower garden is a NO NO .
I've had it before and never had a problem.
The loads I got are enough for several years and I do turn it over from time to time.
As it breaks down it gives off heat that should kill the seed if not rot them.
I like horse manure because it's not overly strong but helps build the soil in addition to the nutrients.
I started off my tomato seeds in the pop bottle starters ( as seen in post 9 ) I was afraid that they were not prepared properly. I squeezed the seed out of cherry tomatoes last year into a cup and left them to ferment a bit changing the water every few days for about 10 days. The seeds are viable and they are sprouting. The seeds that I planted in milk cartons died because they either dried up or got too hot. The pop bottle planters are self watering.
I have also planted snow peas, they pop up in a week and are growing too fast before plating season. I wonder if I should cut them down so that the roots can develop.
Yesterday, a friend dropped off a wagon load of well rotted alpaca poo. This was the barn poo and not the pellets or as some call them beans. Finished spreading it this morning. He claims it is the best manure out there, supposedly weed free. Hope he is right as he says he is bringing me another load next weekend. I have tried cow and chicken previously , the cow is real weedy. Chicken worked well and I held some back and made a "tea" with it that did a great job. Anyway it has been great to get out there and work the soil. Rain off and on for the next few days so it may be a bit before the seeds are in the ground.
:yo:Similar threads
