Zone 5, check in

[Sharpy]

I have tomatoes, celery, peppers, cauliflower, broccoli, onions and cabbage seedlings under lights in the basement I started with a heat mat.

Covered the area that will be the raised bed 3-4 days ago with plastic to get it dried out. Hoping to work on the sides for the beds this weekend if rain stays away long enough.

[nes]

Started some celery, strawberries, cauliflower & peppers indoors this morning. I'm DIEING to go out side today but it is just cold and rainy and MISERABLE out there!! BOOO

On the upside my husband got me a fantastic 2.5'x2.5' wooden box from a job site for me to plant my potatoes in , plus some skids to make my compost bigger, plus some wood for a nice picket fence*, and weather permitting we're headed to the back of the farmer's property tomorrow for some lovely soil/rotten manure to supplement the veggies garden and fill in some spots on the lawn. Yippee! Rain, rain go away...

*I'm suspicious the offer of creating me a nice wooden picket fence is filled with ulterior motives to prevent me from further expanding the garden into 'his' lawn...

[The Helpful Gardener]

That's EXACTLY what he's thinking Nes; DON'T fall for it!

Lawn is wasted space mostly anyway; what is it doing for you that you can't do without? Play space? Do you really need ALL that for play? It's not doing a darn thing for wildlife or soil biology. MAke his prove he has better use for that space than you do; bey he can't...

HG

[gixxerific]

Good stuff on the lawn subject. I suggested expanding my garden just a little bit more and the DW said we can't use up the whole yard because the kids need somewhere to play. Well I just put up a fence, for rabbits, where "I" wanted it. I would be a shame if that area was covered in grass clippings and compost and "accidentally" turned into garden space.

The kids never play back there anyways.

[The Helpful Gardener]

And teach the kids to "play" in the garden; games like "Who can find the most weeds?" and "Turn the Compost"...

HG

[applestar]

"Who can pick the most dandelion flowers"
But don't hand out 5 gal buckets, they get discouraged.
Works better with a small beach pail for each child and the 5 gal bucket to dump the flowers in.
Use clean pails and buckets so you can make dandelion flower syrup and dandelion flower cookies (I have yet to try making dandelion flower wine, though home wine making is another one on my list of projects )

[gixxerific]

Pulling weeds! I'm appalled.

[applestar]

Are you talking to moi? or to HG?
Who said anything about PULLING weeds?
Mine are not pulling weeds, they're PICKING flowers.

My kids play another game called "Who can collect/pick the most number of different kinds of (live green) leaves." (and yes they KNOW not to pick Poison Ivy or other poisonous ones) We then sort them by different attributes like texture, shape, fragrant or "just green smell", etc. Then, *I* get to see how many of them I can ID without having to resort to a reference book.

[The Helpful Gardener]

I didn't say PULL Gixx...

My weeds will be picked this year...and mostly eaten! (Have done a job of selecting edible weeds for inclusion this year; if you can't beat them...eat them!

Do you know how many of the worst invasives are edible? A LOT of them... eat your weeds!
HG

[Zapatay]

... I wish weeds were my only problem, I have a big snow season of two (over 100 pound) dogs of poop to pick up.

[RyanDe680]

I started my tomatoes yesterday. I planted 26 cells across 6 varieties, most of them being plum.

I transplanted some of the peppers that were getting bigger. They continue to emerge and all but approximately 4 have sprouted thus far.

Nothing going on celery yet.

Broccoli is doing great as are onions.

Lettuce is emerging.

8 weeks until I can "play in the mud!"

[nes]

... I wish weeds were my only problem, I have a big snow season of two (over 100 pound) dogs of poop to pick up.

Yeah too bad I can't put my little guys to work helping me with that!

Thankfully my ground has thawed so I got a little work done prepping the new garden section. Until the toddler took off both gloves, one boot & JUMPed into the mud. Didn't take too long after that until he got too cold to stay outside at least he's having fun in the garden already!

My onions are emerging from their little cells!! WOOOHOO!

I have one giant pumpkin who is being VERY stubborn. He's put down his radicle but we're still waiting, 3 days later, for the hypocotyl. The rest of the bunch are still snoozing - but I have a few herbs popping up too.

[gixxerific]

I just planted a few oninons, garlic and nasturtuim in my rose bed.

I also have onions that are getting big as well as potatoes growing in buckets in my basement.

Soon my lettuce seeds and broccoli and brussles sprout trnasplants will go out with a spattering of onions and garlic, soon after potatoes.

It's time to get this party started.

[brownsfan62]

Sugar snap pea seeds were planted last week. I'm hardening off the broccoli, lettuce, and onions this week in anticipation of getting them in the ground this weekend (weather permitting, of course...there's snow in the forecast).

All peppers and tomatoes are now growing under the lights, as are a couple of cabbages. Cukes get planted under the lights next week.

Spring is definitely on its way!!

[RyanDe680]

Sugar snap pea seeds were planted last week. I'm hardening off the broccoli, lettuce, and onions this week in anticipation of getting them in the ground this weekend (weather permitting, of course...there's snow in the forecast).

All peppers and tomatoes are now growing under the lights, as are a couple of cabbages. Cukes get planted under the lights next week.

Spring is definitely on its way!!

We're at about the same place.

If you plant the cukes next week, when will you put them out? I was going to wait another month before I started mine, grow inside for 4 weeks and then out they go?

I too am in zone 5, but 5a.

[Zapatay]

It's not too early?

Understanding we are expecting 60 degrees - What covering are you using to keep them warm?

What seeds can you put out now besides snap peas?

[rootsy]

Well the greenhouse is finished other than a few more shelves... Mother Nature is going to have to throw at least an EF3 at me to move her this time.

Started head lettuce, cabbage, swiss chard, broccoli, cauliflower and egg plant a couple of days ago in the basement... Maintains low 60's down there so they should be up soon enough and once they get some legs I'll move them to the glass hut.

Otherwise I am knee deep in mud and elbow deep in grease and 60 years of accumulated dirt...

I don't like to transplant warm weather plants until at least May 20th here...

[gixxerific]

Be careful you all. It's supposed to be 70 this Fri here in MO but than Sun rain changing to snow with a low of 32.

What I'm saying is it's not over. So don't let me tell you not to plant just be careful and have a plan if frost is coming your way.

By the way I'm planting more this Fri.

Chard, onions, garlic, Nasturtiums already here and there.

Did I ever tell you I don't follow rules.

[The Helpful Gardener]

Do as Gixx says, not as he does

Do keep a watch on those frost advisories and be ready to cover, you early birds...

HG

[RyanDe680]

Some updates from last night...

Lettuce

[img]https://lh4.ggpht.com/_ps8UrdXb4Jo/S6BKi198Q5I/AAAAAAAAEvk/rcjgPwV25eA/s320/111.JPG[/img]

Broccoli

[img]https://lh6.ggpht.com/_ps8UrdXb4Jo/S6BKjkEvBRI/AAAAAAAAEvo/Y4Y4nhjAtkg/s320/112.JPG[/img]

Peppers (cayenne, banana, bell and jalepeno)

[img]https://lh4.ggpht.com/_ps8UrdXb4Jo/S6BKlNkT5rI/AAAAAAAAEvw/NBD3c2MRK1o/s320/114.JPG[/img]

I'm not putting anything out yet, knowing that it might snow here (outside Chicago) as well on Sunday.... booooo

[gixxerific]

Just so you know HG everything I'm putting in is seeds, so I still have a little time after this frost before they start doing anything. I do have a row cover ready to go as well.

[nes]

In a further effort to keep me from expanding my garden into his precious lawn hubby has now offered & is building me some lovely boxes for my veggie beds! I've informed him that I'm on to him (especially when he tried to tell me he only had enough wood to cover the distance of the garden last year before I expanded it... LIAR! ) but never-the-less appreciate the work, I didn't realize how much easier this was!! I can segment my garden & my work into something I can handle in a few hours, wish we'd done it last year!

Anyway - found an onion while I was toiling away. It was a left-over from last year when my onion bulbs flooded (I got one teeny-tiny onion & that was it ). So it's not only not had any special treatment but for all intents & purposes, has been terribly mistreated & abused! However, that it's grown a good 3" already, I'm taking it as a sign it's time for the red beauty seeds to go into my newly created bed .

I've got to get my lettuce out there too. I'm leaving the cauliflower for another week or two (or four, we'll see) until the weather settles.

The toddler has been covered in mud for 4 days straight now - maybe it's a good thing it's supposed to be chilly, wet & miserable this weekend. In the mean time, better get back out in the garden while it's still 16C & sunny, I've more beds to fill.

[GardenJester]

western PA, started my seedling last week. Brandywine tomatoes and long green and purple eggplants so far. The tomatoes seeds just popped out this morning. Still looking around for some good pepper seeds. Cleaned up my planters. Raked the plot, gonna turn over the soil and mix in the compost sitting in my tumbler, then lay down some weed control fabrics this weekend.

[gixxerific]

I planted lettuce seed and onion sets and galic today along witha few flowers seeds. It is supposed to be below 30 Sun than above freezing fro here on out. We shall see about that.

I have started now though, I don't care who you are you can't stop me now.

IT'S ON

[petalfuzz]

Nothing outside yet, but started salad crops indoors. They will go out by April 15 because that is when I'll be starting my peppers and tomato seeds. Supposed to be 50F today, but all I did this morning was turn the compost. I'm still weeding out my perennial bed, hoping to catch them when they're still dormant. It's working for now!

[rootsy]

Going to do my second replication of broccoli, lettuce, cauliflower and cabbage tomorrow. Will be starting peppers and tomatoes this weekend.

First replication of cold stuff is up now. Had to put the heating mat under the swiss chard to get it to pop, finally did so yesterday. I need to do the same for the egg plant.

[garden5]

It looks like I'm a bit ahead of some of the zone 5 folks with the toms and peppers and eggplants. These were started almost one month ago and are on their second set of true leaves. Now, whether this early start is a good thing or a bad thing remains to bee seen .

[RyanDe680]

I transplanted some more peppers last night and some lettuce.

The tomatoes are doing well, I've got the light on top of them to reduce the legginess....

[img]https://lh6.ggpht.com/_ps8UrdXb4Jo/S6l9h1AFxMI/AAAAAAAAEw8/1wDBxXOjdX0/s640/003.JPG[/img]

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[img]https://lh6.ggpht.com/_ps8UrdXb4Jo/S6l9myG1HFI/AAAAAAAAExU/1OHtZl9BXio/s640/009.JPG[/img]

[Cuke]

I haven't started anything yet.I get tomato transplants and on Mother's Day we plant everything.Dill always seems to come up early so I just trim it to try and time it with the cucumbers.I directly plant the cucumber seeds in the ground.This year I've been adding some banana peels and coffee grounds so I can't wait to see if it helps the plants.Cukes did great last year,still have plenty of jars of pickles to eat with summer coming around.

[gixxerific]

Ryan looking good there. Everythign is nice and green, healthy looking.

Good luck

[garden5]

Yeah, your peppers look great, RD680! Can you tell me when you planted them or when they sprouted? Mine are about half that size.

[RyanDe680]

Ryan looking good there. Everythign is nice and green, healthy looking.

Good luck

Thanks. Rumor has it 70s next week in our area. I might take everything outside for an hour or two. We'll see. Sometimes the weather man gets excited when it warms up and over-forecasts....

Yeah, your peppers look great, RD680! Can you tell me when you planted them or when they sprouted? Mine are about half that size.

Thanks. In my online journal/blog, I described the peppers as the three stage peppers. For some reason, some are big, some are average and some are small. There are some late comers to the game, as some just sprouted last week.

I planted all peppers on February 27th. Each variety sprouted at a different time, but each variety ranged from March 7th to 10th (I keep record of this for future use).

After about 7-10 days after they sprouted, I transplanted them into their own pots (my cups) so that they had more room to grow.

I also use a 40% soil/compost, 25% peat, 25% worm casing and 10% perlite mix for my transplant soil. The worm casing really helps them plants grow past the transplant stage....

I top and bottom water, both on separate days once a week. The peppers don't need that much water right now it seems.

[nes]

Any one else having the issue of their seedlings getting too big? I moved my guys out into our porch so they are getting sheltered outdoor conditions & everything is out-growing it's pot!!!

Loving the weather I just hope it's going to last because I've started having to put things outside under cover .

My tulips & iris are all growing like mad! Should have flowers in a couple weeks .

[GardenJester]

Just up potted first batch of brandywine toms into a 4" pot yesterday. eggplants coming along rather slowly, only couple of them have a hint of true leaf and I seeded them at the same time with the tomatoes.

Peppers I seeded last week still napping, but the 2nd batch of tomatoes and eggplants I seeded at the same time have sprouted. Don't know if they will be ready in time.

moved my seedling operations into the patio enclosure, It's serving as my greenhouse ATM. the weather have just been wonderful, hoping it's not mother nature's april fools joke.

[RyanDe680]

I'm having a size issue with the broccoli and the peppers. They are both growing much faster than I had anticipated, which isn't a bad thing necessarily.

I stopped by the home depot yesterday and wandered through the garden area to buy mulch for some bushes in the front of my house and happened to pass the tomato plants. They are much larger than mine are, so perhaps it's not a bad thing necessarily.

It was 83 here yesterday and supposed to be 82 here today. I've had the plants outside starting yesterday morning and they are still out.

I'll bring them in tonight but really wanted to take advantage of the fact that it got so warm so quick. Back into the 60's and 70's next week and breezy, so I'll bring them back in but man, it's going to be hard working on them inside after being outside in this great weather!

[RyanDe680]

Some updates.... We recently had two straight 80+ degree days in Chicago and several 70 degree days, which has been great for the plants. I put them all outside in the shade to experience both some natural wind (other than my fan) and some great temps.

Apparantly all of the plants loved it, because this past week's growth has been crazy.

I don't plan on fertilizing chemically, but rather naturally (fish emulsion). I have set up two rain barrels (thanks to a visit to Menards) and have been using that to water everything (I'm gardening organically and withy hybrid seeds).

Basil is doing great. I really enjoy the way this smells.....

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My tomatoes have really grown. They were outside for two 80 degree days which came early this year and really exploded their growth. I have not fertilized them at all. There are about 5 varities here and this represents about half of my tomato plant population.

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My pepper plants are growing like ridiculous. I have not fertilized these either. It's about time for them to get planted - in about 2-3 weeks or so. There are 4 varities in here as well (banana, bell, golden bell, cayenne).

[img]https://lh6.ggpht.com/_ps8UrdXb4Jo/S7qnbDsruwI/AAAAAAAAEzM/o1w_xHBJrs0/s640/001.JPG[/img]

[img]https://lh4.ggpht.com/_ps8UrdXb4Jo/S7qnb8a-ejI/AAAAAAAAEzQ/sdPdUnF3mEA/s640/002.JPG[/img]

I transplanted lettuce to their own "pots" recently and their growth just exploded as well. This is a combination of both Baby Star and Romaine. No fertilizer here either.

[img]https://lh6.ggpht.com/_ps8UrdXb4Jo/S7qnhR6eHjI/AAAAAAAAEzo/sozGiCz9JOE/s640/008.JPG[/img]

[img]https://lh3.ggpht.com/_ps8UrdXb4Jo/S7qniEgYP4I/AAAAAAAAEzs/f5caN7YlJeI/s640/009.JPG[/img]

Broccoli continues to do great. I also have started marigolds and some sunflowers.

I received my Helpful Gardener Tomato seeds as well (thanks Roger) and have those planted as well!

[Zapatay]

What seeds have the Zone 5'ers placed outside?
What plants?

[JennyO]

I've planted lettuce, spinach and snow pea seeds outside so far. Nothing has really popped up yet, but of course its been pretty cold and rainy. Probably see some growth this weekend, we're suppose to get some sunshine.

Jenny

[GardenJester]

It actually snowed today(no cool at all), no dubt there will be frost tonight. Good thing I don't have anything in the ground right now. putting a space heater in patio enclosure to keep the seedling from freezing, hope they survive the night.