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GoodOlDirt
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- Joined: Sat Feb 14, 2015 9:33 pm
My Music City Garden
Hey hows it going. Planted all the seedlings for my garden and they're germinating like crazy! The corn and beans have been absolutely out of control. Everything else seems to be taking it nice and easy. Just happy to see that everything has at least one or two sprouts. Ive got tomatoes, peppers, onions, strawberries, cucumbers, broccoli, spinach, and a few herbs. Here are a couple pictures. Built the shelving outa scrap from my cabin.
GoodOlDirt wrote:Hey hows it going. Planted all the seedlings for my garden and they're germinating like crazy! The corn and beans have been absolutely out of control. Everything else seems to be taking it nice and easy. Just happy to see that everything has at least one or two sprouts. Ive got tomatoes, peppers, onions, strawberries, cucumbers, broccoli, spinach, and a few herbs. Here are a couple pictures. Built the shelving outa scrap from my cabin.
GREAT JOB!!!!
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GoodOlDirt
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- Joined: Sat Feb 14, 2015 9:33 pm
Thanks!! I'm building a greenhouse right now near the cabin. Hopefully it'll be ready in a couple weeks. These beans and corn will be too tall for the shelves within a week, so I may need to speed the greenhouse construction up. Got the recycled roof frame up yesterday. Itll be approx 8'x10'. 7' cieling in the back, about 9' in the front. Property has a decent grade, which is another reason I'm going to use raised beds. Temps are finally on the rise, which means ive got to get in gear and build those raised beds!! So much to do, but I can't wait for summer 
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applestar
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- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
They do look really good so far 
I have to mention, though, that you may have been hasty in starting some of those seeds.
The corn seedlings look like they should be planted -- what is the soil temperature and air temperature like in your proposed garden? Corn can be transplanted around average last frost as long as the planting bed has been prepared.
I have been experimenting with starting corn inside early, and there are advantages for small garden but the corn grows AS LONG OR LONGER TAP ROOT AS THE UPPER PORTION. Have you tried lifting out the cell trays? I think you are going to find corn roots growing out of the cells and ranging around and tangling in the tray underneath. It will be difficult to remove them from the cells without breaking them (I have some tips)
Beans have brittle roots and tend to be difficult to transplant. They are really easier to just sow directly in the ground -- I pre-germinate them to get them growing faster and to minimize empty spots. Beans need even warmer temperature soil than corn.
You may also find other seeds should have been started much earlier, etc. but that's OK. It's all a learning process. You won't know how well they will grow until you try.
Good luck! Break down what you have started into individual questions if you need more info. Keep us updated with your progress.
I have to mention, though, that you may have been hasty in starting some of those seeds.
The corn seedlings look like they should be planted -- what is the soil temperature and air temperature like in your proposed garden? Corn can be transplanted around average last frost as long as the planting bed has been prepared.
I have been experimenting with starting corn inside early, and there are advantages for small garden but the corn grows AS LONG OR LONGER TAP ROOT AS THE UPPER PORTION. Have you tried lifting out the cell trays? I think you are going to find corn roots growing out of the cells and ranging around and tangling in the tray underneath. It will be difficult to remove them from the cells without breaking them (I have some tips)
Beans have brittle roots and tend to be difficult to transplant. They are really easier to just sow directly in the ground -- I pre-germinate them to get them growing faster and to minimize empty spots. Beans need even warmer temperature soil than corn.
You may also find other seeds should have been started much earlier, etc. but that's OK. It's all a learning process. You won't know how well they will grow until you try.
Good luck! Break down what you have started into individual questions if you need more info. Keep us updated with your progress.
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GoodOlDirt
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- Joined: Sat Feb 14, 2015 9:33 pm
Thanks for all the wonderful advice Applestar!! I laugh a little more at myself everyday for the silly things I do 
The corn was planted waaaay to early in pots that were way too shallow. I got a few trays that were just rows about and inch wide and an inch deep. I figured I would start them there and in a few weeks they would be ready for a new home. But they grew like crazy! I was beginning to wonder after a few days of crazy growth where the roots were going. I was expecting a much slower germination rate. So after 4 days I decided to transplant them. The main roots were growing sideways down the rows of the tray. Some reached a length of 12" in less than 5 days. I transplanted them into larger pots, but not nearly large enough. Ill pick some more cow pots up when I'm in town.
The beans were even more vigorous. Growing to 10" tall in around 10 days. I transplanted them into cowpots which will hopefully contain them for a few weeks until the garden is ready.
From what Ive read I should have started my onions quite awhile ago. Our average last frost date is May 1, but the weather in Tn is so crazy you just never know. One thing I do know is in the summer the sun is very intense and the heat is high. Also alot of humidity. I'm considering a drip irrigation system for my raised beds. Ive read somewhere that getting the leaves wet can actually scorch them. Is this true? Ill build some sort of retractable screen shade to keep the mid day sun from frying everything.
If there were 2 things you wish you knew when you grew your first garden Applestar what would they be? Thanks again for all the help! Ill post pictures of the gh progress this evening.
The corn was planted waaaay to early in pots that were way too shallow. I got a few trays that were just rows about and inch wide and an inch deep. I figured I would start them there and in a few weeks they would be ready for a new home. But they grew like crazy! I was beginning to wonder after a few days of crazy growth where the roots were going. I was expecting a much slower germination rate. So after 4 days I decided to transplant them. The main roots were growing sideways down the rows of the tray. Some reached a length of 12" in less than 5 days. I transplanted them into larger pots, but not nearly large enough. Ill pick some more cow pots up when I'm in town.
The beans were even more vigorous. Growing to 10" tall in around 10 days. I transplanted them into cowpots which will hopefully contain them for a few weeks until the garden is ready.
From what Ive read I should have started my onions quite awhile ago. Our average last frost date is May 1, but the weather in Tn is so crazy you just never know. One thing I do know is in the summer the sun is very intense and the heat is high. Also alot of humidity. I'm considering a drip irrigation system for my raised beds. Ive read somewhere that getting the leaves wet can actually scorch them. Is this true? Ill build some sort of retractable screen shade to keep the mid day sun from frying everything.
If there were 2 things you wish you knew when you grew your first garden Applestar what would they be? Thanks again for all the help! Ill post pictures of the gh progress this evening.