A Seed Saver's Garden

[heirloomgal]

I think we've got different plants @Pulsegleaner ..... ?

Took this tonight, the leaves on this plant are a darker green and tinier I think. No

fuzz either.

 

[heirloomgal]

It's a slow year in the garden for sure. I'm not sure why that is, the temps have been on the high side, though night time temperatures have indeed been on the cooler side. Corn is the only thing on time.

This year's corn is a new one I haven't grown before, it's an extra early one from Sandhill Preservation, maturity at 50 days they say - Yukon Supreme. It's a shorter plant than I imagined it would be, but if it produces well I'll consider that a plus. Not sure how many cobs the plants will produce and the description doesn't say. Hoping for 2. Considering I have yet to give them any food, and I grew corn in this spot last year, they are growing well. About 4 feet tall now, wonder what they'll finish at because they still have quite a bit more season left and 4 feet is said to be their mature height.

 

[Pulsegleaner]

I think we've got different plants @Pulsegleaner ..... ?

Took this tonight, the leaves on this plant are a darker green and tinier I think. NoView attachment 66972 fuzz either.

K, guess we'll find out what I have later.

 

[Wayne Liang]

The tomatoes grown indoors have longer light hours and are growing more and more lush. Tomato plants, once they are established and growing leaves will thrive best with around a 12-15 hours per day of light. The remaining dark period (or night cycle) will give the plant time to properly adsorb carbon dioxide which it will use during photosynthesis. This Day and Night cycle will make for a healthy plant, and a higher yield of fruit.

 

[heirloomgal]

The tomatoes grown indoors have longer light hours and are growing more and more lush. Tomato plants, once they are established and growing leaves will thrive best with around a 12-15 hours per day of light. The remaining dark period (or night cycle) will give the plant time to properly adsorb carbon dioxide which it will use during photosynthesis. This Day and Night cycle will make for a healthy plant, and a higher yield of fruit.
View attachment 66974

Is that a hydroponic system?

 

[heirloomgal]

The mosquitoes this year continue to be abundant and ferocious. Very difficult to work in the garden and get tasks done out there with such unpleasant company. I have a low threshold for them, so I guess my gardens will be a bit more weedy this year if the rain keeps up, lol. Even the greenhouse became impossible to linger in as there is water underneath it with all the rain this year. I lit a mosquito coil and shut the door tonight. Worked like a charm. First time in weeks I could get a good look at the plants and pick weeds from the pots at my preferred speed.

Tonight's garden notes; I'm trying Lagos Spinach this year. The seeds I planted in May in pots never seemed to do develop into decent sized plants, I wasn't sure what to do with all the little plant nibs by June 1st. I was tempted to toss them into the compost, it would be hard to differentiate them from weeds at such a size. But I planted them in a few tucked away spots instead and indeed I would up hoeing many of them out by accident while weeding. But the few that never got cut down are actually growing like monsters. This is such a surprise. I basically planted them and forgot about them, but now they are really bulking up, and I noticed tonight that there are pink combs forming on the tops of each plant. Considering how tall these plants can get that seems pretty early to be putting up heads - they aren't even a foot tall yet. But hey, I'll take it if it means a better guarantee on getting my own seeds. Looking at Baker Creek catalogue, looks like I'll need to keep it pinched or it'll go to 6 feet.

The red nightshade berries have lots of flower clusters, so I'm thinking I'll get berries (seeds) after all. I've never grown it before and had doubts it would fruit in the North , but it goes to show sometimes a gamble works out. It was so much headache and trouble to get it to germinate, I hope it produces something of value! The Russian Scheherazade fuzzy tomato I'm growing actually made a fruit too, and it blows away every other peach type tomato I've grown for fuzziness. This is not like a peach , this is like velvet fabric. When I held the fruit in my hand I had no tomato skin feel at all, it was like a teddy bear. Wonderfully odd.

One thing I failed to notice when I took my corn pic yesterday, but noticed this evening, was that those cobs are set awfully low on the plants. I'm not a fan of that feature. Not that I see any damage, but it strikes me as a negative strike against the variety - the cobs look as low as Gaspe Flint corn and that is why I've not (and likely won't ever) grow that corn. Thankfully the plants will probably be double the height of Gaspe Flint and I hope as they get taller the cobs move upward. (Probably a delusional idea.) I wish I knew the history of Yukon Supreme, I wonder if GF is in their somewhere. YS is a sweet corn so they really shouldn't be closely related.

The Kentish Invicta peas that I'm rather excited about are making pods, which is thrilling. I adore English peas and getting this variety was an amazing opportunity. The Winter Sima peas are doing well too, plants are quite short. I grew a whole row of Misty peas thinking they would make it to at least 2 or 3 feet and climb a little, but sheesh they are short plants and they're already flowering without reaching the support. I really dislike it when I mismatch a variety to a support system!

 

[Pulsegleaner]

Well, I harvested the first two mature pods from off the "rice bean" and, surprise surprise, it's actually a mung bean plant! Well, I guess that explains where it came from and how it go there! (the pot of soil I was using had been inside for a while; a mung bean could have easily fallen in there at some point from the stuff I dropped when I was sorting.)

 

[Wayne Liang]

Is that a hydroponic system?

Yes, and use LED lights to provide long-term lighting.

 

[heirloomgal]

Couldn't resist some discounted annuals today. So, I broke down and got a few geraniums, most of them pristine white, and 'Bee's Knees' petunias. Couple fuchsias for DD as she loves those. Was hard to not get more. The sales on perennials right now are booming too. Got some white phlox plants for a song, and a new, well established clematis for $11. Plus a highbush cranberry. Was a great day!

 

[Pulsegleaner]

Two major updates

1.Some of the wild mungs are getting flowers (and even the start of a pod or two) so I should be able to get seed back well within the season.

2. One of the cornstalks is just beginning to get its tassel.