A Seed Saver's Garden

[Zeedman]

I've decided to take a wait an see monitoring stance. As it happens, the pot of favas is close enough to the dining room window that I can keep an eye on it without actually going outside. At the moment, I'll leave it where it is and just keep watering it. If I see any sign of drooping THEN I'll brave the heat and lug it inside.

If the favas are in pots, they might benefit from wrapping the outside of the pots with aluminum foil, to reflect heat & keep the soil cool(er). Based upon my experiment of mulched vs. unmulched last year, favas are more likely to be damaged by warm soil than warm air.

And to echo @heirloomgal 's observations, I too found the Crimson Flowered favas to be more heat sensitive. They showed little improvement after mulching, unlike the Black Russian which revived & produced some seed.

 

[digitS']

My problem with growing favas was directly related to heat during 2 seasons.

The heat slammed them and they were very obviously weakened.

The aphids moved in on them in a big way. The reluctance to spray them was related to our burning hot days – kill them with an oil spray?? Only a possible solution was for me to show up late in the day and be back to wash off the plants in the early morning with about a 10 mile drive between. I didn't do it. They were toast, perhaps one way or the other.

Steve

 

[Pulsegleaner]

We're about to get another torrent, so I can probably wait until it is over.

Surprisingly, one of the Favas IS still budding and flowering.

Other updates

1. The beans on the pedestal also now have buds and flowers. I think we are seeing a definite pattern here, whatever gene from the mystery parent gave them brown/speckled brown seeds also makes them earlier and hardier, compared to the black ones.

NONE of the most recently planted "replacements" has sown any activity (and it'd been a decent time). So, while I have retrieved the rest of the black, white, and African beans, rather than putting them in directly, or putting them in peat plugs (since I am beginning to suspect my bag of plugs may have been contaminated with mold spores.) I'm going to wet paper towel all of them and THEN see if any sprout.

2. ALL tomato pots now have some buds, if not open flowers.

3. The mystery bean that showed up in the transfer pot is now flowering. The flowers are yellow, and in a raceme, so that tells me it's a rice bean. Almost certainly a plain red one, but at this point even a plain red that can produce here will be welcome.

There is at least one confirmed cucumber sprouted far enough to the stairs side (possibly two or even three) to be one of the non pill bottle ones (so something other than a dosaki, most likely). Maybe this will mean getting some fruit back after all (the dosakis have sprouted, and gotten permanent leaves, but it's not like I am certain they will flower and fruit in this area. I planted them because I could not find anything else in time.)

 

[heirloomgal]

It's been many years since I planted cabbage. I had forgotten how truly beautiful these plants are! Wow, I'm so glad I decided to grow them. The bugs have bothered some of the smaller plants though, but not as much as they might. Need to put some wands nearby, the ones in the front yard have none. I did lay some crushed eggshells around their bases. I sprinkled some ashes too. That cruciferous family is certainly an attractive family of plants for pests.

I can't believe the size of the tomato plants and all the little tomatoes this year! Sheesh, I don't know what is going on but this is a GOOD year for tomatoes!!

 

[Alasgun]

I would agree, this spey has 11 tomato’s, then moving up just above my index finger is another with a dozen. After that they are just onsey twosey for a total over 35 fruits on this plant, a Celebrity. My Bhn589 has large clusters as well and roughly 30 on that one too.
These consistently warm, sunny days we’re having are making a difference.

 

[heirloomgal]

I would agree, this spey has 11 tomato’s, then moving up just above my index finger is another with a dozen. After that they are just onsey twosey for a total over 35 fruits on this plant, a Celebrity. My Bhn589 has large clusters as well and roughly 30 on that one too.
These consistently warm, sunny days we’re having are making a difference.

This photo truly makes me feel impatient for ripe, fresh, homegrown tomatoes!

 

[heirloomgal]

I did something totally crazy yesterday. A tiny local grocery store's garden centre was selling everything 50% off. They had some Chicago Hardy Fig trees there, which were already a great price considering that these were older plants. I bought 2 and paid $8 each!!! Crazy good price, they typically sell here for at least $40. I was surprised at the size and absolute perfect health of the plants considering the small size of the pots. I transplanted them already into much bigger pots, with the idea I'll overwinter them in those. I hope the new compost I picked up is good because that is what I filled the bottom of the planter with, and used garden soil around the plants.

Of course, I don't actually know what fresh figs taste like, but I've eaten them dried and liked them. Even more though I find the plants just so pretty - everyone thinks they look like small oak trees. Such a rare tree around here. I put one plant on each side of the carport entrance with a potted tomato. I'm pretty excited that they seem to be able to make fruit even at only 3 feet tall so I'm really hoping it flowers and fruits this year!!

 

[Pulsegleaner]

I had to stick the chestnut trees BACK IN the cold frame, as it appears something out there likes to browse on them. Though this does bring up some questions as to exactly how I can plant them. It pretty much HAS to be the deer (given the pot plus sapling height the only way a rabbit could get up there would be to stand on its hind legs, and I don't think rabbits can do that. And we realty don't have much else in the way of leaf browsers.), and I can't see any way of keeping the trees inside until they are so tall the deer can't reach the tops by stretching their necks. And if I just plant them and hope for the best, the deer will probably just keep coming back and eating them to the ground (they seem to want the tips most, which is going to cause some serious growing problems).

In slightly better news it looks like the soil turnover AGAIN has woken a few old legume seeds buried down there (I KNEW saving the soil when we tossed the pots was a good idea.) Looks like there are two among the general weeds. I'll clear out the rest to give them more room. I also may clear out one of the sprouts, if it turns out to be another American senna (they grow so fast they shade out everything below them, and I already have more seed from the last one that I will EVER be able to use up.)

Speaking of seeds, not only is the Tulsi doing quite well, I don't think I've ever seen ANY basil I've ever planted from seed do this well. Must remember to let some of it bolt for seed (the OSSI isn't always great about keeping things in stock from year to year.) Funny shaped leaves though, much rounder than I am used to in basil (any kind).

 

[heirloomgal]

I had to stick the chestnut trees BACK IN the cold frame, as it appears something out there likes to browse on them. Though this does bring up some questions as to exactly how I can plant them. It pretty much HAS to be the deer (given the pot plus sapling height the only way a rabbit could get up there would be to stand on its hind legs, and I don't think rabbits can do that. And we realty don't have much else in the way of leaf browsers.), and I can't see any way of keeping the trees inside until they are so tall the deer can't reach the tops by stretching their necks. And if I just plant them and hope for the best, the deer will probably just keep coming back and eating them to the ground (they seem to want the tips most, which is going to cause some serious growing problems).

In slightly better news it looks like the soil turnover AGAIN has woken a few old legume seeds buried down there (I KNEW saving the soil when we tossed the pots was a good idea.) Looks like there are two among the general weeds. I'll clear out the rest to give them more room. I also may clear out one of the sprouts, if it turns out to be another American senna (they grow so fast they shade out everything below them, and I already have more seed from the last one that I will EVER be able to use up.)

Speaking of seeds, not only is the Tulsi doing quite well, I don't think I've ever seen ANY basil I've ever planted from seed do this well. Must remember to let some of it bolt for seed (the OSSI isn't always great about keeping things in stock from year to year.) Funny shaped leaves though, much rounder than I am used to in basil (any kind).

Maybe you could fashion a little protective coat for the chestnut/s with some chicken wire. I find one of the nice things about that stuff is you can shape it and mold it how you like, it's remarkably shapeable. It also is inexpensive and comes in so many different widths and lengths. Once the plants are established you could just lift it?

 

[heirloomgal]

Shrub roses! After many years of thinking about buying a hardy rose, I finally did it. Generally speaking, I love rose blooms but am highly averse to rose plants. There is a whole science to rose varieties, none of which I've ever studied but as I eliminate all lower value perennials from my gardens the few that I keep have got to be special. In the north at least, it seems like most of the rose plants I see around have scraggly, scrawny legs and sparse foliage. As pretty as the blooms can be, the plants they grow on are a deficit. This is why I've always avoided them. I think my climate makes roses tricky to grow.

But my neighbour has a shrub rose and over the last couple of years that shrub has really grown on me. It is so different from the typical rose bushes I see. It is truly fragrant, which is also one of the most important considerations to me in thinking about roses. It forms a true green shrub, no bare legs, no dead space under the plants. The foliage is not shiny like most rose plants but it looks somehow more verdant and lush. I don't think it is prone to the foliar problems 'regular' roses tend to get. Another thing I love about that shrub is it blooms from early summer right into October. It never quits, it just blooms and blooms. The shrub rose I bought, 'Therese Bugnet', has double flowered blooms which is what I wanted, I didn't want a single bloom shrub.

And of course, I don't need to worry about hardiness with this shrub rose, I think it can go to -50C / -58F as it has a hardiness rating of zone 2. This was something else I was always concerned about, surviving the colder winters. I don't care enough about flowers to bury them sideways during the winters and then right them in spring. It's got to be able to take care of itself, and this one does. So I think after years of peeking here and there, I finally found the rose I always wanted. Given that I've always been sentimental about the idea of cottage gardens, roses and hydrangeas seem a nice pairing in that setting. So I got the rose 2 hydrangea companions in the hopes they help each other shine.