Some Very Basic Questions

[sunnychooks]

I've been lurking, reading and surfing the net for whatever I can learn about planting my veggie garden and have some questions.

1) What exactly is "hardening off"? When is it done and how do you do it?

2) When planting guides use numbers like this, "36 X 12" am I correct in assuming that it means the rows should be 36" apart and the plants should be 12" apart?

3) I've read your posts on germinating the seeds using paper towels and soaking. Did I make a mistake by simply dropping a seed into a hole in the dirt?

Thanks for the info!!!

 

[S0rcy]

Hi there Sunny

1. Hardening off is getting ap lant used to being out in a different environment such as more sunshine/heat than it may be used to by gradually introducing it.

2. I'm going to let someone else answer this as I dont take any notice of planting guides

3. No, you made no mistake Some seeds do have a hard coat and may need some extra treatment to be able to have a higher germination rate. Some seeds may need to be soaked, or just lightly scratched with sandpaper do this. Some seeds require a cold period to germinate, these would be put into a freezer or refridgerator for a certain period, but certainly you can drop it into the ground and see what comes up!

 

[patandchickens]

To elaborate on hardening off: it's for when you have a plant raised indoors or in a greenhouse (like most of the stuff you buy in stores will be). First you just put it out in the daytime, out of direct sunlight or wind, for a few days, taking it in at night. Then you can gradually give it a little longer and longer out there, and more exposure to sun and wind, til eventually (over the span of 1-3 weeks, depending on what kind of plant you're talkinga bout and what its history was and how paranoid you are) it is living out there full time with little or no protection, and ready to stick in the ground. (I'd still give new transplants some extra shade and wind protection for the first few days if at all possible).

I usually use the corner between my deck and garage, or the back side of my garage, or the E side of the house behind the cedars, for hardening off plants... but this year am putting pots inside old tires on my front deck (gets p.m. shade) with a cover at night, and it's working great.

I don't generally plant in rows, so like s0rcy ignore planting guides, so couldn't say for sure

There is virtually never any NEED to pre-sprout on damp paper towels, it's just that some people like to, it lets you check viability, and in some cases is a little faster (although also a little riskier unless you are careful).

Hope that helps,

Pat

 

[sunnychooks]

Thanks for the info! I have another question. What is "bolting", how does it happen and what can I do to avoid it? Is it plant-specific? Thanks!!!

 

[patandchickens]

Bolting only applies to annuals (like lettuce, cilantro, etc) and biennials (like carrots, parsley, etc). It is when the plant finally says enough's enough, time to send up flowers. (After which, the plant dies).

As soon as a plant starts to bolt, like as soon as the flowerstalk starts forming in the rosette of the plant, the leaves generally become bitter tasting and undesirable. So, you do not want to let your veggie plants bolt, unless you just want seed from them in which case of course you *have* to let them bolt and run to seed.

The triggers are different in different plants, but generally daylength and temperature play large roles. The hotter your growing conditions are, the sooner most plants will bolt; also, some *have* to be grown during specific times of year because otherwise the daylength (or change in day length) signals the plant to bolt earlier than it would otherwise. I somehow have it rattling around in the back of my head that deficient watering can also slightly encourage bolting in *some* plants, but I am not sure about that. Certainly deficient watering makes any slight bitterness due to impending bolting, worse.

Does that help?

Pat

 

[digitS']

Sunny, the 36 X 12 designation is very likely, "inches between rows" X "inches in row" for plant spacing. These are important measurements to many and especially to farmers. They are concerned about seeding rates, how they set their seeders and upon what to base their seed purchases. They use plants per acre criteria and then turn that information into something they can work with.

The row settings can be just as important to gardeners operating on a much smaller scale.

Bolting is like a colt bolting from the corral a sudden movement and change. The plant sends up a stalk and flowers, at a loss to the gardener who has missed the chance to harvest tender spinach leaves, for example.

Often the cause of bolting has to do with temperature as Pat says. Plants like certain temperatures and grow. At this time of year, we can stress plants by putting them out in too cold of circumstances. This can retard growth and encourage early bolting. Some plants like onions, which would not otherwise bloom this year, will go ahead and send up flower stalks before theyve developed good-sized bulbs. The premature flowering can happen with Chinese cabbage and accounts for my lack of success until I began protected these plants in the Spring by growing them under plastic film.

I think inadequate water will also encourage plants to begin to flower. Their growth is hindered by the stress and reproduction processes set in.

Steve

 

[SewingDiva]

The row settings can be just as important to gardeners operating on a much smaller scale.

I just wanted to offer a different perspective on the issue of spacing and rows. I don't disagree at all with Steve, but we have don't garden in straight rows and approach this a little differently.

While I completely agree that the spacing/rows formulas are important. Remember too they are created on the assumption of home vegetable gardeners will use the straight row methods of commercial producers.

We have raised beds about 24 inches high, and my garden is a potager style that mixes vegetables, herbs and flowers together. Two of these beds are L shaped. The confined space means that I can't plant according the guidelines given for rectangular beds and straight rows set into the ground. Also, I dont need the extra space between rows because Im not going to walk in this this garden due to the high raised beds. I can weed by sitting on the edge fo the bed and just reaching in.

My plants are actually set closer together than is recommended for straight rows. My goal is to give each plant exactly the space it needs in the raised bed, no more and no less. The formula I use is this:

Take the sum of each individual plant spacing, add them together, and then divide by 2: the result tells you how far apart to plant each vegetable. Here is an example:

Radishes & lettuce

Radishes require 2 inches and lettuce requires 12 inches between plants: 2 + 12 = 14. 14 divided by 2 = 7. The radishes and lettuce are planted 7 inches apart.

Again though, our method is different because we're doing intensive succession gardening in raised beds and this method really applies only to a system like ours.

A great resource for the intensive, potager garden style is an e-book called Intensive Gardening: How to Get More With Less Space by Doug Green. The link will take you to his web site at Simple Gifts Farm.


~Phyllis