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Mar 10, 2014 8:21 PM CST
Name: Rick Corey
Everett WA 98204 (Zone 8a)
Sunset Zone 5. Koppen Csb. Eco 2f
Frugal Gardener Garden Procrastinator I helped beta test the first seed swap Plant and/or Seed Trader Seed Starter Region: Pacific Northwest
Photo Contest Winner: 2014 Avid Green Pages Reviewer Garden Ideas: Master Level Garden Sages I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! I helped plan and beta test the plant database.
>> I prefer to start them from seed because I am picky about what cultivars to grow and I want to control, when possible, that I don't use GMO varieties.

There are no GMO tomatoes commercially available in the US at this time. There have been none since the "Flavr Savr" variety ceased production in 1997

Since any others are still being researched and not yet gone to trials, I would expect it to be multiple years, or many years before another GMO tomato is licensed for commercial sale.

Even then, GMO seeds only go to large commercial growers who sign lots of papers to swear that they will never save or sell seeds. I doubt it has ever been possible for home gardeners to buy any GMO seeds. Seed companies that "pledge" not to sell GMO seeds might as well pledge not to sell unicorn hair or plutonium - they can't sell what they can't get their hands on.

Were the 'Flavr Savr' seeds fertile and OP? If so, and if some perverse hobbyist saved those seeds and traded them without any Calgene or Monsanto lawyers finding out, someone MIGHT have gotten their hands on a GMO tomato seed 16-17 years ago.
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Mar 10, 2014 8:26 PM CST
Name: David Paul
(Zone 9b)
Cat Lover Hibiscus Seed Starter Native Plants and Wildflowers Vegetable Grower Region: Florida
Miniature Gardening Keeper of Poultry Herbs Foliage Fan Farmer Dragonflies
Sounds great Rick. Looking forward to seeing pic's of what you are growing this year when you can.
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Apr 23, 2014 11:07 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Linda
SE Houston, Tx. (Hobby) (Zone 9a)
"Godspeed, & Good Harvest!"
Region: Texas Vegetable Grower Seed Starter Garden Ideas: Master Level Canning and food preservation Gardens in Buckets
Tip Photographer Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Ferns
BUMP!

What's going on in the Zone 8a-9b VEGGIE gardens? Rolling my eyes.
Last edited by Gymgirl Apr 24, 2014 11:18 AM Icon for preview
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Apr 23, 2014 12:13 PM CST
Name: Larry
Enterprise, Al. 36330 (Zone 8b)
Composter Daylilies Garden Photography Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Garden Ideas: Master Level Plant Identifier
Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Region: Alabama
The cold snap we had while I was gone nearly killed all my tomates, but they are making a comeback, but now are way behind schedule. I did have two that survived fairly well and now have blooms, the ones I gave to my neighbor already have tomatoes on them.
The Armadillo destroyed all my melons, cucumbers and squash so I have just in the past few days replanted some in small cell packs.
My lettuce is growing like crazy, but we don't seem to eat much of it, so no more lettuce next year. The carrots even after several plantings are very sparse.
The peppers on the other hand seem to be doing pretty good! Smiling
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Apr 23, 2014 12:33 PM CST
Garden.org Admin
Name: Dave Whitinger
Southlake, Texas (Zone 8a)
Region: Texas Seed Starter Vegetable Grower Tomato Heads Vermiculture Garden Research Contributor
Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Garden Ideas: Master Level Region: Ukraine Garden Sages
Seedfork nearly perfectly described our situation here, too! But we did cover the tomatoes so they made it just fine and keep growing. Lots and lots of weeds this spring which I'm okay with. Thumbs up
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Apr 23, 2014 12:51 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Linda
SE Houston, Tx. (Hobby) (Zone 9a)
"Godspeed, & Good Harvest!"
Region: Texas Vegetable Grower Seed Starter Garden Ideas: Master Level Canning and food preservation Gardens in Buckets
Tip Photographer Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Ferns
Thanks for the updates, Seedfork and Dave! It's a good thing we have a looooooooooooong summer ahead of us, still, LOL!

Dave,
Why are you ok with the weeds? Are you tilling them in as organic amendments? Confused
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Apr 23, 2014 2:51 PM CST
Name: Arlene
Grantville, GA (Zone 8a)
Greenhouse Region: Georgia Garden Sages Organic Gardener Beekeeper Vegetable Grower
Seed Starter Cut Flowers Composter Keeper of Poultry Keeps Goats Avid Green Pages Reviewer
Pretty much the same here only it was my broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower it killed which really surprised me since they are cold tolerant and I had floating row cover on. I think the frost/27 degrees was just for too long. I did wait on my tomatoes though so I didn't lose the but we've had so much rain it's been impossible to get the rows ready.
Last edited by abhege Apr 23, 2014 8:49 PM Icon for preview
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Apr 23, 2014 8:48 PM CST
Name: Judy
Simpsonville SC (Zone 7b)
Peonies Plant and/or Seed Trader I helped beta test the first seed swap Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Garden Ideas: Level 1
So somehow my tomatoes, basil and other tender annuals that i planted second weekof April did not get damaged when those cold nights came thru last week. I was away on business trip a couple days and called my daughter to have her cover with upside down plastic pots, I had all my planters lying around after cleaning them. So she followed my instructions and things look fine. Funny thing is she missed a couple and they don't show damage either so i guess I have a little microclimate in my yard that is protected.
Carrots and beets seedlings have been sitting there doing nothing, last couple days they are showing some growth.
Snow peas are just about flowering, snap peas are close behind.
Asparagus is UP!
Beans have germinated. Is it too early to plant watermelon?
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Apr 23, 2014 8:50 PM CST
Name: James
Fabens,TX (Zone 8a)
Greenhouse Hibiscus Plumerias Roses
Sorry all you folks had such poor weather. Here it did get cold but not like east and south Texas, just a lot of hard winds. My tomatoes are covered with blooms, the artichoke ( one) have 5 that are almost ready to pick as for the lettuce growing like a weed. Hope I don't get a hard hail storm it is that time of the year in this area.
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Apr 24, 2014 11:14 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Linda
SE Houston, Tx. (Hobby) (Zone 9a)
"Godspeed, & Good Harvest!"
Region: Texas Vegetable Grower Seed Starter Garden Ideas: Master Level Canning and food preservation Gardens in Buckets
Tip Photographer Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Ferns
Judy,
What're your daytime temps like over there right now?

Here's a cool Video Diary (by Calikim29 on YouTube), on growing watermelon for the first time.

I hear they are "hungry hippos," just like the fall/winter brassicas, so make sure you add plenty, plenty, plenty organics, and some fertilizer into your planting spot. And, of course, water, water, water!

Hope it helps!

Linda

https://www.youtube.com/watch?... - April 2013
https://www.youtube.com/watch?... - May 2013
https://www.youtube.com/watch?... - June 2013
https://www.youtube.com/watch?... - July 2013
https://www.youtube.com/watch?... - August 2013
https://www.youtube.com/watch?... - AUGUST 2013 - THE BIG REVEAL! Hurray! Hurray!
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Apr 24, 2014 8:21 PM CST
Name: Judy
Simpsonville SC (Zone 7b)
Peonies Plant and/or Seed Trader I helped beta test the first seed swap Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Garden Ideas: Level 1
Love those videos, links didn't work well on my iPad but I searched and found them. I have a much sunnier spot and I think I will only grow one or two vines. The variety is Moon and Stars.
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Apr 24, 2014 8:22 PM CST
Name: Judy
Simpsonville SC (Zone 7b)
Peonies Plant and/or Seed Trader I helped beta test the first seed swap Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Garden Ideas: Level 1
Daytime temps week are 77-81 range
We are haing a very cool spring, it's really helping plants get a good start
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Apr 25, 2014 12:01 AM CST
Name: cheshirekat
New Mexico, USA Zone 8 (Zone 8a)
Bee Lover Dog Lover Herbs Garden Procrastinator Vegetable Grower
I keep forgetting I'm in zone 8. I've been lurking in this thread off and on. I don't eve know where to begin. I've just been trying to jostle the cobwebs. I'm trying to sip some summer stuff in with my spring stuff. Just planted the sweet potato slips today. Eggplant transplants a few days ago. Sweet peppers planted a couple days ago from transplants.

Hot peppers from seed are a no-show. May use up all those hot pepper seeds after all. I don't remember what I got stuck with last year, but this year I have to have Anaheim and Serrano from seed. May use up all the seeds in the packet at this rate. I've been led to believe they are not so fast to germinate, so I staggered the planting of the seeds and hope one batch will come alive.

Lima beans, pole beans, and Sugar snap peas al look good and have started to attach themselves to the fence. They need to get strong, because sometimes when watering, they will detach.

I planted a trellis with climbing nasturtiums and cherry tomatoes. I'm thinking the nasturtium will probably weave in and out of the holes in the trellis, if it isn't completely consumed by the hot sun. If it gets too hot, I am wondering if the nasturtium will choose to clim up the east side of the trellis, to benefit from the shade the trellis provides.

Trying to limit how much I do in a day. It is really tough. I want to get it all done but know I have to try to pace myself. I thought I was doing well today because I only planted sweet potatoes. But the pain is really starting to settle in. And here comes the numb fingers and arms that make typing a chore. I'll have to add more later. And probably post some pictures as I've only transferred them to my computer.

My chart of my garden beds is a mess, but when I get most of everything planted, I'm sure I will copy and revise the chart so it looks like the beds and won't have my scribbled notes all over. I won't worry about the exact dates because I haven't been consistently tracking them. Hope to do better next year with keeping the dates straight and noted on the chart.

Gotta get to bed soon. More to come.
"A garden is a friend you can visit any time." - Anonymous
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Apr 28, 2014 11:38 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Linda
SE Houston, Tx. (Hobby) (Zone 9a)
"Godspeed, & Good Harvest!"
Region: Texas Vegetable Grower Seed Starter Garden Ideas: Master Level Canning and food preservation Gardens in Buckets
Tip Photographer Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Ferns
Hi, Zone 8a-9a Veggie Growers!

I have four raised veggie beds that I'll be tilling up this coming weekend. Don't have any seedlings going, so I have to direct sow everything.

I have seeds for Purple Hull & Texas 8 Cream peas, Cukes, Okra, and Kentucky Wonder pole beans.

If I sow these seeds on May 3rd, will the harvest be close to maturity by August 16th? That would be 15 weeks. I'll need this crop to come to an end by then, so I could transplant the first half of a brassica crop in by August 30th.

Thanks in advance for any advice on how to use up these next 12-16 weeks! I tip my hat to you.

Hugs!

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