Rita, give the latest podcast a listen...it has some excellent advice regarding hardening off the seedlings.

robertduval14 said:Rita, give the latest podcast a listen...it has some excellent advice regarding hardening off the seedlings.

I noticed that podcast up today and for sure want to listen. Have not had a chance to do so as yet. Hopefully tomorrow.

I usually put my flower seedlings out for a few hours a day.....but only if it's around 65-70.

I put my tomato starts out if it is over 60. Today they are staying indoors as it is not warm enough for them outside. But really I have been able to get them out a fair bit which is remarkable considering it is March.

Yesterday when I had the tomatoes outside I took a tweezers and pulled extras that had come up so I thinned. They looked good after that as it gives the ones left more room to grow.

I needed to decide what goes where and way before it is time to plant out. So I started making labels for the tomato plants. Each outdoor tomato cage will get a label. That way I know what and how many to plant. I started that project yesterday and have labels out already. But many, many more labels to go.

Today I did plant my melon seeds. I want to have transplants to put out later on the garden. Around here you pretty much have to start your own as there is not much in the way of cantaloupes seedlings available locally.

Still left to do will be my cucumber seeds and my Dill and Cilantro.

Really...no melon starts? Bummer. Around here there are usually a couple cantaloupe varieties available along with a couple/few watermelon cultivars. The cultivars of cantaloupe offered can vary but are usually fairly short season types for this area. Watermelons usually offered around here are Sugar Baby, Crimson Sweet, and Golden Midget.

There is usually a midget and a full size watermelon but I am not interested on growing watermelon.

As to the cantaloupes, a very few like Hales Best. Once I found Burpee's Sugar Cube but only that one year. I would love to grow it but don't have seed. I am using up types I have so maybe next year buy Sugar Cube Seeds.

I occasionally see watermelon & cantaloupe plants at the nursery, but have never bought them....I really don't like melons except for watermelon, so I may plant some if I can find Sugar Baby......

I listened to the podcast just now and I really very much enjoyed it. And I love to hear Dave and Trish's tips.

This years garden plans could get interesting. I won first prize in this months raffle and selected the veggie and herb seed package. I have no idea what exactly I'm going to find in there, and that's half the fun.

robertduval14 said:This years garden plans could get interesting. I won first prize in this months raffle and selected the veggie and herb seed package. I have no idea what exactly I'm going to find in there, and that's half the fun.

Congrats!!

Very nice.. congratulations

Newyorkrita said:I listened to the podcast just now and I really very much enjoyed it. And I love to hear Dave and Trish's tips.

One of the things the podcast talks about is hardening off the seedlings. For me, I have been putting them outside any time the weather has co operated on a nice warm day. For the fact that it is March, I have been surprised at just how much outdoor time the tomato seedlings have been able to get.

March has been good to us! I had my garden tilled today...will plant beets, lettuce, carrots in a few weeks....

RobinD said:March has been good to us! I had my garden tilled today...will plant beets, lettuce, carrots in a few weeks....

I don't till. Usually I simply spread compost on top and then plant.

I add a thick layer of compost in both spring and fall and till it in. In spring I add another layer of compost on top after tilling the first thick layer in.

robertduval14 said:I add a thick layer of compost in both spring and fall and till it in. In spring I add another layer of compost on top after tilling the first thick layer in.

That sounds like a good method. But my no till method works pretty good too.

The guys that do the garden talk show on Hartford's radio station don't till either....just add more compost.......I wish I could do that but my space is large & I just don't have enough compost....also my garden is near a brick patio....trying to keep the soil off of it.....I guess whatever works best for your area......

I have to buy compost. No way could I ever have enough if I didn't buy lots of it.

I do buy a few bags of composted cow manure & some lime, but that's it.....Then the plants are on their own.....