I was about to buy new beet seeds when I looked at the package and saw 14-21 days to germ,. sure enough, I have two just breaking surface a good week after the lettuce started. these giant golden beets had really good tasting and big leaves and that's really what I want them for. Also seemed the bugs did not bother them- these seemed easier to grow than swiss chard for me.

I just ordered a packet of Emily Basil Seeds from Baker Creek. Have been growing this variety for the past two years and really like it. But was afraid the seeds are too old now and not gonna germinate so ordered fresh ones.

Snow insulates, includes bugs, has to be a good wet HARD freeze for I forget how many hours to get our southern local bugs, and then it doesn't touch those that migrate northwards later. Has been warm, 72*, and I have plants outside to spray for aphids I caught on that jalapeño pepper. Soon as the neem oil dries I will bring them back indoors. You guys still in the snow? You are so funny, Ed, chuckl, get out your mukluks.

Update on the snow:

today, I made it out of my house: I used my cane to knock the snow drift away from my door enough so I could get out and do some REAL snow removal!

I'm halfway down my ramp toward my truck. There's still no hurry: I KNOW the street is there, buried under over a foot of snow. Since yesterday was a holiday, the county prolly hasn't had time to clear the secondary roads yet - maybe tomorrow.


I 've gone thru my cleaning list (house, clothes, dishes), planned my garden & made a blueprint, finally read a few of my magazines (from LAST spring!), finished 2 puzzle books, let my fingers do the shopping (@ Amazon - they deliver! ), watched a lot of TV - so now I get to tackle my fix-it list: re-calk both bath tubs,de-calcify my shower head and epoxy a few loose things. Hopefully, by the time I finish shoveling my ramp and get thru with this list, I can get out t - to go to the grocery store and re-stock for the snow forecasted AGAIN Friday!

BetNC said:mmmmmmm

pantry shelf of soup and some canned beans (with a dozen homemade cornbread muffins in the freezer)
beef jerky: got, well almost gone now
vodka: out now
CHOCOLATE:
hot cocoa - time to buy more as only 2 days supply left
chocolate syrup (for the ice cream, with whipped cream & nuts & cherry on top Oh, my!)
chocolate chip cookies - just a few left
Hershey's bar with almonds (had)
snack-size assorted chocolate bars
chocolate-covered raisins

Can you tell I went grocery shopping 2 days before this storm/snow was expected? (This AIN'T my first "rodeo"!)

What happened to the vienners, sardines, potted meat, and saltine crackers????!!!! Them's all staples!!!!

kittriana said:Snow insulates, includes bugs, has to be a good wet HARD freeze for I forget how many hours to get our southern local bugs, and then it doesn't touch those that migrate northwards later. Has been warm, 72*, and I have plants outside to spray for aphids I caught on that jalapeño pepper. Soon as the neem oil dries I will bring them back indoors. You guys still in the snow? You are so funny, Ed, chuckl, get out your mukluks.

72*????!!!! We got up into the 50's today....had a 27F for a low last night...heavy, heavy frost. Collards are make me chuckle...a heavy frost hits them and it seems like the leaves relax droopingly with an "Ahhhh, this feels so good!!!!"...then when the frost leaves and the sun shines on'em they straighten right up as if they're more alert than ever!!!! Crazy collards!!!

Pat, do you live near that giant Ingles on Upward Rd.? The first time I went in that store I thought I should have worn roller skates. I have lived up and down the east coast and have never seen a larger grocery store. DH had a temper tantrum because he forgot something and it was too far away to go back and get it.

Ed, hot dogs and cans of Baked/pinto/Great Northern beans and lots of frozen cornbread muffins - in addition to sacks of dried pinto & Great Northern beans cornmeal, frozen ham bone and a few boxes of cornbread mix (I will NOT eat sardines!!). And temperature wise, you're boasting again: last night was 18 and today got all the way up to 45" Tonight, it.s expected to be 29, with tomorrow 49!!! and more snow Thursday night.

Alice, I go past that HUGE Ingles and the usual large Ingles (both about 2 miles from each other and both on Upwardd Road). I abandoned Ingles once Publix opened a; Publix caters to the disabled, with a bank of 8 riding carrts and helpful workers who happily reach down stuff for me - Ingles has 2 carts, one of which is broken, and just TRY to find a worker besides at the cash registers!

Mr Ed, them there collards are gonna be so good your tongue will beat your brains out tryin to git to'um.....

zeta7 said:Mr Ed, them there collards are gonna be so good your tongue will beat your brains out tryin to git to'um.....

Ooooohhhhhhhh yeaaahhhhh!!!!!!

I harvested some nice alfalfa and radish sprouts to use on a salad with dinner tonight

I also cleaned the living room carpet - and then, since there was nowhere to sit in the living room for a while, spent a good bit of the day in our sunroom; with snow coming down all day it really WAS just like being inside a snow globe!

Cool!!!


<Dang!!! It took even me a minute to realize what I did!!!! I guess I'm just that good!!!!!

sallyg said:Vera, that sounds pretty disappointing on the hydroponics. I've been tempted to try but not sure I'd dedicate myself enough for good results.

We had the simplest possible system: flat tanks, about 5" deep, lined with plastic sheet, filled with a nutrient solution, covered by a 3" styrofoam float with holes cut in it for little baskets. You plop small plants, wrapped in coir or planted in perlite, into the baskets, let them grow roots down into the nutrient solution and watch them grow. Three seasons, they were terrific. Kale, chard, mustard and bok choi coming out of our ears, had to keep giving some to neighbours. last year, still pretty good, and this year, total crap. I have no idea why.
Probably me. In the beginning, the Old Guy was in charge - it was his project. Just like the raised beds outside and cold house had been his projects until he got bored and handed them down to me. I've been doing fine in the cold house... guess I just don't have a wet thumb.

And moving to town sounds like a life changing decision for you..

Yeah. If we can afford to. Real estate prices have gone nuts during the pandemic. Don't know if our place is competitive with anything in town.
Just don't get old, is my advice.

SoCalGardenNut said:I threw 2 packets of asparagus seed down, this area my husband just opened up recently, so if they sprout they will hold the edge.
I also threw a bunch of parsley seeds down in the dry area, hopefully they will sprout. I don't have much luck with parsley for some reason.
I also threw a bunch of French Breakfast radish seeds down between my peonies, their shallow roots should not interfere with the peonies, but in 45 days I will pull up this bed and prep for growing summer melons.

It took 10 days, the radishes have sprouted. That means the end of Feb, I should be able to clear this whole bed.

You are going to pull up the peonys?

Fellow Maryland, PA etc area, bear this in mind if thinking about onions
https://extension.umd.edu/reso...

No, just the greens. Last year I had similar planting scheme, the melon vines didn't interfere with my peonies.

I pulled out half of my frisée bed, I will pull the rest this weekend. This is what I harvested, I had to wash it 4 times even though I cut off all the roots.

Pretty harvest! Does frisée grow similar to lettuce?

Yes, I just throw the seeds down, they are much easier then lettuce I think.