2021 garden season

[Goinwheelin]

I've been looking at some LED lights and 6000K to 6500K keeps popping up. OK right? Anything over 5000K?
Thanks

Yes 5000k and up. But look at the wattage as well

 

[djg james]

Yes 5000k and up. But look at the wattage as well

My seed cart is only 3' long and the 3' lights I've seen are only 30W.

 

[Goinwheelin]

My seed cart is only 3' long and the 3' lights I've seen are only 30W.

You’re good

 

[Goinwheelin]

You can spend a lot of money on a light.

 

[djg james]

You can spend a lot of money on a light.

I'm looking for a couple cheap ones .

 

[Del_]

I'm looking for a couple cheap ones .

Be sure to do price comparisons with longer tubes as changing out your seedling cart to work with the best priced LED lights may in the end be cheaper.

For instance I have eight $20 50 watt lights on an $80 shelf system. Because I have about 60 old worn Golden Coral trays I opted for an 18" wide shelf because a GC tray fits perfectly and three fit side by side in the 48" width. If it were not for already having the really nice trays from GC, I likley would have opted for sizing that would fit multiples of standard sized nursery flats that are 10" X 20".

The lights can easily out cost the shelf system used.

 

[muddstopper]

I bought a cheap florescent grow light at Walmart, https://www.walmart.com/ip/Hyper-Tough-24-LED-Grow-Light-Full-Spectrum-Linkable-12-Watt/713072660. We use it to start out tomatoe seeds. Cheap and easy to find. Also Wally world, pretty sure Lowes and Homedepot does too, has replacement florescence grow light bulbs you can put in a regular florescence fixture.

 

[Goinwheelin]

Jimmy Nardellos are popping

The wife loves petunias so one thing I do every year is hanging baskets for the house, a couple of large planters out front and a couple more on the back patio. These are the largest growing petunias you can get, commonly referred to as Tidal Wave. The growth and the flowers these suckers put out is prolific! One plant will fill a hanging basket and then some.

Pictures from last year when I went overboard on them lol. This ain’t close to all of them I think I had 60 some plants

 

[5backacres]

You guys over on the west side of the state have it good for growing blueberries. Wife and I usually stop by Mossyrock on our way back from the coast for some. One year I decided to try and grow them here in the desert, did a bunch of reading, bought plants and acidic soil but they never took off. It’s something I want to revisit though now that I know a bit more.

Had an friend who tried unsuccefully to grow Blueberries in Bend...he quit once I sent him the acid requirements...Just buys them now, at least you won't have problems with fungus on your side but here's a OSU link : https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/ec1304

 

[5backacres]

Had an friend who tried unsuccefully to grow Blueberries in Bend...he quit once I sent him the acid requirements...Just buys them now, at least you won't have problems with fungus on your side but here's a OSU link : https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/ec1304

I might add my 12 plants love fir sawdust mulch and adequate summer water (shallow roots)

 

[farmer steve]

Jimmy Nardellos are popping
View attachment 890681

The wife loves petunias so one thing I do every year is hanging baskets for the house, a couple of large planters out front and a couple more on the back patio. These are the largest growing petunias you can get, commonly referred to as Tidal Wave. The growth and the flowers these suckers put out is prolific! One plant will fill a hanging basket and then some.
View attachment 890682View attachment 890683
Pictures from last year when I went overboard on them lol. This ain’t close to all of them I think I had 60 some plants View attachment 890684View attachment 890685

Sold tons of the original wave petunias when they first came out in the early 90's. Easy wave was a good seller because of other colors available. Looks like there are several different types out there now. For some reason the top of my toolbox looks like yours.
https://blog.parkseed.com/2017/02/22/petunia-wave/

 

[Goinwheelin]

Sold tons of the original wave petunias when they first came out in the early 90's. Easy wave was a good seller because of other colors available. Looks like there are several different types out there now. For some reason the top of my toolbox looks like yours.
https://blog.parkseed.com/2017/02/22/petunia-wave/

I can never keep that toolbox clean. The top is a dumping ground for whatever I clear off the bench for the next project

This is my second year growing petunias and silver seems to be the color that grows the best for the tidal wave variety. I couldn’t find any tidal wave at the local nurseries last year so I got lucky with that decision.

 

[Goinwheelin]

Skimming through an old grow book by Mel Frank last night, and I found this page I bookmarked.

“Visit your plants regularly, it’s mutually beneficial”.

 

[Del_]

Skimming through an old grow book by Mel Frank last night, and I found this page I bookmarked.

“Visit your plants regularly, it’s mutually beneficial”. View attachment 891012

You will never hear your plants complain about farts!

 

[djg james]

You will never hear your plants complain about farts!

Farts are methane and I was going to ask if plants like them too .

 

[muddstopper]

If you want to increase the CO2 in your green houses, all you got to do is mix a little cornmeal and sugar in a 55gal barrel, throw in a hand full of yeast and set back and let it work off for about 7 days. Now what you do with the byproduct of the corn sugar mixture is up to you.

 

[Goinwheelin]

Time to cut back the roster a bit. Took some plants to work and gave some to th co workers I like then sold the rest for $1 each lol. Made $15

moving all the peppers and chiles over to 2gal bags. Six Numex and 3 Nardello here.

Tonight I’ll do the tomatoes in 2gal bags then put two dozen petunias in 1 gal bags. All that’s left in the germination closet are the Hatch medium chiles and some more Nardellos and that about does it for this year.

 

[djg james]

I don't start seeds on the level you do, so I don't understand the bag thing. I understand transplanting into larger pots when the plants get larger. Yours seem tiny. And the bag, is that just your source of a larger pot? You remove the bag before planting and reuse them?

 

[Goinwheelin]

I don't start seeds on the level you do, so I don't understand the bag thing. I understand transplanting into larger pots when the plants get larger. Yours seem tiny. And the bag, is that just your source of a larger pot? You remove the bag before planting and reuse them?

The bigger the pot the bigger the plant. If you look at the first picture all those plants germinated around the same time but the ones in bigger containers are larger. Also I have about 9-10 weeks before they go in the ground so they need a good place to hang out lol.

The bags can be reused, but I usually end up tossing them because they are cheap.

 

[Goinwheelin]

@djg james
The biggest game changer for me was investing in a good light for after germination. It paid for itself in the long run.

You can do a lot of work with one of these

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B019J3UPU...abc_RNVE3WWKQ7A8YCS6GWN2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1