2026 Gardening Growing Thread

Capt Insano Emeritis said:
Well woke up and decided it is seed starting day. For the 14th time in that many years I swear I will not plant 36 tomato plants and over 20 pepper plants in the garden. I have trouble with restraint in all aspects of my life , well sort of. Today and tomorrow will be a 2026 variety selection day. Though at one time I had over 60 heirloom tomato varieties and have had to make annual rotation lists it will be smaller this year . A few for family and starts for the my spring neighborhood sharing day with a free
Or donate set up.
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kmudgn said:
That is a good setup for seed starting, but put your light on a pulley so that you can lower it much further down. The amount of light (lumens/foot candles) coming from that lamp is greatly reduced with distance (I believe it is the inverse square of distance). Ideally, at first, you should be about 12-18 inches from the top of the plastic domes. In general, only lettuce seeds need light for germination. The light should also be on a timer with about 8rs of dark
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Actually it is set at the right ht for these lights. They are rather nice real full spectrum switchable for types of starts. It has a timer.
And it is a rather sophisticated set up that fits my needs and shrunken pocketbook. I have had them for 4 yrs when I built this greenhouse. The 3rd one I have designed snd built. But thanks for your well intended and helpful advice
 
I got home from my little morning walk to the local private mailbox store run by a neighborhood friend. Surprised by the change in weather - clear and sunny . The last few days were torrential 80-100% rain for daily stretches. When I got backand walked in through the garden the remaining 10” deep by 15” square shrink wrapped compressed coco core had leaked and launched its rain inspired expansion on the stage- back deck. Cleanup to do . Fortunately only two went kablooey and I had two empty wheelbarrows.
 
G_Smolt said:
Yeah, not really worried about that. More worried about the impending vernal equinox and current lack of thermal unit accumulation.
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That is a concern but in 45 years of planting garlic in zones7b, 8 a, 8b and 9a now 20 degree temps on winter nights-all survived and the elephant garlic were harvested in july or early to mid August in wounded by being nipped . Planted in uncompacted soil and mulched every late fall when leaves were saved and bags for mulch annually for the first 30 years
 
Mossback said:
Rootstock...that drives heights for the most part.
Google link has info
I used Raintree a lot, but it may be getting late, they sell out fast.


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Raintree back 30 years ago about ther
E was a sister arm of the company in Molton Wa where I bought a great crab apple and about that time started with mason bees. That treehad a bizillion clusters of tiny red delicious shaped crabapples. I emailed them a couple years later with a couple photos and they were very appreciative and sent me a credit vouchure for store credit and I later took that long drive from Vancouver
 
The tomatoes i have that have sprouted in 4 days are:
Great Red, Gregories Altai, Black Prince, Mortage Lifter, Costoluto Genovese,Candle Flame( first saved a cross of German Orange Strawberry and Great Red-in 2014 - and have grown and saved seed from progeny for 8 of those years)
Great White,Black Sea Man, Striped German,
Japanese Black Trifele, Purple Cherokee
 
Raised beds. My gardening effort consists mainly of 3 smallish raised beds and a 4' x 4' tomato greenhouse. I built the raised bed frames with Douglas fir 2 x 12s 13 years ago. They were getting pretty ratty, and I was going to replace them last year. However, having nearly master the fine art of procrastination in my retirement, I managed to put it off. Can't put it off any longer because I dismantled one of them this afternoon.

Now I have to choose the replacement material. Doug fir 2 x 12s are readily available, but if I shop around or ask a lumber yard to order some, I could probably get red cedar. I was contemplating using Trex decking, which is a 5/4 x 6 material. I'm thinking it might significantly outlast regular lumber. I could stack it and add vertical reinforcements every couple feet. Has anyone used this? And if so, what are the results? I'm open to other suggestions. But I've got to do something because the "no action" alternative is no longer viable.
 
Need more raised bed space but too many other projects eating time and money. This cheapo, minimal material planter experiment might be the solution. Just 6, five foot cedar fence boards at 4 bucks each. Sawn in half, beveled, and stitched together with 14 gauge galvanized fence wire. Just need to line it with landscape fabric and fill. Just under $30 and about 2 hrs to assemble.

20260321_182021.jpg
 
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sorry...
had to laugh...
 
SilverFly said:
Need more raised bed space but too many other projects eating time and money. This cheapo, minimal material planter experiment might be the solution. Just 6, five foot cedar fence boards at 4 bucks each. Sawn in half, beveled, and stitched together with 14 gauge galvanized fence wire. Just need to line it with landscape fabric and fill. Just under $30 and about 2 hrs to assemble.

View attachment 180560
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Very nice work!
 
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