What Are Some Tips for Successful Gardening?

In summary, we put in a huge garden and had a green thumb from the get-go. We still have a garden, although it's a little smaller now. We mainly grow vegetables, fruits, and flowers. I've been a pretty avid gardener at times but not for eating, just for looking.
  • #2,871
Evo said:
I'm wondering if this early onset of wintery weather means we are in store for a very cold winter? :frown:
Ah, we're having unusually cold weather here.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2,872
Evo said:
My ghost pepper from Rhody.

ghostpepper2.jpg
Evo,

How many seeds did you start and how many died off or succumbed to lack of water, fungus, aphids, etc... ? I want to compare to my efforts.

Rhody...
 
  • #2,873
rhody said:
Evo,

How many seeds did you start and how many died off or succumbed to lack of water, fungus, aphids, etc... ? I want to compare to my efforts.

Rhody...
Just this one for the ghost. I have one seed left. I used a jiffy 7 pellet. I use miracle grow to water it.

For the ornamentals, I planted all 6 seeds, but only 2 sprouted. I used potting soil. Both are alive and healthy.

I'm telling you, jiffy 7 pellets are the way to go.
 
  • #2,874
Evo said:
Just this one for the ghost. I have one seed left. I used a jiffy 7 pellet. I use miracle grow to water it.

For the ornamentals, I planted all 6 seeds, but only 2 sprouted. I used potting soil. Both are alive and healthy.

I'm telling you, jiffy 7 pellets are the way to go.
Arghh... I feel like a dummy, give Evo the garden goddess with a green thumb one damn ghost pepper seed and she gets 100% success whereas I have about a 20% overall success rate. Do you use miracle grow right from the start or after you transplant them to bigger pots ? Did you water from the bottom, anything else I should know ? I didn't have much luck with the jiffy pellets, that's why I switched to good potting soil instead.

The ornamental's once they produce cute colored peppers will look really cool. I found they are pretty hot too if you decide to nibble on one. Great conversation pieces.

Rhody...
 
  • #2,875
Yesterday afternoon, I was helping a friend lay out fence post lines around his garden. We unknowingly walked too close to (or maybe directly on) a yellowjacket nest - a type of wasp that burrows underground. They came out and swarmed us...we ran for our lives but still ended up with several stings.

It could have been a lot worse, it wasn't a huge nest.

OUCH!
 
  • #2,876
lisab said:
Yesterday afternoon, I was helping a friend lay out fence post lines around his garden. We unknowingly walked too close to (or maybe directly on) a yellowjacket nest - a type of wasp that burrows underground. They came out and swarmed us...we ran for our lives but still ended up with several stings.

It could have been a lot worse, it wasn't a huge nest.

OUCH!
OUCH! I was trimming the hedges once and chopped into a wasp nest. Only got one sting, but that was enough.
 
  • #2,877
Evo,

I asked this question: What and when you use to help you plants get started ?

Do you use miracle grow right from the start or after you transplant them to bigger pots ?

Rhody...
 
  • #2,878
I received some good looking ghost pepper seeds in the mail today.

Thank you rhody. I have Jiffy seed starter soil and pots, so I will be starting some experiments soon.
 
  • #2,879
rhody said:
Evo,

I asked this question: What and when you use to help you plants get started ?



Rhody...
I make a weak solution and start to use it after the pellet is transplanted into the pot. I use it for all waterings.
 
  • #2,880
dlgoff said:
I received some good looking ghost pepper seeds in the mail today.

Thank you rhody. I have Jiffy seed starter soil and pots, so I will be starting some experiments soon.

Evo said:
I make a weak solution and start to use it after the pellet is transplanted into the pot. I use it for all waterings.
Thanks Evo,

I will try that, and Don, Evo and Turbo, read my last https://www.physicsforums.com/showpost.php?p=3515816&postcount=584" in turbo's hot stuff thread (the linked document), these suckers will grow indoors in three years they can be 12 or more feet high, and I am told you can get two crops per year. If you raise outdoor plants, you want them to reach maturity in August and September, so the article recommends you start them in Jan/Feb. I would like to get an "artificial harvest not based on mother nature's summer heat". To do so requires some kind of wrap around electric blankets that will keep the pot soil about 80 degrees F. That is my next challenge. Something that is safe, and will not burn the house down.

Turbo, I will put some fresh peppers in the mail tomorrow after work, you should have them in a few days.

Rhody... :wink:
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #2,881
Thanks Rhody. I will look for them, save the seeds, and try to negotiate with the local greenhouse-guys to see if they will start them early for me in exchange for getting some "brood stock" of their own. I just don't have enough sunny exposure to start them indoors, plus the south-side of my house is the coldest side in the winter because the wood stove is located in the living room on the north side. I would love to have a real greenhouse, but without furnaces and the attendant costs, it would be difficult or impossible to successfully start delicate plants in February. This is what March looks like around here.

marchhouse.jpg


Now where would I put a greenhouse, and how would I get to it and heat it in February?
 
  • #2,882
dlgoff said:
I received some good looking ghost pepper seeds in the mail today.

Thank you rhody. I have Jiffy seed starter soil and pots, so I will be starting some experiments soon.
My seeds arrived yesterday. Thanks, rhody!

I'm contemplating cold storage, but might try some growing in-doors.

My pepper plants outside have numerous flowers (now that it's the end of the season), and they are full of green peppers. I found one orange hab, and lots of green ones, but they are small. It's been too cool and wet for the last month. The habs never took off, probably because other varieties outgrew them and they didn't get sufficient sun. I may bring the habs inside before we get freezes.
 
  • #2,883
I've had similar "luck" Astro. The only mature chilies that I'll get this year will probably be Hungarian wax chilies. I'll harvest all I can get, chop and freeze them, but a batch of chili relish is probably out of the question. Sad.
 
  • #2,884
rhody said:
I would like to get an "artificial harvest not based on mother nature's summer heat". To do so requires some kind of wrap around electric blankets that will keep the pot soil about 80 degrees F. That is my next challenge. Something that is safe, and will not burn the house down.
I've worked with many pharmaceutical walk-in environmental chambers that provided temperature and humidity control. The one I hated most to enter was the 40°C/75%RH chamber. Sounds perfect for what you want to do. :biggrin:

walk-in-stability-chambers.jpg
 
  • #2,885
dlgoff said:
I've worked with many pharmaceutical walk-in environmental chambers that provided temperature and humidity control. The one I hated most to enter was the 40°C/75%RH chamber. Sounds perfect for what you want to do. :biggrin:

walk-in-stability-chambers.jpg

Don,

I just feel off my chair, thanks... :smile:

Rhody...
 
  • #2,886
Yay. I haz ghost seeds! Thanks, Rhody.
 
  • #2,887
turbo said:
Yay. I haz ghost seeds! Thanks, Rhody.
Once you start them under heat mat in a covered clear container with damp paper towels, you should see the bifurcated seedlings fight their way through soil in ten days, under a constant 80 F of so. Every day or two open the container and make sure the seeds are moist, that's about it. That is the easy part, after that you are fighting all the maladies discussed in this thread. I stuck a cheap stick on thermometer in the container to monitor the temperature as well.

Rhody... :smile:
 
  • #2,888
I was lucky, it was warm enough when I started mine, and I put the pellet in a shallow plastic cup and set it outside.
 
  • #2,889
Evo said:
I was lucky, it was warm enough when I started mine, and I put the pellet in a shallow plastic cup and set it outside.
You might not remember exactly, but how long do you think it took to germinate ? My best time under heat mat is around 10 days, I believe.

Rhody...
 
  • #2,890
rhody said:
You might not remember exactly, but how long do you think it took to germinate ? My best time under heat mat is around 10 days, I believe.

Rhody...
I'd guess around the same.
 
  • #2,891
Ok,

That leaves Evo, and NeoDevin who haven't reported in on getting their seeds. Let me know when you do, Ok ?

Turbo, I sent your package today, fresh picked, a couple near ripe ones and about six or so green ones, you should have plenty to experiment and report back with. Just be careful with your health, add these babies gently in small amounts at first, I don't want you checking out because of these things.

Who knows a year from now we could be sharing and comparing recipes. I bought more potting soil, and am going to start some chocolate ones, old seed, and new seed ghosts and try to get a good half dozen healthy plants. I will let you know when I find my year round growing blanket, and once I find one, if it in fact accelerates the growing of these finicky little buggers.

Rhody...
 
  • #2,892
Wow! Thanks Rhody. I'll be looking forward to getting them. Maybe start with a batch of chili and black beans...
 
  • #2,893
I haven't received mine yet. Being in Canada I expect they may take a little while crossing the border. Maybe another week or so before I start to get worried.
 
  • #2,894
NeoDevin said:
I haven't received mine yet. Being in Canada I expect they may take a little while crossing the border. Maybe another week or so before I start to get worried.

I was thinking of that when I mailed them with US postage only. If they bounce I will send them with the correct amount. Earlier this year I had something I ordered for my bike from Canada, and it took 2.5 weeks to arrive. Homeland security measures quadruply multiplied I suspect. One way or another we will get you your seeds, have no fear Rhody is here... hehe...

Rhody...
 
  • #2,895
rhody said:
I was thinking of that when I mailed them with US postage only. If they bounce I will send them with the correct amount. Earlier this year I had something I ordered for my bike from Canada, and it took 2.5 weeks to arrive. Homeland security measures quadruply multiplied I suspect. One way or another we will get you your seeds, have no fear Rhody is here... hehe...

Rhody...
I certainly hope you took the normal precaution to sew the seeds into the lining of a stuffed teddy bear to avoid detection. :rolleyes:

There are laws about transporting agricultural products across boundaries.
 
  • #2,896
turbo said:
Wow! Thanks Rhody. I'll be looking forward to getting them. Maybe start with a batch of chili and black beans...
I have warned my wife. I'm sure that we will find lots of dishes in which to feature them, but NOT in the same quantities the we use of Hungarians, jalapeno, cayenne, etc. I'm already well-acquainted with the snarliest habs, so I think that the haz-mat procedure is well in place.
 
  • #2,897
Evo said:
I certainly hope you took the normal precaution to sew the seeds into the lining of a stuffed teddy bear to avoid detection. :rolleyes:

There are laws about transporting agricultural products across boundaries.
That idea crossed my mind too Evo, but I know of no disease that can be transported with a seed alone, I may be dead wrong about this, however. Let's wait and see if in another week they don't show up, then it will be on to plan B. BTW, did your seeds make it there ?

Rhody...
 
  • #2,898
rhody said:
That idea crossed my mind too Evo, but I know of no disease that can be transported with a seed alone, I may be dead wrong about this, however. Let's wait and see if in another week they don't show up, then it will be on to plan B. BTW, did your seeds make it there ?

Rhody...
Evo Child has my mail box key, so i don't know yet. :frown:
 
  • #2,899
Evo said:
Evo Child has my mail box key, so i don't know yet. :frown:
Well, text message that petulant child, or have her overnight mail the mailbox key, or better yet jimmy the damn thing, hehe...

Rhody... o:)
 
  • #2,900
Here is my first attempt at growing peppers. My grocery store jalapeno.

398649026.jpg


As you can see in the background, summer is gone, so I will be moving this to the office as soon as I get the peppers harvested. It is still flowering, so I have hope that it will continue to be happy.
 
  • #2,901
Ms Music said:
Here is my first attempt at growing peppers. My grocery store jalapeno.

398649026.jpg


As you can see in the background, summer is gone, so I will be moving this to the office as soon as I get the peppers harvested. It is still flowering, so I have hope that it will continue to be happy.
Looks wonderfully healthy and quite a load there!

If you have ample light, they will continue flowering and producing throughout the winter. The secret is in gently shaking or vibrating the bush when blooms are present in order to release pollen. Trust me, it works like magic.
 
  • #2,902
Ms Music,

Very nice, I see you are watering with one of those bulbs from the bottom up, good idea. Let us know what you think of the heat from those peppers when you use them for cooking, etc... Are you sure you don't want some ghost seeds ? With a little practice in small amounts they grow on you. I am planning a test with them with aged tequila next, will let you know how it goes in my Tequila thread, maybe this weekend.

Rhody... :-p
 
  • #2,903
Just reading a few pages of comments, it seems that gardening has been really beneficial for some.

Well, I'm in a bit of a funk and could use a side project. Does anyone have any starter plants to suggest?

It'd have to be something that could grow inside during the Canadian winter, and I'd like it if it bore something edible :P.
 
  • #2,904
AJKing said:
Just reading a few pages of comments, it seems that gardening has been really beneficial for some.

Well, I'm in a bit of a funk and could use a side project. Does anyone have any starter plants to suggest?

It'd have to be something that could grow inside during the Canadian winter, and I'd like it if it bore something edible :P.

I'm in Edmonton and am successfully growing habanero peppers in pots...
 
  • #2,905
rhody said:
I was thinking of that when I mailed them with US postage only. If they bounce I will send them with the correct amount. Earlier this year I had something I ordered for my bike from Canada, and it took 2.5 weeks to arrive. Homeland security measures quadruply multiplied I suspect. One way or another we will get you your seeds, have no fear Rhody is here... hehe...

Rhody...

After a long (14 hours!) day of work today, I didn't get home until almost 11 (about 10 minutes ago), to find that my wife had left an envelope on the table for me. I opened it up to find two little packets of seeds!

Now I just need to find some time to start them...

Thanks!
 

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top