My vacation update will have to wait another day or two. We've been up since 4am, and I actually did go to work today. Going to crash very soon in my own bed.
I don't know how the northerners do it. My patience for the cold usually hits its limit early in the year. This ice makes it worse. High of 14 tomorrow. sigh.
Name: Susan Zone 5 Charley's Girl Too/ HeHaw, HeHaw
My DH just spent 4 hours chopping ice from the driveway so I understand We are expecting company and didn't want anybody to break their neck otherwise we might have just let it melt. Our driveway is the only one on the street that doesn't get sun so it won't melt unless we get a big warm up for a few days. I think we are looking at snow again on Wednesday.
Just popping in to say Hi to everyone.....have to go out yet this evening (nothing like going out in the cold blustery rain). It was nice to enjoy some warmer weather this past week. It made me almost believe that spring might come soon!
I had a productive day today starting my Wintersowing, got some seeds started indoors, and potted up some of my coleus cuttings. It was fun to have a day off with not much else to do but play in the dirt.
Still trying to narrow down my tomato list for this year. Do you all have any "must have" tomatoes that you grow? There are just too many varieties, and I have too little space.
Name: Cinda Indiana Zone 5a Truth is worth finding
You picked a rather nasty day for a day off Maybe it was warmer there? we had freezing rain and sleet all day.
I don't have a specific name but a must for me is grape tomatoes . I plant at least two in the garden for fresh eating while outside working. Cherry tomatoes would do the same , I just prefer the grape ones.
I normally chose one early and one real beefy type then something I have never tried for variety.
If you are looking for high yield the little yellow pear tomato out performs every small tomato I have ever grown.
Yesterday may have been slightly warmer here, but we had tons of rain all day! Rather blustery, all in all. Still, I'll never quibble about a holiday from work, regardless of what type of weather I have to deal with. It was especially nice because my husband was working, so I had the house to myself (a rare treat!!).
Our basement is nice and light and warm and dry, so working down there is rather pleasant. The grow lights really make it seem almost sunny down there. I crank up the radio, and just play with my seeds and plants.
I'm torn on which cherry tomato to grow. I was considering either Sweet Million (grew Sweet 100s several years ago, and they were wonderful). My other choice would be black cherry. We grew chocolate cherry last year, and really enjoyed it, also (although the plant got humongous--probably at least 8' tall). I like to just pop 'em in my mouth while out in the garden also--they taste so good when they're warmed in the sun.
Yes, I'd like to hear about some of the things you guys are wintersowing.
I'm more of a saucer than a fresh eater, so I intend to devote much of my tomato space to saucing tomatoes. I'll do a couple others that people have sent me.
Ha! I make sauce out of any tomatoes I have. If they are too juicy, just simmer them a little longer or roast them. My favorite tomato sauce is made from assorted fire-roasted tomatoes (sometimes with some other veggies thrown in). If I really get a bumper crop, I just roughly chop them and freeze them. At that point, they are fair game for sauce, recipes, whatever. Way better than anything you can get out of a can.
I wintersowed: delphinium, poppies, Chinese Houses, Indian Paintbrush, giant scabiosa, sea holly, fragaria virginiana, foxglove. In late March, I'll WS some annuals in jugs also--saves me lots of space from having to start thing under grow lights.
Can you believe our potatoes will be shipping in just 2 weeks,Heidi? Seems way to early, but hopefully the weather will cooperate.
It does seem early. But if it takes almost two weeks to prepare them . . . and then plant them the first week of April . . . Sure does take the edge off the end of winter, planning garden stuff and getting seeds going.
So the things you wintersowed stay small enough that they can be covered by the top of the jug until the danger of frost has passed? And just the jug protects them from freezing?
Wintersowing works well for two types of plants. For perennials that need a stratification period, it makes it so easy!! These can be started any time during cold weather....they are watered naturally by the snow, etc. As the weather begins to warm and the plants begin sprouting, you have your own little greenhouse. I begin to "vent" by removing the tape holding the jugs shut as it warms.
I also use this method for starting annuals (although you can't start these until late March-early April). Same method--vent as they begin to grow. Make sure all of your jugs have really good drainage.
If you want more information, check out http://www.wintersown.org. Lots of good stuff there (including a wide variety of seeds available for a small donation or free).
Generally most things stay small enough to stay within the confines of the jugs even when closed. I don't think I've had anything overgrow to the point they were poking out.
Name: Cinda Indiana Zone 5a Truth is worth finding
I have a few cleome come up every year. They are rather late so I have to be careful to not pull them with the weeds. Nice thing they are easily recognizable.
I walked around the yard today, and it looks like I will be doing a lot of "replanting". So many plants have heaved out of the ground with all of the freezes/thaws. Hopefully everything will be ok until I can get out there to reseat them properly.
Name: Cinda Indiana Zone 5a Truth is worth finding
Did you guys get a lot of rain last night? we had very loud and close lightning here, I think we had a strike of lightning on the property , I heard the pop sound before the thunder.
Name: Susan Zone 5 Charley's Girl Too/ HeHaw, HeHaw
Sirens went off till midnight. We had to grab the dogs and take cover in the basement. Winds were 70 miles an hour and as the storm blew through even the pipes in the house rattled. So far we had no damage, will check the roof later today. At least 12,000 in our area without power.
We are expecting company and didn't want anybody to break their neck otherwise we might have just let it melt. Our driveway is the only one on the street that doesn't get sun so it won't melt unless we get a big warm up for a few days. I think we are looking at snow again on Wednesday.
Maybe it was warmer there? we had freezing rain and sleet all day.
