Cottage Gardening forum: 2014 Seed Swap Chatter #4
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| Oh that's a grand idea Chelle laying the tulle out to germinate seeds I'm going to do the picnic table growing again this spring and was wondering what I was going to use for the birds they like to pick the seedlings thinking they are going to make a nest out of them? then guess they decide against it and I find the discarded seedlings all around the picnic table some I'm able to replant some not. Terese that Merlot looks like a really nice coneflower I like that one too and it's 34" tall did it reseed a lot? That was the only reason I didn't like Magnus it reseeded so much that I could see a future bed of Magnus and no other flowers. I planted it on the hill by my kitchen window wanting it to multiply there and it wouldn't of course it all died out eventually. Sorellina, I feed a lot of earthworms to the robins they watch me in the beds and when I see them I pitch them a worm they always come back for more you should try it it's really cool  I don't think cats that stay in the house all of the time get enough natural protein just doesn't seem to be healthy for them to eat cat food all of the time so I try and feed them worms too and they really enjoy them so far the green worms are the only ones they will eat I've tried the grubs and cutworms but they don't care for them. I even let beetles in sometimes for them to play with and sometimes they eat those too they love those little millers that fly at night around your porch lights you have to take a little piece of their wing off so they won't fly around the house but it's for your babies. |
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| Thanks for the tulle idea, Chelle, I'm always looking for ways to keep the chickens out of my seedlings and I think this will work!! Actually, I just brought some plants in the house and the cat seems to think I brought them in for him! I'm gonna put some tulle over the top of the soil. That'll fix him! Yesterday I found vermiculite at Lowes!  They had it hiding in the corner by the door to the outside garden center! 8.8lbs (8 quarts) for $2.95... I would have paid more since I'm just happy to have found it!! Shine Your Light |
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| That sounds like a good deal on the vermiculite, Christine... and it reminds me that I still need to find some, too! |
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| Ya it is a good idea especially for those small areas. Would save me draggign big heavy pieves of cheese cloth around. |
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| Most of all the regulars have read this, but it might be something for you new folks to read while you occupy your time, especially since it about seeds. http://cubits.org/ellasgarden/articles/view/647/ Mini gardens: http://cubits.org/ellasgarden/articles/view/15/ Wear your veggies and if you have tips and idea, please add them. http://cubits.org/ellasgarden/articles/view/130/ and for you veggie folks that wonder about growing some of the veggies you are getting from Joseph or a host of other type veggies , you can chat personally with him , in his personal forum. You can learn more about landrace gardening and maybe how to make it work in your area. http://cubits.org/ellasgarden/forums/view/landracegardeningw... and than if you want to just kick back and relax and chat, Misti has a personal forum too and I know she knows alot about making natural lotions and stuff like that. http://cubits.org/ellasgarden/forums/view/mistismagnificentm... Want to learn how to grow some really awesome tomato and pepper plants. I mean huge bushes of plants than head on over to the Salsa Garden, and chat with Patti. Learning how to bag seed was a really good learning experience from her. You'll find convient link at the right side of the page.  |
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| Joseph: Botanical Interests says they added a bunch of truly heirloom food plants this year: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Roughwood Collection Closer to home, this season we feature offerings from the Roughwood Collection of food historian and author William Woys Weaver of Pennsylvania. Distilled from his collection of over 4,000 heirloom food plants, these are all true heirlooms, since the collection was started by his grandfather nearly a century ago. We're proud to offer Landis Winter Lettuce, Early China Bush Bean, and London Long cucumber, and a number of others: treasures, every last one! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ also: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Old European Varieties This year, we're also proud to announce the acquisition of dozens of varieties from a new supplier in Poland. Since the collapse of the old Soviet Union, former communist bloc countries have been working to develop free-market economies, and one avenue they have taken in Poland is seed production—both of newly-bred types and of old European heirloom varieties. Western gardeners can be the beneficiaries because these seeds are crafted to the highest standards of reliability, hardiness and tolerance to cool-summer conditions. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
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| I have a bulk seed here to share, but I can't find it. I may be reading spelling wrong , but looks to me like Telecia ? I tried Telelia to and nothing. If somebody is able and has time, can you try and find out what it is. Can't share it til I know. |
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| Star, I love the article on sleeping seeds. Thank you for the enlightenment. Also, I'm hunting down my parts for my plant stand. Today I purchased a Mother Earth News Guide To Self Reliance and Country Skills. I love their 1 acre homestead. I'm going to work on making that happen here. They also had inexpensive ways to make your garden beds. They emphasized that paths are very important so you are not packing down your plants soil. My backyard has a grade.. imagine that?! lol Over here in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains. Anyways, I'm thinking of going across the hill and putting a barrier to stop my good, lose, amended soil from sliding down the hill so quickly. Is there a better way? Lebug, I enjoyed your burning question about coneflowers and hybrids. I have some hybrid seeds that I would like to grow just to see what happens. Chelle thanks for the insite to tulle as a covering. I will have to look into making some. I noticed that first frost really took my plants out. In the future I can be more prepared! Ok, So how about milkweeds? I understand they are very temperamental plants. What is the best way to germinate them? I have a few varieties I'd like to get going. I planted some right into the ground last year but they didn't make flowers or seed. Is the first year always like that? Is it practical to grow milkweed in a container for awhile? Until I know where I want it to live. Tomorrow the girls have a half day of school and then they are home until January 6th! The kids fight like cats and dogs, but Momma's got the currency. Anna was sad because she's gaining weight eating all this Christmas junk. I outlined how we'll be growing our own healthy food and that'll give us exercise too. She said, "Momma I don't want to spend the WHOLE summer in the garden."  |
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| Is it Flinter's Felicia plant? That is a beautiful blue flower. Just taking a guess. |
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| Starlight: Felicia heterophila or Telekia (Buphtalmum speciosum)? Can you descirbe the seeds? |
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| Promise.. Nope these didn't come from Flinter. Where did you get a Mother Earth news guide at? Flinter The seed is very small, maybe 1/8" to 1/4" sorry don't know your measurement. It is very thin and like a light brownish I would say tan color almost a blonde color. Kinda reminds me of Rudbeckia seeds if you have ever seen them. Hummmmm. I wonder if that is a "k" in there. You just might be right. Now to wish the computer had some power so I could try and google it. The writing is so faint and fancy script it is hard for me sometimes to figure seed names out. Thanks for jumping in Flinter. |
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| Good morning! Star, I picked up this Mother Earth News magazine at Ingles. Do you have those down there by you? Many times when I am doing my Google search I'm taken to the Mother Earth New website. |
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| Promise Nope no such place down here. Is the information in the mag also at the online site? Ya know Joseph has written several articles for Mother Earth.  I don't have the links off hand though. We got rain coming in this evening all the way through til sometime tomorrow afternoon. Than, it looks like all of us are gonna be under big time cold, snow or rain across almost all of the country. Bones knocking together and shivering already thinking about it. |
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pmb2005 wrote:...I'm thinking of going across the hill and putting a barrier to stop my good, lose, amended soil from sliding down the hill so quickly. Is there a better way? Toss a mix of tree trimmings, leaves, old straw and other decomposables in horizontal lines along the hillside. They'll slow the slide, retain water from rushing away, and eventually turn into good soil themselves. pmb2005 wrote: A few of the uses I've found for the tulle: ...keeping chipmunks out of early seedlings that are out for the day...  You can tie string around the tub tops to keep it on, but last year I finally found a better way...clothespins! ...growing great groundhog-free lettuce...(this is the Green Ice, BTW  ) ...protecting young squash from squash bugs and vine borers...  ...and lots more. Basically, any time I plant something out I cover it with tulle for at least a few days. This acclimates my resident critters to the change and they're much less likely to be curious about it once the cover is removed. Not all will be removed early of course; some are still too much of a temptation to resist, but most just need a few days to a week under cover. New plants that come in get covered for a bit, too...for the same reason. Otherwise, the creatures will chew on them, dig them up, or play toss-the-pots!  ...and there goes the pretty new plants. |
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| Starlight Do the seeds look like this http://www.alpine-plants-jp.com/himitunohanazono/telekia_spe... |
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| yes Mother Earth News publishes all their articles online as well. |
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| Yep that is the seed alright. Thanks so much Flinter and Jonna. Now I can offer them up for those who want some. Another nice looking, deer resistant plant, cutting flower, for the butterflies. Over to post on oinking thread for folks while I can. All I got to say is we better have better service when they get done, cuz right now you can't even have phone call without maybe getting throwed off phone and tons of static. |
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| chelle Thanks for the tips on the tulle - what great uses! I'll be looking at the fabric store. Brenda |
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| Not being able to do a lot of things and not being able to celebrate Christmas this year (which saves me a lot of money, haha), I bought myself a new camera to make pictures of seeds. I'm still struggling with the settings, because I don't know anything about macro photography, but I was able to make some pictures of some bigger seeds. One of them is the Berlandiera lyrata (Chocolate Daisy), which was offered several times in the past in the Piggy Swap. I never succeeded to germinate them, but now I know why: the seeds were not 'thick' enough, so not viable. Here's a picture of how they should look like  |
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| Jonna After several tries I had gotten mine to germinate. I did sit there and patiently take the papery skin off than sort through the actual seed and than pick out the plump ones. Tedious work and ya had to becareful you didn't snap the seed while removing the covering. I will do the same with Amaryliss and a few other types of seed that have protective coatings on them. Congrats on the new camera! Hope you have a lot of fun with it. |
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