Zach's Walk

[Joseph Lofthouse]

Dec 19, 2014 23:15:36 GMT -5 kazedwards said:

What are some good plant breeding books for beginners? I have learned a lot on here but would like to dive deeper in subject.

Two plant breeding books that had a strong influence in my life were:

Breed Your Own Vegetable Varieties: The Gardener's and Farmer's Guide to Plant Breeding and Seed Saving by Carol Deppe

Return to Resistance by Raoul Robinson.

[kazedwards]

Well I sowed so TGS 9 days ago and ..... Nothing. Any ideas? Bottom heat Maybe?

[Joseph Lofthouse]

Jan 22, 2015 10:31:42 GMT -5 kazedwards said:

Well I sowed so TGS 9 days ago and ..... Nothing. Any ideas? Bottom heat Maybe?

Our best current guess is that garlic seeds do best with cold stratification... I recommend planting them outside in freezing weather and allowing them to germinate when conditions are right. The "Wintersown Method" has provided the best results so far. That method amounts to planting the seeds and then covering with something with holes in the top to prevent overheating: Milk jugs, pop bottles, or clear plastic bins are commonly used. A cold frame would be excellent. Wintersown beds/pots are typically placed so that they can get morning sun, but not get cooked all day long.

[reed]

I just went ahead and planted mine as soon as they arrived from Joseph, per instructions. I had planted some new fruit trees and stuck them in the loose soil around the trunks. Didn't think of covering them with something. I figure when (not if) they come up I will just leave them there to make seeds. I'll worry about any issues caused by being planted under the trees after I have the new seeds. I had a bed ready in the garden but changed my mind. Many times I have planted something and forgot and dug it up to plant something else, they are safer by the trees.

I even sat down on the ground and carefully spaced each seed, a pain with tiny seeds but sometimes worth the effort.

[Joseph Lofthouse]

OK. You motivated me to plant mine.

Everything is currently in the ground inside the greenhouse. The last of Ivan's 2009 and 2013 seed. And the bulbils grown from Ivan's 2013 seed. And the seeds I collected last fall from PI540319, and from the mixed varieties. I had stored the bulbils in the fridge. They had leaves from 1 to 3 inches long already. The ground was frozen this morning, so I waited to plant until afternoon when it had thawed out.

[kazedwards]

I will start looking in to the winter down method, and start more soon. Should I move the tray outside? Thanks for all the help guys.

[Joseph Lofthouse]

Jan 22, 2015 22:01:50 GMT -5 kazedwards said:

I will start looking in to the winter sown method, and start more soon. Should I move the tray outside? Thanks for all the help guys.

We are still learning how to grow garlic. I think I remember you having plenty of seed. Might as well try several different ways, see what works best.

[kazedwards]

I have 110 left. I figure I will try them a few different ways. Hopefully I can get a few plants at least.

[flowerweaver]

kazedwards I planted half of your bulbils when I got them, and half of those came up right away in the greenhouse this fall. I'm getting ready to pot them up and start another batch. Most of Ivan's bulbils came up. I have two trays of his seeds and three sprouts came up right away and the rest aren't doing anything. I will probably move those sprouts to pots and set the flats outside on the covered porch to cold stratify for a few weeks. They are bottom watered. Some seeds need 'pulsing' back and forth from warm to cold.

[kazedwards]

Had 2 TGS germinate today! That's 2 out of 96. Pretty good for F1 from what I have read and maybe more will pop up. Now that I think about it maybe I should have sowed a even 100 seeds lol.

[kazedwards]

Started the peppers and tomatoes tonight. Here is what I decided on for this year.

Sweet Peppers
Ozark Giant
Shishito
Stocky Red Roaster
Corno di Toro Rosso

Chili Peppers
Beaver Dam
Jalapeño
NuMex Big Jim
A Cross from Blackox

Tomatoes
Goose Creek
Mortgage Lifter
Pink Oxheart
Siletz

Cherry Tomatoes
Lizzano (Dwarf)
Matt's Wild
Micro Tom (Dwarf)
Tiny Tim (Dwarf)

I'm still thinking about adding one or more of these.
Marianna's Peace Tomato
Summer Cider Tomato
Sunset's Red Horizon Tomato
Hot Banana Pepper
Pasilla Bajio Pepper
I could squeeze in another tomato or pepper if use a bit of the field behind us. That's what I'm planning on doing with the melons and cukes. They only mow it once or twice so aslong as I keep close to the edge I should be good.

I also winter sowed potato onions and true garlic seed. Only had two TGS come up under the light and one seems to be struggling. Hopefully I will have better germ with this method.

[kazedwards]

Started cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower yesterday. 30 of each. Also potted up 2 true garlic seedlings. I Also decided to start a few hot banana peppers and Pasilla Bajio peppers. In a few weeks I'm going to be real busy!

[kazedwards]

Planted carrots and radishes today. Also moved the walking onions to their permanent bed. Now I just need to double dig the rest of the beds, then plant peas, lettuce and onions. As well as transplant cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower. Lots to do and I'm already behind.

[kazedwards]

It has been a busy few weeks but I'm off to a good start. So far I have everything in but summer plants which will be planted in the next week or so. I am also keeping up on weeding which is a small miracle for me. Only thing that is left to do is tilling the new bed and to finish hardening off the tomatoes and peppers.
Here is the new bed after I emptied and moved the compost bin.

http://instagram.com/p/2VE9U3ip4M

The bin was where the tarp is now. I emptied it out and dumped five bags of half rotted leaves there. Now I just need to till it all up. Planning to put melons and cukes there this year.

Here is the garden as of yesterday.

http://instagram.com/p/2VDvTMip3B

The new area is to the left.

Here is also a pic of the new bed for the walking onions.

http://instagram.com/p/2VFM0Aip4b

The cauliflower and a little broccoli on the bottom right.

http://instagram.com/p/2VEGzPCp3d

The cauliflower is doing the best out of the brassicas.

Here is the cabbage.

http://instagram.com/p/2VEDEiip3a

Kohlrabi just coming up.

http://instagram.com/p/2VD5h8Cp3P

Broccoli Raab(thanks Flowerweaver) to the right and peas to the left.

http://instagram.com/p/2VD9vNCp3S

More peas. Climbing and bush.

http://instagram.com/p/2VEAOZip3X

Carrots and Radishes. I used radishes to mark where I planted the carrots. So far it has worked great.

http://instagram.com/p/2VD3amCp3M

Here is the garlic. It did not fare well through the winter. I got it in the ground late and all the freezing and thawing kept pushing it to the surface. Only about half made it.

http://instagram.com/p/2VD0Vcip3J

Here is the oldest TGS seedling. It seems to be doing great. The other seedling that sprouted the same time as this one died two weeks ago. I also had another seed come up in the cup that the oldest one is in just yesterday

http://instagram.com/p/2VDs5Hip3A

http://instagram.com/p/2VDrTGCp2-

Here is the winter sown TGS. So far two have come up.

http://instagram.com/p/2VEJRcCp3g

That makes four TGS seedlings right now and a total of six seeds that have come up.

The strawberries are blooming

http://instagram.com/p/2VDyw0ip3F

And lastly the tomatoes and peppers.
Tomatoes in front of their window.

http://instagram.com/p/2VDodmip26

And peppers under their light.

http://instagram.com/p/2VDmg9ip23

The two trays on the right have been under the light the whole time. The two trays to the top left have been by the window with the tomatoes until a few days ago. Big difference between them. The ones from under the light are stockier and have much better leaf cover. I plan using the light next year instead of the window after seeing the difference. I have most of them at about six hours outside right now. Hopefully I can get them up to full days by next week. Then I just need to give away more than half of them. Almost every seed of the second set came up. Which left me with way more than I thought I would have.

[Joseph Lofthouse]

May 6, 2015 1:40:23 GMT -5 kazedwards said:

Here is the oldest TGS seedling. It seems to be doing great. The other seedling that sprouted the same time as this one died two weeks ago.

Great photos! Be sure and check that garlic seedling to make sure that it really died, and didn't just go dormant...

Wow. What a lot of clay.