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Post by reed on Nov 17, 2017 17:15:52 GMT -5
reed So the leaf/plant shape looks the same as your asters? i reckon every seed came up, ended up giving sooo many away to gardening friends, so between us all we should see some interesting plants hopefully. Yep, that looks like em and looks like they got a good head start for spring. Looking forward to seeing them in bloom, I reckon that should happen about the time mine wake up next spring. Don't know if I mentioned but about the nicest pure white one I'v seen showed up this year. |
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Post by richardw on Nov 18, 2017 0:48:39 GMT -5
Looking forward to them flowering
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Post by reed on Nov 27, 2017 6:51:27 GMT -5
Most of my cabbage family mix, especially collards, all the choi, turnip and turnip/mustard are still looking good after several nights in low 20s F. I stopped eating the turnip/mustard so as not to stress it too much in hopes it lives and flowers next spring. Quite a few radishes are also still alive and even some dill hasn't completely croaked yet. Green leaf chard looks basically the same as it has for a long time, red and yellow are frozen down, I imagine all the roots are fine and won't make the mistake of tilling it all out next spring.
I suppose I could fight the cabbage worms on some crops by using netting but I like the idea of cold weather crops much better.
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Post by reed on Dec 6, 2017 11:17:57 GMT -5
Last year I had some lettuces live through winter and make really early greens this past spring and then bolt to seed. I saved lots of seed plus lots volunteered. Here are some new kinds that I am in hopes will do the same thing. It has already been close to 20 F a couple three times and they look fine so far.  And not that it matters but sometimes I like to sit with my back to this while I peruse garden books and seed catalogs or sort seeds. Sometimes with a cup of hot chocolate with a generous dose of blackberry brandy.  |
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Post by walt on Dec 6, 2017 11:51:43 GMT -5
The good life.
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Post by keen101 (Biolumo / Andrew B.) on Dec 6, 2017 12:37:35 GMT -5
Last year I had some lettuces live through winter and make really early greens this past spring and then bolt to seed. I saved lots of seed plus lots volunteered. Here are some new kinds that I am in hopes will do the same thing. It has already been close to 20 F a couple three times and they look fine so far. oooh... i'm very interested in this project. Winter lettuce.. sounds great.  |
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Post by keen101 (Biolumo / Andrew B.) on Dec 6, 2017 12:40:18 GMT -5
i tried planting some asian persimmon trees here this winter. they supposedly tolerate Zone 6. I am in Zone 5b. So here's hoping they do fine (if they don't die for other reasons).
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Post by reed on Dec 6, 2017 17:33:49 GMT -5
Here are some descended from those that lived through last winter. The red ones had apparently died but sprouted back as little bushes from roots. These particular plants are the second generation this year to volunteer and I expect them to live through again, at least I hope so.  The green ones here are descended from some that stayed green all last winter.  I have lots of seed, it is a mix of lots of kinds but probably 70% from these. keen101 (Biolumo / Andrew B.) , pm your addeess if you want some. |
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Post by richardw on Dec 8, 2017 0:00:55 GMT -5
i tried planting some asian persimmon trees here this winter. they supposedly tolerate Zone 6. I am in Zone 5b. So here's hoping they do fine (if they don't die for other reasons). My climate is right on the edge of being suitable to grow them, if you can grow a lemon you can grow Asian persimmon trees, ive just been planting out some seedlings over the last few days. |
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Post by steev on Dec 8, 2017 2:10:17 GMT -5
In my experience (failing), you need to beware of temperature whipsaw; you being on-site, keep an eye on them, weather-wise.
Good luck; they are primo fruit trees.
reed: I sure envy your stove; I've had one in storage for years; gonna put it in my house and enjoy it all to hell.
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Post by reed on Dec 14, 2017 10:16:54 GMT -5
We have had a few nights in mid teens F and a few days at or a little below freezing. I'm happy to report that my three favorite lettuces and most all of my mustard / turnip plants look good. They are a little drooped but definitely still alive. Another lettuce with very frilly speckled leaves looks dead. A lot of radishes are still going and even a few dill plants. Lots of other greens like arugula and rocket also still alive. Best of all is I don't think I'v lost even one of my Brassica oleracea collection. Also no loses from Joseph Lofthouse 's choi mix. I hope to just merge as much as I can of particular species and then in future just select the most hardy and tasty, till I can harvest greens all winter and those delicious seed pods in spring. Garlic and onions looking good, no surprise there. A few onions are frozen down but I expect they will sprout back up. I'll keep track and try to get seed mostly from those that stay green. |
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Post by keen101 (Biolumo / Andrew B.) on Dec 18, 2017 1:54:19 GMT -5
PM on it's way! |
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Post by keen101 (Biolumo / Andrew B.) on Dec 18, 2017 1:57:39 GMT -5
if you can grow a lemon you can grow Asian persimmon trees, ive just been planting out some seedlings over the last few days.  I've never grown a lemon tree... I didn't know i could grow those here... well, other than in a greenhouse... |
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Post by reed on Jan 7, 2018 8:19:25 GMT -5
I don't know if there are any threads about bee keeping, if so and someone would direct me to them it would be much appreciated. In any event I have though about giving it a try for a long time and this spring I'm gonna take the plunge. There is a bee company just a couple hours away from here that sells starter colonies with Russian hybrid queens so was thinking of driving there to get my bees rather than mail order. I'v done lots of reading and have decided on a top bar construction cause it seems easier to build and more natural to how bees live. I have lots of questions for example, where to locate it, sun? shade? or does it matter much. I watched this video over on Permies permies.com/t/47976/critters/Eco-Floor-bee-hive about what he calls an eco-bottom for the hive. It kind makes sense I think, has anyone here used it? Only problem it looked like to me is the bottom is elevated above the ground where it would dry out, not exactly as nature would do it in a fallen tree. I wonder if the eco-floor really is a better way if it wouldn't also be better to have it contact with the ground. I could easily simulate a more natural set up by stacking black locust logs a couple feet high and simply setting the hive on top. After reading all the stuff I found and watching several videos I think I understand the basic concepts and don't see why I couldn't use the abundance of locust logs I currently have to make an almost totally natural hive, just construct removable, bottomless hive "modules" for lack of a better term that simply sit on or inside a log cabin like structure. I do want the glass windows and easy accessibility but I can figure that out. Anyone use top bar hives? Any comments? |
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Post by oxbowfarm on Jan 7, 2018 12:28:01 GMT -5
I'm aware of top bar hives. I was almost going to go that route but my neighbor went whole hog into bee keeping a few years ago so it is easier to trade produce/maple syrup for honey than to do another livestock thing. He uses pretty standard equipment though, so I don't have any advice to add. His biggest issues so far has been a couple of bear attacks and he's switched to having just two massed apiaries so he can protect them with electric fence. He lost several hives to bears prior to that. But I've read that having multiple hives close to each other leads to more virulent disease and parasites.
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I've never grown a lemon tree... I didn't know i could grow those here... well, other than in a greenhouse...