January Jump-Start (Garden Dream and Plan Thread)

[sumi]

They look great!

 

[milkmansdaughter]

I like the smell of tomato plants. @CrealCritter , do you plant dill near your tomatoes? We've always planted the two together.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I haven't planted dill near the tomatoes - good to know they go well together. I often times plant basil near the tomatoes just because I love the smell of both of them!

 

[CrealCritter]

They look great!

Yep now it's just a matter of baby sitting... They get a quart of water per day. As the grow a quart and a half, then 2 quarts. I'll probably start 1/2 strength 12-12-12 fertilizer next week and slowly build up to full strength. They will only get fertilizer only once a week though.

I like it when I can finally set them out in the garden, no more babysitting everyday

 

[Mini Horses]

Companion planting guides say to put dill near your brassicas as it is supposed to improve their flavor -- ? I can see bugs &/or soil improvement but, flavor. Hmmm.

Also...they say keep tomatoes from Walnuts. Since you have several nut trees, I mention this. "They" never said why -- and I can't see much being planted in that situation as the trees create shade. Suppose could happen within a close area if the garden, trees & sun were aligned in a complimentary fashion.

I had started some seed for cabbage, pak choi, broccoli, etc and due to my own laziness, they are being hardened off right now. Yep, left them out on the back porch, where they sit in sunshine a good part of the day. Tomatoes are in soil/cups but not germinated yet. Yep, outside also. But our temps have been those of our normal April, this month. Plus aver is 50 right now, it's been closer to 70 most days. So I think it's ok. Only down to 40 last night --with the NorEasterer of the coast I have winds of 25-30 steady and 40-45 gusts! Can't do much out there. Plants are not in the wind.

NOTE: as I was about to post this @ 9AM, the power went out! Felt it may have been a tree down on a line -- with all the wind and rains for past week! -- I left couple hrs later for work and power back on 4: So, this was still waiting for me to hit the post button... LOL

 

[Mini Horses]

CrealCritter, I love volunteer plants! I read an article once where a woman said she put her seeds in the dirt, in the containers, set in more dirt, leaves, covered with straw and let the rain, cold, snow all begin. Once It began to warm the seeds germinated fine.

That's what you have with Spring volunteers, from winter leftovers. They always seem to be a stronger plant, IMO.

 

[milkmansdaughter]

Thanks @Mini Horses. I do have walnut trees, and very little grows by them. Fortunately I only have two, and one is one the property line. I just looked this up again because I forgot the poison name:

Black walnut (Juglans nigra), and to a lesser extent butternut (Juglans cinerea), a closely-related species, produce a toxic substance that can be harmful to nearby plants. The trees produce the toxin juglone, which inhibits respiration in susceptible plants, causing growth to be retarded, stunted, or deformed.
Toxicity of black walnuts towards other plants : UMN Extension
https://www.extension.umn.edu › garden

 

[Mini Horses]

Black walnut can be poison to horses, also. Leaves, nuts, hulls. And, if that wood in in any bedding chips, can cause lameness issues. Funny how these things work.

It's like the compost from animal & grass waste where the 2-4-D was used. It doesn't affect the grass but, broadleaf plants. That is why, to test, you can put the compost on bean or peas and they will develop shriveled, curled leaves within first few sets of leaves. Now, if you use that compost on corn, almost NO issues as corn is in the grass family.

Another thing I once checked out was growing truffles. They do very well around certain almond trees. The truffles put out a chemical...plant defense thing ... which affects growth of grasses around them. So, you know you have truffles growing if the grasses around the base of that tree are absent. Cool!

 

[CrealCritter]

Still pretty wet but I'm cleaning off the little 25x50 foot spring/fall garden today with hopes it'll dry out enough to till tomorrow late afternoon

 

[Chic Rustler]

Black walnut is one of the most useful trees there is. The toxin jugalone can be used to poison fish for consumption. Crushed walnut hulls or shredded roots can be put in a burlap sack and sunk where you want to fish. The suffocate and float to the top.

The hulls are packed with iodine and tannins. The leaves and bark are even higher in tannins. The hulls can be used for medical purposes, anywhere you would use iodine. They can also be used to blue metal to protect from corrosion or die metal traps. The tannins can be used for making leather, and medicinally as well. They are very astringent. A detoction of bark will help with diarrhea, a poltice from the leaves can be used to stop bleeding. The list goes on. Check out Dave Canterburys book bushcraft 101 and advanced bushcraft for more info