Saturday, March 22, 2008

Seedling Update

The seedlings are coming along, slowly but surely. Closest to the camera are white impatiens (I know, I said I would not grow them anymore but here they are), there is also some purple and green basil growing, a few chives, and red salvia is just coming up.

I like to see the seeds sprout, but don't like this stage. The seedlings are not quite ready to be on their own with no heat since not all seeds have germinated, and they haven't gotten their first set of leaves yet either. I like them big and ready for hardening off. Anyone else there impatient for that time to plant to come along?

Notes from the garden:

If you have not already mowed your lawn and you have a cool season lawn, now is the time to start. I have already mowed mine twice. Mow it short to start with. There are a lot of winter weeds trying to set seed.

If you apply pre-emergent herbicides, between now and the next week or two is the time to do so. Try to time the application just prior to a nice long rain to wash it all in.

Notes about the Blog:

The Leaf has its beta site up, they expect to switch in the next week or two. Not sure how it is to work but I am preparing some posts for it.

I would like to know what type of subjects and is there anything specific readers would like to see on here. I post a wide variety of topics, but there is no way I could get in all applicable topics so I have to be selective. If I am missing a favored topic or something that might be timely and of interest to others, let me know either on here or to my email at ramseytina5@gmail.com.

Thanks.

in the garden....planting trees.

17 comments:

  1. I've been impatient for planting time for a while. I'm going to try some impatiens this year for the shady area in the back (at your recommendation!) I've got quite a few of my seeds started. I have about 72 peppers and tomatoes seeded but no germination yet. Many of those will be given away. I only want a couple of each kind. I planted some dianthus seed by just sprinkling it on dirt in a container and I probably have 30 or so sprouts coming, they should be fun! I'm looking forward to seeing your new site. Have a happy easter!

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  2. dave-good morning! you are on here early this morning. i never knew you could even spread dianthus seeds outside and they would grow. i am trying that with alyssum. i used to have it come back each year, then last years freeze did it in. will try again this year in the same way as you do the dianthus. hope those impatiens work well. i like them though they do need water during dry periods. i am doing white this year. 72 peppers and tomatoes! holy smokes! yes, you will have to take them to a give away or something. are you going to post about the middle tenn plant exchange? know nothing about it but cheekwood has a plant sale on the 29th. i hear it is good.

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  3. Hi Tina --and good morning --hope you start to feel better as the day progresses. This was an excellent post since hubby and I sure could use grass help --we don't use a service so it's up to us to get this done. If I could drag him out of the woods to help today, hahaha. Spring turkey --I hope they get at least one --he has boy number two with him now but plans on taking the girl model when they are done. I like that he only takes one at a time --then he can help them and pay attention. And, we did 3 dozen colored eggs --not to worry I will pickle some of them --my mom and sister love them pickled with beets. The girl model still has her private recording studio too:) I want to make adjustments to her room but I really like where that drum set is at right now:) It is very nice out today --we won't do any of the local egghunts. I will do one for the children after church on Sunday. I don't like the way people grab and push over little candy eggs, lol. Just not worth it --ruins the fun and meaning of Easter. Plus, the yard is way large enough to hide several dozen plastic eggs:) I better get a move on --lots to do today. Enjoy this nice weather --sunny:)

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  4. Oops I forgot to talk about the MT Plat exchange! They actually have a website about it all. I need to email the head to see if he cares for some extra publicity. It's in May so there's plenty of time yet. They are holding at Henry Horton State Park this year. Pretty close to us so I'm hoping to go.

    I'll have to check out the Cheekwood plant sale. I'd like to get up there sometime soon!

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  5. Hi Tina, I think posting just about everything having to do with outside, trees, flowers, vegies, gnomes, chairs and even canning, if you do so, covers it all.
    I'm waiting for everyone's full spring to be described, coming from such a wide area, should be kinda nice.
    We are having a hunt inside this house tom., Jack of all trades mentioned this will be Zacks last year as it is getting hard to get a basket for him. Fishing pole with lures this year.
    Dianthus is easy spreading outside, its one of the few that reseeds up here.
    Well, the new musical is on right now. The one that contains all of the beetles songs? Nice, real nice. I'm discovering it is showing the making of Jimmy Henrick for part of the story line.
    Interesting twist on history. Later.

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  6. I can't think of a specific topic at the moment that I would like. I enjoy all the posts and even if it is someting I am not really interested in I figure it alawys a little bit of extra knowledge which
    I do always like.

    Dave your oldest girl is at such a cute age so it will be a real fun day tomorrow for you guys. Enjoy it as they grow up so darn quick.

    Anonymous it sounds like you guys have a fun day planned.

    Hope everyone has a blessed, happy and enjoyable Easter with family and friends. It is a very fun day with the kiddies. I like Easter better than Christmas. Not as much hubbub and commercialization.
    But a good family day and great excietment and happiness for the little ones as well as us older folks and I love the colors. ENJOY

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  7. Tina I just made my rounds of the other blogs that you have mentioned in past posts. Remember a while ago I had mentioned that Craig at Harvistry had not posted for quite a while. He is now back. He has posted 2 new posts. I used to check every day but gave up and been checking but a couple of times a week. He has a pic of his new little boy on his first post being back.

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  8. Good Morning Tina, Well daughter and granddaughter left for home this a.m. We did color and decorate a dz eggs last evening.
    It is always a joy to spend time with them.

    Tina I enjoy reading about any topic you pick, like Jean said if it doesn't pertain to me it probably does someone else.

    My seedlings are looking really good, didn't get 100% germination,but will have plenty. This is the first time doing this for me, so I am well pleased.

    It is really looking like spring! The bradford pear blossomed out completely yesterday!

    Happy Easter to everyone!!

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  9. anonymous, i hope you all get a good turkey too. i for some reason had three dozen eggs on my mind. that is ALOT of eggs! mr. fix-it and the jimster love pickled eggs. i can't stand them! they made me try one and since i try everything at least once, i was game. yuck! anyhow, you don't need a service at your house, your lawn is good. i wouldn't apply any pre-emergent if i were you. save the money for gas for the lawn mower. lol

    dave, i can't find the mid tenn plant exchange website. am i looking for the wrong thing? i have plants and am trying to be selective with where they go so this may be an option. i have read the henry horton park is nice. would like to see it.

    oh nice. the jimster just brought me a dead turtle. a big one too. he says it is a good garden decoration. it is skeletized but the shell is whole and it STINKS! he found it behind the yard. wonder what happened to it?

    dawn with peaches, thanks for the input. the new site is a bit different. not difficult, just different. archives will be available and i can actually blogroll my favorite blogs. all you garden bloggers out there-here that? dave and gail are already added as is digindirt, a garden blog directory. i did a sample post but i am not too happy with it so far. it will be a learning experience. i think i will stick to what i have been doing but there are TONS of things that may help out others and i wanted to make sure i was hitting a majority of them.

    and i agree it will be SO cool to see the progression of spring from so many perspectives on here (florida to maine) and to be able to talk about it and see where each person finds themselves in it. garden bloggers do this on their blogs, here we talk about it a bit more. but we know florida and georgia are a week or two ahead. tn is coming into its own, and it will progress up the eastern seaboard. even your birch knows it is spring. i was at a friend's house the other day and she has a white birch. is that what yours is? hers is not doing well. they are not adapted for here.

    good morning mom, hope all is fine. i will keep with what i am doing. read above what i said about the new format. it will be simpler, but so far the post is not showing completely. it shows like dave's did when he was holding back some of his longer posts. i don't like that for this blog. hopefully i can find out how to fix it. the new platform will allow sharing between all of gannett news companies websites. that is the parent company of the leaf and they of course are who this blog is published through, through they are not my employers. is terri going to plant some crocuses now? and put a garden in her front yard? as sore as i am, she may have the right idea, less work. anyhow, mr. fix it says i need to go lay some patio stones under his huge trailer. a total of 120 today! lots of work.

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  10. good morning nina! i hope your daughter and granddaughter have a safe trip home. i am sure they will be back soon and had a great time sharing an early Easter with you all!

    any topic i pick it is. it is working fine and i have my niche now. soon everyone will be able to start their own blogs and it will be interesting to see if other garden bloggers come on this site and what they pick.

    good for you with your seedlings! hubby was telling me he killed a friend's early girl seedlings and is trying to get me to get some so his friend will not know. zain't happening. i thought he had damping off by hubby says there was miracle gro in the water he used to water them while his friend is on leave. guess that did it. sounds like your seedlings are a great success-and for the first time!

    Happy Easter to you too-and spring is definitely here! now i am finding more damage from last year's weather. be on the look out for trees and shrubs not returning. you can tell now by breaking off a stem. i found one of three blueberries did not make it, and two dead dogwoods we have to remove. urgh!

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  11. Cypress tree is staring to bud now and I saw our first Hummingbird return yesterday. So I put up the other liquid feeders for them to enjoy....

    I thinned the radish yesterday and always hate doing that as I feel like I am killing a healthy plant! Tina, the Lone in the Mist, Hyacinth vine, Jimson weed and 4 O’clock are all coming up. I have transplanted the hyacinth bean into small pots and will do the same to others today. Need to occupy my mind a bit from my mood...

    Not in good mood today. Just found out our neighbors little Jack Russell dog died. I just posted on it at the Pet People Blog if anyone would like to read the tragic story. Sad so some may not want to read it but I will say one thing, Please keep your pets away from dangerous yard work such as lawn mowers, tree cutting, etc.

    Happy Easter all and yes, home egg hunts are much nicer for the kids…..

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  12. So sorry Skeeter but that was anice post on the pet blog for the
    cute little guy. He can now chase all the butterflys he wants to and can have the pick of the cutest little doggie there.

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  13. HELLO TO ALL,
    HAPPY EASTER TO ALL, Hope all have a very pleasant day tomorrow & that the weather is perfect for all.
    The Young'un mowed the yard & weed eated too. He planted my other rose bush. It was doing great even tho I had it in water all this time. In fact it looked better as it had some little leaves out already. Sure hope I don't loose them.
    Azaleas are about finished blooming. My saucer magnolia has put out leaves but no blooms. May have been given a male. Bummer. None of my calaudiums are up. Didn't expect them to even start this early. My persimmon is beginning to leave out. I hope it produces this yr. like it did last. My canas are all popping up like crazy, one is trying to bloom.Sadly my bush beans aren't up yet but it is a bit soon. Haven't been in ground long enough. Still eating carrots from garden. Found a turnip that I didn't realize it was there. It was quite large. Young'un said put it back in ground & let the boys find it tomorrow. I had already pulled it up. Others there also but not as big. I need to crop the collards. The last mess was so sweet & tender.
    So much going on don't know where to start. One project at a time.

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  14. hi all. skeeter, did you start all those from seeds in the house? good job.

    sorry about your neighbors dog. i will go read it right away.

    hi mom,

    lola, glad the young un got the lawn mowed and weedwhacked. you need to take it easy. like you said, one project at a time.

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  15. It was a sad day for me in the yard today. While working on repotting my seedlings, I knew my little Miss Skeeter would not be coming for a visit. :( sniff sniff....

    I was able to get all the seedlings into small pots. I have never started seed in those little cardboard squares before so not sure if I was to take the cardboard off from the stem or leave it to compost into the soil. So I took some out and left some. I will see which ones do the best. The seedling process has been okay up to now. I put them into the plastic tray with lid and keep it on top of the TV in the sunroom in front of the windows and out of cat paws reach. Now that they are repotted, I had to come up with plan B to keep them from the cats. I got small pots from dollar store and repotted. Then set up a long folding table in the guestroom in front of the window. Now the pots are all done and will remain in front of the window until after I recoup from my surgery. Saint has orders to check in on them and to NOT let the cats in that room at all for anything!

    Sorry to say the plants under the house did not make it Tina. They were fine when we checked in on them last month but I am sure they needed water and I did not water them. Our house is really low to the ground and a real “crawl” only space. The Saint had the plants all under the house way far back so I could not get to them. Plus I feared with all the moisture we have had this winter that with me watering the plants, it would put moisture under the house and not be good on our wood floors plus may attract moisture seeking bugs! I decided that $50 worth of plants was not worth the risk to the wood in the house. I had enough live wander jew from the 4 to make one pot though. So it was not a total bust. Amazing that stuff lived 4 months without water!

    Variegated Vinca is blooming today and snowball bush is going from green color to white snowballs!

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  16. Hi Tina --what a long day but very productive. I did manage to mow the front and back yard today --I didn't weed trim or edge. Two of my least favorite things:) My sister came by with her three kiddos and all the kiddies bounced and ran all over the newly mowed yard. That is what my yard is for:0) So, I was quite pleased --imagine 7 small people all over it --lots of energy. We had our duct work cleaned and unit serviced today --it wasn't a pretty sight but now it is nice and clean and fresh air abounds us:) It took a few hours to do the whole house --I might add well worth doing it --this area is prone to mold/mildew so it's wise to get this done at least once a year. I must check to see if it's bunny time so I have to get going. You know the rabbit has to stay up late at night to visit all the kiddies:0) Happy Easter!!!

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  17. skeeter, i am so sorry about your neighbor's little skeeter. my sympathy.

    also dismayed your plants did not make it. i haven't checked mine in a while. i did see they were green about two months ago, but did not water them. i plan to check today. so sorry they died and you stored them there on my recommendation.

    anonymous, good you got you lawn cut for the little ones to play on it. i am sure it looks beautiful and the kids had great fun. did you do your easter egg hunt on it yesterday? i thought it was cold!

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