Planning for Spring!

[spork]

taking a kitchen break, having diced some store-bought tomatoes, to check in at DC...



if there's one veg that could convince me to start a garden, it'd be tomatoes. good luck to all with this year's crops!

 

[Zhizara]

I grew some okra in my Mom's tiny flower bed. I just picked them when they were small and saved them in a baggie in the freezer until I had enough to use.

They have a beautiful flower. It's a member of the hibiscus family. It took a long time to save up enough because I kept stealing the flowers to wear in my hat band.

 

[HistoricFoodie]

Okra is a perfect choice for anyone involved in edible landscaping. It is, as you say, related to hibiscus, and the flowers look exactly the same. Many people also use the pods as part of dried-flower arrangements.

Don't know which variety you grew, Zhizara. But if you really want irresistible flowers, try growing Alabama Red.

 

[Zhizara]

Okra is a perfect choice for anyone involved in edible landscaping. It is, as you say, related to hibiscus, and the flowers look exactly the same. Many people also use the pods as part of dried-flower arrangements.

Don't know which variety you grew, Zhizara. But if you really want irresistible flowers, try growing Alabama Red.

I don't know either, but the flowers were a beautiful sunshiny yellow with a deep red velvety throat.

 

[Kathleen]

It's a good idea to simply freeze the pods until I get enough to cook. The flowers are pretty.

Thanks for the advice everyone!

 

[HistoricFoodie]

the flowers were a beautiful sunshiny yellow with a deep red velvety throat.

Yellow and ivory/white with colored centers are the most common colors of okra flowers. But there are others, including red and burgundy.

With the Alabama Red I referred to, the color extends to the leaves and stems, as well as the flowers. An absolutely gorgeous plant.

 

[Claire]

I'm a huge fan of square foot gardening (thanks Mel!). Don't do it now, my yard is in very irregular terraces. But had raised SFGs in Hawaii and Florida and they were a joy. In Hawaii I had two 9' squares, and in Florida a 9' square and a 9'X18'. Both places had difficult soil (very compacted clay in Hawaii, very sandy and porous in Florida). It would take quite a bit of money to fill the raised gardens with good soil, but in the long run well worth it.

 

[powerplantop]

the flowers were a beautiful sunshiny yellow with a deep red velvety throat.

Yellow and ivory/white with colored centers are the most common colors of okra flowers. But there are others, including red and burgundy.

With the Alabama Red I referred to, the color extends to the leaves and stems, as well as the flowers. An absolutely gorgeous plant.

I just looked up some photos and you are right such a nice looking plant.

 

[taxlady]

Which plants should I be starting now, for later transplanting? Remember, I live near Montreal.

 

[CWS4322]

TL--Pepper plants, egg plant, herbs, leeks.

 

[HistoricFoodie]

TaxLady: Planting dates are determined by your average last frost date.

For instance, tomatoes are started 6-8 weeks before last frost. Peppers 8-10 weeks. Etc.

Hardy plants, which are transplanted before last frost, obviously are started much sooner. For instance, our last frost is the first week in May. When I grow onions (or any alliums) from seed I start them in January for planting in March and April.

Truly, the two most important dates in the gardener's calander are last frost and first frost. They really determine what you can grow, and when to grow it.

 

[taxlady]

HistoricFoodie, your post about about the mini-greens got me thinking. I don't really have a sunny space to start plants. I was growing rosemary in front of the patio door and it got very leggy - leaves far from each other. I doubt that is a good start to my vegis.

Do any of you guys you grow lights for starting your plants?

 

[HistoricFoodie]

taxlady, the last thing you need to incur for seed starting is the expense of grow lights. They are totally unnecessary.

All you need are plain, cold-white flourescent bulbs. But you want them adjustible, so you can keep them within 2 inches of the growing seedlings. Most people rig the fixtures on chains, for that reason. Alternatively, take something like a bookcase with adjustible shelves, and more the plant trays up as necessary.

Either way, put the lights on a timer, because seedlings require 16 hours of light to grow properly.

The problem with starting plants in front of windows (or patio doors) is twofold. First off, there isn't enough usable light under the winter sun. And what there is available is heavily weighted towards the red spectrum. So plants grow leggy, trying to find the light they need.

 

[Margi Cintrano]

Herb Urban Terrace Garden ?

*** would like to hear from Historic Foodie

I have been contemplating beginning a private outdoor terrace Urban apartment herb garden.

I use a tremendous amount of : Oregano, Basil and flat Italian leaf Parsely

Is it alot of trouble to grow one´s own ?

Weather: very very sunny however, gusts of howling winds at 25 Farenheit and very dry - 646 metres above sea level ...

Thing is, I could put them in my Home Office as this room gets alot of sun, as it faces east.

Appreciate a book perhaps and some good advice.

Thanks alot. Margi. Cintrano.

 

[HistoricFoodie]

All three of those are native to the southern Med, Marji, and actually grow wild in the hills. So other than possibly the wind, you should have no trouble growing them in pots. If the wind is a problem you can rig panels to protect the plants as necessary.

Basil is an annual, and has to be started from seed each year. Parsley is a biennial, which goes to seed i the second year; so it, too, should be started new every year.. And oregano is a perennial. Once you have it established you have it forever.

The last two can be started from seed, but it's easier to start them from cuttings.

Pots or other containers make sense for you, because, for a continual supply, you'll want to bring them indoors to over-winter.

The two biggest mistakes made growing herbs are over-watering them, and over-feeding them. So go easy on both moisture and plant food. They don't need much of either.

 

[Margi Cintrano]

Historic Foodie: Thanks a ton for ur info

WOW... better than a book called Growing Herbs for Dummies ! ha ha
Easy sounding and not difficult. This is a first time for Herbs ... Cool. I shall ask about the pots ... should they be ceramic ? is there a particular type soil that does best ?

Thanx. M.C.

 

[HistoricFoodie]

I prefer terracotta pots, but it doesn't really matter. Just so they have good drainage. I wouldn't use anything with smaller than a six-inch opening, whatever material you choose. And larger is even better.

You want to use an open, loamy potting soil; again, so it drains well.

Once the plants are established in their pots, you want to actually let the soil dry before watering them. I know it sounds counter to plant growth, but that's what makes them happiest.

 

[Zhizara]

*** would like to hear from Historic Foodie

I have been contemplating beginning a private outdoor terrace Urban apartment herb garden.

I use a tremendous amount of : Oregano, Basil and flat Italian leaf Parsely

Is it alot of trouble to grow one´s own ?

Weather: very very sunny however, gusts of howling winds at 25 Farenheit and very dry - 646 metres above sea level ...

Thing is, I could put them in my Home Office as this room gets alot of sun, as it faces east.

Appreciate a book perhaps and some good advice.

Thanks alot. Margi. Cintrano.

Not having a porch, terrace or balcony, I buy these plants as soon as they are available in my grocery store. They grow beautifully inside. The only thing I have to do is replant them into a small pot, and treat them like any other houseplant.

 

[Claire]

I agree with Historic on the concept of not over-feeding herbs. They really don't like an overly rich, heavy, wet soil (well, mint likes wet feet, great to grow under a faucet or downspout). We usually have very harsh winters, but this year was relatively mild, and even my oregano came back! I'm aware that my parsley (which, yes, came back this year) is biennal; however, in our climate it rarely comes back the second year. I fully expect it will bolt early. I grow both types, simply because I've lived here and there, some places where flat wouldn't grow. So I grow both and like both (yes, flat has a stronger flavor, but curly is rather pretty both in the garden and some dishes).

My biggest problem with growing plants inside is that my nice, sunny-in-winter, windows are over my baseboard heaters. They can dry up and die overnight on a cold winter's night. So instead of starting inside, I've resigned myself to buying seedlings and only start short-season, easy-to-grow-from-seeds, seeds (lettuce, spinach, basil).