*~March Food Growing Mamas Thread~* - Page 3

[ber]

Originally Posted by ShwarmaQueen

No i want to learn HOW...it seems pretty straightforward, boil, salt, can, flip jar, cool, and then store, right?

I'm sorry - I read your post wrong

I've never canned either, but that's something else I want to look into this year too!

[Smithie]

The seedlings are up!

So are the weeds I need to get out there for the Official First Weeding of the Season.

[MissMommyNiceNice]

Originally Posted by ShwarmaQueen

I'm looking for instructions on canning...anyone know where to learn? What about jars? Can I just save the ones from the store-bought items (pickles, salsa, etc)?

Check out the numerous canning threads here, frugality & finances, & healthy eating. You cannot use jars from the store. I do keep some for freezing, though. YOu need what are commonly called "ball" jars, even though not just Ball makes them. They can be found by the case at grocery, home, farm, & tractor stores. Once you have a good stash, you can just reuse them year after year. You just need to buy new lids.

I think I'm going to start my peas & limas this weekend. It's been pretty nice out, and I think I'm just going to sow them in their pots & leave outside to fend for themselves. It hasn't frozen here in a couple of weeks. I'm going to have to get some big aluminum turkey trays to cook my compost, though. I"m done with tomato volunteers!

[CorbinsMama]

I just ordered all my seeds for my first vegetable garden!

Giants of California Zinnias
German Red Strawberry Tomato
Golden Monarch Tomato
Galeux D Eysines Pumpkin
Giant Of Italy Parsley
Dill Bouquet
Common Chives
Lemon Basil
Genovese Basil
Calabrese Green Sprouting Broccoli
Gigante d' Inverno Spinach
Purple of Romagna Artichoke
Giant Musselburgh Leek
Rocky Top Lettuce Mix
Blue Curled Scotch Kale
Broad Leaf Sage
Lincoln Garden Pea

Everything is from Baker Creek. Wish me luck!

[desertgirl01]

I love, love, love the Baker Creek catalogue! The heirloom flowers are wonderful additions to my garden! The veggies too of course, but I don't have great luck with BC veggies producing.

Well, I finished up planting my seeds. Late, but it's all in the ground. Except for some tomatoes....it's super late for seeds, I'm just going to buy some tomato plants so I'm not too far behind. I've already got some sunflowers sprouting!

[CorbinsMama]

Uh-oh! I hope I have better luck with the veggies!

[lmonter]

Welp, it's looking more and more like I'll just be a lurker on this year's thread. My 6.5yo an 4yo boys seem to have done everything in their power to make sure I can't plant &*^&(*.
Zero plant flats that aren't shredded, more than half my pots destroyed (other half has been played with yet again and has mud in 'em), tantrums out the ying-yang because daddy's not around, etc. I give up. And I had the audacity to go and spend money on clothes for myself after this last babe (half my non-maternity wardrobe hasd literally become shop rags), so I don't feel comfortable dropping several hundred on already-started plants. This blows.

[desertgirl01]

Originally Posted by CorbinsMama

Uh-oh! I hope I have better luck with the veggies!

Oh, I bet you will! I think it gets too hot for some of the veggies I selected. User error, not BC's fault!

Lmonter, maybe you can spend a couple of dollars just to get some staples? Maybe a tomato plant or two? Do you have any seeds left--can you seed directly in the ground in hopes for late season produce? Sorry to hear about all your plants getting shredded, what a major bummer.

[lmonter]

Originally Posted by desertgirl01

Lmonter, maybe you can spend a couple of dollars just to get some staples? Maybe a tomato plant or two? Do you have any seeds left--can you seed directly in the ground in hopes for late season produce? Sorry to hear about all your plants getting shredded, what a major bummer.

Nope, not even plants have gotten shredded, it's the things to *start* the plants that need starting. Last frost date is supposedly May 15, but if you're smart around here, you don't put anything like tomatoes or peppers in the ground before Memorial Day weekend unless it's in a greenhouse or something.

I'd already originally planned to get a few things in plant form this year as it was, but 20+ tomato plants and a dozen+ herb plants add up quickly. Blasted kids.

[Ruthiegirl]

I am so sore and happy this morning!!!!

My compost came yesterday and I stared to rebuild the beds that were damaged by the tree removal equipment. My garden is so open and sunny and lovely now! I am thrilled. I spent the day wheelbarrowing load after load of compost and digging it into the beds.

Transplanted the kale (40 plants) and the swiss chard (30 plants). Dug the potato bed and will pick up seed potatoes tomorrow and hopefully get them planted.

Still need to get the tomatoes transplanted into larger containers. I don't have enough containers...I think I might snitch some yogurt tubs from the recycling center.

[FoxintheSnow]

Could someone tell me how far apart I should space my tomato plants? All my black cherry tomato seeds came up very nicely, so I have a lot. Im ready to transplant them to my garden beds.

[greenmagick]

I finished all my indoor starts yesterday. Unfortunately I lost two flats I planted last month...peppers, celery, broccoli, cauliflower and some others Those were replanted yesterday as well...hopefully they get enough time.

I also started some peas, spinach, and lettuce outside yesterday. The bulk of my planting will come around mother's day when I start the rest of the outdoor seed and start transplanting the seedlings started inside

[workjw]

Originally Posted by FoxintheSnow

Could someone tell me how far apart I should space my tomato plants? All my black cherry tomato seeds came up very nicely, so I have a lot. Im ready to transplant them to my garden beds.

Depends on how much space you have. I think most things say at least 18-24" apart, but I have lots of room, so I space my far enough that I can use the tiller in between them. I don't like to weed...

[Smithie]

18"-24"? I guess you've got some serious space! I just thinned my chard seedlings to about 6" apart, and I will probably thin them more as they grow, assuming that they all continue to prosper.

Got some great gardening time in this AM while DH watched the kids. Thinned seedlings, added coir and organic accelerant to the compost bin, spread some organic fertilizer...

ETA: oh, the question was about TOMATOES. I give tomatoes 12" on either side when I plant the seedlings. Then, if Nature doesn't kill some of them off, I might assassinate a few plants in a month or so, or I might lavish them with compost, fertilizer and water and let them keep growing close together.

[ShwarmaQueen]

Got my tomatoes and Kentucky wonder beans in the ground today.

Tomorrow, I might do some bell peppers and egg plant, depending on how big they need to be to transport...

I think I'm going to buy a couple more tomato and pepper plants at the farmer's market this week, since I lost a few seedlings when I was ill this past week.

I'm so so excited to eat from my very own first garden!

[FarmerCathy]

I tell ya I'm never going to get to this thread. LOL! My wedding is in less than a week. I keep trying to read it and get distracted by wedding stuff or my ds.

Lanna - yes, we would love to weed your strawberry patch when we come by. I think it will be around Tuesday the 20th. I think we will be ready to do some work by then.

I guess I should post about my awesome plants in the greenhouse. They are doing wonderful and growing like weeds. Here are my latest pics: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...9&l=0982d9bebf

[FarmerCathy]

Originally Posted by FoxintheSnow

Could someone tell me how far apart I should space my tomato plants? All my black cherry tomato seeds came up very nicely, so I have a lot. Im ready to transplant them to my garden beds.

I plant mine 3 feet apart so they have enough airflow in between.