Zone 6, 7, 8 Gardeners, Let's get going! - Page 3

[purplegirl]

I'm really thinking I want to do some eggplants. Are they hard to grow?

[StephandOwen]

Help a newbie please! This will be our first spring in Kentucky (lived in Michigan before). DS and I are going to be doing a couple containers with plants (tomatoes for sure, basil and maybe some other herbs, not sure what else right now). We're not growing from seeds inside (DP is afraid ds will knock over the plants and get dirt all over... a very good possibility!). We'll be buying the plants (except the herbs, which we'll start from seed... outside). When can I safely plant things outside? DS is getting antsy and asks to buy seeds/plants every time we're at the store. LOL!

[Periwinkle]

Originally Posted by StephandOwen

Help a newbie please! This will be our first spring in Kentucky (lived in Michigan before). DS and I are going to be doing a couple containers with plants (tomatoes for sure, basil and maybe some other herbs, not sure what else right now). We're not growing from seeds inside (DP is afraid ds will knock over the plants and get dirt all over... a very good possibility!). We'll be buying the plants (except the herbs, which we'll start from seed... outside). When can I safely plant things outside? DS is getting antsy and asks to buy seeds/plants every time we're at the store. LOL!

Not for a while. I'd bet the average last frost date for KY is very similar to Phila.... probably 1st-2nd week of May. If something is frost hardy, that's one thing, but tomatoes etc. really aren't. It's impossible to wait, but I recommend waiting at least 2-3 more weeks.

As for perennials, we are planting ONLY the ones that are already up now anyway (e.g., seedum, bleeding hearts). Anything still underground is not strong enough when the nighttime temps dip below freezing much less a hard frost. In KY, I'd bet you're still getting nights into the low 30's fairly often and could easily get a cold snap.

[Mama Dragon]

Start your seeds inside. My almost 4 year old knows not to touch after we discussed it. We let him help blow on them to simulate wind and he asks to look at them and it's fine. My almost 2 year old is the problem, he's be thrilled to go in both hands first and eat the seedlings, dirt and pots! Just keep pots back from any edges and you should be fine!

Otherwise, you have to wait until all danger of frost is gone and that'll probably be may-june, I'm guessing.

Originally Posted by StephandOwen

Help a newbie please! This will be our first spring in Kentucky (lived in Michigan before). DS and I are going to be doing a couple containers with plants (tomatoes for sure, basil and maybe some other herbs, not sure what else right now). We're not growing from seeds inside (DP is afraid ds will knock over the plants and get dirt all over... a very good possibility!). We'll be buying the plants (except the herbs, which we'll start from seed... outside). When can I safely plant things outside? DS is getting antsy and asks to buy seeds/plants every time we're at the store. LOL!

[AllyRae]

Try peat pots--the little disks of peat wrapped in a little mesh thing. We have those in the house with a very active 1 year old, an autistic 4 year old, and a wild puppy and they haven't been knocked over yet. We have 96 of them growing. : The mesh keeps the dirt inside...

The other option is that you can put the plants outside during the day and bring them in at night when he can't knock them over...

You can plant peas outside right now--I just planted those this weekend. They can tolerate frost, but not heat, so it works to do it this early.

[StephandOwen]

Originally Posted by Periwinkle

Not for a while. I'd bet the average last frost date for KY is very similar to Phila.... probably 1st-2nd week of May.

Thanks!

Originally Posted by Synthea™

Start your seeds inside. My almost 4 year old knows not to touch after we discussed it.

Yeah, but ds has developmental delays (diagnosed with autism) so he's not quite your typical 4 year old He would knock if over in a heartbeat. Not on pupose, just by being himself.

Originally Posted by AllyRae

Try peat pots--the little disks of peat wrapped in a little mesh thing. We have those in the house with a very active 1 year old, an autistic 4 year old, and a wild puppy and they haven't been knocked over yet. We have 96 of them growing. : The mesh keeps the dirt inside...

The other option is that you can put the plants outside during the day and bring them in at night when he can't knock them over...

I thought about those little pots but, I think, for the small number we need it's going to be cheaper just to buy the plants already growing. We're starting small this year (just a few plants).

Hmmm.... I hadn't thought about putting them out during the day...

Thanks!

[Garden~Lover]

I planted some strawberries outside this weekend. To expand our patch. I also started some seeds inside. I bought some rose bushes (Disney something) They are such a pretty orange color.... still waiting on my garlic to sprout. I hope its ok. Although this week here in Mass is supposed to be in the 60's which should help.

[AllyRae]

Originally Posted by StephandOwen

I thought about those little pots but, I think, for the small number we need it's going to be cheaper just to buy the plants already growing. We're starting small this year (just a few plants).

Hmmm.... I hadn't thought about putting them out during the day...

Thanks!

If you want to wait 2 weeks, we have an extra set in a mini greenhouse that you can have--we forgot that we had an extra one last year and bought new ones this year. If you want, we can give it to you when you come over.

[AllyRae]

Oh, and I almost forgot--in the same aisle (at Lowes...maybe at Wal-Mart) they have mini sets for kids--there's an herb set, and a pumpkin set, and maybe some other sets--those are just 1-3 peat pots in a tiny little green house.

[GirlOutOfNY]

I am currently starting some eggplant seeds. I got eggplant from a CSA the last 2 years so I know they grow around here. However, my seeds are not doing so well, only 4 of 12 are surviving... I have replanted a couple (in peat pots). I do also have a preschooler, so maybe he is touching them?

[anjasma]

The only way I can grow eggplant in my area is to put a mini hoophouse around them. One year we had a really hot summer and I got some nice (but small) eggplant from an uncovered plant. But last year was a miserable summer- no peppers, eggplant at all & no tomatoes until September!

[Garden~Lover]

I got a greenhouse at Ikea, for $14 . It hold 8 italien ice cups , LOL I hate peat pots. I love it. Fits right on top of my micro sitting in a nice sunny morning window.

To the pp about eggplants. I had egg plants last year and will again this year, they took all summer to produce anything. I loved them though and they got pretty purple flowers.

[Jojo F.]

OK, I'm DYING to plant something outside!!!! It's so nice here and I have been checking the weather, I ALMOST think it's OK to plant. We are in RI, Providence area, and maybe 3-4 miles from the ocean. Should I chance it?

[ncas72]

Hi, Zone 6 here.

We have seedlings growing inside right now. I put some rose bushes in the ground this past weekend. We put hops in the ground about three weeks ago and they are just starting to peek out of the ground. Yeah!!!

We cleaned out the leaves around our blackberry and raspberry bushes too.

But I am going to go nuts waiting to plant outside. I keep staring at my seedlings and checking the weather forecast. I do have radishes planted outside right now and they are growing. As soon as my seedlings get a little bigger, they will be outside too.

[Periwinkle]

We just narrowly escaped a frost here last night (outside of Philly). Everything is nearly in full bloom and/or buds are well set, so it would be disastrous to have a frost now.

We've been weeding and mulching pretty much nonstop. Lots of work. I've got beans growing inside in pots, other than that, nothing yet. Man I've got to get on this vegetable garden before it's July already.

[purplegirl]

Originally Posted by Periwinkle

We just narrowly escaped a frost here last night (outside of Philly). Everything is nearly in full bloom and/or buds are well set, so it would be disastrous to have a frost now.

We've been weeding and mulching pretty much nonstop. Lots of work. I've got beans growing inside in pots, other than that, nothing yet. Man I've got to get on this vegetable garden before it's July already.

I am right outside of Philly too. I was so tempted to plant my sproutlings outdoors but glad I held off because it has gotten got chilly these past couple of days. I think next week might be good. My lettuce seedlings look weak and skinny. I am hoping that once they are planted in my soil mixture, they will perk up and take off.

[Mama Dragon]

Originally Posted by StephandOwen

Yeah, but ds has developmental delays (diagnosed with autism) so he's not quite your typical 4 year old He would knock if over in a heartbeat. Not on pupose, just by being himself.

I'm sorry, I'm so boneheaded some days. I've got a developmentally delayed DS too, I really should know better then to assume

[nattybo]

I am hoping to get some serious planting done this weekend. I got this feeling in my bones that warm weather is here to stay. No more frosts for us here in Md zone 7b :

[texmati]

Im traveling, away from my seedlings, but I planted a whole bunch of taro and gladiolus last week. I'm hoping that my seedlings (started a couple weeks ago) will have shown some sign of progress when i get home.

meanwhile... my mom´s store bought container tomatoes already have teeny green tomatoes on them :

[TRIBE]

My squash seedlings are growing out of control but we are expecting another freeze this weekend. Would they be saf to plant anyways or should I wait until after the freeze? These buggers are taking over my kitchen lol