Weather

Wilted seedlings

Jenni — Sun, 03 Jul 2016 05:40:29 +0000

Wilted seedlings Jenni Sat, 07/02/2016 - 22:40

Usually when I have to deal with wilted seedlings,it's outside. Maybe we had too hot of a day and they need extra water. Or I didn't harden them off long enough. But this year I'm having the issue indoors. We've been so hot indoors lately that they are acting like they're having issues from not being hardened off long enough. Problem is they're indoors. It's just too hot inside for them and I don't have ac in that part of the house, so there's not a lot I can do (only in the bedroom).

I'm considering moving the ones most affected (cucumbers and eggplant) into my bathroom in the evenings and giving them some cool off time.

I'm looking forward to the day when I'm in a house that stays cooler or has something like a basement that stays cool. Then the poor plants won't have such a problem when the house is unusually hot. They were doing great until it got hot inside.

Topic

Mistakes

Seedlings

Weather

Rain, rain, rain

Jenni — Sat, 18 Jun 2016 05:38:02 +0000

Rain, rain, rain Jenni Fri, 06/17/2016 - 22:38

I haven't posted much lately because it's just been rainy, rainy, rainy. Lots of rain. Even some hail and thunderstorms. Thankfully the hail was smaller and my plants a good size, as early in the season that could have decimated the garden.

I'm noticing a lot of pale leaves and yellow leaves across plants. This is because when you get this amount of rain it washes much of the nutrients out of your garden, especially if you are container gardening. After you've had a lot of rain it is very important to make sure you feed your plants and make up for the nutrition they lost from all the rain. I'll do my usual weekly treatment, but will also likely do some fish fertilizer and Epsom salts to make up for what they lost.

Topic

Outdoor

Rain

Weather

So hot!

Jenni — Sun, 05 Jun 2016 05:50:54 +0000

So hot! Jenni Sat, 06/04/2016 - 22:50

It is so hot here this weekend. Normally in June this area of Oregon should average about 78° for the high. This weekend we're expected to hit 100°+. With it being so hot, you've got to be certain to take care of your plants so that they make it through such high temps. That is especially true if you go from lower temperatures to really high ones like we've done (we were in the 60s).

If you're growing in pots, you may find you need to water multiple times throughout the day. I try to water in the morning, check them in the afternoon (water if necessary), and then give them another watering in the evening. Typically if you've gotten that hot, you're also going to be hot at night and the plants will need more water to get them through the day and night than normal.

If you can, think about setting up a sprinkler hose, soaker hose, etc through your garden. I picked up two 50' hoses last night to do exactly that, but realized with my back limitations that I can't do it on my own. So my husband will have to help me later tonight or tomorrow morning to hook it up. This allows for a constant trickle of water to your plants. This will better help them get through the hot days than just a bunch of water once or twice a day. A sprinkler hose has little holes in it that can either be directed down to the ground or allowed to spray things. A soaker hose is made of a porous material that allows the water to seep through.

Another thing you might want to do if your plants are in containers is move anything that isn't ready for all that heat and sun into the shade. I planted my cucumbers a week ago, but they are not ready for all of this. As such, we moved the containers onto the patio where they will get more shade.

When watering, try not to get too much water on the leaves. While it may evaporate quickly, it can also act like a magnifying glass on your leaves while it's still there, burning the leaves.

If you have plants like lettuce, broccoli, spinach, etc, don't be surprised if they bolt in the heat. My lettuce was big and fat and now suddenly because of all the heat it is bolting. This is the process where the plant puts up a shoot that will have the flowers and seeds in it. It's also referred to as going to seed. You can try to delay this process by keeping them shaded, but once the process starts your plants likely don't have a lot longer.

If you're in an area that gets a lot of extreme sun and heat, you might want to consider putting up a sun shade. They come in various strengths, which block out some of the sun and heat. When we get into a house I'm planning to set one up to put my greens, chinese cabbages, spinach, etc in so that they last longer and don't bolt.

Hope you don't have to deal with too much extreme heat this summer, but if you do, I hope these tips help.

Topic

How-to

Outdoor

Weather

Spending time outside

Jenni — Fri, 08 Apr 2016 05:46:25 +0000

Spending time outside Jenni Thu, 04/07/2016 - 22:46

We're having unusually nice and warm weather here in my part of Oregon (80s in early April!), which means I'm busy outside in the garden. I have to take it slow and only do things in short bursts (and wait for others to do the heavy stuff), but I am getting as much done as I can. Trying to clear out all the peas, beans, and greens so that tomatoes can begin moving out to the greenhouse. Some have grown significantly faster than others and are blocking the light. As such, I'd like to get the big ones moved outdoors and give more room for the little ones. Plus it's about time to transplant all the peppers, eggplant, and cucumbers into bigger pots. That means I need the space.

Topic

Outdoor

Weather

Seedlings

Preparing for cold weather

Jenni — Sun, 20 Mar 2016 05:49:15 +0000

Preparing for cold weather Jenni Sat, 03/19/2016 - 22:49

It happens to us all - you get nice weather for a while and you put your seedlings out. Then the worst news comes out - you're going to have a cold snap. How do you protect your plants?

There are a number of ways you can do this, including:

Bringing them indoors or under cover (like under a covered patio or carport)
Using a floating row cover
Using a portable greenhouse
Using hoops

So what should you choose? Below is some information on each option.

Bringing them indoors or under cover

If you have plants in containers, it might be an option to bring them indoors during the cold snap. This shouldn't hurt them too much, as it is exactly what those of us in colder climates do to prepare our plants for being outside. It's called hardening them off. We'll move them outside during the warmer temps of the day and then inside for the colder temps at night. If we have cold temps during the day, then we leave them indoors.

You may be able to give them enough protection just by moving them under cover. I have a patio that has walls on two sides, which helps protect the plants from the cold winds. Often times just moving the plants under there closer to our apartment will be just enough to help out.

Using floating row covers

Floating row covers are probably the easiest way to go, as you don't need to move any of your plants. This uses a special material that is made to keep in the warmth, but let in the sunlight. And it is light enough that it shouldn't harm your plants. You just need to make sure to anchor it somehow if you are going to get any wind.

Some info on setting this up can be found here.

Here's a picture of someone utilizing row covers, holding them down with large rocks, from the blog Colorado Mountain Gardeners:

Using a portable greenhouse

This is similar to bringing your plants inside or putting them under cover. The difference is that you utilize a portable greenhouse, whether it be a large walk-in one like the one I just bought or a smaller one that you can set over your plants. This is good for those who don't have room inside to bring in all their plants.

Here's my greenhouse:

Using hoops

Hoops are similar to floating row covers, except that the fabric isn't set on top of the plants - it's put over hoops that create a greenhouse-like environment over your plants. This helps keep in the warmth while letting the sunshine in. Many people who have raised beds will install brackets that allow them to use hoops during the cooler months and then remove them once they get warm. These can also be good for those who live in areas where it is very hot - you can get special material that helps block some of the sun/heat so that it stays cooler inside.

Here's some info on hoops.

Here's a picture of a hoope house from Bonnie Plants. The page also include info on making one.

You can also buy ones that have the structure already built in them that allows you just to set them over your plants. I ordered these ones to try, but then ended up getting a greenhouse instead.

Topic

How-to

Weather

How-to: How do I know when to plant?

Jenni — Tue, 23 Feb 2016 06:43:26 +0000

How-to: How do I know when to plant? Jenni Mon, 02/22/2016 - 22:43

Here are some great resources for finding out when to plant things in Oregon. If you live in another state, do a Google search, as there are likely similar resources available for your state. For here I just Googled this: oregon vegetable planting calendar

Oregon gardening calendar

Oregon vegetable planting calendar

Here's the calendar for where I live (Zone 8)

Topic

How-to

Weather

Spring already?

Jenni — Tue, 16 Feb 2016 07:12:55 +0000

Spring already? Jenni Mon, 02/15/2016 - 23:12

Well, seeing as we've been having warmer than usual temps in our area, and the long-term forecast seems to show the same, local weather forecasters are saying that it looks like winter is indeed behind us. That means it is time to get your gardens ready for the first seedlings of the spring season! This can include carrots, onions, peas, beans, greens, herbs, broccoli, and more!

I already have a lot of these going and am working hard to get them transplanted to larger containers so they have even more room to grow. Hopefully tomorrow I can get a count of how many of each of the items I have growing. I've already started a second batch of peas and beans and picked up some more seeds at the store since I'd run out. I also ordered some scarlet runner beans, as I had a request for them. Apparently they are quite pretty when in bloom.

I already have dibs on many of the peas and beans and need to find out how many more people want them. This way I can ensure that I have enough growing. Thankfully I have very good luck with peas and beans (near 100% germination rates), so the key is to get enough growing so that they are ready in time.

So if you want peas, beans, greens (various lettuces, spinch, kale, broccoli, various cabbages), or herbs, you should let me know ASAP so that I have enough growing for everyone. I know that I do have a lot of the Little Gems growing, which are a nice sized Romaine Lettuce. One head is often times just the right size for a meal. These have been my favorite of all the Romaine varieties I've tried. I probably have at least a couple dozen of these going right now, maybe more. I've got to finish transplanting and separating them so I can get an accurate count. Most people grow at least several of these at a time since they don't need a lot of room.

Topic

Seedlings

Weather