Midwest Gardening: IN the Kitchen!

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Gardening in my Kitchen

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First, I scrubbed all my trays and containers with a bit of bleach, soap and complete rinses. Normally I do this in Fall outside, but we were still dealing with our basement mess and everything from last season just got thrown into the Greenhouse.

End of February, Hubby gave me seeds and bulbs for my birthday, which is a great idea, so I prepared them for planting. I had bags of 3 kinds of Dahlias, Ixia, and Ranunculus bulbs as well as my Elephant Ears I need to start early. 

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Waste not want not---I used all the filler soil in the bulb bags and put it into my dirt pot, and then added moisture control dirt and mixed it up...this I used for the seed trays. This is perfect for seed starting.

I then started Peppers, Tomatoes, Alyssum, Chrysanthemum and  Coleus. In a few weeks, I will do couple of trays of marigolds. Hopefully by April 1 we will be able to move everything into the greenhouse. 

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I'm not working in the greenhouse, this ends up on the kitchen table as it was too cold and windy to do it on the front porch. Cold temps alternate with lovely days here, but you can't count on a nice day. 

Here I am soaking my summer bulbs in prep for planting. I soaked the Ixia and the Ranunculus for a few hours in warm water. The Dahlias were quite moist so they went directly into the pots.

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Meanwhile, I filled my pots 2/3 full with water-saving potting soil---which is a good combination. I haven't had great luck with seed starting soil, it just isn't worth the extra price and you need to transplant into better soil later---trying to skip that step.

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I placed multiple corms in the pots, they will be easy to pull apart later as they will all be planted in large mixed pots, rather than in the ground.

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Here are my corms after soaking---they really perked up with the water.

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I'l really interested in the IXIA as I haven't planted those before, but spikey plants are always interesting in pots.

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I used some old barbecue table cloths from last year to cover my table and the floor, makes for easy cleanup. I use a canning funnel to cut down on the mess, which works perfect with the 4" pots.

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After the corms were placed I filled up the pots to the top. This will all settle below the rims with the first watering.

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Every dirt company now makes moisture control soil...with our last few dry summers this has been a MUST to use here in the upper Midwest. We also add peat moss to our dirt in the compost pile as well as all our vegetable, eggshells and coffee grounds from the entire winter. This will be churned up soon, and I use that in all my large planting pots for outside as well as 10-20 larger pots for peppers and tomatoes.

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Inside, this is our set-up in the South window of the kitchen. These are old racks I used for art shows over 20 years ago---and I still use the door panels for shelves. We've definitely reused everything I had from my shows or when I had the shop. Many of those shelves are built into the garden sheds for storage.

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My hubby doesn't read my blog and doesn't know I DISLIKE the seed starting pods.You have to first squeeze them all around to loosen the the compacted material before planting. And, then DON'T plant them directly into the garden...because they don't break down the way the directions say they do. In Fall you'll end up with a miserable plant with rotted roots all knotted up in the sack. They do start plants well, but I cut the sacks off and transplant the healthy seedlings into larger soda drive-thru glasses,  especially the peppers and tomatoes which want deep root systems. It really is easier to just start seeds in small pots with soil or in full size trays.

I planted these pods with 2 trays of peppers and also 1 tray of 10 small pots for Heirloom Brandywine Tomatoes seeds. We are cutting back on Tomatoes this year, because my canning shelves are still full. We plan on purchasing 2 cherry tomatoes and 2 early tomatoes plants. 

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The Heirloom Brandy Wine Tomatoes

should produce until frost...so we will have fresh tomatoes for the whole season. 

Purple Alyssum 

Mixed Coleus

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I also started a large tray of Purple Alyssum, Coleus, and red Chrysanthemum plants. My colors will be yellows, reds, oranges, purple and lime green in the front of the house this year! I have two packages of  Nasturtiums (lower right)  which I'll start in their long planters directly in the greenhouse in April as well as lots of Marigold seeds. 

After frost, I'll purchase lime green sweet potato vine plants....to cascade in my pots. Some of the Coleus will be lime/ or white green to use in pots with all the warm colors. 

We also have a huge Hibiscus camping out in the garage, if it lives it is orange/red and an abundance of dark green leaves. 

This is all the plants I have going at the moment. In two-three weeks I'll start some more, mostly flowers. When the greenhouse is going---I'll add packages of sunflowers, cucumbers, squash, pumpkins, green onions and lettuces in small pots and planters. Planting in the garden won't happen before the second week in May---maybe later---we never really know??? with the weather calendar being so topsy turvy in the Midwest.

Next project: The MOUSE HOUSE otherwise known as the GREENHOUSE.

DO YOU HAVE BIG PLANS FOR GARDENING?

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Midwest Gardening: The Greenhouse May 12, 2020

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Hi Gardeners! Another post by two old farts trying to live a green life, and grow as much food as we can on a quarter acre. Our new (late last year greenhouse) has had a real work out, and was STUFFED until I moved some plants out to put in the garden. 

Our only claim to gardening skill, is trial and error since 1970. With our climate changes and huge weather fluctuations in N.Illinois, every year is a new experience.

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We finally have had a break in the weather. After 3 nights of frost/freeze, the next 10 days look great. I wanted to share the greenhouse at this date before I plant too much outside. Basically everything has been in here since early April. Our quartz heater can maintained 15 degrees higher than outside temps at night on medium, or 20-35 degrees at full blast. So even with freezing temps, we maintained at least 40+ degrees, usually 55 or more.

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During the day, we have to watch the temp and open all 5 windows and door, and run the fan if it is sunny. Blowing air makes stems stronger anyway. 

Here you can see a full pan of lettuce in front ready to go in the ground. On the floor are those slow Caladium pots.

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Sunflowers 15-18" high, and tomatoes 10-12"

Sunflower seeds from 2016---are ready to hit the ceiling. These are 4-6' Fiesta (red) sunflowers. Some will go in the garden and some by our flag pole in the front.

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I held the camera as high as I could to look down. These are San Marzano Tomatoes similar to Romas...and they look great after a slow start. The larger leaves on the right are Early Girls---num, we should have tomatoes by the middle of June.

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Asters, Coreopsis, Bachelor Buttons, Echinacea are all doing well. I bought a succulent mat and have been pulling it apart for rocky places. They have already tripled in size and should be perennials.

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More sunflowers, these are giant...8-10ft. tall, they will go along the fences where they can be assisted in staying up. We have some winds here.

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 I started this Swiss Chard (greens) on 4/19. It was in the colder area of the greenhouse. I will start it in the house next year, and also will plant in ground when these are moved to the garden. Chard is full-flavored and not bitter, rich in minerals and vitamins. Can't wait, it has gotten very pricey in the grocery stores.

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Coleus was transplanted 4/10, they are 2 months old. These will go out at the end of the month, if the weather holds. By then, the color variations and size will be distinctive.

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I planted two trays like this of peas, one is already in the garden with seeds also. Hopefully all our fencing and gates will keep the critters from eating them down to the ground.

 Most of the Pumpkins (4 different), pole beans, winter squash, zucchini, eggplant, and pickles were laid out in the garden for planting today. I will do photos in the next post. The greenhouse was very crowded, you could hardly turn around.

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I don't have the patience for seeding herbs, so I buy small inexpensive plants and make my own herb garden pots.

Marjoram winters over, as will Sage usually-but my Sage plant died last year, so here is a new one ready to go, lower left.

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Finally the Caladium bulbs are popping through, as are Liatris, Stargazer lilies. Alliums aren't up yet. Pansy  and Impatiens seeds are very slow---I won't do those again.

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Apparently Caladiums like more warmth. So I may just keep them in the house next year as long as I can. I have one pot inside which is over 18" tall now, larger Caladiums and an Elephant ear.

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Pots of Dill to mix in with flowers for Butterflies. A GREEN thing to do, Monarchs and Swallowtails like to lay their eggs on the succulent stems.  These are from seed.  Plus they will reseed themselves if undisturbed. 

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Here is our 5 x 14x 4 foot high compost pile in the back on April 20, 

before 1 large bale and 2 small of peat moss were tilled in.

One thing we have really noticed is a mixture of our compost pile dirt mixed with potting soil and a little peat moss has produced seeded plants with roots all the way to the bottom of the 28 oz tall glasses. 

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Compost pile May12, is down 2 feet as I have filled almost all the pots on our lot. We still have empties on the porch, but I'm going to add moisture control dirt to those pots mixed with this compost. I will fill the bin in the greenhouse(18 cubic feet) for transplanting in spring. Plus the density will help hold temps in Fall.

Composting makes the best soil (we have clay soil, so anything helps). We use grass clippings, leaves, and roots from all our potted plants/vegetables. All our kitchen scraps are broken down in a small spinning compost bin with a microbe additive and later buried under the pile. New stuff goes in back, and we pull it forward as it is broken down, mix in with the rest. 

Compost TIP: (NO meat, oils, dairy products, or banana peels). Since we are cooking at home, I have had more than usual a mount of veggie scraps---usually a 6 quart bowl, every 3-4 days. 

Compost TIP:Coffee grounds and eggs shells are the BEST for a compost pile. 

I will take photos of planting the veggies into the garden. Cool weather veggies first, tomatoes, and peppers last, with a few marigolds and 

sunflowers mixed in. Most of my flowers will be in pots and here and there.

I did move the lettuce and onions outside the greenhouse this week, and I filled all the large pots from the compost pile to the right.

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Front to back: Green onions, Bibb Lettuce from seed, and Turnips and Radishes (planted last week and not up yet).

THINGS WE LEARNED 

 THIS YEAR!

NO MORE: Starter pods, pellets, or peat pots...in the future. 

The planting pods silky bags do not breakdown and seem to trap the root systems. When tilling the garden, we found totally encased root balls in their bags from last year's tomatoes. This forced our tomatoes to send out roots from their stems above ground. Cutting the bags before putting in the ground, destroys so many tiny roots also as they try to break through. They just doesn't work the way they are described to. 

The pellets system starts seeds well, but are either too dry or too wet, because of their density. They crumble when transplanting and the roots were very hair-like rather than thick and healthy.

 The peat pots dry out quickly and mold if you water them too much. It's hard to know when to water when the outside always looks dry!

WE WILL USE THIS FOR STARTING SEEDS:

A good quality potting soil that is soft and doesn't clump mixed with our compost soil.

We will reuse the trays with plastic lids or clear covering. I have also started flower seeds in aluminum dollar store baking trays, with lids or covered in plastic wrap.

Poke a few drainage holes in the bottoms, and store on a cheap cookie sheet. Far less expensive than the fancy seed starting trays. And they can be reused.

Next Post: Planting the Garden with a Plan?

HOW'S YOUR GARDEN GROWING?

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