Why do we plant when we do? There are lots of reasons. As the bible says in Ecclesiastes, “there is a time to every purpose under heaven.” Some plants and seeds are very forgiving about the planting time. Others are not. Soil temperature is one important factor. Seed germination and soil temperature are very interrelated. Some plants like most of the crucifers require a fairly cool temperature for optimum germination. Other’s like beans require a high temperature.
Another factor in the time for planting is day length. Some plants set seed when the day gets to a certain length. If seeds are the desired crop this is great. If leaves or roots are the desired crop, it is not so great. Tomatoes will grow really well in short days. They just don’t produce flowers or tomatoes.
Another factor is the time to maturity of the plant. If a plant takes a long time to mature the growing season in a particular area may not be long enough unless the plant is started earlier in a greenhouse. Of course the gardener’s patience may be the reason for planting slow maturing plants inside. Who can wait for that first tomato?
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Friday, March 5, 2010
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Spring Garden Finally Planted
The traditional time in Charlotte for planting the spring garden and starting greenhouse plants is Super Bowl weekend. The greenhouse plants were pretty well started; but the spring garden was a problem. The ground was frozen Super Bowl Saturday. Sugar peas went in on Super Bowl Sunday along with broccoli and bok choy plants. The rest of the stuff did not get in until this weekend and yesterday. On the weekend spinach, kale, radishes, beets, onions, mesclun and arugula went into the ground. Yesterday (Monday) the rape, chard, turnips, mustard and potatoes were planted.
The moon is waning which is not a good time to plant; but the soil was finally right. To wait on a new moon for the potatoes and an increasing moon for the other stuff would put everything too late. I am too superstitious to thumb my nose at the moon and too practical to wait for it. It is supposed to rain and snow today. How long will it be before the soil is dry enough for planting?
Since the garden is mostly into raised beds now, the potatoes needed special treatment. All of the raised beds have fairly fresh compost except for some that have not been filled. The unfilled beds were used. The ground under them was tilled before the beds were built; but the rain must have re-packed the soil. It had to be tilled again before the potatoes could be planted. The soil in the unfilled raised beds was very dry for this time of year. The soil in the raised beds has the perfect moisture level. They had been covered with leaves until Sunday when the mulch was removed to allow for drying of the soil.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
The moon is waning which is not a good time to plant; but the soil was finally right. To wait on a new moon for the potatoes and an increasing moon for the other stuff would put everything too late. I am too superstitious to thumb my nose at the moon and too practical to wait for it. It is supposed to rain and snow today. How long will it be before the soil is dry enough for planting?
Since the garden is mostly into raised beds now, the potatoes needed special treatment. All of the raised beds have fairly fresh compost except for some that have not been filled. The unfilled beds were used. The ground under them was tilled before the beds were built; but the rain must have re-packed the soil. It had to be tilled again before the potatoes could be planted. The soil in the unfilled raised beds was very dry for this time of year. The soil in the raised beds has the perfect moisture level. They had been covered with leaves until Sunday when the mulch was removed to allow for drying of the soil.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Time to Over-seed Grass
This is the time to over-seed grassy areas. For a new lawn it might be better to wait a month. Several pointers to keep in mind are:
1) Use good grass seed. Cheap seed has lots of weeds and may not have as high a germination rate. Do not use weed killers until the grass has come up and been cut several times. It is better not to use weed killers anyway. Just plant rye grass and it will crowd out everything. It will be green this summer and stay green all winter. Next summer it will turn brown and can be over-seeded with a more desirable variety.
2) Get all the leftover leaves and sticks out of the way now and mow the lawn really short.
3) Any bare areas should be shallow tilled or at least raked to rough up the ground.
4) Spread seed by hand or with a seed drill. If you have a broadcast seeder be very careful to keep the distance from flower beds adequate. It easier to seed the area around flower beds by hand than it is to pull the grass out of them later.
5) Cover the bare areas with hay or straw. The good thing about hay is that it probably has some grass seed in it already.
6) Once the tender grass comes up it will need to be watered during the first season. Don’t water after that except in case of severe drought. Water for grass is like drugs. If it gets used to being watered the watering has to continue.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
This is the time to over-seed grassy areas. For a new lawn it might be better to wait a month. Several pointers to keep in mind are:
1) Use good grass seed. Cheap seed has lots of weeds and may not have as high a germination rate. Do not use weed killers until the grass has come up and been cut several times. It is better not to use weed killers anyway. Just plant rye grass and it will crowd out everything. It will be green this summer and stay green all winter. Next summer it will turn brown and can be over-seeded with a more desirable variety.
2) Get all the leftover leaves and sticks out of the way now and mow the lawn really short.
3) Any bare areas should be shallow tilled or at least raked to rough up the ground.
4) Spread seed by hand or with a seed drill. If you have a broadcast seeder be very careful to keep the distance from flower beds adequate. It easier to seed the area around flower beds by hand than it is to pull the grass out of them later.
5) Cover the bare areas with hay or straw. The good thing about hay is that it probably has some grass seed in it already.
6) Once the tender grass comes up it will need to be watered during the first season. Don’t water after that except in case of severe drought. Water for grass is like drugs. If it gets used to being watered the watering has to continue.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Broccoli and Bok Choy
Sunday the broccoli and bok choy got planted. The plants came from Renfrow’s instead of the greenhouse because last years broccoli had small heads. The bok choy was an impulse thing. It was next to the broccoli. There is not much in my garden for the rabbits to eat right now; so I made some little cages out of chicken wire to keep them from eating the new plants. As of yesterday (Tuesday) they were still safe.
Tonight it is supposed to snow. The temperature is going down to 28. We are supposed to have sub-freezing weather every night until Sunday. What do the weather people know? I can remove the cages from the plants and put some plastic jugs over them. Then I’ll have to go home tomorrow when the weather warms up and remove the jugs. Crucifers can stand some cold. Perhaps I can just pull the mulch up close.
The greenhouse tripped a breaker last night and the lights did not come on. That means the heating pads were off as well. Now the lights and the heating pads are on different circuits. That means I won’t know if the heating pads are off without going into the greenhouse. It is not the circuit breaker that trips, it is the ground fault disconnect. Maybe I need to put in new recepticals
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Tonight it is supposed to snow. The temperature is going down to 28. We are supposed to have sub-freezing weather every night until Sunday. What do the weather people know? I can remove the cages from the plants and put some plastic jugs over them. Then I’ll have to go home tomorrow when the weather warms up and remove the jugs. Crucifers can stand some cold. Perhaps I can just pull the mulch up close.
The greenhouse tripped a breaker last night and the lights did not come on. That means the heating pads were off as well. Now the lights and the heating pads are on different circuits. That means I won’t know if the heating pads are off without going into the greenhouse. It is not the circuit breaker that trips, it is the ground fault disconnect. Maybe I need to put in new recepticals
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
How to Plant Potatoes
Start with good seed potatoes. The potatoes from the grocery store are crap. Using seeds from crap will yield crap. Cut the potatoes so that each piece has a thick piece of “meat” and at least one eye. The rest of the potato can be eaten. The little seed pieces need to be cured before they are put into the ground.
Lay them out on a piece of paper so that they don’t touch one another until they get a leathery texture. Plant them in deeply worked soil about 2” or 3” deep. They should be about 6” apart and the rows should be 1 1/2’ apart. A row of onion sets can be planted between the rows of potatoes.
As the potatoes grow the plants should be covered with dirt or leaves to keep most of the plant buried. The potatoes are ready to pick when the plant blooms. You may want to “gravel” a few new potatoes once in a while. Just stick your hand in the dirt under the plant and feel around until you find a few potatoes.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Lay them out on a piece of paper so that they don’t touch one another until they get a leathery texture. Plant them in deeply worked soil about 2” or 3” deep. They should be about 6” apart and the rows should be 1 1/2’ apart. A row of onion sets can be planted between the rows of potatoes.
As the potatoes grow the plants should be covered with dirt or leaves to keep most of the plant buried. The potatoes are ready to pick when the plant blooms. You may want to “gravel” a few new potatoes once in a while. Just stick your hand in the dirt under the plant and feel around until you find a few potatoes.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Monday, February 22, 2010
Hardening Plants before Planting
This weekend was a great time to plant the spring garden. Next week there will be some warmer weather that will allow the crucifers and sugar peas to germinate. Most of the crucifers will not germinate if the soil is too warm; so they should be gotten into the ground now; so that when the optimum temperature is reached they will grow.
The little plants like broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts and bok choy need to be “hardened off” before they are planted in the ground. They have been living in a nice cozy greenhouse somewhere and they need to get used to the cold, cruel world. They can be set outside in the morning and exposed to the sun and the wind and then brought inside in the evening for about 3 days. Then they can be transplanted. If extremely cold nights are predicted they can be covered with a milk jug with the bottom cut out overnight.
The milk jug or whatever is used should be removed in the daytime. If rodents are a problem, these tender plants provide a rare treat this time of year. Make a little chicken wire cage for them. The cage could be covered with a plastic bag at night instead of using milk jugs.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
The little plants like broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts and bok choy need to be “hardened off” before they are planted in the ground. They have been living in a nice cozy greenhouse somewhere and they need to get used to the cold, cruel world. They can be set outside in the morning and exposed to the sun and the wind and then brought inside in the evening for about 3 days. Then they can be transplanted. If extremely cold nights are predicted they can be covered with a milk jug with the bottom cut out overnight.
The milk jug or whatever is used should be removed in the daytime. If rodents are a problem, these tender plants provide a rare treat this time of year. Make a little chicken wire cage for them. The cage could be covered with a plastic bag at night instead of using milk jugs.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Chicken Soup with Matzo Balls
Today’s lunch will be chicken soup with Matzo Balls. Matzo Balls are good with a clear chicken broth; but today we will have a hearty chicken soup. The starting point was about 2 pounds of leg quarters in a 5 quart crock pot. 5 sticks of rosemary with the leave n were laid in the bottom of the pot. 2 cups of water were added and the leg quarters were cooked until the meat was falling off of the bone. That was yesterday.
Today the meat and bones were separated and about a quart of water was added to the stock that was already in the pot. The meat was put back in and the whole mess was seasoned with Basil from last years garden, 1 clove of garlic, cumin, celery salt, black pepper and sage. I would have added oregano and parsley; but I did not have any. 5 green onions were chopped into the whole mess. 2 more quarts of water were added and 3 chicken bouillon cubes. Taste the broth. If it is too strong add more water. If it is too weak add bouillon.
Next come the matzo balls. Put 2 eggs and 2 tablespoons of oil in a mixing bowl. Add a 3 oz packet of matzo ball mix. I always use Manischewitz; but you can take your chances with whatever. Mix everything together until it has an even consistency and retard the mix (that means put it in the refrigerator) for 15 minutes. Make sure the chicken soup is really hot. Make the balls and drop them in. The balls will swell as they cook. Size is up to the cook. When making a hearty chicken soup. I start out with ping pong ball sized lumps. When making soup with a clear broth, I like something the size of a baseball. It’s all good. This is guaranteed to cure h1n1.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
Today the meat and bones were separated and about a quart of water was added to the stock that was already in the pot. The meat was put back in and the whole mess was seasoned with Basil from last years garden, 1 clove of garlic, cumin, celery salt, black pepper and sage. I would have added oregano and parsley; but I did not have any. 5 green onions were chopped into the whole mess. 2 more quarts of water were added and 3 chicken bouillon cubes. Taste the broth. If it is too strong add more water. If it is too weak add bouillon.
Next come the matzo balls. Put 2 eggs and 2 tablespoons of oil in a mixing bowl. Add a 3 oz packet of matzo ball mix. I always use Manischewitz; but you can take your chances with whatever. Mix everything together until it has an even consistency and retard the mix (that means put it in the refrigerator) for 15 minutes. Make sure the chicken soup is really hot. Make the balls and drop them in. The balls will swell as they cook. Size is up to the cook. When making a hearty chicken soup. I start out with ping pong ball sized lumps. When making soup with a clear broth, I like something the size of a baseball. It’s all good. This is guaranteed to cure h1n1.
David Segrest is an International REALTOR in Charlotte, NC. His email is david@segrestrealty.com , His webpage is http://www.segrestrealty.com , and his international real estate blog is http://dointernationalrealestate.blogspot.com/
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