Archives 2010

We have decided to throw our hat into the rototilling ring seeing we have several tillers that do not seem to get used enough.
The details are on the rototilling page.

We have a 10 hp Troy Bilt Horse, rear tine tiller and a smaller cultivator/edger.
The Horse is an older model and was built to last, not like the ones sold now at the big box stores. When this tiller was made in Troy NY, they used steel and iron for every part except the gas line and tires and a few carburetor parts.

The new ones loaded with plastic and thin sheet metal.
The new light weight aluminum engines are not as rugged as the older cast iron versions.
As a matter of fact the new tillers are made by MTD, a company that makes most of the small engine lawn and garden equipment sold at the box stores. They buy and use the old names like Troy Bilt and Cub Cadet but that is as far as the quality goes.

Our 105 Cub Cadet that was made by International Harvester company is solid and is still going strong even though it was made in 1968.

There seems to be a fair amount of controversy on the topic of rototilling in general.
The first argument seems to be over killing worms and spiders.
No doubt tilling kills worms and spiders but I know from my experience digging fishing worms that just turning over soil can kill worms. As far as the spiders go I like the yellow and black garden spiders but I am not sure they live underground.

This I am sure of. Breaking ground is … well back breaking work.
Those who oppose tilling recommend planting in raised beds or working the ground by spade and that is fine in some cases.

A previously tilled patch is not too hard to turn over with a spade but new work it really really hard in most cases.
Raised beds are great for smaller gardens but it is expensive to construct and fill large raised beds. True it is possible over time building one or two raised beds each season to end up with large planting areas.

The other argument is deep tilling ruins the soil by making it too fine, and there may be truth to this but in many case the soil is crummy to begin with. For example when we started our present gardening beds the soil was very heavy and the area is low and does not drain well. By using a tiller we are able to introduce larger leaf mold and other organic bulk to the soil to lighten it up.

We till about 4 to 6 inches deep so the deeper soil is not disturbed.
There is no need to go over and over the soil until it is fine as sand, and if it is fine as sand the tiller can be used to mix in some bulk.

Our strongest argument for tilling is the time saving aspect. We have many beds and a short growing season. We have to get the ground ready to plant quickly.
All this said we do not believe in tilling up a large patches of ground.

We grow in 3 foot wide strips with turf between so we do not compact the soil when harvesting.
The rows are covered by 3 foot landscape fabric and we never have to pull a weed.

Here is an example of tilled rows with turf between them. Notice how the soil is crumbly and somewhat clumpy in appearance. This is because we go over the patch once, to mix in the compost and that’s the end of it.

Anyway we do not wish to be the arbiter of other gardeners practices, but we do want to make some extra money with our tillers.

It’s early spring and this is the time of year when people begin to think about starting plants at home for summer flowers and vegetables.
Starting and growing seeds at home is a fun way to save money and learn about the plants in your garden.
It’s really easy to start seeds at home and there are only a few important rules to follow that will make the effort a success.

Its important to note the zone or climate for the plant you wish to grow. This is very important for growing perennial flower plants as some plants can not take cold winters and will die.
Other considerations are for crops that take a long hot season to mature. Read the label to determine this information and ask your neighbors or the seed-man at the local farm center.
Other consideration might be sun light or water requirements as some plants want sun and some don’t and some plants like it dry and some like it wet. It’s all on the label or go to the seed company web site to check.

Other considerations might be soil temperature for vegetable seeds or pot size for container gardens.
It may be necessary to start some plants indoors, especially if the area has cool spring weather. Our zone 4 has cool weather and so we figure the date to plant out doors is about memorial day. Other areas will be different but this determines if and when the plants should be started indoors.

Equipment for starting indoors: Seeds, seed starting mix or some kind of soil ( preferably sterile ), containers for starting the seeds and transplanting the starts, some kind of fertilizer and very important, a source of light. The sun works best but even a very sunny window may not be enough to satisfy all plants. For example begonias need somewhere around 12 hours of light to do well. A sunny window may seem like a perfect place to start plants, and it can be done, but overhead lighting, preferably florescent, is the best. Plain tubes will work but you could use the growlux type bulbs.
To germinate the seeds: First check the seed packet and see if the seeds need to be buried, or if they need light to germinate. Yes some seeds need light so be sure to check.

Start with a shallow container and fill it with a few inches of seed starting mix. Plant the seeds according to the direction on the package and lightly water. Then cover the soil with plastic wrap. Just lay the wrap on the soil and put the container in a place where the temperature will be at least 65 degrees, more may be better.

Check the package for the germination time and peek under the plastic from time to time, making sure the soil is just da[, not dry or soggy.
When the plants begin to sprout remove the plastic and make sure they do not dry out. Don’t drownd the plants, but keep them damp.

Here is where the light is important. The lights must be about 1 inch above the plants. If the plants do not get enough light they will be leggy and less likely to thrive. The lights can be raised and lowered easily if they are hung on light chain with s hooks. As the sprouts grow the lights can be raised, keeping the lamps about 1 inch above the plants.

This is not to say that plants could not be started in a sunny window or cold frame but windows do not transmit enough light for plants to do well and cold frames are not for starting and germination of all crops and flowers. And cold frames can get hot enough to cook plants if some kind of ventilation is not provided.

Just germinated seeds have all the nourishment they need in the seed but when small leaves start to form you can lightly fertilize them with a diluted fertilizer with a high phosphorous, low nitrogen ratio.
When some true leaves are sprouting its time to transplant.
The new container will be determined by the size of the plant and how long it must be kept. Plastic containers can be purchased but yogurt containers, milk cartons, egg crates and other containers will do as well. Use an ice pick or other tool to punch small drainage holes in the bottom of the containers. Larger holes will let the soil breath.

A good way to safely transplant seedlings it to use a spoon to scoop the roots up. Fill the new container with growing mix and make a depression in the center deep enough for the roots of the transplant. For plants like tomatoes it is OK to bury them right up to their necks. The plants will form roots all along the stem.

After a week or so it is OK to fertilize the plants again and in some cases it good to let the plants dry out a bit. Not bone dry but let them have some time between waterings. When they are watered make sure the water soaks deep, or the plant may develop a shallow root system.
All the time make sure they get plenty of light.

The plants may need to be transplanted several times depending on the size of the plant and the amount of time the plant must be kept in doors.

The next step is moving the plants outside. Care must be taken when taking the plants out doors. The plant is not used to the bright light, wind and temperature extremes.
Hardening off is the term for the transition from indoor plant to outdoor plant.
For the first day or so bring the plants out for a short period. Place the plants in the shade and out of the wind for a few hours each day. Check them often for water as the plants will dehydrate rapidly out doors.

After a few days the plants can spend more time out and a few hours in the morning or evening sun. After a week or so of moving the plants in and out of the sun they can be left in the sun, unless they are a shade plant of course.
Good luck.

This time of year we get are getting our pots and baskets together for the coming season.
We started to think about Green vs. white hanging plant baskets.
In the past we offered 12 inch hanging baskets with the idea that people would appreciate a basket that was a bit larger. But we are not convinced that people prefer a 12 inch basket over the 10 inch size.
Lets face it, the big box stores are selling the 10 inch baskets hand over fist so we thought we would try them this year.

Here is the style we use.

It’s a 10 inch basket that has an attached saucer and with a matching green plastic hanger. We have the wire hangers in stock if customers want them. One nice feature with the plastic hanger is they do not get bent up in the trunk of a car. They may bend over but spring back up again. The baskets with the attached saucer are more expensive but we like the look and the difference in price is not so great that we want to sacrifice a good looking and functional basket for a cheaper looking version.

In the past we have only used the Dillen 12″ green basket with built in saucer. We like the color and the shape of the basket is much nicer than the cheep looking ones from the box store.
Some growers feel the green baskets help the roots warm up faster, especially in our zone 4 climate. We just liked the low sheen green color. And since we start the baskets in the greenhouse I don’t see how this could make a big difference.

This year we are going to try some white baskets too. We will use them for the strawberry baskets and some of the sun loving plants in the hope that the white will reflect more light and keep the roots cool in the heat of the summer. The white basket is exactly like the green except for the color.

One thing we have noticed is the green baskets seem to be more resistant to the UV light. We notice that white baskets tend to get brittle when left in the sun and only last a season or more.
But we have never used this particular basket and we hope it will last longer than the cheap white baskets that are sold at the big box and mart stores.

Like most of our experiments we will keep notes and see if there is any appreciable performance difference between the white and green baskets.

I know that the posts are few and far between these days but I do have an excuse.
Excuse #1. I brought a new LG wide screen monitor home and was mortified by the way the sites looked. They all need work and it’s high time they were updated and so that is why I have been to busy to post.

The wedding department page is updated for the most part as this site, except for the blog theme. I am working hard to get the wild birds page updated. I have a new layout that we like a lot and now it it is just a matter of plugging in all the data. But first the new photos need to be cropped and re sized. It will probably be a few more days and a good thing too as I have several more sites in the works that need to be finished this month.

We are still working the bugs out of this site as well. For some reason google thinks the blog site map is an html document but in fact it is xml. Still don’t know what’s going on there.

Excuse #2. I have been busy re potting and breaking up all the hold over plants in the greenhouse. That job is just about finished but there is the issue of starting new herbs and perennials for this season, not to mention the early annuals.

I am taking lots of photos as we go along so that when the new posts hit there will be plenty of visuals to keep it interesting.

Excuse #3. We are busy with wedding favor orders and samples and on top of that one of the wild bird stores ordered 60 teardrop bird feeders.

So posts will be sporadic at best.

It’s the middle of January,the temperatures are in the mid 20’s and the ground is covered in snow. But inside the greenhouse the temperatures are in the mid 70’s and the floor is covered in bits of leaves and other fallen items.

We have been busy with the holidays and other work but it is time to get things moving in the greenhouse.
Last weekend we picked every last dead leaf and weed out of the plants and generally cleaned things up. The next day we took a trip down to Watson Greenhouse in LaFayette NY and they were doing the same think!

It is important to keep litter to a minimum as it harbors pests and disease. Things can pile up over the fall and winter especially because October, November and December are such slow times and the plants requirements for light, heat and water are at a minimum.

We took out at least 6 buckets of junk and piled them on the “pile” where we put junk. Normally we blaze a path to the pile with the snow blower but this year we did not intend to keep the greenhouse warm for the winter so it was overlooked. However with the mild weather and good sun we decided to turn the temperature way down and hope for the best.

So far things are going fine and the days are getting longer while the sun is climbing higher.
Next … tuning up the plants.