Cool Weather Plants
So I'm curious if anyone else has had similar discoveries about cool weather plants, and to ask what you do with your extra vegetation.
So I seeded a bunch of lettuce, spinach, coriander (cilantro), peas, and artichoke. I did some indoors and some I planted directly outdoors. I noticed something interesting occur. The plants I started indoors sprouted quickly (short the spinach, which didn't sprout at all). Pretty much all within 7 days... not the artichoke though that still was about 2-3 weeks. All of them grew quite tall and sort of lanky and kind of flimsy. The ones I planted outdoors took about a month and still some, and I've noticed they seem a lot sturdier. I even got about six of the twenty spinach finally growing (I am taking advice on stratifying them though). They've branched much loser to the root, and just seem a lot better off than the ones I started indoors. Has anyone else noticed this behavior/have any theories on why. I mean obviously I'm going to start just planting them outdoors because even the ones I started indoors and planted after sprouting are still lanky. Interesting though!
Secondly, I am an insecure sort of gardener and I tend to start a lot of plants. A lot more than I care to care for or need. Unfortunately I don't have any gardening buddies and my street doesn't seem very interested. It took three weeks to give away all my gorgeous basil that I started in the winter. Of course, I think I had near forty plants. Right now I have about 30 artichoke seedlings which I'm happy to care for now, but honestly will not have the space or resources to care for them after they really get going. I can't bare to just chuck them after carefully and patiently waiting for them to sprout. Even when I'm thinning I'll replant the ones I pull. I hate killing things that I took such good care of. So, what do you do with your excess vegetation? I've consider going to the farmers market or swap meet, but it's $40 - $20 respectively for a space. I'd at least not like to loose money on trying to find them new homes.
[Giddy about sprouts!]Additionally, EEEP! My bulbs are starting to poke up! I'm so existed, so far daffodils, and tulips (Which surprised me because they were dormant for two years and just spring up this year), and my narcissists. I'm trying to patiently wait for my lilies, but it's tough. I know they're growing though because I accidentally knocked a pot over and they were definitely growing. Considering that when I bought them, and forgot about buying them and they started growing in the dark in the bag, I'm confident they'll pop up again.
I also have lavender, zucchini, cucumber, watermelon, cantaloupe (oh man did the cantaloupe sprout, every last one of them!), chives and pumpkin all sprouting which is so exciting for me! I'm a little sad that my thyme, peppers, and oregano haven't shown the slightest bit of growth. I wonder if it's just not warm enough. I know peppers need some pretty warm temps to germinate, and I might have just blown a packet of Anaheim peppers =/.
How's everyone else doing this February?
[Oh, and any Idea on what the heck this weed is?]One more thing. Any idea what this weed is? I can't seem to figure it out though I've spent tons of time looking for it in weed identification sites. It just looks sooo normal. But it is seriously the nastiest thing I've come up against, short crabgrass (reerggr crabgrass!). I dig it up and it's just layers upon a layers of roots. It grows exactly like my mint. I actually mistook it for mint, except it's larger, brighter, and tastes like bland old weeds.
It grows with two leafs on either side of the stem and alternates with the next set. It sends out runners. And has been growing like crazy through the winter. I can't pull it up fast enough. No flowers as of yet, but I'm sort of expecting them because it's starting to grow upwards more so than outwards as it has been. Any clue? Not a big deal, because pulling is all I do. I don't care to use herbicides because my rabbits nibble on the growth out there, anyway. I'm just wondering what I gotten now. lol.
So I seeded a bunch of lettuce, spinach, coriander (cilantro), peas, and artichoke. I did some indoors and some I planted directly outdoors. I noticed something interesting occur. The plants I started indoors sprouted quickly (short the spinach, which didn't sprout at all). Pretty much all within 7 days... not the artichoke though that still was about 2-3 weeks. All of them grew quite tall and sort of lanky and kind of flimsy. The ones I planted outdoors took about a month and still some, and I've noticed they seem a lot sturdier. I even got about six of the twenty spinach finally growing (I am taking advice on stratifying them though). They've branched much loser to the root, and just seem a lot better off than the ones I started indoors. Has anyone else noticed this behavior/have any theories on why. I mean obviously I'm going to start just planting them outdoors because even the ones I started indoors and planted after sprouting are still lanky. Interesting though!
Secondly, I am an insecure sort of gardener and I tend to start a lot of plants. A lot more than I care to care for or need. Unfortunately I don't have any gardening buddies and my street doesn't seem very interested. It took three weeks to give away all my gorgeous basil that I started in the winter. Of course, I think I had near forty plants. Right now I have about 30 artichoke seedlings which I'm happy to care for now, but honestly will not have the space or resources to care for them after they really get going. I can't bare to just chuck them after carefully and patiently waiting for them to sprout. Even when I'm thinning I'll replant the ones I pull. I hate killing things that I took such good care of. So, what do you do with your excess vegetation? I've consider going to the farmers market or swap meet, but it's $40 - $20 respectively for a space. I'd at least not like to loose money on trying to find them new homes.
[Giddy about sprouts!]Additionally, EEEP! My bulbs are starting to poke up! I'm so existed, so far daffodils, and tulips (Which surprised me because they were dormant for two years and just spring up this year), and my narcissists. I'm trying to patiently wait for my lilies, but it's tough. I know they're growing though because I accidentally knocked a pot over and they were definitely growing. Considering that when I bought them, and forgot about buying them and they started growing in the dark in the bag, I'm confident they'll pop up again.
I also have lavender, zucchini, cucumber, watermelon, cantaloupe (oh man did the cantaloupe sprout, every last one of them!), chives and pumpkin all sprouting which is so exciting for me! I'm a little sad that my thyme, peppers, and oregano haven't shown the slightest bit of growth. I wonder if it's just not warm enough. I know peppers need some pretty warm temps to germinate, and I might have just blown a packet of Anaheim peppers =/.
How's everyone else doing this February?
[Oh, and any Idea on what the heck this weed is?]One more thing. Any idea what this weed is? I can't seem to figure it out though I've spent tons of time looking for it in weed identification sites. It just looks sooo normal. But it is seriously the nastiest thing I've come up against, short crabgrass (reerggr crabgrass!). I dig it up and it's just layers upon a layers of roots. It grows exactly like my mint. I actually mistook it for mint, except it's larger, brighter, and tastes like bland old weeds.
It grows with two leafs on either side of the stem and alternates with the next set. It sends out runners. And has been growing like crazy through the winter. I can't pull it up fast enough. No flowers as of yet, but I'm sort of expecting them because it's starting to grow upwards more so than outwards as it has been. Any clue? Not a big deal, because pulling is all I do. I don't care to use herbicides because my rabbits nibble on the growth out there, anyway. I'm just wondering what I gotten now. lol.