Shule's 2025 growlog

[Shule]

I transplanted our outdoor cacti from their ceramic containers into 18 gallon moving totes. I need to put drainage in them, still. We have three kinds of cactus (four plants). I don't know what two of the kinds are (other than that they look like different kinds of prickly pears), but the other kind is an East Meets West prickly pear hybrid. They all survive the winter and the winter/spring rains.

So, now I've got some stray thorns pricking me.

They do a lot better in containers than in the ground, I've noticed (at least the young ones I tried several years ago). I tried other kinds that didn't make it before I decided to put them in containers.

[Shule]

We had an unexpected freeze this morning (meaning it wasn't forecasted until soon before it happened), and it was cold for longer than usual (but it wasn't a hard freeze). It wasn't warm enough to put the plants outside until noon. Usually it's warm enough by 9 AM.

One of the California Wonder 300 TMR peppers (out of six) sprouted today.

[Shule]

Two more California Wonder 300 TMR peppers sprouted by yesterday. The last one sprouted by today.

The only things left to sprout are the Ramapo OP tomato and the Orange Mini Bell pepper (and more mustard, of course, but I still need to check that). I think at least one more mustard seed sprouted a couple days ago.

The plants look like they could use some nitrogen. I should give them a foliar spray when the sun goes down.

[Shule]

Caspian Pink has really small cotyledons. It wasn't the most ideal seed-saving situation in 2015 when I grew it, but I'm glad the seeds that I saved then grew this year!

[Shule]

We're growing a new hedge of blackcurrants. The birds (sparrows and robins) really like the blackcurrant hedge, and the neighborhood cats like to hang out by them because of that. The new hedge borders the neighbor's yard from whence at least three of the neighborhood cats hail. I don't like them killing the birds, though. Fortunately, the birds are pretty smart and usually don't get caught. We're growing the new hedge tall, though (not for fruit).

Blackcurrants multiply a lot (both from seed and seemingly at the base). They're very vigorous. They probably grow about three feet a year when they're mature, after a pruning. The new hedge is from seed-grown volunteers. They do not appear to be true-to-type as different ones have different leaf types and production/maturity habits. One of them might be from a wild blackcurrant, but I'm not sure.

[Shule]

I did a foliar spray of calcium nitrate on all the tomatoes, peppers, muskmelons, and watermelons. The spray bottle is 51oz. I added a tablespoon of prilled calcium nitrate. I did not, of course, spray the whole 51oz. on my plants. So, I might spray the roses or something with the rest.

[JayneR13]

Do the neighbor's cats keep the rodent population down? I find the strays helpful that way.

[Shule]

Do the neighbor's cats keep the rodent population down? I find the strays helpful that way.

Possibly. We haven't seen any mice in a while. One of my neighbors has a cat which rarely frequents our yard, and I know their cat catches mice (and has been known to bring them live into their house).

The cats that come to our yard do hunt mice. I'm not sure how often, but they do lay them out sometimes (so, more often than birds, even though they seem to hunt the birds more). They used to hunt grasshoppers a lot, but I haven't seen them doing that as much in the last two years as before.

[Paulf]

Lots of great information…thanks for sharing.

[JayneR13]

Cats love their humans and will indeed bring us a tasty treat from time to time! The proper response is to thank them, then drop the treat outside while letting the cat know they can eat it if they’re hungry. The scream response merely puzzles the cat, who went to much trouble to give this tasty treat! I also thank the cat for keeping the rodents out of the garden. I wish the cats liked squirrels better! Those things are annoying during tomato season.

[Shule]

We put new black plastic down where we plan to have the watermelons and cantaloupes.

[Shule]

I'm thinking about transplanting Brandywine Pink tomatoes tomorrow. I have hope that the frosts are over for the spring.

[Shule]

We need to get more tomato cages (for stuff besides Brandywine Pink), and put new black plastic down there. We have more garden staples on order.

[Shule]

I have a convenient place to transplant most of the peppers!

[Shule]

It rained. I just brought my plants in the house. They're wet. Extra nitrates.

Brandywine Pink:

IMG_20250425_210833_550.jpg

Miscellaneous tomatoes (center):

IMG_20250425_210814_395.jpg

Watermelons (left) and cantaloupes (right):

IMG_20250425_210741_603.jpg

Peppers and more miscellaneous tomatoes:

IMG_20250425_210724_946.jpg

[JayneR13]

It rained all day yesterday here! And it's still too cold to even consider putting my plants outside. Today I'm going to bleach out some pots for the deck and perhaps fill them, if the soil I need to move from two beds has thawed and isn't too heavy. I did replant the bare spaces in the garlic area at the pantry garden on Thursday. Soil temps have hit the low 50s and there's no sense leaving bare space, forever waiting for garlic that's unlikely to come up! Onions will work too. Every inch of that garden needs to produce.