Dawn's Garden 2024
- Dawn
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Dawn's Garden 2024
It's spring again! Or close enough. It's sunny and warm out and the grass is growing. I decided to start my tomatoes today.
This year, I'm growing all of my Fred Hempel tomatoes. Mostly because my seeds are old and I don't know if I'll find them again. Some, sure, Blush, for example is everywhere. But Fuego Rosa? Not so much. Also partly because I was feeling a little sad and nostalgic when I started planning my garden.
I also decided to grow 4 big tomatoes: a pink, a bicolor, a green, and a funky one. I ended up choosing: Stump of the World (of course), Old German, Taiga, and Zapotec.
Also this year, I've started a bunch of seeds from trees. Most are pluots and nectaplums, there's an apple seedling in there too. I'm aware that they won't grow true to parent types, but it'll be fun anyway. I also ordered a bunch of cuttings, elderberry and red currants. My food forest is coming along.
Pre-planted seeds Elderberry and currants Fruit tree seedlings Everything Tomato seeds started. This is a weird picture because of the lighting and the see-thru tags. I couldn't find my plant tags so I cut up a McDonald's cup .
This year, I'm growing all of my Fred Hempel tomatoes. Mostly because my seeds are old and I don't know if I'll find them again. Some, sure, Blush, for example is everywhere. But Fuego Rosa? Not so much. Also partly because I was feeling a little sad and nostalgic when I started planning my garden.
I also decided to grow 4 big tomatoes: a pink, a bicolor, a green, and a funky one. I ended up choosing: Stump of the World (of course), Old German, Taiga, and Zapotec.
Also this year, I've started a bunch of seeds from trees. Most are pluots and nectaplums, there's an apple seedling in there too. I'm aware that they won't grow true to parent types, but it'll be fun anyway. I also ordered a bunch of cuttings, elderberry and red currants. My food forest is coming along.
Pre-planted seeds Elderberry and currants Fruit tree seedlings Everything Tomato seeds started. This is a weird picture because of the lighting and the see-thru tags. I couldn't find my plant tags so I cut up a McDonald's cup .
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Last edited by Dawn on Sat Feb 10, 2024 12:07 am, edited 1 time in total.
Dawn
Zone 6b/7a
Central Washington State (it's a desert here)
Zone 6b/7a
Central Washington State (it's a desert here)
- MissS
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Re: Dawn's Garden 2024
And just how many times a day do you check your tomato seeds? I must check mine 4-5 times a day to see if they have sprouted.
~ Patti ~
- Dawn
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Re: Dawn's Garden 2024
I already checked
Dawn
Zone 6b/7a
Central Washington State (it's a desert here)
Zone 6b/7a
Central Washington State (it's a desert here)
- Dawn
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Re: Dawn's Garden 2024
I remembered after I planted that I told my aunt I'd start her some tomatoes. She doesn't know much about all the different tomatoes, but isn't big on cherry tomatoes, so I figured I'd give her a red, yellow, purple, and a paste. So I picked out Stump of the World, Pineapple, Big Cheef, and Marzano Fire. Then I threw in some Anna's Multiflora for something early and productive because she might underestimate our summers. She just moved here from Seattle, it's very hot and dry here. I know she'll water, but I don't know that she'll water enough, and Anna's can take some heat, Stump, too.
Dawn
Zone 6b/7a
Central Washington State (it's a desert here)
Zone 6b/7a
Central Washington State (it's a desert here)
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- Dawn
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Re: Dawn's Garden 2024
I was getting worried that nothing was going to come up, it's been 10 days. But today I looked and 6 varieties are coming up. They're just in a colder spot, so they're taking their time. I don't mind them growing slower, as long as they grow.
My fruit tree seedlings are getting bigger, my currant and elderberry cuttings are getting leafier, and my comfrey roots are sending up leaves. It's all coming together.
My fruit tree seedlings are getting bigger, my currant and elderberry cuttings are getting leafier, and my comfrey roots are sending up leaves. It's all coming together.
Dawn
Zone 6b/7a
Central Washington State (it's a desert here)
Zone 6b/7a
Central Washington State (it's a desert here)
- Dawn
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Re: Dawn's Garden 2024
The rest in the are my fruit trees, elderberries, and comfrey root pieces that are starting to come up.
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Dawn
Zone 6b/7a
Central Washington State (it's a desert here)
Zone 6b/7a
Central Washington State (it's a desert here)
- Dawn
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Re: Dawn's Garden 2024
Anyway, they're all looking great and I hope to pot them up soon.
Also in the picture are a few of my fruit tree seedlings. That red nectaplum sure has grown fast!
Click on my pictures of you want to see them better, they always show up blurry until you click and bring up the larger one.
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Dawn
Zone 6b/7a
Central Washington State (it's a desert here)
Zone 6b/7a
Central Washington State (it's a desert here)
- AKgardener
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Re: Dawn's Garden 2024
looking good
- Dawn
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Re: Dawn's Garden 2024
I found a bunch of apricot seedlings growing behind my garage last year, they're from the neighbor's trees that have been cut down. I dug up most of them and stuck them in a pot on my porch. I figured they'd die over the winter or after digging them up. They did not. I thought a few were still alive, so I decided to pot up whatever was good. They were all good, 18 apricot trees (only 13 in the picture because I had to stop before I was finished). One has buds, the rest will soon. I have 3 apricot trees already, so they'll be rehomed.
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Dawn
Zone 6b/7a
Central Washington State (it's a desert here)
Zone 6b/7a
Central Washington State (it's a desert here)
- Dawn
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Re: Dawn's Garden 2024
So I got the rototiller out today, I did 3 sweeps, then took the dirt from the middle and hilled up the sides. Then I dumped a 5 gallon bucket of compost down the middle and rototilled that in. It's deeper than the picture makes it look. The planting space is probably 20 inches by about 15 feet.
I think it'll work, I'll plant my squash here, and probably some watermelons and my extra tomatoes.
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Dawn
Zone 6b/7a
Central Washington State (it's a desert here)
Zone 6b/7a
Central Washington State (it's a desert here)
- MissS
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Re: Dawn's Garden 2024
What a great idea! I hope that it works well for you. I have seen some garden pics that looked like they were down in the foot print of a basement ready to be poured. The people that had them were very pleased with them and it was easy for them to shade if they needed to.
~ Patti ~
- Dawn
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Re: Dawn's Garden 2024
3 to 4 more weeks until planting!
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Dawn
Zone 6b/7a
Central Washington State (it's a desert here)
Zone 6b/7a
Central Washington State (it's a desert here)
- Dawn
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Re: Dawn's Garden 2024
Maybe a better picture of the sunken bed. I got some cabbages from a plant sale today, so they get to be the first plants in.
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Dawn
Zone 6b/7a
Central Washington State (it's a desert here)
Zone 6b/7a
Central Washington State (it's a desert here)
- Dawn
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Re: Dawn's Garden 2024
I've been out of commission for a little while, but today, I'm better, so I was able to get outside and do some work. This is the time of year when everything is growing so fast, so a couple weeks of neglect meant that some Bermuda (or similar running grass) was able to complete invade my herb bed. It's been creeping in there for a while, but I can usually keep it in check until plants start growing. It's beyond that now, so I spent last night trying to figure out how I was going to manage it. I finally settled on putting down cardboard in the whole bed, and covering it with mulch. I removed all the mulch that was in there, and set it aside, laid down the cardboard with holes for the yarrow and oregano and sage. They said that the feverfew would come back, but I don't see it, so I covered that part, if it spreads by seed, it'll pop up around the outside of the bed, and I can add it back in. Added the mulch back in, plus all the grass clippings from the yard.
I moved the hoses and mowed between the beds, and now they're ready to plant. I think next week I should be able to, but I'll wait and see when the 15 day forecast looks like then.
Bonus pics of the garden chickens who got makeovers
I moved the hoses and mowed between the beds, and now they're ready to plant. I think next week I should be able to, but I'll wait and see when the 15 day forecast looks like then.
Bonus pics of the garden chickens who got makeovers
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Dawn
Zone 6b/7a
Central Washington State (it's a desert here)
Zone 6b/7a
Central Washington State (it's a desert here)
- pepperhead212
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- PlainJane
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Re: Dawn's Garden 2024
Always tough when you have to defer doing something you like to do.
βNever try to outstubborn a cat.β
- Robert A. Heinlein
- Robert A. Heinlein
- Dawn
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Re: Dawn's Garden 2024
15 day forecast keeps pushing my planting dates out, so it'll be a couple more weeks at least. Plants are getting big, but not so big that they can't wait.
2 new raspberries planted, Canby and Heritage, and I got my hands on a good size lemon balm start. I've been trying to get a patch growing for years, but it's hard to find starts (because it's a weed), and seeds won't take for me.
Everything is looking good in my little food forest, but it doesn't look like much yet, because everything is just starting out. I had enough raspberries last year for a few jars of jam, this year, maybe I'll double that. My newest blackberries are getting flower buds, and the rest will follow. I have 3 varieties that fruit at different times. Prime Ark Freedom, which is flowering now, Triple Crown, which gave me a few berries last year, and Ouachita, which haven't fruited yet for me, but have tons of growth on their floricanes this year, so I should get a decent crop of those.
I'm hoping the threat of the hot hot summer doesn't out-do 2021. That was pretty miserable. It would be a good test for my sunken beds though. After that year, I changed how I do things, better watering especially, and more dense planting.
2 new raspberries planted, Canby and Heritage, and I got my hands on a good size lemon balm start. I've been trying to get a patch growing for years, but it's hard to find starts (because it's a weed), and seeds won't take for me.
Everything is looking good in my little food forest, but it doesn't look like much yet, because everything is just starting out. I had enough raspberries last year for a few jars of jam, this year, maybe I'll double that. My newest blackberries are getting flower buds, and the rest will follow. I have 3 varieties that fruit at different times. Prime Ark Freedom, which is flowering now, Triple Crown, which gave me a few berries last year, and Ouachita, which haven't fruited yet for me, but have tons of growth on their floricanes this year, so I should get a decent crop of those.
I'm hoping the threat of the hot hot summer doesn't out-do 2021. That was pretty miserable. It would be a good test for my sunken beds though. After that year, I changed how I do things, better watering especially, and more dense planting.
Dawn
Zone 6b/7a
Central Washington State (it's a desert here)
Zone 6b/7a
Central Washington State (it's a desert here)
- Dawn
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Re: Dawn's Garden 2024
Tomatoes! I think the potting mix I used was too old and ran out of nutrients, they're a little pale. I've been giving them miracle grow, but that's pretty old, too . When I plant, I'll give them some rabbit poo tea and compost to liven them up. They're ok though.
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Dawn
Zone 6b/7a
Central Washington State (it's a desert here)
Zone 6b/7a
Central Washington State (it's a desert here)
- Dawn
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Re: Dawn's Garden 2024
I got my raised bed tomatoes planted today. It's been a crazy few weeks. First I had shingles! That was crazy. I thought I was better when I made the post about cleaning up the beds, but apparently it was an intermission . That whole ordeal was crazy. Pain and intense itching and random stabbing pans. I'm not even old enough for the vaccine. When I was mostly better from that, I applied for a job, I've been jobless since October, it was on purpose, I needed a break after working the same job for 20 years. But finally, the money ran out, like it does and it was time to get a job. I applied on a Monday, and was hired by Wednesday. The job was to start the next week, on Thursday. In between those, I managed to hurt my back. Just a lower back injury, nothing major, but it was pretty bad. I was doing all I could just to get it as well as I could before starting work. So, again, no yard work was happening, the grass has taken over the beds again. Oh, well . 2 weeks now at the new job and I'm feeling much better. Thankfully, my job doesn't hurt my back, but it's a physically demanding job, so I'm tired. Once I get used to working again, it'll be fine.
But my tomatoes are planted, yay. Some of them, the rest tomorrow.
But my tomatoes are planted, yay. Some of them, the rest tomorrow.
Dawn
Zone 6b/7a
Central Washington State (it's a desert here)
Zone 6b/7a
Central Washington State (it's a desert here)