Marie Mallory
Well-known member
Getting up leaves and kitchen scraps for flower and ornamental yard plants, Last month I pulled a thigh muscle so this wasn't easy today.
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Starting Compost, Prepping Soil
- Thread starter Marie Mallory
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Don Alaska
Well-known member
Marie Mallory
Well-known member
I don't want that tractor anywhere near what's left of the yard or trails, the 4 dogs have done enough to the yard.That is what the tractor is for @Marie Mallory ! It saves wear and tear on our old bodies.
Jake is willing and ready to do my trails too, no thanks, the deer have it ankle turning lumpy enough.
I do like the tractor it has pulled some vines an cleared some brush.
Jake Smith
Well-known member
Some tomatoes we grew back when, and need to again. They were delicious. 
Compost and lanterns; made this broccoli "grow like crazy", during the winter, we had it in a raised bed, with hoops and plastic over them. When we cooked them, they were so tender and sweet.
Compost and lanterns; made this broccoli "grow like crazy", during the winter, we had it in a raised bed, with hoops and plastic over them. When we cooked them, they were so tender and sweet.
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Marie Mallory
Well-known member
The broccoli in the picture above was kept from freezing by putting kerosene lanterns under the plastic when we had the freak freeze.
As you can see it worked great.
I miss growing food in yard and greenhouse. Now its just keeping the flower beds alive.
As you can see it worked great.
I miss growing food in yard and greenhouse. Now its just keeping the flower beds alive.
I don't want to fill this forum up with photos so I probably won't restart the compost pile thread that I had in the last forum, but I do have a compost pile that is about 5'x6' wide and about 6' tall. This is the most successful one I've had, as it is very hot. Even after several below-freezing days, if I reach in a couple of feet, it's too hot to touch. I don't turn it over because it's in an wood frame and rather large, but I use an auger to add materials to the interior during the winter, after layering it during the spring, summer, and fall. It's covered with a couple of layers of tarps, yet it melts the snow off the top.
Marie Mallory
Well-known member
Ken don't you know that a picture is worth 1000 words,
Jake vis trying to learn how to make them smaller. Too bad the kids and grands don't live closer or visit more often.Marie Mallory
Well-known member
Ordered this last week, arrived yesterday, now ready to start seedlings,We've used these pellets for years now to start inside then greenhouse.
Marie Mallory
Well-known member
Ken, you could give us just one photo, sounds like it works good for you up there, down here is different weather but always like ideas.
My neighbors used to grow broccoli and would share the greens with me (since I have the pto tiller for my tractor.) I'd cook them down in oil spiced with crushed red peppers, then add a add some salt. Right before they were finished, I'd sprinkle a little sugar on them. Man, those were good.Some tomatoes we grew back when, and need to again. They were delicious.
View attachment 194
Compost and lanterns; made this broccoli "grow like crazy", during the winter, we had it in a raised bed, with hoops and plastic over them. When we cooked them, they were so tender and sweet.
View attachment 195
Jake Smith
Well-known member
Home grown seems to be so much more tender, just no comparison between home grown anything, and store bought.
I looked everywhere and can’t find where I out the envelope with the seeds for the dwarf tomatoes and oregano. I started some in the Aerogardens when I first got the seeds, but now I want to start more , so that they will be large enough to transplant outside once they grow large enough.
I have been using the thyme and oregano and keeping it trimmed back , so I will have a few plants to set out in another month or so once it warms up.
We grow everything in containers now, because that is what I am able to do anymore, and it is much simpler than trying to put in an actual garden.
I have been using the thyme and oregano and keeping it trimmed back , so I will have a few plants to set out in another month or so once it warms up.
We grow everything in containers now, because that is what I am able to do anymore, and it is much simpler than trying to put in an actual garden.
Kate Ellery
Well-known member
I might look into getting some of them @Marie Mallory for next season summer crops , I’m so sick of putting the work into prepping the garden , planting purchased seedlings for them to turnout not as labeled ….mostly tomatoes and capsicums , this year I got cherry tomatoes instead of large round tomatoes … and the capsicums ( sweet peppers ) ended up mini bell shaped chilli’s
Only punnet of veg I bought that was true to label was Roma tomatoes ….Ive got 8 kg of in freezer to make tomato juice for drinking ,when we recover from being away so much over Christmas / new year
It’s worthless approaching the garden centre as the boss is so rude and abrupt …most of of my friends ovoid going to his shop at all
and I’m now on that same list …ovoid him ….
I’m off to Google where I can get them in Australia
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Marie Mallory
Well-known member
Kate it makes things easier for me, I've used them for last few decades. They are simple and come with all we need for seedlings, including labels.
Kate Ellery
Well-known member
I ordered these yesterday @Marie Mallory ….2 boxes of 36 so I can get seeds and start my veggies myself
I’ve got a sectioned tray / with a clear lid ….I’ve had for years with a insert that will hold these in place , I’m intending planting beetroot where I pulled out the cherry tomatoes after arriving home after Christmas trip ….so I’ll try starting them in the pods when they arrive
I watched a YouTube video about making your own seed tape yesterday ,after buying lettuce seeds on a tape ,has anyone else used the seeds on a paper tape .? …or made their own ….particularly for fine seeds like lettuce
I’ve got a sectioned tray / with a clear lid ….I’ve had for years with a insert that will hold these in place , I’m intending planting beetroot where I pulled out the cherry tomatoes after arriving home after Christmas trip ….so I’ll try starting them in the pods when they arrive
I watched a YouTube video about making your own seed tape yesterday ,after buying lettuce seeds on a tape ,has anyone else used the seeds on a paper tape .? …or made their own ….particularly for fine seeds like lettuce
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Kate Ellery
Well-known member
I describe shop bought tomatoes as like chewing plastic @Jake Smith ….. especially so in winter , cause hubs comes with me to do food shopping I say do we want any plastic tomatoes
today South Australia’s tomatoes are grown in Adelaide in huge hot houses all year round , so you’d think they would be tender ..but nah they are like chewing plastic…
Jake Smith
Well-known member
I describe shop bought tomatoes as like chewing plastic @Jake Smith ….. especially so in winter , cause hubs comes with me to do food shopping I say do we want any plastic tomatoes
South Australia’s tomatoes are grown in Adelaide in huge hot houses all year round , so you’d think they would be tender ..but nah they are like chewing plastic…
So true, we don't buy any anymore.
Store bought tomatoes no not have much flavor, that is for sure ! I do buy some, but mostly use them in a stirfry or someplace where I won’t just be eating a raw tomato. They are good on a toasted cheese sandwich, but terrible in a salad.
The large tomatoes do not grow well for me here, so we mostly grow smaller varieties, like Roma or cherry tomatoes. This year, I am going to try growing the dwarf tomatoes, which are developed for container gardening.
I used to use the little peat pellets and peat containers to start plants, but since we don’t do a whole regular garden anymore, I mostly just start things in one of my aerogardens and then transplant them into containers once they are large enough.
The large tomatoes do not grow well for me here, so we mostly grow smaller varieties, like Roma or cherry tomatoes. This year, I am going to try growing the dwarf tomatoes, which are developed for container gardening.
I used to use the little peat pellets and peat containers to start plants, but since we don’t do a whole regular garden anymore, I mostly just start things in one of my aerogardens and then transplant them into containers once they are large enough.
Beth Gallagher
Well-known member
I find that store-bought tomatoes are helped a little by leaving them on the countertop or window sill. I never refrigerate them so they can continue to ripen a little.
