Song sparrow(s) returned a few weeks ago; noticed chipping sparrow(s) yesterday. And course the house sparrows. Fun!
Adventures in growing edibles veganically in a small townhouse backyard in Ottawa, Canada. (veganic since ~2021)
Saturday, April 27, 2024
Wednesday, April 24, 2024
Peas round 2 grew so long in vermiculite! Will they survive transplanting?
Wow, this vermiculite method for starting the peas sans peat pots, sans indoor mix seems to be great! Except when I wait too long to check on them and transplant them! The roots of this vermiculite batch were SEVERAL inches long in many cases -- some up to maybe up to 4" -- or certainly 3". So anyway, transplanted them today. These are the ones on the northmost vertical structure, immediately south of the first batch that was next to the north wall.
Between the first and second batches just about the entire north vertical structure is now occupied. So I'll start just a few more seeds in the coming days, to add a few more on another easternmost row, and to fill in some gaps.
Wednesday, April 10, 2024
Peas germinated great in vermiculite! Removed from verm to put into soil!
Here's what I've done so far this year with the peas, using a new approach to thwart the birds/critters (i.e. not using the indoor peat pot method this year)...
- Soaked the pea seeds for 24 hours.
- Then, placed in vermiculite -- multiple layers, treasure hunt style.
- Within a few days, most had nice inch-long roots; so then (today) I planted them outside, directly into the soil. Didn't cover with anything other than soil. Will re-use the same vermiculite with the next batch, if this works.
So, now to see if they come up, or if the birds/critters still have a taste for sprouted pea seeds.
Based on the results, I'll start the next batch.
Carrots and beets sowed
Beets:
- The home-collected seeds from a few years ago.
- Presoaked in a bowl for ~24 hours.
- Covered with a mix of vermiculite and garden soil.
Carrots:
- Bolero.
- Straight into the ground as dry seeds, with 2 or more per "hole".
- Covered with a mix of vermiculite and garden soil.
All into the ground, none in containers.
Saturday, April 6, 2024
Tomatoes, ground cherries, basil, and zinnias started in PT
Tomato:
- Damsel -- new to me this year
- Tofusteak
- Big Tofu Plus
- Mortgage Lifter
Ground cherry:
- Collected from a past plant that self-sowed and grew amazingly in very poor conditions
Basil:
- Prospera
Zinnias:
- Short yellow, short orange
- Tall variety
- Tall Lemon
Saturday, March 30, 2024
Started hardening the hardies
Putting them out in the shade for a few hours in the warmer part of the day, then back under lights. (Only on days that are ~+5 or warmer.)
Friday, March 29, 2024
GAGA plot granted!!!!!!!!! OMG OMG OMG
OMG! This happened way sooner than I had anticipated! Getting a plot this year!!! It will be a temporary plot, then next year it's expected I'll get my own actual plot.
What in HOLY HECK am I going to do with 1000 square feet!!! I foresee many donations to the local food bank if all goes/grows well!
It comes at the perfect time though, with my backyard about to be torn up this year for foundation work. Even the untouched parts of the backyard garden will likely be decimated by the groundhogs when the fence comes down for the foundation stuff.
So, yay!
But equally, eek!!!
:-)
Saturday, March 9, 2024
Saturday, March 2, 2024
Started more peppers, and chard, forget-me-nots, and coreopsis
Saturday, February 24, 2024
Sunday, February 18, 2024
Bought big bag of mrp
Saturday, February 17, 2024
Friday, February 9, 2024
Tuesday, February 6, 2024
Trimming onions (new this year)
This year I'm trimming the onion tops to see if that helps them bulb up at all. So, once they get two leaves, trimming occasionally.
Sunday, January 21, 2024
Saturday, January 20, 2024
The Great Seed Giveway
Finally got around to purging the seed collection by giving a bunch away to the local buy nothing group.
These were given away:
Onions round 3
Because a relatively high proportion of them seem to be flopping once put into the mix.
Thursday, January 18, 2024
Tuesday, January 16, 2024
Onions round 2
Started more bec I didn't start enough in round 1. Still all from the same commercial packet I bought recently.
Saturday, January 13, 2024
Monday, January 8, 2024
Prepared the soilless mix -- and bought new bag of seaweed meal from R's at fraction the price of Gaia
Prepared the soilless mix yesterday -- with ZERO of the leftover promix.
So, it contains only:
- peat moss
- vermiculite
- perlite
- kelp meal
- azomite
- mrp
- alfalfa pellets
- lime
- myke (actually not yet added, bought some today and will add it in before using)
And, since my kelp meal is starting to run low, bought some more from Ritchie's. The guy at the counter said either I can buy Gaia and pay over $200 for 20 kg, or I can buy a different brand that's marketed for horse feed, and pay $95 for 25 kg. !!!! So I went for the horse feed -- made by Acadian Seaplants Limited. I emailed them tonight just to confirm whether it's kelp or some other type of seaweed, so, we'll see.
Onions started in PT -- "Frontier", to try for bulbs as well as scallions
Bought these seeds from Ritchie's, "Frontier", a hybrid said to be good for short seasons and a bulb that's good for storage -- at least, based on the packet.
Will only do this type of onion this year, none of my pre-existing seeds, just to keep things simple.