Southeast Michigan, Pond's Edge Homestead & Garden 2014 - 2025

inMichigan · Feb 15, 2014

And so it begins again, +95% of the seeds are sorted into their correct shoe boxes, a planting plan is in Excel, dreams of Spring grow stronger, even though the main garden looks like this:

The homemade rack has been upgraded to include heat mats

It's made of PVC pipe and fittings. Once we were happy with the dimensions, we glued it together to make it strong. That was in 1995 or so.

Costco had potting soil mix on sale, so with our neighbor, we cleaned them out. It's Miracle Grow moisture control potting soil mix. We've mixed the soil with water, letting it hydrate.

inMichigan · Feb 15, 2014

first batch of onion and leek

First wave of onions and leeks:

LindaLou · Feb 15, 2014

Inspiring pics! Really like your germination rack. Thanks for posting info.

Here on the coast, my onions are up, the cauliflower transplants have formed little, snowy heads, and the dewberry bushes have busted out in tiny bright green leaves.

This is just the most exciting time of year! Woo-hoo!

:

inMichigan · Feb 16, 2014

stratification

Some seeds need 60 days of cold & damp for stratification... into the fridge they go...carefully labeled or else!

more light snow today

Ramona M. Faunce · Feb 16, 2014

Thanks for some insite.

citykittyatheart · Feb 18, 2014

Hey neighbor! Sadly my garden looks like yours, covered in snow and too cold to grow anything. I'm still fiddling with my garden plan though I have a good general idea of what I want to grow and where. I'm debating trying artichokes this year, Imperial Star since that's bred to grow as an annual. I have a nice, big container where they would have a good opportunity to grow nicely. Based on what I've read so far I'd better get those going since they need to be cold stratified and still take forever to grow.

One thing you may already know-commercial potting soil isn't very nutrient-rich. I used the Miracle Grow potting soil in my containers last year and got to learn about blossom end rot in tomatoes. When I test the soil it read low on nutrients. Obviously, this was a surprise. FYI.

inMichigan · Feb 19, 2014

Did you find a better potting soil for starting the seedlings?

Once they're in the garden, the soil in garden #1 has received a lot of mulch and chicken compost. I've saved up worm castings and worm tea, but was apprehensive to feed tiny seedlings and have them get too leggy.

This is our first time to use a heat mat...some seeds have sprouted on the 3rd day since planting....

citykittyatheart · Feb 19, 2014

I use Miracle Gro seed starting mix for starting seedlings. This year I'm hoping that I'll have enough compost to fill my deck containers. Since I'm planning to put in another raised bed I might need to get some delivered regardless so I would use that, perhaps mixing it with other amendments. No more straight potting soil if I can avoid it. My veggies did grow-once I got hip and started fertilizing!

inMichigan · Feb 19, 2014

It's up to 45F. The bees are flying. They've been holding it in since Thanksgiving.

Unfortunately, it was a one way trip for some:

Must have been a relief to make a cleansing flight, and haul out their dead sisters.

These hives (2 Warre and 1 conventional 8-frame) were started from mail order in Spring 2013. They swarmed multiple times (which was not expected). Captured some swarms for other hives not in the picture. No honey harvested in 2013. They had a lot of comb to draw out last year.

If they are lucky and they make it to the Spring, I'd like to buy some local queens and make splits. Need to find local queens to SE Michigan.

LiberityLee · Feb 20, 2014

If I set up my garage with potting trays what should be the constant temperature?

inMichigan · Feb 23, 2014

germination temperature

There is a large chart by crop of when to start/set-out relative to your frost date, and to answer your question, 'minimum' soil temperature and 'preferred' air temperature here:
http://www.gardeningbythemoon.com/chart.html

For the temperature info, here's another site:http://theiowagardener.com/Soil%20Temperatures%20for%20Planting%20Seeds.html
from which I've pasted the key table:
Listed below are the soil temperatures at which various vegetables should be planted.* The temperatures are based on temperatures taken at 8 a.m. at 4 inches deep. (For beans, take the temperatures at 6 inches.)
Cool-Season Crops

Vegetable

Germination Temperature °F
minimum/optimum/maximum
Beets 40°/80°/90°
+Broccoli 40°/80°/90°
+Cabbage 40°/80°/90°
Carrots 40°/80°/90°
Cauliflower 40°/80°/90°
Leeks 40°/80°/90°
Lettuce 35°/70°/70°
Onions, green 35°/80°/90°
Onions, dry sets 35°/80°/90°
Parsnips 35°/70°/90°
Peas 40°/70°/80°
Potatoes 45° and up
Radishes 40°/80°/90°
Spinach 40°/70°/70°
Swiss chard 40°/85°/95°
Turnips 40°/80°/100°
Warm-Season Crops

Vegetable
Germination Temperature °F
minimum/optimum/maximum
Beans 55°/80°/90°
Cantaloupe 60°/90°/100°
Corn 50°/80°/100°
Cucumbers 60°/90°/100°
+Eggplant 60°/80°/90°
+Peppers 60°/80°/90°
+Tomato 50°/80°/100°
Squash 60°/90°/100°
Watermelons 60°/90°/110°

* Source: Colorado State University Horticulture Extension
+ Usually planted as established seedlings, not as seed.

rack · Feb 20, 2014

My grandpa is really big into bee keeping and in the spring he will give sugar water to the bees until the snow is gone/plants are growing. They probably are not out of honey at this point bc you didn't harvest any..... i think he leaves 2 to 3 boxes per swarm of honey.... its just a thought to keep your hives alvie.

he also wraps the hives in tar paper and blocks the interance with a nailed in block of wood to keep the mice out of the hives.....

You probably couldn't have picked a worst winter to try to keep bees alive in with how cold it got, did all your swarms make it so far? Im kind of in the same boat though i planted a fricken orchard last year and i'm wondering if the trees made it.

citykittyatheart · Feb 20, 2014

rack said:
<snip>

You probably couldn't have picked a worst winter to try to keep bees alive in with how cold it got, did all your swarms make it so far? Im kind of in the same boat though i planted a fricken orchard last year and i'm wondering if the trees made it.

LOL yeah it was a lousy winter, for anything really! I'm wondering if my garlic and other perennials made it too. Oh well there's always a reason to NOT do! The trick is to find a way to meet our challenges and accomplish our goals. IMO all of the difference between a winner and a loser is that a winner finds a way to meet the challenge and a loser only sees why things cannot be done.

After those lovely temperatures and snow melt what do we get? Another winter storm followed by an Arctic blast. Sigh.

The1Zenith · Feb 20, 2014

I would have thought it was still a little early to start anything. Over on our farm we're waiting until probably the first of next month before we start any seeds. Of course, we usually have to worry about frost until after Mother's Day around our area. lol

inMichigan · Feb 20, 2014

At this point for the garden, we've only started onions and leeks from seed. There are some salad items for experimenting on a one way trip to the table.

I did feed the bees with sugar in the Fall to get them as heavy as possible.

chairbornrangerx · Feb 21, 2014

I'm in SW MI, can't wait to get my garden going this year. This year should be less crazy busy so I plan on keeping up with my garden a lot more than last year. Changing up what I grow a little bit too since tomatoes never do well in my soil.

Heres my rack to start seeds

citykittyatheart · Feb 21, 2014

I'll start my cold tolerant stuff around March 1 also, and my artichokes though those won't go out until later. Even then the seedlings will be pretty big when I transplant them. That's a good thing actually. I didn't lose a single seedling last year, at least not to transplanting.

inMichigan · Feb 22, 2014

I was amazed that seeds would be germinating by the 2nd and 3rd day. I mean, I always knew that soil temperature was important, but, now, well, I'm pondering how to raise the garden's soil temperature a bit (once the snow melts). Anybody do that with plastic?

A friend is bringing two dozen Peking duck eggs to hatch tomorrow. The incubator is warming up on the kitchen table.

The recent above freezing temperatures have allowed the compacted snow slush to be recast into amazing ice on the dirt road and driveway. It's like somebody poured molten glass.

Alynn · Feb 22, 2014

We lost our bees. We think they froze.

inMichigan · Feb 22, 2014

hardiness zone for inMichigan's garden thread

Reading along on other threads, makes me realize it's useful to declare my zone to be solidly 6b.

two bits · May 3, 2016

inMichigan said:
Reading along on other threads, makes me realize it's useful to declare my zone to be solidly 6b.

No way! Are you sure? Maybe 5b? I thought I was in 6b?

inMichigan · Feb 23, 2014

Some onions sprouted too well, so DW did some transplanting:

Still waiting for Spring.

inMichigan · Feb 23, 2014

duck eggs in incubator

A friend's friend's friend made us deal on 22 Peking duck eggs, so we're making a run before we hatch our own eggs to become quart jar chickens. This is our Brinsea Octagon 20 Advanced incubator...our useful valentines gift.

inMichigan · Feb 25, 2014

The worm farm is in the basement. I was thinking if putting some red worms into the seed trays. Anybody try that?

citykittyatheart · Feb 28, 2014

I've never tried it since I grow my seedlings in small pots. I do have worms in the garden. What benefit are you trying to derive?

inMichigan · Feb 27, 2014

duck egg embryo in the 5th day

Our ducks on the 5th day.

The other 21 look similar, but were camera shy.

inMichigan · Feb 28, 2014

I was thinking to gain happy healthy bacteria relationships. And cleanup (instead of molding) of any leaves that drop. I don't think the worms will eat living growing plants, only dead stuff.

citykittyatheart · Mar 1, 2014

I think they eat roots. They serve in a garden to aerate the soil and help to break down organic matter, which you probably already know. I'm not sure they'd serve a purpose in such a small area as your seedling trays but hey, you can try. You might hit on something good and useful.

inMichigan · Mar 5, 2014

Day 8.... so far, all 22 looking the same

The cold goes faster when there is something to mark the passage of time.

inMichigan · Mar 7, 2014

cardoon vit fennel broody

A few days of catching up....

Plotting the weight loss per duck egg revealed a few that were different.

Egg #9 has lost a lot more weight than it's siblings. This egg had a small crack in it. We decided to candle every egg and see if weight loss and contents had any relationship.... and the answer is 'no'. Only #9 looked 'solidified' with no motion or visible structure, so '9' went into the garbage. We had started with 1 egg with a crack, so, I'll never bother with that again.

Here is a short video of the life form moving within

http://miexpat.smugmug.com/BackyardMayhem/2014Garden/March/37466427_VkWR2S#!i=3110897801&k=6JFkxdw
(the sound is from two cats enjoying the food to keep them distracted and out of the picture)
I'm not sure how to post a video link, so it will appear in a preview box like the people do with youtube videos. Thoughts?

Our barred rock rooster proclaims his love for his 10 girls. They were all bought as chicks from Murray McMurray last June.

One girl has been very broody, which is a trait we want to encourage... Even though the snow is still deep, we're going to take a chance that spring will be here enough for a hatch in 21 days.... so, we're going to let her sit on 8 eggs. 10 seemed to stick out too much from under her; I recall a thread where all the eggs failed and the poster feared it was they had too many under the bird. We marked them so we can sort out any new ones that get slipped under her.

The asparagus is looking tasty

cardoon (Gobbo Di Nizzia)

Cardoon is like artichoke, but you use the stems (like celery)

vit / mache (Corn Salad)

Leaves are a succulent, firm and dark green, delicious and substantial greens. So says Territorial Seeds.

fennel (Zeta Fino)

Southeast Michigan, Pond's Edge Homestead & Garden 2014 - 2025

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