Consider (believe it or not) adding "Pea Gravel" to the mix you use in containers. They are large enough grained to make very advantageous holes in the soil below ground and don't break down - and you need air space in your containers so the roots can uptake oxygen.

In my tests last year, I found that the containers I put pea gravel in did a lot better than the other soil mixes, and I have concluded that it makes for a much better aggregate for oxygen uptake.

*See "Soil Triangle" in online searches

A problem with adding bark, peat moss, and other sponge-like materials is that they hold water, but too much water is not good. The roots of plants need air space too.

Sand and vermiculite may be too finely grained for good results.

 

I planted some tiny onions, mustard, nasturtiums, moon flowers, African daisies and lettuce in some containers this past weekend. I also put some moon flower and sunflower seeds in a couple of the garden beds. This weekend will hopefully be the last weekend with a freeze, so I'm fairly confident they'll be fine. I am going to bring in my new Rosemary plant, though. It isn't used to the freezing temperatures yet.

I hope everybody plants something this year.

 

I dropped some Green Malabar Spinach seeds in the ground today, we've had 70 to 80 degrees for a few days, and I see new Cilantro sprouts coming up.

The beauty of direct seeding out of doors is that the seeds themselves recognise the right time to sprout, and barring bad weather after that they are perfectly timed to "RISE UP!" and grow.

I can see I need to get on it, and set up my tomato's and peppers if I want them to have a head start.

I also need to clear a patch for the corn and other things, so the scrap wood burning has to begin.

I want to have a fifty foot patch of corn, beans, and melons going full blast where last year I had only a few planters full of peppers and things. I'll let that area go native, and see what becomes of it.

I've done melons before, and near wound up tripping over them in fact.

 

Sprouts are coming up in pots, now I need to find places for them

 

I got the entire garden planted this past weekend....just in time for a nice, rainy and warm week. I have planted just about all the pepper seeds you sent me last year Wolf. They did pretty well, especially the habaneros. I'm guessing they'll be OK this year as well.

I got some lemon cucumbers, white cucumbers, tongues of fire(orange and green)bush beans and some blue watermelon seeds. Should be a colorful garden if everything grows well.

 

I'm going to focus on the Poblano's and tomatos, but the herb garden needs new varieties.

Also a place for it to happen, I have not figured that out yet.

 

I put most of my herbs in small containers. I found two metal shower racks at Big Lots that when hung against a wall will hold small-medium sized containers. I can put about 12 pots (4 each row) of herbs in each.

 

Besides the Blue grade loctite that arrived today - I also received eight Forsythia bushes as bare root plants, and a potted "Thailand Giant Elephant Ear" plant that should become amazing....

Estimated growth is 4 foot wide, by five foot long leaves on a plant that gets as tall as nine feet or so.... I set it in a small pot in full sun so it can recover from being sent by mail, the forsythia is in the ground along my east border.

I need to figure out the best place to put the Elephant Ear, but I have a pretty good idea. The thing of it is, I doubt it will survive winter here, so I need to keep it in a large container - like you would for a banana tree


But HOW DANG BIG IS THAT????


~ I just dunno...

I also set more Spinach Vine seeds in the ground, in trellised tires.

I think I want to pop some Poblanoes in the middle or front of them when they sprout.

This is the strange time and moment - when we wonder what we want to see happen months or at least weeks from now.
Gardening is like that, from little tiny seeds - big things come out....


I still have to set up places for about fourteen Parks Whopper Tomato sprouts, in full sun.
~ I swear by them now, for the yields alone

 

I have planted some of those Park's Whoppers and some Black Krim tomatoes. Hoping for a decent yield..

I also have sprouts springing up now. I'm really surprised how quickly the nasturtiums are growing...already 2-3 inches tall.

 

All right - here 'tis, first looks. I can't believe how innocent it looks, with leaves barely 2 - 3 inches wide in that little eight inch pot.

*I wanted to be able to bring it right indoors if the weather failed

As described above, this is going to be a monstrously huge plant.

 

I grew some elephant ear plants one year....they eat a ton of real estate. They are impressive, though.

I have lettuce, onions,and basil sprouting now.

I had to thin and harvest some sage, oregano and lemon balm. I put some of the lemon balm into my sun tea I made this afternoon. Should've put more in.

It was a gloriously beautiful day! 75, sunny, slight breeze and the grand kids over for dinner in the back yard. So glad for all the blessings shown today.

Hope everyone was able to enjoy some of their weekend.

 

Still watching for corn sprouts.

The centipede grass I started a while back is looking kind of patchy - but with the warm weather I think it will probably fill in. It is very THICK stuff, and a bit much for an electric mower to deal with. I'll have to stay on top of it, and avoid cutting it when it is very wet outside.

 

I noticed most of the beans have sprouted. Might have enough to can or freeze this year.

 

Get ready for this - it's a HOOT!



I still need to drill some drain holes around the bottom tire about two or three inches from the bottom to form a reserve well. Once that is done, I will top out the second layer with good potting soil and plant a ring of Cilantro around the middle.

If I get my hands on another big tire that will slip past the rest (after cutting both sidewalls out) it will be further stabilized and add a bottom level I can maybe plant some other herb in - such as basil.

As it is, its a suzuki tire, on top of a garden tractor tire, on top of a half ton truck tire and rim.


Once the roots grow down through it all, they will hook it all together in one piece.

 

That's pretty nifty! I like it.

Everything is beginning to sprout in the garden, now. The garden loves this rain.