Cucumbers starting

[Pulsegleaner]

According to Dad when he went outside today (Mom fractured her ankle on Thurs so at least one of us needs to be inside at all times in case she needs help) my two Himalayan Mountain Ashes are developing leaves, so they made it through the winter.

 

[Pulsegleaner]

5/6

Bad news today. I went out to look at the plants (as well as chase the cat, who snuck out) and things don't look good out there.The cumbers are all withered up to nothing. The soybeans look okay (if you discount the fact they are laying on their sides) but nothing else seems to have sprouted. Damn this new super cold spring!

 

[Zeedman]

5/6

Bad news today. I went out to look at the plants (as well as chase the cat, who snuck out) and things don't look good out there.The cumbers are all withered up to nothing. The soybeans look okay (if you discount the fact they are laying on their sides) but nothing else seems to have sprouted. Damn this new super cold spring!

Ditto. My tomatoes need to go out to the solar greenhouse to make room for the next round of transplants, but the night temps are still too cold. No relief in the long-tern forecast either, several days frost forthcoming. Way too cold for this time of the year... but on the plus side, at least it has been dry.

 

[Pulsegleaner]

I was all set to put out the watermelons today, but then I read they are expecting SNOW here! I'm seriously beginning to wonder if it will EVER warm up (suddenly, the concept of "a sleigh ride in July" doesn't sound all that impossible, and I DON'T mean on the other side of the globe).

As is I'm going to have to fetch a hanging pot for one of the bindweed like things, as it is just too big now to wait in the peat pot any longer without planting)

In other news I ordered some odds and ends of seed from Thailand This one looks particularly interesting (https://www.ebay.com/itm/20-SEED-RA...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649 )

Not the "sweet" part of the description. I have bumped into "sweet" podded cow peas once before, in my plantings (the speckled tan ones I get out of the bins yield green pods that are sweetish.)

I also got some material for my attempt to do a diversity grow out of hyacinth beans (for a crop that supposedly is a staple in many places, it is surprisingly hard to find germplasm that isn't one of about five or six varieties)*

*@Zeedman I already have your bushy one with the brown seeds.

 

[Pulsegleaner]

5/15

More setbacks

Only three of the watermelon seedlings made it outside, and I don't know how they are doing (what with taking care of Mom, it's hard to get outside and check)

They soybeans that were already sprouted are still there the last time I looked but nothing else has come up. On the other hand I also haven't seen signs of digging, so the seed should still be down there (though given that the rice bean seed was imbibed before I sowed it, it should have come up by now, and if it hasn't I fear it may have rotted.

Taking care of Mom also means there hasn't been time to do the last part of the gardening cycle either; turning over the actual vegetable garden so I can plant the corn. In a pinch I could sow it in the back or in the unoccupied part of the circle (both of which ARE turned over). But corn really doesn't work well if you can't put it in a block of decent thickness.

Then again, it's not like I have a lot of seed to start with (well actually I do have a lot but I don't have a lot of any one thing. I have probably a few pounds of corn kernels, but that is divided between something like 30 or so different grexes; each chosen for a different trait. So if I plant more than one of them I risk messing BOTH up)

Tomorrow, weather permitting I will at least take out the non-growing tomato pots to the back patio. Maybe some time in the air and rain will coax some growth out of them.

I may put out the herbs as well, before their little pots become too small to contain them.

The bindweed like think collapsed overnight (I think it may have been damping off)

Still waiting on the seed from Thailand, of course. I'll have to see (based on when it comes) if it goes in this year or next.

When that does come, I found an Australian seller on ebay that may be of some use. He appears to have 22 different strains of lablab beans (there has to be SOMETHING in there that works here!)

BTW does anyone know anything about a yard long bean strain called Galaxy White? This guy also has that, and it might be of interest since white podded cow peas seem uncommon (back when I found what became Coals in the Candle, the person on the forum said he had never seen or heard of a wax cow pea)

 

[Zeedman]

When that does come, I found an Australian seller on ebay that may be of some use. He appears to have 22 different strains of lablab beans (there has to be SOMETHING in there that works here!)

Well that got my interest! I'm always looking for day-neutral versions of normally photo-period sensitive vegetables (especially beans). I know of one other day-neutral lablab besides the one I already have; who knows, maybe there are others out there.

Some years back, someone in Oz (on another forum) mentioned that they had a bush, purple-podded yardlong bean. I tried to contact them to discuss a possible swap, but they never responded.

BTW does anyone know anything about a yard long bean strain called Galaxy White? This guy also has that, and it might be of interest since white podded cow peas seem uncommon (back when I found what became Coals in the Candle, the person on the forum said he had never seen or heard of a wax cow pea)

Haven't heard of it. Is that white podded, or white seeded? It sounds interesting, I look to hearing more.

 

[seedcorn]

From last Thursday until this Thursday, we only received 36 GDD. Not enough to move the needle.

 

[Pulsegleaner]

Well that got my interest! I'm always looking for day-neutral versions of normally photo-period sensitive vegetables (especially beans). I know of one other day-neutral lablab besides the one I already have; who knows, maybe there are others out there.

Correction, there are 25 types he has (I missed three the last time I went through)

Some years back, someone in Oz (on another forum) mentioned that they had a bush, purple-podded yardlong bean. I tried to contact them to discuss a possible swap, but they never responded.

I think I may have seen that on someones site. I'll keep my eye out

Haven't heard of it. Is that white podded, or white seeded? It sounds interesting, I look to hearing more.

White podded. A while seeded one wouldn't be of note to me; I already know that long bean seeds come in as many colors and patterns as do regular cow peas. My first lost yard long (the one with the huge very rugose pods) was black eyed. The second had a yin yang between white and mottled red. That was a whitish pod one as well. Not white like galaxy but very pale green. Actually that's WHY I don't have it anymore (when I finally got a pod, I forgot about the color and thought it was already fully ripe, so I picked it too early to get viable seed)

 

[Pulsegleaner]

I think I may have seen that on someones site. I'll keep my eye out

He has it !
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Dwarf-RED-...885350?hash=item212e1280e6:g:SCsAAOSwBahVFUuU

Actually depending on how things go I may order some. I just sent a message asking if any of the lablabs are day length neutral (with 25 types, I would rather not spend $150+ on seed of which most won't work for me) if it's only a few (or none) all I'll have left are the Galaxy white and the other long bean (a white and red streaked one) so I might as well add one more.

 

[Pulsegleaner]

Just got a note back from the seller. Looks like THIS one may be day length neutral (or at least very quick to produce) https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Hyacint...574203?hash=item1ecf65ccfb:g:6pIAAOSwNSxVJ9XU