Recent content by ruralmamma

I'm still working on potting the tomato and pepper seedlings and may start runner beans and those that I know will require a longer growing season. As for direct sowing, I'll probably hold off at least a week or two unless it's a variety of which I have lots of seed. Harvest time may be very...

I agree. I'm in a rural area and out of the fourteen kids in my daughter's class, a third of them have parents with drug problems. It's a sad situation.

I usually have them in the ground by now but we've had too much rain. I actually had the best luck with peas purely by accident. I generally soak them the night before planting and for some reason I forgot one variety until two days later. Thankfully the container l had them in was shallow...

I will be pulling up some 36" landscape fabric soon. Never thought about reusing it around the beans. Thanks for the idea!

@Blue-Jay, is there a specific reason for the 53-54" between rows or is that just the width of your tiller/cultivator? Trying to figure out spacing for mine.

I try not to rely on digital copies as I've had hard drives and devices fail and lost many, many things. I'm probably overly redundant but I like to have at least two backups of every file plus a hard copy just in case. My 2021 garden notebook went AWOL and never has been found and the phone...

O Only the onions, cabbage and fava beans stay in the greenhouse overnight and then I've been sectioning off the area the flats are in and running a heater on nights when temperatures dip below freezing. Tomatoes and peppers enjoyed a week in the greenhouse when the temperatures were...

Definitely keep us updated on how the labels hold up in the elements as there may be a P-Touch in my future.

I saw that article a few weeks ago and it really resonated with me. After the monumental flooding last year, I wondered about how many heirloom seeds were washed away and whether or not there were backup supplies. My daughter and I are at least the fifth generation of our family to steward a...

I'm busy with growing transplants in the greenhouse and preparing for the gardening year. Went to a local seed swap yesterday and stopped at Lowe's to pick up hardware to expand my a-frame trellis. Never had a problem with voles until last year and need to set some traps to get them under...

When I participate in seed trials the pre-printed stakes are usually included. I've found if I have the writing facing towards the north, there's a better chance of it not fading before the trial is over. Of course I usually have a map and pictures of the planting area to refer to also.

Fresh Sharpie ink comes off well with rubbing alcohol. Once it sits for a few months or even a year, not so well. I usually have a crude map and/or notes of my garden as stakes have a way of getting moved especially with a little helper in the garden. I can't tell you how many times I've...

I label the pots for my transplants with a Sharpie as well as labels. I used to use a cleaner called Mean Green and it took it off with just a little effort but caused major coughing fits even when using it outside. Last few years I've been using a generic Magic Eraser. I bought a gallon bag...

My slinky was tremendously shortened after I thought it would be a good idea to wrap it around the stair railings at my grandparent's house. 🤣 Guess I got tired of it walking down stairs.

Great question! I still use the standard black beans and kidney beans in mine but am hoping to replace them with varieties I grow myself.