I don't have a fence, and for the most part my gardens have not been raided. Sometimes a rabbit or groundhog hangs around for a little while and eats the newer parts of plants, or birds/chipmunks steal dried peas, but thankfully that hasn't happened often. Sounds like you need a fence though!
Seed selling is a bit odd in China. Since the CCP officially owns all the land, and actually controls what and how much of crops farmers can grow (to the point of sending people out to destroy fields planted in excess or with the wrong crops/varieties,) sell seeds commercially for home use is sort of rare. Most seed packets from mainland China are HUGE, designed for farmers. And the ones that get here are almost sold under the table some of the time (I've mentioned the man under the bridge).The annual brassica is a twisted-stem mustard.
At least, that is how I think it would be classified. After buying that seed off a rack in an Asian market, the store stopped selling garden seed. Or, seed specifically for gardening — given @Pulsegleaner 's interests and evidence.
Yes, the frames are constructed of plastic conduit. They are 24 inches (roughly 60 cm) high, with smooth corners (the 3-way corners had to be ordered). I chose the plastic conduit because it is smooth & unlikely to tear the cover during strong winds. To anchor the cover, it is buried on 3 sides; the downwind side is held down by heavy rebar rod, to allow access for weeding & harvesting.
From what I know of your climate, you probably need the poly tunnels for peppers. Even in my climate, peppers benefit from wind protection on cooler days. Peppers are tolerant of closer spacing than most vegetables, since they seem to be less susceptible to disease caused by reduced airflow than many others (such as beans & tomatoes). I've tried growing bush beans under cover to get pure seed, and had to remove the cover when the plants became sickly (they then recovered).
Thanks.
Some of the peppers I’ve grown this year have been almost five feet tall and almost as wide so quite a jungle in the end. As you say, they thrive on being close together which is a good thing as in most cases I didn’t know what size they would reach. It does make control difficult though, and caging whole plants would be challenging unless I were to grow far fewer.
The flat leafed green variety as well as the curly green one, though, has maintained superlative taste, so much so I eat several small leaves raw everyday - they're close to the driveway so easy access. Really good fresh garden flavor. So, the 'black' kale is going to go into soup. Which is okay, I'm a soup freak & I like kale in soup as a veggie, even for the nice texture it provides. And I'll get the anthocyanin benefits from that purple.
I did, when the postal services resume....
I often start peppers about now. I'm promising myself no new hot peppers this year, so if I do sweets I won't need to start so early, which means the potting soil is slightly less risky the closer to spring it is. Still, I went through 3 bad bags in 2024 and now I wonder if I should be looking online for specialty soil. I almost lost my (rare!!!!) tomato seedlings last year from bad mix, DO NOT want to repeat that anxiety. Can't trust even the biggest names. It's a real dilemma. I was hoping to start peppers in January, so I'll need to figure this out by then.
www.aurorainnovations.com
Thank you for this @Alasgun, I will look into this product. Price definitely factors in because I do so many transplants, and use a ton of this stuff. I'm surprised to see coco coir high up on the list of ingredients, they must have found a good, well treated source because that stuff for me has been a reliable a killer of seedlings. It's also surprising to see it listed in an organic soil mix, because coco coir by nature is not organic, it's heavily treated with chemicals to make it safe for root systems. I wonder how they got away with calling the mix organic with the coir in it.Several years ago i realized just how short a time my stuff was in “starting mix” before being up potted into my regular grow mix. So i eliminated the starting mix because it never seemed all that great anyway; and for a couple years now when i start Anything, it’s in Roots Organic 707 “potting mix”. It’s organic (enough for me), locally available and my stuff does just fine with it. If im planting some tiny seed, i just sift a little to have a 1/2 inch or so of fine stuff on the surface.
Whenever i build a new bed anywhere, the top 4 inches of soil is 707 then it all gets tilled to blend with the little Mantis. Over the years im sure i’ve bought several ton’s of the stuff. The reason for adding it to new beds is that it gives an immediate increase in soil quality. Close to what my beds are like after seasons of incorporating Compost.
Just some food for thought?
It’s a big hit with the weed growers and something i can just go to town and pick up any time. If you had to Amazon it it might get pricey? I’m buying the large 3cu.ft bags, anywhere from 3 to 10 at a time!
Formula 707 - Roots Organics
Boost plant vitality with Roots Organics Formula 707—organic soil that strengthen roots, promote vigorous growth, and optimize yields.
