Spuds 2016 Garden

[spuds]

Peaches and nectarines blooming.Pollinated with a brush.I still have 8 weeks winter,lets hope I can protect from freezes

[TMB]

Nice start 

[hikerman]

They look very vibrant Carl! Won't be long for chin drippers!

[spuds]

Went out and pollinated again,and saw a lone bee today,cool! My garlics in ground about 3 inches,in the pots about 8 inches tall.

[spuds]

Started my seedlings,almost all heirlooms and almost all seeds I saved.Im going for pickled peppercino's this year,and of course maters.



Soaking up some sun




Pretty dwarf crocus

[spuds]

The heirloom tomatoes I bought last year and seed saved are really sprouting well.Have 4 up already.

To save those seeds i just scooped out from a tomato,and spread them around on a napkin and let them dry.I just peel off a few stuck to the napkin using just one ply of the paper,and plant them.

Very successful this year,and a super simple seed save.

My LED grow light went POOF when plugged in so just using a regular CFL curly bulb in lamp.The waterbed heat mat keeping them between 72-78 degrees F.

[spuds]

Sprouts coming along.Replanted the purple toms that didnt sprout.Mrs's sunflowers were a winner,as are her black eyed susans in yellow tubs

[Smokin Don]

Looks like you are off to a good start!!! Don

[SmokinKat]

Great to see your saved seeds are doing well!   I'm giving straw-bale gardening a try this year along with my regular beds, we'll see how it turns out!   All I've found out so far is that I'm hella allergic to the fertilizer I used on them!   

[spuds]

Thanks Don et all.

Kat,friend does bales successfully,lots of fertilizer.

I had some mold on some seedlings.Sprayed with colloidal silver and its gone and hasnt returned.New seedlings now have some,making a batch of silver as we speak!

[spuds]

First,whats up with this tree?



Transplanting rumex for aesthetics,have 5 more to move out of hoophouse



Rhubarb doing great



Yarrow infused in vodka for a spray on us bug repellent,we shall see if it works



Baby nectarines and peaches I pollinated with a brush,very cool!







Asparagus beds continue to establish,this WILL take years

[SmokinKat]

Let us know how the bug spray works!!  Been trying to find something effective, my beans have been chewed on too much already! 

[Savannahsmoker]

All looking great so far.

[spuds]

Kat,I just took pics and that silver at 10ppm and diluted to 5ppm knocked the snot out of the aphids! The trick is to get to them Immediately when first spotted.

My first 3 trees that got hit hard are still struggling to beat the infestation,but the tree's where the aphids have just arrived....knocked em out like you wouldnt believe.

I was just out taking pics to show the five tree's that were just getting hit last week.I cut off the bad leaves and sprayed 3 times over last week.There are NO new curled leaves,without them I would be in dire straights.

Next year as soon as tree's come out of hibernation I will start spraying.Bet I can beat this stuff totally next year.I have this year under control.Gotta love that silver,effective and SAFE!!

I'll get some pics up tonight to show the control tree's.Its looking good on the bad tree's,but so damaged pics arent of much use.

Edit- I see i didnt mention here,it was consensus what was curling leaves was aphids,and colloidal silver showed in web searches of aphid killers.It is surmised it works by killing the bacteria in their stomachs they use to digest the plant matter.Sure seems to be working really well,I will keep this part of thread updated.

[spuds]

Here are my tree's just starting to get aphids last week.Cut off bad leaves,sprayed three times with both a 10ppm and a 5ppm solution of silver,no new aphids!