♥♥ February Garden chat ♥♥

[Fashionably Green Baby]

I am not a homesteader since we live in a townhouse but this is the first year we have a small outside area (just moved from an apartment) and the kids and I are going to do square foot gardening in a raised bed and wondered if I could join in here to get advice from you ladies since this is our first vegetable garden adventure.

If its cool I definitely have some questions

[rebeccalynne15]

So last fall if u all remember I planted broccoli , cauliflower, red and green cabbage, brusselsprouts, and kale ....well today we picked our first broccoli We took care of the plants the first couple weeks but after that we have just left them all winter only looking at them a few times . No protective coverings or anything. There's a few cauliflower growing well. The bugs have gotten to the cabbage pretty well but afew heads are started . The brusselsprouts don't have any babies so we will see how they come along .


Here's some pics of them and my crazy broccoli loving kiddos !

[3lilbubs]

wow, awesome Rebecca!!!! My broccoli never grew up, the frost got it. How did yours survive that week long frost!

[sarahannecloud9]

Wow! Seriously love the kiddy shots !!

Fashionably green-I forgot, was your name Sara? I remember you from the last times I was able to post to the thread killer thread. I'm horrible with names though.
Anyways, congrats on finally getting some land to work! Can't wait to hear from you and how it's going.

[rebeccalynne15]

Originally Posted by 3lilbubs wow, awesome Rebecca!!!! My broccoli never grew up, the frost got it. How did yours survive that week long frost!

I'm not sure how they survived lol . We've had quite a bit of mornings where everything was frozen outside ... kept saying I needed to go put straw on them then got side tracked and never did . Couple of the cauliflower got ruined though didn't know you were suppose to tie some leaves up around them .

Originally Posted by sarahannecloud9 Wow! Seriously love the kiddy shots !! .

Thanks me too

[e.e.peltz]

Any advice/tips/resources on starting seeds inside? I started all mine directly in the soil last year with limited success.

[3lilbubs]

Originally Posted by rebeccalynne15 I'm not sure how they survived lol . We've had quite a bit of mornings where everything was frozen outside ... kept saying I needed to go put straw on them then got side tracked and never did . Couple of the cauliflower got ruined though didn't know you were suppose to tie some leaves up around them . Thanks me too

I know, mine froze solid over and over and I was amazed that they kept coming back as if nothing had happened. They were out in the dead center of my garden in a raised bed though, so I think the last freeze about 5 days in was the coup de grais on their little saga. One morning I went out and the rain had frozen on the leaves looking like a million little diamonds. Gorgeous! I only got little half dollar sized buttons. Hoping for better results next month. Your kids are so cute biting the broccoli. LOL!

Originally Posted by e.e.peltz Any advice/tips/resources on starting seeds inside? I started all mine directly in the soil last year with limited success.

What happened? We might be able to solve your outdoor problem so you don't have to start indoors. But for starting inside, it's easy, albeit a little pricey to set up the first time. http://www.reneesgarden.com/articles/start_seeds.html

A lot us here have been kicking around the idea of winter sowing too:

http://www.wintersown.org/wseo1/How_to_Winter_Sow.html

[Bright_Life_Toys]

Rebecca, your kids are so cute!

Originally Posted by e.e.peltz Any advice/tips/resources on starting seeds inside? I started all mine directly in the soil last year with limited success.

What growing zone are you in?

[e.e.peltz]

What growing zone are you in?[/QUOTE]

I live in NW Ohio...not sure what zone that is.

[e.e.peltz]

Originally Posted by 3lilbubs What happened? We might be able to solve your outdoor problem so you don't have to start indoors. But for starting inside, it's easy, albeit a little pricey to set up the first time. http://www.reneesgarden.com/articles/start_seeds.html A lot us here have been kicking around the idea of winter sowing too: http://www.wintersown.org/wseo1/How_to_Winter_Sow.html

Well, I just didn't get much of a crop - I planted right around Mother's Day (too late?) in raised beds with organic soil. I planted spinach, lettuce, several herbs, carrots and beans from seed...and just didn't get much from anything except the beans which later got destroyed by bugs before I could harvest them :-(