Comments on: On Gardening Failures http://urbanhennery.com/2008/07/07/on-gardening-failures/ thoughts on country living, farming, gardening and eating locally Sat, 13 Mar 2010 16:51:31 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: Laura http://urbanhennery.com/2008/07/07/on-gardening-failures/comment-page-1/#comment-1504 Laura Sat, 12 Jul 2008 22:37:34 +0000 http://urbanhennery.com/2008/07/07/on-gardening-failures/#comment-1504 Derek | I completely agree. P~ | Glad to know I'm not the only one with a nemesis in the garden! Denise | Good to know that you're human too, makes me feel better that I'm not the only one struggling. Bummer about the tomatillo, I might wait a bit though as I don't need the space quite yet. Audrey | I know! I can't figure out what goes wrong with basil. But it never does well for me. Glad to hear your Thai basil is thriving. Lauren | I've no idea for your beets, can't stand them myself ;) My cole crops seem to be thriving now - I lost them when they were pretty tiny and just transplanted. Maybe I'll try soil blocks next year. Melinda | The lettuce seems to be going strong now - but thanks for the idea! And thanks for the ideas on carrots. I'm off to check out your new site now. Peg | It is going to happen and of course it's okay! Derek | I completely agree.

P~ | Glad to know I’m not the only one with a nemesis in the garden!

Denise | Good to know that you’re human too, makes me feel better that I’m not the only one struggling. Bummer about the tomatillo, I might wait a bit though as I don’t need the space quite yet.

Audrey | I know! I can’t figure out what goes wrong with basil. But it never does well for me. Glad to hear your Thai basil is thriving.

Lauren | I’ve no idea for your beets, can’t stand them myself ;) My cole crops seem to be thriving now - I lost them when they were pretty tiny and just transplanted. Maybe I’ll try soil blocks next year.

Melinda | The lettuce seems to be going strong now - but thanks for the idea! And thanks for the ideas on carrots. I’m off to check out your new site now.

Peg | It is going to happen and of course it’s okay!

]]> By: Peg http://urbanhennery.com/2008/07/07/on-gardening-failures/comment-page-1/#comment-1502 Peg Sat, 12 Jul 2008 11:18:46 +0000 http://urbanhennery.com/2008/07/07/on-gardening-failures/#comment-1502 Laura, thanks for this little gift. You just made my day, as I was getting discouraged and taking my garden mishaps personally. (Oh, the failure!) This is going to happen, isn't it? And that's okay! Laura, thanks for this little gift. You just made my day, as I was getting discouraged and taking my garden mishaps personally. (Oh, the failure!) This is going to happen, isn’t it? And that’s okay!

]]> By: Melinda http://urbanhennery.com/2008/07/07/on-gardening-failures/comment-page-1/#comment-1494 Melinda Thu, 10 Jul 2008 19:54:43 +0000 http://urbanhennery.com/2008/07/07/on-gardening-failures/#comment-1494 I don't think it liked my 2nd comment. Probably because there were two links. Let's try again.... Come see the new blog & let me know what you think! Lots of NW resources, too.... (I've linked to it with my name above.) And there you'll find the new Growing Challenge link, too!! I don’t think it liked my 2nd comment. Probably because there were two links. Let’s try again….

Come see the new blog & let me know what you think! Lots of NW resources, too…. (I’ve linked to it with my name above.)

And there you’ll find the new Growing Challenge link, too!!

]]> By: Melinda http://urbanhennery.com/2008/07/07/on-gardening-failures/comment-page-1/#comment-1492 Melinda Thu, 10 Jul 2008 19:51:44 +0000 http://urbanhennery.com/2008/07/07/on-gardening-failures/#comment-1492 Bummer! You know, I'm starting to think that the northwest is not a great place for tomatillos and peppers - not quite hot enough, and the weather is not quite consistent enough. Carrots - I have planted a million different carrots at this point, and I think it has to do with several things: 1. they're picky about what soil they're in. I put the same seeds in different places and they'll grow beautifully in one place and hardly grow in the other. 2. they're picky about heat. They don't like to come up when it's too hot. 3. the varieties have wildly different germination rates. White and light-colored ones are not as good, orange are better, purple seem to do consistently best (though they're always eaten fastest cuz they're so darn good!). And you know, I kill my basil too. I don't know what happens. They'll be doing great, and then one day they all die. Again, though, I think it has to do with inconsistency in the weather. That's what probably happened to your lettuce, too. Try putting a shade cloth over them & just leaving it there all summer. My lettuce survived through the hot 110 degree Geyserville heat that way! Bummer! You know, I’m starting to think that the northwest is not a great place for tomatillos and peppers - not quite hot enough, and the weather is not quite consistent enough.

Carrots - I have planted a million different carrots at this point, and I think it has to do with several things: 1. they’re picky about what soil they’re in. I put the same seeds in different places and they’ll grow beautifully in one place and hardly grow in the other. 2. they’re picky about heat. They don’t like to come up when it’s too hot. 3. the varieties have wildly different germination rates. White and light-colored ones are not as good, orange are better, purple seem to do consistently best (though they’re always eaten fastest cuz they’re so darn good!).

And you know, I kill my basil too. I don’t know what happens. They’ll be doing great, and then one day they all die. Again, though, I think it has to do with inconsistency in the weather. That’s what probably happened to your lettuce, too. Try putting a shade cloth over them & just leaving it there all summer. My lettuce survived through the hot 110 degree Geyserville heat that way!

]]> By: Lauren http://urbanhennery.com/2008/07/07/on-gardening-failures/comment-page-1/#comment-1487 Lauren Thu, 10 Jul 2008 05:01:59 +0000 http://urbanhennery.com/2008/07/07/on-gardening-failures/#comment-1487 For us, it's beets -- they seem to be very weird germinators; some will come up right away, and then nothing for weeks (seriously) and then suddenly we'll have several more. What is that about? I have had what I feel like is a lot of cole crop seedlings (broc, kale, B.sprouts mostly) go dead on me, too, but we are starting everything in soil blocks now, so all that's lost is a bit of time; we just mix the dirt back up again when it's time for more. None of the teenage and up plants have flopped over ded. (Yet. *knocks on wood*) For us, it’s beets — they seem to be very weird germinators; some will come up right away, and then nothing for weeks (seriously) and then suddenly we’ll have several more. What is that about?

I have had what I feel like is a lot of cole crop seedlings (broc, kale, B.sprouts mostly) go dead on me, too, but we are starting everything in soil blocks now, so all that’s lost is a bit of time; we just mix the dirt back up again when it’s time for more. None of the teenage and up plants have flopped over ded. (Yet. *knocks on wood*)

]]> By: Audrey http://urbanhennery.com/2008/07/07/on-gardening-failures/comment-page-1/#comment-1482 Audrey Tue, 08 Jul 2008 22:05:53 +0000 http://urbanhennery.com/2008/07/07/on-gardening-failures/#comment-1482 In light of your previous post, I would say you're doing pretty darn well overall. I share your basil troubles and have never figured out why. It's as though slugs mow down the seedlings, them I transplant the survivors and they seem shellshocked for longer than they ought. Maybe it's a soil problem? A moisture problem? I don't know. It seems all the worse because it's basil, which makes everything from the garden taste that much better. I started some Thai basil from seed this year in addition to our Genovese and the Thai plants are doing wonderfully. In light of your previous post, I would say you’re doing pretty darn well overall. I share your basil troubles and have never figured out why. It’s as though slugs mow down the seedlings, them I transplant the survivors and they seem shellshocked for longer than they ought. Maybe it’s a soil problem? A moisture problem? I don’t know. It seems all the worse because it’s basil, which makes everything from the garden taste that much better. I started some Thai basil from seed this year in addition to our Genovese and the Thai plants are doing wonderfully.

]]> By: Denise http://urbanhennery.com/2008/07/07/on-gardening-failures/comment-page-1/#comment-1480 Denise Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:55:23 +0000 http://urbanhennery.com/2008/07/07/on-gardening-failures/#comment-1480 We've had a few of those setbacks, too, with stuff about to be pulled up here. It's all still such a learning experience that I'm just happy to get anything! About that tomatillo - if you only have one, you might need to scrap it. They are not self-fertile. We had only one last year and it was huge and beautiful with a million blossoms but not a single fruit. We’ve had a few of those setbacks, too, with stuff about to be pulled up here. It’s all still such a learning experience that I’m just happy to get anything!

About that tomatillo - if you only have one, you might need to scrap it. They are not self-fertile. We had only one last year and it was huge and beautiful with a million blossoms but not a single fruit.

]]> By: P~ http://urbanhennery.com/2008/07/07/on-gardening-failures/comment-page-1/#comment-1479 P~ Tue, 08 Jul 2008 06:37:31 +0000 http://urbanhennery.com/2008/07/07/on-gardening-failures/#comment-1479 Ah yes... the brash sting of failures... How know thee... LOL You'll die when you here this, but I cannot (to date anyway...this is the year!!) grow a pumpkin. What's up with that? Isn't that gardening 101? Well L~ the upside is that if you haven't ever grown tomatillos you will find tha they are prolific once they start to produce. (also, if you let the long main stems lay on the ground, they will propogate themselves quickly into new plants which will produce more. Glad to know your human. P~ Ah yes… the brash sting of failures… How know thee… LOL
You’ll die when you here this, but I cannot (to date anyway…this is the year!!) grow a pumpkin. What’s up with that? Isn’t that gardening 101? Well L~ the upside is that if you haven’t ever grown tomatillos you will find tha they are prolific once they start to produce. (also, if you let the long main stems lay on the ground, they will propogate themselves quickly into new plants which will produce more.
Glad to know your human.
P~

]]> By: derek http://urbanhennery.com/2008/07/07/on-gardening-failures/comment-page-1/#comment-1478 derek Tue, 08 Jul 2008 06:08:57 +0000 http://urbanhennery.com/2008/07/07/on-gardening-failures/#comment-1478 I always learn the most from the things that don't work... And the things that do? So much sweeter. I always learn the most from the things that don’t work… And the things that do? So much sweeter.

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