A month- wintersown, and a sign off-for now

Ok I've been feeling guilty about not blogging for so long, but after finally catching up on my blog reading (how I love Sage!) I dont' feel so bad, but I do feel left out in the harvest season, as not much came of the balony, but I do feel proud of my seedlings that were sent else where & the bit of harvesting that allowed me to make salsa! Thanks Gramma!

As I am back in school, I'll be honest- I'm prone to distractions and I've learned that having too many interests can be seriously harmful to my achieving goals, such as graduating. I've even pared down my web board activity (hi to anyone in YGGG- boy I miss it there). As winter is coming that means snowboard season and more sewing time, so I'll allow those two distractions for now.

But before I sign off, I want to direct your gardening compass to a way cheaper method of starting seeds(no grow lights!), especially for those of us with limited space- it's called winter sowing, and the folks over at www.wintersown.org have a fantastic site to help you out- they even offer FREE seeds-(outside of the USA you have to pay $2 for postage, of course).

Now I've been hording all my take out containers for this, and you should too. I'm not sure if I'm actually going to go ahead with it, but we'll see.

Also- if anyone wants info about how to do the balcony drapes, leave me a message-I did make them but for now I'm going to shelve the post.

Thanks for reading. See you- for now ;)

Oh & if you're reading this sat morning & are in Toronto- Foodshare is celebrating their new location opening-, 11 to 3pm, at 90 croatia street (near Dufferin & Bloor)- you should go!

cherry tomatoe cross

cherry tomatoe cross
Originally uploaded by hot_toddygal

So while my tomatoes are succumbing to spider mites, and likely some blossom end rot, they are proliferating heavily elsewhere, and I am quite lucky enough to reap them from there, as well!

My Grandmother has a bumper crop-I had forgotten to tell her that they are indeterminate...and thus weren't pinched-ah well- interesting to see the effect of non- pinching- more tomatoes- perhaps too many- they got so tall and numerous they fell right over!

So the only thing I can report that I actually harvested from my own balcony is the teeny-tiny but spicy hot peppers- and a lovely cross pollination of tinytoms & beefstake.

They are incredibly resistant to both the spider mites *and* the blossom end rot!

The evil SPIDERMITE!

..so I've been vigilantly fighting a new nemisis- SPIDERMITES.


The canadian government has factsheets on stuff like this, btw: http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/facts/89-002.htm

At first I thought it was aphids, no problem-had those before, so I started spraying with the ol' soap & water combo, and isolated the worst ones.

Noticed that the peppers weren't affected, but they loved the poor Morning Glories, so I thought I'd leave them nearby...

Weeks go by. More plants are affected. The infected plants become impossible to isolate, adn those that are seem to get worse! Harvest numbers drop in my mind. Start upping my attack.

Finally get around to looking up what my leaves look like ( ooh, instead of like, looking at random articles & pictures like I usually do when I start out with intentions on the 'net)

I have- spider mites!

So I can keep doing what I'm doing, and hope for rain- it's been waaay too dry this year, and apparently SM like it this way.

I have also been considering bringing in some warriors- I need more predators!

i need to get some persimillis, I discover on this site-www.thebugfactory.ca/pages/products/persimilis/
but they are in BC- (you lucky folks!).

So I'm going to call the local hydroponic store, and see what they have.

I'm kind of excited. This will be my first foray into beneficial bug buying.

..and the winds are blowing like it's going to rain soon- hurrah!

Feelin' groovy-plants for kiddies!

I just gave away some more very rootbound plants to a Children's community garden and had to post about it.

I left them in the trusted hands of Ashley from the Toronto Green Community, whom I had the pleasure of meeting at a Native plant Gardening workshop (more on that later) She's been having problems keeping things alive with all the little hands involved, but I couldn't think of a better place to have them, regardless.

I wish my babies happiness in their new life outside of pots and balconies.

It's summer, and it's a busy time!

..just some pics in the meantime- the drapes are on hold, as I'm waiting on the other 1/2 for installation assistance..

The Confession

Well, have you all been on the edge of your seat, or what?

Now, let me preface all of this by saying- sometimes I learn things the hard way. But I do make it a point to avoid doing a wrong thing twice.

So from this point onward, this post is going to be called

WHAT NOT TO DO WITH YOUR SEEDLINGS
(or, the Shocking Confession of Death & Plantslaughter by Negligence)

Victim #1) The Baby Bok Choi

Now, Bok choi has no place being started inside, despite what the package may say. They grow quickly, and it seems regardless of conditions-literally growing ''like weeds''. In the rush to transfer & "pot up" (adding more soil) the leggy babies elsewhere, quite a few were damaged, beyond the point of recognition..I started to keep track, but the numbers kept going up..I was devastated at my first exposure to murder. I think I have two left...le sigh.

Victim #2) The Hot Peppers & Tiny Toms (co-habitants)
This is when I learned of the dreaded watering from the top syndrome called: (dun dun dun duhn) Dampening off.

I didn't understand why they were still all so tiny, as I was anxious to share them with other gardening fellows. I was starting to feel like a kid with crappy hockey cards to trade. I decided to dig one up, to see what was going on.. only to reveal- it looked like a burnt match stick, right at the soil-line!! A quick jump to the net, and a picture confirmed it- and I had been watering them from above, being a lazy, lazy gardener! Oh, the horror! What folly it was of me to think I could play the role of Mother Nature!

What is dampening off? Basically a fungal infection.

(should any science-y types who may want to correct me please feel free to expound)

Swiftly I deployed all manner of remedies- cinnamon, potting up, and an attempt to keep the soil dry enough to twart the bacteria.... some made it, some didn't.

So, kids, this is what it's all about, really. Learning, and learning from your errors. But this is why I'm posting this- so you can avoid such catastrophes.

Next- adventures in Awnings-make your own balcony shades!

UPDATE!

I'm currently inside flicker posting this! Did ya know you could do this? Well, if you're like me, you didn't and now you know! Generally I'm like George Castanza where I don't like worlds colliding, but hey, it's all related content here.

So this should increase some posting & cut down on my time between the two sites, killing two snails with one rock ( or moving him elsewhere for you gentle folk).

The biggest thing I wanted to post about it the current status of the balcony. Sorry about the wait- I'll come clean..soon.

I dismantled the BBQ, and now have a wonderful plant stand. Most of the seedlings are transferred ( ...aaaand some are still waiting for their promised adoptees to take them home *ahem*).

Ikea seating was purchased, railing curtains, and pots got wired,
Dollar store mop buckets and feed cans aquired.

May direct-sew seedlings were sewn,
And well as new striped drapes,
But I need a body harness,
So I don't fall & break a bone.

..next- gardening confessional!