HillBilly Jeff's 2014 Adventure - Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!!

TrentL · Apr 15, 2014

I tried to start cucumbers indoors once and lost about 90% of them on transplant. I had *much* better luck with nursery grown starts.
Not sure what the heck they do differently, but my experiment was an utter failure. (Well, almost. I did have 2 successful transplants outdoors, but the nursery bought ones did much better.)

I will add one thing on cukes - do NOT start them in peat pods.

They sprouted and grew so fast they blasted the top RIGHT OFF of my sprouting tray before I knew it.

I'd start them in AT LEAST a 3" pot/cup.

HillBilly Jeff · Apr 15, 2014

I started them in a 72 cell tray and the only reason I am potting up is the soil I was using was labeled as seed starting and supposedly has 3 months feed in it, but I found I had to add nutes to it. So I went ahead and potted them up.

I will be direct sowing a lot of the things I am growing right now. Just had to try it to see how it goes. Love the thought of getting pickles much sooner than normal.

PIC 1 · Apr 15, 2014

"Bungle in the Jungle"...well, that's alright by me...no kiddin.
Your grow room is lush with foliage. Those plants will be rockin in those raised beds...especially with the virgin soil and other amendments that's going in.

Are those Kung Pao peppers in the grow ?...super cool to have fresh chili's indoors.
The landscape shot of the snow reminds me of scraping the ice off my windshield this morning. I new there'd be a reason for leaving the snow brush in the truck...ha

Bush or vineing pickles.....either way they're great when picked young. Another week I'll start up some summer squash and the cukes...English, Straight 8 and Marketmore. Tryed some Armenian last season but there were too many large seeds.
Great up date, again

HillBilly Jeff · Apr 15, 2014

40 bucks and 4 hours and the truck has a brand new water pump. Saved enough on labor to pay for the raised beds lol

PIC 1 said:
"Bungle in the Jungle"...well, that's alright by me...no kiddin.
Your grow room is lush with foliage. Those plants will be rockin in those raised beds...especially with the virgin soil and other amendments that's going in.

Are those Kung Pao peppers in the grow ?...super cool to have fresh chili's indoors.
The landscape shot of the snow reminds me of scraping the ice off my windshield this morning. I new there'd be a reason for leaving the snow brush in the truck...ha

Bush or vineing pickles.....either way they're great when picked young. Another week I'll start up some summer squash and the cukes...English, Straight 8 and Marketmore. Tryed some Armenian last season but there were too many large seeds.
Great up date, again

Always run with National Pickling for making pickles. Ran low on seed last year and had some Boston Pickling in the mix and they did well. This year I am also growing lemon cukes and apple cukes just for eye appeal in salads. Only starts 12 and 12 of the first two and 6 and 6 of the last two early. Just want to nibble on some sooner than I normally would if I just direct sowed them. I will be sowing seeds right in the garden as well.

All my broccoli and cabbage type plants will have to be started sooner next season. I hate it when the nursery has stuff further along than mine.

Won't be starting the peppers so soon.

Things like kale, lettuce, spinach won't be started early at all.......I think lol.....Don't need to start them early, and they are taking up room.

Some of my bunching onions look to be dying out. Competition perhaps? Going to order some more seed and just direct sow some of those as well. Need to start the onions sooner too, and I think I will have to figure out something different as mine don't seem to be getting bigger, or big enough.

Not Kung Pao peppers. New strain of something

Devv · Apr 15, 2014

Betcha scraping that old rock hard gasket was to toughest part. They either pop off in one piece or it's hell.

Never tried starting cukes, squash or melons inside. I'll be watching to see how they do.

Good luck!

HillBilly Jeff · Apr 15, 2014

Devv said:
Betcha scraping that old rock hard gasket was to toughest part. They either pop off in one piece or it's hell.

Never tried starting cukes, squash or melons inside. I'll be watching to see how they do.

Good luck!

Wire brush drill attachment took care of the gasket remains. Ran the truck for a while, need to check it tomorrow to see if I need to add more fluid, which will be antifreeze. Don't really need to worry about it until November, but I don't want to forget it until the last moment.

Potted up the majority of my nons today, so a lot went to the OW spot behind the stairs. Had to steal a 4 foot light from my hobby shop. I can arrange the grow and get lights on three more shelves in there, so HD trip tomorrow. Going to have a complete revamp for next year and probably won't need half the space since I will be starting later and less.

JA Red Habs are really a pain in the butt for me. Constantly giving me leaf wilt that pops back when I water, but even their new leaves have edema. Starting later next year will help, but they better be some really good peppers for the grief they are giving me.

Penny · Apr 16, 2014

All of those plants look amazing......nice omelet too! :dance:

TrentL · Apr 16, 2014

HillBilly Jeff said:
Potted up the majority of my nons today, so a lot went to the OW spot behind the stairs. Had to steal a 4 foot light from my hobby shop. I can arrange the grow and get lights on three more shelves in there, so HD trip tomorrow. Going to have a complete revamp for next year and probably won't need half the space since I will be starting later and less.

JA Red Habs are really a pain in the butt for me. Constantly giving me leaf wilt that pops back when I water, but even their new leaves have edema. Starting later next year will help, but they better be some really good peppers for the grief they are giving me.

I worried that I got too late of a start this year since a week ago my peppers were still little tiny things.

By last night, they've practically exploded in size.

Now I'm worried that I started too early and that I'll run out of room and pots.

I only have a few more 1 / 2 gallon pots available. Will need to scavenge for more if things get any "bigger" down there.. and have no idea where I'd put them.

Jeff H · Apr 16, 2014

TrentL said:
I only have a few more 1 / 2 gallon pots available. Will need to scavenge for more if things get any "bigger" down there.. and have no idea where I'd put them.

You wouldn't be the 1st one to head to HD this year and pick up more lights. Trust me, when I was there a few weeks ago, they had plenty more waiting for you.

HillBilly Jeff · Apr 16, 2014

Stopped off at HD to get some sour cherry trees, more light fixtures, and a case of grow bulbs. Noticed a sale on tomato plants lol

Penny · Apr 16, 2014

Poor things!!

Jeff H · Apr 16, 2014

Probably left outside during the freezing nights.

HillBilly Jeff · Apr 16, 2014

My cousins left me hanging on dirt, so I am going to have to order it. If my calculations are right, I am going to need about 14 cubic yards. 4 beds 24x4 a foot deep.

Got my second order of strawberries in the mail today and gotta get them in.

Devv · Apr 16, 2014

Then cousins get no peppers!

Don't know what dirt costs there, here it was $19 a yd. for heavy topsoil. I bought 16yds., $400.00 once delivery was added. I be callin' the cuz again

Jeff H said:
You wouldn't be the 1st one to head to HD this year and pick up more lights. Trust me, when I was there a few weeks ago, they had plenty more waiting for you.

Too true Jeff!

HillBilly Jeff · Apr 16, 2014

From the place I talked to, your topsoil is cheaper than what the one place quoted me. I think I might have to call around a little bit, but I am up against the clock on getting these beds primed.
Pickle Fence part two. Now I can rotate.

Cabbages and broccoli and such were started a tad bit too late. Running on the small side right now, but they should catch up once they hit the dirt.

maximumcapsicum · Apr 16, 2014

Loving the updates HJeff! How much scorpion did you use in those omlettes?

HillBilly Jeff · Apr 16, 2014

I used a whole yellow.

HillBilly Jeff · Apr 18, 2014

Fishing is getting better. Suppose to get some dirt today, so I should be busy getting the beds ready and getting the strawberries planted.

TrentL · Apr 18, 2014

Which party of Indiana are you in Jeff?

Looks like you're going to have about 6-7 days of really good weather coming up on the forecast.

I'm going to move some overwinters out tomorrow along with tomato plants to start hardening them.

HillBilly Jeff · Apr 18, 2014

TrentL said:
Which party of Indiana are you in Jeff?

Looks like you're going to have about 6-7 days of really good weather coming up on the forecast.

I'm going to move some overwinters out tomorrow along with tomato plants to start hardening them.

NW Indiana...Jasper County to more precise. I won't start hardening off until May.
The black dirt has arrived.

Added some leaves from the compost pile from last season.

Added some dirt.

Peat Time

Didn't go on as thick as I thought it would.

Composted cow manure

Mixing it up.