Video Diary March 10th 2010

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Video Diary March 10th 2010

by Rick
(UK)

This is an up-to-date video diary / Vlog on how things are progressing in my food-growing quest...

Enjoy

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Video Diary March 10th 2010

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Mar 16, 2010
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We can compare notes!
by: Rick

Great stuff - thanks for the links to the usda (united states dept of agriculture) zones. Looks like I'm an 8b!

Handy that we have comparable zones, so even though are in the US and I'm in the UK, our seasons will be alike.

It will be interesting to compare notes through the growing season :)

Rick

Mar 14, 2010
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I tracked down your zone info
by: Esmeralda

http://www.trebrown.com/hrdzone.html

is the link.

The usda (united states dept of agriculture) zoned the US only, but others have picked up where they left off.... and I was right. You and I have the same zone (or close to it), and the same climate (maritime- I think our latitude is almost identical)- this makes your blog very good for me, as my gardening gripes and problems will be very similar.
Hopefully, if you should ever need it, this information will not be TOTALLY useless for you. I've found that a lot of advice for English vege gardners works great for me, so hopefully Portland, OR gardner's advice will help you, too!

Here's my zome map. I'm in "multnomah" cty, which is at the extreme north of the map, right at the bottom of the little *bulge* there.
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/cropmap/oregon/maps/ORhardy.jpg

Mar 12, 2010
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Trying not to bite off more than I can chew!
by: Anonymous

Afraid I am unaware of the 'usda zones' but it seems like a sound principal. The weather paterns you describe certainly sound similar to those here.

I decided to stick with vegetables only this year, mainly because I want to keep things simple and straight forward (for the sake of the website and my own sanity!), and not wade too far out of my depth in this first year. It is a common mistake for enthusiastic newbie gardeners to buy way too much seed and try to grow way too many varieties all in one go, and they soon become overwhelmed.

This is technically my first year of doing this 'intensive' vegetable gardening on this kind of scale, so I figured I would get the vegetables mastered this year and then maybe see what next year brings in the form of branching out (pun intended!) to fruits & berries.

Rick

Mar 11, 2010
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Zone?
by: Esmeralda

I know (?) you folks over the pond don't use "usda zones", but I think if you DID, you and I would find that our climates are almost identical. Maritime climate: cool, wet, constantly overcast, short warm summers, and mild, soggy winters with occasional snow- once every other year or so. Does that sound about right? My zone is 8b, and if the USDA *does* translate your climate into "zones" I'd be curious to know what yours is.
I think I started my beans WAY too early. I did not expect them to be so vigorous, and it's 50f (10c) and a slow, grey drizzle here, which is totally normal for this time of year. I am fairly certain that they'll be full grown by the time I will be able to put them in my yard, haha! But I'm learning as I go here, so I'm prepared to bungle up a bit.

I highly recommend the fish tank as an incubator, mainly because used ones can be procured for so cheap in the classified ads, and if you go to a tropical fish store, you will find that they make bulbs *specifically for plant growth* (for people who have very green fish tanks)! It's just perfect for me so far.

I was also wondering if you are growing any fruits or berries, or if you are sticking to veges this year. I know we can't go crazy and grow lemons or anything, but some shade tolerant huckleberries or blueberries might do well in otherwise unusable corners of one's property. If you were, I'd be curious to know what kind of native fruits do well in your climate, since I could probably grow whatever you could.

Thanks for the nice reply, I really enjoy your site and your updates.
Have an peaceful & uneventful day
Esmeralda

Mar 11, 2010
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Runner beans being planted in April.
by: Rick

Hi Esmeralda,
Thanks for your comments & tips. I've got runner beans planned to be planted in April week 3 (too early & cold here at the moment).
I like the idea of the fish tank with light for starting off the seelings. This is something I might look into for next year.
Looking forward to your next update :o)
Rick

Mar 10, 2010
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Re: your update
by: Esmeralda

Hoy there. So your plants are looking delightful. I started my seeds indoors about the same time, and mine are looking very similar, only instead of broad beans, I'm starting runner beans and bush beans; and instead of pepper sprouts, I have tomatoes. I discovered a neet trick of using an old partially open fishtank (with it's light) is a GREAT place to start delicate little plants like those. My bush beans are so tall, I had to put them in a bigger pot already! I reccomend it if you're interesed in experimenting. It's kind of in the same spirit as a mini greenhouse.
I live in Portland, OR, whose climate is VERY much like yours, I think, so it might work out well for you if someone you know has an extra one lying about. I'll put up a photo of my contraption here soon. cheers!

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Video Diary March 10th 2010

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Video Diary March 10th 2010