Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 20 Entries. Tuesday, January 3 View Page Bought a pound (1000) red wiggler composting worms. They've been in this worm bin I made using "redneck Engineering". The bedding is a mixture of shredded brown paper, thin cardboard, cardboard egg cartons, a cup of sand, coffee ground, a cup of bone meal, two bricks of coconut coir. a cup of garden soil, and enough water to dampen all. They seem happy so I'll leave them alone and see if they can make some worm casting for making worm tea. Seems like there's an entire section of life devoted to the study of worm biology as it relates to soil health etc. Actually pretty interesting stuff.   Tuesday, January 3 View Page Worm Bin   Tuesday, January 3 View Page Pay no attention to the diamond shaped "corrosive" hazardous material warning pictogram on the worm bin. "Worms can't read! :)   Monday, January 23 View Page 2554 Andruz - 2365 x 1885 1904 Sperry - 885 x 2520 2350 Morse - 2520 x 2520 2493 Wolf - 2365 x Self This Seasons Seed Selection - Going to try some orange this season. 2006 Wolf - 2365 x Sib 805 Mendi - 1885 x 2183 (150 sf) Legend: 2520 Schmidt 2365 Wolf 2183 Mendi 1885 Werner   Tuesday, April 11 View Page These are deicing roof cables. The difference between these and most is they have no built in thermostat. I use a heat mat controller with the sensor buried 8" deep to control all four locations. Since all of my hoops are the same size and the patch get equal sun I can do this. Otherwise I would have to have a separate controller for each location. This cables are strapped to 2"x 4" fence wire which is 3' x 5'. There is 60' of cable. These cable are about $45 each. The controller was $30.   Tuesday, April 11 View Page This is a pretty wicked looking 2554 seedling. It was an expensive seed too. Some say it will work itself out. Hmmm! I'm not that confident. The stem/vine is a little helical too. We'll see.   Tuesday, April 11 View Page Patch is tilled. Putting heat cables and hoops up this week. Going to turn on the heat a couple of weeks in advance of planting to get things moving.   Tuesday, April 11 View Page This year I germinated seeds in 1 gal. pots inside this tub using a baby chick brooder turned up side down and a heating mat comptroller. The brooder can provide more heat if needed than a mat.   Wednesday, May 24 View Page 150 sf. 2350 Morse inside. I'll shift the frame right or left to put the plant in one corner once I see how it wants to lay down.   Wednesday, May 24 View Page 2493 Wolf ready for the great outdoors. Hoop coming off this one Friday 5/26. Also, have 1953 Daletas, and 2006 Wolf hoops coming off Friday as well. Still trying to decide between the 1904 Sperry and a seed from my 1102 ( 2365 Wolf x 1706 Ulhmyer) pumpkin from last year. Both of those plants look good.   Tuesday, June 6 View Page Weird seeds on lobes - photo by Jim Close, PA   Tuesday, July 11 View Page Pollinated the 150 sf pumpkin 7/8/23, i.e. 2350 Morse. Used the 2206 Wolf since that's what I had available.   Tuesday, July 11 View Page 150 SF Plant (2350 Morse) was pollinated about 20' out on the main on 7/8/23. 150 area is about 110 sf full on 7/11/23.   Wednesday, July 12 View Page First time growing a long gourd plant. The plant is on the ground and has reached the top of the trellis so I'll be looking for a pollination soon. I really need to get in there and cut off some tertiary vines. I have tow secondary vines buried on the ground.   Wednesday, August 30 View Page Grown from the Tobeck 6.38, this is my first ever "Giant" tomato. At a whopping 2.6 pounds it's not impressive. This plant was one of 3 6.38's started on March 1 and in the ground May 1. This tomato was from the first mega seen on a plant.   Monday, September 11 View Page 2.64 lb. grown from the 5.25 Green   Monday, September 11 View Page 2.89 lb. grown from the 5.25 Green   Thursday, September 21 View Page This 2.95 is off a 6.38 Tobeck I cloned early in the season.   Thursday, October 12 View Page This 3.96 was grown of the 5.25 Green. Last of the My PB so far.   Thursday, October 12 View Page This 3.955 was grown of the 5.25 Green. Last of the My PB so far.