tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872247640329823856.post7589234583174843539..comments2023-06-23T00:44:56.058-07:00Comments on Sinfonian's Garden Adventure: July 22, 2008Sinfonianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03973076975622726383noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872247640329823856.post-20017607752823664752008-07-22T16:49:53.000-07:002008-07-22T16:49:53.000-07:00Hey Guy;Wow, I'm feeling popular! I'm try...Hey Guy;<br><br>Wow, I'm feeling popular! I'm trying to remember what greens we sneaked into the salad last... may fave is the Curled Southern Giant, that is a medium green with super-ruffled edges. Really pretty and happy, fairly mild, i probably had a bit of that around. For contrast, the other is the Japanese Red Giant (Tokyo Red? I don't have the seed packet, bad Jen), with dark, purply leaves and a slightly stronger flavor. Both are great in salads, and stirfry with swiss chard a treat. And if it's not quite spicy enough for you, both get hotter-tasting as the season goes on!Jennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872247640329823856.post-26476157448843046882008-07-23T00:27:01.000-07:002008-07-23T00:27:01.000-07:00sin - it defiantly would be nice to grow year roun...sin - it defiantly would be nice to grow year round, I want to try a cold frame this fall but I am guess the best I could extend to is January. Just to cold and nasty after that. You should look into growing bok choy over the winter season, it loves the cold and is good in salads as well as stir fry.<br><br>As for your corn, it is wind pollinated so no bee's required. If you want to lend a hand you could collect some pollen from the tassels and distribute it on the silk of the cob. Each silk strand is then connected to a single corn kernel. That is why some times cobs are missing kernel because it was not pollinated enough by the wind. <br><br>Cucumbers are lookin good!danhttp://veggiegardenblog.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872247640329823856.post-14476180802772678052008-07-23T00:57:42.000-07:002008-07-23T00:57:42.000-07:00Sounds like an interesting year round gardening sy...Sounds like an interesting year round gardening system - the growing season here feels way too short - someday I may look setting up a coldframe for my sfg's...plantgirlhttp://squarefootgardenblog.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872247640329823856.post-12775435692433306832008-07-23T16:02:25.000-07:002008-07-23T16:02:25.000-07:00Plantgirl, for $25 you can build your own hoop cov...Plantgirl, for $25 you can build your own hoop cover or plastic cloch for your raised bed in a hurry. I set mine up in 15 minutes before that April snow storm we got this year. And for $30 I got enough to do all the rest of my beds. Just a thought.<br><br>Dan, thanks for the info. I hope I get enough wind to polinate the successions. I may very well need to help them along, which should be easy if it's just brushing silks to silks. As for coldframes extending your season from Octoberish to January, it'd be well worth it for another three months of cool-weather crops! Think of the savings of not buying your salads, peas, carrots, broccoli, caulflower etc. from the store. You could buy materials for your coldframe from one month's savings. Is that enough encouragement? hehe. <br><br>I may try bok choy, never tried it. Maybe Jen has some I can taste like she did with the mustard greens. Ask her, she'll tell you how picky I am, but I do want to expand my tastes.<br><br>Jen, send me an IM and lets walk through the seed catalogs online to find an overwinter variety that you think I'll like or is closest to what I've eaten at your house. I loved it... Thanks!Sinfoniannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872247640329823856.post-65402771916575450542008-07-23T22:37:29.000-07:002008-07-23T22:37:29.000-07:00Hi Sin!!!The hand-pollinating of corn is very easy...Hi Sin!!!<br><br>The hand-pollinating of corn is very easy really. Just take a pair of scissors outside with you. I don't cut off the entire tassel -- just one of the little pieces (be careful not to knock off the pollen) and then gently tap it on the silks. I did this a couple of times as the tassels were producing pollen and the silks were starting to show. Don't rely on wind pollination because without a really good "stand" of corn (multiply rows all planted close and at the same time) wind-pollination will not be enough. Besides, hand-pollinating is kinda fun and you really feel like you are accomplishing something doing it. <br><br>Oh yes, the mustard greens! Those are really good. The Florida Broadleaf is good (flat leaf plant) as well as the Southern Curled (which is even pretty!). We grow those down here in the winter time for "greens" that we steam with some butter like turnip greens.Judyhttp://www.ft2garden.com/blognoreply@blogger.com