Jen Fulkerson

It's good timing this post has been revived. (seed starting time for lots of us)
Anne I love the boxes you made. I might have to make myself some. I like the cardboard dividers too. It makes it customizable.
I tried the paper pots. They were ok, but not for me.
I still have lots of those cheap thin dollar store pots. I never would have guessed they would last so long.
I watched a guy on YouTube who made me want to try 2" soil blocks again. The recipe and technique he uses has made a world of difference.
The only downside is his recipe uses peat. I try to not use peat.  I think I will try to perfect my blocking abilities, then work on tweaking the recipe.
https://youtu.be/mFonCh7D-_o?si=RhnMO___Au-j9cPM

I wish I could give great tips for growing lisianthus, but this is my first time, and I'm not doing very well.
I know It like to germinate in soil in the mid 70s. They  require light to germinate.  It takes a long time to germinate. If it gets to hot when it's young it will rosette which means it grows leaves, but won't flower.  It stays a small seedling for a long time. Also because the seeds are tiny they come pelleted, which I understand don't last very long, so there's no point saving seeds.

I was worried about them getting to hot so I think I started my first batch to late, outside, then moved to the greenhouse. out of 75 seeds 1 sprouted. I don't think anymore will sprout, but I keep checking just in case.
I'm trying again in the house on a heat mat in hopes that a more constant temp will make a difference. I ordered 2 colors, from sellers on Etsy. One came smashed to dust. I sprinkled it on soil blocks, because I have to try. ( I contacted the seller, and they are giving me a refund)

I guess my best trick is to find someone who is good at growing them and trade something you're good at growing.
Good luck

Done with phase 2. I have removed all the old drip lines.  My son is going to help remove the crepe myrtle. My rose garden was much smaller, and in the back corner was a crepe myrtle. I never really liked it. It was constantly covered with powdery mildew., and just not my cup of tea.  I removed it. I dug not only down, but around to remove as much of the roots as I could find.  I have been fighting it ever since.  When I tried to dig it up I'm not exaggerating when I say there's a root larger than my arm. I definitely need help.
Next we will remove the crepe myrtle, lay down new weed cough. I know everyone  at Permies hates it, and I'm trying to use it a lot less. In this area it's saved me so much work. I'm going to put down a second layer. Then I will lay down the drip line. Add all the drippers. Add a thick layer of wood chips, and call it good. Still a lot of work, but I see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Hi Joel, sorry you didn't get a response. I can only tell you Google says it will kill the grub and adult beetle.  I have no practical knowledge of this bug. With DE the critter has to have contact with it. It must be dry and takes longer than the chemicals, but so much safer, and not harmful to the earth.

Marie I understand your concerns. Like all lite dry powder caution is needed. it's bad to breath, just like it's bad to inhale flour. If you're worried about your cat's could you try to get the De in the cracks and crevices ? Maybe vacuum the spiders in the house.

Google says DE will kill spiders, but I think it's better at killing bugs with an exoskeleton. I think with spiders they have to get enough on them to dehydrate them.
Good luck

I have seen a hack to get biannual to bloom the first year by planting them in the fall. Maybe this is what is happening???

Doug you have the right rose for your needs because Climbers don't need to be pruned like other roses.
Everyone always say how roses are so needy and hard. At least where I live I don't agree. Once a rose is established it's quite hardy. If they weren't I wouldn't have any roses left. I haven't fertilized for at least 3 years (only organic these days). I don't use anything else.  Pruning helps keep fungal disease down, and more  flowers, but again for the most part not a must.
I love my roses, and have missed walking through the roses garden enjoying the blooms, and amazing sent. For me it's worth the effort.

I have grown veggie for many years, but it was just something I did. My passion was my roses. I babied them, kept them pruned, deadheaded, fertilized and treated for pest.
Then I discovered Permies, and my whole perspective changed. No more chemicals for anything. I started to get more and more into my veggie garden. I was so focused on everything veggie garden I greatly neglected my poor rose garden. Also my drip system tanked, I knew it was going to be a ton of hard work to fix it and didn't want to give it the time and effort. Unfortunately the roses have gotten almost no water except rain which is pretty much non-existent in the summer, for a couple of years. I'm lucky any of them survived. I definitely don't deserve them.
I have really missed spending time in my rose garden. I'm determined to bring it back to it's glory.  It's such an overwhelming task I have broken it into 4 tasks. #1 prune. #2 weed, and clean. #3 replace drip system.  #4 put wood chips down.
I finished phase one.  I was beating myself up for my neglect, and was stopped in my tracks by a gift. I found a birds nest with a rose inside.  It made me feel a little better. It doesn't negate my neglect, but at least there was a benefit.  I found two nests. I also found a few long blackberry vines. Some of you might be thinking oh no, my family in Washington State would, but we love blackberries, and I have a difficult time growing them. I thought the vine I have on the other side of the rose garden was not doing as well as it is. I also found a few that rooted in the soil. I will dig them up and plant them in a better place.
I'm not looking forward to #2, but I'm happy to have started.

random acts of kindness are always uplifting. It's easy these days to question humanity. I work for a co-op, and last year I got to cashier in the outside nursery. A customer who was a nice but a quiet regular came through my line. Some how we started to talk about lisianthus. She grows them, and I had just ordered seeds. We had a nice chat. About 20 minutes later she came back with a little glass vase and her last lisianthus of the season, with a little note saying maybe we could share so we both have a bigger verity.
I was so touched. I'm not poor me, but I love sharing my flowers, and no one I know really grows flowers, so I don't get flowers. It fine because I get joy from sharing, but I have to admit it was very appreciated.  I hope to be able to share with her, though so far no luck with germination.
Thanks for sharing your story, it's very uplifting.

It's 1/23/26 and I went into the veggie garden, and there's a lot of hollyhocks growing. One is blooming a few inches from the soil which I have never seen before.  Most will be removed I wouldn't mind giving up that part of the walkway, but I do mind giving up the light they will block on my veggie this summer.

I think it's safe to say carrots are a challenging veggie to grow. There's lots of good, and interesting advice. Just like most gardening questions the answer is it depends. your climate, your soil, your seeds. time of year...
The good news is seeds and pretty cheap, and carrots will grow in containers, or pots, as long as they are deep enough for the variety you choose. Maybe start a pot several different times of year. Use a good potting soil, so it's nice and fluffy, holds water without getting too wet. Then try some of the different methods. I'm in zone 9B, so what works for me may not work for you.
For me there was a game changer, and a bonus. The game changer was the board trick. I went from getting little to no germination to decent germination. Then I discovered vermiculite.  Now I make a divot where I want my carrots, wet it well. Sprinkle a thin layer of vermiculite wet it.  Then I sprinkle the carrots seeds. I try to space them out the best I can because I hate waisting seedlings (I still have to thin them) Then I sprinkle a thin layer of vermiculite on top Mist it so the vermiculite gets wet, but doesn't displace the seeds. Now I place a board on top.  I've tried cardboard presoaked and staked down. This was better than not covering them at all, but not as good as the piece of wood. I wounder if the weight helps? Now I don't mess with it for a week. If it's hot and dry I may mist under the board, and/or water around it. This is not normally necessary because I don't usually start carrots when it's hot.  Once I see several little seedlings I will remove the board. It's important to keep them well watered to encourage more to germinate.  For me once they look like carrot tops I no longer have any problems. I will wait until they are 2" or 3" then thin them so they have enough room.
Good luck and keep trying, sooner or later you are bound to find what works for you.