Jen Fulkerson

I'm not really a fan of beans, but my daughter loves them, and my son eats out of the garden everyday, so I grow beans. In the spring and fall I grow Bushes beans, but regular beans will not grow in the Summer (I live in N California zone 9B) Luckily I discovered yard long beans those babies thrive in the heat and pump out tons of beans early summer through fall. The first year I collected lot of beans that dried on the vine. I have been using them for about 3 years now. Last year I thought I should gather new seeds. I let a bunch dry, picked them, and left them sitting on the outside table. They have been there long enough the box they were in isn't a box anymore. They have been exposed to the sun, and rain for many months, and I figured I would toss them out. No way they could be any good.
I have decided to use straw as mulch this year. The only straw I can get is not organic. I'm told it's perfectly safe, but I a suspicious sort. So I pulled out a little channel put some soil in it. put some straw in a bucket and filled with water. Now to plant the beans. oops! I'm out of beans. Impatient to start I grab 2 of the table beans. Several days later I planted a couple of beans I bought. I really can't believe it one of the table beans has sprouted.  Those are some very tough beans. I really can't believe they are still good. Amazing.
It's too soon to know if the straw is ok to use, but I should know soon.

I have 25ish. 24 in my rose garden, and a few as a hedge. I recently redid my rose garden. I enjoy my rose's very much.  I haven't used the rose hips. I used to use a systemic on my rose's. I stopped I think in 2019. I just don't know how long it actually takes to clear out all the poison, so at least for now I just enjoy my rose's.

Everything in my main veggie garden is eatable. My son pretty much adds something from the garden to everything he makes. The other day he double checked to make sure it was eatable, and it made it's way into dinner. So I guess we all eat nasturtium.

I did manage to start tomatoes directly in the garden one year, and they did produce, but I lost half my production time.  I direct sow almost everything except tomatoes, peppers, and I like to play around with other stuff like herbs and flowers.
From what everyone is saying I guess I better plant those tomatoes and give them a chance.  It also sounds like maybe most seedlings are not as tough as tomatoes.
Thanks everyone it's been interesting.

My daughter wants the seeds, so maybe when it looks like it's almost ready we should tie paper bags around the stem.
It's really growing fast now. It definitely shading the tomato to the east of it. So far the tomato seems to be growing well.  I don't know How long it will take the seeds to mature. If they don't mature soon I may have to tie them back a bit.
Thanks for your comments. I always trust the people on Permies a lot more than I believe in the info I get from the Internet.  Thanks

I have been starting seeds for 4 or 5 years now. I thought I had it down, but this year squashed my ego for sure. I know the mistakes I made, and at least I hope I learned from my mistakes.
The few seedlings I didn't manage to kill were some tomatoes. They were started in 3/4" soil blocks. Potted up into a 2" soil block. I moved them into the greenhouse where they survived for a couple of months. I didn't pot them up. They endured day time temps up to 111, and night temps of low 40s. How they survived I really don't know. Not surprising they look terrible! My first thought is I should just buy a few plants, and toss my seedlings in the compost.  I just couldn't do it. Everything I watch and read says they will not come back from this, won't grow well or be productive. And yet, I know this is silly, but I feel like they deserve a chance, they have endured and deserve better. I have a few tomatoes I started later so if what , "they" say is true I should still get some tomatoes.
The thing is the few I planted 10 days to 2 weeks ago are looking great. I would say they have doubled in size, and greening up. If I didn't know better I would think they were different plants. The jury is still out of course, they may not produce, but they are sure seem to be growing well. The small one is about 8 to 10 inches tall because I planted it quite deep. The larger one was planted deep also, maybe not as deep, but I would also say it seems to like where it's been planted, or it's just a fast grower. time will tell.
Now I'm wondering if I have waisted sad seedlings thinking they were a waist of time and space.
What do you think? Are veggie seedlings delicate or tough?  What is your experience with sad seedlings?

My daughter wanted fennel seeds, so last year I planted fennel in a couple of my raised beds. I looked up how to grow it, companion plants and planted it. The tomato, squash, zinnia and cosmos germinated and grew very well. This year I have a tomato growing in that raised bed, and it seems to be growing as well as the other tomatoes in different beds.
I keep seeing fennel keeps other plants from growing, and even continues after the fennel has been removed. So far this is not my experience, but I keep seeing it and I'm a little worried.
Have you grown fennel? Did it have a negative affect on the surrounding plants, or soil?

It's strange to me that the year I have the most trouble starting seeds is the year I have volunteer plants popping up all over.
A tomato grows in the seed snail I started. Also a tomato next to my compost pile. The biggest most healthy pumpkin I ever had is taking over my food forest want-a-be.  The earliest squash also growing in the Food forest want-a-be.  Hollyhocks, but they always reseed themselves. Zinnia and a melon, probably cantaloupe in one of my raised beds. many, to many Malabar spinach, and lots of radishes everywhere. Borage also always reseeds itself, but this year the plants are huge. Large  leaf plantain . Also some kind of melon seed that kept germinating when I use my worm castings.
With the exception of most of the Malabar spinach I will let them grow and hope for the best. If they are good, I will try to save the seeds. (I honestly always intend to save seeds of veggies I enjoy, and usually don't get it done)
This last winter was very mild, so maybe that is the reason for so many volunteers. I will enjoy seeing what I get.
Did you get volunteers this year?  Do you let them grow?
Good luck with what ever you grow.

I don't know why it took me so long to notice, but the largest "marigold" is a tomato. I have no idea what kind, I didn't plant it, at least not on purpose.  It's a nice looking seedling. I planted all the marigolds and the tomato.  They are doing well.
Maybe I waited to long, but it wasn't as easy to separate the roots as everyone said it is. It was fun, and I will probably try it again.
I would love to get an update from those of you who used material to make your seed snail. Did it work the way you thought?  Did the roots grow into the material?
Thanks

Thanks, it has been so much easier to use than the large totes I used in the past. The funny thing is the biggest mistake is also the best feature. The raised feeding shelf is a total game changer. The feeder and water stay pretty clean. The old system I had to check the water as soon as I got home from work because it would be full of wood chips.  The down side is the hardware cloth under the feeding station.  What a mess!!!  My thought was it would be easier to clean, and no build up of food to end up in the water and it does work, I just need to add a small bin that slides under the area to catch the mess.  I was worried the feeding station was to small. I ended up with 9 chicks. I got them in a 3 week span( something I've never done before, but this year couldn't be helped)  It's just not a problem. They are all healthy well fed and hydrated.
Now that they are older I took out the ramp. They don't need it and it gives them more room.
Overall it needs some tweaking, but I'm super happy with it. It was totally worth the time and money, I only wish I would have built it years ago.