This is a public-interest archive. Personal data is pseudonymized and retained under GDPR Article 89.

Re: Bad seeds, I guess...or Santa Ana?

Square Foot Gardening List - http://www.flinet.com/~gallus/sqft.html

Early this month, I proudly assembled two more 4x4 and put corn in one 
(Silver Queen) and black-eyed peas and carrots in the other.   Seeds from 
Home Depot.  I've used Mel's soil, watered, chanted ancient prayers to the 
corn and carrot gods -- and have a grand total of six corn plants growing.  
That's all.  Not sixteen.  No beans.  No carrots.  (Although the carrots I 
planted during the summer in a traditional garden, the ones that never 
sprouted, are now coming up!  Guess it has just been too hot for them!)
My master gardener sent me lists of what I can plant when around here, and I 
replanted the spots in the corn that hadn't sprouted.  Haven't done anything 
with the 4x4 of beans and carrots.
Now.  A couple of possibilities, I guess.
1.  We've had a couple of Santa Anas, very hot winds blowing in off the 
desert.  It's been over 100 a couple of times last week (we're in southern 
Cal.)  Maybe it's just been too hot for my beans and carrots??
2.  Seeds were old or bad or something, but the germination rate still seems 
significantly low.
3.  This one just occured to me -- birds??  Lots of crows around here.  But 
the dirt is nice and smooth and doesn't look like it's been pecked over and I 
haven't actually seen crows nibbling on my boxes.
<sigh>  They are pretty boxes.  Copper tape around to keep the snails out.  
Even edges.  Hand watered....  <sigh>  I've studied Mel's book, looking for 
answers...
So.  Perhaps this is more of a lament than anything else.  According to the 
package, beans and carrots shoudl have at least made an effort to show up a 
couple of weeks ago.  But the heat?  
So again.  Who would replant?  Anyone know any good bean/carrot chants?  The 
only one's I've got are for corn.  (Just kidding -- really.)
Still have around 50 tomatoes on the vine I'm waiting to ripen.
Cyn


______________________________________________________________________
To unsubscribe, write to sqft-unsubscribe@listbot.com
Start Your Own FREE Email List at http://www.listbot.com/
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index