Weather forecast: Tuesday, high of 35 degrees F, cloudy. Wednesday, high of 52 degrees F, possible light rain.
This week on the farm we'll continue our work with seeds and teach you how to start plants from seed. We know that for those of you who had never heard the
terms "hybrid" or "open pollinated" prior to last Thursday's class, our
crash course in plant genetics probably left you confused. Never fear!
We will go over that again with lots of time for you to ask questions
and to discuss the implications of each type of plant breeding and we'll take a look at a number of different seed catalogs so that you can learn how to tell which type of seeds are offered in each.
John is also going to teach you a different way to propagate fruit crops
through grafting. You'll be working with apple varieties, so in order
for you to come to class with a little background about the cultural
history of the apple and why it is usually propagated using clonal
techniques (like grafting), please watch the first 31 minutes and 25
seconds of Michael Pollan's documentary "The Botany of Desire,"
available at this link: http://naturedocumentaries.org/126/the-botany-of-desire/.
In the film, you'll learn that this "all-American" fruit is actually an immigrant from Kazakhstan, but the film doesn't dig too deeply into its connection with colonial history in the Americas. In fact, Johnny Appleseed (who IS mentioned in the film), took advantage of a movement in the late 1700s when settlers were being enticed to move westward across the North American continent by companies such as the Ohio Company of Associates, who offered settlers 100 acres of land to establish a homestead on Ohio's "frontier." One of the conditions of receiving deed to the land was that the settlers plant 50 apple trees to prove their intent to stay. So John Chapman (Appleseed) capitalized on this market for tree seedlings and apples moved across the continent with the settlers.
But back to seeds: in order to successfully midwife seeds through their germination process you need to know a few things about the plants you are working with. A couple of key questions include:
Can the seeds of this plant be directly seeded into the garden in Michigan? Or would starting seeds indoors and growing a transplant that can be planted into the garden at a later date be more successful?
At what temperatures or time of year does this plant prefer to be planted outdoors? If you need to start this plant as a transplant, when should you start seeds indoors so that the plants are ready to go in the ground at the right time? If this plant prefers to be direct-seeded, what is the earliest date in Spring in Michigan that you can safely plant the seeds of this plant outdoors?
In your comments on this blog post, practice answering the above questions for your favorite annual vegetable! List your vegetable, then do some research to find out how and when to start the seeds of your plant in Michigan and type the answers into the comment box.
We look forward to seeing you on the farm!
Asparagus
ReplyDelete-In Michigan asparagus must be transplanted because the crown needs to be planted deeply. If the seed is planted at the appropriate germination level, the crown isn't deep enough. Ideal age for a crown is roughly a year, as they are small enough to not suffer transplant shock.
-Asparagus are sensitive to temperature. Optimal range is 75-85 degrees during the day and 60-70 at night. Depending on the latitude in Michigan this corresponds to spring/summer. Therefore you should start growing the transplant from seed a year before this.
Do tomatoes count as a vegetable? I was having a conversation about growing tomatoes with a friend the other day! Tomatoes are a warm season crop, that grow best between 70-75 degrees. In Michigan they are often transplanted into the ground in the last couple weeks of May. Tomatoes can be grown indoors from seed 6-8 weeks before being transplanted. Tomato plants will continue to produce fruit until the first frost of the year.
ReplyDeleteEggplants can be transplanted, and seedlings should be started 6-8 weeks before the last frost. According to the farmer's almanac the last spring frost of 2017 was April 28th. Planting eggplant outdoors before the end of April faces the danger of frost-death.
ReplyDeleteI love arugula (so much so that I want to eventually get a tattoo of it at some point)! "[E]t venerem revocans eruca morantem" describes the ancient Roman connection between the goddess Venus and eruca sativa (arugula) by saying "and the rocket that revives drowsy Venus [sexual desire]". But on seeds growing in Michigan... Currently, the closest sensor to the farm that I could find (in Claksville, MI~ https://mawn.geo.msu.edu/report.asp?fileid=clrd) says the soil ranged from 34.9 max to 34.1 min as of April 15th. It is apparently best to plant arugula when the soil temperature is ranging between 40 and 65 degrees. While some days last week the soil temperature was in that range, it fluctuated too greatly. Arugula doesn't do well when it frosts so waiting until later would be best (this also being harder with increase in climate chaos an instability). It is also said that the seedlings should be thinned after about a week, this being when they have germinated. They should also be given shade that still allows for good amounts of sun but still cool. They also love moisture (which is good in Michigan). I am inspired to grow this myself!
ReplyDeleteScarlet runner beans are warm-season vegetables. The seeds can be planted directly into the soil after the last frost (so not before the end of April in Michigan), when the soil temperature is at least 60°F (16°C). Seeds should be sown about 2 inches apart along a fence or trellis, 1 inch deep. When seedlings have true leaves, they should be thinned to 4-8" apart. They can also be transplanted. If you intend to transplant them, they can be sown 2-3 weeks before the last frost. Two seeds should be planted 1 inch deep in individual cells or pots, but thinned to one plant per cell or pot when they begin to get true leaves. Johnnyseeds.com recommends that you 'Harden off and transplant outside after the last frost'. Scarlet runner beans do best in high-organic matter soil and in full sun.
ReplyDeleteRhubarb
ReplyDeleteThe plant is a vegetable but is generally used as a fruit in desserts and jams. It is easy to grow, but needs cool weather to thrive. It grows best where the average temperature falls below 40ºF in the winter and below 75ºF in the summer. The last Spring Frost is April 28, and rhubarb is best to grow in mix compost.
Once your ground freezes, it’s best to cover rhubarb with 2 to 4 inches of mulch, preferably well-rotted compost; by adding nitrogen to the soil, you’re preparing the rhubarb plants for a good spring season.
website: https://www.almanac.com/plant/rhubarb
Carrots! As far as I found in my research, carrot seeds can be seeded into the garden in Michigan. Carrots are a cool-weather crop, so they should be planted outdoors 3 to 5 weeks before the last spring frost date, or around temperatures 45°F to 85°F. The earliest month in spring in Michigan that you can safely plant carrot seeds is April.
ReplyDeleteRecently my favorite vegetable has been the beetroot. I try to use it in my meals whenever possible, typically adding it to my smoothie. Beets are cool season crops but are fairly tolerant to heat as well. From the MSU Agriculture and Natural Resources blog, I have read that one can either plant the seeds directly into the ground in the garden, or transplant them at a later time, it just depend what time of year you do so, and what the climate is like where you live. The germination temperature of the seeds is 50 to 85 degrees fahrenheit, the germination time is 5-21 days and it takes 4 to 6 weeks to grow transplants. The MSU blog recommends starting from March to June and plant out May to August if transplanting your beets. High fluctuating temperatures often produce beets with atypical flesh coloring.
ReplyDeleteJalapeno peppers tend to do better when started during the winter and then being transplanted, as they really do not do well if exposed to frost. They should be transplanted 2-3 weeks after the last frost (depending on location, in Michigan this can be anywhere between April 30th and June 27th), and the soil temperature around this time should be 60 F. Prior to transplanting, there should be a one week hardening period. When looking for a transplant location, it is recommended that the location receive 6+ hours of direct sun per day.
ReplyDeleteI really like Cauliflower so that is the one I'm going to focus on. According to my research, many recommend starting seeds for Cauliflower indoors and adding the transplant into the garden at a later date. A main reason for this is that Cauliflower typically grows best at about 60 degrees Fahrenheit and attempting to grow it at any temperature too high or below that can cause the plant to die. Therefore, growing Cauliflower from seeds indoors should take place around 4 to 7 weeks before the last frost date (Which is different for different areas; Michigan last frost dates range from April 30 to June 27th according to my research) and then transplanted. It is suggested to start closer to 7 weeks if Spring tends to be short and closer to 4 if the area tends to have long Springs.
ReplyDeleteSource: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/cauliflower/planting-cauliflower-seeds.htm
Cucumber would be my choice. They would be best off grown indoors at first 2 to 3 weeks before the last frost, and planted out late May to June It takes 3 to 4 weeks to grow the transplant. Its germination temperature is 60°F to 105°F.
ReplyDeleteThe average last frost date for our zone is May 21 to May 31. So, according to averages, I could begin the growing the cucumber to be transplanted as early as next Monday, April 23. I will be keeping an eye on the weather.
http://msue.anr.msu.edu/resources/how_to_grow_cucumbers
http://www.plantmaps.com/interactive-michigan-last-frost-date-map.php
I covered bamboo. Bamboo prefers warm humid climates. It does not need nutrient rich soil to thrive because of how resilient it is. This is a plant that has a very fast growth cycle and does not need to be started indoor unless it is winter. While bamboo cant really be eaten by people due to its lack of nutritional value, it can be used for building materials, tools, and furniture.
ReplyDelete