RKayne's Blog
RKayne's posts about: Sugar Snap Peas
Oct 3, 2007 | 11:11 AM PST
Tags: Tomato , Brussels Sprouts , Radish , schefflera , spinach , lettuce , Purple Kolhrabi , Walla Walla , garlic , Sugar Snap Peas , Jade , Black Prince Tomato , Brandywine tomatoes , jalapeño , Cold Stratify , Rain
So, we have a new cam, so pics will be forthcoming. We have been getting rather a bit of rain (about time) but it is finally the end of the 'real' gardening season. If I can figure out a way to do it with minimal dirt (I know I should use at least a 5 gallon container but am willing to take a risk) I may cold stratify some of the tomato seeds I saved and start them up here in the office. That would be kind of cool, having some fresh tomatoes here. I kept some Black Prince and Brandywine seeds, although who knows what they will end up being as there were a few different varieties of tomatoes out there and I did not bag them so they are no doubt cross pollinated. I really don't mind, as long as they are fresh! I am planning on starting up some of the Jalapeno seeds I saved, I know it will do fine in a relatively smaller pot. I have all this sunshine here at my desk so I might as well take advantage of it, right?
On another note, my wife just started her new job (she actually is going to get paid to learn, and sign language at that, I am stoked as I have always wanted to learn to sign so she is going to have to teach me...and several other people in my office LOL) and she does have her own office so I have another project. Nice pots and some plants for it. She wants to take the Jade and I am all for it, but we will have to get a full spectrum bulb and lamp as she doesn't have any windows and that bugger needs some light! I have some cuttings I have taken from my office building and her old one of this corn looking plant that I still don't know what it is, but do know that bugger will grow in the dark, haha and some Schefflera cuttings I took from her old building that have all rooted up nicely.
My favorite story about Schefflera's...A pal of mine owned a hotel on the NC coast and the hurricane wall they had put in was coming down after a particularly nasty storm so the hotel had to come down. The people who were hired to take all the furniture and whatnot out and put it in storage really were not all that smart as they put all the plants in the storage unit as well. Three months later we opened up the unit, having already assumed the plants were living in the movers homes (nothing to quibble about, this all had to be done fast so the owner just figured a home is a home) and there they were. No water, no sun, three months...they were fine. They were Schefflera.
Time to get going on some winter gardening. I got seed for Walla Walla sweet onins, Garlic cloves, Purple Kohlrabi, Brussels Sprouts and Spinach so far. I have cleared the sugar snap pea bed so now all I need to do is take down the trellis (I used screws so it is basically collapsible) and recondition the little plot o'dirt and wait for the maters to finish up, collect the radish seeds from the early radish's that I let bolt and do that soil as well and I figure that I will let our youngest help (he will love to) since I already told him the one side is all his! He gets to plant the garlic, onions, (he wants them now but I had to explain that they will be in spring!) Brussels Sprouts and Kohlrabi. I thought that he would get a kick out of being able to not only garden while it is cold, but they are very neat looking plants. He and I are the only ones in the house who will eat Brussels Sprouts so we will be having plenty of them, haha.
I will plant the spinach and plan on several lettuce varieties for this fall and come early spring in my tomato and radish bed, yum!
Pictures will be soon, I promise!
ps~ this blog post has been Cut and Pasted!
Jun 22, 2007 | 2:34 PM PST
Tags: Trellis , Sugar Snap Peas , Hemp Twine , Recycled Wood
The long overdue Sugar Snap Pea trellis is built! I had scrap wood. Dowels (thick) and some runner poles I picked up off the side of the road! After I measured out the height of the dowels (so my short self and my honey's shortness could reach the top!) I measured out the width and then notched the dowels evenly, on both sides. I ran Hemp twine all the way around each pole at the notch then all the way around the 4 poles, then criss crossed it on 4 platforms. They are already reaching for the second platform of twine! I plan on, when they reach the top, cutting the twine so we can reach in an pick them easier. I figured a platform would be best with our limited space as they can spread out across the top nicely! It sits a bit over 4 ft tall by itself, add a foot for the raised area. Max likes to hang out in the garden with me :D
Jun 8, 2007 | 3:25 PM PST
Tags: Sugar Snap Peas , tulips , Sweet Peas
I decided to put some Sweet Peas in the bed that had the Tulips in it, they just do not last long and the bed is SO bare now. The second level is where they are going.
Since there were so many seeds, I figured they would go well next to the sugar snap peas well and bring a bit more bee happiness to that area as well! I have some coming up for the 'Tulip' bed...
Jun 7, 2007 | 2:31 PM PST
Tags: Sugar Snap Peas , Radish , Garlic , Sweet Onion , trellis , Epsom Salts
My baby Radishes...they are an early variety, harvest in 22 DAYS! So I will plant a second round when it is time for these...my Honey and I both love snacking radishes :D
Then there is the garlic, I went to get some free pots (I love free pots, I use SO many) and she gave me some garlic...and some of what she thought might be volunteer garlic but when I dumped them out of the pot I very carefully separated them and planted them...sweet white onions :D
So there were a few days here that SERIOUSLY baked and I got worried about the sugar snap peas I had sowed so I few them epsom salts and watered it in really good and KABAM! Let there be sugar snap peas! I have the material I need and a helping hand (my Honey) so I will be building a nice platform/Japanese style trellis for them this weekend. I was working on the fishtank cover but HAVE to get the trellis done...will try to get them both done as I really want to get that tank going, it is 55 gallon.
May 30, 2007 | 12:54 PM PST
Tags: trellis , Yellow Jackets , Sweet Peas , Sugar Snap Peas , Basil , Chives , Radish
So, I don't have a lot of space. I decided to actually LEAVE half of the space unused, I will just cut back the heavy overgrowth. Two reasons, we really don't need a lot of space because I would just plant too much (veggies) and then we would have too much to use! Another reason is due to the fact that there is an ABUNDANCE of Yellow Jackets who are nesting at the far end of this area 
and I really don't have a problem with them as they can be very beneficial and they are not bothering me so I will leave well enough alone.
I planted the basils, the garlic chives, some radishes and sweetpeas. Put in some sugar snap peas (I checked the dates and this is JUST the right time for me to get them in the ground, we will get a second harvest of the radishes! YAAAY!) and some regular chives (couldn't pass up the price on the seeds!). Now all I need to do is build a trellis, I have been promised some blades and a power cord as I have the wood I want to use. I am planning on a Japanese Style to the trellis...
Apr 24, 2007 | 11:25 AM PST
Tags: tomatoes , over grown , grass , weeds , bulbs , garden fork , Early Girl , Beef Steak , Cherry Tomato , Vermicompost , Worm Castings , blackberries , spiders , Sugar Snap Peas , Till , Full Sun
So, 2 days of work.
The first day clearing half of the overgrown mess, the second day
tilling in some worm castings (vermicompost).
This is all hand done, due to lack of space & equipment, haha…My
honey did get her garden fork back so that is what I worked with. Weeds, grass, various bulbs that I have no
use for…some volunteer blackberries (bane of the PNW) and spiders…and here I
have some garden space. This is only
half done, but the hardest part has been done, IMHO. I planted some Tomato’s, an Early Girl,
Beefsteak and a Cherry. I plan on
putting in some Sugar Snap Peas after I build a trellis for them. Personally? I
think I should have a ‘Get Out of Hell Free’ card for doing this…it IS a rental
house, after all! Check out the pics, tell me what YOU think! This spot does get FULL sun, so at least it will produce!
Before:
After:
Tomatoes:
