Growing Other Stuff 2022

ShadyStump

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There's folks getting ready for starts soon, so I figured it's not TOO early to start this thread.

All your non-bonsai flora projects are welcome here.
Carryovers from this past year are acceptable.


As a kick off, last month while NOT getting around to digging decomposed granite in the mountains with my dog, I collected some yucca seeds and white sage flowers. A couple weeks ago while out with the kids I found some prickly pear dried on the pad, and brought a couple home for the seeds.
IMG_20211211_112824_680.jpg
Turned out all the yucca seeds were bad- a little late to the game this year- but should be alright for sage. Never tried anything like the prickly pear before, so this'll be fun.
This is some of it in my travel size tea tin/cigarette case.
 

Mapleminx

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I said I wasn’t gonna do and seeds in 2022! However I have been feeling a little depressed lately so have some various Hibiscus seeds on the way to try my hand at that. Sowing and propagating always brings me a sense of joy and satisfaction.

I’ve never had hibiscus never mind trying it from seed so we’ll see.
 

ShadyStump

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Crossing fingers for you!
The hope is for something like this over the summer, and maybe over next winter.
zingiber-officinale-t1-min.jpg
Turmeric is in the same family and grown much the same way, but I've never seen any luck with it. Hoping to change that this year. But first I need to FIND fresh turmeric root. Not as easy as you'd think.
 

Mapleminx

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The hope is for something like this over the summer, and maybe over next winter.
View attachment 417963
Turmeric is in the same family and grown much the same way, but I've never seen any luck with it. Hoping to change that this year. But first I need to FIND fresh turmeric root. Not as easy as you'd think.
Wow I never realized Ginger looked like that at all. I only know it from cooking roots 😂
 

ShadyStump

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Wow I never realized Ginger looked like that at all. I only know it from cooking roots 😂
Neither did I until last year when my ex wanted to try growing some for cooking and started researching it.
I have my fingers crossed. I plan on trying all sorts of new stuff this year that I always wanted to, but never got to.
Need to get to my dad's house for some grass mulch, then I can get my potatoes started. Shopping around for pepper varieties I can keep indoors for winter and maybe bonchi.

BTW, any updates on those hibiscus seeds you were talking about a couple weeks ago?
 

Mapleminx

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No signs of germination yet, wanted to get my hands on some fancy “rosa sinensis“ varieties but the seeds run surprisingly expensive for what they are, as for them it’s often auction only and people bid like madmen. What did end up with was seeds for some Texas white star “Hibiscus coccineus 'Alba'” otherwise known as swamp hibiscus as those were dirt cheap. Figured I’d try my luck with those first before joining the bidding wars for the fancy stuff.

I also have some lithop seeds in the post now, god only knows if those will amount to anything.
 

Mapleminx

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Well the Hibiscus seeds seem to have a amounted to nothing so far.
The Lychee are sprouting (decided to plant some seeds after a supermarket snack🤣)
Kiwiberry are in the ground mid Feb and waiting to see if anything happens.
Frangipani are wrapped in wet paper towel inside a plastic bag. I wanted to try the “float germination“ method with those but raw meats and other food do not come on polystyrene trays here. In fact you can’t even buy plastic cutlery or cups and plates here unless it’s the harder durable multicolored reusable sort. This is great for the environment so that’s a win even with a bump in my plans.
Lithop seeds….not arrived yet. 😱
 

ShadyStump

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Yeah, you might actually have a seed problem.😜

I have a great big pot planted with potatoes. I've never had much luck with potatoes in containers, but this year I'm using grass mulch as a medium, which theoretically should allow for big tubers but limited top growth.
 

ShadyStump

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Seriously?
Yes, it's a high profit margin product that usually has to be imported in much of the world. If you can manage to grow it somewhere, there are people who might recognize what it is and steal it.
Much like bonsai theft, however, they often don't have the connections or quantities to sell it profitably, and it dies and they just waste their time. So it's not often a big deal, but it does happen sometimes.
 

Mapleminx

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Hibiscus - looks like a no grow.
Lychee - Germinated well. Kept one and passed the other seedlings around friends.
Kiwiberry - not looking promising, saw some scrawny little possible seedlings or weeds but they withered and failed.
Frangipani - first roots on some!
Lithops - never arrived, refunded.
 

ShadyStump

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Hibiscus - looks like a no grow.
Lychee - Germinated well. Kept one and passed the other seedlings around friends.
Kiwiberry - not looking promising, saw some scrawny little possible seedlings or weeds but they withered and failed.
Frangipani - first roots on some!
Lithops - never arrived, refunded.
Got paid today and brought a hardy Chicago fig sapling I've been waiting for. But when I went to get it I saw they also had kiwi berries. Must have stared for 5 minutes trying to make up my mind. 😂

I'm sorry the seeds didn't do well. My ex wife tried growing them a year ago and had similar luck.
I do know kiwi berry is grown successfully in orchards in northern Europe. When I first learned about them and researched it I found a video from one in Poland about their care, and the ones here today all had their import quarantine papers on the display. You can likely find saplings or cuttings if you look around.
 

ShadyStump

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IMG_20220313_150715_255.jpg
1st round of tilling done in the garden plot...
By hand with a shovel 🥵
Time to make some lemonade.

This spot's for the root vegetables. Tomatoes, peppers, shelling beans and lettuce are going elsewhere in the yard.
 

HorseloverFat

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This year I'm doing:

Papavers

Chiles -
Hungarian Black
Tesque
Purple Serrano
Cream Rush

Toms -
Berkely Tie Dye
Brad's Atomic
Indigo Apple
Chocolate Cherry
Cream Sausage.

I've also got rubrums and willows for landscape stock.
 

ShadyStump

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This year I'm doing:

Papavers

Chiles -
Hungarian Black
Tesque
Purple Serrano
Cream Rush

Toms -
Berkely Tie Dye
Brad's Atomic
Indigo Apple
Chocolate Cherry
Cream Sausage.

I've also got rubrums and willows for landscape stock.
Counting down to the safe plant date.
I'm not going to bother with starts this late in the season, just straight into ground or big pot. They'll grow faster and better outdoors anyway. That and I am SOOO behind I don't have it in me to even bother any more. 😝
 
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