Planting October 2021 Planting and Chat Thread

[packyderms_wife]

Planting Calendar - Gardening by the moon

This planting calendar helps you pick the best days for gardening tasks based a 200-year-old formula. Our readers swear by it! Learn more.

www.farmersalmanac.com

• 1st – 4th
  A most barren period, best for killing plant pests or doing chores around the farm.
• 5th – 6th
  Fine for sowing grains, hay, and forage crops. Plant flowers. First day is a favorable day for planting root crops. Second day is a favorable day for planting beans, peas, squash, sweet corn, tomatoes, and other aboveground crops in southern Florida, Texas, and California.
• 7th – 8th
  Start seedbeds. Favorable days for planting aboveground crops, and leafy vegetables such as lettuce, cabbage, kale, and celery where climate is suitable
• 9th – 10th
  Do clearing and plowing, but no planting.
• 11th – 12th
  Plant tomatoes, peas, beans, and other aboveground crops, indoors in the North and outdoors in lower South.
• 13th – 14th
  Poor planting days. Kill poison ivy, weeds, clear land, but no planting.
• 15th – 17th
  Extra good for vine crops. Favorable days for planting aboveground crops where climate is suitable.
• 18th – 19th
  Barren days, do no planting.
• 20th – 22nd
  Good days for transplanting. Good days for planting beets, carrots, onions, turnips, and other hardy root crops where climate is suitable.
• 23rd – 24th
  Poor days for planting, seeds tend to rot in ground.
• 25th – 27th
  Start seedbeds and flower gardens. Good days for transplanting. Best planting days for fall potatoes, turnips, onions, carrots, beets, and other root crops where climate is suitable.
• 28th – 31st
  A most barren period, best for killing plant pests or doing chores around the farm.

 

[packyderms_wife]

I picked more cherry tomatoes yesterday, they were by far the best tasting tomatoes of the season from our garden. I may pick some green tomatoes and fry those babies up this weekend.

 

[fish hook]

I have decided that next year the only tomatoes i am going to plant is romas and cherries. More production and more flavor.

 

[philkar]

Quick question. I grew a new to me heirloom corn. Made well. Dried the corn on the stalk for the seed to plant for next year. Finished in drying boxes due to sooo much rain in north central Alabama. Placed the seed corn in glass gallon jars. Here's the question where do I store? Too much to store in freezer or fridge. Root cellar in the gallon jars with lids? Thanks in Advance!

 

[summerthyme]

Quick question. I grew a new to me heirloom corn. Made well. Dried the corn on the stalk for the seed to plant for next year. Finished in drying boxes due to sooo much rain in north central Alabama. Placed the seed corn in glass gallon jars. Here's the question where do I store? Too much to store in freezer or fridge. Root cellar in the gallon jars with lids? Thanks in Advance!

DRY and as cool as possible. Unheated bedroom, or porch?

I just don't trust gallon jars.. I had salt in several in our root cellar, they were *constantly * wet inside! Salt is definitely more hygroscopic than dry corn, but I'd be afraid to keep it in even a relatively dry root cellar.

Summerthyme

 

[philkar]

Hey ST! I originally placed in glass so that I could make sure it was thoroughly dry. I do have an unheated sunporch and a cabinet that it could find a home in! Thanks!

 

[bracketquant]

Finish drying is best done spread out in a single layer (on a screen if possible, but not necessary). Storage should be mouse proof containers. With planting saved seed the next year, a very cool place is not needed. Even 70 degrees would be fine. A dry place with no sunlight, yes.

On a side note, I've read that to keep an OP variety genetically stable, one needs about 100 plants pollinating each other.

May your seed be weevil free.

 

[philkar]

Finish drying is best done spread out in a single layer (on a screen if possible, but not necessary). Storage should be mouse proof containers. With planting saved seed the next year, a very cool place is not needed. Even 70 degrees would be fine. A dry place with no sunlight, yes.

On a side note, I've read that to keep an OP variety genetically stable, one needs about 100 plants pollinating each other.

May your seed be weevil free.

Thank you!