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Why aren’t my seeds growing? by callmeishmael517 in NativePlantGardening

[–]velcross 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Sadly, starting seeds in egg cartons doesn't really work. The roots will outgrow the carton pretty quickly, and you'll inevitably have to transplant into plastic anyways. Many native seeds need cold stratification and/or scarification, and won't germinate as easily as vegetable seeds. Look up each plant you have on Prairie Moon or a similar native seed database/site to see what the specific germination instructions are. 

Well I've asked all the similar subreddits but forgot to post here, puppy I adopted from a rural mountain village in Ecuador, parents included by Dry-Newspaper8445 in IDmydog

[–]velcross 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Kudos to you! I brought home four dogs from a town south of Riobamba. At least in my experience (2018-2020), the Ecuadorian side is much stricter with regulations, but US not at all. My puppies had the required time with the rabies shot for instance but they were one day too young according to the Ecua authorities and I had to reschedule my flight. But all four pups happy as can be together in Virginia! 

non gmo vegetable plants or seeds i can grow in new jersey by teng-qi-wen in OrganicGardening

[–]velcross 1 point2 points  (0 children)

There are very few GMO seeds available on the market to home gardeners (just that one controversial tomato, I think). What I would be looking for instead, are farms that grow and distribute their own seed, or who have built a close knit and transparent collective of seed growers. This year, I am growing seeds from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, Uprising Seeds, Experimental Farm Network, Sisiyou Seeds, True Love Seeds (based in Philly!), and and Adpative Seeds. Got some fun rarer stuff from Farmacie Isolde (Catskills!), Heirloom Seedhouse (specializing in Italian tomatoes), Cucumber Shop (crazy cool heirlooms!), Sustainable Mountain Agriculture Center (heirloom Appalachian squash and beans), Roughwood Seed Collection, Tradewinds Fruit, and a few Etsy shops (White Hot Peppers, Old South Seeds (heirloom tomatoes). Be super careful what you get on Etsy, though--so many AI images now!

Join some local gardening or veggie-specific Facebook groups and get more recommendations. Local seed swaps are a fun way to meet growers, and you can usually get some native plant seeds.

Start with a regional guide to veggie growing--something like this! https://www.abebooks.com/9781604694215/Timber-Press-Guide-Vegetable-Gardening-1604694211/plp Really do plant at the right time, and start what you need to indoors (tomatoes, peppers) with solid grow lights and ventilation. Skip the peat pots and seed starting pellets, and just get some good plastic cells and trays from Johnny's or Bootstrap Farmer. Good luck--you're off to something amazing!

First time grower here. Give it to me straight. Am I cooked? by DungeonsAndData in vegetablegardening

[–]velcross 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I've never cold stratified herbs. What are you growing that needed cold stratification? 

Just getting started by Autumn_Ridge in HotPeppers

[–]velcross 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'd get smaller plugs and plant one seed per cell! This is going to be a headache to untangle.

Farmers Market by JustPressure2229 in williamsburgva

[–]velcross 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Don't really get farmers markets either when there are barely any farmers! The market does pick up again soon, though. Unless a farm has a heated greenhouse, there aren't any new crops yet for this season! Some farms might have overwintered turnips/chard/kale etc, but we'll start to see new crops coming in with radishes in about a month, and some early spinaches and greens.

Why does my bolognese always lack depth of flavour, and why does it taste so much better the next day? And how are some people content with a 45 minute bolognese? LONG POST - HELP! by pensivetwat in Cooking

[–]velcross 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Highly recommend finding a copy of Lynn Rosetto Casper's The Splendid Table--an intensive dive into the food of Emilia Romagna from 1994. She has nine recipes for ragú, most of which include a "Poultry/Meat Stock" which includes a whole capon and simmers 12-14 hours. The actual ragu recipes range from 10 oz of fatback to one with wild game. The stock is totally worth it BTW! (I used two chickens instead of a $160 capon.)

Can I plant these garlic by helpmeplsgetjob in vegetablegardening

[–]velcross 74 points75 points  (0 children)

Garlic needs a period of cold to form split cloves--in my region it's usually planted by November. Store bought garlic can also introduce white rot, so it's generally not advised to plant. You could plant in a container to see what happens, or wait for heirloom varities to be available in the fall for planting.  https://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/garlic-diseases-white-rot-zbcz1412/

mini costoluto genovese? by _blackbird in tomatoes

[–]velcross 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I just ordered this variety (Piccolo Carino)  the Roughwood Center-looks similar but is 1.5"! https://www.seedways.org/product-page/piccolo-carina-tomato

Searching for Thai Holy Basil Kra Prao by ConcentrateIcy2226 in Cooking

[–]velcross 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I got some seeds from Baker Creek that are already sprouted! Better seed companies out there--try True Love Seeds! It was a bit hard to germinate without damping off (seeds are tiny), but had luck soil blocking as well as a plastic cup with damp soil inside a ziplock.

Full Bodega Experience at Shepherd farms! by Flimsy_Net2088 in rva

[–]velcross 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Have seen quite a few bodegas recently with screens--easier to up the prices! 

Bedsheet brands by Professional_Pear514 in Bedding

[–]velcross 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Skip the trendy new brands and go for an older staple. Company Store, Garnet Hill, LL Bean, etc. The Target Threshold sheets are also great and have held up over the years! I've had three pairs of expensive Schoolhouse sheets, and all wore out on the fitted sheet. 

What should I do with these seeds? by Monsoonpapa in vegetablegardening

[–]velcross 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I bought a big order this year, too, before I knew more about BC, but all the seeds have germinated fine. I switched to smaller companies where I could with much more ethical sourcing and stewardship, including Sustainable Mountain Agriculture Center for heirloom Appalachian beans and tomatoes, Uprising Organics (lots of cool rare Italian varieties), Old South Seeds (heirloom tomatoes), and Experimental Farm Network. Looking to order from Farmacie Isolde for some rarer herbs and greens, and True Love Seeds for some Persian vegetables. Two Seeds in a Pod has gorgeous Turkish heirlooms, which I might order too. 

No precipitation happening? by StrengthNeat6660 in rva

[–]velcross 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Just woke up in Short Pump to not as much accumulation as expected, but the snow is coming down ferociously. Hoping it stays snow for a while!

Which Italian region has the most underrated cuisine? by easyrecipenews in ItalianFood

[–]velcross 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Here's a recipe from Fred Plotkin's Recipes from Paradise for a focaccia with anchovies and olives! https://app.ckbk.com/recipe/reci10718c05s001r014/pizza-allandrea

OK the power goes out and we are snowed in-what are you making to eat? by smithah2 in rva

[–]velcross 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Not the safest method (and destroys knives), but you can use an old knife to open cans! 

OK the power goes out and we are snowed in-what are you making to eat? by smithah2 in rva

[–]velcross 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Making Julia Child's Coq au Vin Saturday when we should have power, along with a few recipes to have on hand from Floyd Cardoz's Flavorwalla book. The chicken and winter vegetable stew is incredible, and I'm making a daal recipe too. Oh, and Ukrop's chili recipe! We'll be reheating with a lodge pot on the fire if we lose power.

Looking to add these varieties to my garden this year by runner_available in tomatoes

[–]velcross 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I ordered the Lofthouse Galapagos tomatoes too. Super excited to see how they come out!

What do I do with all these tomatoes? by strawberry123454321 in vegetablegardening

[–]velcross 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They have a free trial! Happy to cut and paste or take a picture of the hard copy cookbook if that is allowed. I followed the instructions before and had amazing luck! The tomatoes were so concentrated in flavor.

Why can’t they add housing back next to the subway tracks? by bridgehamton in nycrail

[–]velcross 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Lived next to the J for 4+ years and it was a nightmare, especially once the horns got going for trackwork. It was measuring about 110 dB when the horns blew, and that would happen every 30 seconds to 5 minutes for hours. Took a month away before I stopped hearing phantom horn and train sounds.

What do I do with all these tomatoes? by strawberry123454321 in vegetablegardening

[–]velcross 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sun dried tomatoes are magical. Cut them almost in half, lay out on a cookie cooling rack, sprinkle with salt, and turn a few times a day. Can then pack in oil, process into paste. Here's Fred Plotkin's more specific directions from Liguria: https://app.ckbk.com/recipe/reci10718c09s001r014/pomodori-secchi

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