Jiffs V. Burps - Round 1

So, as luck would have it, I have about three weeks left in my semester which entails three exams in one class - two of which are next week. And what do I get? I get sick for the entire week prior to said exams. So here I am, day five of feeling like I got run over by truck, in a weird coma from NyQuil (I never could handle that stuff) and certainly not able to focus on anything in a textbook about the digestive system.
I can't do nothing even when my brain is about ten steps behind the rest of my body. So I thought I would try to handle this blog, it requires no foot movement, generally...

...left hand...right hand...space bar...


I am happy to say that our seedlings are doing just great, they survived their lonely weekend last week and we have a clear lead developing in our contest!















The cheaper, more traditional potting mix prevails so far! Since I planted so many different things in the same flat you can see there are many pods still void of green. They'll fill in soon. The missing pods are what you see on the right, the Mexican sunflower really took off! I already have some transplanted into tubs that are sitting on my porch now. Take a look.

And how did our coconut fiber friends fair?
So far...
























So unless ol' coconut makes quite a comeback, looks like Jiffy may just win!

Update on the E.S. Garden too!

Disclaimer: I take no responsibility for any parts of this that make absolutely no sense. I blame it on the drugs.

We Have Lift-off!

Seeds have been planted! Actually, I planted them about a week ago, so I speak the truth when I say some are already pokin' their green goodness out of the soil. But I had this whole plan of doing a little science experiment aand using two types of mediums to grow the same plants and seeing which grew better and it was going to be great!
Well I did do it, I'm just behind on blogging about it. So we're going to pretend it's a week ago.

OK, so, la la, it is April 11th and here we go with Jessica's Science Experiment to the Stars!

I bought two different seed starting kits:




Jiffy seed starter - $5.89
Burpee seed starter - $7.99








So what I did was plant the same seed in both both starter kits, at the same time, and I'll compare both to see which one grows better plants.

So far this is my synopsis of the two:

Burpee:
I was very excited about this because it was different than other seed starting kits I've seen. This is a coconut fiber-based medium. The box touts its ability to drain well, preventing root rot and such.

Pros:
+ It came with plastic tags so I could label each cell group.
+ Relatively mess-free. I live in a small apartment, without a yard, so mess-free is the way to be!
+ The coconut comes in a compact sphere and it expands in seconds when water is poured on it.

Cons:
- The cells are very deep so I can see it being a pain trying to get them out when the time comes.
- Although the fiber expanded quickly it didn't expand evenly and it took me a while to break up all the bits.


Jiffy:
Pretty standard mix. Comes in netting.

Pros:
+ The netting will make transfer very easy.
+ Expanded quickly and evenly.

Cons:
- Doesn't come with tags. I made homemade ones...out of cardboard...they were soaked quickly...not my brightest move.
- A little messier than the coconut because the pods don't sit in any container, so the dirt spilled out a bit.

So what did we plant!


- Two varieties of lobelia
- Mexican sunflower
- lavender
- thyme
- chamomile
- sweet marjoram

I have a few more I still need to plant, but it's a bit early and I don't feel like transplanting things 8 times before I can bring them outside.



As you can see, I don't have any veggies. I will plant a lettuce mix, but I'm going to plant it right into the soil. The rest will be grown at the ol' p-rents house and I will share all that goodness as well.

Next week on The Pale Gardener - I'll let you all know which medium had the first sprouts! ooooo the suspense! I'll also post some pictures of the E.S. Garden (my new name for the parent's place) it's coming along wonderfully!

Keep your fingers crossed the seeds survive the weekend.
The boy is turning 25 tomorrow (Happy Birthday Nick!) and we're going out to visit my bro for the weekend. So I hope when Sunday rolls around I don't come home to poor little dead seedlings.

As a side...I mean dessert...well, could be a side too

If you have not yet gathered by the: blog title, big picture of a crazy bead plant, or the rambles of a sleep-deprived individual about plants and dirt and messy times, that this is a blog about gardening...

Well, there was your introduction.


I will occasionally post other interesting tid-bitties of info. about things not concerning gardening. Cause hey, I have other interests too! Like this and this and studying for this and also this delicious hobby.

So consider this my first off-topic post!

Delicious Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

4 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups butter (oh yeah)
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 (3.4 oz) packages instant pudding
4 cups chocolate chips

Do the normal stuff, mix dry ingredients first. Separately beat the wet ingredients, blah blah like normal cookies. But after you cream the butter and sugars add the pudding and then move along with the rest. Mix the dry and wet together. Bake at 350 for 9-12 minutes.

A few things I've noticed:
Now I know any baker would want to strangle me for saying this, but sometimes I am not really specific about measurements. The big stuff, yeah, but little piddly things like vanilla and what not, I do what I want yo! So the pudding situation. The recipe says 2-3.4 oz packs. Well, I've made these twice. The first time I had one package of chocolate pudding that was 4.6 oz. and I only made a half batch because damn, half a batch is plenty enough for two people. They came out wonderfully. The second time I had 2 packages of vanilla pudding coming in at 3 oz. each, and again I made only a half batch. They also came out delicious. So yeah, the pudding amount is debatable from my point of view. Also worth noting, at least the second time I didn't get instant pudding and still, yum-o (yeah OK Rachael Ray).

These cookies remind me of Freihofer chocolate chip cookies. So for those of you who have been graced with the Freihofer Taste of Heaven, then get ready because they are homemade now!




By the way, the knitting cat above. I actually hate cats, I like knitting though. Just thought I'd point that out in case you thought that cats were an interest of mine. They certainly are not. Well, unless they are someone else's cat and they just need a petting from me. I can do a petting.
Also, you know how hard it was to find a good picture of a nurse that wasn't a sexy nurse?

What's that smell?

Sweet article on urban composting. I have not tried it in my apartment yet. I keep some food scraps and bring them to my parent's compost pile during the warmer months. Scraps are so hard to store for long periods, though, so it would be smart to start my own smelly decomposing pile of fruit and veggie leftovers.

Give it to the worms!

P.S. A real post is coming soon. I promise. I have an exam today so that has been priority. But I have a neat little experiment in store for you all. Get ready!

Give it the ol' college try...

Felder Rushing gives some good tips and persuasions to those still on the edge about starting a garden. And his definition of "garden" can fit almost any of our lifestyles:

Slow, Easy, Cheap and Green


I want to be friends with this dude.

To-Do's

For all of those unfamiliar with the gardening forecast for Upstate New York from the months of October-May-ish let me give you a little sniglet of info. - THERE ISN'T ONE.

So to keep me quiet and off the streets (and to pretend I am being productive whilst I procrastinate studying for my A&P exam...) I thought I would compile a bit of a list of my to-do's for this Spring.

Jessica's Let's-Get-This-Spring-Thing-Going To-Do List

~Repot these plants:



* Jade - Poor thing, really should only have 1-2 plants in each container.






* Columnea - Early Bird - This thing was barely a few strands when I bought it from Lyndon Lyon Greenhouses and now it has taken right off!





*Asparagus Fern - It kinda sorta took a dive off the back of the toilet. Yeah I placed the plant precariously on the back of it, and yeah I even thought to myself, "wow that's going to fall". Yes, yes, we all hope to have these moments of clarity...and then straight up ignore them.
Anyway, after I recovered the crushed plant from its tumble, I noticed a big ol' root poking out the bottom, so that is a good sign we need to go up a size. Sorry fern, you're gettin' a little rounder in the middle.


And finally, one of my favorite plants, also purchased at Lyndon Lyon:



* Begonia - Emerald Jewel - Such a neat plant. Very fragile though. As you can see it is headin' out of dodge without a road. Every time I place it down I have to angle it just right or else it topples over.

So repotting is a bit of a delicate situation. Any houseplant book you read will talk all about being sterile and bacteria and all those scary things that make you not want to touch your beautiful, but overgrown plant. Ah yes, but we must. And we will. Soon. Very soon. Happy Spring to all!

Jess

P.S. I actually started this post last week, but because I had that test, (as noted above) this week, it has taken me an ungodly amount of time to finish it. In case you were wondering, I killed that test. Got an A, in yo face digestive and respiratory system!

Ok, Ok...

I know, this doesn't look good for me. I can't even get past the first post! I promise once the weather gets above 25 during the day, I will be more motivated to do plant-type things and therefore more motivated to blog!
First I'll set the stage for you all. "You all" being, like, me at this point. Regardless! Here we go:


The players:

The reason for this blog:








And you can see many, many more pictures of the jungle after I get around to setting up a photo site.


Also playing a roll in this production number:






Me of course!
Yes, the short, sunburn-prone individual above will be providing the entertainment for this evening.
However, don't show up every night, this girl is a nursing student (with high hopes of being a midwife!) so between a full-time job and part-time school, shows will be infrequent and possibly quite bad.
Fair warning to you all. (yes, yes still just me)



Also included in my rabblings but currently I am too lazy to post pictures of because, damn it takes a while to edit each picture so it doesn't take up 5 feet of scrolling space are:

-The full-time, humugo garden I help take care of over in ol' East Schodack.
- My doodle-bop animal buddies that I share a home with. Alf, Lola and Floyd.
- The great BF who may or may not want his mug posted on my blog. That will be determined.

Eventually I will get a photo space set up so I can post the beautiful pictures there where my lazy self will not have to edit each one for perfect height and width proportions.
In the next month I'll start planting some seeds and will get ready to transplant all the houseplants that are dying in their too small pots.
Until then, all us Upstate NYers are ready for Spring! (Although it was comforting to have a real winter again...finally)