It has been pretty nice out today. I even saw some daffodils poking through a little! I'm sure many of you have been poring over the gardening books and catalogs. So I wondered if you have found anything new and interesting to try?

I want to get a few new roses, but other than that I haven't really made up my mind on anything yet. Maybe some of you will give me some ideas.

-- Melissa in SE Ohio (me@home.net), January 26, 2002

Answers

I am going to try loofah gourds. A friend sent me some seeds. She also sent me a gourd to dry and peel. It was great. I am going to fill them with homemade goat milk soap and then slice them.

-- Marci (Marci@amazingrazefarm.com), January 26, 2002.

Growing corn for the first time this year. Wwe used to barter for corn and other veggies from our Amish friends....I would make house calls when their kids were sick and take all kinds of goodies home with me..now that we have no neighbors who farm large quantities, we will just have to learn to grow things ourselves! I'm going to plant in 2 week increments..read about that on the AL extention pages..two rows, followed in two weeks by two rows, etc. etc. etc...I cannot wait to sow the first seed!

-- lesley (martchas@bellsouth.net), January 26, 2002.

Lesley, I've read you need to grow corn in short rows and say four across. Long rows and they can not pollinate as well. The wind and bees pollinate corn. Just thought I would let you know since it was your first year. I love growing corn. I'm still looking for a good non hybrid seed.

-- Jo in Central Wa. (countryjo16@hotmail.com), January 26, 2002.

Something I tried new this year was a lasagna bed in my whole garden. I won't know if it works until later. Marci, the idea about pouring the soap into the luffa and slicing sounds so cool! It's true about planting corn in blocks of at least four rows. Last year I grew Black Mexican, an HL/OP and when it tasseled it has a wonderful frangrance. I'm hoping to grow out my Texas Honey June that I got from Sandhill this year.

-- LaDena,Tx9 (littledena77458@yahoo.com), January 26, 2002.

Hi Melissa, I'm going to try artichoke this year. It's a perennial that will last for 5 or more years, so I don't have to plant it every year. I also ordered some different kinds of pepper seeds. They look and taste like the hot ones, without the heat. I love peppers, just not so hot. Will still grow the regular bells, but I also wanted to try something different. Isn't it fun to try new things? Come on Spring!!!

-- Annie (mistletoe6@earthlink.net), January 26, 2002.

Marci, I'm really interested in your loofah goard soap project. Sounds so cool!

I would be very interested in buying some if you have success.

-- Michaela (flhomestead@aol.com), January 27, 2002.

Sorry, haven't had enough coffee this morning, and got detoured by Marci's goat soap.

We're entering our third spring on our homestead acreage. Up till now we were surrounded right up to the house by tall pines, so all gardening was done in pots or raised bed right by the house.

Last fall we completed clearing of two acres, and we're now gearing up and preparing major garden space, along with adding fruit trees and berry bushes. So this is going to be an interesting gardening season for us! All organic, heirloom, non-hybrid. Nothing like doin' it the hard way I guess!

Thanks for listening, sometimes I get so excited about our little homestead and all our plans I bore everybody to tears.

Happy growin'!

-- Michaela (flhomestead@hotmail.com), January 27, 2002.

I noticed pastel colored Indian corn in the seed catalog. It's the first time I've seen it so have ordered some since it looks so strange.

-- Anna in Iowa (countryanna54@hotmail.com), January 27, 2002.

Thanks for the advice about corn. I did not know tht. I have always seen corn growing on thousands of acres, so I was planning on planting a row of 30 each then a row behind that of 30 each..you can only plant 4 stalks at a time in a row? So that means I should plant 4 seeds and the 4 seeds behind that only?????? I'm a tad confused here..that would mean I would have to have many more rows than I had planned on for space.

-- lesley (martchas@bellsouth.net), January 28, 2002.

Plant 4 rows all the same kind. Even if the rows are only 10 feet long. The books usually say to plant in blocks. This helps with pollination.

So if you had 4 rows 40 feet long, plant the first 10 feet of each row with type 1 of corn, the next 10 feet with type 2, the next 10 feet with type 3, and the last 10 feet with type 4.

To make things a little more interesting it helps to plant it so that the wind blows across the rows, rather than down the rows!

-- Melissa in SE Ohio (me@home.net), January 28, 2002.

DUH..Thanks! I thought you all were saying 4 PLANTS vs 4 rows of any size in a "block"..got it now.

-- lesley (martchas@bellsouth.net), January 28, 2002.

I am going to try some different types of tomatos this year. I am also going to plant molebeans. They are susposed to keep the moles away. It has been really warm here in Indiana the last few days. I can't wait to start planting.

-- sweet_mae (sweet_mae86@hotmail.com), January 31, 2002.