Jenfm, I've always thought about the dwindling daylight hours effects on our fall/winter vegetable gardens. Not just fewer hours, but less intensity as the plants grow. Then there's the seasonal lag through January before things really start the upturn toward spring. It's no wonder the largest pumpkins and squash grow in Alaska and Siberia. Unlimited sunlight on those large leaves! Along with the soil sterilizing deep freeze every winter. I've never had luck with summer squash here. They come up and flower fine, but immediately after flowering the small fruits rot or vine borers get into the stems. I'm going to order some of those Tromboncino squash seeds very soon. Ill, did you say you planted that in the fall? Cucumbers do only slightly better. I don't think they handle humidity well at all (mildew) and get the same bugs as the squash. I'm planning to start some cukes in late Dec to take advantage of the dry season and lengthening days. In a large pot with a trellis. I think you can sow amaranth anytime of year. Once it's established and you let one go to seed it pops up everywhere. I really see the best growth in the spring. It goes to seed more quickly later summer and fall. I've found the red one does better for me. The green one must be very tasty though. It's always eaten up in the garden, by little caterpillars. I love nasturtiums among the veggies too. They pop up every fall like magic.

WooHoo! I received my box from Melinda today. It was packed full of wonderful goodies. She sent chocolate covered peanuts chocolate peanut clusters a garden puzzle to keep me occupied until spring brown paper bags to collect seeds in a package of floral note cards a journal for gardening a windowsill greenhouse plastic seed envelopes jiffy peat pellets sharpie ultra fine point markers a package of address labels a package of bubble envelopes two adorable bunnies for my garden a packet of gardeners hand therapy and the following abundance of seeds: Jacob Cline monarda cosmos picotee pony tails stipa grass marigold citrus mix cambridge blue sage black prince snapdragon royal bride snapdragon calendula bon bon mix cereinth shrimp plant sidaldea rosanna salvia east friesland malva bibor felho dianthus siberian blues chianti sunflower limonium latifolium sea lavender liatris floristan white phlox david nasturtium moonlight nasturtium scarlet gleam nemesia shooting stars nasturtium dwarf cherry rose nasturtium empress of india delphinium blue duet mix oneothera pink petti coats nasturtium night and day columbine dorothy rose columbine rose and ivory helenium mardi gras columbine cardinal columbine winky blue and white rudbeckia cherry brandy rudbeckia goldilocks rudbeckia kelvedon star Melinda you rock! I love everything! There were so many seeds from my want list and I can't wait to try all of the others too. I'm playing hookie from school today to wait for the man to come and install the phone and new internet so this was a wonderful surprise for me. I was sad because I had the day off and nothing to wintersow but you made my day. Thank you so much! You did a wonderful job! Becky

A couple of notes because the rest is going to be rather long and involved: Lynda, I have the Vitex marked for you and in your baggie! And thank you for the marigolds! They will be very interesting with my others! Dessie I would be more than happy to receive your little helper's seed packets! I think it's great! Wendy Try some Chai Spice tea, it works wonders in helping clear up colds and flu. I always add a dollop of honey to help sooth the throat. It's a staple in our house and really does help. Alright, here is my take on this.. I can understand how many were hoping that the two swaps would not coincide, but, we all knew there was a fair chance of that happening. For myself, I know that I continued to update my list, even well after Patty's swap's mailing deadline. I did my updates using the same method we did for Patty's swap- using an updated date. Even had I not, I knew there was a good chance the two swaps would overlap. I joined this one knowing full well- according to the guidelines posted for it- that I may NOT receive as many as I sent in. That I would receive as many as were sent in FOR me, up to five packets of the SAME item. I recall there being some issue with this and a member who became very rude in their comments about this fact. Yes, my package from the What's Left swap is in the second batch to go out. No, I did not keep strict record of what I sent to those who were in the What's Left swap. I did keep better records of what I'm sending for this swap. I also know that a lot of people will be sending in baggies of seeds marked as extras- not dedicated for anyone, but to add in when it's seen those items are on someone's list. No, these may not be some of the rarer or more exclusively wanted items on someone's list. But if someone has some of those rarer or more specific items to share, I'm sure they would have put them into your baggie before they mailed. So, I don't see that anyone would be missing out on anything. The only way I could see having updated one's list further as complicating Patty's swap would be if someone had removed things from their list. Updating and adding items would not have conflicted. Because if there were any extras of what you were wanting, Patty would have included them. So, I guess I'm not really understanding how there is such a need to update the lists just because one is in both swaps. If I receive duplicates, wonderful! Because the things on my list are things I want! If I don't receive something on my list, then no one had it to share. If I receive so many of something that I can't plant it all, then I can bless someone else by offering it up for a trade. So, perhaps I'm being dense here, but how would one not receive something sent in specifically for them (up to FIVE packets of the same item!) that was on their wants list in this swap? Everyone has the chance to see your wants as posted and you have had the option to add to that list, as many including myself have this whole time. The only thing I could really see the two swaps happening almost simultaneously possibly affecting would be one's have's list. I'm sorry, I don't mean to upset or offend anyone. I'm just honestly trying to understand why this is such an issue. So please don't take this as meaning to offend or as pointed to anyone in particular. This is just me trying to understand why so many are upset about this. If you prefer to email me privately and help me understand it, I would be pleased with that and please do! Perhaps there are aspects and issues with this that I'm not readily seeing and should consider. I don't want to keep the thread off track by my question becoming a debate here. Perhaps there can be some adjustments of dates if this swap happens in the late summer or again next winter, but for this year it is as it is and personally, I'm really enjoying it! Nancy, I hope you don't decide to drop out, because I know that I should have at least a couple of things from your list, perhaps more. But I'll respect your choice and be your Garden Buddy either way :) Fran, you have a real job ahead of you and I don't know how those like you and Patty do it! Leave me hosting my "pair em up and let em go" or true RR type swaps! I think those of you that host this kind of swap are awesome! Angela, you have been a wonderful help to Fran and all of us in this swap! I know the time it can take to code pages like that, though updates are easier once the initial work is done, and I want to say THANK YOU for the time and work you are putting in on this swap for everyone's benefit! Kathy~ heading off to stuff more little baggies and envelopes.

Well given your list of things here is what I would do. 1) I don't think you'll have enough of the potting mix to fill all your pots even though they are relatively small and personally I don't care to use compost in containers as it doesn't drain as well. But I guess you'll have to in order to stretch the mix. So mix the MG and the compost together well and fill up to 1" from the top as many of the pots as you can. You may only have enough to fill 4 pots. Wet it well, compress it gently, and add more mix if needed. Mix into each pot 1 cup of the EB Stone SureStart fertilizer. Mix it in well and plant 1 plant in each pot. Plant it deeply. 2) You don't mention the variety names so I don't know if they are indet. or det. varieties so you will just have to add stakes or support for them as needed. For that size pot I hope they are determinate varieties. 3) I don't see a liquid fertilizer - at least none I recognize - on your list except for the fish oil but some is needed so use that. Once a week when you water the plants include a 1/2 strength dose of it. Nutrients leach out of the pot every time you water so they have to be replaced regularly. 4) AVOID OVER-WATERING. Get used to sticking your finger deep into the soil to see if it is cool and damp. If it is don't water. As the plants grow and the weather gets hotter they wlll need increased watering, sometimes 2 or 3 times a day in such small containers, but the tendency is to water too much so take care. 5) Use the Thuricide (BT-K) for any hornworms or caterpillars you see on the plants but only IF you see them. Use the Capt. Jacks per label directions for any other pests. But FIRST make sure they really are a pest. Just because you see a bug on the plant doesn't automatically mean you have to spray something. Watch it, see if it is alone or has friends, is it just passing through or staying to eat, and what is it eating the leaves, the fruit or the bad bugs. :) 6) Use the FungOil and or the Seranade for any fungus diseases IF they develop. At first sign use it regularly as neither works well as a preventative but will slow it down. If you avoid hosing down the plant (water at the soil level only) and make sure it has good air circulation around it you can reduce the odds of getting Early Blight or Septoria the 2 most common. 7) After the plant sets its first fruit do a side dressing using the Master Nursery Tomato/Vegetable Food 5-10-10 or the Tomato Tone. Lay a 2" wide band of it (about 1 cup full) in a circle around the inside rim of the pot and work it gently into the top 3-4" of the soil. Repeat that 6 weeks later. After that the weekly dose of fish oil should be enough. Please know up front that this is far from ideal but based on the info you have provided it should work fairly well IMO. Dave