Thanks for giving me some pointers, I think I will try again next spring, it is probably to late to seed them out now, right? * Posted by: Mearth z8PNW B'ham . >>Try backing off on the fertilizing, and add sand. I've found that my root crops do best with that combo. I add lots of yummy compost in the fall, then nothing until the first crop is done in the spring. Do yours put on lush top growth? Mine tend to look unimpressive until you pull them.The soil where they grow is really loose and get's good drainage, but I might try to just not fertilize them before I sow the seeds. Not sure how much foliage is lush, they seemed to have a normal amount of foliage. But maybe I just don't remember how much foliage they are supposed to have. It's been a long time since i grew Radishes last. >lol> >>Posted by: Carol_Ann Radishes like cool weather so if you're planting them after it really warms up, they won't do as well. They don't like summer heat. Also, my first thought was that you might be heavy on the nitrogen, as mentioned, but radishes are quick growers and like some fertilizer. You mentioned making your own fertilizers but didn't say what you add to the chicken manure (heavy on N) already there. If your additions are heavy on N, you might want to modify what you're doing.I don't think I planted them to late, actually the first ones I planted in late March, when I planted the peas, but they didn't sprout, so I planted again in early April. The chicken compost might be the problem. Also I got the planting soil from Lane Forest products and the more I look at their compost/soil mixes the more I think there is just too much woodpulp in it. That could cause fertility problems, right? I am using the fertilizer mix recommended by Steve Solomons Book 'Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades', I highly recommend the book for people new to the area (I am not through the book yet, but so far I think it has lot's of good info). He says that our areas soil needs lot of lime, because of the rain so he mixes 4 parts seed meal, 1/2 part lime (best to mix equal amounts of agricultural lime and dolomite), 1/2 part phosphate rock or bone meal(steamed or raw), 1/2 part kelp meal. >>You mentioned water on a timer -- think about how often that supplies water, and for how long. Once the seed has germinated, you want to really soak the bed well and then let it drain and get nearly dry before the next watering. Frequent, shallow waterings or too much water too often would hinder radish development.Because it is a new garden area I wasn't sure how much to water and how long, because it all depended how that new area draines and if the water stays in the soil or dries out quick. I am using a 1/2 gph dripper line, in the beginning, when I planted lots of seeds I set it to water for 25 min. early in the morning and another 25 min in the afternoon. Later in the year, after all seeds had sprouted I watered only once 40 min. every day. Since August I only watered every other day. Maybe that was to much water in the beginning? Anyway many thanks to the ones who responded with so many pointers. I will try again, next year. You're right eventually they come out right, I shouldn't give up so easy. What kind of Gardener gives up after just 3 years >lolgreetings Isa

Steffie, I wish we were next-door neighbors, too, but since we live more than just a few miles apart, we'll have to be cyber-neighbors. :) I am far from an expert, just a gardening nut who relentlessly tries to learn and understand and improve what I do as I go along. And, lest you think I have a perfect yard or landscape, let me disabuse you of that notion right away! I have weeds I can't defeat, bermuda that invades beds it shouldn't, trees and shrubs that outgrow the spot where they were oh-so-carefully placed, plants that just give up and die and I never really figure out why they died, etc., etc., etc. Discussing things with my Oklahoma friends and neighbors here at this forum helps me keep things in perspective. It educates me. It offers me encouragement on those days when everything seems wrong and nothing seems right. It gives me new ideas and inspiration. Every one of you is better than me at something that is gardening-related. And, believe me, I know it. So, for example, when one of you writes about hydangeas, I pay attention and soak up everything you say, because one of these days I WILL succeed with hydranges. Have you ever noticed that most all gardeners are just the kindest, most giving and sharing people? You know what I'm talking about.....you see someone working out in the yard and you stop to tell them that you love their irises....and they dig up a couple on the spot and insist you take them, saying...."I needed to divide them anyway". Or, you drop off some of your extra tomatoes and a carton of hen or guinea eggs at a neighbor's house.....and they won't let you leave until you have some of their 'extra' fresh corn and peaches right off the tree, and some bacon from a hog they slaughtered and processed. I've yet to meet a fellow gardener who wouldn't give you the shirt off their back, or loan you their rototiller, or give you tons and tons of advice and ideas, and then apologize to you if their ideas don't work for you. So, I am very touched when you say that I am your hero. That is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me. You have to believe me when I say that I feel the same way about each and every one of you. I believe we are all heroes for one another, and I believe that is how God meant for it to be. Life in this world can be cold, hard, and cruel, at times. For those of us who love to garden, the love, friendship, caring and support we receive from one another is a beautiful gift And, it is a gift I appreciate each and every day. Hugs to you, Steffie, and hugs to all the rest of you too. Dawn

Hi, Misty! ALWAYS nice to see you pokin' your head in around here! It's interesting that you left the ROCKY Mountains--and now you have ROCKY soil instead! I'm not so sure that's a good trade off! :-D But I'm glad to know you're still growing a buncha veggies! There's no food as good as home grown veggies--especially tomatoes! I don't know what they are, but the Pink Stuff they sell in food stores are not tomatoes! If you like Sungold, you REALLY should try Sweet Aperitif red cherry some year! They're "different" from Sungold, but they are BOTH To Die For! [Fedco--good seeds, good prices! Free shipping over $50 -- $6 under $50!] If you're in "eastern" Kansas, what town are you in/near? I'm asking because long, long ago, my husband's best friend--best man at our wedding!--was from Hutch--as in Hutchinson! And when he got married, his Intended was from Beatrice (Bea-A'-trice!), and my husband was HIS best man so we went back there for the wedding--the wedding was in Beatrice! Then, after they got married they lived on his father's (inherited) farm at Hutch, and one year we drove back there and stayed--in the olde farm house--for a couple nites and one day went out and waded in the Arkansas (Ar-KAN'-sas!) "river," which runs across the farm they lived on! It was great fun--except for the nasty, nasty "no-see-ums" that were biting us--no matter where we were! So I'm just wondering how close you might be to that area! Getting way off the tomato subject!!! Also! If you're close enough to St. Louis, have you ever heard of Cahokia Mounds??? It's right across the river (the BIG river--not the wading kind!) from St. Louis at Collinsville, Illinois! If you've never heard of it, search it (I recommend doing it on DuckDuckGo so you can actually SEE the "images"--since you can't anymore with google search!). It's part of the "Mississippi River Mounds Cultures", ancestors of some of today's "east coast" tribes (Creek, Shawnee, Seminole, and more!)--there are "ruins" that "look like" Central American ruins, but they're "made of earth!" If you're interested in "that sort of thing" I thought they were very interesting! If you ever go and you walk to the top of "Monk's Mound" (yeah, named by White Man!) you can "look across the river" and see St. Louis--that's how close it is to the river! I found the Ye Olde Folks thread on RMG (actually, I had saved a link to it--it's virtually impossible to find anything you try to search for on GW anymore since houzz took over!) and I'm gonna do a short post on it right after I post this, to bump it up! It was started in 2008! If you have "some time," check it out! I just reread virtually the whole thread again--Memories!!! Candy cigarettes and Burma Shave signs!!! Please do keep showing up here every now and then! You're Family, and if you have "garden"--or bird!--questions, we're still here with answers--even if you DO live in No-See-Um Kansas! Happy Spring, Skybird F 03.01.24 @ 1255 MST

What wood species do you have in your dining room? You can find a lot of carts by searching "cherry serving cart" or "mahogany..." etc. Did you see this one? It doesn't have handles, but it's awful cute. Here is a link that might be useful: likely not what you're looking for, but...