images from Becky's Greenhouse Good morning…clear blue sky and temperature is 40 degrees already at 9:00 AM very little wind so it is an awesome day. Sounds like clouds will move in this afternoon but the high of 55 low of 35 degrees. I just saw the delivery truck stop at the greenhouse. More boxes of plugs are here. Stay safe and enjoy.
I am doing my greenhouse diary for the last week. The first picture you see is the plug trays come in a box. There are 3 trays in this box. So that is 500 plants per tray, total 1500 little plants. Second picture is planting them in 4 packs. I don’t know if you can see how small they are. They are pansies. The third picture is the plug tray I was planting from. 500 little pansy plants. The fourth picture is me planting them in the dirt. Just push them in and we gently tap the flat when planted to make the dirt fill in around the plant plug. The fifth picture is the finish planting of 12-4 packs of pansies. I will put on the table and water and watch them grow. The sixth picture is my little watcher over the plants, or maybe helping plant the baskets. This shipment of plants was in boxes and had 11 trays with over 4000 plants to do. Besides the pansy, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, celery will be worked on. This is just the start of planting 1000’s of little plants. Our season has started in the greenhouse. This is our 35th year of growing plants. Hope you enjoy my diary, I will share more. Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net 641-794-3337 cell 641-903-9365
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image from atelieatenae, blogspot.com Good morning. Clear, blue sky but the temperature is at 21 degrees. High today of 54 and low of 24 degrees. More seasonable so this is good. Rain maybe on Friday. Stay warm and enjoy the sun light.
How about growing vegetables in containers? I did potatoes and onions last year and that worked well. Just as growing in a garden you need to know these things.
Vegetable Container Gardening for Beginners By MARY MARLOWE LEVERETTE If you don't have the space for a full garden, you can grow just about any vegetable in a container. The secret to successful container gardening is knowing what type of vessel to choose for each vegetable, selecting a nourishing soil, and providing the correct amount of light, water, and fertilization. Follow our tips for growing vegetables in containers to help you and your plants get off to a good start. Tip First time growing vegetables in a container garden? Start by growing peas and lettuce—they're both easy to grow and will produce satisfying results for your table quickly. Select the Perfect Container You can use almost anything as a planting container as long as it's the appropriate size for your plant, has good drainage, and is made of food-safe material. The larger your container is, the easier it will be to maintain: the more soil a container holds, the more moisture it will retain. Container Sizes Tomatoes, eggplant, pepper, cucumbers, cabbage, and beans should be planted in at least a five-gallon container. Beets, carrots, lettuce, and green onions can be planted in three-gallon containers. Most herbs and radishes grow well in containers of one gallon or less. Vegetables that require support like a tomato or squash plant will need a deeper container to avoid tipping over from imbalance or by offering too much wind resistance. Root vegetables like carrots and potatoes need a deeper container than shallow-rooted leafy greens. Wooden Containers Wooden containers are attractive and you can usually find optimal-size containers that aren’t too expensive. Or you can make a wooden planter box. Just remember that after a few seasons, wooden containers may begin to rot. Plastic Self-Watering Containers Growing vegetables in self-watering containers works well. They are large, easy to use, and incredibly durable plastic. They make watering plants a cinch because all you have to do is keep the water reservoir full. Ceramic Containers You can use glazed ceramic or terracotta pots, but it's harder to keep your plants moist in terra cotta because the clay allows the water to evaporate out of the soil more easily. To help solve this problem, you can line a terra cotta pot with plastic, use a plastic pot as a liner, or seal the pot with a stone sealing product. Tip Because ceramic and terracotta pots draw moisture into their materials, they can shatter if left outside in freezing weather. Make sure to store them inside during the winter. For an inexpensive container, use a 5-gallon plastic bucket from the hardware store and drill holes in the bottom. Another alternative is to make an unusual container from something you have around the house, such as an old laundry basket or toy bin. As long as it’s big enough and has good drainage, you can use anything. Drainage is key to keeping plants from drowning in a container. There should be one large hole or several smaller holes located at the base of your container to let excess water out of the bottom, so your plants won't sit in overly soggy soil and succumb to root rot. You can usually drill holes in the pot if the drainage is insufficient, and you can cover a large hole before adding soil with a coffee filter or plastic screening to keep the dirt from coming out the bottom. If your container sits on a hard surface, the hole might plug up. Elevate your container with pot feet or a pot cart to help your plants drain with ease. Use the Best Potting Soil High-quality potting soil is important for vegetables. Don't use soil from your garden, because it will compact in the containers and won't drain water properly. One of the reasons to garden in containers is to avoid the hassle of weeds and soil-borne diseases.2 If you use garden soil, you may import problems into your containers. Provide the Right Light and Temperature Most fruiting vegetables, like tomatoes and peppers, need full sun, meaning at least six hours of direct sunlight each day. But some gardeners might overestimate how much sun an area gets. For your veggies to thrive, you'll need an accurate assessment. Check the location every 30 minutes to confirm how long the sun hits where you want to put your vegetable container garden. You can also use a sun calculator to get an accurate assessment. If you live in a hot climate, you might need to shade your plants during the heat of the afternoon, so they don't overheat. Also, it's best not to use metal or dark-colored containers because they can become very hot and cook your plant's roots. Many vegetables don’t like cold soil. If you live in a cool climate, avoid putting your containers outside full-time until you know the temperature will be reliably warm. For many plants, the soil needs to be at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit. You can use a thermometer to find out the temperature of your soil. In addition, always make sure to harden off your seedlings (gradually acclimate them to the outdoor conditions) before you put them outside permanently. Water Correctly Most vegetable plants need lots of water to produce fruit However, you don't want to drown your plants. The goal is to keep the soil evenly moist but not soaking wet. To figure out whether your plants need water, stick your finger down into the soil about an inch. If the soil feels dry, add water; if you're not sure, wait and check later in the day. At the height of summer, you'll probably need to water at least once or sometimes twice a day. This is often the most high-maintenance and critical aspect of vegetable container gardening. Feed the Plants Plants need nutrition to thrive, and their food is fertilizer. If your potting mix doesn’t have fertilizer already mixed in, add some several times throughout the growing season, according to the directions on the label. Many gardeners mix organic, granular fertilizer into the containers before planting. Then, every couple of weeks, add diluted liquid fish emulsion or liquid seaweed to give the plants the nutrition they need. Another way to add nutrients is to make or buy compost to add to the soil, which helps feed the plants. You can start your veggies from seed or buy seedlings. There are some significant advantages and disadvantages to each. Planting seeds is much less expensive than buying seedlings and you can organically grow hard-to-find varieties. In addition, always make sure to harden off your seedlings (gradually acclimate them to the outdoor conditions) before you put them outside permanently. However, starting seeds isn't for everyone. They need 12 to 16 hours of light per day and good air circulation to grow strong. Plus, you absolutely cannot let the seeds dry out, or they're toast. Conversely, if you give them too much water, they’ll fail to thrive.4 Whether you start plants from seed or purchase seedlings from a greenhouse you must harden off seedlings (gradually acclimate them to the outdoor conditions) before you put them outside permanently. Best Vegetables for Container Gardens Tomato plant potted in gray container with small red tomatoes hanging between support trellis When choosing vegetables to plant in containers, look for bush or small varieties (often referred to as dwarf or compact), and be sure that your climate has enough growing days for the vegetables to mature. Vegetables that typically grow well in containers include: Peas: Put tall supports in the container when planting seedlings. Water frequently, and keep them fertilized. Potatoes: Some potatoes need a 120-day growing season, so look for varieties that mature early. Tomatoes: Like peas, tomatoes need a support system. Use a rod or tomato cage to keep your plants upright. Carrots: Use a container that's double the depth your variety will grow. Radishes: The container doesn't have to be that large for this spring and fall vegetable and you can grow them indoors. Eggplant: When choosing a variety to plant, know that many eggplants are fairly sensitive to cool temperatures (lower than 50 degrees Fahrenheit). Summer or zucchini squash and cucumbers: Choose bush varieties rather than sprawling vine varieties. One plant can fill a 24-inch pot quickly, so don't crowd your seeds or seedlings. A trellis in the pot will supply support for the fruit and allow air to flow around the plant. Leafy greens: Spinach and leaf lettuce are among the many greens that you can snip to eat one day and then snip again a few days later. Grow the cool-season crops in spring or fall. They also tolerate partial shade. Peppers: Try traditional bell peppers, or spice it up with hot peppers that are perfect for homemade salsa. These vegetables don't usually work well in containers: Large melons Corn Large pumpkins or squash Taken from https://www.thespruce.com/vegetable-container-gardening-for-beginners Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net 641-794-3337 cell 641-903-9365 image from blogspot.com Good morning, more seasonable temperatures today. We could get some rain and it is dark to the north. We need moisture so I hope so. I know you enjoyed the warm weekend. In the 70’s yesterday but we had a very high wind, so it was harder to be outside. Always changing weather in IOWA. Stay safe.
Need your input, have any of you raised strawberries in containers? Let us know how it worked out. I noticed we need to plant 5 strawberry plants in the container, so it needs to be wider than it is to be deeper because strawberries are shallow rooted. Different than planting in the garden. Give this a read and see if this is something you would like to try. How to grow strawberries in containers by Catherine Boeckmann Last season, we grew strawberries in containers! It was a big success. Pots of strawberries can be squeezed into any garden, even if you only have a patio or balcony. Learn why these compact fruits are perfect for pots, the best varieties, types of containers, how many berries to plant in a pot, and other container strawberry tips. Why Grow Strawberries in Containers? Strawberries are a natural choice for container growing for several reasons. They’re perfect for aspiring gardeners with little or no space. They look good – especially when in a strawberry tower or trailing from a hanging basket. And strawberries love a well-drained soil, so by growing them in containers, we can better supply that. Plus, growing strawberries in pots makes them so much easier to protect the fruits from slugs and animal critters and they’re also much easier to harvest without bending over strawberry beds! Best Strawberry Varieties for Containers Before we get planting, let’s take a quick look at the different types of strawberries you can grow. There are two main types of strawberries. Everbearing aka perpetual strawberries. These, as their name suggests, crop over a longer period, producing berries all summer long. The berries tend to be smaller but are widely considered to have a superior aroma and taste. Quinault is a great variety for containers. Summer-fruiting aka June-bearing strawberries. They ripen in late spring/early summer. The berries tend to be larger and, because they come all at once, are great if you want to make jam, can your berries or freeze them. There’s also a third, less common type of strawberry – the day-neutral strawberry, which is unaffected by daylength. The plants simply crop once they’ve reached a big enough size and if conditions are warm enough. Then you have the alpine strawberries, and, unlike the other strawberries, they grow well in shade and can be left to pretty much get on with it! They are the sweetest, most aromatic fruits of all – but they are tiny, as you can see, so probably not worth growing in containers, but they would make a fantastic ground cover beneath, say, shrubs. Strawberries for pots are available anytime from spring and are best planted as soon as you get them. Types of Containers for Strawberries Strawberries are shallow-rooted, so there’s little point having a deep container to grow them in as it would just be a waste of potting mix. Strawberries tend to do well in classic strawberry urns with little pockets or strawberry towers, tucking one plant per pocket. (See an example of a strawberry tower.) Or, a typical 12 to 14 inch diameter pot can accommodate two to three plants. We prefer a wider, shallower container which should hold about 5 plants. You could, of course, plant a smaller 6- to 8-inch container for one individual smaller pots like these will dry out quicker and need watering more often, so just bear that in mind. Potting Mix for Containers Use a good-quality, peat-free all-purpose mix. We never advise using garden soil as, in a container, it will just compact and become slow to drain, which strawberries definitely won’t like. Strawberry plants prefer a free-draining mix – something that stays moist enough but never gets sodden. Something like this beautiful potting mix here is just perfect. To help plants along, try adding some blood, fish, and bone. It’s an organic by-product of the food industry. If you’re vegan, then there are plenty of alternatives available: look for a balanced fertilizer – or one, ideally, with slightly more potassium in it and less nitrogen, because too much nitrogen will encourage soft, leafy growth over flowers and fruits. Alternatively, you could just apply a liquid feed that’s higher in potassium at regular intervals – something like a tomato fertilizer every two weeks throughout the growing season. This way you could just add your container strawberries onto the same feeding schedule as your tomatoes, peppers and other fruiting veggies. Planting Strawberries in Containers Set the crowns so they sit just above the soil level. Don’t bury them or they could rot. Firm them in properly. If the crown is leaning to one side, then have it pointing towards the edge of the container. That way the plants will grow up and over the rim, hanging down from the container to make the most of the available space. You can get away with spacing them a bit closer than they would need to be out in the ground – aim for about 8 to 10 inches apart. Leave a bit of space at the top – an inch or so – to make watering easier and to leave room for your mulch. The last thing to add is a mulch of straw. What the straw will do is lift the foliage, fruits and flowers up above the potting mix. This will help to keep the fruits clean and ensure they’re not sitting on the damp surface of the potting mix, which could causing rotting – something these soft fruits can be prone to. Straw will also help to shade the potting mix so it retains moisture for longer while keeping the roots a little bit cooler – something very desirable on hot, sunny days. Its light color also reflects some of the sunlight back onto the fruits to help them ripen. Feed straw in around the crowns, making sure the foliage is lifted onto it, not buried by it. If you can’t get straw, you could use wood chips – anything to keep the top growth dry. Now let’s water everything in. And there – you can see that the potting mix isn’t splashing up onto our plants or washing away. It stays put where we want it because the straw cushions the pressure of the water. Water plants regularly to keep the potting mix moist. Set your container(s) in full sun, ideally with a minimum of six hours direct sunshine a day. A sunny spot on a patio will do well. If you have part-shade, look for a suntrap position, with warmth radiated from the walls and paving. Just expect a more modest harvest and fruits that aren’t quite as sweet and aromatic. Caring for Your Plants Now a few extra things to consider, to help you get the most from your strawberry plants. Birds love strawberries, and we love birds, but not when they’re munching on our berries! Keep them off by simply draping any old netting over your plants once they’ve set their fruits. Just peg it down to stop it getting blown off or birds from getting trapped inside. As easy as that! Should you let your plants produce fruits in the first year? These are decent sized plants, so if they do start to flower and fruit before the end of the season, let them. Plants may produce long stems. These are called runners and we can use these to grow more plants – but not just yet! Remove any runners that appear in the first year and, if you can, avoid leaving too many to grow in the second. By removing the runners we’ll be encouraging our plants to concentrate on getting bigger, better, bolder. If you’d like to know how to propagate more plants from runners – and it’s a really simple and effective technique. It well worth trying as plants will need replacing anyhow when yields start to fall after three to four years. Keep a beady eye out for our video on growing from runners later on in the summer. Pick your strawberries and enjoy them as soon as you can. Try not to refrigerate them, as this pretty much kills the flavor. Forget the cream, a little sprinkle of pepper really helps to bring out the flavor – honestly! Once the harvests are done, trim off the old foliage and tidy up your plants. Taken fromhttps://www.almanac.com/growing-strawberries-containers Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net 641-794-3337 cell 641-903-9365 image from Pinterest image from Pinterest. Good windy morning. March is coming in like a lamb and we are having wind. The temperature at 10:30 AM is at 46 degrees with high of 54 low of 32 degrees. Temperature only going to go up and by Sunday in the 70’s. Still not a time to plant your garden. Just look at the calendar for that.
I found this plant which is good for pollinators, easy to grow and it is new to me. Grows in England, but we can easily grow it here. It is a Fried Poached Egg or known as Limnanthes douglasii . Now my plan is to find the seed and start some in bigger pots for you to put in your garden. Growing and transplanting into the garden isn’t recommended. See if I have enough seeds to sell in the Seedy Part of the Greenhouse ( bulk seeds) That is the plan see how it goes. Limnanthes doughlasii ( Poached egg plant) These bright and colorfully, low-growing annuals, which reach just 6in (15cm) in height, are ideal for brightening-up the front of the border. Tough and reliable and very easy to grow outdoors from seed. The single open flowers are highly attractive to pollinators and other beneficial insects. Common Names: fried egg, poached egg plant, meadow foam, butter and eggs. Foliage: Deciduous, pale green, finely divided leaves. Flowers: Small cup-shaped yellow flowers, with white-edged petals. Slight sweet fragrance. Flowering Period: June to September. Soil: Any moist but well-drained garden soil. Chalk, clay, sand or loam, any pH. Conditions: Best grown in full sun. South or west facing, in a sheltered or exposed location. Habit: Spreading low growing. Type: Hardy Annual. Origin: Native to America. Hardiness: H5. Hardy in most areas of UK (down to -15). Usually dies after flowering at the end of the season. Planting and Growing Limnanthes douglasii Good hardy annuals for early summer colour. Easy to grow from seed. Needs very little care and attention and attracts many beneficial insects to the garden. Suitable for town, city, cottage or courtyard gardens. Ideal at the front of beds and borders, as path edging or planted in containers. They also make good winter/early spring flowering pot plants in a cool greenhouse or conservatory. These fun little fast growing annuals are ideal plants for beginners or children to grow. Another use for this plant is as a green manure in the vegetable garden. It is not edible, but very effective and easy to dig in. Sow seed in soil, in spring for early summer colour or in the autumn for late spring blooms. Thin out seedlings to 4in (10cm) apart. Protect autumn sowings from frost. The main variety available in the UK is L. douglasii (California). Height 6in (15cm), spacing 4-8in (10 to 20cm). Taken from https://www.seasonalgardening.co.uk/hardy_annuals/limnanthes-douglasii.asp Poached Egg Plant What Is A Poached Egg Plant? The poached egg plant ( Limnanthes douglasii ) is an annual plant but as it produces so many seeds gets classed as a perennial. It’s common name comes from the flower, a bright yellow centre surrounded with white petals which looks like a poached or fried egg. Benefits Of Growing Poached Egg Plants Poached egg plants look attractive and brighten up any dull area of your garden. They are not only attractive to us but more importantly to beneficial insects including:- Bees Hoverflies Ladybirds Lacewings So they will attract pollinators and predators to your garden. Any plants that are likely to get infested with aphids will greatly benefit by having poached egg plants growing close by. Also any plants that need bees to pollinate their flowers to produce fruit will benefit from a nearby planting of poached egg plants. How To Grow Poached Egg Plants In Pots Select your pot and fill with soil / compost sprinkle the seeds onto the soil and cover with about 3mm of soil water gently and place in a fairly sunny position. This can be done from March to June and they will flower from June to September. Don’t let the pots dry out but don’t over water. That’s it really, they prefer full sun but will grow in slight shade. One word of caution, poached egg plants are so prolific that within a few seasons the areas around your pots will be covered with plants. Not really a problem but you will need to keep an eye on them. Also be careful that the pots don’t become overcrowded. Where To Grow Poached Egg Plants In Pots Most plants will benefit from being surrounded with poached egg plants so the scope is pretty wide on this one. Maybe underneath fruit trees, or next to beans or tomatoes. The list is pretty much endless. Poached egg plants are such great little companion plants that it is my belief we should all grow them. Encourage children to grow a few and record the various types of insects they attract. How Tall Will Poached Egg Plants Grow To? In perfect conditions poached egg plants will grow to around 15cms high (6 inches). Taken from https://growing-guides.co.uk/how-to-grow-poached-egg-plants-in-pots/ Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net 641-794-3337 cell 641-903-9365 image from growfully.com Good morning. It was cold yesterday morning as single digits and wind blowing make the wind chill below zero. Luckily it was just yesterday. Now we are talking 50’s today with a south wind. Clear, blue sky this morning and will just get warmer each day. ENJOY…
So of course, on the coldest morning, my plant plugs came in. But with a helping hand, I was walking over to feed the cats. I heard a vehicle, and it was the delivery van with my plants. I had to go and work a funeral at 9:00 so glad that I could get the plants inside the greenhouse. This was good. Now today, I will start the joy of planting and growing this season’s plants. You will read that planting of brussels sprouts should be done in the late summer or early fall. The plants need 80 to 100 days to grow, and like it cool. So I don’t think we have cool weather 80 days before we have a killing frost. What do you think? I would plant them in the spring and keep them well watered. I know of gardeners having good luck growing them, but they are a little harder to grow. Good Luck Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Brussels Sprouts by Catherine Boeckmann Learn how to grow brussels sprouts, a cool-weather crop that is planted in early spring or mid- to late summer for a crop that matures in the fall. These nutritious vegetables taste even better after a few light frosts! Here’s how to plant, grow, and harvest brussels sprouts in your garden. About Brussels Sprouts Named for Brussels, Belgium, where they were first cultivated in the 16th century, brussels sprouts are a vegetable that is commonly seen in the grocery store, but not-as-commonly seen in the home garden. This is probably because they aren’t the easiest vegetable to grow! They require a fairly long growing season (80–100 days to harvest) and are a cool-season crop, meaning that they produce best when grown for a fall or early winter harvest. The sprouts improve in flavor after a light frost or two. As long as you plant them at the right time, keep them cool and well watered during the heat of summer, and protect them from pests, brussels sprouts are a rewarding vegetable crop to grow—an accomplishment! Brussels sprouts are a cultivar (cultivated variety) of wild cabbage, Brassica oleracea, which is the same plant species that cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, and a number of other popular food crops stem from. Over generations and generations, this versatile plant has been bred in different ways to highlight its different features—flowers, leaves, buds, stem, and root—to provide us with a wide variety of foods! Brussels sprouts form as buds along the main stem of the plant, just above each leaf axil. PLANTING Choose a planting site that gets full sun (6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight per day). Raised beds are especially recommended for cool-season vegetables, especially in the spring and fall, when temperatures are not consistent. Soil should be well-draining and moderately fertile. Work several inches of aged manure and/or compost into the soil to improve soil fertility and texture. When to Plant Brussels Sprouts Due to brussels sprouts’ need for a long growing season, we recommend planting them with a fall or winter harvest in mind. They do best when allowed to mature during the cool days of fall. To determine the optimum planting time, count backwards from your first fall frost date using the “days to maturity” listed on the seed packet. Generally, this means sowing brussels sprout seeds about 4 months before your first fall frost date. In regions with cold winters, where winter temperatures are often below freezing, start seeds in early to mid-summer. Plants will mature for a mid-fall or early winter harvest. In regions with mild or warm winters, where winter temperatures are occasionally or rarely below freezing, start seeds in mid- to late summer. Plants will mature for a mid- to late winter harvest. Brussels sprouts may be started from seed indoors or sown directly into the garden. We recommend starting seeds indoors, as this gives seedlings a headstart and helps to protect them from summer heat and pests. Direct-sown seeds can take a few weeks longer to mature, so add 20 days to your planting date calculation if you plan to sow outdoors. (In other words, sow seeds outdoors about 20 days earlier than if you were starting them indoors.) How to Plant Brussels Sprouts Sow seeds about ½ inch deep. If direct-sowing seeds outdoors, sow seeds about 2 to 3 inches apart. (Seedlings should be thinned to 12 to 24 inches apart when they reach about 6 inches tall.) Plant seedlings 12 to 24 inches apart. Water well at time of sowing/transplanting. GROWING Thin young plants to 12 to 24 inches apart when they reach 6 inches tall. Fertilize with a nitrogen-rich product after thinning. Repeat every 3 to 4 weeks. Mulch to retain moisture and keep the soil temperature cool through summer. If growing during hot weather, be sure to keep the plants well watered. Inconsistent moisture can lead to subpar sprout development. Brussels sprouts should receive about 1 to 1½ inches of water per square foot per week. Consider using row covers to protect young plants from pests. Brussels sprouts are usually planted outdoors right when pests are at their worst! Do not disturb the soil around the plants; roots are shallow and susceptible to damage. Brussels sprout plants usually reach heights of 2 to 3 feet, so plan accordingly; they may require staking. Remove yellowing leaves at the bottom of the plant to allow for more sunlight on the stalk and to focus plant energy on healthy growth. To encourage the sprouts to mature faster, cut off the top leaves 3 to 4 weeks before harvest. Note: If you intend to harvest sprouts into winter, leave the top leaves of the plant intact; they provide protection from snow. Also, cover plants with 10 to 12 inches of mulch. RECOMMENDED VARIETIES ‘Churchill’ is an early maturing plant, adaptable to most climates. ‘Diablo’ is known as a heavy producer. ‘Falstaff’ has a red/purple hue that holds when cooked ‘Jade Cross’ is a high-yield compact plant, resistant to some diseases and known for its tolerance for hotter weather. ‘Long Island Improved’ is an heirloom and a compact plant that prefers a cool summer. ‘Oliver’ is an early-maturing variety with a shorter growing season requirement (80–90 days). HARVESTING Sprouts mature from the bottom of the stalk upwards. Harvest sprouts from the bottom when they reach about 1 inch in diameter. If desired, after a moderate frost, pull up the entire stalk, roots and all. (Remove leaves first.) Then hang stalk upside down in a cool, dry basement or garage or barn. Store stalks (no roots) for about 1 month in a root cellar or basement. How to Store Brussels Sprouts Do not wash the sprouts before storing them, only right before use. Keep fresh-picked sprouts in a plastic bag for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Taken from https://www.almanac.com/plant/brussels-sprouts Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net 641-794-3337 cell 641-903-9365 Diary of Becky's Greenhouse Day 1 Here is some of the things I did yesterday. Playing in the dirt.2/27/2024 images from Becky's Greenhouse Good morning, still warm at 38 degrees at 7:30 AM, high today will be early at 50 and then the cold front moves in. It will be cold tonight and only a high tomorrow of 30 with wind blowing. YA I know we will complain, but it looks like then the next 7 days will be warming up. Stay safe, tonight, and tomorrow stay warm.
Today I am going to post pictures in a new series called “ Becky’s Greenhouse Diary.” I will show you in pictures what I did that day. This is from yesterday and it was 80 degrees in the greenhouse sun shining and all the doors open. What a lovely day to be working there. I planted seeds and you can see with some good help. This is the growing pad that I put the seeds on to germinate. It does help with that. I am cleaning up succulents and repotting them. You will see the finished succulents and how nice they look. I didn’t or couldn’t take a picture of me watering but that was done also. Here we go, the start of another season at Becky’s Greenhouse. It is our 35th year of growing and selling plants. I have to say we have never had it this warm in Feb. before so it will be interesting how spring comes out. I just know we need rain. Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net 641-794-3337 cell 641+-903-9365 image from publicdomainpictures.net Good morning. NOW this is Feb 26 and it is 10:00 AM and the temperature is already 49 degrees. Excuse me for a couple of minutes, I need to go open up all the doors in the greenhouse as it is warming up a lot. Be right back.
Greenhouse temperature was 85 degrees. South wind so that will run thru the doors and cool it down. Sun has some power in it for sure. That is what makes the plants grow. Stay safe. One easy vegetable to plant would be spinach here is how. Some guidelines to planting spinach..... Phenology, the study of signs, suggests planting spinach when crocuses are blooming. Similarly, in areas where lilacs grow, old-time farmers say to plant spinach when lilacs are in first leaf. Scatter spinach or lettuce seeds around emerging bulb foliage to make wise use of your garden space and have a leafy green crop at the ready to cover the bare spots left by deadheaded spring flowers. Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Spinach by Catherine Boeckmann Spinach, a super–cold-hardy leafy green, is a popular crop that thrives in fall and even winter in some areas. It can also be planted in very early spring. Learn more about planting, growing, and harvesting nutritious spinach in your home garden. About Spinach Spinach has similar cool-season growing conditions and requirements as lettuce, but it is more versatile in both its nutrition and its ability to be eaten raw or cooked. It is higher in iron, calcium, and vitamins than most cultivated greens and is one of the best sources of vitamins A, B, and C. PLANTING Spinach tolerates full sun to light shade; prepare soil about a week before planting by mixing in compost. Alternatively, prepare the soil in late summer or early fall, when spinach can also be sown where winters are mild. When to Plant Spinach Spinach requires 6 weeks of cool weather from seeding to harvest; this generally spring or fall, though many gardeners have better luck in the fall. Although seeds can be started indoors, it is not recommended, as seedlings are difficult to transplant. In the fall, sow seeds when the soil is 70°F or cooler. See our fall planting calendar. Many gardeners can grow spinach throughout the winter if they protect the young plants with a cold frame or thick mulch, then remove the protection when soil temperature in your area reaches 40ºF in spring. Remove the mulch to harvest some spinach, then replace the mulch. If planting in the early spring, sow seeds as soon as the ground warms to 40°F. (Cover the soil with black plastic to speed its warming.) To distract leaf miners, sow spinach seeds and radish seeds in alternate rows. Leaf miner damage to radish tops does not affect their root growth. Common spinach cannot grow in midsummer as it’s not cool enough. (For a summer harvest, try New Zealand Spinach or Malabar Spinach, two similar leafy greens that are more heat tolerant.) How to Plant Spinach Sow seeds 1/2 of an inch deep every 2 inches and cover with 1/2 inch of soil. Plant in rows 12 to 18 inches apart or sprinkle over a wide row or bed. Sow every couple of weeks during early spring for a continuous harvest. GROWING Water spinach to keep soil constantly moist. Use row covers to maintain cool soil and deter pests. When seedlings sprout to about 2 inches, thin them to 3-4 inches apart. You can eat the thinnings. Beyond thinning, no cultivation is necessary. Roots are shallow and easily damaged. Water regularly and mulch to retain moisture. When plants reach one-third of their growth, side-dress with a high-nitrogen fertilizer, as needed. Nutrient deficiencies may appear as yellow or pale leaves, stunted or distorted growth, a purpling or bronzing of leaves, leaves dropping early, or other symptoms. In early spring and late fall: Spinach can tolerate the cold; it can survive a frost and temps down to 15ºF (-9°C). (See local frost dates) Young spinach is more tender; cover if cold temps are in the forecast. RECOMMENDED VARIETIES There are four main types of spinach suited for spring and fall plantings. Baby-leaf style spinach is tender, with small-size leaves. The variety ‘Baby’s Leaf’ is good for containers; ‘Catalina’ is heat-tolerant and resistant to downy mildew. Savoy spinach has curly, crinkled, dark-green leaves, e.g. ‘Bloomsdale.’ The ‘Winter Bloomsdale’ variety is a crinkled-leaf, fall variety, tolerant to mosaic viruses. Semi-Savoy has slightly crinkled leaves and can be difficult to seed. ‘Melody’ is resistant to cucumber mosaic virus and downy mildew; mildew-resistant ‘Remington’ will grow in spring, summer, or fall; ‘Tyee’ can be planted in spring or fall, and is resistant to downy mildew. Smooth- or flat-leaf (also called plain leaf) varieties have spade-shape leaves. ‘Giant Nobel’ is a plain leaf variety and an heirloom that is slow to bolt; ‘Nordic IV’ is bolt-resistant. Malabar Spinach (Basella alba), a vine, and New Zealand Spinach (Tetragonia tetragonioides), a perennial, are two heat-tolerant leafy greens that resemble common spinach; both are heat-tolerant. Grow them in the summer, when common spinach can’t take the heat. HARVESTING Harvest a few outer leaves from each plant (so that inner leaves can develop) when leaves reach the desired size, or harvest the entire plant, cutting the stem at the base. Don’t wait too long to harvest or wait for larger leaves. Bitterness will set in quickly after maturity. Be aware of day length and heat: Increasing daylight (about 14 hours or longer) and warmer seasonal temperatures can cause spinach to bolt (develop a large stalk with narrower leaves and buds/flowers/seeds), which makes the leaf taste bitter. If spinach starts to bolt, pull the plant and use the leaves. Or try to slow the bolting: Pinch off the flower/seed heads, keep the soil moist, and provide shade. How to Store Spinach Fresh spinach leaves are good for up to a week. Too much moisture hastens its demise. So store fresh spinach unwashed and don’t wash until ready to use. Pat dry with a paper towel and put in a freezer bag with the towel to absorb moisture. Given its short shelf life, spinach is perfect for freezing. Wash, trim off ends and yellowing leaves, blanch, and pack into freezer bags. See how to freeze spinach. WIT AND WISDOM Phenology, the study of signs, suggests planting spinach when crocuses are blooming. Similarly, in areas where lilacs grow, old-time farmers say to plant spinach when lilacs are in first leaf. Scatter spinach or lettuce seeds around emerging bulb foliage to make wise use of your garden space, and have a leafy green crop at the ready to cover the bare spots left by deadheaded spring flowers. Taken from https://www.almanac.com/plant/spinach Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty, Iowa beckmall@netins.net 641-794-3337 cell 641-903-9365 image from publicdomianpictures.net Good morning, and it is 46 degrees with a clear blue sky in Dougherty at 11:00 AM. Going to warm up to 46 degrees, so we are at our high all ready. Cold front moving in this afternoon. Low tonight 19. Stay warm, stay safe.
We are fortunate to have beehive here from our son and granddaughter business “Storybook Honey” Josh said, “Mom you need to grow more flowers for the bees for the fall. “ I have plenty here with the racks of flowers at Becky’s Greenhouse. I will be planting more of the fall blooming plants. I need to look up a chart to show these to grow for the bees. OR make one maybe…in my spare time. How about you? Give these a try. Which flowers do bees like best? By Robin Sweetser Ever dealt with the frustration of seeing blossoms fall off your vegetable plants because they have not been pollinated? Attract native bees! Here’s our list of flowers which are packed with the nectar, food, and pollen that these pollinating bees are after. Without our pollinating bees, most vegetables wouldn’t grow and flowering plants wouldn’t survive. Bees are important to our whole ecosystem. Further, the bee population is at risk due to overuse of pesticides so it’s important to not only plant flowers that bees need the most, but to also never treat them with pesticides. Sunflowers are packed with pollen—plus, their broad, semi-flat petals are an easy resting place for bees. See how to grow sunflowers. Native Bees Are Pollinating Powerhouses Most of the pollination is carried out by native pollinators—including flies, beetles, moths, and butterflies—but native bees are the unsung heroes. (Note: Honeybees are non-natives and not as important for widespread pollination.) How to Start a Flower Garden There are over 4,000 species of bees native to North America, ranging from the world’s smallest bee—the 2mm (.08”) long fairy bee (Perdita minima)—found only in the desert southwest, to the large carpenter bees that reach 40mm (1.6”) long. No matter their size, all native bees rely on blooming plants for sugary nectar and protein-packed pollen to feed themselves and their offspring. A big carpenter bee can muscle his way into flowers like this sweet pea. To keep bees well supplied with the nourishment they need, we need to have flowers in bloom all season long. To offer something for everyone, grow a variety of shapes and sizes. Choosing Flowers for Bees Bees prefer some types of flowers over others for several reasons. Generally, it comes down to the shape and color of the flower. Here are some things to keep in mind when you’re planning to plant flowers for bees: A bee’s flower preference depends on the length of its tongue! Some bees have long tongues that can easily access nectar in tubular-shaped blossoms like penstemon, columbine, and honeysuckle, while those with short tongues go for daisies, asters, and sunflowers. Small bees like small florets and composite flowers, while big bumblebees and carpenters like larger flowers. Try to plant a mix of different flower shapes and sizes to attract a variety of bee species to your space. Flower color matters. Bees can’t see red, which is a color more attractive to hummingbirds and butterflies. Bees are drawn to purple, blue, white, and yellow. Pollinators generally prefer native plants over non-natives since they have co-evolved together. Natives are usually low-maintenance plants, adapted to your region and easy to find for sale. Species plants have an advantage over cultivars when it comes to attracting pollinators and giving them what they need. Research has found that fancy forms of native plants—sometimes called “nativars”—are not as attractive or useful to the bees as the original species of the plants. You may have found this out yourself if you planted one of those fancy coneflower varieties. Hydrangea ‘Annabelle’ is the same genus and species as native smooth hydrangea (H. arborescens), yet it draws far fewer pollinators. Why? Many cultivars have lost the fragrance, pollen, nectar, and flower shapes that pollinators need. A hybridized plant that was bred to be sterile or contain no nectar will not benefit a pollinator at all. Also avoid planting double-flowering varieties. They have less pollen and it can be harder for the bees to access it with extra petals in the way. Stick close to the original flower form instead of going fancy and the bees will thank you for it. Borage is an edible annual herb and also a great companion, deterring bad bugs away while attracting bees. Which Flowers Are Best for Bees? Perennials offer the highest quality nectar and pollen but there are exceptions. Some bees are specialists, like the squash bee that prefers only squash, pumpkin, and gourd blossoms. The most effective pollinators are the generalists that get their food from a wide range of plants. This includes not only native trees and perennials but some non-natives like crimson and white clovers and annuals as well. Annuals have the advantage of blossoming all season long. Bees flock to alyssum, cleome, zinnias, sunflowers, salvia, calendula, and verbena. Your culinary herbs such as sage, thyme, borage, lavender, chives, dill, basil, oregano, rosemary, and mint can do double duty. Plant them throughout the vegetable garden, let some of them flower, and they will draw in the pollinators to your other plants. Lavender is an aromatic perennial herb that flowers all summer-long. And it’s edible! Early-Season Flowers for Bees The eternal struggle for bees in temperate zones is finding enough food in late winter and early spring, when most of nature is still sleeping! Here’s what we can plant to help them out: Some early blooming trees and shrubs to consider are vernal witch hazel, maples, willows, serviceberry, and redbud. They flower when not much else is in bloom yet. Early blooming fruits including cherry, plum, raspberry, blackberry, and blueberries. Spring-flowering bulbs are also popular with early awakening bees. Some spring perennials to grow include golden alexanders, larkspur, dianthus, wild columbine, ajuga, lupine, baptisia, and pulmonaria. Calendula (also called pot marigold) is an early bloomer which is very important bee forage! Mid-Season Flowers for Bees Mid-season flowers such as anise hyssop, black-eyed Susans, coneflowers, catmint, cleome, penstemon, globe thistle, milkweed, monarda (bee balm), coreopsis, daisies, phlox, gaillardia, and yarrow are bee magnets. Cleome, or “spider flower,” are beloved by pollinators and produce a long season of blooms. Bee balm is a great flower for pollinators. Bee balm” is an apt name of this flower, which is native to North America. Bees love it! Yarrow has an easy landing pad which makes it easy for pollinators to take a rest! Late-Season Flowers for Bees Bees are active until the weather cools down in late fall and still need to feed. Grow some late bloomers like dahlias, asters, ironweed, goldenrod, Joe Pye weed, rudbeckias, and helianthus to keep the party going. Bumblebees love bottle gentian, too! New England asters offer pollen and nectar into fall. Creating a Bee-Friendly Habitat Native bees need more than pretty flowers to survive. We need to provide water, shelter, and nesting sites. Banish pesticides and other poisons from your yard. When shopping for plants, look for chemical-free ones. Systemic insecticides can make the whole plant toxic—nectar and pollen included! Taken from https://www.almanac.com/best-flowers-bees Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net 641-794-3337 cell 641-903-9365 Question for you to answer. Do you think we will have anymore winter this season? Yes or no2/22/2024 image from photos-public-domain.com Good morning I can’t believe it at 11:00 AM temperature is 53 degrees. I will have all the doors open today at the greenhouse.
The question today, and I would like you to respond. Do you think we will get any more winter weather? One answer I heard yesterday, no more winter weather for this season but that is more hopeful than what I think will happen. Just answer yes or no. Thanks… Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net 641-794-3337 cell 641-903-9365 image from Modernfarmer I just can’t believe this temperature…28 degrees at 7:30 AM. High today in the 50’s. Yes, it feels like spring. What do you think will we have another bit of winter?
When should I fertilize my vegetable garden? I was just asked this. This is what I found out. Learn All About Using Fertilizer in the Garden by Catherine Boeckmann We use fertilizer to make our plants grow better, but when is the best time to apply fertilizer? And how much of what kind of fertilizer do we apply? In one page, we’ll cover everything you need to know about using fertilizers in your garden. What Is Fertilizer? As well as having soil that’s rich in organic matter (compost!), plants often need an application of fertilizer to get the nutrients that they need. Think of fertilizers as nutritional supplements. For example, tomatoes need to grow in soil that has plenty of calcium. If you’ve grown and harvested plants in your garden in the past, these crops take up the nutrients from the soil, and those nutrients should be replaced in the spring before more plants are grown there. This is where fertilizer (organic or processed) plays a role. Fertilizers replace lost nutrients, which ensures that soil nutrient levels are at an acceptable level for healthy growth. How to Test Your Garden Soil (And 3 DIY Tests) If you are a brand-new gardener, the ideal first step is to get a basic soil test in the autumn to see what kind and amount of fertilizer to apply to get to a “basic fertility” level. (See more about testing below.) We recognize that not every gardener takes the time to do a soil test, but we recommend it; you may even find that the fertility level of your garden is already adequate. Apply fertilizer with caution, though: The only thing worse than starving a plant of nutrients is to overfertilize it accidentally. Plants use only the nutrients that they need. Absorbing more than necessary can result in abnormal growth or adverse effects. When to Fertilize Your Garden For edible crops, fertilizer is usually applied in the spring and mixed into the garden soil before planting. If you’ve already sown your seeds or planted seedlings, you can still gently work in granular fertilizer (not liquid fertilizer, which can burn young roots) around the plants. It need not be worked deeply into the soil—the upper 3 to 5 inches will do. Then, water in the fertilizer. For perennial flowering plants, fertilize before growth begins in the spring. Wait until the ground is no longer frozen and the date of your last frost is only a week or so away. This ensures that there is less of a chance of the tender new growth brought about by the fertilizer getting immediately killed by frost. While a spring application is a good general rule, understand that what plants really need is help when they are growing the most. This occurs earlier for spring plantings of lettuce, arugula, kale, and other leafy greens. Rapid growth occurs in midsummer for corn and squash. So, for a long-season crop such as corn, many gardeners apply a small amount of fertilizer as a starter at the time of seeding and then also add a larger amount in early summer, just before the period of rapid foliar growth. Tomatoes and potatoes will need extra fertilizer mid-season as the plants take up and use existing nutrients. When tomatoes start producing flowers, switch to a low-nitrogen fertilizer in order to encourage more flowers and fruit rather than foliage. For perennial plants, the timing depends on the plant’s growth cycle. Blueberries, for example, benefit when fertilizer is applied early in the season at bud break, while June-bearing strawberries benefit most when fertilized after the harvest. Ornamental trees, shrubs, and perennials are often fertilized at the beginning of their growing season, as dormancy breaks. Always Take a Soil Test! The only way to truly determine the level of nutrients in your soil is a “soil test.” Testing in autumn will give you plenty of time to receive the results. Soil tests are usually available for free or low-cost from your local cooperative extension. You will not need to do this every year. The goal is to understand your soil, build it up, and then simply apply fertilizer to the soil every year to maintain the basic fertility level. You may even find that if your garden has been fertilized for years, you have high levels of nutrients. You do not want to add nutrients to your soil if it’s already available in high amounts; this may actually inhibit your plants’ growth. How Much of What Kind of Fertilizer Should I Use? A fertilizer bag will be labeled with a combination of numbers such as 3-4-4 or 8-24-8, or 12-12-12. These three numbers refer to the three most important nutrients plants need: Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K). The numbers refer to the percentage of weight of each nutrient in the bag. If you add up the numbers, they are the percentage of the bag’s total weight (the rest is simply filler to make it easy to apply). There may also be other nutrients, including calcium, magnesium, iron, and manganese. To start your garden, use a general vegetable fertilizer. For vegetables, we use herb and vegetable plant food with a 3-4-4 number. For tomatoes, we use a separate fertilize with a 3-4-6 ration which also contains calcium to help prevent blossom-end rot. Phosphorous is important because this is what’s needed for root development and growth. Potassium strengthens plants’ abilities to resist disease. Note the nitrogen (first number) is lower. Ever seen tomato plants that have lush leaves but no flowers or fruit? That’s due to too much nitrogen, which encourages leafy growth. Vegetable crops require most of their nitrogen after they have made considerable growth or have already begun to fruit. Having too much nitrogen before this time delays maturity and reduces flowering and yields. Your plants will also get nitrogen from the breakdown of organic matter in your soil. Later in the season, some plants benefit from nitrogen side dressings (sprinkled in the middle of rows). The demand of the plant for nitrogen often exceeds that supplied by the first two, and a nitrogen side-dressing is needed. But it depends on the vegetable. Cabbage, cauliflower, and broccoli can benefit from more fertilizer three weeks after transplanting. Peas, beans, cucumbers, and muskmelons can benefit after blossoming begins. Peppers, eggplants, and tomatoes benefit after first fruit sets and tomatoes could use more about two weeks after picking your first tomato, and then again a month later. Sweet corn can benefit when plants are 8 to 10 inches tall and then one week after tassels appear. Spinach, kale, mustard, and turnip greens can benefit when plants are about one-third grown. These vegetables should NOT have added nitrogen: sweet potatoes, watermelons, carrots, beets, turnips, parsnips, lettuce. The fertilizer bag should tell you the amount to use per 1,000 square feet of garden area. You can always ask the nursery staff for help translating to your garden space. Processed vs. Organic Fertilizers The fertilizer guidelines apply to both processed or organic fertilizers. Processed fertilizers (also called “synthetic” or “chemical” fertilizers) are manufactured from natural ingredients such as phosphate rock (P) and sodium chloride (NaCl) and potassium chloride (KCl) salts, but these are refined to be made more concentrated. Most (but not all) processed fertilizers are quick-release in a water-soluble form to deliver nutrients quickly to the plant, which can be useful in some situations. (There are some processed fertilizers that are coated to slow down the release.) Organic fertilizers are materials derived from plants that slowly release nutrients as the micro-organisms in the soil break down. Often applied in granular form (spread over the soil), most organic nutrients are slow-release, adding organic material to the soil so that you don’t need to apply it nearly as often. (Plus, they don’t leach into and pollute waterways, as do many of the synthetic, water-soluble fertilizers, which plants can’t fully absorb.) While most organic fertilizers are slow-release products, some release a portion of their nutrients quickly (examples are animal manure, biosolids, and fish emulsion). Chemically, the nutrients for processed and organic fertilizers are the same. Ideally, slow is the way to go. Slow-release granular fertilizers meter out nutrients in a controlled, “digestible,” and safe manner, as opposed to fast-acting, synthetic, water-soluble fertilizers, which are, in essence, an overdose. In terms of cost: While organic fertilizers can be more expensive upfront than processed fertilizers, they are often still economical for small gardens. Plus, you don’t need to apply as often. When you add the long-term benefits to your soil, organic outweighs processed. How to Apply Granular Fertilizers For that first “starter” fertilizer application of the season, apply granular fertilizers by broadcasting them either by hand or with a spreader over a large area. Or, if you’ve already planted, side-dress the fertilizer alongside your rows. All dry fertilizers should be worked or watered into the top 3 to 5 inches of soil with hoe or spade work after being applied to help the fertilizer leach down toward the plants’ root zones. If your plants are already growing, cultivate them gently so that you do not damage any roots. During the growing season, lighter supplemental applications can be made to the top inch of soil in crop rows and perennial beds and around the drip lines of trees or shrubs. (Read the label to find out how often applications should be made.) In general, applying granular fertilizers just before a good rain can be beneficial, as it aids in working the fertilizer down into the soil where roots can access it. How to Apply Liquid Fertilizers All water-soluble fertilizers are applied by dissolving the product in irrigation water and then applying it to the leaves of the plant and the soil around the plant. Warning: Do not apply liquid fertilizer at the same time that you plant! No matter how carefully you remove plants from their containers and place them in the ground, some root hairs will break. The fertilizer will reach the roots immediately and enter them at the broken points, potentially “burning” them and causing further die-back. Many gardeners wait 2 to 3 weeks after planting before fertilizing with liquid solutions; by then, the newly set-out plants should have recovered from any root damage. It is important to water plants thoroughly with plain water before applying the liquid fertilizer to avoid burning the roots if the soil is dry. Also, take care that the fertilizer is indeed diluted based on instructions, or you could burn the leaves. If you have a watering system, you can use an injector device to run the fertilizer through the system. In the case of liquid sprays, it is best to apply them on dry days in either the early morning or the early evening, when the leaves will have time to absorb the material. Avoid extremely hot days when foliage is subject to burning. Taken from https://www.almanac.com/how-fertilize-your-vegetable-garden Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net 641-794-3337 cell 641-903-9365 |
AuthorHi! My name is Becky and I am a Master Gardener. I own Becky's Greenhouse in Dougherty, Iowa. Archives
March 2024
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