WEEKLY GARDEN THREAD VOLUME 16, APRIL 19, 2013

Free Republic | April 19, 2013 | greeneyes

[greeneyes]

If I understood correctly, tubebender plants this chinese variety because it takes less time to get a harvest that the other types.

I am not aware of controvery other than the name. China’s not a favorite name for some doncha know?

[greeneyes]

LOL! Thanks for that picture and label. It made me laugh.LOL

Laughter is the best medicine for sooooo many things.

[djf]

Spent much of the day hacking down 3 giant maples...

It’s garden related, because my backyard gardens will get about 2 hours/day more sunlight!

[greeneyes]

Were they sugar maples or one of the other varieties?

Whichever, it’s always a sad day when we have to bring down one of our majestic trees to make way for the garden. We bought a lot that had lots of trees, 37 years ago to build our house.

We thinned them out, and kept the best ones. We also bought an extra lot and kept more of those. Some of them are truly a wonder to look at, the are so tall.

[Just mythoughts]

Thanks again for the thread. The garden proper is now a bog after a week long of cold rain. I did go out to see if what seeds I have gotten planted got washed out. One row of the snow peas were popping through the soil this am. Radishes are up, onions are demonstrating they did not mind the week long soak. No sign of potatoes yet, some spinach seeds have sprouted. My rhubarb will soon have some stalks to harvest. My strawberry beds look much better today than even a week ago... and of course the weeds are doing just grand. Too wet to walk anywhere except the paths.

I have tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, cabbage, cucumbers, squash started in peat moss cups. They all that have sprouted are about ready to get transplanted into a larger home... problem is a lack of space indoors to keep them safe from these still too cold to survive nights.

My hyacinths, pink, white, purple and cream are nearing the end of their grand display of color and scent... and the tulips are just about to open. I was so worried that foot plus of March snow would do them in, but not to be.

After last year's drought I dare not complain about too much water. These preceding months have made it a certainty I won't be picking strawberries in April.

[greeneyes]

Know what you mean about complaining. Dare not complain about the rain. Sure am ready for warmer weather though.

[djf]

The maples here are called bigleaf maples. They are humongous trees, the wood is very, very heavy.

They can be tapped for sap to make syrup, but I’ve never done it.
They don’t have the colors of the Sugar Maples, sadly...

(I grew up in upstate NY)

[Just mythoughts]

Know what you mean about complaining. Dare not complain about the rain. Sure am ready for warmer weather though.

I agree about the temps. The wind has been one of the main factors in keeping the temps down here, even when the sun does shine brightly. It is still too soon to know the full extent of what survived last year's heat and drought. Right now what is most apparently is how much of the Zoysia grass died. There was just no way I could water it and there are large patches of brown around the yard from where the drought killed it out.

Course I did not deliberately plant the Zoysia, it was by accident that it got transplanted over 20 years ago when we moved here. But I do love how it looks and feels to walk on barefoot. I will wait to see just how much died out before I spend any time replanting grass seed.

[Augie]

I tried getting some mushrooms started a couple years ago. Didn’t do any good. Shiitake - goose eggs. Shaggy mane - goose eggs. Oyster - one. The heat and drought was just too much for them. I may try it again one of these years.

Didn’t find any morels over the weekend.

[Oberon]

So here in eastern North Carolina the spring garden is sprouted and growing like gangbusters. I've got radishes, kale, beets, chard, and (wouldja believe it?) volunteer sunflowers that I transplanted into a nice neat row for form's sake.

If it doesn't freeze too hard over the winter the swiss chard will overwinter. I've got two plants left from last year, and I've already eaten a pot of greens off them.

I love the green leafies. With fruit-bearing plants you don't want to fertilize with too much nitrogen; it makes the plants go crazy, but doesn't boost fruit output much. This is the classic case of getting loads and loads of tomato leaves and stems, but just a handful of tomatoes. With chard and the brassicas, however, I can throw the nitrogen to 'em... growing lots of greenery is the point.

I'm experimenting with Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) as a soil supplement. I've thrown it on one row of radishes and watered it in. I'm eager to see if it adds vigor to the plants.

[Sarajevo]

30 years.....That is amazing. I don't think I would have the patience to cut all that glass though.
The hubs in my design are 3" sched.80 PVC, and the wood is bolted directly to the PVC. It makes for a tough, rigid structure.

[greeneyes]

We haven’t tapped our sugar maple either, because we only have 2 of them, and I don’t want to take a chance on damaging them. However, we might try it if push comes to shove.

I bought some sorghum to grow this year, thinking I could try making some syrup from it.

[greeneyes]

We have gloomy looking, chilly, rainy day here today. To night will be down to 34 degrees with scattered chances of frost.

I was planning on planting some carrots today - will have to wait till later in the week.

[greeneyes]

Well, with the kits, there are some that advertise basement growth. So I thought if the weather got too hot and dry, I could bring them in.LOL

[greeneyes]

Another good thing about the leafies - so many are edible as you go, and/or mature pretty fast, so you get a crop before the dog days of summer.

Sunflowers is on my list of plants to start this year. According to the material I've been reading they are a good plant to grow, because they will naturalize. Giving you beauty on your lot and forage food too. The seeds are nutritious, and you can even get a press to harvest the oil from the seeds.

[fanfan]

Hi Murrie, you did a fine job. It get's easier with practice. :-)

The colours are beautiful!

We are in zone 7 now I believe-we used to be in zone 6b?

I've noticed that too. I've always been zone 4b, but now the master gardening society tells me I'm in zone 5. Not sure I believe it.

I finally have some pics of the winter gardening experiment to show to all of you. So far, only the 'cold hardy' plants have germinated. (Romaine, foxglove,beets.) I can't wait to see what the others do. (Peppers, tomatoes, cleome, cosmos.)

I like the idea of planting tons of seeds in the middle of winter, resulting in pots full of seedlings by mid-April. If I can keep them alive until the last frost date, my property will be abundant with life this year. *evil laugh*

This is foxglove:

This is romaine, but in fairness, I used 5 year old seed:

There is only one beet seedling so far, so I'll spare you the picture.
I think I should be giving them more air.

[tubebender]

To guarantee a successful corn crop in the cold soils of Benderville I have to pre-sprout a early variety seed between sheets of damp paper on the kitchen and then transplant into these Styrofoam flats called Speedling Trays for two or 3 weeks before transplanting into the fertile soil of the north forty…

[greeneyes]

Thanks for the update and pictures. We used to be zone 5 and they have us classed as zone 6 now. In the winter of 2011, it was so mild I believed it.

After this year, I too am doubtful. They also show April 20 as being the average last spring frost. Not so far!LOL

[greeneyes]

Thanks for sharing the pictures and information. With the weather so bad here, I may wind up having to wait longer than 3 weeks to transplant.

What is the early variety you are using?

[greeneyes]

Mulberries - haven’t had those since I was a kid. I used to climb up in Grandma’s Mulberry tree, and sit on a limb while I pulled them off and ate them.

Is that a geodesic dome that you are growing some of that stuff in?