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WEEKLY GARDEN THREAD VOLUME 13 MARCH 28,2014
Free Republic | March 28, 2014 | greeneyes

Posted on 03/28/2014 12:39:07 PM PDT by greeneyes

The Weekly Gardening Thread is a weekly gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you. This thread is non-political, although you will find that most here are conservative folks.

No matter what, you won’t be flamed and the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked. It is impossible to hijack the Weekly Gardening Thread. There is no telling where it will go and... that is part of the fun and interest. Jump in and join us!

NOTE: This is a once a week ping list. We do post to the thread during the week. Links to related articles and discussions which might be of interest are welcomed, so feel free to post them at any time.


TOPICS: Gardening
KEYWORDS: agriculture; food; gardening; hobby
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To: rightly_dividing

See my post 339. Meant to ping you on it.


341 posted on 04/03/2014 11:59:36 AM PDT by greeneyes (Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
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To: greeneyes

Thanks for the pinging.

These wildflowers are self seeding. I suppose the zennias would be to if she let them go to seed. She has quite a few lilies, but not as many as when we had a sunny yard in the Old Country, lots of day lilies, but no callas, nor cannas.

Here in sweltering heat and humidity, roses are high maintenance to stay on top of Black Spot. You have to spray the bottoms of the leaves and surrounding soil every two weeks, and then you still have some to a small degree. I bought her a rose for every occasion in the Old Country, where we had lots of sun, but here we have so little sun. We left the entire rose garden when we moved, and I have no regrets.

We have not tried any roses here in Texas. It is a little milder heat and humidity, but It probably is not enough for rose gardening without lots of work. There may be some resistant varieties for Texas, but then choices would be limited. I have noticed that the nurseries that we have been to did not carry roses. That tells me a lot, right there. Maybe in the drier parts of Tx, but not here in the piney woods region. That’s been my experience, YMMV


342 posted on 04/03/2014 12:35:37 PM PDT by rightly_dividing (He who dies with the most tools... dies with the emptiest wallet.)
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To: rightly_dividing

No Roses. That is sad. I usually get a miniature rose for mother’s day. I really don’t do anything with them except enjoy the blooms. Hubby always plants them for me, and I just love the blooms from year to year.

We plant them in front of the house and along the sidewalks, and the are intermingled with the spring flowers so that there’s always something blooming during the summer and spring.

Partial sun and the spot gets lots of run off during the rain, so very low maintenance.


343 posted on 04/03/2014 12:49:24 PM PDT by greeneyes (Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
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To: greeneyes

I went to a big local garden that was famous for the grounds and home. I looked at their rose garden and it had residue from spraying all over all the leaves, and all plants were pruned pretty short, and this place has many experts on staff.

There are definite advantages to living up north. We can not grow very many hostas due to lack of chill hours, either.


344 posted on 04/03/2014 1:27:31 PM PDT by rightly_dividing (He who dies with the most tools... dies with the emptiest wallet.)
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To: Marcella

I was cleaning up some spilled bark mulch today and found 3 cilantro plants that had volunteered in the middle of the yard.

/johnny


345 posted on 04/03/2014 1:46:52 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: greeneyes

I am canning those strawberries - strawberry preserves or whatever they would be called.

greeneyes, I just don’t get potato instructions. You and other say when the part above the dirt grows to about four inches, cover it up. WHY? I know one doesn’t want an actual potato open to the outside because of the greening, but are you saying that part above the dirt is going to have potatoes growing on it and that’s why you cover it up? I know that’s likely a stupid question but I’ve not grow potatoes like this. I see no reason to cover up the stalk unless potatoes are going to grow on that stalk.


346 posted on 04/03/2014 1:57:04 PM PDT by Marcella (Prepping can save your life today. Going Galt is freedom.)
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To: sockmonkey

“I am lucky, bees, and yellowjackets seem to like me, and never sting me,”

I think my finger was put on it’s body behind the car handle. If you put your finger on a bee or yellowjacket, mashing it as my finger must have done to the wasp, I think they would bite you in self defense.

I think if you sat up all night you could actually see the T squash grow because it grows so fast. The leaves are pretty and big and the flowers are very large.


347 posted on 04/03/2014 2:09:43 PM PDT by Marcella (Prepping can save your life today. Going Galt is freedom.)
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To: JRandomFreeper

“3 cilantro plants that had volunteered in the middle of the yard.”

I keep forgetting to see if I can find that locally. I do want the seeds from you if I come up with nothing. All those plants outside on the deck and NO cilantro.


348 posted on 04/03/2014 2:20:54 PM PDT by Marcella (Prepping can save your life today. Going Galt is freedom.)
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To: Marcella
but are you saying that part above the dirt is going to have potatoes growing on it and that’s why you cover it up?

No they're saying that after you cover it up, that potatoes will form off the stem part you covered up.

Kinda like when you cover up tomato stems with dirt, roots grow off of that covered stem.

349 posted on 04/03/2014 2:43:23 PM PDT by sockmonkey (Of Course I didn't read the article. After all, this is FreeRepublic..)
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To: sockmonkey
“No they're saying that after you cover it up, that potatoes will form off the stem part you covered up.”

Thanks, no one had explained that to me. I had come to the point I thought that must be it, but needed to know for sure if that was it.

Growing up, we had potatoes in our garden but I never saw either parent heap more dirt on. Once the seed potatoes were buried nothing happened after that until it was time to dig potatoes. If they kept covering the growth, I never saw it. Remember, I hated that garden due to dirt. I've written before that I came home from college and dad asked me to go to garden and get carrots and I asked him what those plants looked like and he said he was a failure about teaching me about the garden.

350 posted on 04/03/2014 2:52:08 PM PDT by Marcella (Prepping can save your life today. Going Galt is freedom.)
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To: Marcella

I have seen cilantro at the seed store last year. They get their plants from Bonnie, which is where Lowes gets theirs.


351 posted on 04/03/2014 3:40:15 PM PDT by rightly_dividing (He who dies with the most tools... dies with the emptiest wallet.)
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To: Marcella

Power outage because of the thunderstorm. I’m back up on the tablet but the main computer is still down.

/johnny


352 posted on 04/03/2014 6:43:58 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: rightly_dividing; Marcella
We got several inches of rain here apparently. I was babysitting the grandkids, so I wasn't here for much more than a drizzle and a long power outage.

I had to use emergency lighting to fold and put away laundry that I did over at my daughter's.

I haven't seen how much damage, and won't until daylight, but with what limited visibility that I had, it looks like I may have lost most of the 2nd batch of tobacco. They were sitting out on the potting table directly in the heavy rain.

I'll know in the morning. If you hear screaming and wailing from the north... you'll know it wasn't pretty.

/johnny

353 posted on 04/03/2014 6:48:22 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: JRandomFreeper

Sorry to hear bout the damage to the farm.

We had our best year ever going a few years ago, and a small twister went over us and knocked down out maters and pretty well ended our season.


354 posted on 04/03/2014 7:23:02 PM PDT by rightly_dividing (He who dies with the most tools... dies with the emptiest wallet.)
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To: Marcella

Here’s a link that explains it a bit. All I can tell you is that you will get more potatoes if you hill them up, with soil or straw or peat.

http://www.veggiegardener.com/how-to-hill-potatoes-in-a-raised-bed/

If you need more info than this, let me know and I’ll ask Hubby how to explain it tomorrow. He’s already asleep tonight.


355 posted on 04/03/2014 7:36:49 PM PDT by greeneyes (Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
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To: Marcella

Strawberry perserves are a whole different thing from canned strawberries. Strawberrie preserves are great, especially on home made biscuits.LOL


356 posted on 04/03/2014 7:42:31 PM PDT by greeneyes (Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
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To: rightly_dividing

Well every place has it’s advantages and disadvantages. I think growing up in this state makes it all quite familiar and comfortable, kinda like an old shoe.LOL


357 posted on 04/03/2014 7:45:25 PM PDT by greeneyes (Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
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To: JRandomFreeper; rightly_dividing

“If you hear screaming and wailing from the north... you’ll know it wasn’t pretty.”

I really hate to hear that - I hope you are wrong and all plants will be okay. Be sure to let me know tomorrow.

We have a 50% change of rain tonight according to weather report out of Houston. I wonder if heavy rain would destroy any of the plants I have outside in containers. Maybe the high brick walls will keep out high wind if that is a part of that rain. I suppose if heavy rain was taking its toll on the plants, I could go out in rain and put row cover over them to stop so much rain getting to them.


358 posted on 04/03/2014 8:42:32 PM PDT by Marcella (Prepping can save your life today. Going Galt is freedom.)
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To: greeneyes

I added more of the medium that came with the potatoes in the double pots, to cover the growth of the stalks in them. I get why you do that now. I don’t get how my parents did it but there were lots of potatoes to dig.


359 posted on 04/03/2014 8:47:45 PM PDT by Marcella (Prepping can save your life today. Going Galt is freedom.)
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To: Marcella

They probably hilled the potatoes when you weren’t paying attention to the garden.LOL


360 posted on 04/03/2014 8:51:22 PM PDT by greeneyes (Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
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