WEEKLY GARDEN THREAD VOLUME 51 DEC. 19, 2014

freerepublic | 12/19/2014 | greeneyes

[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.

[Tilted Irish Kilt]

I went to the post at : http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3237364/posts
I agree with IronJack (native Iowan) :Prairie grass. Sweet clover. Brougham grass.
Also, the suggestion to contact Cooperative Extension for their local successful suggestions is right on !
The second last suggestion is to install tile drains (which is labor intensive and expensive, but it works). It depends on how fast the land falls away (degree of drop/landfall).

My suggestion is a comnbination of almost all of the above (except for tile drain).
A series of terraces, interrupted by alternating rhizomacious ground cover, either flowering, or not flowering(or rhizomacious herbs) to hold the soil back.
When in doubt, use local successful plantings, especially rhizomes as you can cheaply duplicate/clone by root cuttings (spring) and tip roots (summer).
Terracing will slow down the topsoil creep, and rhizomes will hold back the soil, and facilitate plant duplication.
I like the idea of clover and dandelions for bees, pollination, and sequential fowering of dandelions, as well as dandelions roots bringing up micronutirents as deep as 15 feet.
Also, Clover seed and dandelion seed is generally cheap !

[Tilted Irish Kilt]

kvanbrunt2:" i dug out two pepper plant to grow over the winter in the basement but thrips have taken all the leaves.
hopefully the plant will survive and not infect my seedlings."

I would isolate with a plastic barrier - don't risk the new seeldings.
Are your 1000 watt lights "full spectrum " (ie: including blue/green) light ?
You will need "red spectrum lights" to encourage flowering, and subsequent fruiting .

[Tilted Irish Kilt]

gundog:" Plum trees blooming in coastal Oregon. It’s nuts."

Check out Bastardi's Saturday weather report from Freeper Excellence tomorrow, to see what kind of weather you can expect.
I hate to break it to you , but you don't get nuts from a plum tree !!
On the other hand , the weather can drive you nuts !

[Tilted Irish Kilt]

lee martell:" I’ve always been surprised that the poinsettia, despite it’s bright color and large size, usually has no fragrance"

Its a member of the euphorbia family which is not known for fragerance.
I believe it is is native to Central America.
Many consider it to be poisionous to pets and children, but I believe that has recntly been disproven .

[lee martell]

Thanks for the information.

[lkco]

Our mini bush tomatoes got planted Monday (for indoors). This weekend I am planting the container eggplant and cleaning the greenhouse, checking the lights, and re-inventorying the seeds. (30m east of Seattle).

[Aliska]

Buckwheat as a cover crop then plow it under before it flowers. A few years back I read 3 times. It recharges the soil.

It's from an organic gardening site; I didn't garden that way but borrowed ideas from them.

Recharge your soil by using buckwheat as a cover crop

The author of Pleasant Valley (somewhere in Ohio) experimented in rebuilding depleted soil on farms. I think he used grass and let horses or animals graze but I don't remember exactly what all he did; it probably was clay soil which is harder to deal with.

Sorry about your dad. It sounds tough on everyone.

[left that other site]

Just put a “classical” statue in my little garden at the bottom of the stairs leading up to my humble little apartment.

Windows are open due to the lovely weather.

I barely made it back into the apartment, when I heard a child walking by squeal with delight.

“LOOK, MOMMIE! BOOBIES!!!!”

Those ancient Greeks!

[tubebender]

Temp is 5 to 6 degrees above normal here on the leftist coast Calefawnia and abundance rain to keep me in front of the iPuter...

[tubebender]

We got Rhodies and roses and camellias blooming …

[tubebender]

Prayers needed over here…http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3239001/posts

[Tilted Irish Kilt]

Aliska:" Buckwheat as a cover crop then plow it under before it flowers. A few years back I read 3 times. It recharges the soil."

Yes it does , and it attracts deer , and maybe caribou too
But once the plant freezes, it becomes poisionous to deer , and the seed shatters .

[Aliska]

It's not a good thing to attract deer, that's for sure.

But you plow it under before it flowers. It does not produce seed that way and the soil gets the benefit of the under ground composting of the cover crop.

I suppose you'd have to be extra diligent to get all the plants. Plus in planting, some seed doesn't germinate but will in a following year.

Clover is good but I got some nasty stuff in compost, never saw white clover like that. Sprouted all over where I'd applied the compost. Had to use a weed killer to get rid of it.

I liked the idea that the buckwheat smothers weeds. I read a little more on that site. A combination of other plants, about 3, can't remember which ones except I think buckwheat was one, are allotropic. They work like Neem and inhibit germination of seed so you have to wait about 3 weeks to plant over what you had.

[MomwithHope]

I was so happy with my kraut this year I took a picture. I just put it all up Monday.

From left to right, 4 canned extra sauerkraut juice and a carafe of fresh; large gallon jar of fresh kraut to munch on from the fridge; one large and one quart jar (canned) of soured leaves (these are great for stuffed cabbages); and 12 quarts of canned kraut. The juice is delicious, not salty at all. Used 2 cups of kombucha in each crock and it was my best kraut ever. I've eaten some every day since Monday and dropped a pound and I am really getting cleaned out to boot. Hope you all have a very Merry and Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year!

[greeneyes]

I am so far behind, I think I am ahead. LOL

[greeneyes]

We plant a batch of mortgage lifter every year - Hubby likes the big tomatoes - one thick slice per sandwich.

[greeneyes]

Really? I don’t know a lot about Oregon weather, but that seems like it would be unusual.

[greeneyes]

The county extension services are always great sources of info. I even like to look at the ones from other states too.

I really like winter rye, winter wheat, clover and vetch for my winter cover crop here in Missouri. We live on a rather steep hill, and next to the house, we put in terraced area for plants and use old railroad ties with some concrete squares on the outer edge, so that we had a handy staircase to walk up and down the hill - easy access to basement kitchen that way.

[greeneyes]

So what’s your climate normally like? About how many days do you get for growing season?

[greeneyes]

LOL. That’s funny.