Posted on 06/24/2016 2:33:36 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.
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I got my first mess of green beans, and will be steaming them tonight. I have been pulling the garlic, and will probably finish that this weekend. The volunteer potatoes that came up in the garlic bed, will also be harvested, then something else can go in. I am not sure what it will be though.
Bad news on the Tomato front. In spite of my warnings, Hubby used Jiffy mix seed starter, and his tomatoes were pretty spindly when he transplanted them. They still are, the ones that lived are not going to do squat.
So I went to Walmart in search of Roma Seeds - they had none, but they had some San Marzano Tomato seeds. Also picked up a few Roma Tomatoes in the produce Isle-may scoop out some of the seeds, and plant those too.
Picked up a couple of Cherry tomatoes, including Sweet Million or some such name. Planted one in a 5 gallon bucket, and another in a 3 gallon self watering pot.
Got the Rosemary plant in the ground - half of it was dead on one side. Remains to be seen if the green half will do anything. Got a small pot of dill, and haven't figured out where to plant it.
I can't believe the Endive is still growing. Have another batch to harvest. It's Frisee and has sure been great producer, and good to eat. Much better than any of the leaf lettuce-a bit crisper.
Volunteer Tomatoes, came up in an area that is shaded in the AM and early afternoon. Waiting to see if they will do anything, since tomatoes will be in short supply this year. I'll be watching the sales, and buying some cans for winter I suspect.
In 2010, I had a good year for several varieties of cantaloupe, and watermelons. After that, nary a one made it to maturity, except for a volunteer cantaloupe last year. From the size and shape, I at first thought it was a sugar baby watermelon.
Anyhow, it matured, and was a very tasty melon, but did not really resemble any of the ones I planted. The closest match was the Minnesota Midget Melon, but this one was bigger than the Midget. Anyhow, I saved the seeds, and have them in Dixie cups with a mix of seed starter, and potting mix. So I'll transplant when big enough.
Ants were crawling all over the Yukon Gold Taters, so I sprinkled some cornmeal around them, and they appear to be almost gone now. Just a tip - kills them without using nasty pesticides.
Prayers up for all. Have a great weekend. God Bless.
Pinging the List.
My lettuce is doing great (green and red curly leaf and romaine) and my herbs are amazing. I plant several varieties in strawberry pots (the ones with holes on the sides) and have dill, rosemary, three kinds of thyme, four kinds of basil, chives, scallions, 3 kinds of parsley, tarragon, and oregano.
I keep a scissors handy at the kitchen door and include fresh herbs in all my cooking.
The beans, squash, and tomatoes seem to be taking forever.
I did pick up some sweet basil in a pot at Walmart too. It had 3 plants in one pot, so I divided it and put one with each of the tomato plants, and the third, I put in a pot that I can bring in for the winter indoor garden.
My kitchen door opens onto a patio that gets almost virtually no sun in the summer time. Hubby made a little raised bed next to the patio, and was going to cut down one of the trees, but then chickened out.
So I use it to just hardened off plants started indoors before transplanting them.
Just reporting that the grapefruit bush I started from a seed is now four years old and just bushed up quite nice. I have another flower on it and the scent/fragrance of that one flower is heavenly.
One of the things my brothers moved from my mom’s house to mine was an old maple bureau that I had as a kid. I hated that thing and didn’t want it, so they stuck it in my shed.
It has three big drawers, which would make nice raised flower beds on my tiny piece of property. I just have to get working on it...maybe next season.
I do love the smell of citrus!
I had some drawers that I was going to do that with, but wound up sticking them under the bed for storage instead.
Here in Foley, Mo. we have the triple H’s all week [hazy,hot & humid]. My Zuke’s & Cuce’s are blossoming, my corn [all 6 plants] are about knee high, with the beans & squash doin about the same.
I have just put out 2 animated owls to keep the garden raiders out. So let’s us hope it works, if not. It will be time for the air rifles [named “Rodent Remover” & “Splat Stick”, “Bunny Blaster” & “Squirrel Smacker”] to go to work. And their judgement is finial! Because the small game has gone into season here in Mo. already.
Storage is not a problem with me anymore, since I have very few possessions. LOL!
I get one flower maybe every other year. But that one overpowers the house. This from a store bought grapefruit seed.
My ‘small’ garden is doing well. Tomato and pepper plants doing well. I planted WAY too much Kale, but I’m going to learn to make those Kale Chips which are supposedly so good. Lots of lettuce and radishes this season. The pol beans (Fortex) are climbing toward the sky. Life Is Good!
Working on the landscaping across the front of the house. There’s a LOVELY 3’ span of Field Stone that I don’t want to completely cover up, so I added additional purple Sedum there, to go with the established green (Autumn Joy) and a really neat grass named, ‘Blue Paradise’ which is green and burgundy and will be 3-4’ tall and ‘airy’ so the field stone will still show.
Further down the way, where the gawd-awful Barberry were pulled out, I am adding three High Bush Cranberry Viburnum (4-5’ tall) interspersed with Karl Foerster grass, which stays upright, columnar and has a BEAUTIFUL golden seed head in the fall.
Up next is the ‘garden’ you can see out the kitchen window while you’re doing dishes and slaving away. That area needs to be NUKED with Round-Up to kill all the overgrown grass, but afterwards it’s going to be all evergreens, perennial grasses and roses.
I’m finding I’m liking landscaping just as much as veggie gardening. Now...how to turn this into a ‘job’ in my ‘retirement...’
:)
I hadn’t really even thought about hunting season. Aren’t squirrels always in season?
Well, I’m thinking that next spring, I’ll be going through some stuff, and getting rid of it, before I get too old to do it. We’ve lived here for 40 years, and both of us hate to throw anything away, just in case we think of a way to use it.
You could always try starting seeds, and selling the plants in the Spring, for transplant. We have people here that do that. They sell at the farmer’s market which is on Wednesday and Saturday.
Hi Greeneyes! My foot surgery was this morning. It was successful, but “better living through chemistry” for a while.
I finished fencing in the frony and north side yards for Miss Mady’s play yard at dusk lat evening.
Yukon Gold leaves showing along with red spuds. First few asparagus spears in new bed are up. Some shallot greens are showing. Indian squash showing true leaves.
We have some baby yellow crooked neck developing. Herbs doing well.
I hope to add the first honey super on the left-hand hive after clearance from Doc on Monday.
No, they are not, May 28 2016 to Feb 15 2017
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From the state of Mo.
Oh, I’ve done it all.
The problem? I now live in a ‘Township’ of 280 people, LOL!
I have an ‘in’ at the Farmer’s Market in the next biggest town about 20 minutes away.
I plan on raising Heirloom chickens as a sideline...but Beau needs to get that new Pole Barn built! :)
The Bee Balm really attracts Bunblebees. ( Height 12"-Full Sun) It's a very pretty plant having deep purple flowers that look like a Chrysanthemums.
The Rose (18" Full sun Partial Shade) has leaves that feel like rubber to the touch and tiny pink flowers.
Stonecrop (6"-full sun) has yellow flowers looking like Forsythia blooms.
Georgia Blue (4"-full sun)small purple blue blooms.
Verbena (Full to partial sun-8") deep red small blooms,
Zebrina Mallow Malva (full sun-24") Light purple bloom looking somewhat like a Rose of Sharon.
My Weigela I planted in the Spring covers over 3 feet and having reddish green leaves.
My Bitter Sweet is going threw shock. I started out with 8 seeds and I might have one make it threw some animal or animals digging in their pot.
Glad the surgery was successful, and hope you are tip top soon!
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