WEEKLY GARDEN THREAD APRIL 21, 2017

freerepublic | 4/21/2017 | greeenyes

[greeneyes]

My first order of taters has arrived. I have them warming up. The eyes have absolutely no sprouts. Will be planting them Tues, when the weather is supposed to be in the 60s and sunny.

[greeneyes]

This is beautiful, thanks for posting. I am going to print a copy to show my husband.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

The spears are the ‘male’ part of the plant. The ‘female’ part will show up later when it starts to frond and sets red berries. Let it do that! It’ll put energy back down into the roots for next year. I’m sure you’ll get more spears next year. Harvest lightly next season!

I’m certain you didn’t get all female root stock. Martha Washington is an heirloom variety - Thomas Jefferson probably grew that! She knows what to do with herself. ;)

In the spring, I throw down corn gluten to inhibit weeds. Don’t ever MULCH your asparagus, though you can throw a 1-2” layer of compost on it in the spring, too, when you first see it coming to life.

You can either cut off the old growth in the fall when it has turned brown & brittle. I usually leave it through the winter, then mow it off in the spring before anything is up.

We have a small patch, now - soon to be bigger! I left behind a well established 40’ row at my old farm.

*SNIFFLE* :(

[greeneyes]

Sounds like a good amount of progress. Hubby has been building another garden patch. It’s close to a cedar tree, which he has been trimming off the branches to eventually cut it down.

He claims the cedars need to go because they harm the apple trees. I hate to see it. They are really big tall trees that are beautiful spot of green all winter.

[greeneyes]

I have a book on medicinals that I haven’t had time to read yet. Hubby is busy planting herbs that are perennials.

[greeneyes]

I plant lettuce where it is in the shade during the hottest hours of the day, and grown it successfully throughout the hot summer - even when there are 100 degree weather.

[greeneyes]

Wow. 200 years - awesome.

[Alas Babylon!]

Well, I'm late to the party, but just wanted to show y'all a photo. I live in Alabama, and the benefit of being an avid gardener is the extended season and even the possibility of year-round gardening.

However, there are pitfalls. One of these is the dreaded fire ant! About an hour ago, after a day long drizzly rain and then the sun came out and a light breeze started to dry things, I thought "What a great time to weed my garden with the soil all nice and lose from the rain.

Little did I know that a fire ant colony decided the same thing--what a good time to build an ant bed in that nice shady (with weeds) garden!

So I kneeled down and started to tear up and demolish those weeds, along with Ant City. Fire ants, when they get on you, bit to hold on and then circle around stinging you with their stinger in a little, tiny circle. You don't feel it at first.

So after only about 90 seconds of scraping with the hand hoe, and my left hand firmly on the ground giving me support, I started to feel them. Man, there must of been a hundred or so on my left hand and arm! I squashed them, but here are the results of only those few seconds:

Every red circle is numerous stings from clumps of tiny ants! Ouch! There's more on the other side and a few on my inside of my left knee.

Ammonia takes away most of the pain of the sting, so that's what a painted all over my bites. I also took a Benzedrine capsule--antihistamine to stop the swelling. I should still get the nasty white blisters tomorrow; one for each sting.

[ApplegateRanch]

That is a real shame, but he might be right; but it may well be a futile effort.

Gymnosporangium juniperi-virginianae is a plant pathogen that causes cedar-apple rust.[1] In virtually any location where apples or crabapples (Malus) and Eastern red-cedar (Juniperus virginiana) coexist, cedar apple rust can be a destructive or disfiguring disease on both the apples and cedars. Quince and hawthorn can substitute for the apples as hosts and many species of juniper can substitute for the Eastern red cedars.
[snip]
The recommended method of control is to “remove cedars located within a 1-mile radius” of the apples

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gymnosporangium_juniperi-virginianae

[greeneyes]

I keep generic Benadryl tablets on hand for that reason. Also have Benadryl liquid stuff in a pencil shaped container that has a sponge on the end to apply directly.

How do you get rid of fire ants? Hubby always gets even with stuff that stings him by killing them one way or the other.

[greeneyes]

Well, since almost all the lots here in the subdivision have cedars, and we only have 2 lots for a total of 210 feet, I guess the effort will likely not be all that effective.

We have a Fuji apple tree that has blooms on it. However the other 3 apple trees are dead or dying, so no pollinator. He blames the cedar trees, but I don’t know if that’s just a leap to conclusion, or if there is evidence of the disease.

He’s been wanting to cut down the cedars for so long, it makes me go Hmmm.

[PeterPrinciple]

cedar apple rust

http://extension.illinois.edu/focus/index.cfm?problem=cedar-apple-rust

[greeneyes]

I’ll have to go out and check it out. I don’t recall seeing any galls etc.

[MightyMama]

For what it’s worth, I make a plantain-based salve that’s *wonderful* for fire ant bites (as well as minor burns and abrasions). It’s surprisingly easy, and plantains are EVERYWHERE in most states. Let me know if you want the recipe.

[Jamestown1630]

Thank You! I think the Amaryllis wants to be cold-ish while dormant; would the lily be the same?

[Augie]

It was a mixed bag for me this weekend. I got the grass cut, planted a row of chiogga beets, and helped Mrs. Augie with her landscaping project.

Only found one foot-long dried up morel. I’m done chasing those until next spring.

Awhile back one of Mrs. Augie’s co-workers offered her a free-for-the-taking boat trailer. We hauled it home yesterday. It’s going to need quite a bit of work but it will make a good hauler for our pond-hopper boat once I get it fixed up.

[killermosquito]

Thanks for the guidance. Forgive my ignorance, are the female fronds eaten or ignored?

[Tilted Irish Kilt]

Jamestown1630 :" I think the Amaryllis wants to be cold-ish while dormant; would the lily be the same? "

Rather than cold-ish, the bulbs prefer coolish conditions.
Most commercial Easter Lilies are grown and come from near the California/ Oregon border so that should give you some idea of the temperature needed during dormancy.
The commercial Easter Lillies are 'forced bloomed' to coincide with Easter; normal bloom for those plants not 'forced' is summer.
The only growing conditions that lillies require is that they be well drained.

[Jamestown1630]

Great. Thanks for all of your help!

[Alas Babylon!]

Yes, please!