Weekly Gardening Thread
Weekly Gardening Thread
I hope all of you will stop by.
This is typically a low volume ping list. Once a week for the thread and every once in a while for other FR threads posted that might be of interest.
If you would like to be added to or removed from the list please let me know by FreepMail or by posting to me.
Last night my Jasmine was smelling so Sweet. It is blooming like crazy this year.
Weather has been nice, got almost all the spring stuff in last weekend. Did a lot of work last year tilling in lawn clippings to improve the soil and it really paid off. Looks like a rainy cool week coming up, should make stuff grow.
Morning all.
Eats this weekend courtesy of the garden. Baby mustard, chard and collard along with lettuce and radishes a plenty.
We will be buying our transplants this weekend, plotting out the bed and ordering trellises we found online.
Lots to do.
We transplanted our tomato seedlings into bigger containers. At least 50% immediately wilted and haven’t sprung back yet. I am wondering if that is common? Is it some sort of shock that we didn’t expect or is that normal? Any tomato gardening tips for someone starting from seed is greatly appreciated. Thanks gardening FRiends.
Although I grow vegetables, my “thing” is for ornamental plants...and Hosta in particular. I grow about 350 varieties (along with dozens of Brigmansias, Colocasias, Cacti and ANY zone 7 shade plant. If anybody is into that sort of stuff, let me know....I’m sure we could trade.
Good Morning,
I have some general questions on herbs.
I have chives and time planted in a half barell that I planted several years ago. Should I do any triming etc. The chives continue to grow back each year and are much thicked in the stem, flavor seems to be getting weaker though. Any thoughs? Oh I am in INDY
Ah, cool. If you haven’t planted yet, I’m OK. I’m in ATL.
I still need to tear out a bunch of cabbage I had planted over the winter. I’ve been giving it away here and there for the past week.
Today I'm going to put in 5 rows of white sweet corn (Augusta) in the first of 5-6 staggered plantings. Smaller, time staggered (2 week intervals) plantings gives me a near continuous harvest of corn all summer right up until the beginning of October usually. I used to like Silver Queen, but I've found that Augusta, believe it or not, is sweeter and more tender (also quicker to maturity by 12 days) If the rain holds off today I'll put in a row of green beans and a patch of white aoup beans, too. Should get some blackberries this year from the canes I planted last season. My red raspberries are going gang busters and I expect a huge crop this year.
Good morning all!
How are you dealing with pests and diseases in a preventive sort of way? I have two products I’m thinking about using.
Green Light Neem Concentrate: an organic insecticide, fungicide, and miticide.
Burpee SeaCide: an organic insecticide and fungicide. 3% cottonseed oil, 3% lecithin, 94% edible fish oil.
If you’ve used these products, did they eliminate or control pests and disease? If you’ve had good results with another product, what was it and what was your frequency of application?
Tomato, cucumber and cantaloupe leaves are showing signs of wilt, mostly at the bottom of the plants. I’ve pruned the affected leaves with the idea of improving circulation and reducing the chance of spreading fungus and disease. I’m leery of further pruning.
My H.E.B Big Red Bell Pepper project is proceeding nicely. Two months ago I bought a huge red bell pepper from our H.E.B. grocery and planted the seeds. The plants are now almost two feet tall with what looks like the beginnings of peppers. Eager to see what the plants produce.
the daffs in my yard are about 4” high. No blossoms yet. a few spring flowers (the small bulb variety) and forsythia let me know it is spring... the weather doesn’t really but the pollen/allergies do.
Have a great weekend FR horticulturists!
Still no rain here in north central Texas. Yet the bluebonnets came in pretty...and smell wonderful! I’m amazed at what will grow in such arid conditions. I can’t find a hint of moisture in the soil here, but the native plants come to life just the same. Even the mesquite looks beautiful this time of year.
I’ve transplanted most of the tomatoes and peppers (jalapeno and ancho) from seedling trays into their permament homes, and they’re doing well in the warm/hot days we’ve had lately.
The compost heap is still behaving strangely - from hot to cold and back again. But I’ll continue experimenting with it and hope to use it on a late-Summer/Fall garden.
Thanks for the ping, I do have a couple of questions though and would appreciate any constructive input.
I have virtually NO experience with gardening.
We live in the high desert of SoCal. The “earth” is a caliche type of clay [so I’ll be building a planter box] but the heat can be something else during the summer.
Composting naturally is pretty much out of the question as the extremely dry atmosphere basically sucks the moisture out of anything.
1) Are there any alternative ways to compost in the desert?
2) Are there certain types of veg’s and herbs that will do okay in a hot and sunny environment?
Thanks in advance,
SZ
What is the easiest food to grow that doesn’t require fertilizer or pesticides or extensive watering normally for the North West on the Western Side of the Mountains?
Onions?
Send seeds? Befriend seeds? Just want 10 seeds?
Remember that old seeds may have reduced germination. (Although I’ve had great luck with them. And for free, you can't lose...) If possible, list year and variety.
Mrs. Don-o
I CAN OFFER
Acorn Squash (2009)
Basil (“Genovese” 2010)
Rainbow Chard (“Bright Lights” 2010)
Kale (’10)
Cucumber (“White Wonder” 2011)
Marigold Mix (2011)
INTERESTED IN
Kefir grain (live culture)
I HAVE HEIRLOOM TOMATO SEEDS (FREEPER TDSCPA) from about 75 popular, open-pollinated heirloom varieties. Tell me via PM what varieties you’re interested in, and if I have them I could send you a few seeds (10?) if you will send me a SASE.
Don’t know what variety to grow? I can make suggestions, if you want to grow plants from seed. Contact Tdscpa
If anyone needs or wants okra seeds (says JustaDumbBlonde)… please let me know. I saved a ridiculous amount in the fall of 2010. Two different varieties, Clemson and Jade, are both are heirloom variety so that you will be able to save seeds from your plants. Both are spineless and heavy producers. Jade is a bit darker green than Clemson and the pods are a bit shorter and fatter. Both are good for frying, soups, freezing, dehydrating or canning. Don’t be shy, l have more than plenty to share! Tip for planting okra: soak your seeds for 24 hours before planting. Okra seeds are hard like peppercorns and soaking will assist in quicker germination. Contact JustaDumbBlonde
I have some black-seeded Simpson lettuce seeds and some Buttercrunch lettuce seeds if anyone’s interested. (says Oberon), And... anybody have any Gold Nugget yellow cherry tomato seeds? I’m interested. Contact Oberon
I have about 100 Canna seeds that I would be glad to share (says Dacula), These plants are tropical and last up to the first frost. I live north of Atlanta and my cannas grow up to 6 feet and have beautiful flowers. I leave them in the ground over winter, but you can take the bulbs and over winter them. . In order to get the seeds to germinate, you have to lightly sand the outside of the seed and soak them overnight. Contact Dacula
Right now would be a good time to plant rice in the mid-atlantic, or at least in my backyard.
Lettuce, Swiss Chard, spinach, arugula doing very well. An abundance of chives is filling the hanging planter. The lilies a neighbor gave me are developing new stalks with flower buds. I can hardly wait for them to bloom as I’ve forgotten what colors the flowers are. lol
This morning, first light revealed new goslings from one of our pairs of Canadians. There are at least 6 babies, although it is always hard to get an accurate count the first couple of days. I'm sorry that the photo is such poor quality, but I had to zoom across the pond with my horrible little camera. If you strain, you can see some of the little ones:
Two other geese are still on their nests and I know that one of them is sitting on 4 eggs. The other is probably sitting on more, as she is much younger and the usual number is around 6-8.
Today is our offical last frost date, and I’m not ready to plant outside yet. Grrr. Something is conspiring against me. I’m expanding the garden, and every time I have time available to work out there, it rains. Between that, and having child watching duty, I’m far behind when I wanted things done.
I got my drip irrigation kit yesterday, and as soon as I get the garden ready, and the raised beds ready, and a new large rainwater tank, I can get that installed. I need a 7 day rain-free weekend!!
So that I don’t bump last week’s thread while this one is newly active, I’m carrying over the discussion about the kids in Wisconsin growing cotton. I’m having a hard time believing that they are producing much fiber, although I have known of a lady in Chicago that grows a cotton plant in a container on her balcony every year to remind her of growing up in this area. Given that it is in a container, she can bring it in during cool snaps in the weather though.