[JustaDumbBlonde]

Previous weeks' threads:

Weekly Gardening Thread (Catalog Fever) Vol. 1 Jan 6, 2012
Weekly Gardening Thread (Seeds) Vol. 2, January 13, 2012
Weekly Gardening Thread Vol. 3, January 20, 2012
Weekly Gardening Thread (U.S. Hardiness Zones) Supplemental Vol. 1
Weekly Gardening Thread (Soil Types) Vol. 4, January 27, 2012
Weekly Gardening Thread (Vacation) Vol. 5, February 03, 2012
Weekly Gardening Thread (Vacation) Vol. 6, February 10, 2012
Weekly Gardening Thread (Vacation?) Vol. 7, February 17, 2012
Weekly Gardening Thread (Home Sweet Home) Vol. 8, February 24, 2012
Weekly Gardening Thread (Soil Structure Part 1) Vol. 9, March 2, 2012
Weekly Gardening Thread (Transplanting Tomatoes) Vol. 10, March 9, 2012
Weekly Gardening Thread (Useful Links) Vol. 11, March 16, 2012
Weekly Gardening Thread -- Vol. 12, March 23, 2012
Weekly Gardening Thread -- Vol. 13, March 31, 2012
Weekly Gardening Thread (Happy Easter!) Vol. 14, April 6, 2012
Weekly Gardening Thread Vol. 15, April 13, 2012
Weekly Gardening Thread Vol. 16, April 20, 2012
Weekly Gardening Thread Vol. 17, April 27, 2012

[JustaDumbBlonde]

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[JustaDumbBlonde]

Detailed State Plant Hardiness Zone Maps

Alabama	District of Columbia	Kentucky	Montana	Ohio	Texas ( East )
Alaska	Florida	Louisiana	Nebraska	Oklahoma	Texas ( West )
Arizona	Georgia	Maine	Nevada	Oregon	Utah
Arkansas	Hawaii	Maryland	New Hampshire	Pennsylvania	Vermont
California ( Northern )	Idaho	Massachusetts	New Jersey	Puerto Rico	Virginia
California ( Southern )	Illinois	Michigan	New Mexico	Rhode Island	Washington
Colorado	Indiana	Minnesota	New York	South Carolina	West Virginia
Connecticut	Iowa	Mississippi	North Carolina	South Dakota	Wisconsin
Delaware	Kansas	Missouri	North Dakota	Tennessee	Wyoming

International Plant Hardiness Zone Maps
Australia
Canada
China
Europe
Japan

[MichaelP]

I live in Michigan about 40 miles east of Lansing. I have an 80x20x40 vegetable garden, as well as planters and flowers around my property. I have already planted Blueberries, rasberries and Roses in the yard, not in the garden. I got the garden tilled last Tuesday and plan to put in some of the cooler weather crops this weekend. I'll be planting broccoli, cabbage, lettuce and sewing radishes. I may try some zucchini early too. I will be planting a strawberry plot this year too, a first. Too early for tomatoes, peppers and cukes here...

Mike

[TheRhinelander]

I’ll be planting all of my stuff this weekend. Frost is over up here in New England. My asparagus still hasn’t come up yet (this is the year after I just planted it) and I’m getting a bit worried. Other than that my spinach and lettuce is kicking butt!

As for the lilacs not blooming, I’m not sure. Epsom salts won’t hurt. It’s usually a feeding issue. Test the soil around it as well.

[texas_mrs]

I've finally gotten my whole garden planted and everything is doing well. I've been watering every day until I get a gravity-fed drip system put in. Advice regarding this is welcome!

Does anyone know of any problems putting okra next to tomatoes? They don't show as companion plants anywhere I've looked, but also don't show to conflict with each other. I still have a few okra in peat pots in the greenhouse ready to plant.

On another note, I had read that cornmeal would kill fire ants. Didn't believe it, and it took a while, but they are gone! I used it in the greenhouse beds where I couldn't use pesticides AND in the yard and if they've only moved, not died, I haven't been able to find where they've gone and hubby hasn't seen them either.

[OB1kNOb]

Does anyone have a successful approach to prevent rabbits from mowing down young bean plants....short of an impenetrable fence, bullets, or dogs tied to the area at night?

[Silentgypsy]

We haven’t been able to catch our county extension agent in the office. Can anyone here tell us how to control ticks and vegetable garden pests without harming the lizards? Thank you in advance for input.

[ApplegateRanch]

Ended up with 570’ of Yukon Golds planted. Also added another packet of peas; plus 150 sweet red onions. Pink Banana Squash & Pattypan seedlings are also doing well in the small plastic “4 tier greenhouse” we bought last Fall.

Next week (2 weeks prior to ‘last frost) I’ll plant seeds of some of the less tender veggies.

Just about time to pull the grass clippings off the carrots, as they are starting to sprout.

A neighbor gave us 5 each “Bonnie Best” and “Delicious” tomato seedlings; and will give us some Egyptian Walking Onions in a couple of weeks.

Last night, I trimmed the fat from a whole brisket, and put it into brine, to make pastrami...spiced & smoked corned beef. I’ve corned beef before, which comes out (no surprise) way better than the stuff in stores, so I have high hopes for this. Here’s a link to the recipe/instructions I used:

http://blackgirlchefswhites.com/wordpress/2011/04/07/homemade-pastrami/

For the first time, we’re seeing tiny green apricots swelling on the trees, so maybe....

Strawberries are starting to bloom.

Two broody hens glued to nests; fryer bunnies just about ready for the freezer.

All is well in our little corner of the world.

[Just mythoughts]

Thank you for the ping.... I am in strawberry .... heaven or ‘.ell as I am at 19 gallons picked and counting.... I do not have time to do much else but occasionally check to see how far the insane evil left is creating chaos around God's green earth.

[tubebender]

Lady Bender finished spading the potato patch while I spread compost on a fallow bed we will be planting this year. I’ll be 79 in a few days and I feel 89 but I get a little done each day the weather lets me. We are a few weeks late with a couple of things but right on time with others. Raspberries, Blueberries and Strawberries are looking great and we are digging and using the little Vietnam Garlic as we need it. The Chinese Early will be a couple of weeks more if the bulbs don’t rot from the rains...

Did y’all know there is a Okra Texas?

[sneakers]

My cat ate all of my seedlings indoors.

A bunny ate 90% of our snow peas and sugar snap peas growing out in the garden.

I give up.

[CynicalBear]

Picked beans today and the tomatoes have lots of flowers! Corn is nearly tasseled. Got the cucumbers in late but they are finally flowering. Dry as a cork here tho. With my situation I have to water every day.

[JustaDumbBlonde]

A couple of days ago I was planting some azaleas in a flower bed at the base of one of my oak trees. Went in the house for 2-3 minutes and when I came back out I found this:

Walking around under my oak trees is not the same experience that it used to be.

[TASMANIANRED]

http://www.bonap.org/2008_Soil/SoilTypesRelatedMaps.html

Soil maps etc.

Thought this may be of general assistance to the thread.

[TASMANIANRED]

http://www.bonap.org/2008_Soil/SoilTypesRelatedMaps.html

Soil maps etc.

Thought this may be of general assistance to the thread.

[Sarajevo]

Hydroponics for the Home Gardener-downloadable

[JustaDumbBlonde]

[kalee]

Posting this here and on the cooking thread. Has anyone made an earth (cob) oven? We are going to be making one by our patio and I thought it might be a good idea to get suggestions and advice from those who have done this before we begin. THANKS.

[Petruchio]

[Sigh]

The best laid plans of mice and . . . weeds? [grin]

Today's plan was to finish prepping the raised beds and transplant the seedlings. While finishing my morning coffee, it rained . . . again . . . big time . . .

So, instead I am on the Gardening thread seeking advice. I had purchased a bunch of 1-1/2 cubic foot bags of mushroom compost to add to the raised beds. The plan was one bag per 4' X 4' bed. Now the question I am pondering over my second mug of coffee.

Would it be better to till the compost into the top 6" of the beds, or should I spread it as a top dressing after planting everything???

Inquiring minds want to know . . .