WEEKLY GARDEN THREAD VOLUME 15 APRIL 12, 2013

Free Republic | April 12, 2013 | 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!

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[JRandomFreeper]

I grow lots of basil because I use lots of basil. When the season hits and tomatoes are in, jars and jars and jars of red sauce get canned. I also use it fresh with fresh tomatoes, onions, and feta cheese for a tomato salad. And then I'll dry a bunch for winter/early spring use. I also put a bunch back as pesto. I can't have too much basil.

Or cilantro, for that matter.

/johnny

[fidelis]

tflabo-- Just about everything in our garden this year was started from seeds-- first time we've tried doing this way. We got a couple of extra tomato plants from the nursery "just in case" we weren't successful, but now we have too many!

We did also get a couple early marigold and alyssum plants. We wanted to put them in while the seed ones were growing to stave off the bugs. My marigolds have caught up, but my alyssum were kind of disappointing.

[greeneyes]

Thanks so much for all the pictures. I love the way your gardens look. So nice and tidy and pretty.

[greeneyes]

I should probably look into that too. My granddaughter hates most veggies, but she does like miniature corn. Wonder if you can plant it closer together?

[tflabo]

fid—I live in the DFW TX area. There’s a little asian lady up the block with a small corner patch and she’s got lettuce and some other greens growing nicely even in February where its fairly cold here too. She starts them from seeds in the ground too-—I’m so amazed at folks who have great gardening skills.

[Marcella]

GREAT report from MASTER GARDENER ME:

Hey, this gardening stuff is easy: Since I don’t know what I’m doing exactly, I’m just doing GREAT:

I have 9 tomatoes (two are cherry) in containers growing GREAT. I’ve got actual tomatoes, real, honest to goodness tomatoes, 6 on one cherry and 4 on another cherry (the one growing in the potting soil bag), and flowers on three regular tomatoes. The other regular ones without flowers I planted a number of days after the blooming ones.

I have tiny lettuce I can see coming up in a 5 ft. long on the ground planter. GREAT.

When at Lowe a several weeks ago, I got a small plastic container with basil seed in it and one with a sweet pepper in it and just added the water and planted those in the little plastic contains a couple of days ago. I can see two tiny basil already and no response yet from the pepper but it’s too soon for that. GREAT.

Yesterday, I replanted tobacco seed Johnny sent me and hope they do right this time as I managed to kill the other ones I planted. GREAT.

I bought a small greenhouse and have heirloom seeds coming from Terroir Seeds, should be here in a day or so. That is all I could think of doing to keep the birds from eating my seeds and have a place to grow seeds in the early springs. There are two huge oak trees behind the fence of my garden and squirrels and birds live in those trees and watch for something to eat in my garden. GREAT.

One package of those seeds are wild tomatoes that were found on Gallipolis Island. These are smallish tomatoes that insist on staying alive and if you leave one sort of in the ground, it will grow another plant the next year. Just leave as many as you want for the next year in the ground. I will also save seed from that plant. I also got a wild onion that insists on growing the next year and the next, etc. GREAT.

I bought a large size row cover that isn’t here yet. This one lets sun and rain in, but keeps out birds and squirrels. It’s fine on a row or cut it to fit around a plant. I will do that for the tomatoes as soon as it gets here to keep the squirrels and birds from getting the tomatoes which they damn sure will as they have done it in past years when my husband did a garden. GREAT.

SEE, this gardening stuff isn’t so hard when I have people like you from which to learn. GREAT.

[fidelis]

/johnny-- That's just PVC piping. It's the frame for frost protection plastic, and summer shade cloth. We just pounded some rebar into each corner of the square and placed the ends of the tube in each one. Works good.

Growing tomatillos is pretty much like growing tomatoes. You need two of them to cross-pollinate, but they're hearty and fast growing, just like tomatoes. Those are them in the big white containers. We did get these from the nursery as little seedlings (because it was late) but next year we'll try different kinds from seed.

[greeneyes]

Yes there is a ping list, and I will put you on it. It’s a weekly ping on Friday afternoon. Then we just keep posting during the week to that same thread as people have time.

To answer your question : Yes you can start the plants and bring them indoors. If you have a southern or west facing window, you may not even need a grow light.

I have done this with several herbs. The most outstanding results was with basil. See my prior post up thread. The plant from 2010 is still going strong.

[greeneyes]

Marcella, what GREAT news you have! You make me smile. You have come a long way babe!!!!!

[JRandomFreeper]

I had to deal with some PEX today, and the piece I cut off was curved like that.... I may do some experimenting to see how that holds up in the sunlight. I need hoop row covers for next year, and they gotta be cheap. I already have a roll of PEX in hand... Time to McGyver something to work...

/johnny

[JRandomFreeper]

Thanks for the info on the tomatillos. I'll get seeds and start some next year. I like 'em. I just forget about 'em until I see 'em and say "Wow, I could do a lot with that in the kitchen".

/johnny

[JRandomFreeper]

I have used the liquid seaweed and it works great. I use it and molassas mixed about 1.5 oz each to a gallon of water as starter soak for seeds, water for seedlings, and foliar spray, especially on the tomatoes. It stops spider mites on tomatoes from every showing up.

I also use it to feed my compost pile and it makes my compost work about 6 times faster than normal. So what would normally take a year to compost, breaks down in a couple of months.

My understanding is that it is actually food for beneficial bacteria and other little squigly wigglies that makes plants happy and makes compost break down faster.

/johnny

[Marcella]

“Tomatoes are growing great, no losses to cutworms this year because I remembered to use aluminum foil around the stalks.”

Tell me about using aluminum foil around stalks. Where exactly did you put the foil? I don’t have tomatoes in the ground but I need to know about this when I do have them in the ground.

Can you do this with other plants to stop bugs from getting on the plants and eating? I know nothing, either, about using chemicals on plants for anything. What should I know?

[JRandomFreeper]

I just wrap aluminum foil around the stalk about one inch below where it will go in the ground, and one inch above. Every year, I'll forget to do a few, and every year, I wind up with cutworms leaving me with dead plants. They cut them off at the ground.

I don't use commercial chemicals or even natural chemicals that can kill soil bacteria or fungi. If the soil is healthy, plants can fight off most diseases. Macroscopic fauna like cutworms and vine borer pests, I either treat mechanically, as with the AL foil, or with special bacteria or beneficial nematodes.

Healthy soil stops lots of problems from ever happening.

/johnny

[Marcella]

I don't know about this mulch stuff - like, why would you put vegetable scraps in anything?

Are you saying when I sweep up leaves on my deck to put them in a big plastic bag and put food garbage in there and seal it and keep doing that (but I'd have more food scraps than I would leaves so is that a problem - seems like I would just have a smelly mess)?

Right now, I've got those dead thorny rose limbs but I should throw those away, right? Don't want those thorns in a mulch, right?

[trisham]

I'm finally going to start some seeds this weekend. Our high today was 38 degrees, and the last couple of weeks have been extremely windy, so trying to work out on the deck was impossible. Trying to work on the kitchen table would have been a total mess. I'm a little discouraged, but with my husband helping out, we should get the job done. Oh, and I forgot to get markers for my little pots so that I'll know what's growing (hopefully) in each one. It's been years since I did anything but direct sow or buy transplants.

I'll have to take pictures this year. I've never done that previously, so this could be either a lot of fun, or a resounding public disgrace. :)

[trisham]

Wow! Wonderful pics!

[fidelis]

Thank you. :)

[tflabo]

JR— after the seaweed tea is done I will compost whatever residue remains. I’ll have to get some molasses so thanks for that tip. Currently I’ve mixed in some used coffee grinds in the seaweed tea bucket. Feeling like a mad, organic biologist lately but without the liberal lunacy of mother earth worship. (’

[JRandomFreeper]

All of my kitchen waste goes into the compost pile (except meat, we have racoons around here).

It just makes sense that the plants can't actually eat what is in soil without enough of the correct beneficial bacteria in it. I worry about getting the soil right, and let the plants handle rest.

I've got a neighbor that uses harsh chemicals for every little problem and his soil is pretty barren. Earthworms don't live in it because they don't have enough to eat. I don't want to be ThatGuy(tm).

I'm on the far west side of the MetroMess, so we are in the same zone for gardening. Gardens can grow here, but timing, soil condition and water are everything.

/johnny