WEEKLY GARDEN THREAD VOLUME 21, 2013

Free Republic | May 24, 2013 | greeneyes

[rightly_dividing]

I have a problem with my Myers Lemon. It has many small fruit and was looking good till recently. Now the leaves have turned very light colored. They have not started to drop, but I am sure that is next. It was fertilized a while back, a month or two ago, and not sure what wifey used. Sitting beside it in this picture is another Myers that she bought a few days ago. The difference is very clear to see. Could someone please advise me what is wrong with my plant. This plant has already survived one near death episode and I don't want to lose it now.

[Sarajevo]

I found a large live root, so I pulled it up, and it was attached to a pecan, along with another big root.

Do NOT allow the remnants of the nut to break off of the root or the tree will die. I don't know why, but pecans will continue to regrow after being chewed to the ground by deer or run over by a mower, but as soon as the nut breaks off, it's a goner.

[Sarajevo]

It looks like a nitrogen deficiency. This link may be helpful:

Citrus: Identifying Disease and Disorders of Leaves and Twigs

[Sarajevo]

OK, I'm late to the thread.........but here goes:
I got up yesterday to the incessant ringing of the phone. It was the local farm supply store calling to tell us that we needed to get there as quick as possible because our new order of chicks arrived, and other customers were already interested in buying them all. The Mrs and I got ready and stepped outside only to find this weird wet stuff falling from the sky, and it was falling by the bucketful! I think someone said it's called "rain". Needless to say, we haven't seen a good downpour in over 2 years.

As we slowly drove to the store, we began to count how many driveways were washing into the road..........yeah, we tend to do strange things to avoid the boredom. We got 20 new hatchlings to add the the flock of 14 adults and the 10 Amercuana's we bought last month. It may seem like a lot, but we have problems with predation in our area. If it isn't a raccoon, it's neighbor dogs that get through our fence.

The rains lasted into early afternoon, and then we went outside to see if we had any damage. We found this guy drying out on the phone pole:
Needless to say, the chickens were all under trees and real quiet!

Now, down to the hoophouse: This Black Krim was planted in March. It was such a cute little plant when we bought it:
Mrs S is standing beside it. She's 5ft tall.

The "Vintage Wine" Tomatoes are bearing a lot of fruit also.

I planted my other tomatoes on 2ft centers, but apparently, that isn't enough. These are a variety of determinate and indeterminate plants:

The Collard Greens and Swiss Chard are left over from last fall's planting. They survived this years mid winter by just being covered with a plastic drop cloth:

In the greenhouse, various pepper plants are producing nicely:
Jalapeno's

The Tabasco Tree - I started this plant from seed back in 2008:

Habenero:

and Bell Peppers:

We harvest two cauliflower this past week. One was used as a salad, and the other is waiting for the pot:

Oh yeah, before I forget.......the little furballs brought this in:

A Giant Centipede.
The Mrs saw it and screamed like a banshee, cats scattered everywhere (except for the culprit who was sooooo proud of bringing it in the house). The Mrs continued to make various strange squeeling and grunting sounds while dancing around, never taking her eyes away form this poor creature.
For some reason, I'm not allowed to lightly walk my fingers up the Mrs' back for the rest of the day......... :)

[Silentgypsy]

Thank you so much for the ping! I love it here, too.

[fidelis]

Oh yes - ditto that on the recipe! I would also love to see the recipe for the low carb squash when Mrs. fidelis is willing to share!

LOL.I'll see what I can do!

[rightly_dividing]

Thanks for that link. I was afraid that it was too much nitrogen. When my wife came home after I posted the question, she said she fertilized it with some nitrogen that we had on hand, about a month ago. It was repotted during the spring, but don't remember just when.

It's all we can do to grow stuff, diagnosing sick plants is beyond us altogether. This same plant dropped all it's leaves once before and died. What we currently have is a sucker that came up much later from the root.

[Black Agnes]

Lovely hawk. We have a nesting pair in the trees behind our lot. The chickens all head into their coop when it swoops over the field. Fortunately their run is covered on top with chicken wire. But it does get really quiet. Even the rooster shuts up.

[Sarajevo]

If it was a grafted tree, you’ll have the plant from the original rootstock, not the tree you purchased.

[Sarajevo]

We haven’t had much of an issue with the hawk on our property, but a chicken roamed outside of our fenceline last year and the hawk pounced on it. I think the cats keep the hawk away (hopefully). That hawk could make several meals out of our 2 month old birds.

[Ellendra]

Do they give an award for an exceptional crop of weeds?

"Cover crops", Petruchio. Call them "cover crops" ;)

[Ellendra]

If I want a green pepper, do I pick it before it gets red, or do I need to get a different “green” pepper variety?

You can just pick them early for green peppers.

[rightly_dividing]

I know that, am wondering just what it will be. It has about 20 small lime colored fruit, with 2 or 3 just turning yellow. Want to keep it anyway. It was a present to me that I killed, and it came back.

I want fruit tress, but have a heavy canopy of oaks. If I should come by enough money, I will have every tree in the back yard removed to give us a sunny yard.

[Lera]

I have a problem with my Myers Lemon. It has many small fruit and was looking good till recently. Now the leaves have turned very light colored. They have not started to drop, but I am sure that is next. It was fertilized a while back, a month or two ago, and not sure what wifey used. Sitting beside it in this picture is another Myers that she bought a few days ago. The difference is very clear to see. Could someone please advise me what is wrong with my plant. This plant has already survived one near death episode and I don't want to lose it now.

How well does the soil in that pot drain ? Citrus plants like lots of water but their soil must drain really well . If the soil doesn't drain fast their roots start to rot .

[rightly_dividing]

My wife repotted the plant, but we usually add too much rock to the bottom of the plants to build in drainage and to keep the containers from blowing over in windstorms. I think we will pull it up and check it tomorrow. Thanks for the advice.

[Lera]

My wife repotted the plant, but we usually add too much rock to the bottom of the plants to build in drainage and to keep the containers from blowing over in windstorms. I think we will pull it up and check it tomorrow. Thanks for the advice.

If you are using regular potting soil try adding a bunch of perlite to it . A slightly larger pot would be good too as you can make it drain really well without it completely drying out much easier than with a tiny pot:)

I am surrounded by citrus trees . To give you an idea of the soil type they grow in and how well drained it is ... we got 4 inches of rain in a few hours a couple of days ago and when the rain stopped there was not a drop of standing water on the ground . Citrus grows in almost pure sand here .

When their feet are too wet they start to look washed out and it kind of mimics a nitrogen deficiency in other plants.

[tubebender]

Now there is a thought with 100% of truth in it...

[tubebender]

I really like the results of your Hoop House!. I get more behinder every day or I would have one. Is hail a problem with the covering?

[TEXOKIE]

Thanks, Ellendra!

[Just mythoughts]

Thanks for the ping. Finally got the corn planted today. Crazy weather has been great for the weeds but hardly warm or dry enough to till and plant. (NOT a complaint just reality.) I had no weed problem last year because of the drought and heat, but they are sure making up for it this spring.

The strawberries are finally turning, and I will go over the beds tomorrow to pick the first ripe.

Last year gardening about did me in and this spring seems to have picked up right where last fall’s harvest ended. I know I am getting old and slow because I can hardly move after a few hours of dancing with the garden tiller.