Posted on 06/07/2013 1:13:59 PM PDT by 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!
/johnny
/johnny
Picked some Early Girl maters, peppers doing good, so are the watermelons and cantaloupes. Other maters still getting even larger.
Thanks for the picture. I love the fragrant lilac scent. My experiment this year has made me a believer in mushroom compost to grow spinach.
The problem is our local Walmart is out. Next year we’ll have to buy more.
Hubby will finish digging up the iris and transplanting this year. He is clearing out the backyard flower bed to plant blueberries and transplanting the bulbs to a new front yard patch.
We are pinching off most of the flowers this year on strawberries, since we have 2 new beds. I did plant some in pots to grow a few. This was a mis-communication. Hubby was supposed to plant the new beds before taking out the old bed.
Ain’t it the truth! Growing your own food is a challenge. Just think, the pioneers and other ancestors had to do it to survive.
My raised beds do pretty well, since they have a lot of Mel’s mix. It is almost impossible to oversaturate, and the wood keeps it all together instead of washing away.
Those all sound very yummy.
The soil in my bottom garden is great! Unfortunately it’s a bit difficult to put wood around it. It’s 75’X75’. LOL.
“We are pinching off most of the flowers this year on strawberries, since we have 2 new beds.”
Tell me about why you are pinching off most of the flowers. Explain that to me.
I haven’t been into any other county ext office, but ours has a big library of everything published, it seems, and has good recommendations on varieties and local suppliers, plus they have a huge sale in March that draws probably thousands of people with a bunch of LEO’s directing traffic to parking areas there and across the street at our Convention Center. I can walk in at any time and get great service with any kind of plant questions that I have, which is plenty. Sometimes, even get my questions answered by the teacher of the Master Gardener program if he is not busy with a class.
We prefer to plant thornless black berry plants. We also save the wild black berry plants which are growing on the property, and keep them trimmed and netted. Last year was a great crop until the drought, and hundreds of berries just shriveled and died.
I think I read that pepper plants planted in a small container will produce small peppers because the roots are restricted in depth.
I always enjoy your very entertaining posts, and admire your productivity.LOL
LOL
During the first year per instructions that come with the plant, pinch off the flowers so that the energy goes into establishing the plant rather than produce.
This is supposed to make for stronger and healthier plants and better harvest in subsequent years.
Your extension office definitely beats ours. A referral to their internet site is the usual response we get.
Do your thornless blackberry plants come back the next year or do you have to start over? If they do come back, what is the name of them?
http://otherpeoplesfood.blogspot.com/2007/06/garlic-scape-soup.html?m=1
I’ve made it with both russets and new potatoes. I think new potatoes give the soup a creamier texture. I also use my own broth from veggie scraps, but I’m sure canned/boxed is fine. I just like free broth!
They do come back, we have serveral, I’ll have to find them in one of the folders I keep of catalog orders. We have even bought some from Walmart.
Thanks for the link.
We saw 72 in the Bender Micro Climate, “officially” it was 62 and 30 miles inland it was supposed to top 108. My 72 was the average of 3 thermometers as I don’t trust these new gorebal warming units you buy in the “Friendly” hardware store.
71 degrees today here on our little acre. I hear ya, I don’t trust a lot of stuff today, that I never gave a thought to when I was lots younger.
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