Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

WEEKLY GARDEN THREAD VOLUME 1, JANUARY 3,2014
Free Republic | Jan 3, 2014 | greeneyes

Posted on 01/03/2014 12:19:51 PM PST 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!

NOTE: This is a once a week ping list. We do post to the thread during the week. Links to related articles and discussions which might be of interest are welcomed, so feel free to post them at any time.


TOPICS: Gardening
KEYWORDS: agriculture; food; gardening; hobby
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100 ... 381-396 next last
To: Drayah
Lily of the Valley is a common name for at least two different plant species.

Convallaria majalis, a rhizome with dainty white flowers and entirely poisonous, is a cool climate plant. It thrives in USDA Zones 2-5, and struggles in Zone 7.

Pieris japonica is an evergreen shrub with cascading white flowers. Native to Japan, Taiwan and eastern China, recommended USDA Zones 4-8, with light shade needed warmer climates. This is also a toxic specimen, leaves and nectar are harmful when ingested.

61 posted on 01/03/2014 4:01:05 PM PST by NautiNurse (Obama sends U.S. Marines to pick up his dog & basketballs. Benghazi? Nope.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 45 | View Replies]

To: greeneyes

I need another seedling shelf so was giving one of “my” garage shelves the once, twice, three times over yesterday. Don’t know if I can manage to put what’s on it out of hubby’s way though. The next warm day, I’ll see what I can do. There’s a little cabinet son dumped here that will hold some seedlings. At Christmas, we told the kids that they’ll have 6 months after college graduation to move their stuff to their own places or else. I can’t tell that they’re elsewhere because their stored stuff outgrown their old rooms and has moved into the livingroom, the porch and the garage. This last summer, daughter dropped off her little bit of gardening supplies so they’re mine!! now and we’ll talk when and if she ever gets a place where she needs them.

We finally brought in all the cages and what not and pulled up the dead plants this week. I should have put in a fall garden but wasn’t able.


62 posted on 01/03/2014 4:01:46 PM PST by bgill
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: bgill

Yeh, I really fell down on the job this fall too, just didn’t have the energy I usually have.

Our neighbors this past summer, didn’t even have a place left in their living room to be able to sit down, since both kids came home from college, and dumped it all there because they didn’t have room in their bedrooms for all the stuff.


63 posted on 01/03/2014 4:23:01 PM PST by greeneyes (Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 62 | View Replies]

To: greeneyes; JRandomFreeper; Marcella
You mean all of you South of me aren't getting the deep freeze seeping down from us here in the far North??? I'm jealous ya'll are able to get started so early!

Guess you heard the Green Bay vs Forty Niners are going to play in sub zero there on Sunday! Don't think even the hardiest GB fans are going to enjoy that.

Looks like our thaw is going to be mid Summer this year... We haven't been above zero for weeks now. Sunday is supposed to be around forty below with -50 or less with the windy chills! They are still forecasting sub zero for the next ten days or so... UGHHH!

Guessing our garden will planted around July 4th, gardening Alaska style here in N.MN!

64 posted on 01/03/2014 4:27:20 PM PST by JDoutrider
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: JDoutrider
Whoof. Prayers up for ya'll. I couldn't take that kind of temp. It's chilly here, but we're above freezing.

I was telling my daughter today that tobacco seeds had to be sown at the end of January, because it's about 90 days and stuff will be going out in the big garden.

/johnny

65 posted on 01/03/2014 4:33:34 PM PST by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 64 | View Replies]

To: JRandomFreeper

I have searched since you posted and can’t find any evidence that mequite grows in the Piney Woods Region. I looked at many pictures to see what the look like, and don’t recall seeing any until west of Houston by some mileage. One site has a map and PWR was not included in the mesquite area. But what do I know, I’ve only been here 3 1/2 years. I would like to find some locally, though, for BBQ


66 posted on 01/03/2014 4:41:07 PM PST by rightly_dividing (2 Tim. 2:15)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 60 | View Replies]

To: greeneyes; Marcella

Rebel tobacco plant this evening. Beer can for scale. They gave me a beer for babysitting. ;)

That plant is now in a one gallon container and shows no sign of slowing down.

It's a bit droopy because I didn't water it before I left the house this morning. I'm going to have to watch the water and fertilizer more on this potted plant than the ones I had out in the big garden.

/johnny

67 posted on 01/03/2014 4:44:59 PM PST by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 63 | View Replies]

To: rightly_dividing
A friend of mine recently pushed down about 100 acres of scrub mesquite. I've got access to plenty. I use mesquite and pecan wood for smoking my feral pork.

/johnny

68 posted on 01/03/2014 4:46:54 PM PST by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 66 | View Replies]

To: JDoutrider

I watch a youtube channel where the folks are in Union Maine. They have about 3’ of snow on the ground and all over their cars and trucks. He needs his truck but the bed is full of snow. He was in his garage working in -10. Not me.


69 posted on 01/03/2014 4:47:25 PM PST by rightly_dividing (2 Tim. 2:15)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 64 | View Replies]

To: JRandomFreeper

You have pecan trees the your area? I wouldn’t have guessed that. I have lots of oak for cooking, but like to add some mesquite of hickory, but have to buy those in pricey little bundles around here.


70 posted on 01/03/2014 4:52:29 PM PST by rightly_dividing (2 Tim. 2:15)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 68 | View Replies]

To: Marcella; All
Don't count on there not being a freeze. Those charts and map zones LIIIIIEEEEE! Ours is supposed to be March 21 but we always get a freeze on April 15. 100% guaranteed. Tax day and the garden goes to pot. You're further south and yours should be more protected or easier to protect. Check the weather reports back the last five years just to make sure.

I found this article that should scare the bejeebers out of people on how little nutrients (focusing on antioxidants) are in all those hybrid/improved/GMO picture perfect fruits and vegetables on the grocery shelves - http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/26/opinion/sunday/breeding-the-nutrition-out-of-our-food.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&;
and the accompanying charts at http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/05/26/sunday-review/26corn-ch.html?ref=sunday

I was looking at a few of the local farmers markets and confirmed they were selling mainly these pretty and sweeter hybrids. We knew this but the city folk (who think eggs are aborted chickens) who are plucking down $5 for a pound of tomatoes and eating $12 salads the latest hip gourmet “hand picked fresh this morning” restaurants don't. It's also very telling when you read that Chef Ramon (with a rolling “R” and accent, of course) buys his ever so fresh veggies every Tuesday, then it's not so fresh for the weekend crowd. “Organic” and “locally grown” has nothing to do with nutritionl value. Bottom line is, as Dr. Gregory House says, “Everyone lies.”

71 posted on 01/03/2014 4:52:58 PM PST by bgill
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: rightly_dividing
Pecan Plantation is just south of me. It's a community built in literally a pecan plantation. We did some work there last year and had to take out a pecan tree to put in a well site. I wound up with a lot of that wood for my smoker.

Neighbor has 4 each 70 ft pecan trees. I pull up a few baby trees every year when the squirrels bury the pecans in my garden.

/johnny

72 posted on 01/03/2014 4:56:23 PM PST by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 70 | View Replies]

To: Marcella

Give it 3 more weeks if you don’t want to worry about losing all your hard work.


73 posted on 01/03/2014 4:57:44 PM PST by bgill
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: Free Vulcan

Call a few nearby schools, day care/preschool, girls and boys club a YMCA or even a church group. Ask your radio station if they have a Saturday morning bulletin board show for people looking for some used whatever or giving away something free to the first taker. My kids brought home all sorts of seedings from preschool, the middle school’s greenhouse class sells plants, and the special needs kids usually have something growing in their rooms. Ask your local Master Gardeners.


74 posted on 01/03/2014 5:09:18 PM PST by bgill
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: JRandomFreeper

The house that I grew up in(figure of speech, I never grew up) was built in an old pecan orchard of a plantation home. We had two in our small yard until hurricane Camille in 68 or 69.


75 posted on 01/03/2014 5:13:00 PM PST by rightly_dividing (2 Tim. 2:15)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 72 | View Replies]

To: greeneyes
I raided my daughter's pantry while I was babysitting...

I now have enough almost sprouting potatoes for a row of potatoes, and yet another clove of garlic that already has green shoots, that I'll have to find a spot for under the cold frame.

/johnny

76 posted on 01/03/2014 5:13:33 PM PST by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 63 | View Replies]

To: rightly_dividing
We do pretty well with trees around here. I've got elm and white oak on the property. Property next door (old homestead where I was born) has blackjack oaks, red oaks, and white oak. Neighbor has pecan trees. There was a pear tree on this property when I was growing up.

We sit at the edge of an underground creek that can be identified by the row of cottonwoods that runs for a half mile through the neighborhood.

/johnny

77 posted on 01/03/2014 5:18:32 PM PST by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 75 | View Replies]

To: JDoutrider

HaHa. I spent one year in Vermillion S. Dakota. That convinced me to never live further north than Missouri.

When you finally thaw out, the warm sunshine will feel pretty good. Actually, if I were you, I’d have a big wall of thermal glass/garden room style or lots of thermal windows facing due South. So that I could lay down on the couch and take an afternoon nap in the warm sunshine whenever it happened to shine.

There’s no way I would be in a stadium at your current temps.


78 posted on 01/03/2014 5:18:53 PM PST by greeneyes (Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 64 | View Replies]

To: greeneyes; JRandomFreeper; rightly_dividing; sockmonkey; Nepeta; Silentgypsy; ApplegateRanch; ...
I want all to know sockmonkey is my dear friend in Kerrville, Tx, and if I get to go to that area again, I'm going to her house and we'll talk plants and everything else. I don't know if she partakes of an adult beverage, but if she does, I'll bring it and we'll relax and solve the world's problems.
79 posted on 01/03/2014 5:19:08 PM PST by Marcella ((Prepping can save your life today. I am a Christian, not a Muslim.))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 61 | View Replies]

To: JRandomFreeper

I have some nearly sprouting potatoes, but it is too cold to put in a row. I was thinking about sticking them into a pot indoors for an experiment.LOL


80 posted on 01/03/2014 5:21:33 PM PST by greeneyes (Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 76 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100 ... 381-396 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson