WEEKLY GARDEN THREAD VOLUME 10 MARCH 7, 2014

Free Republic | March 7, 2014 | greeneyes

[Silentgypsy]

“...often not the best choice for inexperienced owners.” That’s putting it mildly when it came to our dog. We all survived it, though. Here’s to a long and loving relationship with Frankie! SYL

[rightly_dividing]

Being Southerners, we can consume fresh homemade lemonade like you would not believe. We never use that canned stuff or the plastic lemon, either. We slice and use an old school juicer.

Do I need to post a picture of a juicer for you younger gardeners? LOL

[trisham]

:)

[greeneyes]

LOL. I know exactly what you mean. I actually have 4 old time juicers. One is metal, one is glass, and 2 are plastic.

The lemons that I grow are so tasty, I don’t even add sugar, just some water and ice to go with half a lemon in the glass well squeezed before hand.

When finished, I trim off the peel, rinse it and put it into a jar with some vinegar for use as a cleaning solution.

[rightly_dividing]

I figured you knew. LOL

For the others:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/170956157/foley-aluminum-citrus-juicer-handheld

[rightly_dividing]

Just for fun, do you know what a Mouli grater is?

[Bigg Red]

Can you please tell me where you get your lemon trees? What special things should I know about growing one? I live in Maryland, Zone 7. Thanks.

[tflabo]

I saw this one video where in a greenhouse they built a lower cabinet and put three 100 watt light bulbs 1 ft apart and above it soil for planting seeds as starters.

[steerpike100]

We are so flooded here in Johnston County, NC. It’s never been this bad since we built the house in ‘95. All I want to do is plant the Pontiac potatoes, garden peas, and the cabbage/broccoli/brussels sprouts seedlings I have ready. Today, 2.5 more inches at 3 pm.

Ugh.

[tillacum]

Uck...mine were mush. So I’ll put more in a new batch of
soil. In another pot that is ruined, I’m going to try some mini potatoes. I have some that are full of sprouts.

[JRandomFreeper]

Looks like you are ready to start putting stuff out in the garden.

/johnny

[greeneyes]

I don’t recognize that name. I do know several types of graters, just never knew the names.

[greeneyes]

I ordered mine from Burgess Seed catalog. I really don't do anything special for it. I use some nutrient spikes, and slow release nutrient granules. I water it. I planted it in a mixture of Mel's mix: equal parts peat, compost, and vermiculite.

I water it with a ceramic gizmo that attaches to a soda bottle, and sometimes give it an extra splash a couple of times per week.

I live in zone 5, so leaving it outside is not an option. Hence I keep it in a rather small pot, and don't repot it very often, and even then, just a teeny bit larger to keep it's growth contained.

You can use a Q tip or paint brush to fertilize it. I pick off lots of the initial tiny pea size fruits so that each limb only has to support 2 lemons. It is a dwarf plant, and more of a bush than a tree.

[greeneyes]

100 watt bulbs are good heaters.LOL

[greeneyes]

People in Texas would love to have your excess precipitation.

[greeneyes]

The 3x4 space I have my eye on is next to a retaining wall that has an electrical outlet on it. A regular shop light would probablly work.

[Sarajevo]

Increase your soil depth in your raised beds to 12". If you can, get a truck load of horse manure or good top soil to fill them. You can plant in fresh horse manure. Install drip watering to save on water. Try a shadier location. Many plants go dormant in the heat of San Antonio summers.
Above all, check your soil pH. The San Antonio area is notorious for high pH soil which locks nutrients in the soil. You can acidify it with soil sulfur or ammonium sulfate. Try 3% rock phosphate (available at Rainbow Gardens or the Barrel House on Rte 16)to enhance flowering and growth. You can also use Super Phosphate or Triple Super Phosphate, but be careful how much of the concentrated form you use.

[Sarajevo]

Cattle panel also makes a great trellis for vining plants like cucumber, melon, and squash.

[rightly_dividing]

I have my mom’s vintage Mouli, plus I bought a new one at a kitchen gadget store in Mo. about 15 years ago.

http://grannieskitchen.wordpress.com/2010/02/11/the-original-mouli-grater-from-france/

In fact, my wife grated cheese tonight with it.

[greeneyes]

Yep. I have used one of those in the past. I had a new one that I picked up at Walmart, and I liked it a lot. Unfortunately it had a lot of plastic parts, and didn’t stand up to the frequent use.