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WEEKLY GARDEN THREAD VOLUME 20 MAY 16, 2014
Free Republic | may 16, 2014 | greeneyes

Posted on 05/16/2014 12:31:49 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!

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
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To: EQAndyBuzz

Sometimes the first bunch of flowers don’t have both male and female flowers, so they fall off with no fruit. Watch for the male and female, and then you can help them pollinate with a tiny brush or q tip.

Also if the temps get really hot, sometimes fruit won’t set on tomatoes, so I suppose that could happen with squash, but don’t know for sure. They sell a spray for tomatoes to help with this.

The DTM (days to maturity) can usually be found on the package you planted or in the catalog description.


21 posted on 05/16/2014 1:22:42 PM PDT by greeneyes (Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
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To: greeneyes
I am thankful that the rain barrels are full.

That's my next venture, although I've got some conflicting info on the legalities in my area. I figure when I get closer to being able to set it up, I'll get a little more serious about the legal research.

22 posted on 05/16/2014 1:22:47 PM PDT by dware (3 prohibited topics in mixed company: politics, religion and operating systems...)
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To: KGeorge

I would pick those little worms off get rid of them, I think.


23 posted on 05/16/2014 1:26:02 PM PDT by greeneyes (Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
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To: greeneyes

In my experience, most squashes have problems setting fruits about 95F. Some sort of sull if it’s over 90F much. For c. moschata winter squash the 95F is the one to pay attention to.


24 posted on 05/16/2014 1:27:43 PM PDT by Black Agnes
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To: greeneyes

Anyone try to regrow romaine lettuce? You tube has a video showing how it’s done with romaine, carrots, celery and onions. Simply cut about 2” from the bottom of the romaine stalk, place it in 1/2 inch of water (which is changed daily) and it will start to sprout within a few weeks. I am now going to transplant it in the garden as a test.


25 posted on 05/16/2014 1:28:46 PM PDT by StarFan
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To: dware
We also set up a swimming pool so that we can hold about 4000 gallons, in case we have a longer drought than usual.

A couple of summers ago, the drought was so bad that our rain barrels were dry by the end of May, and didn't get full again till fall. We hauled water for the fruit/nut trees and perennials, but let the garden burn up.

We are on a well, so we do conserve water as much as possible. Don't want to run it dry.

26 posted on 05/16/2014 1:29:26 PM PDT by greeneyes (Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
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To: greeneyes

It’s been a difficult spring, but not a disaster. Spring can be quirky and inconsistent.

I have quite a few seeds left to plant. I also have some spongy-feeling boards on the deck, which concern me, since our plan is for more containers going forward.


27 posted on 05/16/2014 1:30:12 PM PDT by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: greeneyes

I always believed tomatoes liked hot weather but last year, when the temps went into the upper 80s, the tomato plants simply stopped producing. Fortunately, the farmers market on the local square was filled to over flowing.

Our over night low was 36 in town but closer to 45 here along the Lake of the Ozarks. The water temp is in the upper 60s/low 70s so we skipped the garden covering routine. I can’t remember ever having frosty weather this late.

Four varieties of peppers are healthy. Three types have small peppers. I’m waiting to see what the “Trinadad Scorpion” plants produce. I believe they are a variety of ghost pepper, which I have dryed and ground into powder in past years. They must be special. $2.50 bought me 10 seeds.

Cheers !


28 posted on 05/16/2014 1:33:19 PM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks (Rip it out by the roots.)
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To: greeneyes; sockmonkey; All

Reminder to self—never again try using seeds from store bought tomatoes as just about every one of the small transplants have succumbed to disease and died off. Have bought a few various variety backup ones to be transplanted next week.
The peppers and cukes are slow but the recent rains picked them up just a bit and now sunny, warmer weather should give them another jolt. Cruddy N. Tx clay soil doesn’t help matters although I mulched it good over the winter and add in compost to the planting holes. Can’t blame ya one bit Greeneyes for doing the raised beds at your place.


29 posted on 05/16/2014 1:34:39 PM PDT by tflabo (Truth or Tyranny)
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To: greeneyes

For 10 years I’ve stored some of my perennials in containers. This year, thanks to global warming, err, I mean climate chaos catastrophe disruption, a record cold spell killed everything. I’m just about starting from scratch this year. Any more of this global warming and I’m going to have to start raising reindeer.


30 posted on 05/16/2014 1:35:52 PM PDT by Organic Panic
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To: trisham

I have lots of seeds left too, but not corn seeds.


31 posted on 05/16/2014 1:36:26 PM PDT by greeneyes (Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
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To: KGeorge
There is something weird on the leaves of my Valley Cat tomatoes. It looks like the image (lighter than the leaf itself) of a long thin worm that’s kind of curling around.

Hope you get some good news in your mixed bag of Mia news. TAMU is supposed to be the best.

I think it is a leaf miner, and it only has a bottom jaw, so it makes those scrapy shapes. When I see those, I cut the leaf off, and dispose of it. I think they carry some kind of blight, so, they are little jerks.

I await the 411 on the no name tree place.

32 posted on 05/16/2014 1:36:39 PM PDT by sockmonkey (Of course I didn't read the article. After all, this is Free Republic.)
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To: StarFan
Anyone try to regrow romaine lettuce?

Yep although the few I have tried that way never seem to take and die off. I don't notice much of a root system before transplanting but maybe I'm doing it wrong.

33 posted on 05/16/2014 1:37:54 PM PDT by tflabo (Truth or Tyranny)
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To: greeneyes

I’ve never grown corn. It’s very large.


34 posted on 05/16/2014 1:38:41 PM PDT by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: Eric in the Ozarks

I used a sheet to make a shady roof over my tomatoes and that helped. Still, I didn’t get a lot of tomatoes till fall.


35 posted on 05/16/2014 1:39:01 PM PDT by greeneyes (Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
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To: tflabo

Yes, indeed the raised beds are a big improvement over clay soil which is abundant here.


36 posted on 05/16/2014 1:40:17 PM PDT by greeneyes (Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
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To: greeneyes

4.6 inches of rain last night, NoVa....


37 posted on 05/16/2014 1:41:16 PM PDT by Bulwinkle (Alec, a.k.a. Daffy Duck)
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To: KGeorge

The little green worms are probably small caterpillars. They drop out of the trees on a line of silk and will land on a leafy plant and cause the leaves to roll into a cigarette shape. I pulled a dozen off my hickory and pecan trees this week. I hate to do it but it looks as if I’ll need to spray.


38 posted on 05/16/2014 1:42:38 PM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks (Rip it out by the roots.)
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To: greeneyes; All

Lots of heavy rain all night ... 3-4” of rain in surrounding areas - I think we got an inch minimum. If it hadn’t stopped raining when it did, I was thinking the tomatoes would need water wings. All seeds have now sprouted in the garden .... progress!


39 posted on 05/16/2014 1:43:04 PM PDT by Qiviut (Obama: A Caesar at home & a Chamberlain abroad, dividing the country & uniting the world against us.)
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To: Organic Panic

We were so glad that we decided to plant dwarf trees. We were able to cover them and use a 100 watt light to prevent the frost from damaging the blossums this spring.

If things keep cooling we may have to build a green house around them.


40 posted on 05/16/2014 1:43:16 PM PDT by greeneyes (Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
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