Weekly Gardening Thread – 2009 Vol.10 – July 17

Free Republic | 7-17-2009 | Red_Devil 232

[Red_Devil 232]

Good morning to all of you gardeners. Well it looks like the weather is going to be cooling down in the Midwest, East Coast and parts of the South starting today and continuing through the weekend. Wow it is looking like September in July! Our plants are going to be confused!

[Red_Devil 232]

YOU HAVE

ADDED TO THE WEEKLY GARDENING PING LIST

YOU HAVE

[Red_Devil 232]

Oh My! Everything is Beautiful! What are you feeding all those guys? Are you growing for market?

[Red_Devil 232]

Is you Celebrity tomato also in a container? If so it may need to be fertilized more often.

[murrie]

I’ve been thinking about going through the process to get my “master gardener” certification also. Do you think it is worth the process?

[who knows what evil?]

Did you get any feedback re: 46-0-0 fertilizer for corn?

[Dutchgirl]

I just put it in a 5 gal.bucket last week. It had a baby fruit when I bought it, and I shook out the roots to give them some room and fertilized the soil with a little OMRI liquid fertilizer and then planted it and staked it.

The fruit is still there and growing, but I've lost two stems this week and don't see any new growth and the color of the whole plant is lighter. It's in direct sun from 9AM to 6PM and everything around it is thriving, including two Roma's that I treated the same way.

I work next to a pool company and get all the free 5 gal. chlorine buckets I can use. I wash them with mild soap and let them air dry for a week before planting. I'm hoping the containers will cut down on pests.

[murrie]

I swear that is one of the most beautiful gardens I have seen in I don’t know how long. The canteloupe arrangement is something!! Any problems with this type of set up? Man I have got to try that!! Could you tell me a little about the type of fencing you use for your canteloupes-cause I know they have to be heavy. Thanks-I’m still a beginner!

[Petronski]

Our pullets absolutely DEVASTATED the massive ant colony we’ve endured these many years.

They are absolute black-ant-killin’ machines!

[hoosiermama]

I was involved in a neighboring county’s Master Gardener group before getting certified. It is WELL worth the hours of classwork, but to be honest members of the group, having varied interests and expertise have taught me as much as the classes....It is a continuious growing experience...

I would have never thought to solve a bug problem with soil testing and augmentation of the soil instead of spray, but it works.

OTOH the gardner clubs in my county tend to be the white glove sun-hat variety.

My current group has couples-singles, young-old , those who live in town, rural area.....Just plain ol good, God fearing-loving folks...We laugh lots and support each other though the difficult paths of life.

[murrie]

Forgive my ignorance but what are “pullets”? Sounds like whatever they are I need some.....

[JRochelle]

Guava? Oh I am green with envy.

[Petronski]

Older female chicks, too old to be called peeps, but too young to lay eggs yet.

Cyborg and I have five barred-rock hens and two broad-breasted white turkeys (Thanksgiving!)

We put them inside a chicken-wire dome over this ant colony and they basically ate an entire ant civilization. Good riddance too.

[hoosiermama]

I would love to have chickens but the bobcat, skunks and cyote pretty well make that impossible.

ANy one with ideas to keep them out of a chicken coop?

Just got in from filling my pick bucket with red kidney beans...shell and dry... for winter chili...got another pick left and that’s it for this year.

[hoosiermama]

Your garden is beautiful......Never grow catalope or cukes, but yours are beautiful.

[Petronski]

If a chicken run is built with half-inch welded wire on top, sides and bottom (buried), it will be basically predator proof.

Another alternative is to keep them inside a wooden coop and only let them roam about outside in your presence.

If you’re rural enough to have roosters, they will protect from skunks and weasels at least.

It would take some doing, but it could be done.

[tubebender]

Was there a shortage of honey bees or other insects and the trees didn’t get pollinated?

[hoosiermama]

I’m rural enough...Live in the middle of the state forest.....Click on Hoo-mama ...pictures are small...but will replace someday.

Now I wonder if the border collie would help...She and the cat are best friends and nothing or no one bothers her cat.

[Petronski]

ANY dog will help the situation.

Our biggest threat here will be hawks I think. Never noticed them before but now, when the chickens are out, I notice them circling, like some predator drone hunting talibani.

[hoosiermama]

No, My local bee keeper has good honey this year....They also tapped their maple trees and are growing Sorghum to take to the Amish to be made into molasses. It's going to be a SWUUUEEETT winter in Starve Holler.

Just got warm weather too early and cold weather at the wrong time. Knew it was happening, but didn't even think of spraying the trees with water as someone above suggested.

[Walmartian]

I’m growing sweet corn (Silver Queen) for the first time this year. The tassels seem to be in full ‘bloom’ but I don’t see any silk. Am I being impatient or do you think I have a problem? We’ve had mostly normal summer temps (S.E. MO) and I’ve got a sprinkle system to keep it watered.