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WEEKLY GARDEN THREAD VOLUME 20 MAY 15, 2015
freerepublic | 8/15/2015 | greeneyes

Posted on 05/15/2015 1:19:16 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. Planting, Harvest to Table(recipes)preserving, good living - 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: greeneyes
I want to create a milkweed way station in order to attract Monarch butterflies and with my recent purchase of a couple of hummingbird feeders, I was given a 3” x 3” “plug” of a “butterfly milkweed” (Asclepias tuberosa) that I intend to plant in a large flower box since I don't have a garden space to accommodate it.

Will it thrive in the flower box and if at the end of the season I bring the box into the garage for the winter, will it survive till next spring?

41 posted on 05/15/2015 5:06:08 PM PDT by Hot Tabasco (November 2016 shall be set aside as rodent removal month.)
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To: Roos_Girl
hey Roos_Girl,

Good to see you on this forum - do you have any friends and/or neighbors that garden?
Sharing trial-and-error with others helps everyone learn - I've gotten (and given) some pretty good pointers from others in my zone - and it's great fun, too!

42 posted on 05/15/2015 5:24:55 PM PDT by Psalm 73 ("Gentlemen, you can't fight in here - this is the War Room".)
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To: Psalm 73

Hey Psalm,
Yeah, the people to one side of us have a garden every now and then, I may be able to ask them also. Good idea. Thanks.


43 posted on 05/15/2015 5:46:09 PM PDT by Roos_Girl (The world is full of educated derelicts. - Calvin Coolidge)
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To: greeneyes

What is your growing zone? Here in NC we got down below 10 degrees (I think 9 was the lowest). I was surprise that so many plants actually made it through the winter. The two newest we just planted in mid to late August. My mom had a few irises. They are so graceful and pretty.


44 posted on 05/15/2015 5:46:57 PM PDT by punknpuss
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To: greeneyes

Radishes and arugula are the zucchini of May.


45 posted on 05/15/2015 7:07:41 PM PDT by heartwood
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To: greeneyes; Roos_Girl
greeneyes :" Colorado potato beetle comes to mind, but you should have seen some eggs on the underside of the leaves, and I’m not sure what the little devils look like..."

The Colorado Potato beetle will leave a mass of tan /beige/ light brown eggs.

46 posted on 05/15/2015 7:50:59 PM PDT by Tilted Irish Kilt
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To: mrsmith
mrsmith :" Darn Beefsteak won’t grow up- it just keeps getting denser.
It’s TOO small and bushy: about a foot high and a foot across."

You can and should remove sucker growth
Best to wait until you see some blooms to determine which is productive for fruit , and which are suckers.
You can train it into an upright growth ( known in horticulture as 'apical meristem' - just select which is likely to grow upward, and trim out the rest
and eliminate the competition for leader.

47 posted on 05/15/2015 7:56:53 PM PDT by Tilted Irish Kilt
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To: Eric in the Ozarks
Eric in the Ozarks :" ..My tomatoes and peppers are doing great, but my radishes are all tops."

It sounds like too much, or high nitrogen in the soil.
Consider subsequent plantings of leafey greens (lettuces, brocolli , kohlrobbi, kale, etc. ) as you harvest the radishes, or thin them out .

48 posted on 05/15/2015 8:01:50 PM PDT by Tilted Irish Kilt
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To: Roos_Girl; mrsmith
Roos_Girl :" Is it possible the plant was marked incorrectly?
We brought home seedlings one time that were supposed to be cantaloupe and we got a lovely crop of okra."

Mis-marked vegetables generally occur near the end of the planting season .
Frequently , customers will pull a marker our of the flat , forget where it came from , and put it somewhere where is is convienient (to them).
Growers and greenhouses don't purposely mis-mark crops as it ruins their reputation, and turns buyers to go elsewhere.

49 posted on 05/15/2015 8:08:33 PM PDT by Tilted Irish Kilt
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To: greeneyes
I am amazed at the difference in gardening and planting schedules across the states compared to our area here on Humboldt Bay. I continue to do less and less outdoors so Lady Bender has had to do all the spading. We will plant potatoes in the next couple of days (late) and transplant our corn seedlings (on time) from the greenhouse.

The weather has been dry but it didn't hurt the early Chinese Pink Garlic ~~~

IMG_1595

IMG_1594

IMG_1598

IMG_1597

The rest of the later crop will be dug in a month or less ~

50 posted on 05/15/2015 8:31:39 PM PDT by tubebender (Evening news is where they begin with "Good Evening," and then proceed to tell you why it isn't.)
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To: CynicalBear; Roos_Girl
CynicalBear :" If the bugs are still there I wouldn't plant anything there until late summer.
Until then cover the ground with black plastic and let it cook in the sun all summer. "

Mostly agree with you .
Till up and loosen the soil( even in raised bed) , then put plastic over it to sterilize the soil.
The reason why I suggest some tillage is to get the heat down deeper into the soil, until the soil temp registers either 160 degrees, or at least 140+ degrees for 5 days.

51 posted on 05/15/2015 8:32:15 PM PDT by Tilted Irish Kilt
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To: Hot Tabasco

Butterfly milkweed is pretty durable, you might not need to bring it in. What growing zone are you in?

(PS: Butterly Milkweed is also known as Pleurisy Root, and is used as an antiviral. If you want to, you can grow the roots as a cash crop. Harvest in their 3rd year.)


52 posted on 05/15/2015 9:45:42 PM PDT by Ellendra (People who kill without reason cannot be reasoned with.)
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To: Tilted Irish Kilt

Thanks.
You’ve confirmed my short search for a cure.


53 posted on 05/16/2015 4:28:42 AM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks ("If he were working for the other side, what would he be doing differently ?")
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To: Ellendra
What growing zone are you in?

S.E. Michigan.....

54 posted on 05/16/2015 4:28:52 AM PDT by Hot Tabasco (November 2016 shall be set aside as rodent removal month.)
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To: tubebender

Oh my gosh - what beautiful garlic. We love garlic and I think that last fence shot will be my new wallpaper.


55 posted on 05/16/2015 4:39:43 AM PDT by MomwithHope (Please support efforts in your state for an Article 5 convention.)
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To: greeneyes

We have a fairly early spring here in west Michigan after a brutally cold winter. I planted some seeds a week ago, earliest I have ever planted here in over 30 years. The forecast confirms we will probably not have a late May frost so I am EXCITED. All of my seed plantings are up and yesterday I put in some plants except tomatoes, will probably do those today. I found my bush pickles (Chef Jeff’s) at the nursery so I am content. I tried them last year and was overwhelmed with pickles last year from one plant. They are also very fine eating cucumbers - thin skins. Marcella I hope your seeds sprouted, only one of mine did and it’s tiny yet. I transplanted the romaine I started Easter weekend under plexiglas. Also excited about 2 new radishes, yellow ones from Russia and Ukraine. I love radishes. I feel good this year and have been able to get a lot of prep work done early. The morel mushroom season is also not over. Hoping to find more today as we got a lot of rain and temps will warm up. Johnny if I lived closer I would bring you a nice dish garden of fresh greens. You may not be gardening yet but we are grateful for every post. I love seeing everyone’s pictures and reading about everyone’s gardening. Best thread on FR.


56 posted on 05/16/2015 4:53:27 AM PDT by MomwithHope (Please support efforts in your state for an Article 5 convention.)
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To: Tilted Irish Kilt; Roos_Girl
>>Till up and loosen the soil( even in raised bed) , then put plastic over it to sterilize the soil.<<

Good point and I would do that as well. Also, if it's a raised bed bring the black plastic all the way around to the ground level.

57 posted on 05/16/2015 5:09:02 AM PDT by CynicalBear (For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus)
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To: Hot Tabasco; Ellendra

I have a book called “Hedgemaids & Fairy Candles”, The Life & Lore of North American Wildflowers by Jack Sanders. I highly recommend it.

For milkweed, he says:
Milkweeds are slow spreading and have not been really serious field pests. Farmers though, dislike them because those roots are so hard to eradicate. Moreover, common milkweed has a mother plant, with the deepest roots, which sends out underground runners that sprout other plants nearby. Unless the mother root is killed, colonies cannot be prevented from starting and spreading.

Many people would just as soon have a patch of milkweed. They are handsome plants. Because of the deep roots, successful transplantation of mature plants is difficult. Attempt it only with small offspring of the mother plant in the spring. Better yet, grab a few pods in late August or September and plant the seeds in fairly dry soil that gets plenty of sunlight Seeds may be planted in the fall or spring.

Something else interesting from the book:

Recent research has found that many common milkweeds contain potent, often poisonous substances known as cardiac glycosides (digitalis from foxglove is a cardiac glycoside) It is probably these powerful cardiac glycosides that make monarchs unpalatable. Birds almost immediately become nauseous and vomit for up to a half hour after eating a monarch. Most birds will simply bypass the monarch(and the look-alike viceroy) in the future. Some crafty birds, however, will catch a butterfly and sample a bit of the wing to see if it tastes bad, letting it go if it is a monarch. In Mexico and Central America, where our monarchs spend the winter, there are birds such as grosbeaks and orioles that have learned which parts of the monarch contain the smallest doses of poison and eat only those parts.


58 posted on 05/16/2015 7:45:51 AM PDT by Qiviut ( One of the most delightful things about a garden is the anticipation it provides. ~W.E. Johns)
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To: JRandomFreeper
May this next week. Maybe not.

Yep, and either way the garden will be OK. Most important right now not to over-do. I'm fixin' to apply that advice to myself as I recover from upcoming surgery this next week.

Actually, you may need to remind me.....:)

59 posted on 05/16/2015 4:57:22 PM PDT by prairiebreeze (Don't be afraid to see what you see. -- Ronald Reagan)
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To: prairiebreeze
Good luck with the surgery. I will keep you in my prayers.

I'd remind you to slow down but I don't know who will remind me. ;)

/johnny

60 posted on 05/16/2015 6:41:48 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (gone Galt)
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