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

Skip to comments.

WEEKLY GARDEN THREAD April 29, 2016
freerepublic | April 29, 2016 | greeneyes

Posted on 04/29/2016 2:12:39 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; garden; hobby
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 101-119 next last
To: greeneyes
First 2 Rhodies are in our yard and the third one is at the nursery…

IMG_6095

IMG_6143

IMG_6161

41 posted on 04/29/2016 4:43:51 PM PDT by tubebender (en)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: greeneyes; All

My peas are up and doing well - really starting to climb. I am swamped ... my two new raised beds got constructed Monday night & now I have to haul the dirt to fill them from the pile in the back field. Each will take 45 5-gallon buckets. I have Leaf Gro (7 bags each) to add so that saves hauling a few buckets. I’ve already bought 16 plants for the garden - need at least one of the new beds (plus the two old ones) to plant them all so that’s “motivation” to get one of the new beds completed.

I just got off the mower after almost 3 hours of mowing fields. The good news about that is I’m using a new zero-turn mower that was delivered yesterday. It is FAST compared to my 10 year old lawn tractor. I’ve got lots of catch-up mowing to do since the belt broke on the old mower & that didn’t get fixed for a couple of days plus we’ve had rain. One thing is for certain - I need to practice my driving skills on the new mower & will be using the old one for a while to trim close around the redbuds & rose bushes. Going around big trees I can manage, but the small stuff would get run over for sure at this point - there’s a definite learning curve. :-)


42 posted on 04/29/2016 4:50:33 PM PDT by Qiviut (In Islam you have to die for Allah. The God I worship died for me. [Franklin Graham])
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Tilted Irish Kilt

It seems to be sold out in the form of transplants everywhere.


43 posted on 04/29/2016 4:52:27 PM PDT by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 33 | View Replies]

To: PROCON

After the trouble I got into just for not wearing gloves? Are you kidding?!?!


44 posted on 04/29/2016 5:02:18 PM PDT by Ellendra (Those who kill without reason cannot be reasoned with.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: goodwithagun

They’ll often root. Not wasting time.


45 posted on 04/29/2016 5:04:00 PM PDT by Ellendra (Those who kill without reason cannot be reasoned with.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: Qiviut
RAIN + GRASS CLIPPINGS = mulch (suppressing grass growth around smaller plants)

At 3 hours mowing , you might have enough to bale ! :)

46 posted on 04/29/2016 5:07:01 PM PDT by Tilted Irish Kilt ( British historian Arnold Toynbee - Civilisations die from suicide, not by murder.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 42 | View Replies]

To: Ellendra
Ellendra :" PROCON -After the trouble I got into just for not wearing gloves? Are you kidding?!?!"

LMAO !!
Seriously , how is the thumb ?

47 posted on 04/29/2016 5:09:48 PM PDT by Tilted Irish Kilt ( British historian Arnold Toynbee - Civilisations die from suicide, not by murder.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 44 | View Replies]

To: Battle Axe
Battle Axe :" I too put on the hooded sweatshirt with extra hat and tried to mow the lawn.
Just plugged up the bagger tube again."

Grass clippings make a good temporary mulch
or placed in compost as nitrogen rich green manure !

48 posted on 04/29/2016 5:15:08 PM PDT by Tilted Irish Kilt ( British historian Arnold Toynbee - Civilisations die from suicide, not by murder.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 39 | View Replies]

To: Tilted Irish Kilt
We have been feeding birds in our gardens for 50 years and this year is bizarre as there has only 5 or 6 White Crowned Sparrows and then these two showed up at the same moment yesterday. Anyone else have anything to report. I just hope it's not a sign of a pending earthquake...

IMG_6196

49 posted on 04/29/2016 5:19:27 PM PDT by tubebender (en)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 48 | View Replies]

To: Augie
Good looking an productive cold frame !!

What do you do with the skinny asparagus side shoots ?
Do you use them for flavoring soups and stews ?.. or do you have another use for them ?
Rabbs (wild leeks) and asparagus are a spring tonic around here !

50 posted on 04/29/2016 5:20:51 PM PDT by Tilted Irish Kilt ( British historian Arnold Toynbee - Civilisations die from suicide, not by murder.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Tilted Irish Kilt

The swelling went down enough to see the red mark where the splinter still is. I had it ultra-sounded yesterday, and surgery is scheduled for Monday.

They were able to measure it on the ultrasound scans, it’s about half an inch long, and goes straight through the muscle!


51 posted on 04/29/2016 5:21:47 PM PDT by Ellendra (Those who kill without reason cannot be reasoned with.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 47 | View Replies]

To: Augie

Gteat pictures! Thanks!
Have you grown white asparagus before? It’s my favorite.


52 posted on 04/29/2016 5:32:05 PM PDT by ANKE69 (Trump !!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: tubebender
Without trying to sound un-Christian..
I covet you green thumb, and your Rhodies !
Absolutely beautiful
and the fact that you have such beautiful birds at you feeder , makes me want to relocate !
Many gardeners don't realize the care and feeding of an 'understory plant' which prefers a woodland acidic environment.
Congratulations to you and Mrs. tubebender !!
53 posted on 04/29/2016 5:32:28 PM PDT by Tilted Irish Kilt ( British historian Arnold Toynbee - Civilisations die from suicide, not by murder.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 41 | View Replies]

To: Ellendra
Ellendra :" They were able to measure it on the ultrasound scans, it’s about half an inch long, and goes straight through the muscle!"

Dang !.. you did it for real !
You are in my prayers that all will go well .

54 posted on 04/29/2016 5:36:50 PM PDT by Tilted Irish Kilt ( British historian Arnold Toynbee - Civilisations die from suicide, not by murder.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 51 | View Replies]

To: goodwithagun

Probably worth a shot.

I have propagated blackberries by bending over and burying the mid section of a cane. Next season I cut the cane and I’m left with two plants.

I’ve also used root cuttings from blackberries in large containers. Sometimes by properly taking cuttings and placing them in the fridge with peat (IIRC). Sometimes, I leave the large container with no plate under it in one place for months, then just come along and move the container, breaking off and leaving behind the portions of the roots that snuck through the drain hole into the ground.

I’ve had no luck with blueberries, unfortunately, as I want a bunch of those to use as hedges.


55 posted on 04/29/2016 5:54:06 PM PDT by Darth Reardon (Would I lie to you?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: Tilted Irish Kilt

Southern Tier here. Temps have been tough on our flowering trees and bushes. Our mock pears only had about 1/4 the usual blossoms, then went to leaf after only two weeks. Guessing we will have skimpy foliage on those this year. Lilacs look as though they won’t be much better. Forsythia - leaves and virtually no blossoms. Last year they were great.

I think I know what is in store for my peach tree. My apple trees have not done a diddly darn thing since planted years ago - but at least I won’t have any sense of disappointment with those.

My teeny row of snow peas is doing OK, but we can NOT plant anything else until the end of May. Grampys wisdom. One year we got cocky, and we paid for it, LOL. We can plant seeds to ground mid May, but no started plants. EVER.


56 posted on 04/29/2016 6:19:22 PM PDT by Ladysforest (Racism, misogyny, bigotry, xenophobia and vulgarity - with just a smattering of threats and violence)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: Ellendra

My Prayers are with you…


57 posted on 04/29/2016 6:44:28 PM PDT by tubebender (en)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 51 | View Replies]

To: greeneyes
A very beneficial treatment on trans planted plants is to use chic grit in the mix.
Available from Orschelins...
58 posted on 04/29/2016 7:13:29 PM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks (Baseball players, gangsters and musicians are remembered. But journalists are forgotten.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: Ladysforest
Ladysforest :" Guessing we will have skimpy foliage on those this year. Lilacs look as though they won’t be much better.
Forsythia - leaves and virtually no blossoms.
.. but we can NOT plant anything else until the end of May. Grampys wisdom."

The average last frost date here in Western NY is 5/20 , so frost blanket, cloche, and cold frames are useful, and frequently needed in the garden.
I would suggest a side dressing of compost and/or 5-10-10 within the dripzone to feed any delayed foliage formation and fruiting blooms .
If not used by the plant this year , it will build up the plant nutritionals for next years production so it won't be totally wasted.
Last week, apple orchards around here expect 30% reduction in blooms due to frost, but the resulting fruit may actually be larger, depending on the rest of the season.
If the blooms aren't blasted and desiccated , there is still a chance of delayed blooms.

59 posted on 04/29/2016 8:19:34 PM PDT by Tilted Irish Kilt ( British historian Arnold Toynbee - Civilisations die from suicide, not by murder.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 56 | View Replies]

To: tubebender

Thank you!


60 posted on 04/29/2016 8:38:36 PM PDT by Ellendra (Those who kill without reason cannot be reasoned with.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 57 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 101-119 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