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Weekly Gardening Thread --- Happy Mother's Day
Garden Girl's Monthly Gardening Column | May 2007 | Garden Girl

Posted on 05/07/2008 7:50:50 AM PDT by Gabz

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Thanks Once again to Garden Girl for supplying us with our weekly article. This is a great way to look back at last season!
1 posted on 05/07/2008 7:50:50 AM PDT by Gabz
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To: Gabz

Somebody please tell me how to keep earwigs off my artichoke plants, or at the very least how to remove them and their droppings from deep inside the chokes.


2 posted on 05/07/2008 7:54:24 AM PDT by Lizavetta
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To: Gabz
I'm wondering about a couple of gardening issues: Bradford Pears that failed to bloom (everyone else's did not mine) and my Weeping Cherry tree had maybe three or four stems with blossoms on it, none of the others did.

We did have a late cold snap, as did most of the country (29 degrees in April) but other trees bloomed around me, just not mine.

3 posted on 05/07/2008 7:56:42 AM PDT by zerosix (native sunflower)
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To: Gabz; Diana in Wisconsin; gardengirl; girlangler; SunkenCiv; HungarianGypsy; billhilly; Alkhin; ...
Hey Guys --- Don't forget: Sunday is Mother's Day!


4 posted on 05/07/2008 7:56:49 AM PDT by Gabz (Don't tell my mom I'm a lobbyist, she thinks I'm a piano player in a whorehouse)
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To: Gabz

Gabz, As I read this I didn’t realize it was from last year. I’d be interested in how the bees are doing now? we have 0 sunspots now, which is highly unusual.

I also was wondering about the no spring comment. We’ve had a wonderful spring this year. One of the best in a long time.

While my wife won’t let me build a garden this year (long story) I’ve taken to stealth gardening. Which has been entertaining to say the least.

Anyway thanks for posting this and continuing on with this set of threads. Love it!


5 posted on 05/07/2008 7:57:11 AM PDT by CJ Wolf
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To: Lizavetta

I don’t know anything about artichokes, let alone earwigs, but according to my Jerry Baker bible, he suggests “setting out sections of dampened, roled-up newspaper in your garden at night. The next morning, they’ll be filled with earwigs. Drown ‘em or crush’em - your choice!”

I’ve used tons of his ideas on just about everything and they’ve never failed me, even when the solution isn’t exactly what I was looking for..........such as this example, in the book this is for ridding your corn of the earwigs.


6 posted on 05/07/2008 8:03:27 AM PDT by Gabz (Don't tell my mom I'm a lobbyist, she thinks I'm a piano player in a whorehouse)
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To: CJ Wolf

I love your term “stealth gardening”. Much like the husband of my best buddy. His passion is trees, and each time he shows up with new trees, she rolls her eyes. This year’s acquisitions were fringe trees.

Ours, too, was a perfect spring. I have small tomatoes already.

Also, I’m propagating dozens of sedums and euphorbias for next season’s planting. I’ve never lost a cutting of those two.

Anyone know other perennials that propagate well by cuttings?

I also have cuttings from some rare Japanese maples. Only three have died so far. I’ve got my fingers crossed. Last year two survived out of four, but winter got one of those. The last is about a foot tall and healthy- a Bloodgood, common but pretty.


7 posted on 05/07/2008 8:06:54 AM PDT by tennteacher (Sowell and Will - in the tradition of William F. Buckley)
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To: CJ Wolf

I haven’t read too much of late on the bee situation so far this year.

As to this being from last year, sorry about the confusion. Garden Girl has been kind enough to be emailing me her columns from past year. She writes one monthly for her local newspaper. Last week’s article was from 2006!!!

Spring has finally arrived here, but I remember last year it was spring like at Christmas 06) but snowing Easter weekend and then we went almost straight into summer.

Your stealth gardening sounds intriguing :)


8 posted on 05/07/2008 8:09:47 AM PDT by Gabz (Don't tell my mom I'm a lobbyist, she thinks I'm a piano player in a whorehouse)
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To: Gabz

I have a gardening question.

I’ve never grown potatoes before. I didn’t know about mounding the dirt up on them as they grow.

My potatoes are almost two feet tall now. How do I go about building up the dirt at this point? Do I just bury the darn things?

They are in kind of a small space, so I may have to put some kind of containing element around them.

The cold weather stunted growth in my garden big time! GRR!


9 posted on 05/07/2008 8:11:33 AM PDT by Califreak (Hangin' with Hunter-under the bus "Dread and Circuses")
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To: Lizavetta
Just planted a clematis (type 2) should I prune it back to 12 inches or not?
10 posted on 05/07/2008 8:17:29 AM PDT by DManA
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To: Califreak

This is my first year trying potatoes as well and I haven’t run into any of the local potato farmers yet to pepper one with questions!


11 posted on 05/07/2008 8:18:06 AM PDT by Gabz (Don't tell my mom I'm a lobbyist, she thinks I'm a piano player in a whorehouse)
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To: Gabz
Thank you...

I received wonderful news --> I'm going to be a grandmother (December).

12 posted on 05/07/2008 8:19:05 AM PDT by xtinct (I was the next door neighbor kid's imaginary friend.)
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To: Gabz
This was an interesting article that Diana in Wisconsin posted last night:

Americorps Sets Attack on Invader Plants (Garlic Mustard, Buckthorn & Honeysuckle)

13 posted on 05/07/2008 8:19:55 AM PDT by Gabz (Don't tell my mom I'm a lobbyist, she thinks I'm a piano player in a whorehouse)
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To: Gabz; All
Pay attention now as I have some sage advice for y'all...DON'T GET OLD!

We have gotten so far behind due to weather and old age. It takes forever to get motivated and before you know it's Happy Hour and then there is lousy weather like today. We have a high fog and cold wind and I must go over to our Church to install drip irrigation on a new flower bed that is going to take a lot of water because it surrounds some Redwood trees.

Our new front door landscaping is done and it also requires the installation of drip and of course my order did not arrive yesterday. I'm using tubing with built in emitters spaced 18” apart plus some plug in emitters here and there as needed. I'm using 12” spacing at the Church and I have 200’ of that.

I start my corn seed in the greenhouse and then transplant for 100% row fill and it is ready to go in the ground. I have to do that because our soil is too cold to plant directly. All my wife's seedlings are out of the greenhouse sitting on the cold-frame and the deck and they all look great.

14 posted on 05/07/2008 8:21:34 AM PDT by tubebender (and just like that I lost another tag line to Bo...)
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To: xtinct

Congratulations! That’s wonderful news!


15 posted on 05/07/2008 8:27:45 AM PDT by Gabz (Don't tell my mom I'm a lobbyist, she thinks I'm a piano player in a whorehouse)
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To: Gabz
I just harvested my first zucchinis (2) this morning. They will be going on the grill tonight along with hamburger steaks and thick sliced onions. We will have baked potatos or rice also, have not decided which yet.

Chashmere and Aladden were so excited, jumping around like baby lambs, they thought that I was going to give the zucchini to them! They were used to getting zucchini snacks from the garden last year. But these two zuks are for my supper tonight! They settled for store bought carrots.

16 posted on 05/07/2008 8:31:41 AM PDT by Red_Devil 232 (VietVet - USMC All Ready On The Right? All Ready On The Left? All Ready On The Firing Line!)
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To: Red_Devil 232

Lucky devil!!!! I don’t even have zukes planted yet.


17 posted on 05/07/2008 8:35:51 AM PDT by Gabz (Don't tell my mom I'm a lobbyist, she thinks I'm a piano player in a whorehouse)
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To: Lizavetta

I’m using Surround this year. I haven’t had anything from the cucurbit family for about 4 years because of beetle infestation.

So far, the plants sprayed with Surround are very healthy and beginning to bloom.

It isn’t a pesticide, but a barrier spray that keeps the bad bugs off and does allow for the pollinators. I ordered it from Gardensalive online. I’ve used their organic products with good results since I started ordering a few years ago.

Not even Seven works well anymore.


18 posted on 05/07/2008 8:38:44 AM PDT by OpusatFR
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To: Gabz
As for the honey bees I have not seen any this year yet. I have not seen the bumble bees either! Last year the bumble bees were the majority around here.

My garden got started early this season and the shrubs along my fence line, next to the garden, have not bloomed yet. Those fence line shrubs blooming brought in the Bumble Bees big time last year.

19 posted on 05/07/2008 8:48:34 AM PDT by Red_Devil 232 (VietVet - USMC All Ready On The Right? All Ready On The Left? All Ready On The Firing Line!)
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To: Gabz

Maybe someone will be along directly...


20 posted on 05/07/2008 8:49:54 AM PDT by Califreak (Hangin' with Hunter-under the bus "Dread and Circuses")
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