WEEKLY GARDEN THREAD OCTOBER 16, 2015

freerepublic | 10/16/2015 | greeneyes

[USMCPOP]

Here they are growing on the flood plain by the river. Deep, fertile silty soil. Here's a news article: http://www.nbc12.com/story/11301634/pawpaw-fruit-trees-thrive-in-richmond

They are pretty distinctive trees once you've seen one. Big leaflets splayed like a hand, rather twiggy or weak-wooded.

Fruit shape is a little like a mango.

[greeneyes]

I can always use potassium!

[greeneyes]

LOL. You are too funny. Prayers up for your wife.

[greeneyes]

I wonder why we don’t see more of them? Are they messy or stinky or something?

[USMCPOP]

Good article on paw-paws. http://arcofappalachia.org/nature-notes/pawpaw.html Fussy or particular is maybe the right term.

I am familiar with their tropical relatives, having lived in Thailand for 3 years.

[Qiviut]

We’ve got a cold snap coming (front coming through today) with two night that could see some frost. I’m not too worried about the kale, collards & cabbage, but I have 3 Swiss Chards & I’m not sure how they’ll do. This is a “snap” so it will be warmer next week. I have 3 5-gal buckets I figure I can put over the chard at night. I really need to work on my ‘hoops’ for the raised beds to support row cover.

I came upon this website today - might have to try it since I don’t have room to start plants inside:

Website with info on ‘How to Winter Sow Seeds Outdoors’
http://www.wintersown.org/wseo1/index.html

[greeneyes]

thanks for the link

[greeneyes]

I have used the web site to get tomato seeds to try out different varieties. A couple of years back, someone on the garden thread tried it and it worked - can’t remember who it was.

[samiam1972]

Not everyone goes to see shows in Branson but if you do, consider going to see my sis-in-law, bro-in-law, and my cute niece at the Magnificent 7 Variety Show. It’s super family friendly, very patriotic and, not to brag, but she just won the female vocalist of the year award in Branson. Very entertaining! http://www.mag7show.com/ They also run the TNT Old Time Photos in front of the Walmart if you need a picture taken. :0) Enjoy your trip either way! It’s going to be a beautiful drive for you!

[greeneyes]

Thanks. Congrats too. This is a conference, and jam packed, so I probably won’t be able to do a show, but I’ll try to keep it in mind for future reference.

[USMCPOP]

Call your local county/university extension agent and see if they can hook you up with someone who knows the local paw-paw situation. Or a local garden club (sorta).

[Black Agnes]

We use wire cages made from dogwire or fencing. Cut a 4ft section, maybe 5ft. Make it into an arch. Place these over what you want to protect, end to end, to make a tunnel. On top of those put frost cloth of some sort:

http://www.johnnyseeds.com/p-5453-agribon-ag-19-floating-row-cover-83-x-250.aspx

We use that one. A roll will last us several years. You can buy smaller quantities. It will reuse if you’re careful with it. It’s got the consistency of sewing interfacing. You’ll need to get some of the little spiky things to hold it down if you don’t have any big rocks, cinderblocks or what have you:

http://www.johnnyseeds.com/p-5995-anchoring-pins-fabric-staples-box-of-500.aspx

Under the arches we put small water bottles filled with warm water. I save empty ones to reuse in a garbage bag on a shelf in my garage. Cover with one (sometimes 2) layers of the frost cloth.

I’ve harvested sweet peppers 6 weeks after the first frost this way and it’s allowed me to ripen pumpkins into early December. You don’t have to run outside to take it off if the sun comes up like you do with plastic (I’ve cooked plants with plastic this way because I forgot them until noon...).

Johnnys sells little wire arches that work too if you don’t have any fencing:

http://www.johnnyseeds.com/p-9182-hoop-loops-26-wide-pkg-of-10.aspx

They sell several sizes. Probably easy to make something similar if you have the materials and are crafty.

Cilantro is good down to 16F.

Some possibly useful links:

http://www.southernexposure.com/growing-guides/fall-winter-quick-guide.pdf

http://www.southernexposure.com/southern-exposures-fallwinter-gardening-guide-ezp-38.html (persephone line is 32N lat. or so)

http://www.southernexposure.com/even-star-organic-farms-fallwinter-gardening-tips-ezp-37.html

Eliot Coleman has written several excellent books on winter gardening. He grows stuff in Maine using various clever tecniques our ancestors probably used and we’ve forgotten about...

[greeneyes]

good idea.

[CottonBall]

sounds great - so what ARE row covers?!

[CottonBall]

Thanks for the info and links. I’ll be doing some reading now ;)

[MomwithHope]

The fruit disappears quickly - deer, raccoons. You almost never find any on the ground.

[Black Agnes]

You’re welcome.

Johnny’s has a lot of season extension stuff and other nurseries carry some as well. There’s even more insulating row cover material there than the one I listed. IIRC one protects down to 24F all things considered.

Good luck!

[cherry]

that's an amazing story about the winter sowing...I'm a saver and always seem to store those types of containers and I have a garden "hot" house, no heat source but lots of light and protection from the snow and the wind that I think would work perfectly to place the seed containers.

by gosh, think I'm going to try it....

[cherry]

my garden: done....hubby picked several nice squash plus my prize trombone squash..I have some cabbages but they still are so small and I wonder if they are any good?....do cabbages keep growing in the fall?

my two hop plants grew pretty well for being just planted in late May...they produced a few hops but I didn't pick them...I'll cover the plants and hope next year they'll really produce.

I have some parsley and some rosemary and basil...

a few apples on our few trees...

garlic planted and covered...

doing mostly bed cleanup now....added some potting soil to the raised beds and threw in some leaves my hubby has mulched...

always planning and I just know that next year will be even better.

[tubebender]

Glad to see you’re back. Our weather continues to be mild and on the pleasant side here on Humboldt Bay. Still getting a few cucumbers and tomatoes and believe it or not I have to pick a few strawberries again. I planted the last of the garlic this afternoon for a total 5 varieties in 11 rows 12 feet long. Mulched most of them with rice hulls and covered them with Remay row cover to keep the skunks and raccoons from digging in the beds. The rice hulls keep the weeds down. We have had a invasion of Pine Siskins and Goldfinches show up a our feeders on their way south for the winter. I counted over 125 in one flock which is most unusual and could point to a bad wet winter . I’ll see if I have any new photos to post...