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Weekly Gardening Thread – 2010 Vol. 14 May 7
Free Republic | 5-7-2010 | Red_Devil 232

Posted on 05/07/2010 6:30:17 AM PDT by Red_Devil 232

Good morning gardeners! If you are a gardener or you are just starting out and are in need of advice or just encouragement please feel free to join in and enjoy the friendly discussion. There are many Freepers from all over the Good Ol’ USA that are willing and eager to help.

I thought a little primer on fertilizers might come in handy this time of year especially to those of you just starting out.   

What do the numbers mean? 

Every bag or container of commercial fertilizer has a three number code that tells you the percentage that that particular fertilizer has of the "Big Three" nutrients used by plants.

The big three nutrients are, in the order listed on the container:

  1. Nitrogen - Important for green growth 
  2. Phosphorous - For flower and fruit production
  3. Potassium - Strong stems roots and other functions.

A bag of fertilizer labeled as 13-13-13 will have equal percentages of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium for a total of 39%; the rest is filler.

Ideally a soil test is needed to determine how much of these nutriments your soil needs. 

Also  the type of vegetables or plants you are growing may require different percentages of these nutriments to grow or produce successfully. Know your plants needs.

And remember small amounts will go a long way. Don't over fertilize. Too much at one time or too often can overwhelm plant systems and cause problems.

 


TOPICS: Agriculture; Food; Gardening; Hobbies
KEYWORDS: garden; gardening; recipes; weekly
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To: Diana in Wisconsin
It’s a whole ‘nother world out there, LOL!

Yes, and my wife wonders why I am more and more reluctant to leave my garden to visit that world...what the hell is wrong with people?

301 posted on 05/10/2010 7:15:47 PM PDT by who knows what evil? (G-d saved more animals than people on the ark...www.siameserescue.org.)
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To: afraidfortherepublic

We do have a Menard’s. Thanks for the tip on the Pro-Mix. I’ll check it out in the very near future.


302 posted on 05/10/2010 7:16:28 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (Save the Earth. It's the only planet with Chocolate.)
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To: who knows what evil?

I am counting the days until I’m ‘back on the farm’ full time! :)


303 posted on 05/10/2010 7:17:21 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (Save the Earth. It's the only planet with Chocolate.)
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To: MtnClimber

You’re not as far north as I thought you were. I planted my pre-sprouted corn seed into two 128 cell Speedling Trays yesterday and into the greenhouse to grow out and then into the garden at the end of this month. I need to start spading the compost and steer manure into the bed where the corn will go in the garden next. Also worked on replacing some of the rotted boards on a raised bed. The 1” of rain we had this morning was a real blessing as it replenishes the moisture lost to the winds early last week. We get 95% of our average rainfall between Oct 1st and May 31st and the rest during the next 4 months and some of that is fog drip...


304 posted on 05/10/2010 7:18:48 PM PDT by tubebender ( I don't suffer from insanity; I enjoy every minute of it...)
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To: afraidfortherepublic; fanfan

Pro Mix was $35.95 for 3.8 cubic feet here in Eureka and I think FanFan said it was 1/3 that price in Canada


305 posted on 05/10/2010 7:23:41 PM PDT by tubebender ( I don't suffer from insanity; I enjoy every minute of it...)
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To: tubebender

Well, at $5.95/cu. foot — round up to $6, multiply by 4 = $24 for 4 cu. ft. That’s cheaper than your $37. One of the bags was broken and I pulled out a little to feel it. It was lovely stuff.


306 posted on 05/10/2010 7:27:37 PM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
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To: afraidfortherepublic

Don’t tell Diana but I’m one of those guys that cuts a slit in bags of stuff to sample the contents. My late sister (one of them) lived a block from a large K-Mart and the garden shop manager would call her and tell her he had some broken bags of amendments and sell them to her “dirt cheap”...


307 posted on 05/10/2010 7:37:48 PM PDT by tubebender ( I don't suffer from insanity; I enjoy every minute of it...)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin
Per your observation on shoplifting:

How Sujata Sachdeva nearly bankrupted Koss

Be sure to click on the link at the bottom of the story to see where the millions went.

Koss suspect prominent in social, charitable circles

This woman was married to a doctor and held down a 6 figure job at Koss. She had warehouses full of clothes, jewelry, china, crystal. She hasn't been tried yet and sentenced yet.

308 posted on 05/10/2010 7:42:02 PM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
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To: afraidfortherepublic

Pro Mix home page. Looks like they have different formulas... http://www.premierhort.com/eProMix/index.htm


309 posted on 05/10/2010 7:45:51 PM PDT by tubebender ( I don't suffer from insanity; I enjoy every minute of it...)
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To: tubebender

Well, now I’ll just have to go back and check the package. It was multicolored — orange and green, I think.


310 posted on 05/10/2010 7:59:00 PM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
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To: afraidfortherepublic

We use Black Gold for seed starting AND for our flower pots and it is $7.95 for 1.5 cu ft so 3 cu ft would be $15.90. It contains a lot of Peat Moss and some perlite and ? http://blackgold.bz/potting-soils.html We use the Natural and Organic in the orange label. We use it one year and it is them used to amend a bed somewhere in the garden...


311 posted on 05/10/2010 8:16:28 PM PDT by tubebender ( I don't suffer from insanity; I enjoy every minute of it...)
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To: afraidfortherepublic; reddevil; Diana in Wisconsin; happydogx2; glock rocks
My First Wife's deck planting using Black Gold with Osmocote pellets...

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The 8 hole Al's planting pouches with Impatients in Black Gold and Osmocote pellets

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312 posted on 05/10/2010 8:49:11 PM PDT by tubebender ( I don't suffer from insanity; I enjoy every minute of it...)
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To: tubebender

She does the work and you take the photos? Send her up here!!

Beautiful flowers - Osmocote pellets are used here also.


313 posted on 05/10/2010 9:00:17 PM PDT by happydogx2 (I wish I was half the man my German Shepherd thinks I am....)
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To: happydogx2

Why don’t you ask your MiL to help and make her day.

I forgot to mention that the photos were taken last fall


314 posted on 05/10/2010 9:05:06 PM PDT by tubebender ( I don't suffer from insanity; I enjoy every minute of it...)
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To: tubebender

We do her landscaping/flower planting as she is physically unable. She did plant her little “butterfly” garden today which consists of 2 petunias, 2 pansies and a begonia. Unfortunately she does not have a green thumb.

MIL’s mother was a gem. Tough old gal who passed on at the age of 96. She was a walking farmers almanac and had more wisdom and planting knowledge then a dozen good gardners put together. Chewed tobacco, full blooded Cherokee Indian and eyes, even at 96, like an eagles. I didn’t know her long enough.


315 posted on 05/10/2010 9:14:27 PM PDT by happydogx2 (I wish I was half the man my German Shepherd thinks I am....)
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To: tubebender

Your plantings are gorgeous. Of course, after seeing your other pictures, I wouldn’t have expected anything less. I’m glad that you noted that these were last year. Otherwise I would really be bummed out.

Bitterly cold and pouring rain today in my part of WI. My seedlings will never get “hardened” as they keep coming in to a 70 degree house every night!


316 posted on 05/11/2010 6:34:39 AM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
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To: tubebender
I live in Gilpin County, Colorado. Here is the first part of "The Gilpin County Primer" which addresses the realities of livung at high elevation here:

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The Larimer County Board of County Commissioners published The Code of the West...the realities of rural living. Commissioner John Clarke, author of the Code, allowed us to use his idea. Thus, some of the information in the Gilpin County Primer is taken directly from that parent booklet, some has been adapted and some is new to address specific Gilpin issues. When we saw a good idea, we "appropriated" it. Should another county think the Primer is a good idea, pretend it is a couch out on the curb...it's yours for the taking. EXPECTATIONS The Gilpin Primer takes its purpose directly from the title of the Larimer County Code of the West: to inform newcomers about "the realities of rural living" in the high country. Although Gilpin County is commuting distance from the mile high Denver metropolitan area, it is still rural. Expectations are a key to successful living in the Gilpin part of paradise. If a newcomer's expectations are urban, disappointment and grief will follow. The rural mountain setting is neither better nor worse than rural flatland, suburban or urban settings. But the high country is different and requires one to want to live here. The elevation ranges from 1 1/3 up to 2 1/2 miles and the 13 days of summer are followed by a long, long winter...forget the three days of spring or fall. It takes effort, tenacity, a sense of humor and some preparation to enjoy living in rural Gilpin County. Folks who like it up here often consider city conveniences and amenities to be nuisances or worse. Some new residents only see a wonderful, idyllic, rural, summer mountain setting. So, they may be shocked a bit later when a bear destroys the BBQ grill on the deck, deer munch the marigolds, a coyote lunches on the cat, and the driveway disappears under 52 inches of snow...then, they become disenchanted and expect someone else to "do something" about it. Thus, the Primer is intended to touch on some key notions to help prospective or new residents match Gilpin Country Reality with Expectations.

Gilpin County Primer

317 posted on 05/11/2010 8:10:33 AM PDT by MtnClimber (Osama and Obama both hate freedom and have friends that bombed the Pentagon)
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To: tubebender
Tube! Your First Wife has growes some beautiful flowers!!!

So that is the lawn she mows while you enjoy NASAR? ;)

318 posted on 05/11/2010 9:18:24 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

That’s part of it Red. We took our son to lunch for his 52nd birthday today and she came home and changed clothes in 10 minutes and is out mowing the entire lawn area now! What a gal...


319 posted on 05/11/2010 1:34:37 PM PDT by tubebender ( I don't suffer from insanity; I enjoy every minute of it...)
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To: tubebender

Well, do me and her a favor — DON’T yell at her that she’s doing it wrong. She just might go on strike! My husband yells at me whenever I’m mosing — either the engine is too fast, or too slow. I’m headed toward sticks, or committing some other mowings sin. Actually, I think that he’s just jealous because everybody says my lawn looks better than when he did it, and my new (3 yrs ago) mower is more fun to drive!

Now, he wants to “borrow” my mower for the manufacturing plant because he let the lawn go too far before the first mowing. Grrrr.

I love to mow, and I love to mow even more when he’s not around to holler at me. I knicked a pine cone the other day, and I thought he was going to have a stroke! LOL He marched out into the pasture to look at what I hit and could find NOTHING! Ha!

The last time he borrowed my mower, he put it into the ditch out on the road and had to call the police to block traffic so that he could pull it out with his tractor. And he yells at ME! Not fair.


320 posted on 05/11/2010 2:53:56 PM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
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