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Weekly Gardening Thread – 2011 (Vol. 23) June 17
Free Republic | 06-17-2011 | Red_Devil 232

Posted on 06/17/2011 5:12:35 AM PDT by Red_Devil 232

Good morning gardeners. My tomato plants are struggling to survive these hot brutal sunny days. Their leaves are all curled up trying to save water. Temperatures are consistently in the mid to high 90s. My winter and summer squash along with all of my hot and sweet pepper plants are doing great. It does not look like any of my Opailka or Viva Italia paste tomatoes will make it through so I have restarted some more seeds in the hopes I can get them transplanted in time for a late harvest. I have about 4 Marion tomato plants that are in the rear of my garden that are doing well for now. They get some shade in the late afternoon so I will put my new paste tomato transplants in that same area of the garden. I may be down but not out!

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. Our Freeper community is full of gardeners, each with varying interests and skill levels from Master Gardener to novice.


TOPICS: Agriculture; Food; Gardening; Hobbies
KEYWORDS: garden; gardening; recipes; weekly
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To: Red_Devil 232

It’s so pathetic around here that we dont even have clouds overhead during the day...It’s totally cloudless.....The few morning clouds burn off by 8 or 9am.
There is a 15 mph hot breeze from the southwest that only dehydrates the already stressed vegetation.

Right now we have some clouds - but the forecast is another 100+ degree day.


21 posted on 06/17/2011 5:52:16 AM PDT by texanyankee
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To: afraidfortherepublic

We tilled an area around a shed in our backyard. It gets some sun during the day but shade as well. I didn’t know about a product named transplant shock? Can I get that at my local gardening center? The soil is definitely acidic since it is somewhat in an area with pine needles (drop offs from the trees about forty feet away). It was droopy in the pot before planting and just hasn’t “picked” up again.


22 posted on 06/17/2011 5:53:26 AM PDT by momtothree
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To: texanyankee

I hear you. 104 or 105 today and the trend is expected to continue into early next week. This reminds me of growing up on the farm in the late 50s when we lost almost the entire corn and milo crops.

Most of the farm stock tanks went dry, and we had someone come and doze the silt out of the bottoms. I have a feeling we will get a flood to break the drought again, just like the last few.


23 posted on 06/17/2011 5:53:45 AM PDT by Arrowhead1952 (zero hates Texas and we hate him back. He ain't my president either.)
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To: momtothree

My wife plated some Knockout Roses a couple of weeks ago from Sam’s......

Your Rhodo may have an iron defiency or the soil acid may be insufficient....

http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/3000/3043.html


24 posted on 06/17/2011 6:02:08 AM PDT by Red Badger (Nothing is a 'right' if someone has to give it to you................)
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To: Red_Devil 232

Do you have any experience using willow tree water to help root cuttings? I am making my first attempting rooting grape vine cuttings.


25 posted on 06/17/2011 6:04:51 AM PDT by Texas Fossil (Government, even in its best state is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one)
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To: Red Badger

Thanks!


26 posted on 06/17/2011 6:05:49 AM PDT by momtothree
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To: Arrowhead1952

That’s what scary - everything suffers due to this drought.....then we get the big deluge that washes all the dry topsoil away, the gaps get washed away and lives end up getting lost.


27 posted on 06/17/2011 6:08:14 AM PDT by texanyankee
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To: Red_Devil 232

We’ve got a genuine frog-strangler going on right now here in Central Missouri. Not really what we need with the big river already above flood stage and no relief from upstream in sight.

On the bright side, there won’t be any need to water the garden for a few days.


28 posted on 06/17/2011 6:11:08 AM PDT by Augie
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To: texanyankee

Yes, that happens almost every time. I guess you heard about the brush fire in Leander yesterday. It was near a group of new homes, but none burned. There were several piles of construction trash that were about 30 X 30 and eight feet tall that were on fire as well. There are still fire fighters on the scene dousing hot spots.


29 posted on 06/17/2011 6:20:40 AM PDT by Arrowhead1952 (zero hates Texas and we hate him back. He ain't my president either.)
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To: ngat
The shipment was caught in our late freeze, but we shipped it Parcel Post because they don't leave product on the truck at night. They were 7 days in transit from East Texas to Haskell County (north of Abilene). They were planted the day after they arrived.

I lost 1 plum (Methly) to rabbit damage, but put up cages around the rest when I started having problems.

I have 3 pear trees that failed to put out but suckered out from below the graft (2 of those suckered out from below the ground). The 4th pear tree, a Le Conte is doing fine.

The 4 fig trees finally put out but were very very late doing so.

Lost 3 peach trees that tried to green up, but tops dried out and are sticks now. One apricot was simply never showed any signs of life from start.

I have 2 Fugi apple trees that greened up and put out leaves twice and each time the leaves turned brown. Now the graft wood looks darker, is no longer a bright green. I suspect sun exposure killed them. It was probably too late, but this week I put cardboard boxes (supported by a T-post) around the tree as a shelter and watered them heavily.

About 1 month ago I put in a drip irrigation system to help with the watering. It was installed for 22 of the trees. That has worked pretty well, but I still have had to flood water occasionally. The issue there is the surrounding soil that was not dug up with the 2’ auger I used when we planted them.

This is a year for the record books. My 85 year old father says he cannot remember a year this bad, even 1952 had some rain. My great-grandfather settled here in 1886 but in 1895 they had an extreme drought and he left for 3 years, from stories that drought was similar.

30 posted on 06/17/2011 6:39:48 AM PDT by Texas Fossil (Government, even in its best state is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one)
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To: Red_Devil 232
Greetings from southern New Hampshire! We had some rain and then cool weather and now it is warming up. My son, Jack, graduates from high school this afternoon, late, and we are hoping that rain holds off!

Our abreviated garden (two 4 by 8 raised beds) are planted and zuccini and tomatoes are forming. It is a start.

The chicken condo is coming along, nicely. Last evening, I finished the framing around the run and the gate frames and painted them all white. Jack painted the trim strips to hole the wire to the frames green and tomorrow, I hope to install the wire and paint the floor and lower walls of the coop. Then, I need to install the two windows, and make the chicken door for the coop and the roosts and we can spread bedding and invite in the occupants. I can install the final trim as I go along.

For any of you on Facebook who are friended, you can see the latest pictures in my album.

31 posted on 06/17/2011 6:43:50 AM PDT by Redleg Duke ("Madison, Wisconsin is 30 square miles surrounded by reality.", L. S. Dryfus)
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To: Red_Devil 232

Mornin’ to everyone! Haven’t posted yet this year, but our garden is coming along. I started EVERYTHING in doors in red plastic party cups and have been transplanting as they get big. Last year I tried planting directly into the ground, and because of a wet/cold June (Wash. State-Seattle/Tacoma area) had to replant my corn THREE times.

This year is looking much better, have planted about 70 corn starts, and probably have about 100 to go. Got broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage doing nicely. Artichokes, asparagus, lettuce, swiss chard, dill, radishes all looking good. This year is MUCH better than last, and the soil is warmer.

Built some Global Buckets for my tomatoes and they’re doing ok, but I have a question: Had them in the house for a while, then put them out on the front porch (lots more sun) to harden them up for about a week, and they are now on the back deck (LOTS of sun all day). My peppers are also out on the back deck after doing the same as the tomatoes. In the last few days, some of the leaves on my my tomatoes and some of the peppers are turning white and getting really thin. Any ideas as to what this might be? Under/over watering? Too much sun all at once? Haven’t really found anything in my gardening books or online. Any suggestions would be appreciated!


32 posted on 06/17/2011 6:44:31 AM PDT by Mama Shawna
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To: Red_Devil 232

Chile peppers are in the ground! Been a up and down Spring for night temps, so I waited later than normal for CT.

Tomatoes growing healthy, corn is doing well, bush beans (bolida) are coming along, and my lettuce is almost ready for picking.

I am experimenting with a few new crops this year: corn, windsor fava beans, and zucchini, all heirloom seeds from a re-opened local landmark, Comstock & Ferre (in Windsor CT).


33 posted on 06/17/2011 6:45:19 AM PDT by Betis70 (Bruins!)
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To: Redleg Duke

I forgot to mention that we have a great set of fruit on the peach and apple trees, but I am late spraying. I need to do it, but the worms may have already done their damage.


34 posted on 06/17/2011 6:47:58 AM PDT by Redleg Duke ("Madison, Wisconsin is 30 square miles surrounded by reality.", L. S. Dryfus)
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To: Augie
I'm just south of you and no rain. Which is just fine with me.

I feel bad for you guys in Texas we would gladly give you half of the rain we have had the past 3 months.

35 posted on 06/17/2011 6:48:28 AM PDT by painter (No wonder democrats don't mind taxes.THEY DON'T PAY THEM !)
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To: Texas Fossil

>>We have had only 1 inch of rain in the past 8 months

Darn, we got 4 inches of rain in two days last week. Maybe we can send some down there and you can send some sun up here.


36 posted on 06/17/2011 6:51:45 AM PDT by Betis70 (Bruins!)
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To: Mama Shawna

Imho, your tomatoes and peppers may have received too much sun too soon. I started my transplants outside on the deck on a table with an umbrella, and exposed them to about 20 minutes a day the first 4-5 days, and then slowly increased the time going forward. The rest of the day they were under the umbrella, and also received some direct sun late in the afternoon. No sunburn, thank goodness!


37 posted on 06/17/2011 6:53:50 AM PDT by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: Red_Devil 232

Headed out to the garden right now, hopefully to get something done before the rain heads in. We’re building an ark here, I can’t tell you how many inches we’ve had the last couple of weeks. Guessing around a foot.


38 posted on 06/17/2011 6:54:06 AM PDT by Free Vulcan (Vote Republican! You can vote Democrat when you're dead.)
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To: Daisyjane69

Wow, I got 12 chile peppers for $2 each on clearance from chileplants.com. I can’t get decent (hot) peppers locally, either as plants or in the grocery store, and their plants have always been super healthy and in excellent shape when they arrive.

I’d be upset too.


39 posted on 06/17/2011 6:55:33 AM PDT by Betis70 (Bruins!)
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To: Redleg Duke

Nice, its been a weird Spring here in SE CT. We had that nice spell of sun last week and this week has been kind of chilly.


40 posted on 06/17/2011 6:59:41 AM PDT by Betis70 (Bruins!)
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