Weekly Gardening Thread Vol. 16, April 20, 2012

Friday, April 20, 2012 | JustaDumbBlonde

[MissMagnolia]

No variety known - we got them from my Uncle who had several fig bushes at his house. I’m guessing he got them from friends in NC. I know the ones he had got huge - taller than he was! I ate a lot of figs last summer so it will be disappointing not to have any this year.

[Red_Devil 232]

My most prolific and successful fig tree came from North Carolina.

[Ellendra]

Was able to get out to my land today. It looks like the farmer up the hill has his field planted already, so I’m not going to ask him to drive across it. On the other hand, it looks like I won’t have to.

2 years ago I tried to see how much I could simplify the process of hacking out a garden from the weeds. I trampled the weeds down in an area, laid landscaping fabric over top, and waited several weeks before cutting slots in the fabric to plant through. My thinking was that the fabric would have the weeds smothered by then. It didn’t work, I only got one pumpkin that year. Last year I planted in the same place (I hadn’t removed the fabric) and got 5 pumpkins and an amaranth stalk. There was still a thick layer of dead, dry weeds between the fabric and the dirt, and there were live weeds growing up through the holes I’d cut in the fabric.

Today when I went out, there were so many weeds growing through the holes that I decided to try cutting a few new holes as far from the old ones as I could manage. Much to my suprize, I found only a few wisps of dead stalks, and under that was soft, loose dirt, rich with worm castings. It seems my original idea had worked after all, I just hadn’t waited long enough! So, I’ll be laying down lots of landscape fabric this year, as much as I can manage, so that my future garden beds can be ready for me. It would take a few years to get the weeds out if I went by conventional methods anyway, and this way I don’t have to do the work. It’s not a perfect solution, it probably would be laughable in a different situation, but for me this works!

[tubebender]

We had our first sunshine after many days of depressing PNW “Mist” meaning it Mist Oregon and rained in Benderville. We had to transplant my Sugar Snap peas and Lady Bender’s dwarf flowering sweet peas yesterday and applied lots of slug bait and anti quail screens. Today I took the weed slasher to another patch of Oats and Austrian Field Peas. I have never had such a lovely cover crop as this combination and it is easy to cut as long as it remains upright. Nascar on TV tomorrow...

[TASMANIANRED]

You don’t have a slack bone in your body.

Can’t go down, I had to go up.

[TASMANIANRED]

You don’t have a slack bone in your body.

Can’t go down, I had to go up.

[TASMANIANRED]

You can solarize soil and kill weed seeds.

After a soaking rain, put down clear plastic and secure it.

The sun will super heat the soil and sterilize it of weed seeds down to about 6-8 inches.

It takes hot sun and about 6-8 weeks.

Not real helpful for this summer but it would be ready for a fall garden or for planting next year...you can still use landscape fabric.

[MissMagnolia]

While mowing the lawn yesterday, I noticed the pomegranate bush is really loaded - most 'fruit' I've ever seen on it. This bush is at least 45 years old (how long we've owned the property) & was probably planted around the time the house was built (1922). Last year there were 3 large, ripe pomegranates on it - I'm curious to see how many of these small ones make it to maturity. We have some really old bushes/trees around here and I find that I'm more and more 'attached' to them as we all get older! :-)

[Ellendra]

The sun will super heat the soil and sterilize it of weed seeds down to about 6-8 inches.

The sun will superheat the soil, but only if it can get to the soil. Clear plastic wouldn't do much to deal with the 1-2 foot layer of weeds and dead stalks. Some of those weeds would even enjoy it, they're thick enough to push the plastic off the ground enough to get airflow underneath, and the result would be like a cold frame.

There was an area where I tried using black plastic, thinking it would sterilize the soil like that. The weeds laughed at it. The landscaping fabric I have now has some weight to it, and is tough enough the sharper weeds can't just poke right through like they did with the plastic. I do appreciate the suggestion, though!

[TASMANIANRED]

you do have to Mow it or crush it first.

[TASMANIANRED]

I’m in sympathy with you.

My garden was in last year’s hay field.

[o_zarkman44]

I harvested and chopped up my first harvest of the season, 3 gallon bags of chopped green onions in the freezer. This week, if things hold, I will be transplanting my tomatoes and zuchinni, and eggplant. Will plant beans. I never did get my greenhouse up. The money just wasn’t there for framing material but it will be done by fall. For next year.

[tubebender]

Imagine meeting a nice Nascar fan on the garden thread...

[agrace]

Snow here later tonight. Stupid NE Ohio.

[tillacum]

That is a painful operation he went through. Prayers for a peaceful night and feeling better each day.

[tillacum]

I have one celery “cut off” in some soil, and am getting ready to plant about 3 more. We’ve had a house full of company and lots of snackers were made, plus salads and some cajun cooking. We use lots of celery.

[tillacum]

Gabz, road blocks are only swerves on your way to the main event. Keep swerving toward your goal.

[tillacum]

Thank you, very much. I have weeds in a garden by the pasture, so being in Texas, I’m going to try that. THANK YOU!!

[JustaDumbBlonde]

So good to hear from you ... I was getting worried. Hope it dries up so you can garden your heart out!

[JustaDumbBlonde]

Thank you for your prayers and for your kind words on my bee yard. I only got my first hive in the spring of 2011, so they are all pretty new. I use a cypress hive stand as the first component of woodenware, which gives them a landing board when they come in heavy with pollen or nectar. All of the hives are sitting on wooden or composite pallets. The ground down there is not at all level, and it is easier shim up a pallet and then put the hive on top.

I hope that you figure out how to protect your grapes!