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WEEKLY GARDEN THREAD VOLUME 6 FEBRUARY 7, 2014
Free Republic | February 7, 2014 | greeneyes

Posted on 02/07/2014 12:31:57 PM PST by greeneyes

CONGRATULATIONS AFRAID FOR THE REPUBLIC 55 YEARS OF MARRIED BLISS


TOPICS: Gardening
KEYWORDS: agriculture; food; gardening; hobby
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To: greeneyes
Hubby would think I had lost my mind, since neither of us smoke.

I think it is a natural pesticide.

61 posted on 02/07/2014 2:36:07 PM PST by Starstruck (If my reply offends, you probably don't understand sarcasm or criticism...or do.)
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To: greeneyes

OMG! We had SNOW in San Antonio. I actually stepped in a snowdrift. It was horrendous...winds were blowing, snow was flowing, and it was c-o-l-d: cold.


62 posted on 02/07/2014 2:37:26 PM PST by Sarajevo (Two cannibals are eating a clown. One says to the other: "Does this taste funny to you?")
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To: greeneyes

Question:
I am making my first attemt to start seeds using grow lights. How high above the seedlings should I place the lights?


63 posted on 02/07/2014 2:40:11 PM PST by dearolddad (/i>)
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To: Black Agnes

Sweet! I’ll check it out. Thanks.


64 posted on 02/07/2014 2:40:42 PM PST by Two Kids' Dad (((( 0bama's words are the distraction to the destruction ))))
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To: who knows what evil?

We’ve had lows of 10F and 8F this year. Lots of under 20F’s so far too. And it’s snowed twice for us and THREE times for my parents.

Brrrrrr.


65 posted on 02/07/2014 2:42:37 PM PST by Black Agnes
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To: greeneyes

The lettuce is called Great Lakes #118 and is my first attempt so I guess I’ll just keep watching to see how they turn out. If it’s a complete failure I’ll reuse the pots for some other veggies or herbs.

And thanks for the advice on the plum tree. I’ll skip on using a pot and go directly into the ground. Had a plum tree already established in the backyard years ago when I moved in (until termites killed it) so maybe I’ll look at planting the new tree where the other one was and dig a big hole to add lots of rich soil so the roots will have a good chance at thriving.


66 posted on 02/07/2014 2:46:34 PM PST by Two Kids' Dad (((( 0bama's words are the distraction to the destruction ))))
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To: bgill

We haven’t lived in a real ‘house’ to have accumulated curtains so I’ve resorted to buying these for our windows as money will allow:

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_02443767000P

And boy have they made a difference so far. Especially in the kids rooms. My mom has some (insulated curtains) but it hasn’t been cold enough to need them at my house before. And she’s been surprisingly unwilling to give hers up!

Brrrrr, has it been cold! Hopefully I can have all the windows equipped with these by next winter. Of course if I do it will likely be the warmest winter in 100 years LOL.


67 posted on 02/07/2014 2:48:34 PM PST by Black Agnes
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To: Black Agnes

Ten BELOW zero this morning...I’ve experienced 37 and 52 below zero before, but that was when I was young and still enjoyed skiing. (The 52 below is STILL the New York state record for cold...it hurt to breathe.)


68 posted on 02/07/2014 2:50:11 PM PST by who knows what evil? (G-d saved more animals than people on the ark...www.siameserescue.org.)
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To: Starstruck

That’s true. Now that I think about it, it also makes for a good treatment for wasp stings too. Granny used to keep a pack of cigs just for that purpose, since we used to get stings every now and again down on the farm.


69 posted on 02/07/2014 2:50:26 PM PST by greeneyes (Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
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To: dearolddad

I recently researched lights. If you’re using LEDs or full-spectrum fluorescents you can keep the bulbs close. If you’re using HID lights (like metal halide or similar) or any other lights that put off heat, you’ll need to keep them at least 8-10 inches away from the tips. More distance if the wattage is high. Maybe think of 1.5 to 2 inches per 100 watts of HID bulb.

I have some T-8 fluorescents over my lettuce and heat isn’t an issue.


70 posted on 02/07/2014 2:51:34 PM PST by Two Kids' Dad (((( 0bama's words are the distraction to the destruction ))))
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To: Two Kids' Dad

I am not familiar with that lettuce. I usually grow black seeded simpson and little gem. Both can tolerate the summer heat of Missouri pretty well if they get afternoon shade.

Just think Deep and Wide for the plum tree. What about the termites? Are they gone?


71 posted on 02/07/2014 2:54:18 PM PST by greeneyes (Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
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To: dearolddad
How high above the seedlings should I place the lights?

Not far...a couple of inches (3-4") at most...too high, and you will wind up with leggy seedlings. Adjust light upward as seedlings grow.

72 posted on 02/07/2014 2:54:57 PM PST by who knows what evil? (G-d saved more animals than people on the ark...www.siameserescue.org.)
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To: dearolddad

Close as possible without touching or scorching. It depends on your lights. The newer high output lights don’t get very hot, so you can get really close. Adjust the height as they grow.


73 posted on 02/07/2014 2:55:58 PM PST by greeneyes (Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
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To: who knows what evil?

Yabut, your houses are built for that kind of weather. Ours aren’t. I’m just glad hubby insisted on blowing in 15 or so bales of insulation in the attic last year. That’s made a huge difference.

Now we just need to start replacing windows. My living room window (insulated from the rest of the house now with those handy insulated curtains!) had giant ice chunks on the INSIDE the morning it got down to 8F.


74 posted on 02/07/2014 2:56:21 PM PST by Black Agnes
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To: Sarajevo

I saw that on the news! See that’s what we have almost every winter, but it’s worse this year than for a long time.


75 posted on 02/07/2014 2:58:48 PM PST by greeneyes (Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
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To: Black Agnes
My living room window (insulated from the rest of the house now with those handy insulated curtains!) had giant ice chunks on the INSIDE the morning it got down to 8F.

I've had that experience...there are loads of drafty, poorly-constructed homes up here.

76 posted on 02/07/2014 2:59:51 PM PST by who knows what evil? (G-d saved more animals than people on the ark...www.siameserescue.org.)
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To: Sarajevo
I recon we had about a foot in snow yesterday.


77 posted on 02/07/2014 3:02:02 PM PST by Sarajevo (Two cannibals are eating a clown. One says to the other: "Does this taste funny to you?")
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To: who knows what evil?
Now the question...who on this thread remembers what the weather was like in the 50's?

Big drought in Texas. IIRC, when the Pacific warms, we have wet weather, and when it cools, we dry up.

'course, it could be the other way around, too.

78 posted on 02/07/2014 3:05:27 PM PST by Sarajevo (Two cannibals are eating a clown. One says to the other: "Does this taste funny to you?")
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To: greeneyes
I started on CPAP last night. The Mrs says she is already sleeping better..........

That was a bit of sarcasm, BTW. I'm not sure what to make of it yet.

79 posted on 02/07/2014 3:09:41 PM PST by Sarajevo (Two cannibals are eating a clown. One says to the other: "Does this taste funny to you?")
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To: Two Kids' Dad
What is your daily temperature around your hydroponics set-up? Unless the plants are very young, it sounds like the lettuce is already bolting from high temps. My hydroponic lettuce in my greenhouse did the same last year until I put it outside in the ground, then it developed the nice round heads. I was also short on nutrients since the fish I have in my stock tank are all small and don't produce much.

Plum trees - dig a hole 2x the size of the root ball. Place the tree in the hole and gently break up the root ball. Fill the remainder of the hole with a good soil mixture and tamp it in. Make sure the tree is watered well during the first year. Drainage is always a good thing. Most trees don't like standing in water.
BTW- Do you have sufficient chill hours in your area to produce fruit?

80 posted on 02/07/2014 3:29:16 PM PST by Sarajevo (Two cannibals are eating a clown. One says to the other: "Does this taste funny to you?")
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