WEEKLY GARDEN THREAD VOLUME 11 MARCH 14, 2014

Free Republic | March 14, 2014 | greeneyes

[greeneyes]

Posted on Friday, March 07, 2014 2:18:07 PM by greeneyes

The Weekly Gardening Thread is a weekly gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you. This thread is non-political, although you will find that most here are conservative folks.

No matter what, you won’t be flamed and the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked. It is impossible to hijack the Weekly Gardening Thread. There is no telling where it will go and... that is part of the fun and interest. Jump in and join us!

NOTE: This is a once a week ping list. We do post to the thread during the week. Links to related articles and discussions which might be of interest are welcomed, so feel free to post them at any time.

[Tilted Irish Kilt]

Black Agnes:" .. Not so much with the warm this year. Bastardi is already indicating that the great lakes region might be in for a ‘year without a summer’.
Let’s hope Bastardi is wrong."

I believe that Bastardi made an extended forecast for the next 90 days in last Saturday's Freep Report (3/15/14).
He seems to be the most accurate of all the weather reports.

[Ellendra]

Last night my Etsy store received its first order. This morning I logged in to double-check the shipping address, and saw a message from another customer, asking if they could place a bulk order!!!

I did a quick search, most of the seed catalogs that carried Dragon’s Egg cucumbers last year, aren’t. Baker Creek is the only one that still has them, but at twice what I’m selling mine for. I might end up with a greater demand than I thought!

[sockmonkey]

Last night my Etsy store received its first order. This morning I logged in to double-check the shipping address, and saw a message from another customer, asking if they could place a bulk order!!!

Congratulations on your first order. I am guessing the person who asked about bulk orders wishes to resell them.

[rightly_dividing]

Congratulations on your first sales.

[Sarajevo]

I emptied 1000lbs of horse manure out of the back of the truck, and have another 1000lbs in the trailer. I made a pile of the load from the truck and was wondering how bad my back would ache after spreading it, then I saw the chickens at work. The pile is almost flat already, and they're working on emptying the trailer all by their selves. Right where I need it too!

I need a couple more loads of manure to refill the raised beds. I'm hoping the rancher I get it from has some piles of fresher manure. Less weight and it'll help loosen the underlying soil better.

[sockmonkey]

I saw the chickens at work. The pile is almost flat already, and they're working on emptying the trailer all by their selves.

I love chickens. How are your chicks doing?

[thecodont]

Its pretty satisfying saving your own seeds and watching them sprout for next season.

Or watching volunteers come up from last year's tomato planting. :)

In my neighborhood (East SF Bay Area) the last frost date is about Feb. 28, and local garden centers begin offering tomato plants the first week of March. Incidentally, that's the exact same time the tomato volunteers start coming up.

[thecodont]

Burpee is offering “On Deck Hybrid” which is supposed to be suitable for container gardening.

http://www.burpee.com/vegetables/corn/corn-on-deck-hybrid-prod003168.html?omn2pd=bz&catId=2013&trail=

[greeneyes]

Thanks, but hubby brought me one home today from Walmart.

[greeneyes]

Yep, Bastardi rocks when it comes to weather.

[greeneyes]

Yep. I have some of that. I’ll be trying it out this year, but I have to work around Hubby’s planting. He’s got some sort of bicolored corn he wants to plant this year.

[greeneyes]

Good news. Happy for you.

[Tilted Irish Kilt]

Sarajevo:" The pile is almost flat already, and they're working on emptying the trailer all by their selves. Right where I need it too! "

When i had chickens , I planted a number of "Spagetti Squash" for feed for chickens.
When split open, and fibers separated by a fork , the seeds and spagetti fibers served as a supplmental vegetable feed for the chickens
it kept them in the garden looking for more (spagetti ) 'worms' , seeds , and random insects in the garden.
I never did see the chickens (Rhode Island Reds) do any damage to the crops in the garden, and it kept the insect population down.
Also , their scratching in the garden kept the garden soil level, and prevented new weed growth.

[JRandomFreeper]

Today is the spring equinox. It looks like we’ve had our last freeze for the year.

/johnny

[Marcella]

“Burpee is offering “On Deck Hybrid” which is supposed to be suitable for container gardening.”

I have three large containers with four of the Burpee Deck Corn plants in each one. They are strong plants because they grow a lot every day. They are about 4-5 inches tall now and look super.

[Marcella]

“Today is the spring equinox. It looks like we’ve had our last freeze for the year.”

Surely hope you are right as I've got tender plants on the deck and have many in the greenhouse that need to be in permanent pots on the deck. I have to transplant all the Lantana flowers into those larger black containers as they are still in the small pots from Lowes, plus the Stevia and an herb from Lowes have to go in those black pots. I still need certain herbs that Lowes did not have the last time I was there.

My deck looks swell now since Engineer and I worked out there to get order to it all. Pots were every where willy nilly and they were a falling hazard for me. Now, there are clear paths wide enough I have sure footing.

I keep forgetting to tell you about a plant that is like your tobacco plant that insisted on living. Back in late August I think it was, I put some lettuce and Brussels sprouts seeds in a container like I have the strawberries in, just to see if those seeds would sprout here. They sprouted and I didn't deal with that container anymore. The lettuce went away and occasionally I would glance at that container and there was a Brussels spout plant still in there. I did nothing and that one plant is still in there insisting to live. I need to put it in its own pot with new potting soil mix in there and let it do what it wants.

I just set out the tobacco plants from the greenhouse onto the deck. There are eight of them and they look very healthy. I have two more in a smaller pot still under the grow lamp and they need transplanting to go in the greenhouse. I just about killed the Yorkie as when I put the tobacco plants on the deck and did something else, I looked back and she had taken a bite out of a leaf of the largest tobacco plant - that leaf was ruined, most of it on the deck. I jerked her up and went through a “NO NO NO!” act to let her know she was dead meat if she did that again.

I don't know if she is into “chewing tobacco” at her early age, but that isn't going to happen. I'll get her some heroin but NOT my tobacco. Please, everyone, that is a joke, I don't know where to get heroin and wouldn't, okay?

[Sarajevo]

They're developing feathers and doing happy chick things. They sure make a lot of noise in the morning when it's time to open the coop.

The bantams and goslings will have to wait about two weeks until the weather warms up more before we permanently put them outside with the rest of the flock. We'll have to watch out for the local hawk when the bantams are out also. The hawk won't bother the full size birds, but little ones are fair game.

[Sarajevo]

I have to keep my birds out of the garden. Anything green is food to them. They devour leafy veggies. Oh yeah, they loved my hot peppers too.
A local vendor told me that Guinea Hens are good for gardens though.

[sockmonkey]

I have to keep my birds out of the garden. Anything green is food to them. They devour leafy veggies.

Before my chickens were slowly knocked off by raccoons and possums, I would let them into the fenced garden to eat bugs..Well, they would go after bugs, but also the lettuce was not safe from them.

[rightly_dividing]

I haven't seen you on here for a day or so, I thought maybe you won the Mega Millions Tuesday night and was out looking at farms. :)

Gracie, being 6mo tries to eat anything that she can get into her mouth. Maybe not eat, but chew up into a mess anyway. Around the bird feeders, uneaten seeds have grown grass about 6-8in tall and she loves to chew on it. She doesn't upchuck, so I guess she has an iron stomach. One night, after we were asleep, she sneaked onto my wife's bedside table and got her nasal spray and chewed it till it leaked and swallowed the liquid,. She upchucked 4 times the next day, the biggest time was all over me, and it was big, too. What a way to wake from a power nap; my leg feeling warm suddenly! I'm glad I was still wearing long pants then.

We have had such nice, temperate days lately. It really feels good to be outside. It also feels good to wear shorts and sandals again.

My wife is picking up some plant food today, so the babies will get some much needed adult food. My peppers are growing fast, but the maters are not. All plants are outside again getting warm sun and loving it. My ghost peppers did not enjoy the winter, I hope they recover now. I still need to plant the squish seeds and cukes and start some new ghost pepper seeds.

My dry erase board came yesterday for the kid's easel, but the chalk board ordered and shipped at the same time has not arrived. I will be busy building something again when it gets here, which tracking says will be today.

Here is a raised pallet garden. It is nicer than what I had planned to do, but you can see the potential. I did what I did because I failed to acquire pallets in time. Photo from somewhere online acquired from an email.