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WEEKLY GARDEN THREAD VOLUME 9 FEBRUARY 27, 2015
freerepublic | 2/27/2015 | greeneyes

Posted on 02/27/2015 12:35:01 PM PST 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. Planting, Harvest to Table(recipes)preserving, good living - 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.


TOPICS: Gardening
KEYWORDS: agriculture; food; gardening; hobby
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To: greeneyes
greeneyes:" All the zukes grew well then turned gray and dies before any produce was ready to harvest.
I think he is going to have to do some serious solarisation and fumigation.
We have trouble with melons, squash etc. anyway."

Sounds like a problem of either nematodes, or blight in the soil.
Regardless, Johnny's recipie for soil sterilization (6 mil. clear plastic ), blight resistant varieties, or crop rotation would seem to be reasonable and helpful.

61 posted on 02/27/2015 4:48:42 PM PST by Tilted Irish Kilt
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To: greeneyes

That’s great, greeneyes! I’m not going to be able to start my seeds until sometime in March. I just have to accept that and hope for the best.


62 posted on 02/27/2015 4:52:05 PM PST by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: greeneyes
greeneyes :"..zukes,..We have trouble with melons, squash etc. anyway."

If I recall properly , they are all members of the curcubit family .
I would sterilize and rotate crops location, and raise disease resistant varieties.

63 posted on 02/27/2015 4:54:25 PM PST by Tilted Irish Kilt
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To: tflabo
tflabo , I enjoyed the picture of the fences around your garden area (post #16).
I am currently reading "Vertical Gardening" by Derek Fell (Rodale Press), and believe that you could double your productivity with 'Off set' netting on your wall.
It would appear that you own the wall on the left of the photo. An 'off set' netting would allow your crops to grow up a netting of either #50 fishing line
or useing "builders wire" off set from the fence for heavier crops like squash , peas , or even melons .
I suggest 'off set' as there is no direct vegetation contact with the fence, and maximizes space and uses the fence for 'micro-climate'(wind protection) as a heat sink.
64 posted on 02/27/2015 5:07:10 PM PST by Tilted Irish Kilt
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To: greeneyes

Winter is back; Summer in January is long over: -8L & 22H today.

Light snow fell nearly every day this week, but it was mostly so fine & dry that we still have a lot of bare ground.

Last of our seeds arrived: butterfly weed, milkweed, and fennel. We do have a little wild milkweed around, and a very few Monarchs each year.


65 posted on 02/27/2015 5:12:20 PM PST by ApplegateRanch (Love me, love my guns!©)
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To: momtothree

Despite winter lows down to -35, and months of deeply frozen ground & snow cover, we have robins (and chickadees) resident year around. The robins have access to the barns, and nest in them.

What denotes Spring here is the return of towhees & bluebirds; and the departure of the juncos.

Another fairly reliable sign of Spring is 6 inches of mud replacing 4 inches of snow in the garden.


66 posted on 02/27/2015 5:23:54 PM PST by ApplegateRanch (Love me, love my guns!©)
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To: greeneyes

Oh, yeah; as I said, -8 last night, after -2 the night before, so naturally that was when Mama Rabbit decided to kindle.

Haven’t dared try to pry into the nest to count noses yet.

We still have canned & frozen rabbit from last year, but one of my co-workers wants to buy some.


67 posted on 02/27/2015 5:28:33 PM PST by ApplegateRanch (Love me, love my guns!©)
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To: momtothree
momtothree:".. It’s dead.. or so he thought. The following Friday, sprouting up from the black ashes of the trench was bamboo sprouts.
Thicker, greener and healthier than ever before!
That Friday night as he polished off a six pack, he decided “bamboo is functional.
It is pretty. It’s a great privacy hedge”. It remains there today"

You owe me a new keyboard as I laughed soooo hard !
Bamboo spreads by rhizomes and mini-rootletts.
It can become invasive, unless the roots are restrained and confined. Plan on digging down 2 - 2 1/2 feet with an impermerable barrier.
I have seen bamboo used as a visual hedge as far north as Northern Ohio, in Amish country, close to Lake Erie shores.

68 posted on 02/27/2015 5:28:45 PM PST by Tilted Irish Kilt
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To: greeneyes

Yes - take some soil samples - your local extension office can instruct you how - and then get your soil analyzed. They will advise you on how to adjust your pH so your plants will thrive. One thing I’ve learned is that most plants thrive on a pH of 5.5 to 7 (5.5 being slightly acidic and 7 being more alkaline). Azaleas and rhodendrons like more acidic soil - so you will want to note what you’re trying to grow.

All plants need adequate oxygen so if the soil is too compacted you may need to amend with pine bark (1/2 inch or so) or some other organic material that can be tilled into the soil. After you mail in your samples (in NC they will do it for you) it takes them about 2 weeks to complete their analysis. If there is anything that you don’t understand in the report the office is more than happy to enlighten you. The folks at our local office love to assist with all manner of questions. They want gardeners to be successful. I was surprised to learn that clay soil is not bad soil. It holds onto nutrients and absorbs water fairly evenly. The greatest issue is that it compacts. You know this is a problem if your tree roots are on the surface of your lawn or garden.

So my answer is contact your local extension and ask them about taking samples and getting your soil analyzed. In NC there is no charge for soil analysis certain times of the year. I don’t know about other states.

Hope this helps.


69 posted on 02/27/2015 6:44:38 PM PST by punknpuss
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To: CynicalBear

That tomato story sounds a bit like The Little Red Hen’s experience.


70 posted on 02/27/2015 10:01:26 PM PST by ApplegateRanch (Love me, love my guns!©)
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To: punknpuss

Bump for later…


71 posted on 02/27/2015 10:45:37 PM PST by tubebender (Evening news is where they begin with "Good Evening," and then proceed to tell you why it isn't.)
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To: momtothree

ah...the story of life!.....boo and polyiks, whatcha gonna do.........

;)
Take care!
Dick G: AMERICAN!
aka: Gunny G
Semper FIDELIS
*****


72 posted on 02/28/2015 12:18:38 AM PST by gunnyg ("A Constitution changed from Freedom, can never be restored; Liberty, once lost, is lost forever...)
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To: momtothree
Up here in southern New Hampshire, the robins actually go into the deep woods for the winter and show up in February in the towns to feed on the crab apples that turn sweet when frozen. We had one in our front yard last week.

But, Barb has seedlings up under the grow lights.

Twenty-four work days and a wake-up to retirement for me and we are planning our enlarged and serious garden!

73 posted on 02/28/2015 4:22:51 AM PST by Redleg Duke ("Madison, Wisconsin is 30 square miles surrounded by reality.", L. S. Dreyfus)
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To: Redleg Duke

Oh, yes. And this weekend, we are going to enter the world of home-made cheese, starting out with ricotta.


74 posted on 02/28/2015 4:26:30 AM PST by Redleg Duke ("Madison, Wisconsin is 30 square miles surrounded by reality.", L. S. Dreyfus)
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To: Arkansas Tider

Cliff, thanks for the tip on the Golden Egg Zucchini. Barb just looked it up in the Burpee catalog and we will try them.


75 posted on 02/28/2015 4:35:09 AM PST by Redleg Duke ("Madison, Wisconsin is 30 square miles surrounded by reality.", L. S. Dreyfus)
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To: blueyon

Check around for a copy of “Crockett’s Victory Garden”. It is probably out of print, but available. That books was my real start at gardening.


76 posted on 02/28/2015 4:37:29 AM PST by Redleg Duke ("Madison, Wisconsin is 30 square miles surrounded by reality.", L. S. Dreyfus)
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To: Tilted Irish Kilt

I never noticed the Robins eating seed EXCEPT for about 15 years ago.. horrible Winter and the poor little things ate seed. I am going to the store today (we are having ice tomorrow.. JOY!) and get some suet. There is a bird seed place where I live and I feel so sorry for the little things. Hugs, Mom


77 posted on 02/28/2015 5:28:49 AM PST by momtothree
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To: Redleg Duke

Thanks


78 posted on 02/28/2015 5:50:08 AM PST by blueyon (The U. S. Constitution - read it and weep)
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To: Red_Devil 232

thanks


79 posted on 02/28/2015 5:54:27 AM PST by blueyon (The U. S. Constitution - read it and weep)
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To: CynicalBear
CynicalBear :" ..and listed them for free everywhere I could think of and couldn’t give them away. I couldn’t believe it. ."

Consider giving it to a local food kitchen
and you can get a tax "write-off" based on value
or can/bottle them up for yourselves for food storage.
Ask your local food co-op ,community food kitchen , or religious community as to where food and fruit can be effectively used.

80 posted on 02/28/2015 10:58:17 AM PST by Tilted Irish Kilt
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