WEEKLY GARDEN THREAD VOLUME 17 APRIL 17, 2015

freerepublic | 4/17/2015 | greeneyes

[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.

[greeneyes]

We have overcast skies and moderate temperature of 64 degrees which feels like 50 without the sun. Nights have been in the 40s, so the tomatoes that I took out last week have to be brought in at night.

If things don't break soon, I'm going to just bring them in and stick them in front of the patio. I have added a 3 shelf unit in front of the patio door, so the patio door is officially closed to traffic until spring transplanting.

Got way behind on everything what with Hubby's surgery and fighting off chest congestion/fatigue. Trying to catch up this week with housework. Started cleaning up the front yard yesterday, what with the storms strewing limbs all over the yard.

Will be raking up some of the piles of leaves and putting them into one of the compost piles, then will tidy up and mow the rest of the front yard in front of the house. The back yard is at least 2 ft. tall, so it's going to need a scythe. I'll just work on the lawn 30 or forty minutes a day till I get the front yard and enclosed yard where the BBQ grill is tidied up. All else will just have to wait on Hubby's return to duty.

I am also behind on my Rye cuttings. It is at least 3 feet high. I have 8 tomatoes left to transplant into 10 oz cups. One of the Principe B. Tomatoes has a bloom. The lemon tree has 8 ping pong size lemons. Garlic is doing pretty good, spinach has about another batch, I am behind on planting the next succession. Also, I still have Dakota Pearl potatoes left to plant, and that bed is not yet prepared. Only one head of lettuce left, and behind on planting the next succession of that too.

I was excited to learn that the Farmer's Market is open in a neighboring town - the same one that has Lowe's. Ours doesn't open for a while yet. So I'll check the online ads and see if it would be worth a trip over to Lowe's and drop by the market and see what they have that I don't.

[Augie]

Part 6 of the seed starting article from Eric's local paper:

http://www.thelaketoday.com/news/2015/apr/15/how-start-seeds-part-6-planting-garden/

[JRandomFreeper]

It's already Friday? How time does fly.

My brother asked what I had been doing in the garden, and I had to tell him weeding only right now. It's still pretty wet out there and we're scheduled to get more rain tonight and sun tomorrow. I may plant some leek slips and some more asparagus a little later. I know I will plant some tomatoes and peppers in containers. The tomatoes and peppers come with bad microbes and I don't want those in my garden. They can stay in a container. ;)

Still haven't planted peanuts yet, and won't for a while. Dryness helps on some stuff.

/johnny

[Augie]

I've not done much gardening in the last ten days. Been spending my free time in the woods looking for morels. More looking than finding so far but I've stumbled across a few nice flushes and I'm not ready to give up yet. These two and another 30 or so just like em were on the creek bank behind my house.

[greeneyes]

Pinging the list.

Sockmonkey had a link to a greenhouse last week that was really nice. Here’s a link to another one of their products that is close to what I’d like to have in concept:

http://www.wayfair.com/Rion-Greenhouses-Sun-Lounge-2-8-1-H-x-6-6-W-x-6-6-D-Polycarbonate-4-mm-Greenhouse-702478-RG1172.html

Now imagine this a little deeper and wider to take up much more of my 13 x 24 foot patio off the basement patio door. And imagine a double wall like on the green house sockmonkey posted. Add in an automatic ventilator, and a solar or other heater. That would be the all time greatest.

Still this or the greenhouse sockmonkey was looking at would be a big improvement to the 6 x 2 ft in front of the patio door! Starting a “change” bank now. (Like an old fashioned piggy bank).

When I was a kid, my brother and I saved our change, until we could buy a horse. I being younger saved mostly pennies, so we named her Penney.

[Covenantor]

I knew it!

Find the crow bar and you find morels.

[sockmonkey]

We’ve been getting always needed rain in the Hill Country. My tomatoes hate it.

[greeneyes]

What’s the inflation adjusted price of a penney I wonder? Fifty cents? I could call it my four - bit greenhouse. LOL

[greeneyes]

Thanks so much for posting all these.

[IMR 4350]

I can’t even weed right now.

Last week here in deep SE Texas we got between 14” and 16” of rain, close as I could tell, and the ground was already saturated.

[JRandomFreeper]

I'm sure the lakes love it as much as your tomatoes hate it.

Good luck with that. That's Texas... Too little, or too much of a good thing.

/johnny

[EQAndyBuzz]

I HAVE TOMATOES. I HAVE TOMATOES...

Yay, finally something coming up. One of my tomato plants is producing fruit. I went out there the other day, saw it and actually smiled for the first time in three years.

The small blueberry and blackberry bushes I planted have berries, although only a couple and the plants aren’t even knee high. Also have a few strawberries. If all goes well, I will eat my first bowl of mixed berries within a few weeks.

I did a soil test using my Mosser Lee Soil Master test kit. Did the nitrogen test since the consensus was I either have too much nitrogen in the soil or too little. The verdict? Drum roll...... Too little. Add some Jobes tomato and veggie fertilizer to the soil. See where that goes.

Artichokes died. Think it was too much water from all the rain we had. Everything else looks great from a plant perspective. The jury is still out on whether I get veggies.

Oh, it is raining in San Antonio and has been cool.

Have a great weekend.

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

Nice! I haven’t even tried yet. Nights have been in the Twenties. We had a couple of warmer days last week, and people planted a lot of stuff. Now they’re scampering to save all of it. It has snowed a couple nights this past week. Northern Ohio. Summit and Cuyahoga Counties.

[greeneyes]

We have a little patch of Volunteer Asparagus. We missed the harvest when Hubby was in the hospital. He’s decided to expand the patch and got some from Walmart and planted them.

Asparagus is one veggie that our grand daughter will eat. We don’t know where the original patch came from as we have never planted any - wild maybe?

I also have a volunteer patch of vetch growing, but it is next to a bed that had vetch cover crop that didn’t germinate about a year ago.

I originally grew all my tomatoes in containers, but Hubby kept stealing all my soil mix, and then I would have to buy more, but was usually short of funds, having already spent my budget for it, so I gave that up and now I just plant them in rotation of about 4 years and hope for the best.

Since grand daughter has a bunch of 5 gallon buckets of dry wall compound that is empty now, I will have a bunch to clean up and use, and I just may go out and dig up some of his garden dirt to put in them. Turn about is fair play. LOL

[greeneyes]

That’s great. I wouldn’t trust myself to find them, and hubby probably could, but is also leery. My Dad used to get a bunch every year when I was a kid.

I gave a friend permission to check our property and collect what he could find, but he had to give me a written statement that he would hold us harmless, if he gets the wrong thing and gets sick or worse.

[JRandomFreeper]

LOL! That's the way to go. Steal dirt.

I'm in the great position of not having to compromise. ;)

/johnny

[greeneyes]

Yeh - it’s go big or don’t bother. LOL

[Daffynition]

Hi greeneyes

Have you ever made your own seed tape?

I saw some DIY directions online, and was wondering if anyone has had any luck with making it yourself. I’d like to try it this year....I waste so many seeds by hand sowing.

http://www.gardenbetty.com/2012/03/make-your-own-seed-tape/

Buying it is costly and mostly you can’t get the seed varieties you want. :D

[Tilted Irish Kilt]

Dr. Bogus Pachysandra :" Nights have been in the Twenties. We had a couple of warmer days last week, and people planted a lot of stuff.
Now they’re scampering to save all of it. It has snowed a couple nights this past week."

Same thing here in Western NY - today's high 41 / tonight going to 28 or colder, depending on elevation.
However , in 7 - 10 days , they say the temperatures will be in the 70's.
The maples are just about to bust out new leaves, well past the bud stage ; it's daffodil weather - a teaser with touch of frost - but it will kill many annuals.

[greeneyes]

Too little Nitrogen reminds me of sources of nitrogen I have on hand and need to get out:

Blood meal, Coffee grounds, alfalfa meal.

I am also reminded that grass clippings are free and in the Spring may contain up to 5% nitrogen. Just half an inch of grass clippings used as mulch can reduce the amount of fertilizer you need possibly by half. Now that overgrown grass in the back yard is looking mighty fine!

For anyone on a bare bones budget or frugal in nature, or just a desire for cheap, cheap, cheap- here’s a link to a good article on building soil. It has a link on the 4th page that takes you to a chart that compares the prices of various fertilizer’s based on Nitrogen content.

http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/organic-fertilizers-zmaz08amzmcc.aspx?PageId=4