Posted on 02/24/2017 5:10:36 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.
The real northern California is way over average. Normal is 26 inches and we are currently at 42 inches and two months to go but the Redwoods and Salmon love it...
Thanks, for the ping!!! I read every post each week.
One of ours is a rescue. He loves us heart and soul, but I hope it never comes to a fight, because he’s terrified of our cat. Which is about the size of his head. :)
I do, and I’ve been happy with them. Trying out Southern Exchange Seed Savers this year, though; I’m in the NC Piedmont and our summers lately have been brutal, so I’m looking for heat-tolerant stuff as much as possible. Got a new strain of bush beans called Kebarika that I’m looking forward to trying out.
I was almost able to get to the garden this week; and could see a few patches of mud showing through the white blanket...and got another 4”.
I had some a few years ago, but have forgotten the name.
You are welcome. How timely hearing from you. I was just wondering if you were still visiting FR. So many left during the election cycle, I was afraid you might have gone elsewhere.
Thanks for posting.
Oh, those remind me of my mother’s garden. She could grow beautiful roses. My nephew has inherited the garden and
her green thumb.
I’m staring a small rose area in the back yard.
Sprinkle Cheyenne pepper around the area. I use the pepper to keep slugs, and destroying bugs from my squash, mustard greens and corn. I sprinkle the area immediately around the plant, on the plant and even the corn silk. It keeps the bugs and slugs at bay.
Greetings from southern New Hampshire where we saw a half dozen Brown Headed Cow Birds and a Red Wing Black Bird on our feeders this morning. A sure sign of spring!
So signs of flying from our two bee hives. I am concerned that they might not have survived the winter, despite wrapping.
We’ve had warm (70’s) temps on/off for the last two weeks. It’s too early to start the garden, but the weeds are springing to life. I called yesterday to see if the mad dash to get mowers to the shop for their annual service had started yet & it looks like I’m going to get the very speedy zero-turn mower in just in time. It also just happens that I called right at the end of a “special” - free pickup & delivery with an annual service. The mower has a problem with the engine surging (probably a dirty carburetor/plugged valve) so it had to go to the shop anyway. In the meanwhile, I have “Little Buddy”, the riding mower (tractor style) - slow, but it will get the job done until I get the speedy one back.
This week, I received the book I ordered: “Straw Bale Gardening Complete” by Joel Karsten. It’s been fascinating reading & I plan on trying some of this type of gardening this year. My niece was visiting earlier today & I mentioned this to her - she was excited because a friend of hers does straw bale gardening with great success & was thinking about it for her own garden. She’s has no raised beds & would have to build/fill them before she could plant anything, but could start right away (after conditioning) with the straw bales. She could also put them anywhere she wanted to in the yard & unlike beds, the location can be changed next year if this year’s doesn’t work out.
This week, baby chicks come in to the farm supply/gardening store. My SIL will be getting some - her 3 hens (out of 6 originally) are getting old (4-5 years) and laying an egg only now and again. She’s asked me to go with her so that should be fun - baby chicks (and ducks) are always so cute.
Potential for severe weather later this afternoon with high winds probably being the worst of it - temps are dropping from this morning & the wind is picking up. All should be gone by 8 p.m. Next week should be seasonable - good time to start digging weeds out of the garden & hauling shavings for a new project I’ve got planned (walkways between the beds that can’t grass up). I also noticed lots of winter branch debris that needs to be picked up in the fields before I start mowing in earnest. It feels good to get out in the fresh air & sunshine again after winter has mostly passed us by.
I put in 2 beds 3 years ago. May I ask why you lined the bottom with cardboard. Yes I’m fishing for advise, ;) Thanks.
“The latest crop of mangoes was filled with worms.”
Just from my experience with growing apples, cherries and peaches, you probably need to spray or trap a certain fly that is laying eggs in your mangoes at the right time in their life cycle.
Up here in Wisconsin was have an Apple Maggot Fly that does that to apples, but you can spray when your apples are the size of a quarter, or hang red (the color attracts them), sticky traps to trap that particular fly.
If you have fruit, the pollinators have already done their thing, so spraying at that time won’t harm anyone but the culprit you are after.
I’d ask others in your area what they do to prevent that.
P.S. So jealous that you have mangoes! My fondest dream would be to have my own Avocado tree...but I don’t want to move to any of the states/countries where I can grow them, LOL! :)
WOW! Impressive! Lovely!
I bet pemmican would taste even better using tomatoes for the fruit, and a little salt.
Hi, Penny! How cute is THAT? Thanks for taking in a rescue dog! All of my dogs through the years have been ‘Pound Found’ or taken from friends that had to give them up for one reason or another. I’ve had two Black Labs, one Yellow Lab and my Basset Hound, Rufus, who lived to be 15 and was healthy up until has last two days when he had a massive stroke. :(
Anyhow, Beau and I raise Treeing Walker Coon Hounds and Plott Hounds for Raccoon and Bear hunting. Right now we are at 16 dogs! They all live outside in their Doggie Condos, except the youngest pup, ‘Seneca’ (picture on this thread) who is inside at night in his kennel.
I lost Rufus 2 years ago, and I just have NOT fallen in love again, so I don’t have a ‘house’ dog as of now. But it’ll happen; of that I am sure! :)
Congrats on the new garden! I moved last year from my little farm to my fiance’s BIG FARM, so I HAD an established garden, fruit trees, etc. of 25 years at my last place.
I am starting all over again, too! We added Currants, Grapes, Saskatoon Service Berry, Raspberries and Asparagus last season. There was already gorgeous Red Rhubarb here. If you can find the pictures here, he’s adding 6 more raised beds for me! Wheeee!
We have 6 apple trees, but will be adding peaches, cherries and plums, too. Lots of sour, wild apples on the edges of the woods, here. They make the BEST pies. Yum!
To stave off Winter Insanity I grow sprouts every few weeks and I have been growing Micro Greens under grow lights. I have been getting 3 cuttings off of a standard size flat. I also force Paperwhite Bulbs and I pamper my houseplants to the point of them running away when they see me coming, LOL!
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