Weekly Garden Thread - May 6-12, 2023 [Companion Planting Edition]

May 6, 2023 | Diana in WI/Greeneyes in Memoriam

[Diana in Wisconsin]

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.

If you have specific question about a plant/problem you are having, please remember to state the Growing Zone where you are located.

This thread is a non-political respite. 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! Send a Private Message to Diana in Wisconsin if you'd like to be added to our New & Improved Ping List.

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 to Gardeners are welcomed any time!

[waterhill]

I use a Garden Weasle. I’ve got sandy loam though..ymmv...

[Bon of Babble]

The problem with the hula hoe - and I have one - is that it only takes off the top of the weeds, which grow right back.

Weeds where I am have deep roots and need to be pulled out by hand or by a weeding tool. Husband put down weed barrier cloths around parts of the yard, which I am systematically pulling out - they don’t work and, according to my landscaper, block oxygen getting into the soil which can harm my large shade trees.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Thank you! :)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Well, as I feared, we’ve skipped Spring and gone straight to hot & humid! 81 today with bad T-storms predicted for later today.

Other than that - all is right in my little world: Orioles (Orchard & Baltimore) and Red-Breasted Grossbeak are here, as are dozens of bright yellow Goldfinch, all my usual Woodpeckers and I saw a Hummingbird this morning checking out the grape jelly for the Orioles, so I put my Hummer feeder out this morning.

Today I’m going to get the potatoes in, and the Broccoli and the Brussels Sprouts. Probably transplant some lettuces between the Tulip rows. Waiting on my delivery of 5 bales of straw, but Farmer Dan is a tad busy getting in some future food crops for his dairy cows. ;)

We had a HUGE gathering here yesterday as Beau’s brother was visiting from San Diego (retired Navy pilot) and all the step brothers and sisters were here, so it was great to see everyone. We made a group call to their ‘baby’ Sister in GA, which she really appreciated. A good time was had by all - lots of good food and laughter. The best kind of day. :)

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

I skimmed the video, seems like it should work well! Comments:

1. To me using wood for sides of raised beds even with use pond liner is problematic. Wood rots quickly around moisture. There are fungi encorporated in a lot of potting and soil mixes that can invade an colonize wood. Consider using sheets of Galvanized roofing as a side material. Use pressure treated wood for the corner supports and the rail at the top and extend the Pond liner up to that wooden rail. Perhaps build on a flat area, use 12" x 12" cement patio pavers as a base to support your sip. ( I know, he said he has no problems with wood.)

2. Oxygen. Drainage tube.... it is important that the water level leaves an air pocket at the top of the drainage tubes. If you do build this, perhaps cycle it so that you allow some drying to occur every several weeks so that oxygen can returns to the potting medium. At the same time be careful your wicking medium does not completely dry out or you will have to surface water until you re-establish the wicking action.

3. Consider would put down a layer of heavy gardening fabric on top of the the tubes and push it down between the pipes before putting the medium on it. Consider using pure coconut coir at the bottom around the pipes and incorporate some into your medium. Lasts longer than Peat. Incorporate some of the coir in the medium mix you eventually use. Peat and pine bark mulch and miricle grow along with soil seems good.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do!

---

My sips. I use 5 gallon sips for some fig trees that I have so this is not quite analogous to what you are considering, but some of the problems are the same.

My 5 gallon buckets need to be portable because I need to be able to move them to overwinter the trees someplace dark and relatively cool but not more than 5-10 F below cool. I do NOT have a rain barrel or have an automated system.

I do use a manual timer with use drip irrigation on 1/2 pvc tubing to water them. I can also hand water through a covered pipe individually and fill an approximately 1 1/2 gallon reservoir created at the bottom of the 5 gallon bucket.

A picture. Holes are drilled at about 4-5" above the bottom of the buckets, lined the sides with the heaviest landscaping fabric I could find (Fuzzy side in), and put a Fabric covered inverted plastic collander inside at the bottom, with a pvc pipe cut at the bottom at an angle. The top of the colander is above the holes which allows drainage and an air pocket between the roots and the reservoir. The wicking material is tucked inside the bucket at the bottom in the circular gap around the outside and top of the fabric covered collander. I used Coconut Coir as the wicking material because it wicks well and lasts longer than peat.

[Ellendra]

Let me know how you like it after using it for a full season. I’m always looking for easier ways to control weeds.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

'Prairie Fire' Crabapple at the Jung's Garden Center I used to manage. I miss that tree!

[Bon of Babble]

Will do - it’s not arriving until Wednesday.

Just got done weeding on my knees with the hand tool...I’m gonna pay for it later.

We have very tough weeds in So Cal.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

A beautiful tree! (Sun Prairie nursery or Madison?)

Glad you had a good get family get together!

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

A beautiful tree! (Sun Prairie nursery or Madison?)

Glad you had a good get family get together!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Verona Road location. I think that tree is gone, now, They remodeled a few years back and added more parking.

“They paved Paradise and put up a parking lot...” :(

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Sad. Would have been a nice place to put a bench under that tree there for tired shoppers.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I had ‘Husband Benches’ all over the place at the Garden Center. ;)

My BFFs and I visited a new, fancy Von Maur department store a while back and they had ‘Husband Couches’ in the center of the store, with a live pianist playing for them.

Brilliant marketing, actually. :)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

My kitchen, this time, every year. 'Monge' Lilac.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

https://www.gardenia.net/plant/syringa-vulgaris-monge

[Qiviut]

We’re supposed to get to 86 today! It’s already hot out there - earlier this morning, I tied up my sugar snap peas to help get them on a trellis. The heat moderates a little bit - lower 80’s as the week goes on. Hopefully, the plants are acclimated to the sun - no signs of sunburn yet, but today will tell the tale. We had 1/4 inch of rain between 5 & 7 pm last night and after 3 inches a week or so ago (plus I watered a bit Saturday evening), the plants should be well-hydrated.

As soon as the hummingbird garden is back in the shade (late afternoon), I’m going to tackle cleaning out the beds ... there are 3. One has quite a few ‘volunteer’ sunflowers coming up - I’ve decided to leave them rather than plant zinnias in that bed which was the original plan. Once the squirrels tear up the flowers for the seeds, I’ll take them out & plant a late zinnia crop.

Of the two beds left, one was zinnias last year & mulched pretty well - just pull up the old stalks & a very few weeds are all that need doing. This will be my hollyhock bed - I ordered seeds from Pinetree. The seeds take 15-25 days to germinate .... that’s going to be a long, impatient wait for me!

The 3rd bed had my tithonia & on the end, I planted a packet of “Texas Wildflower Seeds” my cousin gave me. The tithonia was a volunteer last year & did well - I have not been able to get any seeds to germinate this year and I’ve pretty much given up on having a tithonia. The wildflower section is a mess - full of weeds & a few flowers blooming now - they’ll all get pulled up. This bed will likely be in zinnias shortly.

I did spot a hummer on the front feeder this morning early. The maple tree the feeder is under needs some major trim work - the branches, when the leaves are wet, hang low over the sidewalk & also block the view of the feeder from the porch. No hummers spotted on the feeder at the hummer garden, but then I don’t have all day to stand at the window and look for them!

[WhoisAlanGreenspan?]

Thanks for the comments & suggestions.

Particularly the coconut coir idea. I'd never heard of that before. There's a ton of stuff on youtube regarding soil recipes and I imagine a great deal depends on where you are in the country. California soil recipes might not work as well in the Detroit area.

Because of that I'm starting to think I might be better off using 5 gallon buckets like you, at least to get a year in trying different soils and some experience under my belt. I'm still in the preliminary stages of preparing my 'sunniest part' of my backyard.

A number of years ago I tried bucket gardening in a similar part of my yard for several years, eventually incorporating watering timers and drip type irrigation, but I never really got into the soil mixture, hopefully I'm on a better path.

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

Yes! I planted this for the Ms.! Exceptional! First year for it to bloom! She loves it.

I planted this at the same time, (I'm sure you know it!)

Beauty of Moscow

Great fragrance!

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

We have a cluster of high end stores here, Arhus, VonMaur, REI. I have been in the REI but not the others. Just as well!

[Pete from Shawnee Mission]

What is it with this hot weather? I am trying to grow cool weather crops and its in the 80s and 90s! :)