Posted on 01/24/2008 10:53:49 AM PST by Gabz
Howdy folks!!!
I originally planned to wait until tomorrow (Friday) to get this going, but it is such a damp, dreary, plain old yucky day here on Virginia's Eastern Shore I decided to do it now --dreaming of spring, so to speak!
One of the major topics that seemed to arise last week dealt with "zones" and how even people living in the same "zone" will have different growing conditions based upon location. Also because we are all so spread out the different zones do matter when it comes to planting times and plants.
GardenGirl and Diana in Wisconsin are among our resident experts, but I am sure they are not the only ones and so we would all like to hear from others both amateur and professional, food growers and flower gardeners, folks that deal with trees and shrubs, I hope you get the idea!
Exchanging ideas and getting help on garden problems weere among the reasons for starting this thread, and I would like to expand on that and ask you all to help me come up with ideas of specific topics we can delve into.
Let's have fun --- and wish for spring!!!!!!
Now is good. Usually the earlier in the fall/spring you can plant, the better bushes and shrubs do. They’ll have all winter/spring to get their roots going instead of just being thrwon out there and having good weather for a month or two and then the heat sets in.
Here, anyway. :) We don’t have to worry too much about really cold temps, altho the last week has been miserable—for us.
Many times, even if the fig does die back to the ground—have a little patience. Don’t dig it up just yet. Figs like really warm weather and often don’t show any signs of life until it really warms up.
I want to grow raspberries, but I have a LOT of roses (200+) and raspberry cane borers are death on roses.
Most of the cane borers that trouble roses, do the boring on the cut ends of a cane. You can identify the problem easily and cut out the cane below the borer. You can also seal cuts thus eliminating the problem entirely. The raspberry cane borers enter the cane through the sidewall low down. You don’t see the damage and they often kill the bush.
Do you have any experience with this pest? If I thought there was a viable control, I’d start with raspberries this spring.
Thank you :) The vining zucchini was fun. I was afraid the vines were going to take over my yard.
I had problems with disease with some of my squash and melons too. I think my problem was cucumber beetles. The vining zucchini stayed healthy through most of the summer. However, there were a couple varieties of melons and squash I never was able to taste because the plant died too early. It’s frustrating, isn’t it? I think it’s worth it to give it another shot though.
This summer I’m going to try growing cucuzzi, which is an edible gourd, similar to zucchini. It is supposed to be more disease resistant. I will still give some squash and melons a try. I plan to grow Minnesota midget melons and butternut squash as well.
Cherry tomatoes are really resilient. I was still harvesting cherry tomatoes into November this year, which is pretty rare. I am hoping to grow some yellow pear toms this year, and maybe a couple other varieties. I bet Brandywine tomatoes will be delicious.
I think we're going to plant in whiskey barrels in the middle of the yard this coming season. We put in a screenhouse, so now I've got to plant around it. Barrels may be an easier way to manage weeding, fertilizing and watering.
We've had a problem in the past with squash borers. They're an ugly bug.
Yep. I’d use straw over hay because of the seed problems.
We are very blessed to have enough property to keep our privacy without blocking the view with fences. We do, of course, have to keep the pastures fenced and the outer perimeter too, mostly to have something to hang 'posted' signs on.
"When we had a summer place I found some cheap rusted 6” X 6” X 5’ concrete reinforcing wire and made tomato cages about 3 feet in diameter. They are a pain to store unless you have some extra space going to waste but you save time not tying up the “maters ..."
I have a roll of that same wire, but have stopped using it around my tomatoes for a couple of reasons. The matter of storing the cages you have already touched on. With the number of tomato plants that I planted in recent years (had 60-70 last year) making cages is a full time job. Lastly, and most importantly, the cages provided great perches for the birds to sit around, socialize and pretty much destroy all of the fruit that had any color whatsoever.
Since I have gone to using a single 7 ft. piece of rebar per plant, the bird problem has become minor ... but I do spend a couple of hours a week tying up the vines with pieces of old pantyhose. Much easier to pull up and store over the winter as well.
Here in Eureka our Winter ground feeders are Juncos, White crowned, Song, Fox, other Sparrows and Morning Doves. At the hanging feeders we have Chestnut backed Chickadee, Nut Hatches and a occasional House Finches.
White Millet is a grass seed about the size of Poppy Seed or a little bigger.
Gardening Ping.
There is nothing like good tomatoes and green beans over the winter months. The fresh taste is a reminder of the summer months, and a real treat after putting in all of the work to can and freeze the products.
We are planning on planting a few acres each of butter beans and purple hull peas, as those are two of our favorite veggie staples. Lost of work shelling, blanching and freezing though.
Have you ever prepared the stuffed and fried squash blossoms?
I sure hope that you are feeling much better today! Sending good thoughts your way. ;-)
My first Wife has a question for you. She can no longer grow Flowering Sweet Peas here because the soil has some kind of virus (Mosaic) that attacks the plants. Are there any treatments short of a Nuclear device?
RD, thanks very much for posting the pics of the figs with the descriptions. After GG mentioned the different varieties, I was wondering what I had been picking around here. Now I know and now I am also really wishing it was summer again. The only thing I don’t look forward to is the itching from dealing with the figs. ;(
hey Gabz this is a great thread can you put me on a ping list if you have one thanks
PING — Be sure to check post 39
I was having coffee this morning (eyes still closed I think) and my husband comes in and says that the local freeway overpass is closed because of ice. I immediately said "Gabz must have sent it here". He looked confused and continued on his way. LOL.
I have been an avid gardener for years and would love to me added to your ping list.
I want I want I want...........now to figure out where to find........
I tried to plant a blueberry bush but alas it did not take.
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