Posted on 05/22/2009 4:17:16 AM PDT by Red_Devil 232
This is the second edition of the 2009 Weekly Gardening Thread. If you are a gardener or an aspiring gardener please stop in from time to time during the next week and share your experiences. Last weeks thread was a great success. Thanks to all who participated!
I've been at this gardening bit for a long long long time ... since mobydick was a guppy .. and I have never found a plant that thrives despite how much I may neglect it. And then it mocks me as an all knowing gardener and rewards me with unbridled beauty and I didn't even have to raise a finger to bring it about.
The one difficulty ... is obvious in this thread. Everyone has hundreds of divisions to find a place for. I am a plantaholic and have a hard time discarding any plant. With daylilies, I just force myself to do it.
I've got several hundred divisions as well .... its daylilly funeral time in a few days if I cannot find a local taker.
Oh I meant seeds after the season is done. I have Arkansa Travlers, Marion, Early Girl, Roma and Better Boy growing well so far. The romas already have small tomatoes.
You can still get it here.
Ants and peonies go together like romance and accordions (ok .. so I am a sick puppy .. sue me)
Lucky you!
The main rule with peonys is that you shouldn’t plant them too close to the house unless you plan on killing the ants.
I picked up 2 interesting yellow tomato plants in WalMart. Both are supposed to be heirlooms. The one really has me intrigued, it’s called Mr. Stripey.
I am interested because the little, and I mean little, town of Marion is just about 1.5 miles up the road from my house.
I have a lot of friends too.
Well that's a good thing!!!
I am so behind getting things in this year, it's not even funny.
It may bery well be true. I recently read a book (copywright 1962) entitled “Garden to Order” about the Burpee seed company and the Burpee men. It was really fascinating, but there’s all kinds of neat anecdotes about how different plants have gotten their names.
I need sure fire (non-lethal) ways to scare deer away from my garden. They wiped it out this week under cover of darkness with my dogs sleeping not 100 feet away. I’m so mad I could spit. I’m about ready to shoot them, but I won’t. Normal remedies don’t seem to work and fencing isn’t an option. ARRRGH!
During the growing season I turn my layers loose in the garden and they take care of any bugs that attack my plants, and keep down the weeds as well. They REALLY like Japanese beetles.
This isn't "organic" farming. This is "natural" farming.
I hear you about fencing not being an option, but how about tomato stakes, then string wire or twine between them. Tie foil pans or CD or anything else that moves in the wind and is kind of shiny along the wire/twines.
Both human and dog hair either stuffed into old panty hose or just scattered round the perimeter is also good. Deodorant soap in pantyhose is another idea.
Twinkling Christmas lights .......
Weekly Gardening Thread - 2009 Launch - May 15
I am sure you will get some advice on this weeks thread also.
Way Cool. My husband had been making noises about chickens, but I haven’t heard anything on the subject in a while. I’ll show him that chicken tractor link and maybe he’ll start thinking about it again!
Our tomatoes are going in tomorrow. The plan is to get the bulk of our garden in by tomorrow. We planted potatoes, peas, cucumbers, & kohlrabi after work this week. The ground has been too wet with frequent rains to do much before now. And we had a freeze warning on Monday night. At least we’ve got terrific weather today and tomorrow.
I grow potatoes in 5 Gallon buckets, but I confess, I do so more for the foliage. Potatoes spilling out of a bucket is a marvelous backdrop for my perennial beds. different textures make the Achille, coreopsis, roses, salvia and joe pyweed “pop out” And then of course in Sept, I dump the buckets and have no dig potatoes. The potatoes are started in 3” of soil in the bucket, as the plant grows every 3” I cover it up with compost until the bucket can't hold any more. I've got pot. plants that are a good 18” out of the buckets now.
I'm a lazy fat boy .. I don't dig potatoes, but oh my ... the taste of fresh new potatoes. Incredible.
I hope global warming takes hold ... I'm tired of covering plants this late in the season. May 11th is our frost free date.
Good luck with your gardening this weekend.
Those 5 gallon buckets for potatoes sounds good. They would be perfect for me. Can I use any type of potato or do I need to use a seed potato? I sure do like new red potatoes!
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