Weekly Gardening Thread – 2010 Vol. 16 May 21

Free Republic | 5-21-2010 | Red_Devil 232

[Red_Devil 232]

Good morning gardeners! If you are a gardener or you are just starting out and are in need of advice or just encouragement please feel free to join in and enjoy the friendly discussion. Our Freeper community is full of gardeners, each with varying interests and skill levels from Master Gardener to novice.

If you have a question about gardening or just an observation to share please feel free to stop by and participate. Paraphrasing Freeper fanfan -There are no stupid questions, just honest ones.

[RoseyT]

Here we are a week later and we’re still waiting for rain. We got a tiny shower a few days ago but it wasn’t even enough to settle the dust.

The good news is that our squash and zucchini are producing like crazy. I am hoping to have the energy to attempt a batch of squash pickles. We shall see.

The photos above are lovely!

Happy gardening!

[hoosiermama]

Planted merigolds around the bean....but I can’t remember why...Grandma always did...It was something about bugs.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

PEAS! We have 700 acres of them planted around us this season. Last year it was sweet corn, this year peas for the canning company.

Man, that's going to be a bounty! Wa-Hoo! They always share with us, as they have an easement through our property to get to the 'back forty.'

[Red_Devil 232]

Yep! I think things have finally warmed up and all the FReeper Gardeners now have hope! :)

[KosmicKitty]

I know for all the long time gardeners, this isn't much, but this is the first time I've really got veggies growing well.

Had our first salad of the year this week. I was so excited, I had my husband document it :-)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

And, of course...one more annoying post for Tubey, LOL! Home grown radish and sprout sandwiches!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

These are three (yes, just 3!) blooms from my Tree Peony. It blooms before the others, which are coming along nicely and will be ready at the end of the month. They're huge, and as 'papery' as a poppy bloom. The scent is heavenly!

[who knows what evil?]

...heading out for a full day in the garden right after an ‘old fart’ breakfast...

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Both Marigold and Basil smell bad to bugs, so they stay away. Supposedly, rabbits, too. *SHRUG* Marigolds do something good for the nematodes in the garden soil, too.

[pyx]

The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map shows the minimum outdoor growing temperatures indicates that I live is a Region 5a type environment.

1.) What are the best types of Heritage Tomato plants to grow.

Other questions you might consider addressing in this thread are below.

2.) If there is lots of room for an outdoor garden available, what would you recommend as a good layout for edible plants and herbs and what sizes by square footage for these types of gardens would be needed and how much edible food using examples could be in the expected to harvest ?

3.) If a limited amount of space is available or if someone lives in an apartment or condominium how will the direction a balcony or direction the windows face effect the types of edible plants grown ?

4.) What are examples of good edible plants which can grow in containers or even using UPSIDE-DOWN suspended container gardening along with how this can save room for a garden ?

5.) What types of edible plants and materials and mediums would you recommend for growing indoors and what sort of sunlight would be needed ?

6.) Please discuss the materials needed to preserve using jars and cans for vegetables and fruits grown or bought in bulk and how putting up preserves would save a lot of money ?

[Red_Devil 232]

Mmmmmmm Yummmmm!

[taxcutisapayraise]

I’ve never heard of a snake eating a golf ball! Very clever. Did you smear the ball with egg for scent bait?

Let me know ... I can’t wait to try it. :)

[who knows what evil?]

...putting out a huge container of basil today...wife needs to find some marigolds...

[Black Agnes]

Picked my first cucumber this week! From one of three Spacemaster plants I’d put in my raised bed about 6w ago. There are another 5 or 6 that will be ready to pick today or tomorrow. I’m going to have to start giving them away already! They’re trying to take over. Hubby will have to work on a trellis solution for me this weekend.

This bed is one he filled with composted manure dirt and just plain old compost. Everything I’ve planted in it for the past 9m has gone absolutely insane. I’ve got a couple cabbages going to seed in it. We’re going to have ‘experimental’ cabbages this fall in our big garden. Once the cabbages are done with that I’m going to put some bush beans where they are now.

I’ve got another raised bed with the same dirt that my snowpeas have been in. They’ve finally given up the ghost and will get pulled this weekend. I’ve said that for the past 3 weeks and they seem to pull it together and I pick a gallon or two more but I think they mean it this time. I’m still debating what to put there. Anyone have any ideas? I had thought some Minnesota midget melons or some Galia melons maybe. It’s way too hot for lettuce down here now.

Our corn is about 3.5ft tall now. Looking much better since we’ve had a little rain and I mulched it to get rid of grass.

Monday morning and evening we’ll put out the rest of the hot peppers, the okra and plant some peanuts. Hopefully get a chance to set out the rest of my cucumbers and small melons that I started in peat pots last week. Hubby is going to put up about 50ft more field fencing for them all to run on. I’m going to set out my ‘giant’ winter squashes Monday/Tuesday as well. They’re all just starting to peek above the top of their peat pots as well.

Still picking a zucchini or two every day.

No tomatoes yet, that’s my fault. I let the seedlings get too cool a couple times and they ‘sulled’. Some of them are starting to perk up though so maybe in a couple weeks we’ll start to have some tomato action.

Peppers suffering same as tomatoes. I’m going to algoflash them all this weekend.

Hubby set out 6 hazlenut shrub/trees this week. Hopefully Rocket Squirrel won’t get all of them.

And we got in the rest of our online nursery orders. 6 Apache blackberry plants and 3 Liberty Apple trees. EVerything down here (apple and pear) has to be fireblight resistant. Our selections have been thusly limited. I’d rather have apples w/o spraying continually. Both for the expense and if TSHTF spray might become difficult to get.

Off to fix more coffee.

[Black Agnes]

Cilantro! I knew I was forgetting something! Thanks for reminding me. I’ve got a packet of Cosmos somewhere too.

[texanyankee]

Despite getting about 0.7" of rain earlier this week, we NEED more!

Right now I got the soaker hose going. We're already harvesting lots of yellow squash, some zucchini and green beans.

Can't wait for those okra plants to get as tall as our son.

[Silentgypsy]

Thanks! Especially appreciated tip re: imported canned foods w/lead-soldered seams.

[doodad]

Morning,

Everything summerwise is in the garden and going to town. Now the hard part...waiting and watching.

I did notice that nobody’s tomatillos are putting on fruit. The “balloons” fall off. Is this a lack of pollinization, just not hot enough yet or something else? Anybody know?

[Silentgypsy]

Have you tried calling your county extension?
Sometimes a web search will find books on your particular state—I found a fruit and vegetable gardening guide for Tennessee by Reeves and Rushing that’s pretty helpful.

[nina0113]

I recognize that solar light - I bought the bronze ones!