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Weekly Gardening Thread – 2010 (Vol. 20) June 18
Free Republic | 6-18-2010 | Red_Devil 232

Posted on 06/18/2010 4:59:42 AM PDT by 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. There are no stupid questions, just honest ones.


TOPICS: Agriculture; Food; Gardening; Hobbies
KEYWORDS: agriculture; garden; gardening; recipes; weekly
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To: tubebender; Diana in Wisconsin
Went to the garden store today to get a few annuals for my containers and to fill out my beds. My, my they were really picked over. I got such a hodge podge of plants that I don't know how my containers will look. I don't really care, however, because I'm concentrating on the veggies this year.

I nearly had heat stroke because I drove over in my church clothes, intending to stay for a bout 15 min. and then shoped for 1.5 hours. I was wearing a silk blouse (hot) and Pendleton blazer (summer weight wool). But the time I got to the counter I was dripping, even thought it was only about 72 degrees.

I drank some iced coffee from Mickey D's and came indoors. I'm going out now to plant some of my "finds".

I already had a lot of geraniums in reds and pinks and marigolds. I found dusty miller to provide "white" accents (everything white and traily that I normally use was gone, gone, gone). Got some sweet potato vine. Picked up a Rosemary plant. Got some ageratum in blue and in purple. Asters. Celosia. Cosmos. Calendula. Gazania. Something with red leaves that I've never used before. And 8 hardy chrysanthemums in lemon and bronze to fill some spaces in my front bed.

My crysthanthemums another year.

141 posted on 06/20/2010 3:38:34 PM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
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To: afraidfortherepublic

crysthanthemums = Chrysanthemums (I think)

BTW, I’m glad FR is back up. I was getting worried.


142 posted on 06/20/2010 3:40:39 PM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
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To: Red_Devil 232
How many ponds of Roma tomato's to a quart of sauce?

Bill

143 posted on 06/20/2010 3:50:07 PM PDT by Little Bill (Harry Browne is a poofter)
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To: afraidfortherepublic

I had a Pitman arm shaft break on my 2000 Ford Diesel. Got arrested in Rural VA for all kinds of evil, mainly for being a Yankee. At the time I was a RPE in Mass, Retired, but I was employed by an evil utility had the shaft analyzed and had the analysis sign and stamped off by a bud, Ford paid for the truck.


144 posted on 06/20/2010 4:08:05 PM PDT by Little Bill (Harry Browne is a poofter)
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To: Little Bill

I would say about 6-7 pounds. This could vary depending on the variety of your romas. Some have more pulp area.


145 posted on 06/20/2010 4:13:58 PM PDT by Red_Devil 232 (VietVet - USMC All Ready On The Right? All Ready On The Left? All Ready On The Firing Line!)
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To: Little Bill

Obviously YOU know how to speak “mechanic”. I’m sure that that skill has stood you well over the years.


146 posted on 06/20/2010 4:15:36 PM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
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To: Red_Devil 232; Diana in Wisconsin

Good to see you RD, Diana.

I’m trying to assess my success, or lack thereof, of my different efforts in the garden. My radishes are just about done, and they never got to any size to write home about. They were good, but puny. They got plenty of water, but heat was variable with 90 degree days followed by 47 degree days — all over the map.

Do you have any idea what it takes to grow radishes like those we see in the store? (Ping pong ball size vs. ball bearing size?)

I don’t think I’d bother with them again, unless I can figure this out. I’m having the same problem with my carrots. They are so puny it’s not worth trying to eat them.

True, I planted them close and then started thinning so that they could develop a good size. But, even after they were thinned they never got very big.

Is this just a hallmark of square foot gardening?

BTW, I have some beans, zucchini, and yellow squash that I planted more than 2 weeks ago — nary a sprout, even though other squash and other beans are sprouting all over the place. Should I wait longer? Or, just replant? Or, just skip it? (Getting late.)

Heading out to the garden, now that it is cooler. BBL.


147 posted on 06/20/2010 4:24:40 PM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
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To: afraidfortherepublic
Stuff breaks, some stuff more frequently than other stuff. In you case a tractor breaks, once you strip off the trim most tractors are pretty much the same. Then you look at frequency, the key, by model over time, if you find a cluster of similar problems within a small time frame, Scream.
148 posted on 06/20/2010 4:32:18 PM PDT by Little Bill (Harry Browne is a poofter)
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To: afraidfortherepublic
Stuff breaks, some stuff more frequently than other stuff. In you case a tractor breaks, once you strip off the trim most tractors are pretty much the same. Then you look at frequency, the key, by model over time, if you find a cluster of similar problems within a small time frame, Scream.
149 posted on 06/20/2010 4:33:20 PM PDT by Little Bill (Harry Browne is a poofter)
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To: Red_Devil 232

Sorry for the late reply, but we had a family reunion and I had to BBQ all day yesterday. Yes, I’ve used boric acid on many insects and none of them like it at all. I dust the baseboards to keep sugar / piss ants out and it works.


150 posted on 06/20/2010 5:41:23 PM PDT by Arrowhead1952 (Remember in November. Clean the house on Nov. 2. / Progressive is a PC word for liberal democrat.)
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To: afraidfortherepublic

The lady in the other room says Radishes grow best in cooler weather AND they are milder tasting. I took most of the day off to watch Nascar from Sears Point Ca and I also wore out 5 refresh buttons on FR! I did put Weed and Feed on the lawns and this application should get the Buttercup in check...


151 posted on 06/20/2010 6:20:30 PM PDT by tubebender (Life is short so drink the good wine first...)
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To: tubebender; afraidfortherepublic
Radishes do, as a rule, prefer cooler weather ... but we don't have that in Louisiana until January, and it only lasts through March. LOL

I tried something that has worked very well, not only for radishes but mustard greens and turnips too. I planted in an area near two very large trees ... gets good sun in the morning before it gets scorching hot, then an hour or two of shade before noon. Then sun for an hour or so around noon and then filtered sun for the next couple of hours. By the time that the sun is direct, it is late afternoon and the sun is pretty low and not scorching.

Additionally, I water lightly every day. The radishes are beautiful and just the size they should be -- they are crisp and mild. We had turnip greens with diced turnips last night and they were also mild.

Everybody and their brother told me that I couldn't grow radishes and greens at this time of year that would be worth a darn. I was tickled to be able to provide them with some that they enjoyed, and it has averaged 95 degrees a day for the last 3 weeks.

152 posted on 06/20/2010 7:27:54 PM PDT by JustaDumbBlonde (Don't wish doom on your enemies. Plan it.)
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To: JustaDumbBlonde

That makes sense in hot areas. I replanted radishes a couple of weeks ago and they are all tops so far and I’m trying to keep the top 4 or 5 inches of the soil damp. I gave up on Turnips due the root maggots burrowing in the pulp but I should try again using Remay row covers to keep the fly from laying it’s eggs.


153 posted on 06/20/2010 7:46:11 PM PDT by tubebender (Life is short so drink the good wine first...)
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To: Tatze

So, can anyone recommend good cucumber varieties for pickling? I hadn’t really planned to pickle this year when I planted the cucumbers. I used a burpless bush variety, and read that those don’t make good pickles. And there are several more cukes on the vines about ready to be picked. More pickles soon!

BTW, the pickles I made last weekend were really tasty, but not at all crispy. That might have something to do with the variety. I did use grape leaves which are supposed to help keep them crispy, but they were store bought and in a jar, so not fresh. That might make a difference too.


154 posted on 06/21/2010 5:59:33 AM PDT by Tatze (I reject your reality and substitute my own!)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin; tubebender
That is what we basically did. Stand the stalks up and push the dirt around the roots with our feet. Some of the stalks were snapped off by the wind. My beautiful stand of corn is looking pretty poorly now. I'm hoping to get some roasting ears from what is left.

I really don't want to pull it all up and start over.

155 posted on 06/21/2010 6:09:39 AM PDT by painter (No wonder democrats don't mind taxes.THEY DON'T PAY THEM !)
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To: Red_Devil 232; Diana in Wisconsin; alice_in_bubbaland; seekthetruth; tubebender; ...
FReeper Help needed for black thumb of death!

I moved my garden this year due to poor drainage, i.e. standing water in the previous area, and used good mulch (twice shredded hardwood) to keep down the weeds. The plants and seeds were all planted in good clean Miracle-Gro soil. We have had excessive rain here in Southwest Ohio but the new location has stayed reasonably dry and the mulch has kept the weeds down. After all this effort my plant's leaves are yellowing, falling off and their growth is brutally slow. What am I doing wrong?



156 posted on 06/21/2010 6:21:52 AM PDT by TSgt (We will always be prepared, so we may always be free. - Ronald Reagan)
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To: Red_Devil 232
It seems as though I have a lot of male blossoms, I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Yesterday I tried the same Epsom salt treatment that I use on my hot peppers. We'll see.

Every year I say no more squash, they take up too much room for the yield, in my 18 X 20 garden.

157 posted on 06/21/2010 6:56:15 AM PDT by alice_in_bubbaland (Professional Politicians are a Threat to the Republic! Remove them on 11-3-10!)
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To: who knows what evil?

What kind of brush/ tool do you use to “be the bee”?


158 posted on 06/21/2010 6:57:33 AM PDT by alice_in_bubbaland (Professional Politicians are a Threat to the Republic! Remove them on 11-3-10!)
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To: TSgt

I’m no expert, but that looks like too much water and/or not enough fertilizer. I use Miracle Gro too and I find that it needs lits of additional fertilizer (generally liquid Miracle Gro) as the weeks go by. In fact, I need to go apply some to my garden right now. It should perk up in a day, or so, if fertilizer is the problem.

Maybe you should run a soil test.


159 posted on 06/21/2010 7:01:03 AM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
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To: alice_in_bubbaland

I’ve used a fine tip paint brush or a Q-tip...


160 posted on 06/21/2010 7:01:50 AM PDT by who knows what evil? (G-d saved more animals than people on the ark...www.siameserescue.org.)
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