Weekly Gardening Thread – 2010 (Vol. 41) November 12

Free Republic | 11-12-2010 | Red_Devil 232

[Red_Devil 232]

Good morning gardeners. Hope all of you and your winter gardens are doing well. Nothing but perfect Autumn weather here in Mississippi. We may be getting some needed rain the first part of this coming week.

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.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Awe, Geeze! I’m having Army Flashbacks looking at that mess kit! Aarrgghhh!

[LomanBill]

>>That's where little squashes come from... :-)

heh ;-}

I had in mind the incorrect conception that it'd work the same as my indoorsie tomatoes - where the flowers are self-fertilizing. On those, I use an old Sonicare electric toothbrush to buzz the flowers -- moving the pollen between stamen and pistil in the same flower for fertilization.

Obviously doesn't work the same with the squashes.

Outdoors this year, nature took care of squash pollination splendidly. I'll be eating variations of squash soup all winter as a result.

Speaking of outdoor pollination - I observed an apparent increase in the local bee population this year. Large vigorous and hearty fellows who were still quite active up until just a couple of weeks ago - when the frost finally did away with the last of the flowering here at 7000 ft on the Colorado high plains.

[who knows what evil?]

I believe that if I hold my breath until I turn blue that it won’t snow...so far, so good...and the 10-day forecast seems to be holding in my favor.

[LomanBill]

>>Such are the ravages of time and toil.

Obviously it hasn’t negatively affected your inner beauty ;-).

Thanks for sharing it here.

[Arrowhead1952]

I didn't get on the net yesterday, so here is my report. Squash and lettuce are doing great and picking as we need them. I will be pulling some radishes later today.

Turnips are starting to look eating size soon. Cauliflower, cabbage and broccoli are starting to twist the top leaves for heads.

[greeneyes]

How nice. Thank you.

[txhurl]

Well. Just when I achieve garden Nirvana in my new place (hauled in tons of dirt, wood, rr ties etc) got it built, planted for the winter including expensive bulbs (broccoli, brussels sprouts, peas, spinach already 2' high, everything going gangbusters), the property owner decides to move me in to the 1920's limestone cabin also on the property.

It was a ranchhand's cabin when this was a cattle ranch along the Colorado river. Killer fireplace, we're adding a bath and kitchen, it is truly going to be awesome, all slate flooring and antique wood. Also has a 10' palm outside the new bathroom door which will be a private deck.

Crying shame: whoever takes over the cabin I'm moving out of inherits all the gardening I built and grew, and there ain't a whole lot of room at the new cottage. SO.....

Vertical gardening is my future, for the vegetables, anyway. I can see it working, and really a solid hydroponic project could be tested. The verticals will serve as visual and sound barriers, as now I'm closer than I'd like to be to the 'big house'.

Anybody have any advice for going vertical?

[tubebender]

Well one thing for sure, it’s easier to breath than going underground?

[Diana in Wisconsin]

“Anybody have any advice for going vertical?”

Espaliered fruit trees.

Lots of strong, south-facing trellises.

Rain gutters mounted to a wall. (Lord knows that ANY seedling from any tree or weed seems to LOVE to grow in mine!)

Topsy-turvey planters for tomatoes, peppers and herbs.

(Invest in a lot of rebar or look for ‘hog wire’ for really strong trellises.)

This was a neat idea - using hanging shoe organizers!

http://green.thefuntimesguide.com/2010/03/diy_vertical_gardens.php

[txhurl]

Running water seems to really get plants going. The new ones I put in the fountain really perk up.

[txhurl]

Yes! I’ve always wanted to espalier. Pears, plums, peaches, grapes. I like the classic candelabra pinning.

I have a lot of hogwire.

This going to be fun. I was dismayed at first, but thinking about espaliered fencing - not nailed to a wall - is encouraging.

[txhurl]

You can intersperse fast-growing grapes and flowering vines while the peaches, pears, plums mature.

The espalier in the middle is an orange tree.

[tubebender]

This Toad Stool is growing across the street from our driveway. This one is about 4" across the cap...

It is a Amanita Muscaria and will make you very sick and kill you in a rare case...

[cherry]

cold and almost snowy here in Eastern Washington.....planted crocus and garlic, still cleaning up the garden, gathering bags and bags of leaves from town for compost, and hopeing and praying my 3 amarylis come along....one is new and I hope it peaks around Christmas...the other two are greening up but I don’t know if I’ll get any flowers....

[tubebender]

Thanks DiW. Do you have a name for this one....

[Diana in Wisconsin]

My best guess would be ‘Carnival’ followed by ‘Clown.’ Can’t have one without the other, LOL! :)

[tubebender]

Thanks much! Another question... Should I score the roots of mine when I repot it?

[Diana in Wisconsin]

If it’s totally pot-bound and the roots are wrapped around the bulb again and again, then a little scoring won’t hurt. Just cut a layer or two off with a scissors, depending upon how bad it is.

If the roots are still just growing down and to the sides, but not AROUND the bulb, then I wouldn’t trim them at all. :)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Oops! But DON’T repot it if it’s blooming right now!! Wait until it’s done blooming!

[tubebender]

I have a feeling you already answered me on this?