Weekly Gardening Thread – 2011 (Vol. 13) April 15

Free Republic | 4-15-2011 | Red_Devil 232

[Red_Devil 232]

Good morning gardeners. Today is NOT tax day! Y’all who file last minute can put it off until Monday the 18th. Why? In 2011, Washington, D.C., will celebrate Emancipation Day on April 15, a day earlier than normal, since April 16 falls on a Saturday. Emancipation Day marks the anniversary of the day that President Lincoln signed the Compensated Emancipation Act. The Act, which was "for the release of certain persons held to service or labor in the District of Columbia," freed 3,100 slaves in the District, making DC residents the "first freed" by the federal government.

Ok back to gardening. Looks like I will be getting rain today. There is a line of strong thunderstorms to the northwest and west of me. I had planed to rent a tiller today and till the garden plot. I will have to wait until the soil dries out now. Drats, another delay in planting! Some of my tomato and squash plants are begging me to get them in the soil. Received some nice seeds in the mail yesterday from Freeper Black Agnes. Thanks again. I should have the opportunity to get them into some soil and flats today!

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.

[tubebender]

I haven’t heard a Mocking Bird or Butcher Bird since I moved to Eureka 56 years ago. We have a pair of Ravins that eat the seed we scatter for the Quail and my wife calls them Gertrude and Heathcliff after Red Skelton’s skit. (his were seaguls)

[tubebender]

I discovered on Sunday that the peat pots growing my tomato seeds are growing mold on the outside.

I had that happen to my peat pots also but nothing bad came of it and I wonder if it might be some good mushroom like Mycelium

[CJ Wolf]

Red Devil,

Thanks for posting this gardening thread!

I have finally secured my plot of ground and can begin the garden. So happy. So delayed!

Any how this weekend I spent some of it digging out the old pond. Bought some ducks and chickens (kids are loving the little things) trying to decide where to place the garden and how to get things done quickly as I lost a month in settlement negotiations on my new place.

[Bean Counter]

I've had an extraordinary productive few days here and have managed to get the rest of the raised bed dug in and prepared for planting if they weather ever holds. It was 30 degrees here this morning and 55 by afternoon. All of the garden stores have tomato plants out for sale but anyone who buys them now is flippin' nuts.

Anyway, I plan on finishing construction of the last 8 feet of retaining wall and pave out the alley this week, weather permitting. It is supposed to be dry until Sunday, and if it is I should have no problem making good progress. A few pics...



That's the latest section, dug out and ready for refilling. I have two tubs and a wheelbarrow filled with soil ready for sifting in that frame. I already put a layer of straw in the bottom of the hole and bury it with sifted dirt mixed with augmented compost. You would not believe the amount of stones that comes out of just one section like this...



The same bed is in the foreground after filling/grooming, and installation of the drip irrigation pipe. That is 1/2" brown funny pipe and is completely compatible with 1/4" drip emitters. It is designed to be buried and I will have it mulched over after I put in my plants. There are couplings on the front manifold so I can remove it next spring to condition the bed.

You can see how sunny it got this afternoon. I had my sweatshirt off and was working in a tee shirt while I was over by the garden, but anywhere away from it and it was chilly.

I plan on letting the new bed lay fallow for a week or so and then turn it as needed when I plant it out. I augmented the compost bin with a bunch of coconut coir, which helped to break it up very nicely, but for the second half of the garden I decided to add some bonemeal, bloodmeal, a bit of lime and plenty of wood ashes. It blended together very nicely and made for a fairly dry mix, which was easy to combine with the sifted topsoil in the beds. I watered everything well, and it will be at least another week (or more) before I can plant it.

I've made a lot of progress and it is back into construction mode tomorrow. I need to lay about 18 more wallstones and the better part of a pallet of pavers....pictures to follow, of course....

Cheers everyone!

[Red_Devil 232]

Excellent Mr. Counter, you are very industrious indeed! I wish I had half your drive.

[joesjane]

I just planted 4 pink jasmine next to our new fence on the perimeter of our new back patio. I love the smell when it blooms. Just one question, at the nursery they had it out in direct sun and it was covered in blooms. What type of sun exposure do you have?

[joesjane]

Wow! Did you make the newspaper pots? Your plants look amazing!

[screaminsunshine]

6 hrs a day.

[JustaDumbBlonde]

Yes, I made the newspaper pots. I’ve got to make some more today for a second planting of tomatoes, peppers and okra.

[Tatze]

Can anyone identify this plant? It's not a plant we learned in MG class, and I can't find anything like it in the various seed and bulb catalogs.

Click for larger image:

Thanks!

[HopeandGlory]

Hello Tatze . . . I think it’s a Bottle Brush.

[RadiationRomeo]

To get rid of cats you might try dog hair placed here and there within the garden. It works to keep out coons when my corn is maturing. I just pull out small handfulls from the vacuum bag and stick it around the garden. Works 100% for raccons. Never had a cat problem so don’t know if this would work.

[RadiationRomeo]

It keeps raining and raining here in Ohio also. I wonder if most gardeners here are having trouble getting their gardens started. Luckily I have a large number of raised beds that drain nicely so I have no trouble getting things in.
I highly recommend raised beds. The spinach I planted last fall is getting picked. The garlic is very tall already and the spring planted greens are up but quite small. I just found out you can overwinter turnips here also, a neighbor has been picking turnip greens for a month already.

Another big storm tonight.

[Tatze]

An apt description, but also the common name as well. Had to look up the botanical name, Callistemon.

Thanks!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

At first I thought “Chenille Plant’ but the leaf doesn’t seem right to me.

Is it a perennial or a shrub? What Zone is this growing in?

[Tatze]

My sister took the picture in Charleston, SC. Look a couple of posts up. It appears to be a Callistemon, a Bottlebrush. Makes sense, and the pictures on a plant ID site look like a match!

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Would you believe me if I said THAT was my next choice? :)

[Bean Counter]

I wish I still had half the drive I had 10 years ago...I’ve been working on this project off and on all winter and I am really looking forward to calling this one complete.

That said, tomorrow is supposed to be a beautiful day, and since I spent my time today getting material staged, I should be able to finish the retaining wall and a good sized chunk of the pavers tomorrow. I have to remove the fence boards to pave underneath them, but that will be for the day after tomorrow....

This Missus is off first thing in the morning, flying to Texas to visit with our Daughter for their birthdays, so my time is my own until Sunday afternoon when I pick her up at the airport. I won’t kill my self, but I will be productive....

[joesjane]

I love the idea and watched a couple of videos on Youtube. I am growing a raised bed garden for the second year. Last year I had blooms on my tomatoes but no fruit. I have heard I might need to help pollinate them. Do you do this or just let nature take its course?

[JustaDumbBlonde]

I have no other choice but to let nature take its course ... no time for pollinating.

Are you sure that your blooms held and didn't fall off before pollination and setting fruit?

You could have had a nutrient deficiency ... have you had a soil test done? That is really the first and most important step in gardening. It made such a difference in my growing experiences.

There are also insects that will take the bloom right off, leaving the tiny stem.

Have you looked up the variety of tomatoes you had and learned whether or not they need a little help with pollination?

A bunch of questions, I know, but I'd like to see you grow a bunch of beautiful tomatoes this year! :)