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Weekly Gardening Thread (Useful links) Vol. 11, March 16, 2012
Friday, March 16, 2012 | JustaDumbBlonde

Posted on 03/16/2012 7:55:02 AM PDT by JustaDumbBlonde

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Good morning FRiends and gardeners! During the rain this past week, I've had a chance to do some reading and found some articles that may be of interest to you. So this week I am sharing links, and I hope you enjoy them and find some useful information. I also hope that you'll check in and let us know how your garden/garden planning is coming along.

In Kitchen Garden Creation, you'll learn about growing culinary and visual delights in the same place.

The following links are for those interested in improving the structure of their soil. If you have rocks or clay, or otherwise good soil that has been compacted, you will find excellent information on planting cover crops and the benefits of no-till planting.

Improve Your Soil With Cover Crops

Cover crops: blanket your idle vegetable plot this winter with a soil-building cover crop

Plant Cover Crops is an entire website dedicated to improving your soil through cover cropping and drawing earthworms. Second column from the right is an extensive list of categories covered. This is a must bookmark for any gardener.

Grow Spectacular Spuds is a great guide to growing taters. Seems that lots of folks on our garden list are interested in growing potatoes.

Plant Pollination: A Bounty to Buzz About explains the art of attracting nature’s best pollinators to your garden.

And, speaking of pollinators, I found some of my girls working over the holly hedge that runs along my front sidewalk, but oddly enough they won't touch the wisteria, that is loaded with an assortment of large bees, including carpenters and bumblebees:

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The Weekly Gardening Thread is a weekly gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you.

This thread is non-political, although you will find that most here are conservative folks. No matter what, you won’t be flamed and the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked.

It is impossible to hijack the Weekly Gardening Thread ... there is no telling where it will go and that is part of the fun and interest. Jump in and join us!


TOPICS: Agriculture; Food; Gardening; Hobbies
KEYWORDS: garden; gardening
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To: txhurl; rightly_dividing

We know there are wineries with excellent wines. Our daughter made a day trip of tasting rooms with her friends and they had a blast. Maybe even a trip to the military museum at Camp Mabry.


81 posted on 03/16/2012 3:41:17 PM PDT by Arrowhead1952 (Dear God, thanks for the rain, but please let it rain more in Texas. Amen.)
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To: JustaDumbBlonde
Here is that article on composting that I read last night. Nothing too unusual except I have never heard of using Soy Bean Meal for a nitrogen element...

Lee Reich

82 posted on 03/16/2012 3:51:45 PM PDT by tubebender (I always wanted to be somebody, but now I realize I should have been more specific.)
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To: MissMagnolia
planted mesclun last year

I did so as well. Every few days, gave them a hair cut and put them in the salad spinner. Good eats! I couldn't find the seeds I liked from last year so sowed the few left over and bought another brand so don't know if I'll like the mix. I did plant some bibb though.

Beans, carrots, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, mesclun, various greens are sprouting. Tomatoes and peppers have been transplated from last years' seeds. Need to get squash and peas in the ground tomorrow and that should be everything. Well, need to start some herbs.

83 posted on 03/16/2012 3:53:44 PM PDT by bgill (Romney & Obama are both ineligible. A non-NBC GOP prez shuts down all ?s on Obama's admin)
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To: bgill

We’ve had temps in the mid 80’s here this week .... not normal by any means. I know if I get too ambitious, we’ll get a freeze .... worried about all the fruit orchards in the state, too. I need to go ahead and ‘take the plunge’ I guess ... the one good thing is that any ‘cold snap’ won’t last but so long so I could probably cover things and be ok.

My salad spinner was in storage last summer and I really missed it! I dug it out of a box about two weeks ago and boy, was I a happy camper ... never thought I’d be so thrilled to be reunited with a salad spinner. It surely makes washing & ‘drying’ salad a breeze.


84 posted on 03/16/2012 4:09:43 PM PDT by MissMagnolia (Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren't. (M.Thatcher))
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To: Arrowhead1952
We were not allowed to treat pests.

Say, what?!? How's that? I had some sort of ants a couple weeks ago. A dusting of Sevin and they were gone. Have some sort of sugar ants in the kitchen but can't figure out where they're coming in at.

85 posted on 03/16/2012 4:11:24 PM PDT by bgill (Romney & Obama are both ineligible. A non-NBC GOP prez shuts down all ?s on Obama's admin)
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To: txhurl

Aren’t those just regular red ants? Are they on the big side?


86 posted on 03/16/2012 4:13:32 PM PDT by bgill (Romney & Obama are both ineligible. A non-NBC GOP prez shuts down all ?s on Obama's admin)
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To: JustaDumbBlonde

Thanks for the new desktop backgrounds! They’re great!


87 posted on 03/16/2012 4:48:06 PM PDT by Sarajevo (Money cannot buy happiness, but it's more comfortable to cry in a Mercedes than on a bicycle.)
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To: rightly_dividing

I had tagged and and titled my truck in Texas a few years ago when we moved to San Antonio and paid those fees then. When we moved back to Mississippi I never bothered to register the truck in Mississippi. I just drove it around with expired Texas plates and inspection sticker for years. Like a true Red Neck! Never was stopped.LOL I just had to renew those old plates and get a current inspection sticker this time. There were no questions here in Texas why the tags and inspection had expired in 08! They just wanted my money.


88 posted on 03/16/2012 5:19:17 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: Sarajevo

Very good ... thank you!!!


89 posted on 03/16/2012 5:34:30 PM PDT by JustaDumbBlonde (Don't wish doom on your enemies ... plan it.)
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To: JustaDumbBlonde

Howdy, howdy! It’s been one of those days here, today and so I’m not going to even try to catch up today and will look forward to relishing everything over the weekend.

My allergies have attacked like all get out with one ear having been plugged for the past few weeks and getting up this morning with the other one whacked.

Started the week with no heat, hot water, and by Tuesday no internet or phone. ACK - thank goodness those things were dealt with (heat and hot water cost a bundle - but internet and phone just needed to wait out solar flares.) Today I realized the refrigerator needs to be replaced - thankfully there is a great place nearby that still takes layaway. Will have that puppy replaced in 3 weeks (or less)

Friend lost all the seedlings in his greenhouse last night. he closed it all up in advance of the storm but apparently didn’t realize he also closed in there some kind of a critter that ate everything - including 150 tomato plants. I so feel for him.


90 posted on 03/16/2012 6:03:43 PM PDT by Gabz (Democrats for Voldemort.)
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To: Gabz

Have you tried Benadryl for your allergy and hearing problem?


91 posted on 03/16/2012 6:26:29 PM PDT by tubebender (I always wanted to be somebody, but now I realize I should have been more specific.)
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To: JustaDumbBlonde

If you don’t mind, I’ll take a couple. I need somthing in the SW corner of the yard and the NE next to the 4th green.
The fence along the 4th green is being planted with every other plant a rosemary and lavender plant. The ground is kind of softfrom the rain so it’s pretty easy to plant, right now. I’m also going to lazana layer around the garden shed for some bulbs and seeds. The porch will have rosemary along it’s sides and climbing roses on each side of the porch. I have 2 really old pitch forks that I found at the ranch and they are going to hold a flower pot or pots on the garden porch. I’ll drill holes and fill them with wood filler and while the wood filler is still wet, stuff the metal portion of the “handle” into the hole. I’ll tape the pitchforks and wrap the tape around the porch post until the wood filler is dry.


92 posted on 03/16/2012 7:13:12 PM PDT by tillacum
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To: txhurl

The inside leaves and belgium endive leaves and celery filled with tuna and chicken salads are some of our favorite finger foods. Peanut butter mixed with a bit of mayo are also good as suffers.


93 posted on 03/16/2012 7:20:22 PM PDT by tillacum
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To: bgill

That was at work. You had to be a licensed pesticide applicator to even put Sevin dust out there.


94 posted on 03/17/2012 5:28:10 AM PDT by Arrowhead1952 (Dear God, thanks for the rain, but please let it rain more in Texas. Amen.)
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To: JustaDumbBlonde; All
Thanks for the links. I have been really busy with spring cleaning, thanks to the early record-breaking warm weather here in Missouri, but I also managed to get a few tomato seeds started.

So far I have Arkansas traveler, mortgage lifter, Kimberly, and some hybrids. I have ordered some packets of heirloom seeds from wintersown. You get 10 packets for a $5.00 donation and SASE. That order includes some Cherokee Purple.

Still chowing down on the lettuce from the winter garden, but the spinach is all gone will need to replant.

Have a great weekend. God Bless.

95 posted on 03/17/2012 7:08:36 AM PDT by greeneyes (Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
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To: Arrowhead1952
You had to be a licensed pesticide applicator to even put Sevin dust out there

Licensed this and licensed that. It's all about the $$$$.

96 posted on 03/17/2012 12:43:15 PM PDT by bgill (Romney & Obama are both ineligible. A non-NBC GOP prez shuts down all ?s on Obama's admin)
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To: afraidfortherepublic; All

That’s the fear, eh?
We get a big blast of cold, and everything dies.

I hope your knees feel better soon.

Z4A


97 posted on 03/17/2012 2:55:07 PM PDT by fanfan (This is not my Father's Ontario. http://www.ontariolandowners.ca/)
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To: fanfan
My Our garden is too wet to plow and too thick to swim but a couple more days like today and we'll have to irrigate ...
98 posted on 03/17/2012 3:23:43 PM PDT by tubebender (I always wanted to be somebody, but now I realize I should have been more specific.)
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To: fanfan

I ran into a neighbor who owns a garden center at dinner last night and I ask him (joking), “Can we plant yet?” He looked shocked for a minute and advised me to wait a while.

But it is a question that I’m sure he was asked many times yesterday because the weather was glorious.


99 posted on 03/17/2012 3:27:29 PM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
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To: vox_freedom

Do you ever hang out on these garden threads Vex???


100 posted on 03/17/2012 10:45:47 PM PDT by tubebender (I always wanted to be somebody, but now I realize I should have been more specific.)
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