Posted on 03/01/2013 12:32:22 PM PST by greeneyes
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!
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I have 5 green peppers about the size of ping pong balls and lemons just about the same in my indoor garden. Still picking some spinach and lettuce from the same. The basil is beginning to look like a miniature tree.
Hope you are all doing well. Have a great weekend. God Bless.
Here in Houston area
I have planted Cherokee Purple, Black Krim, Orange Oxheart, Brandywine, Sunny Boy, Boxcar Willie and a couple of hybrids...
Watering with collected rainwater and supplementing with compost tea.
Pinging the Garden List.
Pinging the Garden List.
Pinging the Garden List.
My tomato starts are still inside because the temps are still too cold at night. Maybe in a couple weeks if I can hold off that long.
I put out some squash last week but I think the cold finally got them last night. I just want to try to get a jump on the squash bugs. I’ve never gotten a zuke and only a few yellow squash in all these years. I should just give it up but don’t want to go down defeated by a little bug.
Did you plant out doors or are you starting seeds indoors?
Planted outdoors...in some beautiful earthworm laden soil...
No freezes here in coming weeks. If we do have cold, I can cover for a night or two...
Ever hear of putting aluminum foil under the runners of the squash as they grow? Supposedly, it deters the wasp...
I never tried this, though...
I don’t usually grow squash or zukes because of those bugs. However, the one year I did grow them. I used my homemade bug spray and was able to at least grow several very nice ones in 3 gallon pots.
The homemade spray used garlic, onion, cayenne pepper, a drop of dishwashing liquid and a drop of oil. The first time I made this spray, I was dubious, but I happened to see a water bug and squirted him.
He was belly up and dead within 30 seconds.
I started about 150 seedlings of same names as above, but then found some plants available so I bought the plants.
Will give my seedlings to friends after they grow a little more...
Novice questions time.
I have some small, raised gardens that did OK last year, mostly greens and herbs (mustard, arugula, spinach, and chicory). In the fall I planted cauliflower. It is growing very odd (at least for this noob’s knowledge). Instead of growing big cauliflower heads, the plants are growing very tall with small heads (quarter size). Is there a trick I am missing.
Also several years ago I planted asparagus shoots and they come in each year but they are very whispy, like dill, not like asparagus. I thought I had pulled them out but they come back thicker and thicker each year but they are all just thin, frizzy stems, not even pencil thickness.
We still have six inches of snow on the ground here in Massassachusetts. I’ll be starting my seeds in the kitchen at the end of this month. We can’t plant until Memorial Day.
Not a good week. I lost all but 2 of my first batch of tomatoes to damping off. My own stupid fault. I know better than to water them that much and from the top. Oh well, that's what batch 2 and 3 are for.
And then, this AM, I sat the bus tub full of 16 oz dixie cup planters with the peppers on the table to get them ready to carry outside and the fricking cat ate the last of my jalapeno seedlings. The New Mexico peppers are doing great. Stupid cat only eats the jalapeno pepper plants. Jalapenos 2.0 are just showing up today.
If you start from seed, plant extras because everything tries to kill them.
On a positive note, my bacillus Thrungiensis showed up in the mail, although the mail-man was less than thrilled when I said "The bacteria for my garden!" ;)
/johnny
Good. We won’t be there for a while yet. April 20 we still have a 20% chance of freezing. So I don’t usually sow or transplant until mid May.
However, since rainfall/moisture is still less than usual, I may go ahead and plant some things in April and then cover with row covers as needed.
I want to plant shorter DTM varieties this year, and try to have a bigger harvest before the July and August drought.
Cleaned out most of the fall garden plants this week and will try to till early next week. I left my garlic and onion beds intact for the most part. Some onions are almost ready to pull for eating.
It went down to 28°F last night, and it topped out at 84°F this afternoon, and it's dry.
All my seedlings are indoors, and I have a couple citrus that will need to be covered for the next couple days.
It may be a little off-topic, but we're going to order another batch of pullets to re-invigorate the chicken flock soon. I'm also planning on more ducks, and maybe geese too.
Oh that is hilarious! I bet he gave you a funny look. So sorry about your jalapeño seedlings-kitties can’t help themselves....they know a good thing when they see it :)
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LOL!
Here's my dilemma and I'm hoping that knowledgeable freepers can give me some good ideas without spending a lot of money.
I'm in SW Pennsylvania near Pittsburgh. There is a 12' x 18' area which gets neither good shade nor good drainage as it is bordered on the south by my walkout basement, on the north by a storage shed, on the east by a driveway (the only direction from where it will consistently get direct sunlight and on the west by a steep downslope an retaining wall.
If I had the money to roof it or put in a deck, I'd probably consider it. But it is out of the question.
I have taken out about 3.5 feet with mulch on the 18' side because it is under the eaves of the house and, of course, I want water to drain away. However, what remains, tends to accumulate water, particularly during and after heavy rains.
And, of course, its location means the potential for a lot of foot traffic, so hydrophyllic clover (which I tried), had limited success. When it isn't accumulating water, it is mostly growing moss which is nice and low maintenance over the grass which once grew there, but I'm not sure moss is the best solution either.
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