WEEKLY GARDEN THREAD VOLUME 9 MARCH 1, 2013

Free Republic | March 1, 2013 | greeneyes

[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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[ApplegateRanch]

We have a 50 gallon one; it’s full of coal, right now. Left over from the ton we bought 2 winters ago; didn’t need it last winter or this one, either.

[ApplegateRanch]

I’ve been looking at them, but I saw that the “review” sites that checked the results of several of the most popular against both each other & against the results from samples sent to labs gave them pretty bad ratings for accuracy, and even repeatablity.

I’m going to continue researching options.

[greeneyes]

You know that jogs my memeory. I saw a book listed that could help you diagnose soil issues based upon the kind of weeds that grow there, and various crop symptoms.

I can’t remember where I saw it, and I didn’t bookmark it. Maybe as you are researching, you will come across it.

[MissMagnolia]

Watching a good cutting horse work is a true pleasure - they are really smart & cow ‘savvy’. Being on one when you’re not a cutting horse rider ... well, you did a great job to stay on!

My first pony (Twinkle ... loved that name) had been trained as a barrel racer. She was dead quiet & mannerly (never kicked or bit, trailer loaded like a dream) until somebody got on her and then you had better know what you were doing because she was ready to go! I used to take her to our church picnics for the little kids to ride. She was gentle and great with little kids (smaller the better) as long as you were leading her. I always left her bridle at home & just had a halter on her and a small, child-sized western saddle so they had something to hold on to.

Anyway, we had this obnoxious guy in the congregation (he’s always done everything bigger & better than everyone else) and he came up to me at one picnic and proceeded to tell me about his childhood pony “Billy” and all the adventures they had (he was quite the ‘cowboy’, it seems). Then, to my utter shock and surprise, he grabbed the lead rope out of my hand, leaped into the saddle ... and before I could react, Twinkle was off! Of course, he had NO control - I think he had expected her to just stand there.

She galloped around the house and disappeared briefly, then reappeared on the other side, still at a dead gallop as she came weaving back through the people on blankets and in lawn chairs in top barrel running form, and ended up at the line of food tables, grabbing food as she worked her way down the potluck dishes, etc. The ladies behind the table were screaming and Mr. Cowboy looked like an idiot hanging on - he had both arms wrapped around her neck by that point. Twink’s previous owner fed her vanilla wafers, potato chips, hard candy, and a piece of toast on occasion (a practice I stopped when I got her) so when she saw the food, she was getting herself some and she really didn’t much care what it was!

I finally managed to snag her lead rope and got the situation under control. Mr. Cowboy staggered off (I’d swear his complexion was a light shade of grayish-green) while the rest of us got a good laugh. Twinkle was none the worse for wear and was back to her quiet, gentle self as soon as he was out of the saddle. I did have to clean her up - wiped a good bit of potato salad off of her lips and she also managed to get quite a few potato chips (of course!) and destroyed a pan of brownies, too. :-)

[ApplegateRanch]

I think it was Diana that posted this link a couple or so years ago.

http://customers.hbci.com/~wenonah/min-def/list.htm

114 Color Pictures of Mineral Deficiencies in Plants from The Diagnosis of Mineral Deficiencies in Plants by Visual Symptoms

[rightly_dividing]

The cold night didn’t get them the last few nights? We are going to wait a few more days till warm nights return. We have 31* forecast for tonight, then warming after that.

How well does Brandywine do in the Houston heat?

We are in Conroe.

[Former MSM Viewer]

I only had a couple Brandywines last year. They made pretty good. Tasty. So are the Cherokees...

First year for Black Krim, but what I read sounds very promising.

Hasnt gotten below about 37 in past few nights. The plants are looking good so far.

[CynicalBear]

I found that a double row of marigolds in front of the asparagus does double duty. The thick greenery of the asparagus is a nice backdrop for the colors of the marigolds plus the marigolds repel many kinds of bugs. Even in a front yard you can have a patch of asparagus in a corner lets say with a thick mat of marigolds planted in front of them is actually rather nice looking.

[Lera]

I did not know that rubbermaid made livestock tanks!

They are awesome as they don't rust .

http://www.rubbermaidforless.com/agriculture-stock-tanks-category-15_18.html

All the feed stores around me carry them and most of the cattle farmers around me use them now .
I've gotten a few that were damaged in shipping for around $20 as the feed stores could not sell them and have been given another huge one .

They make great raised beds for me during the winter . I cut the bottoms out with a sawsall and add a wire bottom to them to keep the moles out . I only fill them about half way then make a top for them that I can cover with plastic when it gets cold . My greens , carrots and even a cherry tomato(had to lie it down ) survived frost a couple of times this winter growing in them .

[rightly_dividing]

My fav weather site had 28* last night for us, but I only had 33* at my house. I had 28* one night, Thur. I think.

I had tried Brandywine in the past with no results, in my hometown, then learned that it is not very heat tolerant, so I have not planted them again. I had good luck with Big Boy and Better Boy, but they were not as tasty as I would like to have, but far better than grocery store tomatos.

I think that I will get Brandywine and Cherokee Purple on your recommendation, if I can find them.

Have you been to Maas Garden center, in the area of the Space Center? We are wanting to go there and look around, maybe get our veggie plants. It sounds like a good place to get plants that grow well locally.

http://www.maasnursery.com/index.html

[Former MSM Viewer]

Here are 3 good sites for info. I have never ordered from these people but they do have good info...good descriptions of many heirlooms.

http://www.reimerseeds.com/tomato_711.aspx

http://tomatofest.com/heirloom_tomato_seed_home.html

http://www.heirloomtomatoplants.com/

Black Krim sounds like a good one. I found some plants at HEB in Austin so am trying them for the 1st time...

[tob2]

Just discovered pansies blooming under their protective coverings. And one clump of violets booming and filled with lots of buds! Of course, had to pick some.

[rightly_dividing]

Thanks. I have bought some from Reimer before. They had a hard to find variety that I wanted, plus they sell small quantities. We have a very small garden plot, so we dont need large amounts of seeds. I keep unused seeds in the freezer. I didn’t even have to buy any last year, nor this year.

[TEXOKIE]

Hey, Arrowhead1952! I have been wondering myself about carrots being ready... what am I looking for when I run the fingers around the top? What is the sign of readiness? Is it circumference size? Or something else?

Thanks

[TEXOKIE]

Thanks for the pics fanfan. Just went to look at them.

How interesting. So let me see if I understand the process you are following... you are putting your seedlings into small soil cups and covering with slitted saran wrap and placing in a raised bed?

Once they sprout, then is your plan to take them out of the little cups and plant in the holes the cups were living in?

How cool if that works!

I ordered some non-gmo seeds this weeks. I went outside for a walk and examined the rose bushes and blackberry bushes which had started budding before the recent snow storm slammed us. I had been concerned that the buds would die off. I was tickled that the buds seem happy. The rose bush buds are actually leafing out.

[TEXOKIE]

Thanks for the link!

[Arrowhead1952]

Is it circumference size?

Yes, but every once in a while, you will pull one that has a large circumference but may be very short.

[Darth Reardon]

Depending on the model it seems to me that if you flipped one upside-down and cut it right, the part you cut off would make a well fitting “top”.

[TEXOKIE]

Thanks for the clarification! I’ve never ever tried to plant carrots, so this would be a new adventure for me if I “screw my courage to the sticking place”* and attempt it!

*Lady MacBeth

[Arrowhead1952]

I remember as a kid on the farm, we would pull carrots that had double bottoms. We had a large garden - over one acre - and never went hungry. The rows were about 100 feet long and three feet apart, so you can imagine all the food that acre produced. Carrots usually were about one half of a row.