Posted on 05/24/2013 3:09:29 PM PDT 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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/johnny
It’s at 70 here now but was higher earlier. And muggy! We got about 1 1/4” of rain this afternoon. That’s good so I didn’t have to water the yard. It’s been so hot that I’ll take this weather any time.
The poison whatever has mostly quit itching and is starting to heal. Still haven’t figured out what it was but the lettuce patch is gone, gone, gone.
Have blooms on the volunteer tomatoes and squash. Something ate the new transplants - again. The corn is starting to make.
Would you do me a favor and keep those weeds in Texas!!!
Hey, I thought you were banned. ;)
/johnny
/johnny
All the planting is done; we're mostly in the gathering and weeding stage now. Mrs. fidelis has lots of tomatoes green on the vine, but it seems to me they're taking their time ripening up, except for the cherry tomatoes: they've been producing steadily, if not meagerly. We got lots of squash too, mostly zucchini which is great because it keeps me fixed for zucchini bread. Mrs. fidelis has a low carb recipe for Z bread that she's been slowly perfecting.
Sorry to hear about everyone's horrid weather. Our stormy season comes in July or so with the summer "monsoons". It can get nasty, but it's extremely rare to get tornadoes, etc.
We cheated this year and bought tomato plants from the store instead of starting them from seed. We’re trying to sell our house and I didn’t want the mess. Anyway, my 7 year old daughter and I split the first cherry tomatoe from our garden this afternoon. I almost cried tears of joy it was so good! Hope you don’t have to wait much longer!
I don't know how much rain I got since the glass tube to measure it was in the kitchen to be cleaned. It's still there.
I had planted plants in six Miracle Gro bags and set them in the garden. Squirrels and birds ate the seeds out of four bags. One remaining bag is, I think, sweet peppers growing well. The other bag is, I think, Jalapeno peppers and they are growing well. No veggie on any of them yet.
The decision is, grow in containers covered with bird net and forget garden dirt. I have more heirloom seeds from Terroir Seeds and until two bird nets get here, nothing is getting planted.
I got the grow bags to put potting soil mix in as homes for the seeds and will set them in the dirt garden but that isn't going to happen until the nets get here. I'm not losing seed to animals murdering seed again. Seed is a living thing and animals (I include birds in animals) are murdering them. I would need many tombstones out there for all the seeds murdered.
The huge, round, composter came and I'm leaving it in the box as my son comes for a few days visit next week and he gets the pleasure of putting it together. He and I also need to load it with all those leaves that are everywhere and the whole garden area, including the upper deck and lower deck (lower one has a roof), needs cleaning up.
I'm still reading and learning and won't be planting until the son leaves to work on his documentary film, this time filming in Dallas.
Oh, yes, I've had ripe cherry tomatoes to eat. It's nice to know nothing has been sprayed on them and no one has handled them except me, the master gardener (to be). The Roma tomatoes are still growing and I have managed not to lose any from the freaking birds and squirrels.
Marcella if you can mulch up those leaves with the mower and get them in smaller pieces for the compost the better and faster it will break down. I didnt do that with my oak leaves and they are taking a lot longer to break down to compost but next time I’m gonna mower them down first.
Thanks!
I watched some weather on a Houston TV station while at the doctor today and it looks like San Antonio and Austin were in trouble and it is headed to Houston soon. Often we dont get what Houston gets, just that slight change in the geographic makeup of the Piney woods region. That 40 miles can make a real difference. I hope that we get some rain as long as it is not too destructive. The plants really like it better when God waters them rather than our well water.
Greetings from Tennessee. Best wishes and prayers to those in Oklahoma. Lived there many years ago -in Ok city-your heart just goes out to them.
Finally got the garden tilled. Good grief what a mess. Planted rye grass as a ground cover last fall. We normally plant a “green manure mix” from the Territorial Seed co but ran out of time. Then with such a wet spring, the grass was hip high by the time I could get it tilled. Lots of initial weed eating and digging by hand before I could get the tiller in there.
Am curious-those who till their own gardens-what type tiller do you have/use? Years ago I had a huge Troy bilt that my father had given us. It worked wonderful. I foolishly got rid of it because it was so large. I opted for a smaller sized Troy-bilt -it works ok but it isn’t as well made and sturdy as the older one we had.
Hoping to get everything planted this weekend-boy I think this is the latest we’ve planted in many many years. It will be interesting to see how this late planting affects production.
Sure enjoy hearing about everyone’s gardening adventures..
Never happen tubebender. You are a VIP.
UhOh, you mentioned a recipe. That means you must share. LOL
I am so glad you had no damage from the tornado. I am thinking that once you get used to picking your own tomatoes and eating them, knowing exactly what they have been exposed to, you’ll never want to go back to buying them from the store.
You are so amibitious - Master Gardener indeed. I told you that soon you would be the expert here.LOL
We bought tomato and pepper plants this year for the first time. Normally we start seeds, but I just didn’t this year. Our maters should be ripening in a week or so. I am amazed at the prices for plants from a store. That’s why we had plenty of open spots in the garden this year.
We don’t have tiller. We do everything by hand. I use a 4 prong gizmo just like I would a shovel. Press it about a foot into the ground then lean it back and raise the soil, and let it down, then move to the next space.
Then, I put on compost and any additives and chop it in with a rake or a hand held 4 prong shaped like a hoe only it has strong prongs.
I pull out green manure like rye expose the roots, and cover with cardboard till it dies, then work it in a few weeks before planting.
Use a weed wacker on the tall cover crop and put that on the compost pile then till the stalks and roots.
That would be a nice salad for my instant manure machine my goat, would just have to cut off those dirty root balls.
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