Posted on 08/23/2013 1:53:26 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!
NOTE: This is a once a week ping list. We do post to the thread during the week. Links to related articles and discussions which might be of interest are welcomed, so feel free to post them at any time.
Got my first batch of tomato seeds cleaned and drying! I used the Oxyclean method. It worked, but nobody warned me that it foams! I had a pink volcano for a while.
Also have some hollyhock seedpods, and a few beans were starting to change so I picked them. I had pretty good luck before picking beanpods as soon as they turned yellow and drying them indoors. The ones I tried to let dry on the vine that year all molded.
Now I need to figure out my packaging.
What is the Oxyclean method to clean tomato seeds?
That is three days and I've got plants. There are a number of different food seeds under the lamp for a fall garden, and I expect they will come up, too. I think I've noticed my black thumb is beginning to change color to green - it's not there yet, but I see the thumb is not as black as it was.
Mr. Stevia plant is looking better since it got here yesterday.
/johnny
/johnny
“I’m sorry to hear that about the tuber flowers.”
“I sent that company an email this morning. I’ll let you know what response I get.”
Thanks! I’d greatly appreciate that!
Mrs. Augie blasted one fox with the 12 gauge several weeks back. There are at least two of them still around. We spotted a mountain lion several times back in the spring but he seems to have moved on. In between other projects I’ve been working at getting the henyard fence into a condition that will allow me to keep the girls confined when we’re not outside to keep an eye on them.
Yes, Johnny, I put drain-holes in the paper cups and set them in a plastic tray with water in the tray, not watering from the top.
Yes, Johnny, I'm not using water directly out of the faucet - I'm using faucet water after it goes through a PUR water filter and it's a new filter. I haven't collected rainwater but I think the plants won't know the difference between filtered and rain - I'm not telling them.
Lol, I'm sure it's all the attention he's getting. BTW, how do you keep ants from moving into your grow bags, and setting up ouse in the soil?
I got a bag of potting soil off my cenent slab the other day, and it was already "colonized" by the little jerks.
Our mater cuttings are still looking like they are going to survive. Our ghost peppers have 4 red peppers; I guess they are ready to pick and dry. The other ghost pepper is growing and flowering like crazy, but no peppers. New territory for me.
Still picking maters. Have about a dozen small ripe ones in the house of different varieties.
Let's see, to get in the grow bags on the deck, they would have to crawl up the side of the grow bag and down inside some to get to the potting soil mix. I have a spray bottle I bought a short while ago of “Elementals” household insect killer which is an Ortho product and the active ingredient is 100% natural soybean oil. Never had that before but I saw it when buying household kitchen cleaner and that sounded good since it would be okay around my Yorkie - says it's safe around pets and children. It kills ants among other household insects. I would spray the ants in the grow bags with this stuff if they got in a grow bag.
I have bags of Miracle Grow Potting Soil Mix on my lower deck under the roof and they have zipper closures on them so no bag is open for ants to get into.
So, maybe you should get this “Elementals Home Insect Killer” and spray those suckers. I think I got that at Kroger but it could have been Walmart since I've had to go there to pick up Walmart.com items recently.
Plants do know God's rainwater from "our" water. They have a definite preference for rainwater, but our water will work ok. Plants are not dumb. And no, I don't talk to our plants, though I would suspect that maybe my wife may! :)
Ok, it’s official, my wife says she does speak to her plants. She says she is the mama to all here at the ranch and she will compliment or scold as necessary.
Ants and snails..I hate them. I planted a ring of flowers in the backyard about a week ago..angelonia, profusion zinnias, and then threw out some alyssum seeds.
I ringed the ring with deadline snail bait, and the ground under the plants with Sevin.
This morning I found 13 snails under the zinnias..I think they parachuted in to avoid the ring of death.
I knew some folks at Marble Falls, TX who grew hot house tomatoes..They’d go through the greenhouses with a chain saw “scaring” the plants. Swore it made them produce like crazy.
I keep telling you guys ground dirt critters will kill your plants. :o) I know you all are good gardeners and I'm not so I have to "improvise" to improve my odds. Since yesterday, now add cucumber, Brussels sprouts and Zinnia seed sprouting under the grow lamp.
/johnny
Which plant or plants told you that? :o) I don't speak to the plants like your wife, but I gently touch them. Does that make a difference? I don't know, but it makes me feel better to touch them. That touch, to me, means I'm going to defend them and not let critters/insects murder them. I saw too much murder earlier when the plants were killed.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.