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WEEKLY GARDEN THREAD VOLUME 10 MARCH 7, 2014
Free Republic | March 7, 2014 | greeneyes

Posted on 03/07/2014 12:18:07 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!

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.


TOPICS: Gardening
KEYWORDS: agriculture; food; gardening; hobby
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To: TEXOKIE

Sounds like a plan.


181 posted on 03/09/2014 9:03:45 PM PDT by greeneyes (Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
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To: greeneyes

That corned beef sounds good. We do that sometimes, after it cooks a while in the crock pot, add taters and onions. Save the juice and cook cabbage the next day.

I did a little bit today, cleaned up the shop, got the BBQ grill out to the back porch, and got the 2—8ft pencil cacti out to the new patio area. Put away all tools. It looks kinda good in there now.


182 posted on 03/09/2014 9:09:25 PM PDT by rightly_dividing (Hate is what people that hate the truth call the truth.)
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To: rightly_dividing

After it cooked all night, I added the veggies this morning which included carrots, onions, taters, and cabbage per the recipe I was relying on.

Corned Beef is not my favorite thing, and I had actually never cooked it before. We had beef arm roast on sale this week so I put it on the list, told hubby if they didn’t have it to get some other beef roast.

He bought the corned beef cause it was cheaper than the other roasts, and had no clue what he was getting. To him it was just a roast. Any way I looked up a recipe in my crockpot manual, and fixed it.

He was kinda turning up his nose at it and especially dubious of the cabbage. That is until he ate it. Then he told me he really liked it.LOL

I like Rueben sandwiches with lots of mustard.


183 posted on 03/09/2014 9:40:00 PM PDT by greeneyes (Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
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To: greeneyes

I always make Reubens when we do a corned beef.


184 posted on 03/10/2014 5:05:43 AM PDT by rightly_dividing (Hate is what people that hate the truth call the truth.)
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To: greeneyes
I didn't manage to get any garden work done, but I was able to get into the pond with Nanner and resume the cleanout work. When this is finished and refilled it will be my source of irrigation water for the garden.

Image and video hosting by TinyPic

185 posted on 03/10/2014 7:11:26 AM PDT by Augie
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To: Augie
I didn't manage to get any garden work done, but I was able to get into the pond with Nanner and resume the cleanout work.

I need one of those for my pond in the country..It needs a cleanout, and some bentonite.

186 posted on 03/10/2014 9:02:04 AM PDT by sockmonkey (Of Course I didn't read the article. After all, this is FreeRepublic..)
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To: rightly_dividing

“We will have the same blackberries that we are accustomed to, the native kind.”

Good for you, I had to pay money for mine. :o)


187 posted on 03/10/2014 12:23:55 PM PDT by Marcella ((I am Selco approved. :o) Prepping can save your life today.))
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To: greeneyes; JRandomFreeper; sockmonkey; rightly_dividing; All
“May get some from Amazon.”

I should be a spokesman for Espoma seed starter. Today, I transplanted two types of peas, two types of broccoli, and Saint Anne's Slow-bolting lettuce into larger pots from the paper cups, all had been growing in Espoma seed starter. The roots of these plants, except for the lettuce, were looonnng. Nothing up except two tiny pieces of green in two cups of the Jiffy seed starter and the rest of the Jiffy cups have absolutely nothing.

I should have more Espoma within three-four days and I'll replant Deck Corn seed and some cucumber ones and others to make up for the ones in Jiffy. The Deck Corn I grew in Espoma was so tall, they are in the greenhouse in larger pots. All the transplants I did today are now also outside in the greenhouse.

Tomorrow, I need to transplant cucumbers from the cups into larger pots and in a few days, do the same with carrots.

Johnny, I have a question:
I have a lettuce strip to plant and that goes into an on ground planter but I have to put new potting soil mix in that before planting. My question is, when do you think it is safe to plant it? What date for lettuce would you use?

Last year when I tried to grow lettuce from a strip, the squirrels and birds ate every seed which started my war against them. This time, there will be two layers of net over the seed with the net high enough, the killers can't reach in with paws or beaks and get to the seeds. I even had some up when the killers did their thing, and those were gone, too.

188 posted on 03/10/2014 12:49:46 PM PDT by Marcella ((I am Selco approved. :o) Prepping can save your life today.))
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To: Marcella

I plant lettuce year around. It does bolt quickly in the middle of summer, but you can get some salads out of it before it does.

/johnny


189 posted on 03/10/2014 12:59:18 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: JRandomFreeper

What variety of lettuce do you plant in the summer? Do you plant it in mostly shade? Is it more bitter than fall planted lettuce?

Since you’re a culinarily clueful herb grower, I’m interested in growing what I need to make my own taco seasoning. What kind of chile/i makes the best powder? Any tips or tricks for this?

Thanks for any help! :)


190 posted on 03/10/2014 1:13:34 PM PDT by Black Agnes
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To: Marcella

Marcella, I planted (drum roll please) Two Tromboncino Squash Seeds in the Black Gold Seed Starting Mix. It’s a correct “moon” day, so we’ll see what happens.

I also planted Armenian Cucumbers, Neon Lights Swiss Chard, Little Caesar lettuce, Little Gems lettuce, toy choi, wa wa tsai (dwarf Chinese cabbage), Chinese celery, zucchini (so the Squash Vine Borers will have something to destroy), Kale, Renegade Spinach, Early Long Eggplant, and two Aroma tomatoes.

Some of the things I planted are under the grow light, but the lettuce, chard, wa wa tsai, and toy choi are in the greenhouse. I moved the heat lamp under the shelves that I set those things. I draped a planket about a foot off the front of the shelf, and all the way to the ground on the outside wall..all well away from the heat lamp, so no fire danger. I hope it will work like a heat mat.

Of course, it’s supposed to freeze here tomorrow night, so, I envision myself, making many trips from the greenhouse to the house with all these new plantings.


191 posted on 03/10/2014 3:49:19 PM PDT by sockmonkey (Of Course I didn't read the article. After all, this is FreeRepublic..)
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To: Marcella

I was not trying to be cheap, I just wanted the kind we are accustomed to, rather than the ones being marketed. I have never seen a blackberry bush or one with stalks big as my little finger. These are just ground hugging vines. The ones that grow around Conroe are the same kind, I just dont see as many of them here, and can’t remember where I saw them growing. I thought I was going to have to have someone back home go find some that had dried on the vine to send to me or pick up next trip back there.


192 posted on 03/10/2014 3:58:12 PM PDT by rightly_dividing (Hate is what people that hate the truth call the truth.)
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To: greeneyes

Yep. I had one that was 8 x 8, and covered with plastic drop cloth. A 100 watt light bulb will keep it above freezing. The plants will go dormant until it warms enough for them to continue growing.


193 posted on 03/10/2014 4:00:18 PM PDT by Sarajevo (Two cannibals are eating a clown. One says to the other: "Does this taste funny to you?")
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To: rightly_dividing

“I was not trying to be cheap,”

I know you weren’t trying to be cheap - if I had found vines I wouldn’t have had to buy the stick kind and that would be super. And, I would bet your vines are more hardy than these blackberry sticks.


194 posted on 03/10/2014 4:34:18 PM PDT by Marcella ((I am Selco approved. :o) Prepping can save your life today.))
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To: sockmonkey
“Of course, it’s supposed to freeze here tomorrow night”

I have two nights coming of 36, nothing down to freezing for at least a week and that is where the forecast ends.

I'll plant the onion bulbs tomorrow if it doesn't rain tonight and I've got a 20% chance tonight. The soil is already in those bags and they are in the net house and I don't want to play in mud to plant them. For me, when potting soil mix is really wet, it moves around too easily. If it doesn't rain tonight, there is no more rain until maybe Friday.

Moths/vine borers: I have Diatomaceous Earth and a bulb nasal aspirator to use to blow it on moistened vines and the base and around the base, to kill the moths and any vine borers before they get inside the plant even though I have these plants in containers, not in the ground. I will wear a mask when I do that.

195 posted on 03/10/2014 5:03:47 PM PDT by Marcella ((I am Selco approved. :o) Prepping can save your life today.))
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To: sockmonkey

It’s not the best machine to use for cleaning out a pond, but it’s what I’ve got and it beats the heck out of a shovel and a wheelbarrow.

I’ll get back half or better what I paid for the tractor in savings when the real dirt guy comes to finish the cleanout and close the dam.

And it’s fun. I wouldn’t mind being a dirt guy after I retire from what I’m doing now.


196 posted on 03/10/2014 6:25:45 PM PDT by Augie
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To: greeneyes
I know you are going to buy some Espoma, so I'll keep you informed about the Jiffy. This morning, there are three tiny green Deck Corn in one Jiffy cup and two in another. Remember these were planted at the same time others were planted in Espoma. The Espoma Corn is already individually separated into one plant per bigger pot and outside in the greenhouse. There is one T squash barely up in the Jiffy so I only have one as those T squash seeds were all planted in Jiffy cups. That one is very disappointing.

If the Jiffy germination rate and the time it takes to germinate is normal, then the Espoma fast germination rate and fast growing is above normal and I'm used to that fast rate as that was all I used until I ran out and started using Jiffy. It was an accident I started with Espoma since I didn't know anything about seed starter so ordered Espoma from Amazon because it said organic.

I have sun flowers and cucumbers in Jiffy and nothing is there. I have to water the Jiffy from the top and its a pain since the Espoma cups suck up the water from the bottom. I don't have to worry about watering Espoma as they self water from the bottom.

197 posted on 03/11/2014 8:25:08 AM PDT by Marcella ((Prepping can save your life today.))
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To: Marcella

I’m sure I’m not the first person to think of this, but yesterday I ran out of those plastic plant markers, and was trying to thnk of something plastic I could use asap.

I thought of all those “credit card” shaped cards that AARP, and different companies send out. Luckily, I had a few stacked on my paper shredder. They’re blank on the back, so I could cut them, and write on them with a marker to use to label my little seed pots.


198 posted on 03/11/2014 8:59:44 AM PDT by sockmonkey (Of Course I didn't read the article. After all, this is FreeRepublic..)
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To: sockmonkey

“yesterday I ran out of those plastic plant markers,”

Funny you would bring this up as I ran out a couple of days ago. I’ll be going to Walmart tomorrow and will get some - surely they have them in the garden section. I don’t have any plastic cards from companies as I toss them when they come. I’m not planting anymore until I get Espoma seed starter and that should arrive in about two days, I HOPE.


199 posted on 03/11/2014 9:07:16 AM PDT by Marcella ((Prepping can save your life today.))
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To: Marcella
Funny you would bring this up as I ran out a couple of days ago. I’ll be going to Walmart tomorrow and will get some

I'm a dufus. I was there this morning, and forgot to buy some plastic labels, and, also I wanted an extra fine point sharpie for labeling.

I certainly bought a bunch of stuff I don't need. Not sure why I didn't get the things I did need.

I got sidetracked looking at Laundry carts..wondering if I could convert one into the Mobile Grow Cart like Trisham posted awhile back, but is currently on backorder..

Mobile grow cart

200 posted on 03/11/2014 10:11:44 AM PDT by sockmonkey (Of Course I didn't read the article. After all, this is FreeRepublic..)
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