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WEEKLY GARDEN THREAD VOLUME 17 APRIL 25, 2014
Free Republic | 4/25/2014 | greeneyes

Posted on 04/25/2014 12:24:10 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.


TOPICS: Gardening
KEYWORDS: agriculture; food; gardening; hobby
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To: greeneyes
Our property includes a deep, shady draw where runoff from the blacktop flows toward the lake. This depression has a dozen paw paw trees and 10 or twelve hickories. It is alive with squirrels.

Three years ago, we planted some paw paws of a variety harvested in Tennessee and they've adapted to this ditch.

When we first bought this property in ‘97, we started planting pecans, walnuts, filberts and hickory nut trees from a nursery in NE Missouri. There are wild pecans and one or two other native nut trees here. The newcomers have adapted, except for one pecan tree that, because of a visit from a deer, is now a pecan bush.

61 posted on 04/25/2014 6:49:04 PM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks (Rip it out by the roots.)
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To: twyn1; JRandomFreeper

Basically yes. Should work eventually. I am a lazy composter. I have one of those that looks like a tall trash can with a lid.

It has a door on one side that slides up for access at the bottom to the finished compost. Every three inches there is an air space all along the barrel from top to bottom, you just don’t see it because of overlap.

I throw in kitchen waste, and paper, leaves, and/or straw. Never stir it at all. It breaks down slower, but eventually gets there.

Johnny might be able to give you some ideas on how to speed it up or explain a bit about what can slow it down.

JFR - can you help twyn1?


62 posted on 04/25/2014 6:55:18 PM PDT by greeneyes (Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
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To: DuncanWaring

Okay here’s a link that might help:

http://www.ehow.com/decision_6860908_far-one-plant-fruit-trees_.html


63 posted on 04/25/2014 6:58:42 PM PDT by greeneyes (Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
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To: greeneyes

We always joke in Iowa that Missouri is the land where you can marry your sister, shoot machine guns off your back porch, and walk buck naked thru town and not get arrested.

Which isn’t true, but Missouri is alot more free than most states. Best part is they have an equipment tax instead of a property tax, which means you can at least live poor and not worry about losing everything. I know it N. Central MO it’s really laid back, very tempting to retire there.

Spring garden is in, other projects now till the summer stuff gets planted in a few weeks. Late spring and cold but not nearly as wet as last year, so far it’s been pretty decent. Stuff is coming up pretty good.


64 posted on 04/25/2014 7:03:48 PM PDT by Free Vulcan (Vote Republican! You can vote Democrat when you're dead...)
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To: Eric in the Ozarks

That’s so fantastic. I feel blessed because we have so much wild stuff on our 1 acre.

We have 3 black walnuts, and a buttermut. A bunch of hickory nuts. They are hard to crack and hard to get the nut meats out, but taste like pecans. I read that you can soak the hulls to hickory smoke stuff.

We have a persimmon tree, a bunch of wild blackberry and dewberry, to name the main ones. We get a lot of nuts and fruits from these, and had never done much with them. Passion flowers also, which I just read can make a delicious relaxing tea.


65 posted on 04/25/2014 7:04:28 PM PDT by greeneyes (Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
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To: left that other site
Well, as a guess, you're on the side of the gardening angels. My gardener amigo takes cares of 4 or 5 estados here at this end of our little town, and you'd be very impressed with the way he keeps those grounds (gorgeously, to cut to the chase).

So, I'm thinking that he has this whole business dead right, and I'll keep the rosemary cuttings very moist until either there's new growth on the top leaves or they croak. It's like Damon Runyan used to say: "My son, the race is not always to the swift, or the battle to the strong...but that's the way to bet."

Good gardening, m'FRiend!

66 posted on 04/25/2014 7:06:00 PM PDT by SAJ
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To: twyn1
I'll do this before I get booted off FR for the night. ;)

I don't hold with the barrel composters. One of the microbes that break down cellulose is fungi. They rely on long threads that they put out through the compost. Every time you spin the thing, those threads break. Not helping the fungi.

I quit tilling because of that.

My suggestion is to inoculate the mass with bacteria and microbes that can break down the stuff. You can get that from a good compost pile, like from under those leaves in the corner that you didn't get raked up for the last decade, or you can buy compost microbes.

Then, feed them. I use 2 oz of liquid seaweed, 2 oz of fish emulsion, and 2 oz of un-sulfered molasses per gallon of warm water.

If the bacteria are happy, composting goes quickly. If not, not. That's the bottom line.

And don't break the fungi mycelia wantonly.

/johnny

67 posted on 04/25/2014 7:07:06 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: twyn1
Oh... and don't use city water in your compost pile.

The city adds chemicals to kill microbes.

Microbes are what break down plant matter into compost.

Bad idea....

/johnny

68 posted on 04/25/2014 7:08:37 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: lee martell

We have similar that grows in the woods. I hate anise myself, but know the pioneers used it as a substitute when they couldn’t get the real thing.


69 posted on 04/25/2014 7:09:03 PM PDT by Free Vulcan (Vote Republican! You can vote Democrat when you're dead...)
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To: Eric in the Ozarks

Always wanted a paw paw. They are excellent.


70 posted on 04/25/2014 7:11:40 PM PDT by Free Vulcan (Vote Republican! You can vote Democrat when you're dead...)
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To: Free Vulcan

Unfortunately, we do have real estate property tax, levied by county. The state will reimburse low income seniors so that they don’t have to worry about losing their home due to property taxes.

We also have what’s termed personal property tax. That taxes your cars, tractors, etc. essentially equipment.

Our county is pretty free, like I said, because we don’t have a lot of rules and regs. We have a county commission that is a bunch of guys that just kinda think property belongs to you, so why should they tell you what’s what on your property?

Our subdivision has around three rules, but no one has ever raised a question about any one that might have broken one either. Live and let live for the past 46 years. No homeowner’s association ever formed. It’s been great so far.

Once we all got together and decided to chip in and asphalt the gravel road. Then we got the county to take over maintenance.


71 posted on 04/25/2014 7:14:21 PM PDT by greeneyes (Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
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To: SAJ

Why thank you!

My Garden is a 8’ x 10’ second floor balcony in FL.


72 posted on 04/25/2014 7:16:38 PM PDT by left that other site (You shall know the Truth, and The Truth Shall Set You Free.)
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To: greeneyes

Garden is doing great. Beans are growing like crazy. Some tomatoes already on the vines. Squash are about three inches long with many flowers on the plants. Herb area is going gangbusters.


73 posted on 04/25/2014 7:17:26 PM PDT by Arrowhead1952 (The Second Amendment is NOT about the right to hunt. It IS a right to shoot tyrants.)
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To: DuncanWaring
Check the tree information. I've planted mine on 20ft centers. Plant them approx. 1.5x of the adult tree crown diameter apart. Take yearly trimming into consideration also.
You want easy access for picking fruit and no overlap of the branches of neighboring trees.
74 posted on 04/25/2014 7:20:31 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

Geez r_d, I hope you’ll be OK. Stop hot-rodding! ;)


75 posted on 04/25/2014 7:23:20 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: Arrowhead1952

Before long, you’ll have some real good food!


76 posted on 04/25/2014 7:24:03 PM PDT by greeneyes (Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
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To: twyn1

What is the temperature of the mass in your composter?


77 posted on 04/25/2014 7:24:51 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: Silentgypsy

Thai basil also has this flavor.


78 posted on 04/25/2014 7:30:14 PM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks (Rip it out by the roots.)
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To: Eric in the Ozarks

Pretty raised beds. Care to comment on what they are? Since they are yours? Nothing I have is that pretty. ;)

/johnny

79 posted on 04/25/2014 7:31:08 PM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: JRandomFreeper

Thanks for posting my pictures.

The pix are of our raised beds with reinforced corners.

We’re still using the frost covers through next week when the hoops come out and we cover the square framework over the beds with bird netting.

All pipes are 1 “ and 2 “ PVC.


80 posted on 04/25/2014 7:37:33 PM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks (Rip it out by the roots.)
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