Posted on 05/09/2014 10:16:25 AM PDT by rightly_dividing
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 wont be flamed and the only dumb question is the one that isnt 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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My front yard today. The guys left me a nice pile of chipped wood/leaves. But it was a real dusty mess. I had to use the leaf blower to clean off the porch and flower beds.
/johnny
Score! I am happy for you (and a bit jealous)...Front door delivery of free wood chips. Party time!
Hanging my head in shame. I don’t often post and when I do it is not a ping list.
I’ll be glad when the boss is back.
I hope that you enjoy the mortgage lifter tomatoes. They are rather ugly, but absolutely delicious.
How long till harvest on that corn?
Iirc, Frankie is about 5-6 months now, right? I haven’t uploaded any photos since she was 10 days old. Will post when I get the time.
In our area I’ll sometimes bother Campari tomatoes. No matter the brand They always come in a little clear box and they are called cocktail size. For store-bought they’re pretty darn good.
OK, corn guy, you can answer my question about corn. When the leaves unfold showing lots of those round yellow stalks, what happens next? That’s what I have with the Deck Corn right now.
I was wondering how the fish mysteriously appeared in ponds without intentionally stocking them. Thanks for posting that!
I looked it up, now I know:
CORN
The corn kernel sprouts roots first, followed by its shoot. The root system will grow up to 7 feet deep and spread 2 feet out into the soil during the plant’s short life cycle. The roots are fine in appearance, which enables them to traverse through the soil. Directly below the soil’s surface, the plant forms root nodules. Roots grow upward from the nodules to the base of the plant above the soil line to anchor the tall corn plant in place, according to Oregon State University. Besides holding the plant in place, the brace roots also absorb nutrients and water.
Pollination
During the corn plant’s life it will develop a large stalk with 20 to 21 leaves, according to the Iowa State University. Silk production begins when the corn plant reaches around 65 days old. The top tassels form first. Pollen falls from the tassels downward to the silk of the plant to produce kernels. Insects, birds and the wind also aid in pollination. The tassels contain the female reproductive organs and the flowers of the corn stalk contain the males. Pollen is shed for up to eight days to ensure fertilization occurs.
Ripening
Most corn plants will produce one to two ears per plant. The very tips of the corn ears will stick out past the silk. Once they begin to protrude outward it indicates that the corn is ready for harvest. The silk surrounding the corn ear also begins to turn from golden to brown.
Harvesting
Large-scale commercial corn farmers use combines to harvest corn. The backyard gardener simply tears the corn from the plant using their hands, pulling the ear downwards. Pick the corn at the height of ripeness for maximum sweet flavoring. The end of the ear will feel rounded to the touch instead of pointy when the corn is ready for harvest. Promptly refrigerate picked corn to ensure its flavor remains at its peak until it can be consumed. Once the corn ears are harvested, the plant begins to dry up and die. It has completed its life cycle.
When did you plant and how tall is your corn?
Our climate is nothing like anywhere else in the US as we are right on the north pacific coast which acts as a air conditioner with our average summer highs of 68 and evening lows of 54. The corn matures late August normally...
Looks like you found your answer.
Since Marcella already outed me, Yes, I do (mostly) plant by the phases of the moon.
I’ll check them out...thanks for the suggestion.
I’m getting so much help with my question about tomatoes...thank you for your suggestion..I now have knowledge and so many options!
Patio tomatos are another very popular variety of container tomatos. They have a thick, strong stalk that resembles a small tree, and will support a number of tomatos. The tomatos are supposedly very tasty from what I hear.
Yes, the Sun Gold cherries are yellow-orangish.
This’ll be my third or fourth year to plant them and they might be my favorite cherry tomato and I’ve tried lots and lots of different cherry tomato varieties over the years.
I think that tomatoes like heat but maybe not too much heat because people in South Texas have told me that, when it gets too hot down there, their tomato season is over.
I live in the NW, the Portland, OR area and it isn’t until after Mother’s Day when most gardeners around here generally think the danger of frost (below 32* temps) is past.
Thanks for the garlic info!
A couple of months ago, I bought a big bag of garlic from Costco with the express intent to plant most of the bulbs (when we still had cold temps like down to 32*). But I never got around to it and I’ve noticed that some of my bulbs have little green stalks.
Anyway, if I don’t get garlic this summer, won’t it just come in next year?
And, BTW, I’ve had onions come back year after year.
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