Posted on 10/14/2016 4:20:12 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. Planting, Harvest to Table(recipes)preserving, good living - 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.
Yes, it is very loud. Especially when it hits the metal of one of the rain barrels. We also have a Maple tree that sheds on the same patio, so there is a plethora of leaves.
It hasn’t rained in my part of Alabama since August 30th.
Thank goodness pecan trees have DEEP tap roots!
The pecan season is now upon us. I have 3 huge trees and a few—about 8—just getting big enough to give a few nuts.
If I can just keep the crow and squirrels out of the trees I’ll have at least 20 5 gallon paint buckets full.
Aw, who am I kidding? Those critters will get most. I usually get about 8 big full buckets and they get all the rest.
I gotta clean my 22 and put the scope back on.
Well congratulations. Way to go. The neighbor’s dogs are the ones that always destroy my labels. They are big and one is low to the ground and they like to walk through the raised beds all the time.
The bigger one has totally destroyed another neighbor’s hedge by using it as a scratching post. If I was him, I’d plant a Rosa Rugosa hedge and see how he liked that - it’s got lots of thorns and pretty flowers.
We used to eat squirrel all the time when I was a kid. None of our pecan trees were ever able to make it here. They like a bit warmer climate, but were supposed to be ok for our zone.
I would run the butter knife around the interior of the pot, hold the plant upside down, and remove the plant from the pot (plant still upside down).
You can then water the root ball without damaging the plant stem, loosening the soil.
The plant would benefit from being re-potted in another pot a few inches larger than the pot from which it was removed; plan on adding additional potting soil.
Then water well, and allow for some soil resettleing.
Hope somebody can tell me when to pull carrots. They are WAY WAY too close together and look small (no kidding).
First time around. Oops.
The whole plant root ball is out of the planter. It is quite large (the planter). Right now there is no more dirt in the planter which is about a foot in diameter at the base and about eighteen inches or so at the top. So the whole ball is loose out of the planter.
When you and your neighbors collect your leaves, you can compost them, or put them directly into the garden with just a little lime (to offset oak leaf acidity).
Thats what I call free fertilizer, and it will breakdown over the winter and will feed the worms (nature's soil aerator). while adding more humus to the soil.
Yes...leaves have always been nature’s compost! :-)
If there is no soil left in the planter, it sounds to me like the issue is that it is "Root bound".
Is that correct ?
I have never had a carrot patch produce anything but undersized carrots. I am planning on planting them in a pot next year.
I’ve read that they can be as close as 3” apart and be fine.
We have several leaf piles around the yard, encased in chicken wire, and sometimes a kid that mows in the neighborhood, dumps his grass trimmings in the yard too.
Yes, it is root bound. I’m thinking of just placing it in a five gallon bucket and add water and just see if the dirt holding the root ball will fall away.
Many people don't realize that a good compost pile heats up with a balance of green to brown leaf litter.
I believe that the formula is 1/3 green, to 2/3 brown , and add moderate moisture to initiate the bacteria to make 'brown gold' (sterilized compost-weed free)
Yup, that should work, although I would use a garden hose on very low pressure, and would remove any strangulated roots (where roots cross-over each other),
thin about 1/3 the roots or less, and re-pot in a slightly larger pot with fresh soil.
Yeah, those roots are all twisted up. I’ll do as you suggest and just let it soak in water a bit then use a sprinkler nozzle to wash off the rest of the dirt and replant.
My marigolds were planted in pots in July, after the spring plants faded, have been in marvelous bloom for a month and are looking glorious. They love the fall rains, with cooler days alternating with sunny days here in western PA.
I did much the same thing the first time I planted carrots
If crowded , they all/ none will never get full sized.
Go into the side of the plants with a garden fork, and "loosen the soil" until you have one in place about every 3 inches, called "thinning the crop" .
Save the "thinnings" for transplanting elsewhere .
Then take a "dibble stick" (or a pencil)to poke a hole in the soil and transplant one of the carrots that you have "thinned"/saved, and place in the hole
and then slightly compress the soil around the transplant, and then add water to moisture the soil with, or without, fertilizer..
The transplants should recover within the week and grow to full size.
Just don't remove more than 1/3 of the roots , or you will 'shock' the plant = which would result in massive leaf drop
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.