WEEKLY GARDEN THREAD APRIL 6, 2019

freerepublic | APRIL 6, 2019 | greeenyes

[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 any time-and don't have to be about gardening.

[greeneyes]

Greetings from Missouri. Decent weather today and SUN. Lovely weather predicted for the next week - mostly sunny and no nights below 40 - most in 50s.

Taters are planted. Hubby continues to plant bunches of stuff daily(except when it rains). April 21st is our last frost date. So things will gear up after that.

Here's a link to an article I ran across regarding cheap fertilizer:

A Budget-Friendly Guide to Organic Fertilizer and Soil Amendments

https://www.motherearthliving.com/gardening/organic-fertilizer-soil-amendments-ze0z1206zmel

SunkenCiv has provided an interesting answer to a question that some may have pondered:

Food for thought: Why did we ever start farming? https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-04/uoc-fft040219.php

Have a great weekend. Prayers up for all. God bless.

[greeneyes]

https://www.motherearthliving.com/gardening/organic-fertilizer-soil-amendments-ze0z1206zmel

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-04/uoc-fft040219.php

Pinging the list. Not sure why links weren’t clickable in my initial post so I’m adding them here.

[Califreak]

I don’t have anything planted except garlic and the usual perrenial herbs. I just looked at my sage and it’s three feet high with giant buds. It’s going to be gorgeous when it blooms.

I don’t have sunny windows, grow lights or greenhouse and it’s been unseasonably cold here so I didn’t bother starting anything until a couple of weeks ago.

If I try to do it too early everything dies. Too cold, too much rain, too many snails after it’s in the ground.

So far I have a few little squash, cucumbers, sunflowers, tomatoes and basil trying to grow. Those will have to be moved into bigger start pots.

I planted marigold seeds outside in some cinderblocks, but something keeps eating them as soon as they come up.

I’m trying not to sweat it. I figure as soon as the weather gets warm this stuff will shoot up if I can keep it alive.

We rent and there isn’t much room here. I’ll admit that I’ve just never been good at this to begin with.

:)

[greeneyes]

I don’t do much in the way of starts. I prefer to plant in the soil out doors when the weather is nice.

There may come a day when I need to do starts in order to get more food to harvest, but that day is not yet here in my opinion.

I bought a Jump Start lighting system in 2010. It has an efficient full spectrum bulb that I use for my indoor winter plants. It just now burned out. Will have to track down a replacement bulb. Still pretty cheap for growing just a few things. It’s only 2 foot long.

[SunkenCiv]

Yeah, the links in the initial post message never show up “live” for some reason. Beats me.

[Black Agnes]

I’m starting more tomatoes tonight. First batch damped off in spite of my best efforts. I’m need to get one of those heat mats. I think the issue is too cool during sprouting.

We got a great deal from the local nursery this past week. She had 7 grapefruit and navel orange trees she’d overwintered in her greenhouse that hadn’t sold last year. She let me have them all (and 6+ft they are) for $200. Now to get them containers and soil mixture. Happy happy happy. This will bring my total citrus count to 3 meyer lemons, 1 key lime (on order from gurneys), 4 washington navel orange, and 6 grapefruit.

I’ve got them grouped with 2 arbequina olive trees that are absolutely loaded with blooms this year. I’d had them for several years and they were sparse and fairly unhappy. I figured they weren’t happy in my yard or in a container but they were kind of attractive still so I left them at that. Well, last summer I started feeding them the CitrusTone stuff I feed my citrus. They filled out into 6ft shrubby trees and are literally loaded with blooms. We’ll see if any of those pollinate. Arbequina is supposed to be self pollinating but I’m planning to order a couple more different varieties just to make sure.

[Califreak]

I wish I even had room for growing stuff indoors.

I’d love a house with a screened in or sunroom type porch.

[tubebender]

A few of Eric's peppers looking very good...

[tubebender]

We did get 140 strawberries planted but I still have to install drip irrigation and then mulch them...

[Vipper]

I have been on a planting run at my place. 3 Yr Old plants planted since March 15th:
25 Concord grapes
30 Thompson grapes
5 Flame grapes
20 Pinot Gris Wine grapes
40 Cabernet Sauvignon Wine grapes
30 Merlot Wine grapes
30 Chardonnay Wine grapes
10 Boysenberry plants
10 Apache Blackberry plant
10 Natchez Thornless Blackberry plants
10 Latham Raspberry plants
15 Southern Bababerry Raspberry plants

4 yr old:
24 Southern Blueberry Combo

All the above are from Willis Orchard. We planted 160 fruit trees that were 9-12 years old from them over the last 2-3 years great place.

Jungseed:

More being planted now 500 strawberries (80% in as of today)
500 Aspararagus next. All the other garden items like potaoes, garlic, rhubarb, tomatoes, beets, onions, etc will go in next.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks greeneyes.

[Califreak]

Wow!

You must have a lot of room.

What are you going to do with all those grapes?

Do you make wine?

Do you sell any of your produce or just put it up?

[twyn1]

Still too cold in South-Eastern PA to do much. We’ve had a few warm days here and there but then right back to cold and wet. It was lovely yesterday so I divided and replanted a few hostas and we cleared up the pool area and piled up the leaves/sticks for burning/fire pit. But other than that we’re still in the waiting game. Nice to see others getting a head-start and WOW!! to how much some are already planting.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Little tomatoes sprouts need to be kept dry around their stems.
An easy way to keep the area dry is to use chick gravel, sold in farm stores.

Just a tiny bit will do the job.

We also bake the starter soil in baking bags for a couple hours. This kills off any unwanted critters living in the dirt.

[left that other site]

Spring has Sprung!

I’m taking my doggie for a hike along the river today! :-)

[Redleg Duke]

Beautiful day, here in southern New Hampshire. Our new bee colony seems to be well-established.

I raked the bog filter and moved the muck to my garden.

Yesterday, I found a Model 33 tiller for my John Deere, and went to pick it up. It needs from TLC, but I hope to get it working for the spring planting.

[Tilted Irish Kilt]

Eric in the Ozarks:" We also bake the starter soil in baking bags for a couple hours.
This kills off any unwanted critters living in the dirt."

Also, you can sterilize soil in large quantities in a disposable aluminum pan on the grill - no bag required.
Also, it's a good way to use the remaining ashes on a charcoal grill, after the meal cooking is all done.
Do not use the wife's best bakeware,.. especially indoors !

[Ellendra]

Baker Creek keeps sending me surprise packages. In addition to the 1600 eggplant seeds they sent me earlier in the year, they’ve now sent me 600 cucumber seeds, 500 cowpea seeds, and about a pound of lima bean seeds.

I know this is my dream job, but there are times those numbers get daunting! Good thing they pay well.

I made the mistake of going to get fence posts during the spring baby chick sale. I now have a brooder box full of little cheepers in my bedroom. I probably could have resisted the cuteness, but I saw one that had Pasty Butt, and the staff person I told didn’t seem to know what I was talking about. I just didn’t have the heart to let the little thing suffer like that! And of course, you can’t raise just one chick.

I’d been planning to expand my flock, just not quite this soon.

[ApplegateRanch]

Finally thawed out enough to end my hibernation.

Ground was just right today, after yesterday’s rain showers; and before this coming week’s predicted 6” of snow, to till enough of the garden to plant potatoes tomorrow; maybe also some early peas.

The bees didn’t make it through the winter, so I have a new colony coming the end of April. This time, I ordered Russians, since they’re supposed to be hardier. Today, I cleaned out the hive, so I can get it ready for the new inhabitants. At least we’ll get some wax out of the deal.

Also saw my first butterfly of the season, a morning cloak

[greeneyes]

Hubby makes paper pots for his starts and mixes seed starter mix with potting soil mix. After initial planting, he just waters the plastic tray they are sitting in - not over head watering. Has never had a problem with damping off doing it that way.

I have read that potting soil is more apt to experience damping off. Hence the reason for the mixes. I don’t really do much in the way of starting seeds.

I am jealous of your citrus orchard. My lemon tree is very small - it’s a dwarf-so more like a small bush. About 2 ft. by 2 ft. Usually get 2 harvests-around December and June.

It has dropped a lot of leaves this winter, but finally getting some nice new ones that are looking good. So what is this Citrus Tone stuff? Sounds like something I need to explore.