Posted on 04/13/2019 11:36:15 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 any time-and don't have to be about gardening.
He managed to get the yard mowed and plants carried back into the greenhouse in between showers. After moderate temps at night, we are back to 30s for a couple of days. So all the more tender plants are now back on the little shelves.
I have been focused on filing taxes this week. Fell asleep around supper time, when I was taking a break. Just woke up, so am posting this now. I may wind up having to file an extension-down to the wire.
Will catch up with the thread when taxes are done. Have a great weekend. Prayers up for all. God Bless.
Pinging the list.
I think I got everyone’s name added to the list that requested it. If not, please send me a PM to be added or deleted from the list.
Ants in flower pots good or bad? I grow my peppers in pots and yesterday when I was doing a transplant I found an ant colony living in one of my plants. On the one hand I thought that they are keeping the soil aerated but then I wondered if they munch on the roots. I am hoping putting them in a larger pot will kill them all off before they can figure out how to dig their way out but if I see a lot of activity I can always seal off the drain holes, fill it with water until it is saturated then let it sit for an hour. What would you do?
Oh....so much pain. ;-)
Indoor seeds are coming along. Maybe next week will plant those cool crops right in the ground...lettuce, spinach, carrots.
Last year was a huge success....Krim and Black Cherry tomatoes are now my favorites. Awesome. The Krim tend to crack, I picked them a tad early, put them in a box to ripen.
The nice part was that they ripened one or two at a time....so I had a continuous supply.
I have never read any thing positive about having ants in your garden.
I take old cornmeal and spread it around on the beds that have ants. Then they are gone. IIRC, ants think it’s food, but can’t actually digest it, so they eat it, but actually starve to death.
Read about it somewhere and tried it. It seemed to work.
I like to pick the tomatoes as soon as they get a bit of pink blush. Rinse them off and let dry. Then wrap in newsprint or paper towel, and let ripen. Taste a lot better than supermarket stuff.
I am 71 and hubby is 77. We know what you mean. That’s why we are converting one of the garden patches to edible perennials and much of the backyard has fruit trees and bushes.
. Started about 150 seedlings of toms and butternut squash (from seeds saved) in cups, quart containers and tissue rolls (taped over) in 5 banana boxes this last Wed., many to give away. I used screened soil with some dehydrated manure mixed in.
I Pray they sprout and grow well to the glory of God. I only have a little window space facing South so I will be try to use grown lights for ones I keep. I would like to make a small outdoor greenhouse using clear plastic and wood, but as temps are usually in the 40's at night till May and can go lower (and the ground will not reach 60 till about June), then keeping them warm at night and on cloudy days till about mid-May (the earliest frost-free date here) would be a challenge.
Pray, pot and post!
An inch of slushy snow this morning.
Akkk !
Wow. We got rain. Guess we are lucky this time. You have my sympathy. Just to let you know, we are loving the shelving units we got like yours.
We used the heat mats on a couple of the colder nights and zipped up the plastic. While it was freezing out side or nearly so, the little greenhouse was warm as toast so to speak.
Your pictures of your units inspired me to buy them.
Greetings from southern New Hampshire, where spring has sprung!
I have the backyard and garden watering system turned on and it has weathered the winter just fine, except for the most distant drainout valve “pot” which is still a solid, albeit shrinking block of ice. Even the hose bib, three feet away is running freely, but I cannot get to the valve to close it. Waiting until the ice melts. Hopefully, it will be fine.
Our new bee colony is doing fine. Getting ready for the new one, due a week from tomorrow.
I have completed the cleaning, plumbing repairs and restart of our bog filter, which cleans the water from the duck pond, while providing a pleasant stream and place for water plants. Barb can transplant the parrot feather which wintered over in a used aquarium in the basement. It wants out...bad! I also dranined, cleaned and refilled the pond/waterfall under the garden pergola and it is ready for parrot feather. The front pond is drained and ready for cleaning this morning. Then a refill and start of the fountain. the stream/waterfall will come later.
Our ducks have gone into egg production! We are getting 6-9 eggs a day, now. Barb has been boiling them, grinding them and feeding them back to the ducks. They love ‘em! We let the ducks out to explore the garden area. The older ones are quite comfortable with us, but the “flotilla”, consisting of the ten babies from last fall and Carlton, our lone Pekin are standoffish. However, they are extremely well-behaved. When I pick up a bamboo pole, they line up and march to the pen. At night, same thing going into the coop.
I took a fork to the first 4 by 4 raised bed and the ground was thawed. So, I will start spading the garden.
I post the thread when I can. Sorry if that is not satisfactory, but I do my best. I am not usually available in the mornings.
However, that does not mean that you can’t post whatever you want whenever you want. TIK and I try to check the thread and replay to any questions.
Regarding your green house desire/issue. We find that we often get about a 10 degree difference at night between the warmer greenhouse and outdoor temp. That is improved by using the heat mats which are relatively inexpensive, and zipping up the little greenhouse inside the larger one.
Here’s our greenhouse: http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3667189/posts?page=65#65
Here’s the Little greenhouse shelving unit:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0735CJ54R/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o08_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Here’s the heating mats: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01E9IO9FU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_image_o08_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Relatively inexpensive and easy to put together. Shelf is wide enough to use the jump start lighting system. The top could also likely be adapted to attach a grow light.
Best wishes for your success.
I just successfully completed my 72nd circuit of Sol, but I am going to push harder, this year to be a better gardener/farmer.
Retirement is really nice. It is when you get to work harder, but on things that you like! For me, it is gardening, woodworking and especially, restoring old woodworking machines (Old Arn). I just picked up a 1962-vintage, Delta 10” radial arm saw in incredible condition. It is going into my shop, soon!
Our little green houses are five years old.
Yes, we use heating pads and grow lights below and above our plants.
The peppers, cukes and tomatoes are doing very well.
Unfortunately, only 2 of 10 jalapeño seeds came up (bought from Pepper Joe’s in Iowa.)
We were at Lowe’s for bags of bark and planting soil yesterday. I bought two jalapeños from their stock for $5.
Well, you are making a lot of progress. Never would have thought about feeding the ducks, their own eggs. Gonna have to wrap my head around that for a while.
Got to go get back to taxes now. See everyone later.
Good Morning!
Rain rain rain...well it IS April!
SNOW on the ground here this am. Gonna have to raise frozen veggies this yr. Still snowing at 7 am. I have or had 13 early tomatoes in the ground.
Got my dill, flatleaf parsley, and tarragon in yesterday. I am waiting two more weeks for basil and rosemary. I need to hunt down some lemon verbena and am toying with adding lemon grass somewhere.
I have signs of life on my lemon thyme, mint, and lavender that wintered outdoors. I am giving the oregano a few more weeks. That one may be a replacement this year. Last summer I didn’t dry enough oregano to make it through the winter.
My chives, sage, and french thyme are thriving and being put to use already!
This is one of the slowest Springs in memory! Just when we turn a corner, we get slammed again with cold temps, wind, rain, snow...BLECH!
But, I know I’m not alone!
Tomato, pepper and basil plants are still indoors under lights - cool weather crops are in the (unheated) greenhouse and doing fine, even with freezing temps at night. I’m keeping things covered; if the cold air doesn’t hit them, they’ll be fine.
The only thing actually in the ground are peas and a few Sweet Pea flowers, and a few big nursery pots of spinach, lettuces and spicy greens mix.
Finishing the roof is taking priority, and finishing the fence around the pasture that the mule uses.
I’m starting on my WISH LIST of projects I would like accomplished, but so much depends upon Beau’s Spring Canada Fishing Trip, and my Dad isn’t getting any better (he’s just old), so he takes up a lot of my time.
But - That’s Life (Sinatra!)
“That’s life (that’s life) that’s what people say
You’re riding high in April
Shot down in May
But I know I’m gonna change that tune
When I’m back on top, back on top in June...”
LOLOLOLOLOLOL! Yes here in west Michigan we just started with the snow at 8am. Expecting 3-5 inches today. We’ve had company since April 1 from eastern Europe and being young folks they have taken over our spring chores. We must both look pretty feeble. They raked the yard and flower beds, tilled the garden, weeded the flower garden, cleaned out the woodshed, restocked it for next winter, cleaned the chimney and dozens of smaller things. Our yard and garden have never looked this good this early, except for the snow on the daffodils!
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