Good Morning! :-)
Greetings from Zone 4b in Western Maine where the garlic is up.
Peas 4’ tall and fixin to bloom.
Tomato plants blooming.
Pepper plants blooming.
Pole beans @ 2’ tall.
Cantelope and cukes doing well.
Zone 8a.
Good morning Diana! I am looking for couple of plants to put on my balcony. I live in Southwest Quebec very close to well I’m about an hour away from Ogdensburg New York so I’m not sure what zone that puts me in but I need something that can adapt to very short summers
I would love to get a small well maybe about 3 feet high, tomato plant Sweet Tomatoes. And a small, 3 feet high miniature strawberry Bush if that exists. It would be great if it could produce fruit in the first year, ie, next August or September. Could also be raspberries or blueberries, or really any other fruit. Actually maybe I’ll put three plants oh, I have the room on my balcony. Maybe something that can produce kale, any dark green lettuce.
Good morning! Do any of you grow veggies and such in raised beds or containers? My first-ever attempt to grow veggies was in a 5’ x 8’ homemade raised bed. It was only a limited success. The bed was built with those hinged plastic corners. They’re pretty sturdy, but still they fell apart after one growing season. Maybe it’s this desert climate (Zone 8b, I think). It’s hard on everything. I’m going to replace it with two 4’ x 6’ galvanized steel beds. In the meantime I’m experimenting with a “patio grow box” — so far ao good — and even a couple of those nice plastic-coated reusable grocery bags. They’re working like a charm — one strawberry and one Japanese eggplant. Please share any tips for container and raised bed gardening, esp. in a hot, dry climate.
My sun-scalded tomatoes look a little perkier this morning. Left their bucket covers off last night .... they’ll be uncovered all day today probably - rain in the forecast, temps mild enough.
Looks like some of my “old” seeds are coming up! Radishes for sure ... the fresh seed (jalapenos, bell pappers) I believe I see some peeping through.
I think I have voles in the raised beds. NOT good. Anybody got a good way to catch/get rid of them? By “catch”, I do not participate in catch & release programs. I am seeing small holes/tunnels in one bed (where I planted flowers) & I saw a similar hole in one tomato bed. Birds hang out in & around my garden all the time - cannot use anything that would hurt them - garden is fenced, so dogs getting into anything is not an issue.
We currently have 3 different bluebird nests with fledglings - one box has never been nested in before & it’s been out for years ... I think previous years’ fledglings are looking for places to “adult” ... we are seeing a lot of bluebirds around here. At the feeders, the predominant birds visiting right now are Goldfinches.
Spotted a coyote last evening while finishing up the garden work - hanging out in the oat deer food plot next door (I have a straight shot view from the garden). The neighbor (my bro/SIL) have chickens so it’s Chik-fil-A for predators. The coops/yards were just reinforced after a fox found a way to dig in - hopefully, the coyote(s) will not have any luck.
Rainy day again - no mowing.
Went to the local WalMart for some plants (I am going to try seeds this year, too) and was met with a barricade. I found out the governor had indicated that the plants were non-essential. Go figure!
Peas and lettuce are up in the raised beds. Planted onions last week. It’s been super wet and cold here. There have been years in the past when we would have had a good start on field work, possibly a big chunk of corn planted by now. This is not that kind of year.
Found this interesting bug last week; he was dead when we found him, no one was murderized! It's a blue Tiger Beetle, and there are lots of varieties. They are HUGE predators and will kill and eat bugs many times their size. However, I don't think this guy won his last fight, LOL!
Tomatoes and peppers are coming along, as is the red and green Okra I'm growing for Beau's brother. Today I am re-potting some things that need it and doing some re-arranging in the greenhouse as it's time to make more room for more things.
The bare root roses patiently await planting in another week or so. MOm is coming out for a visit at the end of the week, so I hope to 'Tom Sawyer' her into helping me. ;)
And here is 'Lefty' just because she's so darn CUTE! She's the most recent Treeing Walker Coon Hound in training with us. She and our Beagle, Chief, have been hunting rabbits. Then we move up to raccoon and then we move up to brown bear. And then we win all the prizes and make Mama wealthy on raising her Champion Blood Line puppies. Well, that's how it's supposed to work - doesn't happen often, LOL!)
Good Morning from the Seattle area Diana.
Did I ever tell you how blessed we are to have you caretaking this thread each week....bringing us gardeners together?
Well...I just did.
I have been redoing my entire backyard garden.
Yesterday was cleanup day. As you know these big projects all have multiple smaller projects within the huge one.
Well I decided yesterday would be “finish small projects and cleanup day.
I got a bunch of little things done. Moved the herb Barden out if a wooden crate and into a newly excavated and laid out planting bed. That bed is partially beneath a for tree so we shall see how the herbs due in partial shade. I think they will do well enough. I don’t need massive quantities of herbs.
Planted Shiso seed (1st time) and will hope to enjoy it in a couple of months.
Moved and consolidated/organized all my lumber and PVC pipes into a spot out of the way.
Dug out a rotted decaying old railroad tie that has been at the fencline for 25 years....shoveled it up and the 3 inches of soil beneath it. I am going to plant an apple tree there next year so I want to leave the spot exposed to the elements to help nature remove any of the remaining Whatevers that leeched out of the railroad tie over the years.
Started some additional seeds in the greenhouse. Noticed my 1st San Marzano seed start poking through the potted soil....5 days to 1st sprout is pretty good.
Ran some small sticks through the electric wood chipper.
Put away many tools etc that were getting left laying around.
It is supposed to dump rain today starting in an hour so I have almost no plans other than gathering free garden tools I found on Next door.
May even pay attention to the wife for a bit.
Sitting in a Home Depot parking lot while my wife and her girlfriend are flower/herb/tree/etc. shopping.. Home Depot is so packed it looks like they are giving away free ice cream... No parking at all...
Sun just popped out. Going to shovel ashes from fireplace and put on raspberries and marionberries. I was lucky, had a kale plant overwinter and have used leaves in three meals. Also, tried for the first time, overwintered radish leaves (large and tender.)
I have some wild Siberian and Miners Lettuce I’m going to pick and use in a salad.
My plum and apple trees are in bloom...but, I sure don’t see any bees.
Greetings! I am hoping for advice on netting for fruit trees. Specifically 4 paw paw trees. I have to go with netting and it needs to be a fine mesh and hopefully would last a few years. I can sew so stitching together some pieces would not be a problem. I haven’t looked into the fabric stores yet and I am looking for an economic source if possible. Estimating I will need a piece 12 feet by 20 feet. The trees are very close together. Thanks in advance!
Around here, I’ve noticed over the years that dandelions are a reliable indicate of when the danger of frost has passed. The more blossoms, the less chance of another frost. And when they bloom en masse, it’s safe to plant the tomatoes outside.
That day is getting close! I saw 3 dandelions blooming in the yard yesterday. And dozens about to bloom when I was working on the farm.
I planted ten new asparagus plants a few weeks ago. Now, skinny shoots are coming up.
Should I clip these or leave em alone?
A light at the end of the garden: Scientists are cultivating glow-in-the-dark flowers by inserting DNA from bioluminescent mushrooms
Researchers were able to take DNA from certain mushrooms and add it to plants
They started with the tobacco plant as they have a relatively simple structure
The process allows for the new plants to have a ‘constant and renewable glow’
GM all,
Never dreamed I’d be part of a garden thread, you’d normally fund me fishing or working on my house, but here goes...
With the teleworking and not going out, I decided on a new venture. It took 2wks and I built sturdy raised square foot garden boxes. Cedar boxes, with pressure treated 2x4 legs. 34” off the ground. Four boxes, each perfectly 2’x3’inside and 12” potting soil deep (height allows for 13.5” deep soil) with 1ctft work castings mixed in the soil. Added an automatic sprinkler system in each box with 4 mister heads running down the center of each box. The bottoms of the boxes are also cedar 1x8” with 1/4” gap between each board for drainage and the boxes are lined with lifetime guarantee rated weed barrier.
In fifteen minutes of sprinkling, water drips evenly from all the gaps below.
Lots of details, but since I’m posting for the first time, want give as much info as possible.
If anyone wants the photo of the boxes, plans, or any help building this let me know in PM.
...ONWARD...
I live in SE Florida, Ft Lauderdale area house
, 1/2 mile east of the beach as the crow flies.
I know this is not the planting season for this area and but the Chinese virus motivated me to start this now, so I’m stuck with what I’ve got for the time being. This planting is considered the R&D learning curve and hopefully by fall I’ll have a better knowledge base for when the season arrives.
Germinate...
On 4.22 I planted store bought seeds in the burpee 36 cell seed trays, put them on a table in the Florida room. For those not familiar, this is a room, faces east, with full 4’ tall windows on the N, E, and South sides and air conditioned. I have non gmo heirloom seeds, but am holding off on those while I learn out of season though. The seed trays have not seen direct sunlight yet.
Seeds started 04.22.20
Today is day six...
Radishes are 6”
Carrots 1”
Spinach 1”
Cauliflower 4”
Cucumber healthy 5”
Here’s the questions so far...
Today I put the radishes, carrots, cauliflower, and cucumber in the planter. They are getting so leggy that they’re staying to lay down. Was this too soon, or too late. How tall should the sprouts be to transplant?
The boxes will get 7 hours of direct, full Florida sun. I can turn the sprinklers on whenever I want by turning the egg timer. Easy. Should I shade the new sprouts?
How much shade? 4 hours? 6? All day? How many days, weeks did they get to be in shade?
How often should I water?
Any help that can be offered while I learn is very much appreciated
Thank you all.
Respectfully,
SW
OK, I want to make a raised bed for some veggies.
What’s the least expensive material to use?
Anyone have experience growing table grapes in the Northern zones of the USA?
I am in Zone 8B, have already purchased two varieties that are good for my zone....I am going to throw up an arbor in my backyard, laying it out with the opening facing North/South in a southern facing backyard.
am accepting advice on transplanting them from 1 and 2 gallon pots...and any others age wisdom you all have.
I