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Hydro arugula and lettuce is going well, but I think using this tub for them is a waste of space. Need to get a smaller trough setup for fast growing crops like that.
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May 20, 2021 21:42
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I bought the same containers. I wish they were half as tall and cut my holes in the same spots, but otherwise they were fine to setup. They're definitely better for something that gets larger, but they leave plenty of room for light to get through between the plants.
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May 20, 2021 23:45
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Interesting, I am reading I should've planted the grapevine in sand instead of soil. Better for frost resistance and the grapevine grows faster and stays healthier it's claimed.
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May 21, 2021 08:28
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showbiz_liz posted:I live in a three story building in Brooklyn where the top two stories are apartments and the bottom is a Domino's. The Domino's built an extension at some point, so the bottom floor has like twice the square footage of the apartments and juts out the back of the building. The second floor could just open a window and step out onto the Domino's roof. I'm on the third floor, but there's a fire escape I can access through my bedroom window which takes me down there. You are really dedicated if that's what you're doing for a garden! Carrying all that dirt up to the third floor only to bring it back down to the second floor through the fire escape. Just some serious dedication there. I don't think I'd ever find that level of dedication, there's too much house stuff for me to track and take care of for that. I will say it looks absolutely great and I'm glad you have shared it with us.
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May 21, 2021 14:13
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His Divine Shadow posted:Interesting, I am reading I should've planted the grapevine in sand instead of soil. Better for frost resistance and the grapevine grows faster and stays healthier it's claimed. I think the key is well draining. I would think it won't like sand as much in the summer. My grapes were in regular soil and froze every year, but not Finland temps most of the time. We'd get down to -10C for long stretches and rarely to -20C.
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May 21, 2021 15:26
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I transplanted a grapevine in the fall and I think it died 
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May 21, 2021 15:32
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Jhet posted:I think the key is well draining. I would think it won't like sand as much in the summer. My grapes were in regular soil and froze every year, but not Finland temps most of the time. We'd get down to -10C for long stretches and rarely to -20C. I read more about this and it's a method developed by a gardener 40 years ago. The sand helps with the frost resistance, and apparently a 10cm or 4" thick bed of grass cuttings over the sand is the key, to moisture retention and proper fertilization. This guy grew tomatoes, strawberries, grapevines and whatnot using sandbeds and grass, he'd also make compost of the grass for stronger fertilizer. I dunno maybe you can google translate these to english: https://gronarader.se/odla-med-grasklipp/jordgubbar-i-sand/ https://gronarader.se/odla-med-grasklipp/odla-vindruvor-i-sand/ Interesting concepts, I wanna try them out. Gotta move our strawberry patch and think I will make ones like he did
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May 21, 2021 16:51
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Earth posted:You are really dedicated if that's what you're doing for a garden! Carrying all that dirt up to the third floor only to bring it back down to the second floor through the fire escape. Just some serious dedication there. Oh I absolutely lucked out there - the second floor apartment was vacant this month and I talked the landlord into letting me borrow a key for this purpose, and then I had the dirt delivered to the second floor. So I just had to carry it out the window. (Well, this year. Last year I had fewer plants and bought my soil small bag by small bag...) I would have done it the hard way though. I'm committed now.
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May 22, 2021 05:17
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The Bay Area has been a bit colder than normal, my garden has been growing a bit slower than previous years. The little green dots are basil sprouting up.  Tomatoes in cages with rebar to support I planted Pineapple and Cherokee Carbon (hybrid of two heirloom varieties)  Starting peppers, onions, nasturtiums  Since I live in California, trying something new, they were $20 each (bought two)  Planted out around 54 peppers so far, interplanted lettuce    Eggplant and garlic chives  Cucumbers and more lettuce (I need start picking my lettuce)  I bought three early girl tomatoes from Costco to get a jump on the season If you are renting, or live in an apartment with only a balcony, I highly recommend "Red Robin" tomatoes, a super dwarf variety. The full grown plant only gets 12-18 inches tall, and produces lots of fruit. Fits perfectly in a 5 gallon pot.  
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May 22, 2021 18:29
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Should I start harvesting these leaves when they get this big, or wait for it to look like a head of greens. This one is specifically a tendergreen mustard. Supposedly like spinach and came from the Burpee sweet lettuce pack. I tasted one of the early arugula leaves and it was super bitter. Hopefully the later ones aren't as bad. 
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May 22, 2021 18:31
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I'm so frustrated, I just found out my 4th sprinkler is broken at the same place the previous ones broke. I've bought the solid metal $60 model, and the cheap $20 model, they all break at the same place where you screw it into the hose. I try to be very gentle with them, but gently caress. Anyone have any suggestions for an overhead sprinkler that is super solid?
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May 22, 2021 20:11
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goodness posted:Should I start harvesting these leaves when they get this big, or wait for it to look like a head of greens. This one is specifically a tendergreen mustard. Supposedly like spinach and came from the Burpee sweet lettuce pack. With arugula in general the leaves get more bitter as the plant gets older, so if you're taking small, early leaves and they're already bitter...well, hope ya like bitter greens. Water and soil conditions presumably play a role, but the biggest factor in my experience is the heat--the hotter it gets, the more likely greens are to bolt, and the closer they are to bolting the more bitter they're likely to be. As a random progress note: last year I'd impulse-bought one of the seed samplers from Kitazawa to fill in blanks in the garden opened up due to the pandemic (and therefore all of the nurseries being closed). Last year I reported having very good luck with their "Chinese pak choi" variety and really liking the flavour of their "Shanghai" bok choy but it bolting long before the "Chinese" variety. Same experience this year. The "Chinese" stuff is still producing and looks happy as a clam, while the "Shanghai" stuff has already started bolting. And it's not even that hot yet--we just had a minor cold snap starting about a week ago, and now that it's getting up above 80 in the afternoons again I think they've just gotten confused or something. The komatsuna continues to be unfuckingstoppable.
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May 22, 2021 20:51
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SubG posted:As a random progress note: last year I'd impulse-bought one of the seed samplers from Kitazawa to fill in blanks in the garden opened up due to the pandemic (and therefore all of the nurseries being closed). Last year I reported having very good luck with their "Chinese pak choi" variety and really liking the flavour of their "Shanghai" bok choy but it bolting long before the "Chinese" variety. Same experience this year. The "Chinese" stuff is still producing and looks happy as a clam, while the "Shanghai" stuff has already started bolting. And it's not even that hot yet--we just had a minor cold snap starting about a week ago, and now that it's getting up above 80 in the afternoons again I think they've just gotten confused or something. I'm glad I'm not the only one having early bolting issues with those pok choi varieties. They were coming up fine, then we got a week of hot and they went all leggy and bolted. I just picked them and tossed them with some yakisoba noodles and they were okay. Komatsuna is only doing okay. I'm learning the sun patterns in a new place and they didn't get a good spot. I do have a bunch of other new (to me) seeds from Kitazawa this year that have done well so far. Early Green Yu Choy Sum, Yanagawa Takana mustard, Early Jade Hybrid Chinese Broccoli, and Dash Hybrid Spinach are all doing great. All the ones I've plucked to thin have tasted wonderful too, so I'm looking forward to having a bunch of good eating green veg in another few weeks.
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May 22, 2021 23:55
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Fozzy The Bear posted:I'm so frustrated, I just found out my 4th sprinkler is broken at the same place the previous ones broke. I've bought the solid metal $60 model, and the cheap $20 model, they all break at the same place where you screw it into the hose. I try to be very gentle with them, but gently caress. Looks like Melnor does make one with a metal hose connector https://www.homedepot.com/p/Melnor-Metal-Oscillator-Sprinkler-70360M/203134102 I haven't used it personally though so maybe its weak elsewhere
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May 23, 2021 00:32
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Haha gently caress you record setting arctic cold front. I may have lost power for multiple days and now panic when the lights flicker but I'll have my tasty blueberries!
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May 23, 2021 01:21
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Jhet posted:I'm glad I'm not the only one having early bolting issues with those pok choi varieties. The komatsuna didn't really bolt on me last year so much as it just got huge and then eventually flowered. It seems to be super resistant to poo poo like powdery mildew (which got a bunch of the adjacent greens in the same bed). Really the only problem I've had with it is that slugs seem to love it and will chew up a bunch overnight while leaving everything else untouched. Jhet posted:I do have a bunch of other new (to me) seeds from Kitazawa this year that have done well so far. Early Green Yu Choy Sum, Yanagawa Takana mustard, Early Jade Hybrid Chinese Broccoli, and Dash Hybrid Spinach are all doing great. All the ones I've plucked to thin have tasted wonderful too, so I'm looking forward to having a bunch of good eating green veg in another few weeks. The early jade is a pretty good gai lan. I've had hit or miss luck with the early jade but I kinda feel like I have hit or miss luck with gai lan in general--either everything is just right and it grows like gangbusters or they never take off and I end up with a couple leggy twigs. The early jade seed seems to keep well, though. I pretty much always pick up a packet or two of seeds more than I'm planning on planting, just so I can do a second crop after the peak of the Summer heat. Last year I didn't get to put in the second crop, so I still had a bunch of seeds left over, and I put in a bunch of them this Spring and got really good germination off the year-old early jade seeds. Haven't harvested any of it yet but it's looking pretty good so far.
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May 23, 2021 02:35
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Fozzy The Bear posted:I'm so frustrated, I just found out my 4th sprinkler is broken at the same place the previous ones broke. I've bought the solid metal $60 model, and the cheap $20 model, they all break at the same place where you screw it into the hose. I try to be very gentle with them, but gently caress. Probably doesn't cover as big an area as that oscillating sprinkler, but these have no moving parts, are made of cast iron and will literally survive a horse stepping on them.  Other sprinklers will not. Do not ask me how I know this.
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May 23, 2021 06:30
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Squibbles posted:Looks like Melnor does make one with a metal hose connector https://www.homedepot.com/p/Melnor-Metal-Oscillator-Sprinkler-70360M/203134102 Thanks, I suspect the piece that joins the metal hose connector to the body is plastic :-( Hexigrammus posted:Probably doesn't cover as big an area as that oscillating sprinkler, but these have no moving parts, are made of cast iron and will literally survive a horse stepping on them. Thanks, can't find any place selling it, but I'll keep looking. e: found on amazon, thank you Fozzy The Bear fucked around with this message at 16:59 on May 23, 2021 |
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May 23, 2021 16:51
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My morning routine has changed from "smush all aphid invaders" to "smush all aphid invaders and kindly ask cicadas to gently caress off." Don't know if anybody else is in the Brood X swarm, but every morning I wake up to another wave of these guys using everything in my garden as a platform to molt. This morning I found one on an asparagus frond of all things.  More impressed than mad honestly. Chad Sexington fucked around with this message at 14:04 on May 24, 2021 |
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May 23, 2021 20:57
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I finally planted my Thuja Green Giants (green giant arborvitae) like so.   Holes were dug as deep as the root ball and three times in diameter. I placed the tree in with the top of the root ball even with the soil, and hand tamped in fresh topsoil. Watered for about 10 seconds each, then layered with mulch. I brushed the mulch away from the direct base of the tree, but piled it up in a ring several inches away from the sapling. How'd I do?
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May 24, 2021 00:57
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Some people get drunk and order random poo poo from amazon. Me on the other hand - got drunk and ordered 2 honey crisp apple trees and some pink oyster mushroom grain spawn because why not. I dont really have a great spot for the trees but im going to try my best to drawf and tight grow them in the sunniest spot in my yard I guess. pink oyster grain spawn should work out find because it likes woody dirt and i have plenty of that. OH WELL
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May 24, 2021 01:16
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The Wonder Weapon posted:I finally planted my Thuja Green Giants (green giant arborvitae) like so. Depends on a couple of things. What does tamped mean? Because you really don't need to do that. Also, depends on how long it's been since you've had any real rain. We've had just over .5 inch in the last month. I'm leaving a hose on each 1 gal potted bush I've recently transplanted for a good 60 seconds every two day at minimum. The ground is so dry it's just taking it all up. Either way, you're fine. Just keep watering the hell out of them every 2 days for the next several weeks if you aren't getting any real rain. Also, if you have a lot of deer pressure they generally don't eat arborvitae until deep into the winter when there is nothing else available. But the young ones are more tempting so maybe spray them with some deer repellent if this is a problem in your area.
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May 24, 2021 01:52
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Shifty Pony posted:Haha gently caress you record setting arctic cold front. I may have lost power for multiple days and now panic when the lights flicker but I'll have my tasty blueberries!  Need to buy a new plant put it in a giant pot so I can bring it around with me.
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May 24, 2021 13:41
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Motronic posted:Depends on a couple of things. What does tamped mean? Because you really don't need to do that. Tamped as in I pushed it down with my hands to remove air pockets. I read that you wanted to use some mild to moderate pressure when filling the soil back in, since air pockets could lead to root rot. The watering is the part I'm not sure on. I planted two of these back in early May/late April since I read you wanted to get them in during early spring. Then it rained nonstop for a month, as it is wont to do in spring, and they started getting yellow tips. A friend with more knowledge in gardening than I mentioned that I probably planted them too early, and they were getting overwatered. This type of tree is apparently sensitive to excessive watering, so I'm not clear on how I'm supposed to proceed. I'm afraid that if I water them heavily every two days for several weeks that I'm going to do more harm than good, but I also don't want to dry them out. We've got a lot of deer here. Like, a lot. A family of eight or so walks through my back yard almost nightly. There's a small public park a mile away that people park in and throw food outside their car so they can watch the deer feed. The PO left a list of deer-resistant plants in the garage after we bought the place. We've got deer. My plan is to put some sturdy metal fencing around them for months/years, until they've got some body mass, and wrap with burlap during the winter.
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May 26, 2021 01:16
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The Wonder Weapon posted:Tamped as in I pushed it down with my hands to remove air pockets. I read that you wanted to use some mild to moderate pressure when filling the soil back in, since air pockets could lead to root rot. Okay, so that's not what I feared when you said "tamped". What you did is fine. I would go get something like "liquid deer fence" or similar and keep them sprayed down according to the instructions for now. As to how much water is too much......you're looking for daily for the first week. Just let your hose drip on it for 2-4 hours if you can. Like, literally dripping. Then you need to do the same ever 2-3 days for the next month or so, then once a week. Optimally. And obviously when it's not raining....just skip that day/week/month if it does. They're pretty hardy once they are established. The first couple of months is probably the most important.
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May 26, 2021 01:26
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Looking for some advice on a watering set up. Trying to help my mother in law get a better system. She's got about 10 beds and another 10 newly planted trees that need watering. Right now, the beds are all set up with soaker hoses, but she has to manually move and connect the supply hose to each bed throughout the day. Shes watering the trees by manually moving a dripping hose throughout the day. I'd like to automate and optimize this set up with some timers, and something more permanent that doesn't require moving a ton of hoses. Can anyone offer some guidance and point me in the right direction?
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May 27, 2021 00:45
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eSporks posted:Looking for some advice on a watering set up. Trying to help my mother in law get a better system. There's probably better resources but lee valley sells a bunch of drip and low flow watering solutions. Not knowing any better personally that's where I'd start https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/garden/drip-and-low-flow-irrigation-planning-and-installing-your-system
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May 27, 2021 03:08
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Chad Sexington posted:My morning routine has changed from "smush all aphid invaders" to "smush all aphid invaders and kindly ask cicadas to gently caress off." Cicadas? In your backyard? It’s more likely than you think!  They are absolutely fascinating little buggers though, I kinda feel bad for them and have been trying to avoid stepping on them in the yard. Don’t even want to mow until they’re all done emerging. Like they’re just big bumbling idiots that just want to climb up into the trees and scream at each other, and they’re completely harmless, they just suck down tree root juice while in the ground. Had one hitch a ride on my back inside the house yesterday and start screaming at me until I looked around and saw him sitting on the couch, so I took it back outside and watched it happily fly off into the trees In gardening news, we got the main garden planted with some squash, melon, carrot, beet, and bush pea seeds last weekend!  And the hop Rhizomes finally sprouted!  Really my most annoying issue right now is one of the neighborhood cats has taken to hiding in the lambs ear pile to harrass the birds at the feeder. I really don’t want to move the feeder, I’m just not sure how to deter the little bastard 
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May 27, 2021 14:35
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OSU_Matthew posted:Really my most annoying issue right now is one of the neighborhood cats has taken to hiding in the lambs ear pile to harrass the birds at the feeder. I really don’t want to move the feeder, I’m just not sure how to deter the little bastard Well, you start by getting out your biggest shovel and putting it inside... oh, getting the cat to move and not the plants. Ok then. You just have to make it inhospitable to lay in, so you can try spikes and stakes and things that get in the way, but cats are bad at listening or caring about the existence of other beings. It may just keep laying there until it thinks you’ve given up on the garden and will then go destroy something else. But, if you can make sleeping there uncomfortable then the cat should go away. Maybe.
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May 27, 2021 15:16
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OSU_Matthew posted:Really my most annoying issue right now is one of the neighborhood cats has taken to hiding in the lambs ear pile to harrass the birds at the feeder. I really don’t want to move the feeder, I’m just not sure how to deter the little bastard This is one of the many problems that can be solved by introducing wolves back in to the ecosystem.
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May 27, 2021 15:48
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OSU_Matthew posted:Really my most annoying issue right now is one of the neighborhood cats has taken to hiding in the lambs ear pile to harrass the birds at the feeder. I really don’t want to move the feeder, I’m just not sure how to deter the little bastard Another benefit of drip irrigation systems. Stick a spray head or two in the area, then turn on that circuit when the cat is hanging out. My little white cat gets this treatment if he's sitting in the rhodo under the hummingbird feeders.
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May 27, 2021 16:12
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OSU_Matthew posted:Really my most annoying issue right now is one of the neighborhood cats has taken to hiding in the lambs ear pile to harrass the birds at the feeder. I really don’t want to move the feeder, I’m just not sure how to deter the little bastard I would talk to your neighbor first. If they refuse to budge, check your local laws and see if you are allowed to use a humane animal trap. For example, in my city you are allowed to trap animals. I can even call animal services and they will relocate the animal and return the trap to me. I use this service all the time for squirrels and possums, but I've captured a few stray cats before. It's different for each city though, so check your local laws first. I would return the cat to the owner, but if they refuse to listen, just drop off the cat at an animal shelter and let them know this will continue if they can't keep their cat off of your property.
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May 27, 2021 18:37
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Some points. 1. This is what happens when you use a multiclip or mulching mower for 6 years. Your lawn grows like a gently caress, the grass is so thick the mower has problems mowing it at times. I mean sure it looks nice now, mowed it last night, but it grows so fast it's just an endless battle against the grass. I am so getting a robot mower, saving up next year for a Husqvarna Automower. But I am almost regretting getting a mulching mower. Also learning grass cuttings are super useful for fertilizing all kinds of plants.  2. More positive news, we now have five fruit trees. Apple, Pear, Cherry and two plum trees (closest to camera)  They're flowering really nicely, I think we might get our first pears this year. And the cherries are looking good as well.    EDIT Hmmm there is this thread, and a horticulture thread. What's the difference, where do posts like mine go? Genuinely confused. His Divine Shadow fucked around with this message at 08:02 on May 28, 2021 |
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May 28, 2021 06:46
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in general this one is more food plants and is way more busy during (food)garden growing season, while the other is non-food, but there's overlaps
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May 28, 2021 08:41
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Nosre posted:in general this one is more food plants and is way more busy during (food)garden growing season, while the other is non-food, but there's overlaps There’s a landscaping one too which gets a real mix of posts including “How many gallons of weed killer should I spray on this beautiful slightly overgrown garden bed?” & OCD lawn posts. It may be the best place for mower/power tool selection questions. His Divine Shadow posted:I am so getting a robot mower, saving up next year for a Husqvarna Automower. But I am almost regretting getting a mulching mower. Sheep, consider them. OSU_Matthew posted:Really my most annoying issue right now is one of the neighborhood cats has taken to hiding in the lambs ear pile to harrass the birds at the feeder. I really don’t want to move the feeder, I’m just not sure how to deter the little bastard If you have a hose nearby, a battery operated motion sensor sprayer works well for keeping cats off my beds, and is tunable (distance sensitivity, water pressure, spray arc) to the point that it should work for your use case very well. Or maybe try a peppermint oil cat repellant or sprinkling chilli powder in the area. It’s useful to know that birds are totally immune to chili, but rodents and other mammals are not. Or if you have any spiky spiky blackberries, cut some branches and stick them underneath the lambs ear. wooger fucked around with this message at 10:48 on May 28, 2021 |
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May 28, 2021 10:42
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wooger posted:There’s a landscaping one too which gets a real mix of posts including “How many gallons of weed killer should I spray on this beautiful slightly overgrown garden bed?” & OCD lawn posts. Be careful with the blackberry canes, you can easily propagate them that way. Dried canes should work just fine for that.
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May 28, 2021 14:01
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Just saw a chunky friggin catepillar on my blueberry leaves, I smooshed it but what can I do to keep them from eating my little guys?
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May 28, 2021 14:32
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Smoosh them (I toss them into the woods personally)
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May 28, 2021 14:37
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GreenBuckanneer posted:Just saw a chunky friggin catepillar on my blueberry leaves, I smooshed it but what can I do to keep them from eating my little guys? Bt is an organic pesticide that is harmless to most things but it makes caterpillars of all sorts literally puke their guts out until they die
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May 28, 2021 15:02
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wooger posted:Sheep, consider them. Not really practical where I am unfortunately, too densely built and not hedged in. A coworker has sheep which he mainly raises for the meat (since they're ok to eat according to halal rules or something), but he lives more rurally. Wolves have been an issue recently too, had to install electric fences.
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May 28, 2021 15:06
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