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 It's happening! Top shelf is chilies, middle shelf is tomatillos, creeping thyme and pink celery. Bottom shelf is some poblanos I got and my just-transplanted tomatoes that spent too long in seedling trays.
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Apr 2, 2023 18:21
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Nice thoughts from Jenks Farmer on the whole lawn controversy: https://jenksfarmer.substack.com/p/the-polarization-of-grass?r=1ct9w8
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Apr 2, 2023 19:15
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Spikes32 posted:For vegetable garden mulches, I can get wood chips for free. Is the nitrogen loss enough of a concern I should go out and buy hay or straw mulch instead? Just adding to the list of "it's fine" replies. Arborist waste (everything goes in the chipper) in particular is great stuff, breaks down quickly and makes wonderful soil. If you go No Dig it's just a matter of pulling the mulch aside to plant through into the soil. I'd be careful if you have black walnut in your area. The chips contain juglone a natural herbicide (and natural food dye, apparently  ) and will poison horses through their feet if used as stall bedding. Fun stuff.Our local red cedar is avoided by a lot of gardeners. It's been shown to be mycopathic but not allelopathic, killing fungus but not plants. One could argue that killing fungal networks that enhance plant growth isn't a good thing so I avoid using it in the garden. It works great as a perimeter path around the entire garden as the invasive European Garden Slug isn't willing to cross it. Going out at night with a flashlight to check the perimeter feels like something out of a zombie movie. They're out there, waiting... Ruth Stout to the contrary I don't recommend mulching with hay. Could just be the species of hay but weeding out the dense green fuzz after a few weeks was a lot of work. Straw is usually okay in most of the continent but the straw we get here has a lot of seeds in it, so similar problem to the hay. There's also the problem of aminopyralid herbicide commonly used to control Canadian Thistle on pasture land. Sucks when that stuff hits your seedlings. We use a lot of horse manure compost but since then never until it's at least 2 years old. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2D1idnMNKng
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Apr 2, 2023 19:32
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Thanks all free wood chips from the county it is
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Apr 2, 2023 21:28
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Kaiser Schnitzel posted:Nice thoughts from Jenks Farmer on the whole lawn controversy: I've got lots of little onions, bittercress and periwinkle going right now. Dropped our lawn guy for an electric mower because I want to let our poo poo lawn go for pollinators sake more often this year.
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Apr 2, 2023 23:22
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A tree I bought last year and let sit dormant in the garage over the winter appears to be coming out of dormancy (it's got little leaves starting to come out), so I guess I need to get it into the ground sooner rather than later. Anything to do to help a slightly un-dormant tree going into the ground?
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Apr 3, 2023 00:27
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Usually a shovel. Jokes aside, this is the first year we've kept any potted fruit trees and two ginkgo trees around over the winter and what a surreal experience. All of those things looked dead, dead, dead through a really mild winter but then all of a sudden green leaves. I'm pretty good at raising vegetables but tree people are a whole next level of nature whisperers.
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Apr 4, 2023 00:20
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I impulse bought a strawberry plant! Are each group of stalks a separate plant? Would I be able to repot this into three different containers? 
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Apr 5, 2023 07:38
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Yeah! It looks like you might have more than 3 in there. Each group has a "crown" they grow from at the base there. They'll produce runners that make more plants once they get situated too so you can put them in pots w some room to grow and you'll get even more plants.
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Apr 5, 2023 08:19
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I impulse bought some strawberries too and stuck them in my asparagus bed. The runners are bonus plants in the make but you got extras!
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Apr 5, 2023 10:05
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So, I'm really excited! I'm growing: - Gazania - Sweet Pea - Arugula - Forget Me Not - Marigold I'm using crappy IKEA pots that don't have any drainage holes. I started the seeds off in potting soil last week and was watering them daily in the morning. I basically pour water on the pot until it's just below saturated (ie, any more water and there would be a visible water level just above the soil). The next morning, the soil is visibly drier and takes quite a lot of water to get back to just-under-saturation levels. The seeds have all started to sprout, so I figure I should dial back the watering in order not to drown the roots? That being said, this post is mainly to ask what I can add to the soil to make it retain moisture better? Perlite?This potting soil dries out super fast and I feel like it'll make watering them once they've got developed roots much more finicky, with the added risk of them suffering from stress if I so much as miss a single watering. Anyway, I forgot how therapeutic and fun gardening can be. I was apprehensive this past week not seeing any signs of life, but now - all of a sudden - I've got shoots sprouting up and all reaching for sunlight and it's great to see. I can't wait for them to become bigger. I don't know if they will be fine sat on the windowsill of my east-facing window, should I move them to a south-facing one?
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Apr 5, 2023 16:14
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Chad Sexington posted:I impulse bought some strawberries too and stuck them in my asparagus bed. Strawberries can be an excellent ground cover, but they *will* spread. I wouldnt descibe them as particularly annoying to maintain, but you do have to tend to them or they will crowd out other plants. Pictured: some very happy berries this morning, I am very excited to eat all of them later this month 
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Apr 5, 2023 16:41
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drk posted:Strawberries can be an excellent ground cover, but they *will* spread. I wouldnt descibe them as particularly annoying to maintain, but you do have to tend to them or they will crowd out other plants. Do you have problems with them gets too dense? Mine tend to do better when the 4x8 planters are only 2/3rd full.
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Apr 5, 2023 16:52
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Hexigrammus posted:
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Apr 5, 2023 17:04
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Calidus posted:Do you have problems with them gets too dense? Mine tend to do better when the 4x8 planters are only 2/3rd full. These are woodland strawberries (Fragaria vesca) that are native to my area. Haven't had any issues with density, if anything they like to grow dense and produce an absolute ton of fruit during spring. The only density related issue is that they will crowd out (or even grow on top of) other low growing plants. I dont really have any experience with the hybrids that produce the big kind of fruit you'd see in the grocery store.
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Apr 5, 2023 17:20
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drk posted:Strawberries can be an excellent ground cover, but they *will* spread. I wouldnt descibe them as particularly annoying to maintain, but you do have to tend to them or they will crowd out other plants. I guess asparagus and strawberries are popular bed companions because the strawberries hang out near the surface and the asparagus are left alone down below. I'm less worried about the berries taking over than the birds stealing all the berries. Qubee posted:So, I'm really excited! I'm growing: I would drill drainage holes if at all possible. What are the pots made of? Stuff like terracotta can wick away a lot of moisture. I'd actually expect pots with no drainage and just some seedlings to have too much water if anything. Better to err on the drier side in my experience. And a south-facing window is probably best. You can try on the east and if they start looking like they're reaching for the light, move em.
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Apr 5, 2023 17:26
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They're just cheapo plastic IKEA pots. I'll add drainage holes.
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Apr 5, 2023 18:00
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Anyone used sweetgum pods for mulch? My tree produces them faster than they compost and now I have 8 lawn bags full of them.
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Apr 6, 2023 18:05
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Calidus posted:Anyone used sweetgum pods for mulch? My tree produces them faster than they compost and now I have 8 lawn bags full of them. I don't have answer. I looked up sweetgum and realized you are talking about my childhood 'spikey ball' thing we all threw at each other. Thanks! My question: Anyone have a suggestion for a ( I'm assuming herb ) that grows in about 2 inches of soil that is kept regularly moist and is also indirect sunlight. I'd prefer something I can actually use in the kitchen if possible. Otherwise I'll take ornamental suggestions.
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Apr 6, 2023 22:28
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sterster posted:I don't have answer. I looked up sweetgum and realized you are talking about my childhood 'spikey ball' thing we all threw at each other. Thanks! Whats underneath the 2 in of soil? A lot of perennial herbs are pretty tolerant of poor conditions, but if its 2 inches on top of cement or something, that might be more challenging.
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Apr 6, 2023 22:57
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sterster posted:I don't have answer. I looked up sweetgum and realized you are talking about my childhood 'spikey ball' thing we all threw at each other. Thanks! Seems a good spot for some creeping thyme. It would like bright indirect light, but it can definitely exist in 2” of soil that’s regularly moist.
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Apr 6, 2023 23:16
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This is specifically the planter - https://www.shirinoku.com/nokucanvasbuy.html "under the soil" is more like open air with a string to wick up water from a reservoir It was purchase prior to knowing poo poo about plants. Now I'd like to put it to some use and like I said preferably something in the kitchen because that's where they are hung. Otherwise I was going to probably do one of their house plant suggestions. Additionally the challenge is that it uses wicking for water and may be to wet for the Thyme ( that likes simi dry soil right? ). I did put some Thyme clippings I propagated and they died within about 2 week. Another one I threw some Green onion scraps into and I think they are also going to die soon but so far they put on about 1cm of growth. sterster fucked around with this message at 23:39 on Apr 6, 2023 |
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Apr 6, 2023 23:26
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Oh, indoor planters are something else all together. There probably won't be enough sunlight to grow culinary herbs, but there are plenty of ornamental houseplants that are pretty indestructible. With some supplemental light, you might be able to do basil
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Apr 6, 2023 23:40
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Oh, that’s more hydroponic than soil. Thyme will not enjoy that as much and you’d need to start out with a clump of them. I wouldn’t do thyme or most herbs with a wicking system though, they tend to prefer to dry out so an ebb and flow and some clay balls to maintain moisture better. It’s a cool planter too, the pictures have mostly plants that like or don’t mind wet feet though.
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Apr 7, 2023 00:03
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sterster posted:This is specifically the planter - https://www.shirinoku.com/nokucanvasbuy.html Mint might work. It does pretty well in moist conditions. Otherwise houseplants.
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Apr 7, 2023 00:07
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Calidus posted:Anyone used sweetgum pods for mulch? My tree produces them faster than they compost and now I have 8 lawn bags full of them. I'm having a hard time composing a polite reply here but what the gently caress. They can be amusing one year but then they get a little traction and my goodness chainsaws and tractors get involved. I guess you could burn them? Edit: Not that chainsaws and tractors aren't fun but my god you're setting yourself up for a mess.
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Apr 7, 2023 00:26
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Goats love sweet gum trees.
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Apr 7, 2023 00:34
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I one really large one in my front yard probably 40ft tall. If it wasn’t the only tree in my front yard it would get removed. The pods are all empty, so I am not worried about more trees. I got idea for mulch from googling.
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Apr 7, 2023 00:36
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I don't mean to sound like a jerk and I apologize if I did. We have a solid little stand of them between two properties and they cause havoc on driveways and yards both. Pain in my rear end. I have literally never heard anyone use them for compost but if that's a thing I'm all ears. The god drat things are everywhere.
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Apr 7, 2023 01:28
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Never heard of a sweetgum, but apparently they are called liquid amber out west? can confirm these are extremely cursed: 
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Apr 7, 2023 01:45
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They fall in my parents' garden beds all the time and I guess they were basically acting like mulch and rotted down and stuff. There's not a giant pile of undecomposed sweetgum balls back there or anything e: drk posted:Never heard of a sweetgum, but apparently they are called liquid amber out west? E2: it’s a sweet gum turkey and it and other sweet gums have their sap used to make styrax which is apparently a perfume ingredient? Sweet gum sap is neat and rubbery and smells nice, as do the crushed leaves. E3: apparently taxonomically they are even in their own family and are really pretty weird as far as trees go. The flowers are weird little doctor Seuss-ish tiny broccoli lookin things E4: apparently you can make tamiflu out of sweetgum balls?! I’ve always thought of them as trash trees especially if they aren’t in bottomland but maybe they’re actually cool and good? Kaiser Schnitzel fucked around with this message at 02:53 on Apr 7, 2023 |
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Apr 7, 2023 02:08
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The important thing is that they hurt like hell under the arch of a bare foot.
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Apr 7, 2023 02:33
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Nature's lego
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Apr 7, 2023 02:49
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I planted eight fruit tree/shrubs before leaving on a weeklong trip to another country. I got back and only one of them is dead! So I'll need another Nanking cherry to replace it. I might have to move one of the plums, it doesn't seem as happy as its fellow, but it could also just be a late bloomer. The redcurrant I planted last year is suddenly showing green, which gives me hope for the still-scrubby blackcurrant and elderberries I stuck in the dirt earlier in the year. The raspberries and wineberry seem to all be greening up nicely as well. The figs still look like weird dead sticks, but they'll look like that until June pretty much. ...the raised bed has nothing in it yet, I need to sheet mulch it and restart a couple seeds... Though shockingly not every start died after a week of utter neglect
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Apr 7, 2023 22:41
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thunderdome winner
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drk posted:Never heard of a sweetgum, but apparently they are called liquid amber out west? Unrelated; do expiration dates on fertilizers mean they just become less effective?
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Apr 7, 2023 23:26
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That Old Ganon posted:Grew up on the west coast and can confirm; we threw these at each other as kids. They were rumored to have itching powder in them! The sycamore in our front yard was perfect for this. Chuck the pods good and hard and they explode into fuzzy dandelion‐like seeds that stick to clothes and get into everything. (Pods must be ripe. Unripe pods usually result in tears.)
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Apr 7, 2023 23:52
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My garlic I planted in the fall is coming up and it has delighted me to no end. I did not get it together to start seeds indoors this year, but I'm hoping to direct sow some lettuce seeds soon and see what happens.
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Apr 8, 2023 00:38
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That Old Ganon posted:Unrelated; do expiration dates on fertilizers mean they just become less effective? I imagine it mostly means that fertilizer companies what more money.
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Apr 8, 2023 01:59
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Chernobyl Princess posted:I planted eight fruit tree/shrubs before leaving on a weeklong trip to another country. I got back and only one of them is dead! So I'll need another Nanking cherry to replace it. I've had bad luck with Nanking cherries. I think I've planted a total of 15 so far and only 2 have survived. I might try again and grow the bare root plants in pots for a couple of years before planting them out to be exposed to disease, deer, and the occasional mower. That Old Ganon posted:Unrelated; do expiration dates on fertilizers mean they just become less effective? What type of fertilizer? My chinchilla dust (rock dust fertilizer equivalent) has an expiry date, I remain skeptical. Hexigrammus fucked around with this message at 06:50 on Apr 8, 2023 |
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Apr 8, 2023 06:43
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Hexigrammus posted:I've had bad luck with Nanking cherries. I think I've planted a total of 15 so far and only 2 have survived. I might try again and grow the bare root plants in pots for a couple of years before planting them out to be exposed to disease, deer, and the occasional mower. I'm at the very southern edge of their climate range, so I'm not holding out much hope... I've got a guy who successfully grows them a few miles away so I may try to get a cutting/graft from him to replace this one rather than ordering from the Internet
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Apr 8, 2023 09:00
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