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MarshallX posted:I'm glad you guys have survivors...I lost all of my 12 tomato plants and 12 pepper plants including cayenne, jalapeno and bell pepper. I lucked out, it got very cold last night and I was sick and left my dahlias uncovered! Strangely, they are looking quite happy now. So I suppose they don't like the heat. One of my coleus bit it, but the rest in the boarder are doing okay. May: the most stressful month
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May 19, 2009 14:54
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I've about given up on flowers and stuff at the place I'm at now - the back garden doesn't get much sun anyway and the bulbs don't want to bloom very much. Small narcissus (baby daffodils), daffodils, tulips, snowdrops and dahlias are all not coming up hardly at all this year...I think my narcissus and snowdrops are crammed in to tight in the same pots, but the daffodils didn't even come up and most of the dahlias are taking their time. The tulips are just refusing to do anything! I got most of these bulbs just because they're perennial and thus 'easy' to take care of but I'm wondering what else I can be doing with the planters now. For those of you guys planting leafy veg like spinach, lettuce, etc., how often do you plant new seeds? I'm able to harvest quite a lot of salad leaves every week for the past 3-4 weeks now but I'm wondering when I should plant another batch of seeds so I have a continual supply.
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May 19, 2009 15:11
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krushgroove posted:I've about given up on flowers and stuff at the place I'm at now - the back garden doesn't get much sun anyway and the bulbs don't want to bloom very much. Small narcissus (baby daffodils), daffodils, tulips, snowdrops and dahlias are all not coming up hardly at all this year...I think my narcissus and snowdrops are crammed in to tight in the same pots, but the daffodils didn't even come up and most of the dahlias are taking their time. The tulips are just refusing to do anything! I got most of these bulbs just because they're perennial and thus 'easy' to take care of but I'm wondering what else I can be doing with the planters now. Did you just get the bulbs? They can be picky, and I think it's past time for daffodils to be coming in.
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May 19, 2009 15:16
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Sorry, wasn't clear - I planted the bulbs 2 autumns ago, so most of them came up kind of pathetically last spring, and this spring they came up sorta pathetica again. The tulips haven't come up to see the light of day at all so far  I just don't have enough space to put everything where the sun shines most of the day, and I guess I have to prioritize the vegetables higher so they get the sun.
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May 19, 2009 15:28
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krushgroove posted:Sorry, wasn't clear - I planted the bulbs 2 autumns ago, so most of them came up kind of pathetically last spring, and this spring they came up sorta pathetica again. The tulips haven't come up to see the light of day at all so far That's probably the culprit, which is too bad if you want some nice flowers you could try to spread wildflower mix in that spot?
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May 19, 2009 20:43
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Anyone have any idea why squash plants (pumpkin, butternut, delicata) would suddenly die off? Temperature has been mostly fine (although getting a bit warmer), and they've kept moist. Were green and healthy for a while, and then just died away. Also, my pumpkin appears to have small red insects of about half an inch all around and on it. Anyone know what those are?
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May 19, 2009 20:44
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Seluin posted:Anyone have any idea why squash plants (pumpkin, butternut, delicata) would suddenly die off? Temperature has been mostly fine (although getting a bit warmer), and they've kept moist. Were green and healthy for a while, and then just died away. Those are probably related- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_spider_mite Or, small slugs chewing through stems at the base.
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May 19, 2009 22:54
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How can I perk up my dahlias? They seem to hate the heat, last night was very cold and they looked great - their leaves were stiffer and standing up and facing the light. As soon as it warmed up to about 10c, they wilted again. It was raining, so they have plenty of water. What am I supposed to do? I was afraid the cold would kill them... but they seem to hate the warm sun!
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May 19, 2009 23:01
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Stake them when they get big? That's what I did last year. This year there's no sign of my dahlias and I'm pissed off because I picked out a really pretty variety called Park Princess that was supposed to be huge and frilly.
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May 20, 2009 00:12
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madlilnerd posted:Stake them when they get big? That's what I did last year. This year there's no sign of my dahlias and I'm pissed off because I picked out a really pretty variety called Park Princess that was supposed to be huge and frilly. They are currently staked and just obscenely large, my window is sunny and somehow they were taking plant steroids. The leaves are wilty though and I am not sure if they are going to make it I feel bad for you dahlia people, I gave some of mine away because too many were too big.
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May 20, 2009 02:06
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Tequila Mockingbird posted:How can I perk up my dahlias? They seem to hate the heat, last night was very cold and they looked great - their leaves were stiffer and standing up and facing the light. As soon as it warmed up to about 10c, they wilted again. It was raining, so they have plenty of water. What am I supposed to do? I was afraid the cold would kill them... but they seem to hate the warm sun! Have you tried wetting the leaves too when you water them? If that doesn't work, if they lost a bunch of roots in the process of moving them, you might want to trim the tops so the plant is once again in balance.
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May 20, 2009 03:01
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I used to have two cedars in my back yard that were starting to get big, so I had them taken out before they got too big to even attempt it. With them gone, I decided to build some raised beds in the area they used to shade. Two days of hard work and now I have these four 8'x4' beds. Also here is my small plot that I planted about a month ago. That was a little early so the tomatoes and peppers haven't done much until this past week. Also in there are two artichokes, butter crunch lettuce, broccoli, and parsley that held over from last year. The cherry tomato plant in the front left is barely visible as I accidentally broke the stem a week after planting, but it's starting to grow back. The empty space will be filled in soon. 
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May 20, 2009 04:51
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Zeta Taskforce posted:Have you tried wetting the leaves too when you water them? If that doesn't work, if they lost a bunch of roots in the process of moving them, you might want to trim the tops so the plant is once again in balance. Thanks. The leaves have gotten really wet in the rain we've had, so a good chop might do them good. Where should I chop, above or below a leaf section? I know some plants are picky about pruning.
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May 20, 2009 13:30
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Tequila Mockingbird posted:Thanks. The leaves have gotten really wet in the rain we've had, so a good chop might do them good. Where should I chop, above or below a leaf section? I know some plants are picky about pruning. If you need to prune, you are better off doing it right above a node where a leaf joins the stem. Scissors would probably work the best.
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May 20, 2009 22:25
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Zeta Taskforce posted:If you need to prune, you are better off doing it right above a node where a leaf joins the stem. Scissors would probably work the best. Thanks for the help, I hope it works!
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May 20, 2009 22:37
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What would cause tiny baby tomatoes to crack wide open from the bottom up? I've had several do this since yesterday afternoon. The ground is still very moist. Maybe theres just been too much water and now that it hasn't rained in a whole 4 day span they aren't used to it?
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May 20, 2009 22:52
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I've had that happen on many tomatoes, I still haven't cracked them yet. I guess I have to learn one plant type each year. Also I think this was missed: krushgroove posted:For those of you guys planting leafy veg like spinach, lettuce, etc., how often do you plant new seeds? I'm able to harvest quite a lot of salad leaves every week for the past 3-4 weeks now but I'm wondering when I should plant another batch of seeds so I have a continual supply.
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May 21, 2009 00:15
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^^I do every three weeks, depends on your usage.ChaoticSeven posted:What would cause tiny baby tomatoes to crack wide open from the bottom up? I've had several do this since yesterday afternoon. The ground is still very moist. Maybe theres just been too much water and now that it hasn't rained in a whole 4 day span they aren't used to it? It isn't too much or too little water, it is inconsistent water. Usually happens if they are very dry when they get heavy rain. It just might not have shown until now.
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May 21, 2009 00:16
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HeatherChandler posted:^^I do every three weeks, depends on your usage. Cool, I guess I need to get the seed trays ready then 
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May 21, 2009 00:35
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Well, the ground hasn't been dry here for a long, long long time. So I guess it was too much water. Hopefully all of the first crop doesn't do this...
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May 21, 2009 00:47
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I got a bunch of tomatoes ready for transplanting into hanging pots. Any tips? I was thinking of using regular pots with the hole in the bottom, and using some sort of wire slip harness underneath the lip to hold them. Should I get cheesecloth or some sort of screen to hold in the soil around the stem?
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May 21, 2009 04:29
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Me and my wife started our first garden back in end of Feb. We live in a apartment but her Mother let us build one in her backyard if she could get some of the veg. Here is the main plot we are using, we first took off the top lay of soil and grass transplanted it to dead spots around the yard. Then we got some huge pile of compost from a guy that does mushroom farming. We tilled in the compost and got a fence built around it around March 10.  Here it is now, we planted some Cherry and Beef Tomatoes,Bush Beans,Yellow Squash,carrots, and okra.   We did another section but did not take out the grass, straight tilled with compost and planted some Sweet Corn and some melons my wife wanted.   Our Beef tomatoes and getting destroyed by some freaky looking bug, they are not touching the Cherry toms though. We are going to let some of the beef toms grow a bit more then pick them to let them ripen in a window. We don't want to use any chemicals so we are thinking of pulling the beef tom plants out and try something else there. Most of the other plants are not getting over run with insects. The potatoes had some of their leaves being eaten but that was near the end, we already pulled all them up and gotten a nice load of spuds. We have some old potatoes that are ready to be planted to renew that crop. Here is a picture of about a 1/5 of our potato crop, with a few beans and squash.  
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May 21, 2009 05:45
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Very cool! Nice plots you have there. I think my first and second early potatoes are about ready for harvesting, it's been a couple of months since I planted them. Does anyone know if early varieties of potatoes can be planted 'later'? As in now? I didn't have space to plant out all the seed potatoes I got from the DIY store, and I have the main crop seed potatoes to plant yet, but I could find more containers at a push for the earlies.
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May 21, 2009 09:05
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My strawberries are turning red  Also I think my peas might just be a lost cause. If they haven't flowered by now surely they won't have time to before June gets here and the heat kills them off. Maybe I'll just go ahead and yank them and use the pots to plant my strawberry runners and some pole beans.
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May 22, 2009 03:39
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Chajara posted:My strawberries are turning red I guess it won't help you this late, but what have you been fertilizing with, or is your potting soil heavy in time release fertilizer? I know if there is too much nitrogen in the soil peas will end up with lots of foliage and very few flowers, but I don't know about it causing no flowers--that is my only guess as far as troubleshooting for next year goes. I'm getting all emo over gardening, I waited way too long to order melon seeds. I need to start them NOW really. Every place I've checked that sells seeds is out of or doesn't carry any of the smaller/dwarfed varieties. Now I've got a spot in the warmest spot reserved for a Charentais or a Honey Bun Bush or a Minnesota Midget, but don't really trust that anything will get here on time if I order. I can try and engineer a way to let a fullsize melon trail out of the garden and down the lawn (plot is carved into the hill) but given my past experience rigging things, probably a waste of time.  On the bright side, everything else is in, all I have to do now is mulch! Having a debate over pinching pepper buds, I've been pinching while they were waiting for transplant but now that they are in the ground I don't have the heart. Waiting for buds to open is torture: Mystery hot pepper  Bell pepper 
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May 22, 2009 05:19
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Yeah I fed them way too much tomato food I think because I wanted them to grow well and more food is better right?  Ah well, live and learn. I might plant more this fall and they're not getting poo poo except maybe just something mixed into the soil before I plant them. Our nearby farmer's market is starting next week so I can just get fresh snap peas from them.
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May 22, 2009 05:31
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Chajara posted:Yeah I fed them way too much tomato food I think because I wanted them to grow well and more food is better right? Give the soil a good turn this fall, and turn some plant matter under it, like grass clippings. You get a little bit of composting action going on, which can help your soil out. Maybe grow a heavy feeder to get all of that nitrogen out, like corn or just a winter wheat. That can even out your soil. May dahlias are looking a little bit happier now that I've pruned them, but the frost has been relentless this year. Luckily, echinacea is frost-hardy. Coleus is not I bought some seeds of a different variety and scattered them where the dead coleus are but I don't have much hope What's a squat, quick-growing, shade loving flower I can use as a border? lots of red and purple in my garden so maybe white or yellow flowering?
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May 22, 2009 13:12
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I'm actually in an apartment and have all my plants in pots on my balcony, but thanks anyway for the advice. Someday I'll have a yard with actual soil to turn and space for things like corn. I'll probably have to just buy new bags of soil, which is no big deal. I wonder, though, it'd be alright to let my strawberry runners root in that soil wouldn't it? I've got three of them coming off one of my plants and they need somewhere to go soon. I've been feeding the strawberries the same way I did the peas (Miracle grow tomato feed every two weeks) and they're absolutely thriving with plenty of berries and the three runners, so unless one of you guys knows something I don't I'll probably put them in one of the pea pots just as soon as I can convince myself to pull them up. I hate to just destroy two big pots of perfectly healthy but non-productive peas, especially since I have no rabbits or anything to eat them. Seems like such a waste.
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May 22, 2009 15:13
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Tequila Mockingbird posted:echinacea is frost-hardy. Coleus is not Coleus is an annual. Some coleus will reseed themselves, depending on your climate. Do you want to use a ground cover near your veggie garden? That's a bad idea, as it would spread in all directions, including into your garden. I'm not a huge fan of most ground covers, as they tend to be too "quick-growing", bordering on invasive. You could try something in the Dead Nettle family, they come in all kinds of flower and foliage colors. And it behaves itself too!
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May 22, 2009 18:26
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Would you guys say I am OK to replant this weekend? I'm near Detroit.
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May 22, 2009 20:09
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I知 so worried about my garden. After spending the better part of 100 hours digging out 5 surprisingly massive tree stumps and 50 foot lengths of a tangled mass of tree roots buried up to two feet deep, all that mixed in with cinder blocks, bricks, granite paving stones, on Monday I finally planted it. I still have windrows of stones and roots piled up along the sides, but I feel like I already spent way too much time getting it ready. What I didn稚 plan on was the last two days being in the mid 90痴 with about 10% humidity and 40 mile per hour wind gusts. And last week it was cold and drizzly. Gotta love New England. I知 resigned to get what I get and just happy that I知 not going to starve either way. Next year I should get an earlier start since all I値l have to do is plant it. I値l post pictures soon and start hauling out the roots after that.
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May 22, 2009 21:06
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kid sinister posted:Coleus is an annual. Some coleus will reseed themselves, depending on your climate. Ah, I am a rebel and just growing pretty flowers. My garden is not in a good place to plant vegetables, it's too shady. I have three tomato plants growing in a sunny window, though! I will check out the dead nettles, thanks for the advice. My coleus didn't get to the flowering stage... they were in the ground for about a week before the rocky mountains hosed it all up. Tequila Mockingbird fucked around with this message at 04:09 on May 23, 2009 |
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May 23, 2009 04:06
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MarshallX posted:Would you guys say I am OK to replant this weekend? I'm near Detroit. http://cdo.ncdc.noaa.gov/climatenormals/clim20supp1/states/MI.pdf This is what you will want to look at, for frost dates at least. For warm season crops at least you want above 36, since they are not frost tolerant at all. So for the Detroit metro area you should be ok (90% chance) after May 28th. You can pinpoint your area closer on that chart though. Keep in mind that you have a fairly short season so if you plant any late varieties, have a plan in place for an early frost. In short season areas I personally think it really is worth having a spring backup plan to get a jumpstart--I know you didn't want to scramble to cover everything but your garden is relatively small so row covers, homemade or otherwise, and black plastic to warm soil, should be affordable. It might suck to have to replace everything but it sucks even worse to tend crops all season and have a frost before harvest. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Of course, it is all a matter of choice! I do err on the side of caution, as I have probably said already.
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May 23, 2009 06:34
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Almost overnight my healthy looking courgettes have been 100% butchered by greenfly. They are goners.
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May 23, 2009 15:10
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Zeta Taskforce posted:I知 so worried about my garden. After spending the better part of 100 hours digging out 5 surprisingly massive tree stumps and 50 foot lengths of a tangled mass of tree roots buried up to two feet deep, all that mixed in with cinder blocks, bricks, granite paving stones, on Monday I finally planted it. I still have windrows of stones and roots piled up along the sides, but I feel like I already spent way too much time getting it ready. What I didn稚 plan on was the last two days being in the mid 90痴 with about 10% humidity and 40 mile per hour wind gusts. And last week it was cold and drizzly. Gotta love New England. I知 resigned to get what I get and just happy that I知 not going to starve either way. Yeah, have faith that the first year is the major pain in the rear end and after that it's generally a hell of a lot easier. Starting any kind of garden is a long term project with a lot of front heavy work, but an oh-so-rewarding experience in the end.
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May 24, 2009 07:20
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Anubis posted:Yeah, have faith that the first year is the major pain in the rear end and after that it's generally a hell of a lot easier. Starting any kind of garden is a long term project with a lot of front heavy work, but an oh-so-rewarding experience in the end. Thanks for the encouragement. You are not telling me anything I didn't know, but it is always nice to have someone else say the same thing as the voices in my head! As I was digging it out, I was thinking I might harvest something like 30,000 calories and I probably burnt something like 50,000 calories over the last month in all my free time ripping through the soil. How did our ancestors do it when they depended on their gardens to feed themselves?Also, does anyone have any experience with Jerusalem Artichokes? I just ordered some. I have a garage that has what started out as a flower bed but has been overgrown with this weedy queen anne's lace. These are the piles of rocks, roots, and rubble that I still have to remove  One of the stumps that I dug out that was next to my foundation. I thought it was a bush, it turns out it was a tree that the previous owners chopped down before they put the house on the market. Only a few nubs were above the soil when I started. Note the keys.  Ready to plant  Taken last monday, May 18th. Don't know if it's going to work having the bean poles straddle the two beds. If it doesn't turn out to be a complete abortion, next year I want to have a bean tunnel. 
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May 24, 2009 20:57
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Here are some Pictures of the garden (Group Pic) (This is a crosspost from GWS > Gardening Megathread. So nothing new if you are following both, like myself) Peppers Black Cuban Up-close of Pepper: This is an ornamental from Cuba that turns from dark purple/black to bright red. It is supposed to be quite hot, although it is mostly bred for its looks so the heat level can be a surprise. I really enjoy the dark purple plant. Cajamarca(Multi-colored Habanero No Peppers, yet: This is a habanero from the Chile Pepper Institute that changes colors from violet to red. Supposedly, it will have a spicy-citrus scent and fuity undertone. Despite not having any peppers yet, this may be my healthiest plant. It is a chinense so it is supposed to take longer. California Wonder (Red Bell) No Peppers, yet: Your standard bell pepper. These seeds must have been old, and they took about 10 days longer to germinate than any of the others. Therefore, it is a little slower than the rest. Hopefully, it will start producing soon. NuMex Eclipse Up-close of Pepper: I am guessing this is an Eclipse, but it was in a mix pack so it may be premature. They may be orange (sunset), yellow (sunrise), and purple (eclipse). They are supposed to be medium heat, and I hope to stuff these guys. NuMex Pinata (Colorful Jalapeno) Up-close of Pepper: These are supposed to be identical in taste and heat to a jalapeno, but colorful. They will change from green to yellow. Yellow to orange and finally red. This is my least healthy looking plant, and yet it is still doing just fine. So I am pleased. Pimient de Espelette Up-close of Pepper: A pepper from the Basque region. Supposedly, it has a medium heat with a unique flavor. I have never had one, so when they are ripe, I will have to find some regional recipes that call for this pepper. Takanotsume Up-close of Pepper: Japanese heirloom known as Hawk Claw chile. They grow in clusters that appear talon-like and are very hot. Another one I have never tried, but am quite anxious. Eggplant Fairy Tale Hybrid: This is the only eggplant I am growing. It does well in containers, and produces 4-6inch eggplants. They are purple with white stripes, and are not bitter. This is one I have not tried, either. I also have another one growing in the ground back near the end of the yard. Tomatoes I am trying the Topsy Turvy. I have to say, they seem to enjoy the setup. I ran out of space indoors and they did not get the best chance to harden off. Some of the initial leaves got sun scald, but all is well. Here is a picture.. The two on the right and left are an heirloom from Kosovo. They are supposedly a nice pink colored oxheart. The two in the center and back are Paul Robeson (a black variety). Here is a closeup of some flowers on the Robeson. I have another Kosovo planted in soil in the back yard, as well as a Giant Belgian. I am most pleased with Tumbling Tom (Cherry Tomato). These little guys are strong and healthy and growing at a furious pace. They will eventually grown down over the side and produce clusters of cherry tomatoes, like a hanging basket. Here is a closeup of flowers on the other Tumbling Tom. I have two pots, one with just one in the container, the other with two. So besides a few other peppers, tomatoes, and an eggplant in the back, this is the garden. It is doing quite well, and I am happy with the results so far.
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May 24, 2009 21:14
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I successfully chased away the fungus gnats, only to have Verticillium set up shop in all my tomatoes. This year has been a learning experience. Welp, time to harvest what I can and then scorch the earth. There should still be time enough for seedlings right?
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May 24, 2009 22:03
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Ominous Balls posted:There should still be time enough for seedlings right? Absolutely. Some people just plant a second set of tomato plants in late June rather than trying to keep the same plants alive and producing all summer.
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May 24, 2009 23:04
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Costello Jello posted:Absolutely. Some people just plant a second set of tomato plants in late June rather than trying to keep the same plants alive and producing all summer. I am so, so jealous of you people with long growing seasons. I started a container garden setup this weekend. I'm growing cucumbers, lettuce mix, kohlrabi (bf's favourite) and tomatoes. I've also been issued a warning, if I come home with any more plants I'm gonna have to move out.
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May 24, 2009 23:53
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