|
welp my tomatoes were just recovering from an over-watering spell and then flood-level rain decided to come in.  Oh well at least my herbs are still doing fine...
|
#
?
Oct 2, 2009 00:59
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 16, 2024 06:07 |
|
|
Nice stuff Jovial, looks like the family had a fun time 
|
|
#
?
Oct 2, 2009 04:23
|
|
|
Slung Blade posted:Nice stuff Jovial, looks like the family had a fun time Yeah, the kids seem to dig it. ha.
|
|
#
?
Oct 2, 2009 04:58
|
|
|
jovial_cynic posted:Yeah, the kids seem to dig it. Where did you get seeds for the salvia? I know of a million places to buy pot seeds, but I've never seen salvia ones around. Anyway, my garden update is thus. -tried an autumn sowing of carrots, they all got slugged -tomatoes ripening very slowly, the ones I have eaten tasted good cooked (they were a bit battle scarred and/or chewed so I didn't want to raw them, although I think I did have one in a salad) -The pumpkin continues to grow but shows no sign of getting blue-er -Happy leeks! I should probably do another thinning or earth them up a bit more so they get some more yummy stem -Courgette plant intermittently flits between "yay, I'm alive!" and "boo, I'm dying". It has a bad case of silvery mildew. And bi-polar disorder.
|
|
#
?
Oct 2, 2009 12:01
|
|
|
madlilnerd posted:Where did you get seeds for the salvia? I know of a million places to buy pot seeds, but I've never seen salvia ones around. I didn't. I bought a whole plant on ebay a while back and have been growing it in doors for a while, and just this last spring, I put it outside. No seeds.
|
|
#
?
Oct 2, 2009 15:00
|
|
|
I ate my first bell pepper from my containers today.  It was a nice orangey red, but still laughably small. I was really shocked by how sweet it was. In fact, everything from my garden has been super sweet, especially the cherry tomatoes. Is this because I'm picking it when it's ripe instead of it being picked before it's ripe and ripening on a truck on its way to the grocery store? Either way, they're much more delicious. I have about 13 or 14 more bell peppers growing on three ENORMOUS plants, so I can't wait for them to ripen. Right now they're all little and green, but there are a freakin' million of them.
chachu fucked around with this message at 00:22 on Oct 3, 2009 |
|
#
?
Oct 3, 2009 00:19
|
|
|
I had been happily gathering salad greens every night for salads because I had a nice, full container that I planted in late August. Then a couple of nights ago, I came out to every plant having been eaten down to the stem. What a slap in the face. The plants were covered with little green caterpillars, like hornworms without the horns. The lettuces were right in between tomatoes, a bunch of mint, scallions, carrot - but they only went for the salad greens. I miss them.  Was there anything I could have done to avoid them?But everything else is still chugging along. The scallions are still small but they have so much flavor. This is my first year with a vegetable garden and I am ready to branch out. Bell peppers sound delicious, and I'd love an overproducing cuke plant.
|
|
#
?
Oct 3, 2009 05:50
|
|
|
hepscat posted:I miss them. Mesh over the top of the plant would've prevented butterflies or moths from landing on and laying eggs on your greens in the first place, but it's ugly and can make it hard to see if anything is ready to harvest.
|
|
#
?
Oct 3, 2009 12:00
|
|
|
I've been having a hard time finding insect netting in amounts smaller than 100' lengths. Lately I've had to go out every morning and sweep off all the eggs/caterpillars from my broccoli plants by hand, and it's been a losing battle. Once those things get big enough to see easily they can generally eat an entire leaf down to the stems in one day.
|
|
#
?
Oct 3, 2009 15:26
|
|
|
hepscat posted:Then a couple of nights ago, I came out to every plant having been eaten down to the stem. What a slap in the face. The plants were covered with little green caterpillars, like hornworms without the horns. The lettuces were right in between tomatoes, a bunch of mint, scallions, carrot - but they only went for the salad greens. I miss them. By the description it could be a cabbage looper, over here they migrate later than the other caterpillars (mid-august to september) , and I've seen them in celery and occasionally in lettuce this summer. That was in large, commercial fields mind you. Apart from netting, solutions of Bt kurstaki (such as http://www.saferbrand.com/store/garden-care/5160) can be useful but more works best when the larvae are smaller, as it has to be eaten to be effective which takes a couple of days.
|
|
#
?
Oct 3, 2009 17:11
|
|
|
I can tell one thing I did wrong. We just bought this house in March and it has an established, mature garden around a pond. So there's 4 big bushes around the pond that came into flower when the warm weather hit and holy moly, they must have been planted specifically for the bees and butterflies because you can walk out and see several varieties just enjoying the blooms. Around the plants is the deck, and we fenced it right up close to the bushes (baby proofing). So when I put in some planters, I put the on the deck backing up to the pond - and the butterfly bushes on the other side of the fence.
|
|
#
?
Oct 3, 2009 17:29
|
|
|
chachu posted:I ate my first bell pepper from my containers today.  , and scattered half a packet of lettuce into the same area as half a pack of "salad mix" seed. Aside from being a pain in the rear end to thin, I realized that I had an array of clean, organic microgreens so I just munched on the tops of what I could recognize as pulled it. No need for salad for supper when you graze while you work! 
|
|
#
?
Oct 4, 2009 06:47
|
|
|
NosmoKing posted:10 full sized basil leaves I think you've got a typo there. I'm assuming the the second ingredient is some amount of oregano.
|
|
#
?
Oct 4, 2009 22:50
|
|
|
Fungal Hi-Fi posted:By the description it could be a cabbage looper, over here they migrate later than the other caterpillars (mid-august to september) , and I've seen them in celery and occasionally in lettuce this summer. That was in large, commercial fields mind you. Diatomaceous earth works as well.
|
|
#
?
Oct 5, 2009 15:19
|
|
|
jovial_cynic posted:
This ginger is impressive! I'm at a loss with ginger... from what I can gather, you just plant the ginger 'root' in the ground, and keep it warm and moist, and it will start to sprout? The ginger i'm about to plant has been soaking overnight in some water, and has some knobbly bits that look like they MIGHT sprout in the distant future... what now?
|
|
#
?
Oct 7, 2009 06:17
|
|
|
Does anyone have a gardening blog? I'd be interested in reading some. I have one, and would happily provide the URL to anyone that's interested. I'm just about to upgrade my account to be able to receive PM's.
|
|
#
?
Oct 7, 2009 06:21
|
|
|
clam posted:This ginger is impressive! I'm at a loss with ginger... from what I can gather, you just plant the ginger 'root' in the ground, and keep it warm and moist, and it will start to sprout? The ginger i'm about to plant has been soaking overnight in some water, and has some knobbly bits that look like they MIGHT sprout in the distant future... what now? Yep, warm and moist sounds about right. That stuff is an invasive species in Hawaii though, so depending on how Hawaiian your climate is, it may take over your entire garden. The flowers on a balmy evening smell gorgeous.
|
|
#
?
Oct 7, 2009 15:26
|
|
|
clam posted:This ginger is impressive! I'm at a loss with ginger... from what I can gather, you just plant the ginger 'root' in the ground, and keep it warm and moist, and it will start to sprout? The ginger i'm about to plant has been soaking overnight in some water, and has some knobbly bits that look like they MIGHT sprout in the distant future... what now? Actually, I started my ginger in a cup, suspended by toothpics, about 3/4 submerged in water. I didn't put it into dirt I actually got a green shoot to come up.
|
|
#
?
Oct 7, 2009 15:54
|
|
|
I've sprouted ginger in the past by wrapping it into a wet paper towel, putting that into a plastic bag, and setting it on my windowsill. If you get your ginger from a grocery store it may take some time for it to sprout, because store-bought ginger is treated with a chemical to prevent it from sprouting on the shelf.
|
|
#
?
Oct 8, 2009 02:18
|
|
|
Thanks guys. I have quite a bit, so I'll try all three methods (cup, soil and plastic bag)... and report back on the progress
|
|
#
?
Oct 8, 2009 04:16
|
|
|
I just started taking a horticultural course and am looking forward to experimenting with a garden next year. Unfortunately the season is over for us here, but I'm going to try my hand at some indoor gardening over the winter. In the past I have forced some bulbs during the winter and with a bit of luck, I might be able to repeat this process.
|
|
#
?
Oct 8, 2009 06:04
|
|
|
Does anyone have any suggestions for permanently blocking tree roots? If anyone wants to see the type of roots I知 blocking, please go back to page 9, middle of the page. What I知 trying to do now is clear out the area between my garden and the lawn that the previous owners landscaped, but now is overgrown, such that it is not quite landscaping anymore, but not completely wild yet. Those massive roots I dug out of my garden came through that area, so if anything the roots will be even bigger there. I want to plant massive amounts of daffodils in there this fall, and next year put in a mixture of ferns, hostas, and some shade tolerant annuals, in back azaleas and forsythia and a few holly bushes. My goal is to put something between that huge maple and my new flower bed, completely surround it so the tree roots never invade again. Right now the roots reinvaded the garden and grew into my compost pile, and managed to suck out all the composty goodness out of it. I saw this online http://www.cspoutdoors.com/noname12.html But does anyone have any ideas that might cost less than $7.00 per linear foot?
|
|
#
?
Oct 8, 2009 17:30
|
|
|
From the pictures you posted the tree in question looks to be a silver maple, if so then nothing you put in there is going to stop those roots. I've heard stories of roots from a silver maple planted too close to a house growing through basement walls. Most maples have a pretty shallow root system too, so if you do extensive root pruning you may unbalance the tree to the point that a strong storm could blow it down. Personally I'd either do my best to plant around the roots, or replace the tree altogether with one that's friendlier to surface plantings.
|
|
#
?
Oct 8, 2009 21:16
|
|
|
Marchegiana posted:From the pictures you posted the tree in question looks to be a silver maple, if so then nothing you put in there is going to stop those roots. I've heard stories of roots from a silver maple planted too close to a house growing through basement walls. Most maples have a pretty shallow root system too, so if you do extensive root pruning you may unbalance the tree to the point that a strong storm could blow it down. Personally I'd either do my best to plant around the roots, or replace the tree altogether with one that's friendlier to surface plantings. It is a silver maple. I have three huge silver maples on my property, the trees are mature and nice to look at, and will probably be expensive to remove, so I知 stuck with them for the time being. I thought the rule was to not remove any roots 3 times the diameter of the trunk. The tree trunk is 4 feet thick, and I知 not planting anything within 25 feet of it, so I should be OK. Right? Either way I致e already hacked off the roots. I知 not too worried because the tree will still have access to the rest of the front yard and a big part of my neighbors yard, and the soil is rich, loamy, deep, and well drained. I just want some barrier that is at least semi permanent between it and everything else.
|
|
#
?
Oct 8, 2009 21:45
|
|
|
Zeta Taskforce posted:I have three huge silver maples If you keep them tap those come spring time! I have seen the roots puch through a septic tank before so there realy isnt anything thats going to stop it. Also try not to kill them as they are a huge liability when they begin to die.
|
|
#
?
Oct 10, 2009 06:16
|
|
|
Two Headed Calf posted:Also try not to kill them as they are a huge liability when they begin to die. Silver maples are a liability enough when they're alive, considering the amount of branches they drop year round in all sizes. They're one plant I just can't recommend anyone planting near a house or flower bed. Zeta, anything short of a complete removal or a monthly root pruning a yard down at the edge of your flower bed will not keep that tree out of your nutrient rich flower bed.
|
|
#
?
Oct 10, 2009 08:48
|
|
|
I have an Okra related question. I planted these 'Star of David' Okra a while ago, and they've been transplanted into their final growing spot for about a month now. Look at the size of them though! The size of the card in the image is the size of a credit card. Shouldn't they be bigger by now? The other plants I've planted out (cucumbers and pumpkins) are already large and flowering... Click here for the full 1200x1600 image.
|
|
#
?
Oct 28, 2009 05:52
|
|
|
What sort of things should I be planting on my windowsill now (quite a mild October in the UK)? I had a fairly good crop of tomatoes this year, so I'm keen to crack on with something else, but space is fairly limited.
|
|
#
?
Oct 28, 2009 13:35
|
|
|
Kapowski posted:What sort of things should I be planting on my windowsill now (quite a mild October in the UK)? I had a fairly good crop of tomatoes this year, so I'm keen to crack on with something else, but space is fairly limited. You can start off peas and some beans (broad beans) if you're quick now. We're heading for an unseasonally warm few weeks apparently, so they should germinate in no time. Try your luck overwintering them on the veggie plot- the survival rate varies based on loads of factors but it's worth a try. If they do survive you should be able to enjoy hand grown peas from March. Also I would like to take a moment to plug the UK magazine- Which? Gardening. They trial seed companies, plant varieties, tools and anything else for the garden, and are about as fair and impartial as you can get. Their website has loads of useful info on it too. Friday is pumpkin picking day so I get to see how much my little guy clocks in at! It will be a bittersweet victory or failure, because I've got to lug the thing to Wales on the train either way.
|
|
#
?
Oct 28, 2009 16:04
|
|
|
I知 about ready to put the garden to bed for the winter, pull most of the stuff out except for a late crop of lettuce, some chard that is still going, and some potatoes that still have green vines. I have some leftover compost mixed in with a few kitchen scraps that are now half decayed. I知 undecided whether to incorporate the compost in the top 8 inches of soil (fertilize and aerate the root zone) or broadcast it on top (preserve the soil structure, let the worms mix it in over the winter).
|
|
#
?
Oct 28, 2009 17:41
|
|
|
Zeta Taskforce posted:I知 about ready to put the garden to bed for the winter, pull most of the stuff out except for a late crop of lettuce, some chard that is still going, and some potatoes that still have green vines. I have some leftover compost mixed in with a few kitchen scraps that are now half decayed. I知 undecided whether to incorporate the compost in the top 8 inches of soil (fertilize and aerate the root zone) or broadcast it on top (preserve the soil structure, let the worms mix it in over the winter). Worms are fairly inactive over the winter, so it's your call. I would ask yourself if you think you could cope with the sight of decaying kitchen scraps all over your garden. Went outside for the first time in a while to take a look at my leeks- they have flowerbuds on them! Can I let leeks flower, or will they die afterwards?
|
|
#
?
Oct 28, 2009 18:37
|
|
|
So my winter stuff is doing pretty well thus far. I'm a bit miffed that I was being stupid and put my kale too close together, but I doubt I'll be able to use both of them in any case so it's not a big deal.. I was thinking that things were doing pretty well, then my parents came by to visit a week or two ago (they used to own a nursery for 10-15 years, and have had farms and subsistence gardens as long as I can remember,) and they were blown away because all of my greens are twice the size of theirs! It must've been the super-rich compost behind the house, which I used up right away as soon as I'd cleared my beds at first.. Or maybe the dash of Miracle-Gro. Garlic coming up, there are two rows but you can't see the second row - it's a different strain and doesn't seem to be thriving nearly as much as the "Korean Red" strain you can see popping up.  These guys are all a good 18" tall by now, I need to get some beer-pans out to kill off the slugs though because they're chewing up the leaves nearest the ground.. The azalea in the pot was nearly dead when I moved in, but careful pruning and good watering+fertilizer is quickly turning it into a beatiful little plant.. Also to the right of the azalea, there're TONS of nasturtiums growing all over! In case you weren't aware, nasturtiums are a flowering edible ground-cover which is awesome in salads, etc.. The flowers are BRIGHT and edible, so they're a fun way to top off a bowl of greens!  Two rows (different strains) of garlic on the left, my dying lemon cucumber (it produced a dozen cukes before it got too frostburnt), a yellow squash, and my "mixed salad greens" patch.. I'm lazy and didn't have the right tools so I just scattered the seed when I planted it, and then I "thin" it by pulling out a salad's worth of plants, washing them off, and eating them up. I have a couple lone plants spaced apart to get big, as well.
|
|
#
?
Oct 28, 2009 20:03
|
|
|
I just purchased one of these for my apartment balcony http://www.dealsdirect.com.au/p/3-tier-wooden-planter-wheels/. I'm really excited that I can finally start my own tiny garden! I'm in Victoria, Australia and my balcony gets a bit of sun in the afternoon. Does anyone have in suggestions on what I should be planting? Something easy to care for would be great as I'm not the greenest of thumbs (yet!). Thanks in advance
|
|
#
?
Oct 29, 2009 01:27
|
|
|
Zombina posted:
Hey fellow Victorian! I found that my local Bunnings has a selection of easy to care for patio varieties of several herbs and veggies. I guess the only advice i can give you is to avoid going for a plant that will need large amounts of water because it's a pain with the hot weather and the water restictions. Good Luck!
|
|
#
?
Oct 29, 2009 12:39
|
|
|
Spiteful posted:Hey fellow Victorian! Thanks for that, I might head over to Bunnings tomorrow and check out what they've got! First things first I need figure out how to build this stupid contraption! 
|
|
#
?
Oct 29, 2009 23:16
|
|
|
coyo7e posted:So my winter stuff is doing pretty well thus far. I'm a bit miffed that I was being stupid and put my kale too close together, but I doubt I'll be able to use both of them in any case so it's not a big deal.. I was thinking that things were doing pretty well, then my parents came by to visit a week or two ago (they used to own a nursery for 10-15 years, and have had farms and subsistence gardens as long as I can remember,) and they were blown away because all of my greens are twice the size of theirs!
|
|
#
?
Oct 29, 2009 23:37
|
|
|
hepscat posted:Inspiring pictures! You're somewhere a lot wetter than me. I've got carrots coming in but they've stalled. The only veggies I'm getting from that planting is a riotous crop of scallions. Everything else is limping along because our weather has fluctuated a lot - hot, cold and demon wind, back to warm, cold again bleh. It won't stop raining here until April.
|
|
#
?
Oct 30, 2009 00:53
|
|
|
PUMPKIN DAY WOOOOOOO The loving thing weighs 4.9kg. I've got to take it on 3 trains and the London Underground along with everything I need for a long weekend and a present for my best friend, and a bunch of leeks, and my knitting to keep my occupied on my 5.5hr journey.  Everything fit in such a neat little bag until I decided to be nice and bring home grown vegetables 
|
|
#
?
Oct 30, 2009 10:33
|
|
|
So I went on my little adventure to Bunnings today! I got tomatoes, basil, cucumber, zucchini, strawberries and mixed salad lettuce. Oh and I already had the silverbeet that's growing in the pot there. I hope they grow okay in the stand their in. If anyone else has suggestions on how to keep them alive that'd be great 
|
|
#
?
Oct 31, 2009 03:06
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 16, 2024 06:07 |
|
|
Zombina posted:So I went on my little adventure to Bunnings today! Yay for Bunnings. Everything I've bought there (tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, corn etc) has grown really well. Good luck with your lot! You might want to make some kind of trellis for your tomatoes, my plant is four times the size it was when I bought it, and is starting to need some serious growing guidance!
|
|
#
?
Nov 2, 2009 07:20
|
|