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My tomatoes (all Dwarf Tomato Project - Fred's Tie Dye, Mint Streak, and Eagle Smiley) and peppers (Zapotec jalapeno, Gatherers Gold) are now out. I'm running a very unscientific experiement - one of my Fred's Tie Dye plants is in a double-bucket SIP and the other is in a 7G grow bag with a $10 olla I found at Walmart. I'm also experimenting with mixes - everything from basic Miracle-Gro with additional aeration, to more expensive Fox Farms and Pro-Mix, to DIY coir-based mix - some of which are in SIPs, some of which are in grow bag with ollas, and some of which are just in plain grow bags. There are a ton of variables I can't or am not bothering to control as half the reason for this was to use up excess stuff I already had on hand, but it will be interesting to see what pans out. Unfortunately my golden cayenne got girdled by something (a beetle presumably) and rather than try to get it to re-root, I'm going to pull it up in favor of a spacemaster bush cucumber. On the fruit tree front, my second-year figs are growing pretty vigorously and one of my cuttings has rooted. My first-year grafting scorecard is abysmal: Mandarin: 0/1 - This was for a class and I didn't necessarily want another fruit tree but it looked really good until one day it didn't Fig: 0/4 - I'm regrafting a scion that was somehow still alive after a month and did two more T-buds today, so I can at least improve this one. Nectarine: 0/2 but the rootstock is still alive. I'll let it grow and see if I can source budwood locally. Olive: ?/2 - done on a whim, my wife picked up this terrible little olive tree that's so spindly it can't stand up on its own. It needs to be headed down low so I'm trying to graft on a known cultivar first Shifty Pony posted:Five squirrels are dead. 
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Mar 29, 2024 19:36
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Futaba Anzu posted:what is your secret Murdertubes. I put them into the garden beds or on the fruit trees, so any squirrel that gets caught wasn't innocent. Just be sure to either take the trap up or put the safety catch back on at night, to avoid possibly hurting possums or skunks.
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Mar 29, 2024 20:14
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Jhet posted:When you put them outside make sure to tear up the root balls to make them work on new systems or they'll just stick with what they have. Thanks for the heads up
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Mar 29, 2024 21:04
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Shifty Pony posted:Murdertubes. do you think it would be kosher to leave these out in a space where other people would be directly walking by
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Mar 29, 2024 23:47
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The best squirrel bait is peanut butter, which is a problem if people are walking their dogs. Also someone might call in a report of "animal abuse" because you weren't using the incredibly inhumane "humane" live traps. Between the two things it would be best if you kept them at least somewhat out of sight, and double check your state/local laws regarding trapping squirrels (most give landowners free rein). Good news is squirrels are right nosy bastards so putting the trap under an opaque Tupperware with a cut out entrance won't diminish the effectiveness much.
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Mar 30, 2024 00:14
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I find it interesting that anyone lives in a place where any squirrel you trap or kill won't immediately be replaced with another squirrel. You would have to go on a multi mile genocide here to make any difference at all, and even that would be temporary.
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Mar 30, 2024 00:18
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Oh they will be replaced by another squirrel, but it takes a while for the other squirrels to percolate in and reoccupy the space. If you ever stop they come right back. A bit like a sump pump for varmints. Took out over 25 last year, on 1/2 acre. Natural carrying capacity of prime squirrel habitat is approximately 2 per acre. Got to eat my drat peaches tho.
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Mar 30, 2024 00:29
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Shifty Pony posted:Natural carrying capacity of prime squirrel habitat is approximately 2 per acre. Then I must live in squirrel paradise because at any point during the day I can easily half a dozen to a dozen just the part I mow (about an acre). Take any out and they'll just get immediately replaced out of the tree line/woods.
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Mar 30, 2024 15:07
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Justa Dandelion posted:How's everybody's garden going so far? Still under several inches of snow, and not much is happening until May. I do plan to do some mulching as soon as the snow disappears and fence off some areas so that my dogs won't tear up my new plants by running all over them.
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Mar 30, 2024 15:08
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Motronic posted:Then I must live in squirrel paradise because at any point during the day I can easily half a dozen to a dozen just the part I mow (about an acre). Take any out and they'll just get immediately replaced out of the tree line/woods. If you don't have coyotes/bobcats/whatever then yeah it's squirrel paradise. Native cats in particular are terrifyingly effective squirrel murder machines.
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Mar 30, 2024 16:56
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About the only thing we have that would pick them off are hawks, and only when they're small.
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Mar 30, 2024 17:31
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Motronic posted:About the only thing we have that would pick them off are hawks, and only when they're small. Well that's your problem then. You need to go out and get yourself some owls.
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Mar 30, 2024 17:31
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We have owls, they're just not big ones. Can you fertilize Barn and Screech owls to make them bigger?
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Mar 30, 2024 17:42
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Motronic posted:We have owls, they're just not big ones. Can you fertilize Barn and Screech owls to make them bigger? I have uni library access so brb looking up what kind of steroids to give to owls. I'm guessing clenbuterol?
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Mar 30, 2024 17:55
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Trenbolone, testosterone, ghrelin, and cortisol. Bam, done
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Mar 30, 2024 17:57
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I would love to use murdertubes, but I am not prepared for the fallout of catching someone’s cat that they allow to roam freely to the detriment of everyone and everything.
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Mar 30, 2024 19:27
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I never use any devices like murdertubes or whatever in my gardening. The way I see it, if pests manage to get my crops despite my precautions, they deserve to eat them more than me. They were hungrier for it and I respect that.
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Mar 30, 2024 19:39
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Orbs posted:I never use any devices like murdertubes or whatever in my gardening. The way I see it, if pests manage to get my crops despite my precautions, they deserve to eat them more than me. They were hungrier for it and I respect that. I should confess. It’s been me eating your garden. E: but I was indeed very hungry
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Mar 30, 2024 19:51
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Orbs posted:I never use any devices like murdertubes or whatever in my gardening. The way I see it, if pests manage to get my crops despite my precautions, they deserve to eat them more than me. They were hungrier for it and I respect that. Nah squirrels are just fuckers, it has nothing to do with hunger. If they were actually hungry they wouldn't leave pounds of ripe fruit with three bites taken out of it scattered below their favorite nibblin' spot.
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Mar 30, 2024 21:55
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 Fuckin love composting. It’s like a magic spell that makes earthy, beautiful soil that smells like happiness. Out of leaves and poo poo. Nice.
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Mar 30, 2024 22:03
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Shifty Pony posted:Nah squirrels are just fuckers, it has nothing to do with hunger. If they were actually hungry they wouldn't leave pounds of ripe fruit with three bites taken out of it scattered below their favorite nibblin' spot.
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Mar 30, 2024 22:13
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nice wormyboi
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Mar 30, 2024 22:37
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Orbs posted:Other animals/microbes can eat them then. this is why I let all of my fruit get brown rot, the fungi were just more determined than me so I say they deserve it
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Mar 31, 2024 00:48
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Discussion Quorum posted:this is why I let all of my fruit get brown rot, the fungi were just more determined than me so I say they deserve it freeedr posted:I should confess. It’s been me eating your garden. freeedr posted:
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Mar 31, 2024 01:31
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We moved last year from South Florida to NE Pennsylvania and man composting is different. In Florida, we had the tumbler style that would make banana peels vanish in a week. Due to winter, basically everything I have thrown in the earth mover looks like it is in suspended hibernation. We talked to some neighbors who compost and they said they don't do anything special, it will pick back up once the weather warms, but is that the case? Should I throw in some manure or enzymes or something to kickstart the process once it warms up for the season?
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Mar 31, 2024 02:10
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If you take some out, chew it up, and spit it back in, it should help kickstart the cold weather composti ng
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Mar 31, 2024 04:13
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Orbs posted:Also no worries, I hope you enjoyed it~ My harvests are fine though really, I still get plenty. Glad for it. My harvest was effectively zero until I rush-ordered the traps. Watched a single squirrel pick, bite, and drop six peaches within a minute and had dozens of alllllllmost peak ripeness strawberries disappear between leaving to take the kid to daycare at 7:45AM and going out to pick during my WFH lunch break. The only thing that was able to out-produce the squirrels was the fig tree. I take the philosophical view that we hosed up the balance of things by eliminating predation pressure, so we have a bit of a duty to try and balance it out. Shifty Pony fucked around with this message at 12:06 on Mar 31, 2024 |
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Mar 31, 2024 11:43
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Orbs posted:In my opinion, hell yes it is the right thread for discussing planting flowers. They are a valuable and beautiful part of any nature network. Well, it's a work in progress, but here's what I've got now:  Left planter: lavender, mistflower (not yet blooming), lantana (blooming but you can't really see it here), and meadow sage. Pretty happy with this one. Right planter: gaillardia, cineraria, and gerbera daisies. Probably will switch some of this out at some point; I originally intended to go with coneflowers instead of the daisies, and the cineraria is looking shaggy these days and was always meant to be a temporary placeholder. Ground: Euryops, jasmine vine #1, coleus+jasmine vine #2, dwarf bottlebrush, and garden pansies to the right of the shelf. Shelf: Oregano, thyme, spider plant. I have an eastward-facing balcony that gets full sun all morning, and in the summer here it regularly gets up to 100+ degrees for 3-4 months straight while rarely dropping below 80 at night. My balcony avoids the worst of the afternoon sun heat but is concrete and frequently gets around 120 degrees when it's 100+ out according to the cheap thermometer in the picture. Primary question: are there any of these I should plan to bring inside or take other measures to protect before we hit summer weather? I'm guessing I'll at least have to move the pansies, cineraria, and euryops. Secondary question: any particular care advice for any of these? When and if to prune, fertilize, etc. I already messed up some things last year out of ignorance (e.g., the coleus, which was a gift and used to be much bushier with beautiful foliage), and while I've been doing more research this time around and have a clipboard with care instructions for each plant, any advice is welcome.
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Apr 2, 2024 01:14
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I went and got my beloved her fig tree this weekend— nursery suggested getting it in the ground "before October"; how long should I let it get acclimated to the yard in its pot? April in KY gives whiplash and I'm thinking it's happier in its home than trying to get to know soil that keeps changing its mind.
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Apr 2, 2024 13:10
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bloody ghost titty posted:I went and got my beloved her fig tree this weekend— nursery suggested getting it in the ground "before October"; how long should I let it get acclimated to the yard in its pot? April in KY gives whiplash and I'm thinking it's happier in its home than trying to get to know soil that keeps changing its mind. Potted/container grow plants are much much more forgiving than bare-root stuff so you shouldn't have an issue either way. Keep it well watered (water deeply once a week in dry weather, not lots of little waterings) for the first summer and it should do fine-figs are pretty hardy.
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Apr 2, 2024 14:38
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Atahualpa posted:Well, it's a work in progress, but here's what I've got now: I don't really have any advice since my plants live in the ground rather than in pots, but wanted to say that this is a lovely little setup. It looks so serene and peaceful.
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Apr 2, 2024 20:40
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Yeah, it sounds silly but I miss everything being smaller and well maintained and rewarding. "Gardening" here now feels more like an outtake from Apocalypse Now most days. That is a beautiful setup and I am a little jealous. 
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Apr 2, 2024 20:58
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Whats are some good plant to grow to use as a trellis for beans and cucumbers? I have heard corn suggested, but would like to consider other options. Zone 6b, for what that's worth. Do you think Dogbane would work as a trellis plant, actually? That would be quite convenient.
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Apr 3, 2024 13:54
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Was the Fiskars shovel posted about here? Has anyone also used the Fiskars and something from Bully Tools? My MiL texted me about BT and offered to buy me one, though the Fiskars is cheaper and looks like it has better leverages.
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Apr 3, 2024 15:06
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Comedy option: bamboo What about sunflowers?
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Apr 3, 2024 15:06
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Newbie question, but do cucumbers need to climb or do better if they do? Or is it just a space saving thing? As a kid, when we grew cucumbers they always just kind of sprawled out on the ground and seemed to still be quite prolific.
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Apr 3, 2024 15:37
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Yeah its mostly a space thing I think, but I dont have a ton of space.effika posted:Comedy option: bamboo What I've read about sunflowers online says they get pulled down pretty easily so dont work well. I dont hate future me enough to try bamboo, lol
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Apr 3, 2024 15:48
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I've never noticed much of a difference in production, as long as they're getting lots of sunlight. It's more a space thing. They will try to take over 1/2 of your garden while the squash tries to take over the other half.
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Apr 3, 2024 15:50
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Dr. Eldarion posted:Newbie question, but do cucumbers need to climb or do better if they do? Or is it just a space saving thing? It helps a lot with space and it also helps reduce rot, insects, and other headaches. They're very easy to run up even the most basic trellis once they start going.
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Apr 3, 2024 16:08
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You can use cut bamboo instead of live bamboo. I build bamboo trellises for all of my climbers, and they last for several years before needing to be rebuilt. Live plants fall down or get tangled with the vines.
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Apr 3, 2024 16:15
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