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Windy posted:In just four days all my basil has sprouted, and it seems that overnight my tomatoes have sprouted up over and inch! However, the tomatoes are all gangly and falling over. I hadn't had time yet to set up my lights yet because I didn't expect anything to come up so soon. Will my little tomato sprouts strengthen up once I get them under growing lights tomorrow, or are they doomed to be weak and useless? Right now they're just sitting in a window without direct sunlight. I don't know for sure if they will perk up, but IF they don't, you can always just pot up into a deeper pot and bury the stem all the way.
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Apr 9, 2009 16:13
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krushgroove posted:Took me a while to get used to the different garden terms (I moved to the UK 5 years ago) - mange tout are baby snow peas, baby corn is popular with roast dinners, jacket potatoes are baked potatoes, I'm still trying to figure out what marrow is, etc., but it's sinking in slowly My allotment neighbor in England told me a marrow is just a courgette that got too big. I think really it is a seperate kind of squash, but I've heard it used interchangeably with squash and find it all very confusing. I am American but my grandmother and mother always used 'courgette' and when I first had 'zucchini' bread I didn't know what magical thing it was. I thought it was a kind of apple. - I am really curious about growing stevia as well. I also prefer Splenda, but if I could grow sweetener I might switch for the sake of being cheap. How do you use the leaves? Do you dry and grind it? Can you use it raw in like tea--like boil it in? Speaking of tea, has anyone every grown their own? I know it isn't hardy as far north as I am, but I was thinking of doing it in a container and having a use for my lights in the winter. I am really out of my depth on that, I make herbal teas sometimes but that's about it.
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Apr 15, 2009 03:34
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Well, I've made herbal teas before--lemon verbena, different mints, chammomile, and whatnot. I think I might stick with that for the time being, if only because my cats try to eat everything. I am having this back and forth with myself about melons. I know I don't have room, but I keep doodling ways I can fit in a mound of one of those spacesaving sorts. I know I really shouldn't. I want some fruit but hate the hassle of netting out birds. Has anyone ever bought one of those el cheapo strawberry baskets at the grocery store?
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Apr 16, 2009 01:02
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FuzzyDunlop posted:I love seeing the variety of gardens in this thread--krushgroove's containers, the various allotments, ChaoticSeven's motherfuckin FARM. It's really cool to see people using the space they have to grow food, even if it's just a little bit. In England my allotment plot had the same sorts of problems. It was in a sort of scuzzier by the minute area --anywhere else had long waiting lists. The tall fences with razor wire at the top and the huge barrier of brambles kept people out, but it didn't keep them from throwing poo poo from the street in (ours was on the edge). The whiskey bottles we confirmed were from the guy who had it before, but there was still new rubbish every time I got there, and random stuff like dirty diapers and empty cans of White Lightning (hurr kids). There was a grocery store with dumpsters literally RIGHT THERE, so I never quite understood it. I feel bad abandoning it, but life happened and it was too much to deal with. I feel like such an old bitch complaining all the time about dem dere teenagers. On the happy sunshine side, my tomatoes are hardened off to the point I can leave them outside in the sun all day while it is 55-65 and bring them in at night. Now I don't have to worry about room under my ghetto light setup, and my peppers are happy for the space. I really can't beleive how stout they are so far being crammed under a 5 dollar cfl (my sunny window got less sunny when leaves came into the tree out front, I'm a dumbass)!  Another dumb non-veg question: I bought a pack of that wildflower seed mix just to throw in this silly bare patch on a hill I can't be bothered to do anything with. I get to broadcast and rake in, but do I need to wait until after the frost date for something like that? It didn't have any directions on it other than to broadcast.
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Apr 18, 2009 01:04
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But it's also a testament to the power of gardening, and the reasons why we keep going, despite the many setbacks a gardener has to face throughout the season. So in that sense, I found it rather affirming.
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osukeith161 posted:
Never done it, but I did stumble upon these discussions a while back, maybe they could be of some help? Only glanced at them. My EarthTainer Project-Mistakes Made/Lessons Learned Continued Other places I've heard to look for buckets are water treatment plants and restaurants. I've also seen car washes suggested but I personally wouldn't be satisfied that I could get them completely clean. If you can find a local winery you can buy empty half barrels, not sure if that would be helpful in a permanent setup though. madlilnerd posted:1- Lay of the teenagers. My life is empty and I fill it with goons and booze. Also White Lightning is hobo cider, kids these days drink vodka. I don't live in England anymore, otherwise I wouldn't have to worry about it going -2C at night on a 20C day. I love English weather, but on the bright side, I know my tomatoes will ripen before September here  Yes broadcasting means just throwing it down. And I jest about kids, I was a little poo poo once. I don't like assholes at any age. I'd be even more bitter if I was the one organizing these city gardens that don't have the luxury of undefeatable fences and multiple padlocks. -- My newest thought is to get one of those cheap plastic kiddie pools, cut holes out of the bottoms and use as a raised bed for melons. I think I might have just enough flat space with no tree shade to throw it on. It has been nearly 10 years since I took a math class and it is making me feel really dumb trying to work out the volume of a cylinder so I can decide if I want to pay for that much compost/garden soil. I insisted I would never need math dammit. Does this sound like a good idea?
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Apr 20, 2009 03:57
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The problem with using hot pepper powder to deter critters is it washes away. I was looking at some sort of pest control spray that is like wax with hot pepper in it, supposedly it stays on the plant? I'm just waiting for my zucchini to come busting out of its newspaper pot, then not sure what I'll put it in. I'll have to make a mega newspaper pot I suppose. Two weeks old, including the time it took to germinate. 
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Apr 20, 2009 23:45
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Orgasmo posted:I've started a vegetable garden indoors and want to know if I'm doing things as I should. I started with planting pepper and cactus seeds in peat moss pots, outside (under a covered alcove) two weeks ago but saw no signs of life so I brought them inside under a more controlled environment; I noticed their soil was drying out too quickly outside and watering them with a plastic water bottle seemed too caveman-ish. I think a lot of times reccomended planting depth is a bit on the deep side. A good guide is to only plant a seed as deep as it is wide. Other than big seeds, I only basically sprinkle the top. I am assuming by 'Jungle Growth' you mean the potting mix, not actual Jungle Growth? Another thing to try if you aren't seeing any germination is using a seed starting mix, which is sterile and very fine. Seeds and seedlings are sensitive to mold and damping off, the reason for using something sterile. You want a seed to have good contact with soil, but if there is too much heavy soil packed on to them they won't be able to poke through. Until seedlings emerge, you do not need light for any of those vegetables, but I am not sure about the cactus. What they do need is heat and constant light moisture. A good way to do this is a tray of some sort covered in plastic wrap, or a plastic greenhouse you can buy for a few dollars at the store, doesn't matter. You want to put a bit of water in the bottom. You will be able to see the water being drawn up by the peat pot, you only want enough to have it damp, not soaking wet. When in a tray and covered in plastic this is really all the water it will need for a few days. Overwatering can mold the seed before it has a chance to germinate. Time to germinate depends on conditions. Put them somewhere warm (actually 75 is just about ideal) and wait, checking daily for growth and to make sure it hasn't dried out. At the very first sign of green get them out of plastic and into the light. I am assuming you are past the frost already in Florida, so go right outside with it. If you let them grow inside before putting them out you will have to harden it off too, adding another step. Just a south Florida heads up: Spring and Autumn are easier for growing tomatoes where it gets very hot. Tomato pollen becomes sterile at temperatures over 85ish and no pollination = no fruit. Also, sunscalding can be a problem. If you are itching to try them in summer make sure they can get some shade at the hottest part of the day. Full sun at the ideal 70-75 degrees isn't the same as full sun in a 90-100 degree climate. Just something to keep in mind.
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Apr 21, 2009 15:19
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Orgasmo posted:Whew, lots of good info there. The soil will draw enough water--actually as you see the peat pot wet up towards the top you will be able to see that the soil is damp as well. Watering is just a bit of judgement, especially in peat where they tend to dry out quicker. You want it damp to the touch, but not sopping wet. Watering from the bottom helps with this. What you really need to worry about is night temperatures, to clarify. Sunscald is a problem during the day, but sustained high temps (above 60-70) at night are what sterlize pollen. Tomatoes at least don't neccessarily need bees to pollinate, you can give them a little shake daily (you don't have to usually) to help it along and they will take care of themselves. I am not trying to overcomplicate things, really. I have a friend near Orlando who does a few tomatoes and told me she put plants out in early March and has tomatoes setting now. I am just worried you will be put off if you do all the work and don't get any results because of the weather. Here is Florida specific planting information from UFL's agricultural extension, something that you might want to read through: Florida Gardening Guide Crop Guides HeatherChandler fucked around with this message at 16:42 on Apr 22, 2009 |
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Apr 22, 2009 16:37
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Do wasps pollinate too? I've seen them gather around my Persian Lime, sometimes it looks like they are chewing one or two of the leaves, presumably to make their evil lairs.
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I have worked myself in a tizzy. I know a thousand times over that you are NOT supposed to handle tomatoes after smoking since it is very possible that your cigarettes have tobacco mosaic virus infected leaves in it, and it survives proccessing. I have drilled this into my head. I wash my hands several times in between handling plants and after smoking. I was outside smoking today and saw a tiny green caterpillar on one of my plants and immediately thought I better pick it off and inspect the rest of them for bugs. ACK! I was even going to make myself a little no smoking sign and attach it to the tray but I thought 'nah, I've been growing tomatoes for years and always remembered, I don't need a sign.' So now I am all worried and paranoid about it. The amount of attention I have given these drat things and now I am afraid of waking up to diseased plants. I've got all heirlooms this year so no disease resistance. I knew I should have stayed quit. They look pretty, but I just dont *get* microgreens. I'd have to plant a ridiculous area of microgreens to really put a dent in the greens I eat. Are they meant to make up a whole salad? Are you growing any other lettuces? HeatherChandler fucked around with this message at 23:47 on Apr 28, 2009 |
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Apr 28, 2009 23:40
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Magipp posted:Calm down. Viruses can't even get into a plant unless they are placed there through a wound made by a vector animal like a thrip or nematode. You're not going to infect your tomatoes. Haha, I need to be told to calm down more often, thanks. I damaged a few leaves the other day when I knocked the tray over so would that make them more susceptible? I've just read several articles warning about the smoking so it made me all paranoid. If an act of God or something kills my plants I am totally cool with that, it happens. But I get really upset when I do something airheaded that fucks something up. Ok, I can see the microgreens being a cheap source of nutrition--are they cut and come again?
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Apr 29, 2009 01:51
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Ominous Balls posted:Anyone have a good method for killing off fungus gnats? For larvae you can try beneficial nematodes watered in (edit: looked it up, Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis or Steinernema feltiae), adults you can trap with those sticky cards.
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Apr 30, 2009 03:24
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MarshallX posted:Anyone have any non-pesticidal methods for killing slugs? I've tried beer in a tin pan and it only got 3 or 4. I'm talking 20-30 per night infesting my gardens last year and I want to be proactive this year. Slugs are a nightmare, something I won't miss about England. They were the only thing I resorted to chemicals for. Still, things to try: -Beer traps, only a whole lot more of them. Every 3 feet or so. -Plant garlic and chives around the perimeter. -Copper is supposed to work, I've never used it but I am sure someone else can elaborate. -Make a frog habitat--this was popular on the allotment, people used half barrels sunken down as a makeshift pond, there are lots of ideas online on how to do this. I was considering making one myself hoping to catch hornworms, I am really squeamish about them, they are just so so gross. Not sure how this works in the US, I don't see as many frogs around here as I did there, so I don't know how easy they are to attract. -Make plastic collars out of old water bottles
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Apr 30, 2009 15:45
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Cakefool posted:Ewww. Gardening is icky. Oh, is it? Dun dun DUN!  If you start finding these, you have to squish one just once to see what happens.
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Apr 30, 2009 20:00
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MarshallX posted:I like this idea but can't they just go up and over? The idea is that it is harder for them to climb and discourages them, but it isn't infallible. It at least can buy some time while they are busy crawling around that and on your plant until you can get out and start picking at them. Nemoslug or an alternative nematode for slugs is not available in the US. I think it is a combination of not wanting to release it into a nonnative ecosystem and that it won't use the species of slug in the US as a host.
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Apr 30, 2009 23:46
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mischief posted:Quick question... I put in my first garden this year and it took a ridiculous amount of effort and materials to make the clay into something worthwhile. Like 650 lbs of mushroom compost, 9 cubic yards of peat moss, and 3 truck loads of soil conditioner. The dirt is pretty awesome now except when it rains. It makes a "skin" almost of clay on top of the dirt and pretty much strangles any new growth I've got from seed. My tomatoes, cukes, peppers, and bean plants are chugging right along just healthy as they can be, but lettuce, herbs, and other leafy plants got covered up before ever getting tall enough. Just an idea, I did something similar in heavy clay but only with transplants--take a trowel and dig out small holes where you want to plant and fill that with store bought garden soil or even potting soil and germinate the seed in that. Assuming the ground is worked enough that the roots will get through and have enough oxygen and the only problem is germination that should work well enough. I would mulch everything else later in the season once the ground warms if you are getting that crust on top--once it dries out hard enough it can get hard to rewet. ChaoticSeven: Did you make that bamboo thing or buy it? If you made it, any specifics? Is it just tied together? It looks pretty I could use something like that for flowers, I think. HeatherChandler fucked around with this message at 04:47 on May 2, 2009 |
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May 2, 2009 04:41
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Always with the right way to do things I cut the fake turf that was on my itsy bitsy plot before as a ghetto putting green into strips and used that in my little walkways, mostly because it is so small I will probably lift it and retill the whole thing and reorganize it if I am still living here next year. I think the next place I live I might use fake turf again, I can go barefoot on it which I like. On the allotment I saw quite a few people make permanent paths with sod or grass seed (if it was early enough to grow before it would be walked on). A neater thing I saw was a guy who had a system where instead of 'paths' he had areas the same width as his beds planted with a quick growing green manure (clover maybe? I can't remember). He made his beds long and narrow enough that he could reach into them. Then at the end of the season he tilled it all in and planted the whole thing with a winter cover. The next season he tilled it in and did the whole thing vice versa. I asked if walking on where he was going to plant next year ruined the soil structure and he said it wasn't a big deal because it was planted, not bare. Not sure how accurate that is, I just take whatever a kindly old boy tells me at face value. Other than fertilizer, that was all he did to amend his soil. At any rate, it worked for him. I don't think that was the sort of answer you were looking for but I thought it was neat anyway.
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May 3, 2009 01:08
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I am planning on planting out tomorrow so I pulled weeds up from my little plot--I had kind of ignored it for a while after I dug in compost and tilled (it is woefully far from the house). I noticed that it actually had that same crusty layer that mischief was talking about. However, as soon as I tapped it the underneath is now dark and moist but crumbly, the compost has done its thing and I am pleased. There are earthworms now (none before) so overall I am optimistic. However, ANTS. I don't mean one anthill, I mean ants everywhere. So many I have that buggy feeling on my skin even though nothing is there. Do they do anything to plants or should I just ignore it? They are living in the sides mostly where there is a stone retaining wall. Also, a few of my lower tomato leaves have slightly translucent spots, and a few of the squirelly ones at the bottom have died at the stem. I've gone through several pages of tomato troubleshooting photos and nothing looks even vaguely similar. There are no dark patches around where it is translucent. Overall they look healthy, the stems are fine, although they have gotten slightly droopy over the past few days--probably a combination of crummy weather and outgrowing their pots. I don't want to plant them out and introduce a disease to the soil and cause more problems, but it just doesn't look like any of the common tomato problems. I've looked for signs of pests and nothing. The roots are healthy and white. I am pretty baffled honestly. I can't get a good picture with the flash so I can't get one until tomorrow, but any ideas would be appreciated.
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May 4, 2009 02:39
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kid sinister posted:The only plants I know of that actually require ants are peonies, and those are flowers. They need ants to open their buds. If you have that many ants, they might be there to go after the aphids... Do your plants have aphids? Well, there aren't actually any plants there yet. There was some weeds, bout it. There are trees and bushes all around where the area is, so one of those could have aphids. I wish I could clear the whole area but can't. Oh I was worried about them eating plants or their tunnels destroying roots Don't want to double post--planted everything out except peppers, which I am hardening off starting today. I don't mulch until early June when the soil is warmed up, so I used an inchish of topsoil around the plants to hopefully keep the soil from getting hard and cracked around the plants. So far so good, only I misjudged where I started the tomatoes--2 of them get shade starting around only 3 pm from this monster 10 ft tall honeysuckle. Looks like tomorrow will be a fun day of trying to lop off branches with hand pruners, no money for tools for another 2 weeks. Anyway, here is a photo of what I mean by translucent patches, they aren't the same as what it would look like if it was bacterial spot. I am assuming something has been nibbling at it, only I don't know what yet.  This is the worst of them, and it was stunted anyway, but I didn't have extras of that variety. When I took it out of it's pot I noticed the roots hadn't gotten through the peat like the others did. I gently peeled it off and buried the stem, so hopefully it will catch up. HeatherChandler fucked around with this message at 20:42 on May 4, 2009 |
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May 4, 2009 15:22
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Magipp posted:Looks more like plain old sunburn than anything pest-related, TBH. Did you move these plants out from a shady place into direct sun? Plants sometimes get burned if they're not used to bright light. That is the weird thing, they were very slowly hardened off. They were in shade for nearly a week before filtered sun, then full sun. They had a tiny tiny bit of sunburn on the very top leaves (white spots) when we had a few days of abnormal heat (stronger sun? I don't know) but on all the other plants the translucent spots are only on the lower leaves, which were pinched off when I trenched them out anyway. Can wind make similar damage? They were out for like 3 weeks before I left them in the wind, but we had some really strong storms. I moved them under the awning and against the house for that, but they still got tousled.
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May 5, 2009 18:49
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I planted out Monday, and the weather has been kind to me for a few days... The next 4 days however they are forecasting lows in the low 40s. I usually cover under 50, but my tomato plants are too big for either empty V8 bottles or empty milk gallons. I'd let it go at 45-50, but not 40 with wind. I haven't lived here very long and really don't have stuff just lying around, and my bank account is empty for another week, soooo I've had to jerry-rig as best I can with what I have lying around: bamboo, unused painting dropcloth, and hair ties. I don't own any tools either, so out came the handy dandy butcher's knife. After a day of fuddling around like I have brain damage here is what I came up with:  Now, I did everything I could think of to keep the plastic from touching the plants. More bamboo supports would have been ideal but I only had a few peices. This was a pain in the rear end to get up and I work long days all weekend so it needs to stay during the day too. I did cut a few small slits in the top with hopes that it will let excess heat out and that if it rains it'll drip through instead of pooling on top and collapsing. So, any easy ideas for improvement? It looks like it might storm in a few hours here so I am keeping an eye on it and if it collapses I will resort to cutting some small tree branches and making support for the middle.
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May 8, 2009 18:52
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Becktastic posted:A couple newbie questions. I have a small bell pepper on one of my plants. It's been about 3 inches long for weeks. Is it done growing? The plant itself is still pretty small. Should I just pull it off? It's a green bell so color isn't much indication of ripeness. Do you have the eggplant staked? It is the best way to keep them off the ground, like you would a cucumber. If yes and they are still touching, you can take something like an old pair of hoisery and use it as a net, tying it to the stake. If you are letting it sprawl, you can slide a board under it like you would a melon. You can also mulch with straw or something so it isn't laying in dirt. You can let it grow like that, but it makes it more susceptible to mold and pests. -- MarshallX: I know this doesn't help you now, but next time there is a chance of frost just cover them. Empty 2 liters with the bottom cut off work well, so do milk jugs. Or, just anything you have around the house, buckets, cardboard boxes with a brick on top, etc. Can't say for sure if they will live, but if they do you might want to pinch off any blossoms until they look like they've fully recovered, so they can devote their sugar production to rebuilding foliage. If they have any large suckers yet (stems in the armpits) you can cut them and reroot them in very moist soil if you don't think the whole plant will survive. I hope you didn't start from seed, I'd be heartbroken. -- We've been dipping down for the last few days into the low-40s and my tomatoes remain in their cozy little tent. I think they might like it too much in there, I hope I haven't undone the hardening off process with regards to wind. Next year I am going to get a proper floating row cover--I can't touch the drat thing I 'built' because it will fall down if I do. HeatherChandler fucked around with this message at 01:08 on May 13, 2009 |
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May 13, 2009 00:38
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moana posted:Help! I have some bell pepper seedlings growing in little coffee filter pots. One of the pots seems to have some white mold growing on the top of the soil, not touching the bell pepper but I am scared for my baby anyway. I took a bleach-dampened Q-tip and swabbed the mold away, but I don't know if that will solve the problem or if it will kill my seedling or what. Should I isolate the mold-contaminated one in another room or is that overkill? He is only one of the bell pepper dodecuplets, but I want them all to survive! It is probably overkill. That white mold on the top is common and usually harmless, scrape it off or repot, and make sure it isn't getting too much water and is getting good airflow.
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May 15, 2009 01:48
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Socratic Moron posted:I'm interested in making a raised bed/mini greenhouse out of a clear sterilite plastic container from Home Depot. Should I be concerned about such a container leeching petroleum byproducts or other chemicals into the soil which then get taken up by my veggies? They'll be in the sun or rain pretty much constantly. I don't know for sure, but I've seen instuctions for building Earthtainer type things with Sterlite boxes, so it has been done and it hasn't been a problem. I'm probably way overthinking this, but doesn't exposure to light stunt root growth or something like that? Just something to think about if the container is clear. edit: Negative Phototropism, trying to remember Bio 101. They want to grow away from light. I don't know if it would really make a difference. HeatherChandler fucked around with this message at 16:04 on May 16, 2009 |
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May 16, 2009 16:01
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Noooooo! Frost warning tomorrow night. I'm really hoping sheets do the trick, maybe a blanket. I'm not in an outlying area so I doubt we will get it, but I saw about 20 buds today and after Monday fruit setting weather will be here, and I don't want them to die after all the babying I've done.
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May 17, 2009 00:52
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My spoiled tomatoes now have 750 thread count sheets covering them, since I just discovered the matching pillowcases have gone walkies. Probably wherever my extra blankets I had planned to use went. So 3 layers of sheets, and I put a gallon of hot water in each. It is pretty toasty in there, but then again, the sun is still out. I don't have any light on that side of the yard so I had to get it done while I could see, although I might go out with a flashlight and refill the bottles before I go to bed. Buds!  I usually pinch first buds so the plant can establish, but they have been in the ground two weeks now so I want to leave them.
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May 18, 2009 01:18
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ChaoticSeven posted:Neato. Remember back about a month ago when I covered all my tomatoes with random crap from around the house? Well, it hit 32 that night and every one of my plants survived in the end. They looked crappy for a long time, but I believe that was in large part due to the obscene amounts of rain we've gotten here the past month. It's rained, literally, every day but one out of the past 30 days in varying amounts. It's weird how tomatoes do that. My damaged little plant is growing faster than the others, playing catch-up. I remember all your crazy coverings, I wish I had something useful laying around. I moved here 6 months ago and am only now realizing that I am missing all my extra blankets (that I was going to use in my tent), so that shows how organized I am. My plastic tent would have been much better for this, trap the sun and then cover, but it got so muddy I tossed it. Oh well.
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May 18, 2009 01:49
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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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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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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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Zeta Taskforce posted:Also, does anyone have any experience with Jerusalem Artichokes? I just ordered some. Not done them myself, but I do know that the tubers can take over and be invasive. It is one of those things they say to give it's own private bed. I plan to grow some eventually, to use as a potato substitute, since it doesn't raise blood sugar the same way. Room is an issue for me, so I need to wait until I am inclined to clean up one of my weedy old flowerbeds to use. Look forward to seeing your progress with them. Anyone from the GWS thread want to tell me if it is farfetched to envision sunchoke latkes? The prospect might motivate me to make a spot.
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May 25, 2009 01:21
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Spring is driving me nuts! They have been threatening heavy rain for 3 days now with nothing. Everything is dried up but I don't want to water and then have it pour and get waterlogged. At any rate: Zucchini  Tomato 
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May 26, 2009 15:13
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SKeefe posted:I am growing banana peppers and the plants/blooms look almost identical. Sounds like blossoms are dropping? sustained temperatures above 95, below 65, too much nitrogen, or lack of pollinators can cause that, and I think too much water. I'd say it wasn't pollinators if squash is fruiting. That is about all I can think of. Too much nitrogen can also cause some twisting of the leaves, what do you fertilize with? It'd be easier to tell with a picture.
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May 29, 2009 00:21
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^^Tomatoes don't vine in the same way that beans and cukes do. They won't ever hold on and climb by themselves, the trellis is really just a way to get the plants off the ground. You have to kind of push and weave the leaves in so that the plant stands up. Is that what you meant?kid sinister posted:Also, those hanging tomato planters look a little on the small side. You'll probably need to water those every day. To add to this, did I read right that there are pepper plants in the top? Even with watering every day I'd be worried about the plants becoming rootbound. For one fullsize tomato plant typically 5-8+ gallons is what is recommended, for a dwarf or small determinate plant 3 gallons. A pepper plant can do fine in a smaller pot but will get around 2 feet tall or taller and need more sun than they can get if they are growing close to the awning. I am sure you will make it work, just be aware. ChaoticSeven: I'm sure you've probably already googled the hell out of it, but here is a good guide of tomato problems. http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/diagnostickeys/TomKey.html HeatherChandler fucked around with this message at 04:29 on May 29, 2009 |
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May 29, 2009 04:11
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MarshallX posted:Do cherry tomatos do this? I planted some along my gardens small fence for this exact reason, hopefully I didn't make a mistake. Cherry tomatoes can be either a bush or a vine. Depends on the variety. If it is a vine, or indeterminate, it will likely be as big as a normal tomato plant. I do have to disagree about tomatoes getting tall--I've had them go to about 6 ft before I top them a month before frost and have seen others get taller in a longer season. They just won't ever creep up on their own.
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May 29, 2009 15:43
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SKeefe posted:It does look like pictures I've seen that were attributed to too much nitrogen, but I really can't tell you for sure. It does look more like environmental stress than disease. That could be any number of things. Are you growing right in the lawn without prep? Is that working for other things? I'm so traditional other than a few containers I wouldn't dare try to get away with not digging and tilling and digging some more. If it works, that is neat. -- I hand pollinated that female zucchini flower today. I am so immature, it made me giggle a little.
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May 30, 2009 02:02
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SKeefe posted:I didn't fertilize them, if that provides any info. Well, I am stumped. Nonstop rain would definitely explain blossom drop now, but not every year. I hope someone more knowledgable comes around--I am pretty versed in the usual suspects but that is it for me. Are you going to mulch? I'd go mental weeding that. I go mental just weeding mine, and it is nothing but maple tree seedlings and mystery tiny blue flowers. It was my first time pollinating squash and it felt pretty dirty, haha. I've always had lots of male flowers first so I was kind of baffled by the female. If it worked I'll have a jump start on being totally sick of zucchini. ChaoticSeven: I love your excesses of pictures! How funny having peppers so advanced with zucchini just establishing. I hope you have a lot of friends and family to pawn it off on when they take off though. About irrigation: How expensive is it? I always thought the most expensive part was all the starting bits, then drip tape was cheaper. Of course, I don't really know a drat thing about it--I'd like to do it but reading tutorials makes me feel really flakey, I kind of glaze over. I think soaker hoses are more my speed. Oh, and your swiss chard is loving gorgeous. I think I want to grow it mixed in a flowerbed. HeatherChandler fucked around with this message at 03:46 on May 31, 2009 |
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May 31, 2009 03:39
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ChuckHead posted:I just realized I only have one zucchini plant. Do they self pollinate? They don't 'self-pollinate', but one plant has both male and female flowers and if there are pollinators around they will do it.
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May 31, 2009 21:48
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I have a groundhog. Now, I am not exactly used to wildlife, so I don't know what to do about it, or squirrels for that matter. I refuse to kill or poison them (I do get why people do it, not going all PETA crazy, I just won't personally). I don't really care about my grass dying, would dumping a barrier of used kitty litter around my patch do anything? Do any of those commercial pestaway type sprays work? What about shiny pinwheels? I watched him for a while because he was awfully cute--he seemed to be moseying around the lawn looking for dandelions, and only eating those, which is awesome! I'm worried about when fruit starts setting though. I don't really have to know-how to build a fence or money for a commercially made one, plus they borrow and squirrels are crafty enough to get through them. Rabbits and deer aren't a problem. My squirrel plan was to give them water (they like vegetables for water, right?) when it gets hotter in this little weedy cove on the other side of the yard, they can dig up whatever bulbs are planted there and wreak general havoc, I'm not bothered about it. So...how worried should I be about it?
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Jun 2, 2009 03:07
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I don't have man-musk, but I've been eating asparagus daily since it is in season and on sale for really cheap, so it still might scare them away. Not sure if I can squat and shuffle at the same time. Neighbors already think I am weird, for sure. I guess kitty litter is the same concept, animal urine, so I think that is the first thing I will try. Plus the whole stinking of ammonia thing. osukeith: I was going to post a picture of all my pepper fruit sets but now I just feel bad about it.
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Jun 2, 2009 21:50
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If you were talking to me, I wouldn't really pee in my garden, haha. Not much of a naturist me. I have already been playing around with drawings for new arrangements for next year, maximize space so I can actually fit in some onions and garlic, which I would do in the border for that very reason. I really cocked it up a bit this year. Nothing I can do about it now though, and that really is getting under my skin. Groundhog was back today, again picking through the grass looking for weeds. I think I might name him. He is so cute I'll never be able to get rid of him, look what I've done. HeatherChandler fucked around with this message at 01:09 on Jun 3, 2009 |
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Jun 3, 2009 01:06
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