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Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

So glad I found this thread. I'm just gearing up for the season in eastern PA (6b). I'm curious if anyone else who frequents this thread is in the zone and/or grows in a hoophouse.

I've got a 500 sq. foot garden with some shade issues on the back side that I've put a 16' hoop house in:



I'm a bit of a techie nerd, so I end up doing barely useful/irrelevant/downright useless things. This year I've put in an old Panasonic Toughbook and 2 temperature and humidity sensors (one inside, one outside) so I can graph my temperatures and humidity:




(yes, that is a live view)

I've added an extra layer of plastic which I intend to inflate, so I want to see how much that really helps hold temperatures. I still need to find a small 120v squirrel cage fan to finish that part.

I think I'm going to be starting my flowering annuals soon on the heat mat:



That folding table normally isn't in there. I only use it for seed starting. I really need to build something better and get some lights. Most of that spaghetti on the walls up front is drip irrigation valves and a controller as well as a fan controller. I really need a much larger exhaust fan, or at least an additional one. Maybe this year.

So many projects. So little time. I just can't wait to get started for the year.

Motronic fucked around with this message at 00:41 on Feb 25, 2011

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Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

hepscat posted:

^^ Nice setup. What's the difference between a hoophouse and a hothouse or greenhouse?

Thanks. A hoop house is sheet plastic over bent EMT tubing or PVC bows (typically) with some sort of end structure, where a greenhouse is more of a "real building", often with a foundation and glass or hard plastic panels rather than sheet plastic. A greenhouse would be a nicer thing to have, but a hoophouse is MUCH more inexpensive, can be built out of plumbing/painting supplies and a bit of lumber, and doesn't require a foundation (read: most places don't require building permits for things without foundations - they consider them "temporary membrane structures" - although I'm really pushing it with plumbing, electric, and internet access). You can also easily pull the plastic off of it during the warmest part of the season if things are getting too hot.

The only consistant definition of houthouse that I've heard is a heated greenhouse (actively heated, not just solar).

Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

Costello Jello posted:

Does enough light penetrate that translucent plastic to grow plants well?

Absolutely. Each layer transmits 88% of the light and diffuses 52% (for the film I just put on). Right now, the main portion has 2 layers on it for overwintering and propagation. In the spring, one layer comes off and it looks almost as clear as the "windows" in the end gable (which is 85% with much less diffusion).

One of the reasons it looks so opaque is because of the high diffusion rate on the film I chose. It makes for a very nice even light inside, rather than harsh and shadowy. Tomatoes (especially Bandywine Pinks, which were bred to be grown in high tunnels/hoophouses in this area) grow like gangbusters in there throughout the summer and go an extra month to 6 weeks into the end of the season. Most varieties of hot peppers love it. It works great without any additional light for propagation, although I bet I could get even hardier seedlings with some additional artificial light run on either side of the brightest part of the day.

Sometimes it works so well that things get away from me. I grew vine cucumbers in there several years ago - I did 2 hills. What a mistake. They took over 1/3 of the back, and started climbing up the rakes and shovels hung on the wall. I planned to manage them better, but I went away for a week and they had taken off so much and had so many flowers I couldn't bear to do anything to them. I had the most productive 2 cucumbers vines I've ever grown, outproducing the 5 that were outside (in hills that were literally on the other side of the plastic). It makes me want to put at least a high tunnel over the rest of the outside space.

Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

A flying piece of posted:

the deer decided 'gently caress that midget fence' and stripped the whole garden.

I swear by my scarecrow. One battery lasts you the season, and it not only scares the crap out of deer, but pretty much everything else. You still need the fence, but if you add one of these too you'll likely be golden.

I made the mistake of leaving mine off for a couple of days and returned to find significant bird damage, as well as something that burgled my loving corn.

Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

dinozaur posted:

Please remember to turn these off when the landscaper(me) comes to work in your yard. These darn things have sprayed me quite a few times.

I leave it on. By the time I get over to that part of the yard I'm hot and tired of being dragged around by a 15 year old Scag on its last legs and the quick dousing is kinda nice.

Having landscaped for years, yeah, I'm sure that sucks when you get it on a job. Those things weren't around when I was doing it. But I can't imagine that's nearly as bad as the kid toy/tennis ball mine filed that were most back yards. Of course those were also the yards that were ChemLawn'ed so they would grow approximately 2 feet every day, so by the time you got there you couldn't see any of the small stuff until you were on top of it. And you tore the sides up turning because there was no root structure left after the nitrogen explosion that is the trademark Chemlawn experience.

Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

TerryLennox posted:

Do you know how often and how much should I water them?
With the humidity you mentioned, it will probably be once every few days. That really also depends on how large and/or crowded your planter is, how windy it is, and how big the plants are. Good rule of thumb is to water them well, but dont go overboard, and then let them go until the soil gets dry. Check it every day after the first few and see. When its dry (not bone dry), water them again. Just don't make the classic mistake of watering them too much. They need that dry time for the roots to "harden". Otherwise you're inviting root rot and pests.

In planters its really easy to check once you get used to it. Just bump/lift them. Get used to how light they are when the soil is dry. At that point, you no longer need to even get your hands dirty checking. Water them when they get light.

Do make sure you keep up with the watering - basil is notoriously not drought resistant. Besides wilting, mine seems to "bolt" (start to flower/seed) if it hasn't received enough water after the next time it gets watered.

TerryLennox posted:

Do they like sun?
They like the sun where I'm at in Pennsylvania (actually, I can't speak for anise - I've never grown it). Where you're at they may need some shade during part of the day. Basil ought to be fine. As long as its watered, you can probably grow it year round. Oregano might need some more shade to keep it from bolting, but is going to be a lot like basil. Lemongrass is basically a tropical weed, so whatever.....I doubt you'll have any issues no matter what you do with it.

TerryLennox posted:

Can they grow properly on the same planter?

If its a really big planter, sure. But basil has quite a root structure. If you're going to use a planter, it needs to be a big one for the basil. This also helps to hold some water in there so it doesn't need such frequent attention. A little much on the top of the soil (close to but not touching the plants) will also help with this.

Oregano is pretty rooty, but not as much as basil. Lemongrass is not very rooty at all, and could be grown in quite a small planter. If I were you, I'd try it as a "cover crop" around the edges of your basil/oregano planters.

Hopefully someone here knows something about anise and can help you with that.

But, bottom line: you have nothing to lose. And it sounds like you can keep trying and growing all year. Can't beat that.

Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

noodlesinabag posted:

Question about fertilizer.

I know blood meal and fish emulsion are both good nitrogen fertilizers. Can anyone tell me from experience which one was better for them in terms of increasing harvest of green stuff? Also can both be applied weekly with water? I'm having trouble finding fish emulsion at the nearest lowes/home depot/ace but they all carry blood meal...

Fish emulsion seems to be faster acting. It's what I use during the season. Water with it, on the leaves, early in the morning when the leaves are dry. No more than once a week. Som people even spray it on. This is a middle of the season thing.

I've always treated blood meal as before planting soil amendment.

I can't tell you which is best, but I can tell you that you'll see a "burst" a couple of day after you spray with fish emulsion. It's like you just shot your lettuce up with steroids.

You do know you're looking for a bottle of fish emulsion, not a bag like blood meal, right? Either way...get the blood meal now, amend your soil, and find locally or order fish emulsion for later int he season. You'll be happy with the results.

Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

noodlesinabag posted:

Wait u spray the leaves not the soil?

Fish emulsion, yes. It will also work in the soil, but it seems to do pretty well on the leaves. But when you wet leaves, you better be sure they dry soon - meaning do it in the morning.

noodlesinabag posted:

I have some liquid seaweed... Well they're flakes that u mix with water... I've been giving my seedlings that to help promote strong root development. That's something u water into the potting mix, right?

Yes, you can water seedling with that. VERY diluted. Like an ounce or so to a gallon of water.

But....why are your seedling in potting soil? Did you start seeds in it? If so, good on you that they germinated. But stop doing that. You should be using a non soil mix for seedlings. Equal parts of peat moss, perlite, vermiculite, and compost with a little bit of wood ash or lime. You can buy it pre-mixed for about double what it would cost you to mix your own.

noodlesinabag posted:

Well Lowes told me they stopped carrying it because not enough people were buying it at the store nearest to me and ace told me they just font carry it... Might be able to order some for me though... My greens seem to be getting along with more than just a few baby leaves so I thought I would start giving it fish emulsion but I just wanted to check with you goons first to male sure I had the right info.

I don't want to accuse you of anything here, but sometimes you just need to put down the fertilizer and WALK AWAY. I used the fish emulsion in the middle of the season as a supplement. I use fresh non-soil mix to start. I amend my soil before I plant, either in the fall or the beginning of the growing season depending on what I'm putting in. Over fertilizing is bad, and correcting soil later on that is incorrect can be difficult. Let your babies grow. Give them water. If they're in a non soil mix or potting soil and very small, they ought to be just fine. Let the get big enough to harden off and put out, put them out in good soil, let them start to thrive, and then think about maybe needing more food for them.

It's much easier to kill stuff with fertilizer than without.

Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

noodlesinabag posted:

Just had no idea you were supposed to spray the leaves with fish emulsion. Doesn't that make the lettuce taste fishy?

I never really thought about it. Being totally organic is relatively new to me, as I grew up landscaping in the late 80s-90s (I would spay the crap out of anything to make a problem "go away" - now I know how naive and wrong I was, even with my mighty state pesticide/herbicide licence number). I just have it in my head that I don't harvest anything after treating for at least a week or more, depending on what I've applied, so I've never harvested greens soon after treatment. But I can tell you for sure that a week is long enough. Maybe I ought to try sooner this year as an experiment.

Motronic fucked around with this message at 01:15 on Mar 7, 2011

Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

Alleric posted:

Greetings from 9b.

6b is impressed, jealous, and anxious to go.

Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

dwoloz posted:

Hopefully youll ripen most of it before a frost but if not, you can ripen the fruit in a sunny window

This is a good way to rot tomatoes. If you wrap them individually in newspaper and toss them in a cardboard box with a ripe banana (prolific ethylene source) they will be ripe in no time at all, with minimal rot. At the very least, keep them out of the sun.

Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

I've recently become aware of a "Japanese Razor Hoe" which seems to be sold as a "Japanese weeding sickle" in the US. Looks like a pretty awesome tool, but I've never seen one in person. Anyone here have any experience with something like that?

I was considering picking one up to give it a try.

Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

mischief posted:

Any suggestions for non-chemical intervention to a dandelion EXPLOSION in our neighborhood? I'm weeding 5-10 of the fuckers out of the garden a day and it's getting to be more dandelion than grass in the rest of the backyard.

Better grass.

Don't let any of them go to seed in your lawn this year. Then treat your lawn properly in the fall: soil tests, lime if necessary, core aeration, slit seed - or if the soil is poor skip the slit seeder and broadcast spread seed right after core aeration and then drop spread an inch of compost on top of that. In fact, you should start with the soil tests/lime now, because lime takes some time to work its way in and adjust pH.

If you've done all of that, your lawn will be healthy next year and your broadleaf problem should be nearly gone because your grass won't give them any room to grow. This is assuming you don't have a pest problem that is thinning your lawn. If you do, google beneficial nematodes. They work great. But do the rest of what I described as well.

If you're impatient, you can treat these things chemically, but that's really not the way I do things anymore so I won't even get into that. I also consider it a largely stop-gap measure, because the results rarely last without repeated applications. What I described above will simply work for years with little maintenance other than annual pH adjustment (or less, depending on your area and soil) and occasionally dropping some more compost on to feed things.

Edit: also, cut your lawn no shorter than 2 1/2 inches (I mow at 3), and never cut more than 1/3 of it at a time (meaning if you let it get to 6 inches, cut it at 4 inches, and then cut it again in a few days down to 3). And always cut with sharp blades.

What I'm getting at here is that if your lawn is healthy, you wouldn't be having dandelion issues. So make your lawn healthy and all will be well.

Motronic fucked around with this message at 01:11 on Apr 11, 2011

Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

A Fistful of Dicks posted:

What's the advantage to transplanting store-bought plants versus sprouting your own from seed?

To add to the very good information madlilnerd already posted:

- For most climates you need to start certain vegetables inside to get a real growing season out of them. They are for warmer climates, but it is common to "cheat" by starting them inside and putting them out as a seedling as soon as you weather is good enough. Tomatoes in most parts of the US are a perfect example of this.
- Starting seeds indoors is a completely different discipline from gardening. Doing things wrong (and you can do it wrong in non obvious ways, where you think everything is fine and merrily go about using the seedlings you started) can be confusing later in the season to a new gardener. Was is your seed starts? Was it something that happened later once it was in the garden?
- Plenty of things aren't worth buying. Anything that should be direct seeded in the ground in your climate should simply be direct seeded. madlilnerd pretty well covered that part.

Save yourself some time and buy seedlings for non-root stuff this year. Make sure you get the gardening part down and that you are successful before you try indoor seed starting (it's a bit late for that now anyway depending on where you are).

Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

mischief posted:

I'm a pretty big redneck

You say this and then post a picture of your pickup that is conspicuously missing dual 3" stacks coming out of the front of the bed?

For shame.

Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

Fatkraken posted:

6 foot SHOULD keep deer out, in Scotland the 3 foot stock fences only work on sheep but a 6 foot fence is very effective at keeping them out from areas with young trees and other tasty goodies.


Are Scottish deer midgets? Because 6 feet isn't going to keep a deer out of anything that they can see is large enough for them to get a running start inside of around here. They seem to be smart enough to know not to jump into confined areas, but if they have 30 or 40 feet to run they can and will jump a 6 foot fence.

I have 6 feet of 2x4 welded wire with a fence wire another 2 feet above (with some mylar tape tied on so they can see it....this also deters some birds) to keep the bastards out.

Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

Shifty Pony posted:

My father knows an extremely effective fencing solution for white tailed deer that involves two concentric "fences" consisting of single electrified wires a specific height and specific distance apart. Works great because it is just high enough they have to jump it to not get zapped but the second wire spacing from the first means they can't jump it (and they know it).

I could get more information if people are interested. It is the only thing that he has found that will protect his peas and corn.

You can get away with 45 degree angles starting at the top of a 6' fence that are only 12 to 16 inches long with a single electrified wire on the end of them. It's another tried and true solution with plenty of variations, most of which work fine. It all depends on what you have, where you are, what you're trying to do, and what you want it to look like. For me, it was cleaner, easier, and more reliable to sink a bunch of scrap 4x4s I had laying around and make them up to 8' above ground by sistering more scrap 4x4 with some old 5/4 deck board I also had laying around. No overhangs and no power required. Depending on where you are and what you've got that may not be the easiest solution.

You can also stop them by having things they don't think they can land on safely 3 feet inside of a 6' fence on all side. This happens during parts of my growing season, but leaves me open to getting wiped out when stuff is still small.

Motronic fucked around with this message at 03:02 on Jun 28, 2013

Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

coyo7e posted:

if you have a 8-10 foot chainlink fence, they'll potentially be able to go right over.

They can absolutely go over chain link or anything else of the right shape that they can climb. I've watched it happen.

Dissuading deer is either brute force (height, electricity) or some deer psychology. If you know what they are likely to consider worthwhile/safe and make them feel uncomfortable enough they will stay away. Until things get bad enough that they won't - a perfect example of this is that if things dry out enough to kill everything else they normally eat in "safe" spots they'll start going for 6' fenced gardens and doing things like eating arborvitae or munching on things you've sprayed with liquid deer fence (in fact, that's the first thing that happens when things get tough in my experience). Like any other creature, they go for the path of least resistance but when things get tough will go for desperate measures.

coyo7e posted:

... 30 foot running start? A human might need that much.

It's been my and many other's experience that deer won't enter an area they can identify as enclosed unless they have at least 30' in some direction, which may just mean they can't tell it's enclosed anymore (their depth perception sucks). I wasn't saying they needed that much of a running start to jump. In fact, there are documented cases of white tails jumping 8' fences with no running start at all according to my ag extension office, it just rarely happens if you provide the proper things that will make them uncomfortable to do so into your garden.

Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

TerryLennox posted:

If I had the money, I would be really interested in implementing a sort of autonomous greenhouse. Basically a greenhouse that is chockfull of sensors and basically be able to detect and dispense nutrients and water automatically. Ideally, it should even warn the owner of the ideal times of harvest. If you ever went into space or underground, you could have a sort of sustainable biosphere for your family...if energy wasn't a consideration.

I've been picking away at this idea slowly. I've got an irrigation controller I can turn zone on and off using a simple HTTP post and several temperature and humidity sensors around. I found a cheap adruino moisture sensor but haven't built any adruino stuff before, so I'm open to other inexpensive options - any commercial sensors I've seen that I can read via USB or ethernet are fiercely expensive (at least the controllers are).

I've already been looking for and playing with models and weather prediction data to figure out when if I can come up with 1.) when I shouldn't water that day (other than if the rain sensor is already tripped) and 2.) how much should I water based on previous and predicted temperatures. I have to think someone is already doing this in commercial farming. (edit: obviously I'm talking about changes for outside zones here. I suppose it could be helpful inside as well, but I figure the moisture sensors would mostly take care of that)

Motronic fucked around with this message at 16:48 on Jul 1, 2013

Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

TerryLennox posted:

I think the Department of Agriculture could help you there. The reason why I think this project would be really handy is because there are so many variables to account for, that automation could represent an advantage. Imagine that you could have an app that could keep track of ph levels, moisture and other minutiae.

It's not something I'm going full force into trying to solve, but any resources I come across might give me motivation to work on another facet of the project. I absolutely agree on automation being helpful, and I also like DATA to make decisions based on. Which is why I'm primarily working on the data gathering parts first, because that's exceptionally useful to me even if I can't automate everything. I'm only jumping the gun on the irrigation part because my controller died last year and I replaced it with an IrrigationCaddy, so of course I want to play with that thing more beyond setting schedules and turning my irrigation on and off with my phone.

Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

That looks pretty nice.

I hate to bring this up, but if you have any predators you're really gonna want to use something better than chicken wire....like hardware cloth. At least on the bottom.

Chicken wire is good at only one thing: keeping chickens in. Predators will rip right through that stuff.

Also, if you have any birds of prey you'll want to get the top covered.

Keeping them in a pen like that is way different than free range. You have to provide all the cover/protection for them that they would normally do a decent job on their own by hiding/roosting.

Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

zeroprime posted:

I'm convinced that the supermarket veggies don't taste as good because they're specific varieties that are grown to have harder/tougher skins for easier mass harvesting (plus picking before they even start to show any pink).

That's exactly it. "Bulletproof" varieties that can withstand often uncontrolled temperature transport, mechanical picking/handling, that are as uniform of a shape/size as possible (also to aid mechanical handling), and that look appealing after all of that. Taste is a distant criteria on the list. You simply can't buy some of the things that are fantastic to grow in your own graden, even if you have good farms stands nearby.

Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

mobby_6kl posted:

This is pretty scrub-level as I just got my first plant that wasn't already in the apartment. It's one of those potted chilies things, I don't have the exact name unfortunately. Since I'm pretty clueless, I need some help diagnosing some damage I already managed to cause:


It's now summer here so I put it out in the corner of the balcony, where there isn't much direct sunlight and little wind. Withing less than a week, these kinds of spots appeared on it, the largest ones a bit bigger than this one and sometimes with a hole in the center.

I then put it inside and that seemed to prevent more holes from developing but it's not getting much better either, as far as I can tell. Some of the peppers feel a bit... flaccid, I guess? I water it daily and fertilized it twice in the last two weeks, but I'm just not sure if I should be doing something else or it will just take a while for it to recover. Thanks!

Well, two things. The holes/spots are pest damage. They are not getting better and the entire plant is stressed because you are watering it every day. Just back off. If it's still moist an inch below the soil line don't water it. Roots need to dry out and "harden up" between waterings to prevent rot and fungus. If it's in potting soil (has little white styrofoam looking balls in it) this will probably takes 3 or more days. Yes, you can love your plants to death!

Also, back off the fertilizer. I don't know what or how much you used, but it's probably excessive unless you've very slightly dosed it each time.

Motronic fucked around with this message at 21:27 on Jul 3, 2013

Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

MarshallX posted:

I have a feeling it's Septoria

I think you're right.

Here's the Cornell ag extension fact sheet on it:

http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/factsheets/Tomato_Septoria.htm


I had it two years ago and had decent results with mancozeb. It was a particularly wet year which really didn't help anything at all.

MarshallX posted:

This happened last year to one of my plants but this year it just started absolutely destroying them.

Please pay attention to the parts of the fact sheet about getting rid of this. You need to clean those plants up carefully - last year's may have infected this years depending on how you cleaned up in the fall.

Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

cowofwar posted:

Anyone have any ideas?

If you think it might be a soil nutrient issue try watering with some fish oil emulsion mixed in. That stuff is like plant crack. You should see results inside of two weeks if you water consistently and properly.

Of course, if you're not all organic and stuff you can try other things, but really.....this is an organic gardening non-compromise product other than the fact that is stinks pretty bad. The stuff I get says it's deodorized, so I don't want to know what the non-deodorized stuff smells like. The smell is gone the next day after watering, FYI.

Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

cowofwar posted:

I haven't watered the beds for like two weeks we keep getting a lot of rain.

So it could be an overwatering problem....by no fault of your own.

After a couple days of no rain stick your finger down an inch or so and see how wet it still it. If it's soaked you've got a drainage problem that you just might be able to "fix" by making a small roof/tent kinda thing out of wooden stakes and sheet plastic when it's gonna rain for a few days (mini greenhouse).

Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

Martytoof posted:

On a whim I threw some corn kernels I got form a bulk store into a ziplock bag wrapped in some moist kitchen paper. Yadda yadda yadda, checked today and they're fully sprouted. Are these viable? That is to say, if they sprouted are they likely to produce corn?

Well, they'll probably grow into a plant that looks like corn. Whether they will produce anything resembling the seeds is the question. It's entirely possible they are F1 hybrids, so you would be growing an F2 hybrid which is typically not as consistant in the traits that have been selectively bred. I'm pretty sure that most corn grown in the US is still an F1 hybrid. I know it used to be virtually all of it.

But don't let that stop you from planting them. You'll probably get something out of it.

Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

medchem posted:

We have quite a few squash-type plants (3 pumpkins of one type, 2 more pumpkins of another type, 1 salad cucumber, 1 lemon cucumber, 1 yellow squash, and 1 canteloupe) that are growing lots of leaves, vines, and male flowers, but no female flowers yet. Well, at least the yellow squash has grown some (maybe 5 or 6) female flowers, but they never get fertilized. Literally, the plants are sprawling all over the place with nothing to show. At this rate, it's probably going to be too late for anything to finish growing...at least for the larger squashes. This happened last year too when we had watermelons, some different cucumbers, and a couple of butternut squashes. For reference, we have plants in ground and in containers with different sources of soil. They get plenty of sun and water. Otherwise, I don't think they'd grow this big. Is there something we can do to change this?

Are you (over) fertilizing with something that has a lot of nitrogen?

Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

coyo7e posted:

He said they "never get fertiilized"

I think he meant pollinated, but I could be wrong.

Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

Fog Tripper posted:

Can anyone recommend a soil test kit? I tried to narrow down possibles on amazon and reviews are all over the damned place.

Have you talked to your county ag extension? Most of them are pretty good and will have some suggestions, if not the kits themselves at a very good price.

Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

Flipperwaldt posted:

It's also simply more interesting to grow a variety of stuff.

And varieties of stuff that you simply can not get anywhere, including local farmer's markets.

There's a lot of really tasty stuff out there that simply doesn't stand up to any kind of shipping or storage and much of it is delicious. The only way you're getting that is with a garden nearby.

That's why I encourage people to stray from the Burpee/whatever mainstream commercial catalogs and find some interesting stuff.

Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

Abbeh posted:

We have tomatoes, green peppers, pickling cucumbers, summer squash and zucchini. Would any of those be attractive to our yard residents?

That depends on how hungry they are. With the size I assume things are now and the abundant food supply elsewhere you'll probably be OK, but some hardware cloth folded at a 90 degree angle attached to your fence and slid underneath the sod (6-12 inches) will keep them from squeezing through the fence or digging under it.

Abbeh posted:

And if anyone wonders why their hostas are getting beheaded every year, it's deer. Trust me.

It's always the deer around me. And if they still have leaves on them but they are full of holes you need to come count at night to see the slugs that just hatched there (and douse them with diatomaceous earth).

Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

coyo7e posted:

Why are you growing corn if you are not eating its 'seed pods'?

I think they are referring to the tassels and anthers (male parts).

If so, no.....those are not seeds. The anthers pollinate the plants around them when they fall/blow off and land on the silk from the ears (female parts, develop into what you eat which are the seeds you would save).

Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

Martytoof posted:

Is there any point in manually helping the pollination by placing some of the anthers in stragetic areas then or should I just let nature run its course? Because obviously I can be trusted to do what's in nature's best interest :q:

Absolutely. If your patch is small/otherwise not shaped well you can simply shake the stalks and watch the pollen fall. The anthers will not release until you see the corn silk down below - each piece of silk goes to an individual kernel, and each silk needs to be pollinated - that's why your ears look sparse and weird when they aren't pollinated completely.

So basically look for silk and then give a stalk or two a shake. If there is dust coming off the tassels then shake them all. (If not, try again the next day.) Once they start releasing pollen, keep shaking every day until they stop dropping pollen.

I would suggest doing this when there is no wind if your patch is small, that way you won't have your pollen blowing away uselessly. And we're talking about grabbing a stalk about halfway up and moving it back and for a few inches for 4 or 5 seconds, not beating the crap out of it.

Motronic fucked around with this message at 16:25 on Jul 29, 2013

Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

Cpt.Wacky posted:

I know that people eat the garlic scapes from hardneck varieties.

They make the best drat pesto I've ever had.

Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

SpannerX posted:

Yup, though I have to squash aphids on a regular basis.

That what ladybugs are for. And they're cheap.

http://www.amazon.com/patio-lawn-garden/dp/B000MR6WRG

Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

Whoohoo! I just noticed one of my new things that I tried this year is working:



Those are Cascade hops. I also have some Nuggets, but they aren't nearly as developed yet. I had to rip one off crush it up in my hands and smell it.

Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

moechae posted:

I've got some spaghetti squash growing in my garden that are reaching 1ft+ length but still green. I don't want them that big, can I pick them and will they ripen if I put them on a shelf, or do I pretty much have to wait until they turn yellow?

That doesn't really work out well, at least in my experience.

Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

razz posted:

I haven't read all of this really awesome thread so I apologize if this has been answered, but I have a question about growing bell peppers.

We have 4 red bell pepper plants and they all have HUGE peppers on them. Absolutely enormous. Bigger than ones you get at the store. Seriously these peppers are mutants. But they've been this size and been on the vine for like 3 weeks and they're still green! I'm just wondering how much longer it will be before they turn red.

The tag on the plants specifically said "Red Bell Peppers" and has a picture of peppers on it that are red. So... how much longer do I have to wait because I loooovve red peppers and I'm so sad whenever I go out there to look and they're still green :(

All common bell peppers are green/yellow/red.....it just depends on when you pick them. Most varieties will take a good month to go from fully grown green to red. (this is why red peppers cost more)

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Motronic
Nov 6, 2009

razz posted:

I used to work in a plant research lab and I grew thousands of Datura (they're in the tomato/potato family). I scratched the seeds with sandpaper then soaked them in water for a couple days. They sprouted every time.

Actually now that I think about it we did the same thing with tomatoes too.

More details please. Including grit, how much sandpaper, etc. and where they went after the water (right into soil?).

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