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Auben -> Garden Talk (3/25/2008 5:11:33 PM)

I think we're loosing our garden threads so I thought I'd put something up where we can talk about what's sprouting or what we're planting.



Wild-Rose -> RE: Garden Talk (3/25/2008 6:22:52 PM)

The church garden is one of my responsibilities at my church (self imposed). Today I was there raking out the dead leaves and extra mulch that was on it over winter. The crocus are blooming and I know I planted other bulbs last autumn. I try to forget on purpose so that it will be a happy surprise when they come up. We will have some assortment of daffodils and tulips. Most of the garden is perennials. I was going for a country meadow type garden so we have cone flowers, lavender, roses, ornamental grasses. Also mums but they don't blossom until the fall.



Auben -> RE: Garden Talk (3/25/2008 8:52:06 PM)

I'm thinking about volunteering to do something like that.

I'm doing a lot more from seed this year. We still have snow but everything is sprouting (but the peppers). Its so fun to go downstairs right now and see baby spinach, broccoli, tomatoes (2 kinds), basil, mint, and lettuce.



walkin2e -> RE: Garden Talk (3/26/2008 7:05:23 AM)

I have new potatoes planted and they are about 10 inches high. My sweet corn (silver queen) is about 3 inches (I have 24 rows 80 feet long). I replanted my squash, green beans, and blackeye peas (after I planted the first time, we got about 3 inches of rain and it packed the soil so the seeds couldn't sprout). I also planted 2 rows of watermelons, and set out about 10 tomato plants.

I planted several rows of yellow field corn and blue hoppi Indian corn last Saturday.

Speaking of potatoes (taters), I thought this was cute:

http://www.frontiernet.net/~jimdandy/specials/sweettators/

walkin2e



Wild-Rose -> RE: Garden Talk (3/26/2008 8:52:00 AM)

quote:

I'm thinking about volunteering to do something like that.

My church has a beautiful property and lawn but there was no garden when I first started going there. The first Spring that I was there it seemed "wrong" that there were no flowers, so I wrote a letter to my Pastor and asked permission to put in flower beds. We are a church on a tight budget so no money was given for this project. I had someone with a tiller dig things up for me, I asked folks to donate plants for the garden and I bought some plants myself. When our church has a work day I make sure that the garden is put on the schedule so that I can get help pruning and whatever else needs doing. My point is that if you volunteer for this at your church make sure the entire burden does not get put on your own shoulders. It is a lot of fun and a real blessing but it is a lot of work also. I go in about once a week to weed and deadhead and other chores to keep it looking nice.



Auben -> RE: Garden Talk (3/26/2008 9:43:32 PM)

I'm afraid I wasn't thinking about being nearly so nice wild-rose. I figured I'd ask and sneak a few plants in the shrub border (if I have any leftovers from my seedlings).

Maybe I can make that kind of time commitment in a few years when the boys are older (and the puppy isn't so needy).


I was reading about fertilizing with dry molassas today. Has anyone else heard of that?

I am running out of table space under my lights now. I planted a few more peppers and some swiss chard today. I brought the lettuce sprouts (in the egg cartons) upstairs to sit in a window. So far I have sprouts of spinach (needs transplanting), broccoli, olpaka tomatoes (should be ready to transplant next week), powers heirloom tomatoes, leaf lettuce, basil, mustard, and a little mint. I'm waiting on peppers (a mix) and cilantro.

Our snow is melting but I hear we're getting more tonight. Perhaps even 6-10 inches.



Harvie -> RE: Garden Talk (3/26/2008 9:51:22 PM)

We have three dozens varieties of flowers in bloom right now ..... it's very pretty. And my cherry tomato plants are in blossom, too (and so are the strawberry plants!)

[sm=funny.gif]



furrypurrykitty -> RE: Garden Talk (3/26/2008 11:22:17 PM)

It's not warm enough here in Kentucky to plant anything yet (flowers, anyway), but I have iris, daylilies, magic lilies, narcissus and one little daffodil that has been blooming its heart out. I keep thinking I need to get some more to keep it company. I've noticed that in other people's yards there's forsythia, Bradford pear trees, and other plants and trees beginning to bloom.

Although the house where I live is a rental, I'm frustrated with the yard right now because there doesn't seem to be much grass left in the front yard, just tufts here and there and the rest weeds. The drought we had last summer/early fall must have killed most of it. I've thought about asking the landlord if I could get some of that weed and seed stuff and take it off the rent, but I don't know whether that would do the job. Has anybody ever used that?



deermousie -> RE: Garden Talk (3/26/2008 11:56:15 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: furrypurrykitty

Although the house where I live is a rental, I'm frustrated with the yard right now because there doesn't seem to be much grass left in the front yard, just tufts here and there and the rest weeds.


You probably have lousy, thin soil with little humus (broken down stuff that used to be alive). A great way to remedy this (if your landlord would agree, and maybe supply to stuff) is to plant vetch or buckwheat, and when it hits the blooming period (buckwheat would be fastest), rototil it under. Throw some humus from a compost pile on there, as much as you can get, and till it under. Maybe shake some nitrogen (seed free manure) on there, too, to help break down the tilled-under plants. Wait two weeks and plant grass seed. You'd be amazed what a difference it would make.

The gardener's first job is to grow soil. [:)] Start eying kitchen scraps, leaf piles, grass clippings, whatever used to be alive, and think of it as lawn food! Pile it up so it breaks down (if you don't move it around you can leave it there a year. Or if you turn it daily with a little water and some soil, it might be ready in 2-3 weeks) and when it breaks down into dark, crumbly soil (black gold!) it's ready to spread thinly over the lawn. Then water it in and watch the difference it makes! Compost loses about 60% of its volume so you won't wind up with as much as you started, but it's great plant food. And it's free.



Szaftoo -> RE: Garden Talk (3/27/2008 9:32:29 AM)

We just bought the new "upside down" tomato pots and I am anxious to see what happens. Have any of you ever used them?



Auben -> RE: Garden Talk (3/27/2008 1:04:14 PM)

No snow for us. Phew!

I was reading about fertilizing with dry molassasyesterday. Has anyone else heard of that?



agapetos -> RE: Garden Talk (3/28/2008 2:20:18 AM)

I haven't had snow here either, but it's been around ~ late this year... I've got a collection of seedlings growing nicely on my windowsill. I can't wait for the weather to warm up so I can put them out[:D]



cindybode -> RE: Garden Talk (3/29/2008 12:09:01 AM)

I have baby plants everywhere. I also have snow on the ground. [&:]

I'm going to fix up the hoop house this weekend and get it over one of the beds so I can put the spinach and broccoli out before they take over the world.



Auben -> RE: Garden Talk (3/29/2008 11:09:29 AM)

I've never done upsidedown tomatoes, although I've heard of that.

Snow is finally melting and we're tapping our maple trees. This is our first year doing that. [:D]



agapetos -> RE: Garden Talk (3/29/2008 7:33:47 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Szaftoo

We just bought the new "upside down" tomato pots and I am anxious to see what happens. Have any of you ever used them?

I haven't used them either, but I've been tempted. I want to hear someone elses experiences first until I invest in such an expensive item (and I need to make sure the trustees here don't freak at my hanging something off the gutter!)[:D]



Szaftoo -> RE: Garden Talk (3/30/2008 10:15:15 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: agapetos

quote:

ORIGINAL: Szaftoo

We just bought the new "upside down" tomato pots and I am anxious to see what happens. Have any of you ever used them?

I haven't used them either, but I've been tempted. I want to hear someone elses experiences first until I invest in such an expensive item (and I need to make sure the trustees here don't freak at my hanging something off the gutter!)[:D]


My husband got them for online someplace and they didn't cost that much. Interesting how they work, you put the plant in and let it hang out the bottom. You fill it with dirt and then put a plastic pan on top of the dirt. It comes with some kind of leather looking strap that you put inside the pan and paperclip it to the top so it doesn't come off and then fill the pan with water. Some how the strips keep the dirt wet. They are growing and have buds but no tomatoes yet.

I will admit it looks sort of strange and gets attention.



flowerz -> RE: Garden Talk (3/31/2008 11:18:17 AM)

Outside in my yard, the daffodils, muscari, anemones, and my pink dawn Viburnum are blooming. The Viburnum has been putting on a great show almost all winter, I just love that shrub!

Normally by this time of the year I would have already planted some things outside, but we are experiencing cooler than normal weather, so I am holding off for a bit.



Auben -> RE: Garden Talk (3/31/2008 4:23:55 PM)

Well you've got us beat, Canada. We still have snow but enough has melted so that a few tulip leaves are showing through.



Auben -> RE: Garden Talk (4/2/2008 9:33:26 AM)

I planted peppers a few weeks ago (2?3?) and they still haven't sprouted yet. I think I'll bring them up from the basement. Maybe it will be a little warmer by my window.

I also started a Gardening and other stuff blog at www.lostsurprise.blogspot.com



stellaluna -> RE: Garden Talk (4/2/2008 10:28:48 AM)

I am a renter, so I don't have any extravagant gardening plans...however, I have a small flower bed (5' x 2') and I do my best to keep the grass green and the elm trees from being eaten up by beetles.

It is warmer here, but I don't think we're out of freeze danger. I have already cleaned up the flower bed by raking up all the dead leaves and pulling the few stray dandelions out. I think I'll probably spend the weekend breaking up the soil and getting it ready to plant, then actually planting toward the end of the month. I looked for dianthus last year and didn't find any. Hopefully I can find some this year.

As far as the trees, we've had an elm beetle infestation the last few years that has completely decimated our elm tree population. We are in a dry area and most of the trees in our city are elms. I have four in my yard and they are very old and very tall and the main source of shade for the duplex I live in. Having them eaten away nearly doubled my cooling bill! Last year I found some chemical made by Bayer that stops the beetles from eating the tree. You mix it with water and pour it in the ground and the tree soaks it up, so it's systemic and it lasts a whole year. By the end of June, my trees were the only ones on my block that still had leaves. In fact, my trees were healthier last year than ever before! So I'm going to use that chemical again, even though it's kind of pricey.



meg4 -> RE: Garden Talk (4/2/2008 10:38:49 AM)

Auben, peppers are slow to sprout and slow to grow. You might try putting them in a warm spot, such as the top of the refrigerator or near a heat vent or something.



Auben -> RE: Garden Talk (4/2/2008 12:17:51 PM)

Yeah, I think they're on the brink (I see a little fuzzy something down there in one of them). I put them in a window and I think the containers are warming up.

That's a nice sized area for a duplex, Stellaluna.



deermousie -> RE: Garden Talk (4/2/2008 12:49:07 PM)

We've got daffodils blooming like crazy. The Forsythia is starting in, and the Juneberry and Bradford pears are tuning up. Pretty soon the apples will bloom and the Dogwoods will go nuts. The grass is 4" tall in the pasture and the bare garden beds are sporting little seedlings I'll hoe up today.

I've got the lettuce and beets in, and peas are starting in flats (or the voles will get them). Potatoes go in this week (soil is 48 degrees so it's time) and I need to hurry up and get thick hay down in places I don't want weeds.

Spring fever! See all you folks in the garden!



Georgia-Peach -> RE: Garden Talk (4/2/2008 1:38:18 PM)

Today is the first day I have ever done yard work on my own...sad I know, but I am just the outdoor kind of girl. I worked in a flower bed pulling weeds and am really wanting to plant stuff in it. Currently it has three hydrangea bushes in it which are staying. I just don't know what else would look good in the flower bed with them. Any suggestions?



ChelseaRae -> RE: Garden Talk (4/2/2008 1:42:37 PM)

I can't believe all you people have plants that are flowering/sprouting!! You know it is the beginning of April right? I just saw my first crocus sprout yesterday!

I suppose that is what I get for living in Northern Alberta.[:o]

I am going to grow my first garden this year! Flowers are not my friend, I can't grow them to save my life so dh is going to build me boxes along my deck and I'm going to grow veggies![:D]




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