BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Apr 11 - 10:56 PM

Between work and dog walking I have a couple of hours for chores and gardening. I have a friend I meet at 7 (usually) that I need to do for social and exercise purposes. This week I've used some of that time to dismantle a little stone wall (a kind of wing wall, there is one on each side on the front, a very-1970s look) and use the stones in my garden and tote the crappy mortar to the back of the yard to dump to fill it in. I'll spread topsoil over it once I finish and seed it with something.

Tomatoes still look awful, though they're not dead. I'll do some foliar feeding again tomorrow and that should give them the boost they need to get started. A couple are already beginning to turn around.

Veggie seedlings are tiny, not doing much. Starting from seed can be more satisfactory, but the results are a crap shoot. :-/

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: MMario
Date: 29 Apr 11 - 09:30 AM

yesterday I stopped and picked up a bow saw - removed the limb on the magnolia that I've wanted to take off for three years; may take off another as it is rubbing the roof.

planted the easter lily, two pots of hyacinths and an azalea. My winter hardy banana arrived - the truckloads of mulch won't arrive for at least a week ....so I guess I will try to pick up enough bags to do the front gardens at least....they shouldn't take more then six or eight bags...

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: Janie
Date: 29 Apr 11 - 11:28 PM

In summer, Leo, I wish I lived where you do. Come our early springs and long, mild falls, I'm glad I don't.

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 30 Apr 11 - 11:04 AM

We need to find another equivalent for Mudcat Gardeners since the Google Groups went away. Leo posted some lovely photos of his yard there.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: MMario
Date: 05 May 11 - 02:02 PM

Ias it actually gone? (I can't check from work) - the search feature for google groups is still there and there is also links to "new google groups" - and instructions for setting up groups.

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 05 May 11 - 02:42 PM

Drought drought drought! Hosepipe every evening. Water bill just arrived ... Gulp!

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: Black belt caterpillar wrestler
Date: 06 May 11 - 07:53 AM

We've finally got rain. There have been several fires in the hills around us but we are in an area of sheep grazing fields rather than open moorland.
I reckon the rain came because we persuaded our fireman pipe and tabor playing friend to play Black Joke, which has a reputation as a rain attracting tune.
We should start a campain to fit all fire engines with morris tune compatible musical instruments.

I have managed to clear rocks from another area and build some more low walls in the process. I know that hedges provide more shelter than walls because they are not as sudden an interuption to the air-flow but the walls will do some good at lessening the wind at ground level.

The main problem is in moving some of the bigger rocks. When they are heavier than I am the best method is usually to roll them but several have to go uphill. There are a few slabs that will require rollers and a winch to move to where they can be part of a path (though some are actually wider than I planned to have the path).

I have some potatoes and some onions planted for now but it may all be subject to change when I finally get all the land dug over as I want. I have to rabbit proof it yet!

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 06 May 11 - 10:55 PM

Leo, it does look like Google Groups are still there, the old ones and a new form. I'll poke around and see if the new one is any easier to lay out. That was the problem with the earlier one, making the pages look the way we wanted.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: MMario
Date: 19 May 11 - 08:50 AM

I'm thinking of building an ark.

But at least with the cool-ish weather the flowers are lasting - those that don't get beaten up by the rain. Magnolias lasted about a day this year. But the azaleas and rhodies are coming along slowly and hopefully will have a long season. Some of the seedlings I planted last year are just starting to break leaf buds....I only need a few to survive to have made a "profit" over buying locally -

SOMETHING has been eating the rhodies....but only the younger ones - they have ignored the larger bushes.

My bayberry bushes survived! It took me YEARS to find someone who had them for sale. Hopefully I got both male and female.

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: pdq
Date: 19 May 11 - 10:47 AM

We had four nights of hard frost for the last days of April, 25-30 degrees F.

Then it looked safe to plant, so I put in the entire potato crop plus a few tomato and summer squash transplants.

Early Monday morning, May 16th, it was 27 degress again.

They may come back from the root, but right now there are 40 dead potato plants and some dead squash. Half the tomatoes seem unhappy, but alive.

People keep talking about Global Warming, but all I can say is "bring it on". The last eight years have had earlier frosts in the Fall and later ones in the Spring. My gardening season is now about the same as in Canada.

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 19 May 11 - 11:39 AM

My tomatoes are going, but something has started eating holes in the leaves. I'll address that with foliar feeding. I need to weed, the rain we've had let the weeds take off and hit the garden running. I've been weeding then laying a few sheets of newspaper and mulch on top.

Volunteer plants coming up and I'm moving them while they're small. I didn't last year and I had a tomato jungle. Lots of different sorts of volunteers, and in the areas where I planted from seed, they were slow so I got some bedding plants to add to the bed. Of course now the seedlings are happy and taking off. They just wanted company.

I have a light pink salvia greggi in the front bed that I'm not really in love with, and I have a couple of scarlet salvia greggi that I love and need to transplant, and this year I realized the pink was pollinated with the scarlet and dropped seeds and I have a gorgeous dark neon pink that I'm going to transplant and pamper. It's a fabulous color. Thank you, pollinators!

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 19 May 11 - 11:47 AM

Potatoes, cucumbers, leeks, sweet corn, courgette, butternut squash, peas, runner beans, climbing french beans, sprouts, red onion, shallot, lettuce, radish, beetroot, carrot, spinach planted outside so far. I think we've used most of the space we have now. Tomatoes and peppers planted in greenhouse, another 8 tomatoes in pots to plant out.. More salad bits in seed trays. Oh and we've got 5 Okra plants. The three outside in a growbag are looking sad, and thinking of sad... something, I think a mole has, killed one cucumber.   

I suppose the main concern is water. We've got 12 x 200Litre butts joined together for the watering system and they are well under 1/4 full. 2 other butts we use to fill watering cans are empty. We can use mains water but try not to.

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: MMario
Date: 20 May 11 - 09:14 AM

more rain last night - I have planted zuchinni - have another packet of seed to put in - since I seem to be the only person in the world who can't grow prolific zuchs ....I average one per plant.

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: pdq
Date: 20 May 11 - 10:13 AM

About zucchini...

Have you tried Burpee's Foodhook variety? Plant seed and duck. The neighbors know what I am trying to give away when I ring their doorbell in the summer.

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: MMario
Date: 20 May 11 - 10:17 AM

That's one of the varieties I'm trying this year...

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 20 May 11 - 11:04 AM

We didn't have that much joy with courgette/zuchinni last year. A few good ones but a lot went with what I think was called blossom end rot.

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: pdq
Date: 20 May 11 - 12:55 PM

Everyone will have a different solution for "blossom end rot". Some may actually work.

My suggestion is to set aside a test plot and amend the soil with gypsum, as well as iron and other ingrediants that reduce the pH of the soil. Most plants, unless they are found natively in alkaline soils, will grow best with a pH between 6 and 7.

If the soil is not slightly acidic, the plant cannot absorb nutrients well, even if the elements are there.

I use a product called "Iron Plus-soil acidifier", plus a little gypsum and a reasonable amount of home-brew compost, which is essentially the leaves that blew into my yard last leason.

To be clear, gypsum adds calcium but does not raise the soil pH as some other addatives do. Soil acidity is the key to most garden problem where I live, essentially an alkaline sink in the high desert.

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 May 11 - 01:01 PM

I planted for sweet potato slips this morning. I've never grown those before, so it's an experiment. I have Irish potatoes in the garden that should be ready pretty soon. The plants are big and healthy and have been in the ground since January.

When the retaining wall in my front yard is finished I'm going to put ornamental sweet potatoes and flowers in the garden to grow on top and down the front of it.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 20 May 11 - 01:13 PM

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll test the pH when I can. The courgettes are in tubs so I can just adjust them.

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: GUEST
Date: 20 May 11 - 01:39 PM

Question???

Looks as if we're are heading toward building box beds for growing our veggies... I know that railroad ties don't have anything poisonous in them but they are clunky and not what we want... I'd love to use pressure treated but have heard it has arsenic in it??? Anyone know for sure???

Other ideas???

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: pdq
Date: 20 May 11 - 01:46 PM

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: GUEST
Date: 20 May 11 - 01:39 PM

Question???

Looks as if we're are heading toward building box beds for growing our veggies... I know that railroad ties don't have anything poisonous in them but they are clunky and not what we want... I'd love to use pressure treated but have heard it has arsenic in it??? Anyone know for sure???

Other ideas???

B~


ANSWER: Yes on both. I think it is more important to avoid the green colored treated lumber than the railraod ties. Treated lumber has arsenic.

Redwood and cedar are used on the West Coast but are not available everywhere.

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: maeve
Date: 20 May 11 - 01:48 PM

Hey there, Bobert. I usually turn to the Cooperative Extension for up-to-date gardening information. Here's a link that may be helpful: http://extension.missouri.edu/publications/DisplayPub.aspx?P=g6985

Maeve

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: pdq
Date: 20 May 11 - 01:52 PM

Sorry, I did not read the GUEST post correctly.

Railroad ties certainly are treated with poisonous chemicals such as creosote. If they have been used by the railraod for years, very little will leach out, but some might. Best to use them near decorative gardens, not vegetable gardens.

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: maeve
Date: 20 May 11 - 02:15 PM

The "Guest" post was from Bobert.

Here's more information regarding pressure treated lumber:

http://woodworking.about.com/od/safetyfirst/p/SafeACQLumber.htm

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 May 11 - 02:38 PM

I wouldn't use railroad ties (soaked in creosote) or treated garden timbers. I would use regular timbers and replace them every few years, or would use recycled plastic lumber. You'll find the boards and kits at various Big Box and other home and garden stores.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 20 May 11 - 03:15 PM

Is a box bed the same as what we call a raised bed in the UK? Pip sometimes says she'd like them and has said in the past that she's heard that used scaffolding boards are supposed to be good.

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 20 May 11 - 05:26 PM

Guest, Jon- Many people used raised beds here for their vegetables.
Some growers with deeper pockets use cedar rather than scaffolding. It lasts a long time.

The ground is finally thawing- blooming are pasque flowers (anemone), wild Anatolian tulips, one of those little blue bulb plants (my mind is absent today), and everybodys' favorite, the dandelion.
Nanking cherry budding (very small fruits, but good for jelly). They seed all over so seedlings have to be removed.

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: Bobert
Date: 20 May 11 - 07:36 PM

Yes, I'm sorry... That was me...

We have already had the extension agent out... He spent two hours with the P-Vine and prolly learned more from her than vice versa... He wasn't sure about treated lumber these days but thought that arsenic had been taken out... I really don't want to have to redo these bed boxes every few years... I'm going to do more searching and see it there isn't some paint/shelac that locks the bad stuff out...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: maeve
Date: 20 May 11 - 07:52 PM

The arsenic has been replaced with a copper solution. In general, the recommendation seems to be to use a stable sealant and/or to use a plastic barrier between the treated lumber and the soil of the food crops.

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: Bobert
Date: 20 May 11 - 08:01 PM

"Stable sealant" works just fine with me... I've always used shellac when doing a renovation where the old flooring/sub flooring is stinky... Locks the stink out (in?) before putting down new flooring on top... Now I have to make sure that shellac ain't terrible... Other than fumes it gives off which will definitely give a righteous buzz even with ventilation...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: MMario
Date: 21 May 11 - 06:53 PM

30 bags of mulch today - three trips in the vehicles; got almost the whole left side of my driveway mulched (the short leg) finally - it took about 36 bags at 3 cubic feet each; and mulched the RIGHT side of the long leg. Tomorrow I start the roadside and the left side of the long leg....and the few spots on the right side of the short leg of the drive if I have enough mulch   . . . then the big projects...start....

planted some more zuchs and also set out some butternuts.

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 21 May 11 - 07:02 PM

I was curious so poked around under my potato plants this afternoon - and came away with one huge one, two medium sized potatoes, and one new potato. I should go for a couple more new potatoes and have them for dinner. These are the first ones I've ever grown. Whoo hoo!

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: MMario
Date: 22 May 11 - 10:34 PM

finished the inner curve of the drive today and started along the road. something has bitten or broken off all three of my witch hazel seedlings! right below the last bud....they MAY sprout....I hope so.

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: MMario
Date: 24 May 11 - 08:40 AM

As I passed the nursery last night on the way home it is pouring rain - so I didn't stop and get any mulch...

a quarter mile past the nursery it stopped raining. By the time I got home it was sunny and almost dry... ... ... wasted oppurtunity. But I did load the old burning barrel into the wheelbarrow and cart it off to the dump pile - and got some other non gardening chores done... so the evening wasn't wasted.

Did I mention something nipped off my three witch hazel plants? I am really ticked off about that. They didn't even EAT them - the stems were lying beside the stumps.

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 24 May 11 - 07:51 PM

Same thing happened to my one robust bean plant - I was hoping to get a few beans, but it got clobbered - I think it might have been a direct hit from hail.

I'm to the point of mowing the front yard one day and the back yard another. With the storms the grass is so thick and tall that it takes about an hour a lawn with my push (gas) mower. I get a great workout!

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: maire-aine
Date: 25 May 11 - 12:04 AM

Turned over my small vegetable garden, and planted my 4 tomato plants and my 6 Italian broccoli plants that I started from seed.

Maryanne

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 May 11 - 12:44 AM

Maryanne,

I planted some of my "started from seed" plants and they seemed to be languishing. So I bought bedding plants at the nursery and staggered them through the garden, so now my "started from seed" are rolling right along. They seem to have wanted some company. :)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: MMario
Date: 25 May 11 - 08:25 AM

Zuchinni hate me! I planted two packets of seed - about 6 dozen all told. currently have a grand total of 5 sprouts... they should all be up by now....

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 May 11 - 12:14 PM

Lost my only poblano seedling overnight. Looks like a snail snipped it off - as with your plants, Leo, the top was just lying there beside the base, not eaten, just chomped through.

Darn.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: maire-aine
Date: 25 May 11 - 06:57 PM

I'm just hoping that my poor little plants don't drown. We've had rain all day. Nothing too violent yet, just continuous.

M

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: MMario
Date: 26 May 11 - 08:28 AM

it rained overnight - it could rain this evening. I "took the night off" last night - the only gardening I did was snap photos of the tree peonies for my b-i-l as he is out of town; and set up some poles to plant yard long beans on.

That was it.

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 26 May 11 - 10:42 AM

Rain here at last. Forecast (which has been wrong as often as right the past few weeks) said light showers. We got hail plus heavy rain or we did. It was throwing it down for 10 minutes but as I type this, it seems to have stopped.

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 27 May 11 - 08:33 AM

Woo hoo!! I finally got my garden going, after a month of the kind of rain MMario has been faithfully reported. Since we're tilling ground that has never been managed before, which still has roots and rocks and BOULDERS buried, I had to wait for the local farmer boy to come with his heavy-duty tiller, and he had to wait for a chance to dodge raindrops. But now, I have a 12X20-ish plot with lettuce, spinach, beans, beets, tomatoes, basil, carrots, potatoes, onions, garlic, jalapenos, and sugar pumpkins,

And I've been starting the flowers as well. Planted my first rose-bush, a gift from my chorus. Got the dahlias in, bought some black-eyed Susans and bee balm at a local school plant sale, and planted a border of annuals to make it pretty for a family party this weekend.

Got 2 honeycrisp apple trees from the county extension service- wish me luck!

Mulch, MMario? All I wanted in this world was buckwheat hull mulch, and I looked all over, and finally found the local Agway selling it at $20 a bag!!. So, the rosebush gets it, and the apple trees, and the small shoots from the "wedding lilac" we were married beside, but everything else is going to have to wait till I make a bit more money!

Cueing the "Pushing Spring Tango"

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: MMario
Date: 27 May 11 - 08:56 AM

picked up (yet more) mulch last night - planted the yardlong beans...rejoicing because 3 more zuchinnis have sprouted! ! ! !

Several azaleas I thought hadn't made it through the winter are budding out - probably only leaf buds - but these particular ones bloomed three times last summer so I can't complain!

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: pdq
Date: 27 May 11 - 10:03 AM

About zucchini and other summer squash germinating, I know one avid gardner who soaks the seeds in water at room temperature for 24 hours before planting. Seems to work.

I just ordered asparagus seed because it would have cost about $200 to buy the quantity of root crowns I wanted. Seeds cost $3.49. Instructions say soak for 48 hours before planting, so there may be somthing to the soaking trick.

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 27 May 11 - 12:47 PM

I think I'd be too impatient to do asparagus from seed but there again, I think we only have 9-10 plants. 4 of these are going to be replaced next year.

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: Arnie
Date: 28 May 11 - 06:38 AM

Kent, UK - planted out a load of bedding plants on a warm evening last week. Two nights later we had a cold night which has wiped out all my busy lizzies, young geraniums and a pot of young tomatoes that I forgot to put in the greenhouse. Petunias and lobelia are obviously hardier as they survived but I'll now have to buy some replacements. I've salvaged a few tomato plants but not enough so will have to buy some for the first time in years. I knew I should have waited until June for planting out but the spell of warm weather lulled me into starting early!

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 28 May 11 - 07:09 AM

I got a bit wet in the hail storm the other day because of tomato plants I'd planted out the day before. I placed flower pots over them.

I think the only weather casualties we have had here (Norfolk UK) have been the Okra I planted out (there are still 2 plants in pots in the greenhouse). We'll try again but be more careful next year.

One thing I do need to sort out is cold frames esp. now that we have a propagator and are growing more from seed. Once we start to plant stuff "permanently" in the greenhouses, we find we are running out of space for seedlings and this increases the likelihood of things getting planted out a bit earlier than they could be.

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: maire-aine
Date: 29 May 11 - 07:02 PM

Hi, everybody.

Does anybody have experience starting cuttings from an old rhododendon bush & successfully growing a new plant. My old one is on its last legs but it has the most beautiful red color. I want to try to grow a new one.

Thanks,

Maryanne

Subject: RE: BS: Mudcat Gardeners report - 2011
From: Dorothy Parshall
Date: 30 May 11 - 08:36 PM

Buckwheat hull mulch! ????? Here I am in Quebec where buckwheat could be a great crop - about 28 days to harvest. I grew a field of it once - 1972. It was one of the most beautiful field crops - beautiful heart shaped leaves, star shaped pink and white flowers, just humming with bees! A hummingly beautiful experience. We cut it with a scythe, threshed it over a sheet... And then - how do you get the hulls off????? We had no way of doing that so we stored it in the cabin while we considered that problem. In the spring, we found neatly hulled buckwheat in a small quantity. The mice had a feast. But we still have the memories of that beautiful field.

I have never even SEEN buckwheat mulch, even here in Quebec. No wonder it is expensive!

I wonder what that farm down the St. Lawrence does with its hulls....