BS: Gardening 2013

Subject: BS: Gardening 2013
From: Janie
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 02:20 PM

Winter has been more mild than even the last. Hellebore flower stalks have emerged ahead of schedule here on the Northeast Piedmont of NC and daffodils are setting buds several weeks earlier than is typical in my yard.

Wondering about a new offering in lettuces from Johnny's - Salanova. Developed for commercial gardeners who market salad mixes. Am thinking they would make for a good choice for a home garden for which the ornamental appeal is important but might make for too much salad over too short a period of time for just me and sum yung son. Whaddaya think?

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2013
From: maeve
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 03:03 PM

It's a very good mix, and you only need plant a few seeds at a time, Janie.

I envy you the hellebores. Enjoy them!

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2013
From: Bobert
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 08:19 PM

Hellebore "Lenten Roses" are blooming a little because of the mild winter... Looks like cold is coming which is a good thing... Much more of this non-winter and we would have azaleas blooming... Don't need that...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2013
From: Janie
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 09:46 PM

Probably not Bobert, and I notice how developed the buds are on my earliest azaleas, though happily no color yet. On the other hand, if there is some chance cold weather and winterkill of too early blooms could help reduce the blight in another season, I wouldn't mind sacrificing this season.

Have no idea though. Still don't have a firm diagnosis - can't get the extension agent out at a time I can be here. Likely though it is some variation of azalea flower blight. I have noticed over the past 2 years that it is ubiquitous throughout town.   Have spent a lot of time researching, and while there are many recommendations regarding cultural practices and organic controls, the real science indicates none of those practices are effective, and few chemical practices are really effective either, over time.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2013
From: Bobert
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 09:52 PM

It's a problem, Janie... The P-Vine were talking about it today... She's on her way to becoming VP and then President of the Azalea Society of America (2000 aging azalea wackos) and there is a considerable (6 figures) amount of money that just sits in ASA's accounts and...

...so we were trying to see if we could push thru a research grant on pedal blight...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2013
From: Janie
Date: 19 Jan 13 - 10:56 PM

Well, I can relate. I'm an aging wacko at least, though not well versed in azaleas. It is very good to have friends in high places, however, when one finds one's self with a yard full of shade and azaleas, however.

Gonna have to find something to lure the two of you lovely people here when the azaleas are in bloom. A new futon mattress will help, I understand, but not quite an enticement.

A garden show + a gig? Eh?

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2013
From: Bobert
Date: 20 Jan 13 - 09:54 AM

Spring is going to be crazy for us... Seems we have lots of our NoVa aging azalea wackos making noises about coming down and we have the national convention in Athens, Ga. where Michael Dirr will be the doing the big event...

Maybe, seein' as we have the azaleas that the Hillsboro contingency could come here to see 'um...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2013
From: Janie
Date: 20 Jan 13 - 11:18 AM

Oh indeed! (I was dreaming of P-vine being able to diagnose the disease with certainty - it only shows up when the plants are in bloom.) My little patch ain't worth touring otherwise. I'd love to drive down when your azaleas are in bloom if it doesn't add too much to your spring madness. That would be a real treat!

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2013
From: Bobert
Date: 20 Jan 13 - 01:21 PM

We'll plan on it, Janie... BTW, if you bring a picture of what you have the P-Vine will be able to diagnose the problem...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2013
From: Arkie
Date: 20 Jan 13 - 06:33 PM

Have not seen early buds here in north Arkansas, but normally this is the worst of winter in this area. Hope February hold no surprises. Eight inches of snow and five inches of rain filled my neighbor's stock pond which was sitting on empty. It's been a bit dry here.

First I've heard of salanova but sounds like its worth a shot. It is time to start lettuce plants here. At least time to put seed underground.

An article in the paper a couple of weeks ago mentioned grafted tomato plants to be available this year. Supposed to double yield per plant. Will be more expensive though. Seems ideal for folk with limited gardening space.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2013
From: Joybell
Date: 20 Jan 13 - 07:42 PM

Thank you for this thread, Janie. I like to come in from the other end of the world and compare seasons and plants and all.
It's been so hot and dry here in South-east Australia everything's burning up. We have lots of room but limited water so I'm using large containers to grow my vegetables. Embedded in the soil I have clay pots filled with water. Lots of nets over the top. Seems to be working. Our fruit is sunburnt but I'm collecting some. Just had a juicy apricot. I'm growing a wonderful tomato called "Camp Joy". It's a meduim-sized red tomato with a strong flavour. Rat-tail radishes seem to like the heat and I'm getting lots of them. The pods are good in stir-fries.
Im organizing a monthly Produce Exchange and it's quite different from the ones held in the city. I come home with sheep-poo, duck eggs, lamb chops, wheat. I contribute greens, worm juice, seeds baked goods. We swap information too as well as unwanted items.
Enjoy your Spring as we wait for rain and our Fall.
Cheers, Joy

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2013
From: Bobert
Date: 20 Jan 13 - 08:01 PM

I'd like to have one of those hot days right about now, j-bell... Container gardening is tough... Hard to keep things watered unless every pot sits in a bigger one filled with water... Plus, as most know, veggie plants hate well or city water so that means having to collect as much rain water as is possible...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2013
From: Janie
Date: 20 Jan 13 - 09:24 PM

I can't remember, Joybell, are you in a temperate or subtropical zone?

I do pretty well with container gardening of cool weather veggies and with herbs. Not so good with tomatoes. Can't seem to keep the nutrient and water mixture right with them. (even if I had enough sun.) I haven't tried other summer crops, such as cukes and squash, in containers but figure I would have the same problems.

'course, I have little time for gardening, and cool weather stuff and herbs are easier to grow regardless if in the ground or in containers. The only pest I have to deal with in cool weather are slugs.

I think I'll try the Salanova lettuces in my raised beds, as much as ornamentals as food, but think from a practical standpoint I'll stick with mesclun mixes and leaf lettuces in containers for the bulk of our salads. With such a small family I usually grow a small bed of mesclun mix, and then grow 6-8 leaf lettuce plants to maturity that last us all season long because I just go out and harvest a few outer leaves from each at a time. Makes all the salad 2-3 people can eat at a sitting.

fwiw, I have found kale does really well in containers. I'll be planting Red Russian soon and expect harvests both this spring and in fall.

Would like some recommendations for salad spinach. There are so many different varieties of spinach. I have yet to settle on a favorite for salads. (me no like cooked spinach - associations of slimy piles of canned spinach on the school lunch tray that I just can't seem to overcome:>)

Do you figure turnips would do well in containers? I love the small, sweet, white round varieties sliced and lightly sauted in butter, garlic and lemon.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 21 Jan 13 - 11:59 AM

We've had winters with dips into harder colder temperatures, and we've had winters that were very mild. This one has been a mostly sustained cold and overcast (yet quite dry) season. Usually there is winter/weed (cheat) grass growing in the dormant Bermuda grass, but most of that is not growing this year. Since mid-December the weather has generally been down to or below freezing at night and not much above freezing during the day. This weekend has been more typical of a Texas winter, cold mornings but up to the 60s by late afternoon. I hope we're past the grim weather and have occasional warmer days for yard work.

My broccoli was hit by the cold and dry, so I picked the crowns (gave to the dogs) and pulled it. I don't usually have to water in the winter but that didn't work this year. Soon potatoes, and if I get time this afternoon, onion sets will go in.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2013
From: Bobert
Date: 21 Jan 13 - 01:50 PM

Thanks, Magz... Gotta go cut our broccoli as it's 'sposed to hit the low 20s tonight...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2013
From: Joybell
Date: 21 Jan 13 - 03:38 PM

We only have rain water, Bobert. It's collected in above-ground tanks. No town water out here. The trick with my container growing is the clay pot of water embedded in the soil inside the container. It's an old method. The water seeps slowly into the soil. There in the US. you can buy these pots. They're shaped like geni bottles with a narrow neck. I have to make do with little terracotta oil-jars or small pots made to link together into a watering-system. I bought these from the inventer here in Australia and they worked well for years but I find it easier to unlink them and fill them by hand. Bigger pots with splayed necks would be easier to use. I see that this method is used in New Mexico as well as in Africa and the Middle East. We have so many big trees around us and growing vegetables in big tubs is the only easy way to avoid their roots. The containers get first go at the water I give them.
We are in a temperate zone, Janie. It's far from temperate this summer.
Joy

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2013
From: Joybell
Date: 21 Jan 13 - 03:47 PM

Ollas -- the clay pots are called. I made some from terracotta plant pots with the hole blocked up but they're a bit too thick for the water to seep out fast enough. I cover these with old pan-lids. My beans quite like them though. Looking down their container looks like a small forest with a pool. Pretty.
Joy

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2013
From: ragdall
Date: 21 Jan 13 - 06:27 PM

It's hard for me to imagine anyone gardening outdoors in January in the Northern Hemisphere. Our reality is that outdoor gardening begins late in May for hardy items and in June for the rest. Until then, our only digging will be done in the snow.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/diffuse/8382569068/

rags

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2013
From: Bobert
Date: 21 Jan 13 - 07:12 PM

I spread a truck load of sand into one of our two proposed lasagna beds today... It is 20X30 and has eaten up all the compost I have made in the two years we've been here... Looks like I'll be scrounging more material to have it ready for spring... It's only half full right now so we're gonna need a lot more stuff...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2013
From: Janie
Date: 21 Jan 13 - 09:18 PM

It would be pretty hard to find unglazed terra cotta pots small enough to use within containers here where I live. I had never heard of your technique, though, Joybell, and will explore it further. I haven't done any summer plantings in pots (veggies or ornamentals) for the past 2 years simply because I often don't have time to water every day or know that in summer the pots can't withstand me being gone for a long weekend (or, heaven forbid, a week.)

Thanks to your post I went searching and found olla irrigation .

It occurs to me I could use such a method in my raised beds. Although I can plant in the ground in a few places, like you, I have so many trees, plus heavy clay soil full of large chunks of feldspar such that it would be very difficult to bury an olla or other pot that held sufficient water next to plants directly in the ground.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2013
From: GUEST,LynnT
Date: 22 Jan 13 - 04:26 PM

Janie, whenever I plant a rosebush or other shrub, I also "plant" a 2-liter soda bottle, label removed, with four or five nailholes punched in the bottom. Leave the top on the bottle. I suppose you could put more holes on the bottle-sides if you wanted. Filling the bottle once a week with water and sometimes a pinch of fertilizer puts the nutrients and moisture at the shrub's roots. I haven't tried this in big pots yet, but it sounds like a great idea -- put one of these in the middle of the big tubs I grow pole-beans in, since the gravel driveway is the only place in my yard sunny enough for them.

Lynn T in the DC suburbs

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2013
From: Joybell
Date: 22 Jan 13 - 05:22 PM

The thing about unglazed, thin terracotta is that the water seeps through the sides of the pot very slowly. It's much more efficient than plastic bottles with holes that are prone to blockage. Plant roots gather around the pot. Annuals depend on quickly established surface roots so it's sideways watering that suits them best.   
I've used both methods, and also the spike-in-a-bottle neck method, and I can see big differences. Of course old bottles are free and the pots aren't.
The ollas can be shipped anywhere in the States I believe.
Hurray! I just found small light terracotta pots without a hole in a cheapy-type shop. They have citrolella candels in them which I'll have to remove somehow.   $2.00 each was all.
Joy

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2013
From: Joybell
Date: 22 Jan 13 - 05:32 PM

The iceblock-in-a-bottle method sounds ok for hot climates. Haven't tried it but it would be free. You freeze a bottle of water and stick the un-stoppered bottle in with your plants. I realize I'm saying this to gardeners where there's still snow. :-).
Joy

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2013
From: Janie
Date: 22 Jan 13 - 10:55 PM

What size containers are you talking about, Joybell and Lynn? Asking about both width and depth.

What size clay pot would it take to keep, say, a 12-16 inch pot of impatiens, caladium or coleus watered for a week in high summer? (After experimentation, Lynn, I accept that I don't have enough sun, and especially don't have enough time to do much with veggies in pots in summer.)

Never had much success with the spikes in upturned plastic bottles. Tried it for a few years with tomatoes when I lived where I had sun. No matter how much amending here, if you are growing plants in the ground, the soil is clay, and the spikes clog, even in clay loam.

Plus, they are butt ugly:>)

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2013
From: Pete Jennings
Date: 23 Jan 13 - 01:08 PM

No gardening news here - haven't seen our garden since last Thursday...it's under 6 inches of snow. Just keeping the water bowls filled and a bit of the bench clear for food, for the birds.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2013
From: Joybell
Date: 23 Jan 13 - 03:40 PM

Janie, I have 10 gallon coloured plastic tubs with holes in the botom. Very pretty. I put three small terracotta pots about the size of large mugs in the good-quality soil inside them. Tops just above the surface. Fill them with water and place a small lid over the top. I need to fill them about every 3-4 days depending on the weather. If I could get hold of the ollas I see from Arizona they would last longer and you'd only need one per tub, I think.
Today -- my birthday -- the heat is back and I'll be doing what Pete is doing without the snow. Cool, cool snow! I'll hold that image.
Joy

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2013
From: Pete Jennings
Date: 23 Jan 13 - 03:54 PM

Happy Birthday, Joybell! More snow this evening, covering the car, and more forecast here...don't drink too much!

Best wishes, Pete.

PS. Thread creep. Day before yesterday, saw two Song Thrushes in the garden. Yesterday,one. Beautiful. Never seen one before.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2013
From: Bobert
Date: 23 Jan 13 - 04:44 PM

We also grew in containers this past season... Used 10 and 15 gallon black plastic nurserymens pots... Hope that is over...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2013
From: Joybell
Date: 23 Jan 13 - 06:32 PM

Thank you Pete. We have the Australian version of a thrush living with us. A Grey Shrike-thrush. Wonderful singer and very friendly. We call to each other as I go about my day. His song gets more and more elaborate until I can't duplicate it and he looks smug and wanders off.
Joy

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2013
From: Janie
Date: 23 Jan 13 - 07:07 PM

Joybell, do have any potter friends that could be commissioned to make the ollas for you?

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2013
From: Janie
Date: 23 Jan 13 - 07:08 PM

And Happy Birdthday!!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2013
From: maeve
Date: 24 Jan 13 - 06:01 AM

Arizona Ollas

Not a perfect replacement, but you can make your own ollas like this

or like this...

Thinking it through, worldwide.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2013
From: Joybell
Date: 24 Jan 13 - 06:45 PM

Thank you, Janie. I have thought about making my own ollas.
Maeve --I've been trying out terracotta pots for about 10 years. I thought I'd invented this system. The problem is that they are far too thick and the water doesn't seep through much at all. Haven't tried wine coolers but I think the same problem might occur.
The last link is an Australian site but the ollas don't seem to be available here.   I have a "wetpot irrigation system". They're made here. It's been good but I'd like individual larger ollas that I can hand fill. Like the ones pictured.
Cheers, Joy

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 Jan 13 - 01:37 PM

Thanks for the olla links. I've shared them with an organic gardening site where I'm active. And I've been meaning to try something like this in my potted plants. We get enough rainfall for the garden for much of the year and it's too large to afford to put these around the whole thing, but I can see it being very useful in particular zones that the sprinklers don't reach or that need water more often.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 Mar 13 - 01:55 PM

My winter and early spring have been so consumed with office stuff that I didn't get a chance to dig a garden. I hired a friend last week to spend a day turning the soil. He leveled my raised beds and I'll rearrange the soil. This lets me circulate good soil that was under pathways for the last couple of years (and had mulch laid down to keep the weeds out - that mulch is now turned over in with everything else).

I picked up a flat of plants on Saturday only to realize that we had two nights of potential freezes, so the plants are in the house till one evening this week when I can get out and work. Okra, tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, herbs, onions, the usual. Beneficial nematodes will be sprayed on the garden plot this evening.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2013
From: Bobert
Date: 25 Mar 13 - 08:36 PM

We're ready when ever spring decides to get here... All our seedlings are up and we have all out cool weather seeds in... Just need spring...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2013
From: Janie
Date: 25 Mar 13 - 10:15 PM

Somebody forget to tell Spring it is past time to spring in the southern part of heaven.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2013
From: Bobert
Date: 26 Mar 13 - 06:50 PM

Three weks ago we were worrying that all our azaleas would break bud and then we'd lose all our blooms to a hard freeze... Guess they have changed their mind so when spring does get here it should be beautiful...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2013
From: MAG
Date: 27 Mar 13 - 04:53 PM

I have 2 large box containers, and decided to have flowers in one, and edibles in the other. (already have a lot of herbs in it.)
The edible box has a ton of flower seeds already coming up -- I routinely let them go to seed and restart themselves.

I just put some mulch along the driveway to mulch out the grass so I can plant more stuff. Do sweet, alyssum, sweet william, lovelia, etc., transplant well? The mulch is still a bit green; free stuff from one of the utilities that shred yard stuff.

MA

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 Mar 13 - 05:10 PM

I've planted some of those from bedding plant containers, so I imagine if you get enough soil they will transplant. Alyssum comes up nicely from seed here, so I let it reseed itself. That shredded mulch from local trees is great.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2013
From: Cats
Date: 27 Mar 13 - 11:18 PM

I have cowslips out in the garden [Cornwall UK, i.e. the bit not under snow]

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2013
From: MMario
Date: 28 Mar 13 - 04:13 PM

*le sigh* If I am LUCKY I might get to start gardening in May....

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2013
From: pdq
Date: 06 May 13 - 02:15 PM

I think I turned the corner today on the vegetable garden.

Asparagus planted two years ago by seed is doing OK. Only 30 plants left from the 109 seeds sown and 90 tiny seedlings that came up, but weeds and an evil squirrel have a lot to do with the decline.

Brussels sprouts from seed are showing true leaves, a few are up to 3" high. Room for about 20 plants, but the are not evenly distributed in the bed. Not yet.

Broccoli from store-bought seedlings. Looking good. Bed holds 21 plants.

Today I got 5 pounds of "waxy red" seed potatoes in the fround. Ordered from eBay, they are called Red Pontiac. Anyone have experience with this variety?

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2013
From: pdq
Date: 06 May 13 - 02:26 PM

Those of us living in areas that have a "real winter" need to know "frost free" dates.

Mine seem to be May 22 and OCT 11.


                                                                                                         just enter ZIP code

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2013
From: Bobert
Date: 06 May 13 - 05:32 PM

Couple hundred azaleas in bloom with the later bloomers yet to show up... Everything is looking very nice...

Veggies under control at various stages...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2013
From: MMario
Date: 07 May 13 - 08:12 AM

My pjm's have started to bloom (including a "wild" seedling in a location I didn't know it was there until it bloomed) but the azeleas have yet to start - except the two I bought last week from a nursery which are in full bloom.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2013
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 07 May 13 - 10:07 AM

A few small green tomatoes coming along, the chard is happy and huge, but several other things were planted late so are simply working to put out roots right now. Varieties of peppers, eggplant. The okra was chomped by something, I'll have to replant and I'll grow from seed in a pot to transplant (I had brought in bedding plants). I tend to start the okra a bit later or I get so much no one can eat all of it.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2013
From: gnu
Date: 10 May 13 - 05:55 AM

This guy has a bunch of vids. Watched a few and I liked em.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atlZegRslNg&NR=1&feature=fvwp

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2013
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 10 May 13 - 07:44 PM

A violet in bloom in my yard yesterday. Saw pictures of the tulips all in bloom in Ottawa, but here in cold Calgary, the Tulipa tarda (species) is just showing buds; it will be the first of my planted flowers to bloom. Finally got a couple of days of warm weather and spring is here, I hope.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2013
From: Janie
Date: 10 May 13 - 09:45 PM

The rainy drizzle finally activated the azalea blight last week and most of my azaleas are looking pretty pathetic now, after having been great for a couple of weeks. The blight, hitting later, is not as bad, and has missed some of the azaleas that Bobert has given me over the past few years, most of them still in pots. I've got major infestation problems with all of them though. Mites and azalea lacebugs.

Given my perennial lack of time, this is my plan. Whack all of the established azaleas back to 9-12 inches (some of them are quite old and need this anyway, and perhaps also root pruning.) That will decrease, early in the season, the amount of foliage and make it easier to thoroughly spray whatever remains and new growth and make it easier to get to the underside of the foliage. After whacking, remove all debris and rake out all the existing mulch, be it shredded leaves or bark. Aggressively spray both plants and the ground around them on a weekly rotating basis with neem oil, summer horticultural oil and insecticidal soap. After the plants and the ground around them have been treated with at least one good spray of each, replace the mulch and continue to monitor and spray as needed through the summer. It might work, and it might not. I'm hoping with less foliage to deal with initially I will be able to get things under control. Not sure what role the pest infestations may play in spreading the fungal infection. And the azalea flower blight is ubiquitous here in my little town. May not be able to do much about it. Have done a lot of research, and the really good research suggests that none of the suggested controls are very effective. If I can keep up the routine to get the pests under control I'll be happy. If the blight continues to be such a big problem, I may decide to greatly reduce the number of azaleas in order to try to stay on top of maintaining a few in good condition.

Solomon Seal is finished blooming. buds are growing on the hydrangeas. Keeps raining on the weekends so I haven't been able to do anything in the raised beds where I grow my few veggies and herbs.