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BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: pdq Date: 25 Apr 08 - 11:48 AM Speaking about plastic and waste, does anybody remember Christo? He is sometimes called an Envitomental Artist, best know for wrapping things in copious quantities of plastic. I have seen pictures of the aftermath, and he simply let the stuff blow away. Once he wrapped a small island and the wrapping material eventually ripped to pieces and went into the ocean. Christo: art or pollution? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: katlaughing Date: 25 Apr 08 - 11:58 AM I remember Christo, pdq. We thought it was the height of ridiculous when he hung an orange plastic curtain up by Rifle, here in Colorado. I see Mother Nature must not have liked it, either. It says on that site that 100 mph winds made it necessary to take the damn curtain down! Maggie, thanks for the link. I am going to have to invest in a water filter and give up bottled water. I knew the day was coming; nmo time like the present. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Stilly River Sage Date: 25 Apr 08 - 12:18 PM I told my son we're going to switch to pop in cans in cardboard cases, where everything is recyclable in that form. I tossed a lot of the restaurant take-out containers in the recycle bin, and pulled my Pyrex bowls with fitted lids from the back of the cupboard. I'll revert back to my mother's practice when I was a child (before Tupperware and so many other plastic products) and put leftovers in those. Good point about Christo. I took a look at the PBS DVDs for sale, and it looks like there are only two in that National Geographic series. I sincerely hope they plan to make more of them. It is an excellent format and an effective delivery vehicle. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Stilly River Sage Date: 25 Apr 08 - 06:45 PM I heard there are a few more, at least four total, but maybe four more in addition to what I saw. I'll check into it later. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: katlaughing Date: 25 Apr 08 - 07:12 PM I bought a set of pyrex covered dishes at KMart a while back, really pretty, clear glass tinted green with darker green lids, and told Rog to start using them. He cooks; I wash dishes. He loves using tupperware-like crap; I hate it. So...any ammo I can add to my argument for using glass is good!:-) |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Janie Date: 25 Apr 08 - 11:07 PM I finally got started 'disarranging' this evening. Heavy rain on two week-ends, my son's lacrosse games, a necessary trip home to WV and private practice clients evenings and weekends had delayed me. My gardening philosophy has always been "take care of the soil, and the soil will take care of the plants." I won't tell the story from 8 or 10 years ago of turning my front yard into an enormous cottage-style flower bed divided by only 3 grass paths, except to say I started with hardpan and fill dirt, and hauled in good dirt and compost, one pick-up truck and wheelbarrow at a time, and I did it entirely by myself. I thought about that, and the years of tending the soil and the worms as I dug plants out of the rich, deep loam this evening. Even though I will be gone from here, and the garden probably mowed down, green things and creepy crawlies will still survive, and perhaps thrive. Mother nature has been given a little bit of a hand-up in restoring this little piece of earth. I'm not sure how much I am actually going to dig and take with me. I'm also thinking it is likely it will be at least mid-July before I find another place and am ready to move, so I am going to leave the peonies, irises and daylilies alone until I am ready to move. Peonies start going dormant here by mid-July, and the iris and daylilies don't much care when they are dug up. Tonight I focused on hydrangeas, species tulips, and some of the new hybrid echineceas I planted two seasons ago. The first big, bright red poppie shed it's cap today and will fully open tommorrow! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Bobert Date: 26 Apr 08 - 07:23 AM "I'm not sure how much I am actually going to dig and take with me." Well, Janie... I hate to tell ya' this but once you have dug the potted up the first one you'll realize that ththey ***all*** are going with you 'cept the ones too big to pot up... Ask me how I know... You remember our move from Wes Ginny, I'm sure... We didn't realize how many pots we moved or how many trips we made until the following spring when we started the process of pulloing the pots outta the woods where were store them over winter surrounded by bales of sttraw and covered in leaves but... ...the final count was 550!!! If anyone would have told us that we'd have to move 550 plants we's still be back in Wes Ginny... So don't read this thread, Janie, or if you have allready. fotget what I have said here... BTW, have you found a landscaping company that is delighted to have you cart off as many plastic pots as you want??? B~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Stilly River Sage Date: 26 Apr 08 - 07:29 PM I spied three more cannas in the bed I thought I emptied of them. Pesky plants, those are! SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Stilly River Sage Date: 27 Apr 08 - 02:22 PM I have a bunch of gallon plastic bottles of water from my emergency cache that need to be used up. Despite the fact that they're in plastic, in an emergency it is water so I need to keep some around. I'll set these aside and get new ones. But the old bottles aren't going to be drunk. I took a jug, poured off a little, and added some of my Garrett Juice (a compost tea mix that you can make yourself or is bottled and sold at local nurseries) and some Hasta Grow (a marginal, not quite organic liquid fertilizer that Garrett tolerates because it is so much better than the blue stuff). Marked it with a Sharpie pen so no one mistakes it as a jug of iced tea and I'm set for my potted and house plants. ;) SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Stilly River Sage Date: 28 Apr 08 - 01:04 PM Bobert, Can I chip up old fence slats with a rental chipper, and will the nails make a difference? Do those chippers cut or grind? I have a bunch of limbs I need to take down, and I moved a lot of old fencing (I was risking a big vet bill--one of the dogs stepped on a nail yesterday, but seems okay now, but the time was coming when one of them would do more serious damage to themselves). I'd like to make local chips, with my tree branches and this fencing. As far as I can tell, the previous owners spared every expense by using the cheapest un-chemically-treated wood panels for the fence, so I don't think I'd be introducing any creosote or other wood preservatives to my gardening. Any thoughts? SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Stilly River Sage Date: 28 Apr 08 - 01:20 PM Hey, Kat, I checked out one of the many emails that I get via Martha Stewart, but found an interesting tip in her Earth Day one. See if this works and go through the photos. In this one I've linked to you'll see all glass food storage containers from IKEA. Aha! I think there is an IKEA in Dallas, Moonglow heads there with friends every so often. I can probably get much of the same stuff at the Container Store a couple of miles away without the long drive (the price of the gas will compensate for the Container Store price, I wager). SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Bobert Date: 28 Apr 08 - 01:23 PM Those chippers have actual bladed in them in that big drum looking thingie next to the engine and blades and nails don't mix... Unless you rent a big chipper with a 4 cylunder engine ($100-$150 a day) yer probably going to get a 1 cylinder at the rental center and it will olny chip limbs up to 2" and chip them very slowly... Like 3-4 minutes chipping a 3 foot long 2" round branch... But if yer gonna get the 4 cylinder chipper it will chip up stuff up to about 3 inches quite nicely and you don't have to push the limbs into it... Once it grabs 'um they are gone... Also with thei chipper, if you can use a circular or chain or nailpuller and get the nails out then Mr. Chipper will eat the rest of the fencing and ask for more... Those are my thoughts... BTW, if you are looking at renting a 1 cly. chipper sgredder it gonna probably cost you about $50 for the day... If you have one of those magizines that has used stuff in it that is usually sold at the convience stores then you might find one in there used for not much more and then you could chip at your liesure... We bought one for $200 that works great... As for my limbs and stuff, I have a couple big fires every year but then again I've got 17 acres to keep up, 5 of which are wooded where are gardens are... B~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Stilly River Sage Date: 28 Apr 08 - 03:13 PM A friend of mine out in West Texas bought a chipper at auction and then did some welding and sanding and painted it and it looks good as new. It was sold as surplus by the county, and was quite large. Too bad he's an 8 hour drive away--the round trip time and gas-wise wouldn't make sense to ask to borrow that one. Many of the nails pulled out, many will come out easily from rotten boards. I have a bored 16-year-old, and this wouldn't be thrilling, but maybe I could give him this job. I figure if I'm going to rent a chipper then I should have enough to make it worth the trouble. I can bounce the idea off of several neighbors--if 3 or 4 of us work together we can clear up several of our outstanding piles of limbs in a day. And $10 or $15 each into the pot will help my pocketbook. Off to do some research. . . Thanks, Bobert! SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: katlaughing Date: 28 Apr 08 - 03:37 PM Neat link, Maggie, thanks. I do have a bunch of old glass jars from my dad's cousin; some of them are from coffee in the 1940s and very kewl shapes. I found bugs got into them when I used them for dried foods, though. I guess the seals weren't tight enough. I also have some ancient bottles form my mom's old collection. I like the idea of putting them in a tray like in that one picture. Now, if I can find them and find room for them! Anyone want to come to CO for a "barn" raising?**bg** |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Stilly River Sage Date: 28 Apr 08 - 07:30 PM I thought that was very pretty also. For as clever as Martha's folks are, there were a couple of really dopey ideas in there. I don't think I'll be making a trivet out of wine corks and a hose clamp. And some of those things with scrap paper and carpet and rings and . . . geez, just grab the back side of an envelope or a piece of paper on the counter and f*ckin' write on it. Why jump through all of those hoops trying to add value where there is none to be gained? ;-D SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Stilly River Sage Date: 01 May 08 - 12:46 PM I'm taking tomorrow off and part of it will be spent working on the gardens. Whooo hooo! SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Stilly River Sage Date: 02 May 08 - 09:56 PM The topic for the evening: the etiquette of asking for/sharing plants. I have quite a few neighbors who walk every evening, and a couple of weeks ago a woman asked for some iris starts. I had a box of them that I'd never got around to planting and gave her some. This evening she and her husband were out walking with their son and he asked about some cactus starts. I have a couple I need to do a lot of work on, the grass is completely into them and I knock stuff off every time I mow. So I got the tongs and picked up one and broke a limb off another (I'm going to have to dig it up--no doubt it would break anyway. I realized as he talked he was gesturing at some that I dropped in pots last year, and he really would have preferred to have the rooted ones. I realize now that for this Mexican family, the cactus are a lot more highly prized, and she had seen those pots when we got the iris. I'm guessing that he was hoping I'd give him a pot (I do sell them occasionally at garage sales, but I don't usually give them away because I have to replace the pot). Anyway, I'm going to plant the potted ones when I do this new arrangement, but if I'd been thinking I probably could have just given him one. Most people don't make so much use of things growing in their yards, but cactus are highly prized around here and some neighbors up the street have parties when family come and cut pads off of a huge prickly pear in their yard. Now I feel like I was being a little stingy when I have tons of the stuff out there. When I see her out walking again, I'm tempted to ask if she wants one of those, just because I feel like I wasn't paying attention and they're going to have to root those pads before they get much growth. When there is surplus, how do some of you handle it? And have you had any poaching in your gardens? i.e., I don't care if people break off a few twigs of rosemary on the plant down at the street, but I hope they aren't digging up other stuff. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: katlaughing Date: 02 May 08 - 11:40 PM I"d offer her a pot next time she comes by...maybe just say you can't use as many of the "mature" i.e. rooted ones, as you first thought. When we first moved in, a woman and her mother, who lived across the street from one another, brought us cookies and offered us as many day lilies as I wanted the next fall. I never was able to go get them, then and would feel kind of funny asking for the six years later. There's no chance of anyone taking anything from our front yard as we have a picket fence all the way round. There's not that much out there anyway.:-) |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Bobert Date: 03 May 08 - 07:18 AM The advantages of living so far off the road that that isn't a problem... But we love to share our stuff with fellow gardeners because that is what "gardeners" do and it is neighborly to offer something that you have an abundance of to an non-gardening neighbor but not to a neigbor that thinks of you as a landscaping company... Nuff on that.... I'll be bringing stuff to the Getaway for my Mudgardeners... BTW, this is peak week here... We've got about 100 azaleas in bloom... Salomons Seal in bloom, Lilly of the Valley in bloom... The ferns had a happy winter because they tripled in number... Of course, every tree that makes a pretty a flower is in bloom... My mom just got back from Florida and my brother is bringing her down tomorrow to take in the beauty of of P-Vine's and my labor... Gotta mow the acre or so of grass that minges and meanders thru various gardens today so all will show very nicely for her... B~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Stilly River Sage Date: 03 May 08 - 10:42 AM Take photos! Post them somewhere! Sounds lovely! How's your arm/pinched nerve/back thing doing? SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Bobert Date: 03 May 08 - 10:58 AM LOL, SRS... I bought a digital camera 10 years ago and it's still in the box... There's good news and bad news on the pinched nerve... The bad news is that it's still there... The good news is that the neurosegeon I saw says it's okay to work if I can take the pain 'cause work ain't gonna mess it up any more than it allready is... That was 2 1/2 weeks ago so I just had a little talk with myself and decided that this farnm and the P-Vine need a good 7 'er 8 hours of work outta me every day and so I have been going at it as if it didn't hurt... Even back on the Kabota, the riding mower, the shovel, etc... The only thing that I've found I can't do is weedeat... Ohter than that, it's mind over matter... If ya' don't mind it don't matter... BTW, I am in line to see a hotshot nuerologist at UVa Med Center sometime in the future to get it figurated out... Back to pics... I'll get a few with my 40 year old 35mm Pentex... I understand it... I'll bring them to the Getaway but fir folks not coming maybe I can send a few copies... B~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Stilly River Sage Date: 03 May 08 - 12:53 PM I can scan them and put them up online somewhere. This bad actor has come to town, according to my morning newspaper. A devil with a beautiful face. Too bad it's so hard on crops. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: katlaughing Date: 03 May 08 - 02:19 PM The bio-green guy who has never shown up nor returned my calls (he's too busy and can't get good help)recommended 30% vinegar diluted by half to spray on weeds, which we are getting ready to do. I found THIS interesting article and thought you all might find it of interest, too. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Stilly River Sage Date: 03 May 08 - 05:00 PM Regular household vinegar is a 5% acetic acid concentration. While this works on some weeds, a greater concentration is needed for other or more mature weeds. By distilling, a 15% concentration can be obtained, and a 30% concentration can be obtained by freeze evaporation. These concentrated acetic acids, if they are derived from plant sources and not from chemicals, are acceptable for agricultural use by the organic community. That is not correct down here, in that Howard Garrett, my organic guru, says the 20 or 30 percent is OVERKILL and you're wasting your money to buy those more concentrated varieties. 10% pickling vinegar is what he considers optimum for most gardener's operations. And be sure it isn't petroleum based. The research on killing weeds around corn is interesting, though, and I expect Howard will report on these things as he hears about them. www.dirtdoctor.com. Spray it on in WARM Weather. It isn't nearly so effective when it's cool out. And you will probably have to go back over it again because it burns the leaves, it doesn't kill the roots. You have to knock a plant down a couple of times to kill it. Lovely afternoon, I'm preparing to mow for a couple of hours. Both the front and the back need it. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Stilly River Sage Date: 03 May 08 - 07:15 PM I just now ran an experiment, I'll report back in a day or two: I took my straight 10% vinegar out and sprayed around the cactus and agave and a few other trees and shrubs to see what the reaction would be. I am theorizing that the vinegar won't hurt the cactus, but might help get some of the grass out of the bed. And I'm curious to see how tender some of the other plants are (tree bark, etc.) Whatever you use for spraying vinegar, make sure it's cheap, and wash it thoroughly after. Don't let it sit, the acid really eats up rubber and other pump parts. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: katlaughing Date: 03 May 08 - 07:29 PM Thanks for the further info, Maggie. I'll be interested in hearing what effects it might have. Some seem to notice a pretty dramatic change just hours after spraying it. The guy who was going to sell me the 30% said to cut in half to 15%. We were going to buy some at the store but it was only 10%. Maybe I'll go get some tomorrow, regardless. I use it cut in half with water to wash mirrors. I keep it in a spray bottle and haven't had any problems with it eating away at the plastic or anything. NO rubber, though, so maybe that's why. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Stilly River Sage Date: 03 May 08 - 08:38 PM The stronger vinegar is hard on a lot of things. Plastic stops slipping past itself very well, and it eats up the rubber. I finished mowing the whole lawn this evening, with my dog and bird helpers. The dogs see how close in the path of the mower they can lie as I cross the yard, and the grackles come gather up the bugs I've maimed or outed. It's kind of cute, quite a lot of activity if you look. Someone just passing by on the street might only see me with the mower, not the rest of the activity. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Bee Date: 04 May 08 - 01:03 PM For very specific spot killing of problem weeds, I have been successful using boiling water. I have a lovely clump of phlox that had a dandelion growing in the middle of it for years. The phlox was rooted so tightly around the dandelion root that I could never get it out without ripping the phlox apart (which maybe I should have done). So one day I dug down around the dandelion root as carefully as I could, pushing the phlox roots away as best possible, and then carefully poured an entire kettle full of boiling water over and down beside the dandelion root. Result: cooked dandelion root, saved phlox. YMMV. This doesn't work on Knapweed, which has roots that go across and down to hell. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Stilly River Sage Date: 05 May 08 - 01:47 AM Funny! I spent the day clearing the grass and climbing weeds from my cactus gardens. Oh my pincushion body! I was bleeding from several places, despite the extreme care I took. Yours truly was on the radio this morning to Howard Garrett, my guru, The Dirt Doctor. I asked a couple of cactus questions. I have some bugs that bore into them and cause spots and drain liquid. I also have a problem of grass over the top of all of this pretty cactus (especially after all of last year's rain. If it had been dry this grass wouldn't have grown, because I don't water this part of the yard). He didn't know what the bugs were, so I emailed photos and I should hear from him later on this week. And I figured that since I was calling about the cactus problem they must be important enough to me that I should spend some time making them look good. They've been a mess for over a year, a few pads showing in a tangle of weeds. I'll go take a couple of Motrin before bed. It should help with the sore spots on my fingers and my aching back from the combination of standing perfectly still to avoid spines and the the bending and stooping necessary to reach the grass from all angles. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Bobert Date: 05 May 08 - 07:27 AM Okay, Mr. Pentex (camera) and I are going to work this morning getting some pics of our favorote plants and beds... It is a old single reflex camera that only zeros in on a certain "depth of field" so it's not good for taking sweeps but I'll try... As for wild flowers, our rare "Shooting Star" has outdone anything I've ever seen outta it... The bloom stalk is close to 15 inches and it must have 20 seperate little blooms... Maybe a couple trillium will show off today... They have been threatening... All the dwarf iris's are blooming their brians out... I'll get some pics and when I do I'll mail copies to SRS and maybe she'll have some luck converting them digital??? This is my last full day of play before the P-Vine gets home from the National Azalea Society Convention which ended yesterday in Ashville, NC but I think as the "under-gardener" I have held my own keeping everyone happy in the week she has been gone... B~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: katlaughing Date: 05 May 08 - 11:45 AM Can't wait to see those, Bobert! I poured some 5% apple cider vinegar on some weeds near our back door, yesterday. I just looked at them and see no difference. I didn't spray, just poured near their roots, so I don't know if it is because of that or that 5% isn't strong enough, but it didn't work. Maggie, have you noticed it working where you sprayed? Also, this is from the Naturist newsletter I get from the guy in Mexico. Though you all might find it interesting: EARTHWORMS & CUBANS Cuba's development has had to progress along a path different from what it would have been if not for the US embargo that's been in effect for decades. The embargo restricted the machinery, spare parts, technology and the like that other countries have had access to. One consequence of this is that today Cubans possess knowledge and experience with alternative technologies much needed in poorer parts of the developing world. Cuba now is the leading source of information and expertise with regard to tropical organic farming. A while back a Cuban technician passed through this area teaching how to obtain high-quality fertilizer from earthworm farms. Now that a bag of urea costs about US $40 here and people simply no longer can afford it, they're desperate for cheap fertilizers. Using earthworm poop has captured people's imaginations. I'm told that Chiapas State Government is supporting the development of earthworm farms here. Already one is in operation down the road in Pujiltik, and a committee has been formed in 28 de Junio to start one here. I've seen that worm poop is great stuff, high in nitrogen, but I wonder if enough can be generated for the big fields here. When I suggest that farmers return to mingling corn, beans, squash and amaranth greens the way their ancestors did, with nitrogen- fixing bacteria in nodules on bean roots providing the nitrogen, and traditional rotation providing food throughout the year, basically I get blank looks. I know why: The traditional approach doesn't yield much cash for the money-based economy people have decided they want to participate in. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Stilly River Sage Date: 05 May 08 - 12:17 PM Vinegar is a fertilizer when it is on the soil. You just gave your weeds a boost! ;-D It works by literally burning the foliage, so the stronger the acid the more it burns. After a certain percentage level, it's overkill (pardon the pun!) That's why you have to watch it when you spot spray, because it will brown or knock out whatever it hits. The warmer the weather, and bright sunshine speed the process. I sprayed the grass around my cactus one day and the next it was all brown on the ground around it. But the roots aren't dead, so I'll go back regularly and knock out the green until the roots give out. I couldn't get the tiller to start yesterday, it almost caught then gave off a huge screeching scarping noise then stopped. I do remember that it is noisy, but not this bad. We're due for rain in a few minutes so I'll wait a couple of days then ask the neighbor who gave it to me to help me start it. I need more practice (I have the starter fluid and the spark plug wrench in a logical place now, thanks to my decluttering, so when we do get together I won't have to hunt around the house and garage to find the stuff.) SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: katlaughing Date: 05 May 08 - 12:56 PM Oh, shite! GUess I don't need any earthworm poop!:-) |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Stilly River Sage Date: 05 May 08 - 01:12 PM Bobert, I have a scanner here, that is how I would digitize your photos. Or, you can simply ask your photo processor to give you a CD with the images in addition to the prints themselves. I can make them an appropriate web size and post them either way. You get the best image when it is saved to a CD by the processor. Rain is skirting around my neighborhood so far, but I could use some today. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Stilly River Sage Date: 06 May 08 - 10:39 AM Finally--a couple of big sloppy rainstorms over the top of us this morning. Yesterday was a false alarm. No supplemental watering has been necessary yet this spring. I have photos of the cactus for you. Before and after. They're pretty scraggly looking now; I need to keep the grass off it and the cactus bugs, whatever they are, and I think they'll perk up. The first cactus flower is beginning to open this morning and this year we'll be able to see them! SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Bobert Date: 06 May 08 - 12:40 PM Hmmmmmmm??? I have some of thst cactur, SRS... I've had it going back at least 25 years and have taken enough to get it started the three times I've moved... I'm gonna go check it out later and maybe relocate it where I don't have to walk 350 feet to see it... BTW, for anyone who doesn't think that it has pricklies, forget it... You don't see 'um but they are there... Got one on my finger weeding between the pads and then extracted it with my teeth and ended up with thwe sumabich stuck in the roof of my mouth... Musta been in there for hours be fore I coaxed it out with a popsickle stick... I'll get some more pics today and that will give me a couple 3 rolls of film to get developed... I hate the places around here so I'll wait until I go to Harrisonburg next to have them developed... PM yer address, SRS, and I'll mail you either the pics 'er a CD... B~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Stilly River Sage Date: 07 May 08 - 10:16 AM More rain today, makes my gardener's heart smile! How's it looking elsewhere? Anyone still in drought? Janie? SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: katlaughing Date: 11 May 08 - 01:48 PM In searching for somewhere to buy 20% vinegar, I came across a very interesting discussion on its use as an herbicide HERE. Thought you all might find it interesting, too. The Biogreen guy never returns my calls, so I've given up on him. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Stilly River Sage Date: 18 May 08 - 12:34 PM I was at the feed store yesterday and picked up a few things for the garden. I've put in the first of several veggie beds (very late, but at least it is getting planted this year), and I'm planning to put a soaker hose under the mulch in each of them. The mulch this year is sea hay (or whatever it is called, it's the soft stuff I use for the dogs beds). I have a new batch for the dogs, so instead of shoveling the old on the compost, I'm laying it as mulch. There is dog hair mixed in, so this could be an experiment if I had a problem with rabbits or squirrels in the garden. Driveway bed view 1 Driveway bed view 2 I find that gardening is a spectator sport for my friends and family. They like to see what is coming up, it's like easter every time they visit. So this is the charismatic bed, the stuff that is easy to see and produces regularly. Tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, and I have to put some more in. I didn't pick up everything yesterday because I wanted to see how I could space it and have walking room in the bed. It isn't very big, but any time people pull in the driveway when I have a garden out there it seems ages before they ring the bell. Look out and there are folks bent over peering into the plants. So I've put this bed front and center, my kitchen garden and entertainment center. :) Ants and aphids are attaching some shrubs out there so I need to do some work on the soil in the bed next to this garden, the Dirt Doctor's "sick tree treatment" is a good one. I started with a mix of spinosid and soap to knock out the bugs, then next to to the soil. I'm considering completely eliminating the silverado sage, it's too big there (it was supposed to be "dwarf." Ha!) Adjacent to the door for several years was a big bossy lantana, very pretty, but takes over. A hibiscus next to the air conditioner drain seeded itself so I removed both lantana and amaryllis from that bed. It should be a lovely wall of Texas Star Hibiscus this year. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: maeve Date: 18 May 08 - 03:49 PM Still a drought here in Maine. Rain is promised but hasn't materialized yet. I just finished cutting the last of something in the order of 60+ pounds of potatoes, 7 varieties, for planting. That will declutter the kitchen floor, and planting them will slip me over the edge of exhaustion, but we'll have food to eat and to sell in a few months. Peas and other cool season veggies are next. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Stilly River Sage Date: 18 May 08 - 05:21 PM I was that kind of tired yesterday. Maybe it had something to do with deciding to move really big rocks from the far back end of the back yard to put beside the garden in the front. Or digging the bed. I'm in for a few minutes to cool down, but it's another day like that. I've never grown potatoes, but I hear they do well here. Are there any tricks to it? SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Bee Date: 18 May 08 - 06:27 PM Oh, to have soil to plant a veggie garden in! I'll be making do with a few garlics and tomatos and maybe a couple squash plants along with my decorative flower beds. Gardens are spectator draws - I'm one of those who must see my friends' gardens every time I visit. Nothing is more delightful than walking through lush and fruitful gardens with the industrious owners of such, marvelling at the green and abundant end result of so much labour. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Bobert Date: 18 May 08 - 07:59 PM Oh geeze.... I forgot to take a pic of our veg garden... I envy yours, SRS... Ours is 90X35... It5 takes 20 bales of straw to mulch it all... We can or freeze enough to last us all year and eat out of it all summer and give lots to family and friends... BTW, pics on the way of some of the other gardens... B~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Stilly River Sage Date: 19 May 08 - 12:28 AM Bobert, There will be more going in in other parts of the yard, but my total garden area will be a fraction of yours (my whole lot is only 1/2 acre!) I have to get my pump set up one of these days so I can water from the creek. The previous owners did that, but the area is more crowded now, water might not be as good. The silverado sage under the window is no more. I decided that I'm tired of trimming it back several times a year--I bought a plant that was supposed to stay small and didn't. We got some good bird and bug activity out of it, but I have another one at the bottom of the front yard, so the critters can transfer over to that one. I dug up around the roots, and will have to trim the suckers regularly. There are a few more peppers and a squash out there now. And I am bushed! SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: GUEST,Jim Martin Date: 19 May 08 - 07:38 AM I'm still trying to grow asparagus, should have had somehing to show for my efforts this year as it's the 3rd but very small thin shooys. i just don't think they like the weather here or I may try a bit more sand in the soil. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Stilly River Sage Date: 19 May 08 - 10:23 AM Jim, I've read it takes three to four years. Good luck--I love asperagus! I'm thinking of dedicating a spot on one side of the house to them, near where my next door neighbor had great luck with a patch (until her late husband dug them up for some idiotic reason.) SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: pdq Date: 19 May 08 - 10:53 AM The most important part of raising asparagus is the preparation of the soil before planting. It is almost impossible to have too much fertilizer and organic material. Add things that take years to break down such as redwood compost and peet moss. Also try very slow release fertilizers mixed with faster ones. I have a 30 foot by 30 foot area dug and ready for preparation this fall. Note: asparagus is a long-term proposition and a major investment. A good bed should last 10-20 years, often a lifetime. You can't grow too much good asparagus. Giving the excess away ain't exactly like trying to get red of 2 foot zucchini. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Stilly River Sage Date: 22 May 08 - 11:41 AM You have to rid yourself of zucchini by stealth. :) Bobert, your CDs arrived. I went back through the thread to see what we decided to do. Do you have a page where you post photos? Do you do html (or blue clickies?) I'm finishing a couple of things today but this evening will open the files and choose some to size for the web. I have a Photobucket account, but it might be nice for you to be able to mount your own photo collection and add to it. There are others ways to move things, like to set up a Google group with various members who can upload photos that can in turn can be linked to or saved elsewhere or downloaded on your computer. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Bobert Date: 22 May 08 - 12:35 PM ...lol, SRS... The only thing I can do is click on blueclicky things... Sorry, but I am a tatol moron when it comes to this pudder... As fir asparagus... If it's happy you will get some the 1st year... We planted some last year and cut about a dozen this year... B~ |
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Subject: RE: BS: Gardeners & Soil and Climate Science From: Stilly River Sage Date: 23 May 08 - 12:42 AM How about I set up a Google group (I just did one for some fellow former Ellis Island rangers earlier this week) where those of us who are interested can all upload stuff, or we can do it for our html-challenged friends? I'll look at the membership options. We might each have to join individually, and decide if we want the outside world commenting or not. SRS |
