BS: Gardening 2010

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: The Sandman
Date: 01 Jan 11 - 09:47 AM

apparently there should be straw at the bottom for drainage.
another option is wooden barrels.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 31 Dec 10 - 09:27 PM

My organic gardening guru Howard Garrett doesn't like tires because of all of the chemicals in the rubber. Something to think about. Maybe just pile the contents of a few bags of topsoil and plant right there, without the tire? I bevel the edges of piles of dirt with a shovel and they stay put for the growing season.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: maeve
Date: 31 Dec 10 - 08:10 PM

Here's some good information aboutplanting in tires: . Lots of good stuff there, but the potato information is about half way down. It works well as long as you use good compost, at least in the frst couple of tires. Straw can work as you add tires.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 31 Dec 10 - 07:48 PM

Today I was digging Bermuda roots out of the center path in a new garden I'll start planting this spring. It was very warm for a couple of days, but got quite chilly as this afternoon progressed. Tomorrow is supposed to feel like a day in January. Good timing.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Bobert
Date: 31 Dec 10 - 10:21 AM

I think yer taters are gonna rot in those tires, Goody... Taters like to be well drained and doesn't seem that the tires gonna let the water out... Maybe if you just plant them in straw in the tires that might work... I donno???

Other crops, however, will grow in tires... Peppers and tomatoes do well...

Well, folks, another perfectly good year is shot to gardening... It's warmer here than it has been and so we went out to the barn to check the plants that we have dug for the move... The Rhodies seemed purdy unhappy so we gave them a drink... I've got all the 5 gallon plastic buckets out away from the barn where they collect rain and hopefully the sun will melt alot of the ice and we'll be able to get some decent rain water tomorrow to water everything well...

Seein' as we are still in limbo on our move south we're kinda at loose ends as to next years veggie garden... Hopefully we'll hear somethin' in the next week or two and can start planning the new garden... We're gonna have to start from scratch in the new place which means lots of soil amending & plowing... I've got a 15 inch flat bottom plow and prolly will go down that far initially to get things all draining and mixed properly...

Been real... Check ya'll out on the "Gardening 2011" thread, whoever gets around to startin' it...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: The Sandman
Date: 31 Dec 10 - 09:59 AM

does anyone have any experience of growing potatoes in old car tyres?
I am planning to grow a few earlies this way, my back isnt up to digging trenches any more.
how many seed potatoes in each car tyre, my plan is to fill the tyre with soil then place another tyre on top and then fill that as the plant pops its head up.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Dec 10 - 11:50 AM

Not a problem, then.

My dogs shredded some of the newspaper from a bag in the garage last night. I think rodents must be trying to move in. I'll take that over to the village recycle bin today. I use newspaper in the garden after I weed and hand till, to provide a bit of a seed block before I put down mulch on top. And sometimes I do a no-till area, simply putting down a thick layer of paper and then mulch over an area I've mowed or trimmed.

I'm taking the Sunday paper only now, but by spring I'll have enough of them to resume my gardening. The stuff in the garage can go. I suppose I ought to put a couple of mouse or rat traps out there, somewhere the dogs can't reach. But the dogs never cease to amaze me in their hunting prowess, so I probably ought to put snap traps in places the dogs never even go outside in front of the garage (because they will prove me wrong by climbing onto something I don't think they can reach inside).

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: The Sandman
Date: 27 Dec 10 - 12:55 PM

no firelighters occasionally ,i think they are paraffin, but would only be a very small amount of the ash.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 Dec 10 - 11:57 AM

hydrocarbon meaning firestarter of some sort, like lighter fluid on charcoal.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: The Sandman
Date: 27 Dec 10 - 08:20 AM

yes, burning peat brickettes wood and news paper, it looks very claggy, by hydro carbons do you mean firelighters?

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Bobert
Date: 26 Dec 10 - 10:29 AM

Thanks for linkin' Aaron Cook's letter, maeve... Seems that we in the Azalea Society have at least gotten the Arboretum to put a hold on their plans to destroy the collection and thr boxwood folks have been equally up to the task...

And the excuse that the folks at the Arboretum came up with for destroying them have been shown to be "silly"... I mean, I never heard of anyone complaining that the collection was so good that it was, ahhhh, attracting visitors??? Duhhhhhh... Isn't that what folks want???

Oh well, we have dodged this bullet for now and hopefully saner heads will prevail over the long run... I mean, these azaleas go way the heck back to the 40s...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: maeve
Date: 25 Dec 10 - 11:55 PM

I see there is an update regarding the azalea collection: http://savetheazaleas.org/#anchorMAGNOLIA

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 25 Dec 10 - 11:10 PM

How are you getting peat ash? Burning peat?

Ashes tend to have micro-nutrients that are good in gardens, I don't think it would hurt to mix it in. As long as it doesn't have hydrocarbons as accelerant to start the fire.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Bobert
Date: 25 Dec 10 - 01:55 PM

If yer just trying to get rid of the ash, it will do better directly on yer garden... I mean, why waste perfectly good peat moss in compost???

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: The Sandman
Date: 25 Dec 10 - 12:34 PM

anyone got any experience of using peat ashes in a compost heap, the ashes would be a mixture of peat and wood and paper ash, the ash looks fairly claggy.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Bobert
Date: 06 Dec 10 - 01:02 PM

Thanks, Magz...

The more heat we can put on folks the better... The National Arboretum is a treasure for us all... Hundreds of those azaleas were propagated by the late Ben Morrison and are very well established plants (50 years old)...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 06 Dec 10 - 11:38 AM

I've forwarded some of this to my facebook page. That's how the word gets out these days.

My yard looks good - it has a nice relaxed glow after a full season of growth. It took a few passes to get the leaves mulched, but it's worth the effort, to keep all of those nutrients from the neighbors' leaves in my turf.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Bobert
Date: 06 Dec 10 - 11:12 AM

Thanks, maeve...

Seems that a few folks that are in our azalea society chapter have been instrumental in creating a massive push-back...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: maeve
Date: 06 Dec 10 - 10:16 AM

Here's a trio of links, Bobert.

Azalea removal root of dispute


A jewel of D.C.'s spring at risk at the arboretum

http://savetheazaleas.org/

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Bobert
Date: 06 Dec 10 - 08:40 AM

Not so pleasant news from 'round these parts... The National Arboretum in DC has unilaterally decided that the largest azalea and largest boxwood gardens in the country are to be destroyed for no good reason...

Of course, there has been major push back from all the various clubs and societies and we have finally gotten some media attention which we all hope will get the folks there to change their minds but it's still purdy scary to think that these treasures could be lost forever...

Maybe someone can find some links from the couple articles published in the Washington Post over the last couple weeks and the letters to the editor...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 05 Dec 10 - 12:34 PM

The compost pile in the back is huge now that we've had our first hard freeze. I probably should have spread it out more, but I stacked it since it would stack. Makes it a little harder for the dogs to get into it.

There are still tons of seeds in the garden, tomatoes and peppers that got stepped on or fell out of sight, basil has been raining little black seeds for months. There were sunflowers that I let grow that were good for companion planting but did put on a huge seed supply. The various little birds that visited my feeders last year have been inquiring after food lately. I see them hopping in the cleared beds (I haven't turned the soil - I'll let the birds glean more seed before I do that). Last year when I set up feeders it took several days for the little folks to find it, but I set up one late yesterday as a tease and it has a lot of traffic this morning. I'll set up a couple more, now that I'm not worried about these guys clobbering my strawberries and tomatoes.

I took the mower out front and mulched the leaves in the yard into the turf. Looks good, but I'll probably have to do this at least one more time before the end of the year.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Bobert
Date: 27 Nov 10 - 02:37 PM

All our cannas are dug and their roots are going to spend the winter packed in peat moss... We've had our killer frost already so everything that is supposed to be wilted from it is...

Meanwhile, all the plants that are dug and intended to go with us to NC are all gathered up with straw bales around the pots they are in and leaves over top so they're fine... Probably warmer under there than in the house...

BTW, looks as if ol' hillbilly will be doing a roadside nursery business in the Charlotta area... I have made arrangements to have 100 Japanese Maples held for us so come next spring I'll find a parking lot neer a Harris-Teeter grocery store and set up... "Any Japanese Maple - $75" and have about 15 different hybrids available... That shoudl help us get some landscape/garden design jobs and we can get alot of our stuff outside of Raleigh...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 Nov 10 - 12:47 PM

The freeze that was predicted to happen on Thanksgiving (Thursday) evening didn't happen, but it was just as well I'd collected pretty much everything I was going to from the yard. The faucet covers were in place and the hoses put away.

This morning when I looked out and saw all of the wilted plants. A tour of the yard shows the burned cannas, amaryllis, lilies, etc. It will go into the compost later today (it is bright and sunny and warm, so I should also put up holiday lights before it gets cold and wet and miserable!)

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 Nov 10 - 12:56 PM

I grow a hedge of basil down here in Texas. I could give it away by the bushel. But it melts away after the first freeze. The oregano is more hardy.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 23 Nov 10 - 02:01 AM

Made wonderful pesto

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 23 Nov 10 - 01:59 AM

Oh and for basil, I think the best I tasted here was a small leaved greek variety.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 23 Nov 10 - 01:52 AM

SRS I'm not sure we really wound up with any green tomatoes this year. I did have to pull the moneymakers outside up earlier than hoped as again (seems a common problem round here) as there were signs of late blight - will be trying another breed ferline outside next year which is supposed to have some resistance... But everything in the greenhouse (Ailsa Craig and Alicante) barring a couple of tiny fruit ripened.

I think I part mentioned it above but if I get well enough to do it and the landowner allows is to put a lean to greenhouse up for the Ailicante and Ailsa Craig. -I've about 8 foot to play with, Have the plum ones in the existing small greenhouse and try to do more in there with peppers and eggplants.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 23 Nov 10 - 12:39 AM

Thanks for bringing this thread back up!

I've had a crop of tomatoes this fall, and lots of cherry tomatoes are red, but most of the Super Fantastic are as green as tennis balls. I took a couple of pounds of them to a neighbor today who found a recipe for chow chow and needed a few (I'd offered the other day). I suspect that on Wednesday, the day before our deep dip below freezing arrives, that I'm going to find a couple of buckets full of green tomatoes.

I finished picking the poblano peppers, and have picked most of the bell peppers. I'm going to pot some herbs that are sprouting in the garden and bring them into the windowsill for the next few months. Fresh basil would be nice, not the expensive sprigs from the store. I have a couple of eggplant and think I'll make them into a dip for Thanksgiving. The okra is finished (what's out there now is really lumpy and ugly, so I'm leaving it for the time being) but a lot is in the freezer.

Most of the hoses are in or out of harm's way, and I started pruning back the cannas last week, in order to pull the hose out from their midst.

I've frozen quite a few trays of cut up peppers and have a lot more to do. Blanched some. I took some to work last week and I'm waiting to see who asks for more and I'll take a bucket in for them.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Janie
Date: 22 Nov 10 - 10:34 PM

November 22 and I have not had a frost yet (a microclimate thing, there have been some light frosts within blocks of my place.)   But no hard frosts anywhere in the near region. Roses are still blooming, and petunias where they are situated just right. Statisically speaking, our average first frost date is still October 15, but it as been a few years since we have had a killing frost by then.

Noticing, in the absence of frost, the effects of what I figure must be day length on a number of plants.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 22 Nov 10 - 09:32 PM

Had the first of our leeks today - even to me that doe not have much appetite atm, they were really sweet tender and tasty. Loads more to come. Funny really, accidental qty we bought wound up in 3 different parts of the same veg plot and are growing at different rates.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: maire-aine
Date: 22 Nov 10 - 08:30 PM

It has been so mild here in SE Michigan, almost 65F (18C), that the buds on my winter heaths are beginning to open.

I brought in several more herbs onto the porch, and they're all doing well-- even the basil. And my Christmas Cactus is covered in blooms; of course, it'll be all over by the holidays.

Maryanne

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Bobert
Date: 22 Nov 10 - 07:33 PM

Wasn't sure which thread to post this to but the P-Vine and I dug up and potted for transport for our move to NC our last "official" plant...

Yup, I reckon this has been going on for at least a month, maybe more, but that part of gettin' ready to move is over... Hooray!!! Looks like about 500 (not including azalea cuttings), if I had to guess... Most are in 3G pots in a mixture of top soil and "Pine Fines" (50/50)....

Even rummaged around under the leaves and found my "twin leaf"...

Glad to have that behind us...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 29 Oct 10 - 11:42 AM

I've a feeling Pip once tried okra with no joy. Would like to give it a try though. I rarely get to eat it but do like it.

There is an eggplant (or I would say aubergine) but I don't think it will come to much - too late.

Have pretty much gone off the idea of cherry tomatoes and I am not sure we will have them next year. I think it will be a couple of (UK) "tried and trusted" - Alicante and Ailsa Craig, Ferline outside and given tomato sauce success this year maybe try a plum this time - Roma VF

A lot depends on whether we can put together or buy a lean to greenhouse.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 29 Oct 10 - 10:52 AM

I sent an email to that party requesting membership - it was a bogus email address, or one that google shut down, so I think that was a spammer trying to get into the site.

My tomatoes are making a second appearance, mostly small cherry tomatoes or some kind of hybrid between last year's cherry tomatoes and last year's super fantastic. They are larger than cherry and have thicker skins, but they're kind of the shape of super fantastic. They taste good and will be good for cooking.

Okra still perking along, but it's losing a lot of leaves now. Looking kind of like the trees in the neighborhood, fall colors. :)

Eggplant still turning out some beautiful fruits, but I've been on a diet so I am going to have to cook and freeze some.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Bobert
Date: 28 Oct 10 - 06:39 PM

Haven't been around much of late but...

... the veegie garden has all but given out but we got alot of stuff canned and frozen from it so we're happy on that front... We do have spinich, arugala and carrots makin'... I mulched the carrots with straw so maybe we'll have a few before the ground freezes solid...

Been potting up shrubs and perennnials today for the anticiapated move to NC... Better to do it now and have it out of the way in case we end up moving in the middle of the winter... Dug about 25 hostas today and lots of hackonacloa (sp)... Cleared out a 10 X 30 spot with the tractor bucket and we have 'um there and will surround 'um with bales of straw and then cover with leaves... This is what we did last time we moved our gardens and it worked great...

Looks like we'll be movin' a couple hundred plants plus another 300 or so azalea, rhodo, camellia, and hydranga cuttings...

Happy gardenin' to all...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 28 Oct 10 - 12:26 PM

Aw shame re Charlotte.


Leeks are here. Web ordered some not realising the cells had more than one seedling in. The 28 wound up as over 60. Still (a soup to freeze) we can use them.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Penny S.
Date: 28 Oct 10 - 06:44 AM

It was Charlottes that didn't do well - I have Home Guard and King Edwards in store. The HG's were pretty good fresh. Still to come are leeks and celery. I am harvesting the latter stem by stem, as required!

Penny

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 27 Oct 10 - 09:57 AM

I'd also got the watering better, now using a Dosatron feeder.

Like this

We do use chemicals (phostrogen in can) but water is rain water. It is pumped via a Jabsco fresh water pump. A solar panel supplies the pump.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 27 Oct 10 - 09:34 AM

We had nice early spuds. The idea of a main crop has gone - more physical work than we can supply plus good ones can be bought cheaply locally. A nice Charlotte however is a treat.

The intended for Christmas crop (I think of Carlingford) has failed. Late blight did them in.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Penny S.
Date: 27 Oct 10 - 08:59 AM

My garden has been mostly having damage limitation this year, as I haven't had the time to get at it, digging in the mushroom compost I got to break up the clay and so on. I have just killed the two courgette plants. After doing very well in the compost, producing umpteen fruit, the two frosts have stopped them, the last little fingers not ripening and the leaves collapsing. So I've cut up the stems and pulled up the roots - its amazing how much came from sucha small root system - and am leaving them to collapse a bit more before composting them.

I had reasonable potato crops from bags, though not the salad ones, which I have brought in as the slugs had found them, and the main crop was producing a second flush of plant!

Penny

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: maeve
Date: 27 Oct 10 - 06:53 AM

SRS- That name is not familiar to me.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Darowyn
Date: 27 Oct 10 - 04:05 AM

I can't say I've ever seen that name.
Meanwhile back in the garden, we've been reviewing the first year in our new garden.
The front garden, which was created from scratch- it was just used to park cars on before we bought the house- is doing very well. We lost a few plants over a very hard winter last year, but the ones that were frost damaged have all recovered fully and are growing well. I still have my doubts about one of the palms though. The dahlias were growing really well until the frost last week knocked them over. It looks as if I'll be lifting the tubers next time the rain stops!
The battle against the dandelions in the back lawn seems to be mostly won for now, though the fact that there is a cows' meadow just beyond the fence means that we can expect seeds drifting in for ever.
On the veg front, we have done very well with tomatoes. All the outdoor ones are finished now, but there are two plants still going strong in the greenhouse, and we have had lots of cucumbers in there too. The plants ended up strung right across the roof.
All the salad leaves did well , and so did the peas and fennel. Outside, in the no-mans-land between our fence and the meadow, the raspberries were good, the potatoes did brilliantly, we had more turnips and beetroot than anyone could ever need, but the broccoli was an utter failure, because the leaves got eaten (probably by snails) before they could get going. We did get a could of nice cauliflowers though.
Despite planting three different varieties, not a single parsnip germinated, and the carrots outside all went horrible, splitting to expose the core, and letting slugs in. The ones in the raised bed were OK- but I'm not impressed overall. We did have a couple of butternut squash plants on the fence. They grew hugely and did flower and set fruit. The only problem was that because the summer was so dull, that they did not get going until September, so the fruit was only about two inches long when the frost killed the plants.
So, we've learned a lot about what we can grow here, and what we can't. Any advice on carrots and parsnips would be appreciated.
The covers are now going on the raised bed (it makes it into a very large cold frame),and the winter salads are growing.
With all the best wishes to fellow gardeners for an easy winter with time to plan for the spring,
Cheers
Dave

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 27 Oct 10 - 01:46 AM

Is this one of us?

HoukeJenkie [[e-mail]> requested to join the Mudcat Gardeners
group and is awaiting approval.

I concealed the email server, but does this address or name ring a bell? Is this the real name behind one of our monikers?

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 22 Oct 10 - 05:01 PM

Apples, the old undecided what it is this did well for juice again. From what was reachable and just with a juicer came about 28 bottles.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: Rumncoke
Date: 22 Oct 10 - 04:48 PM

We have had frosts here on the South coast of England - that doesn't look good for a milder winter than last year, which was a good test of our new cavity wall insulation.

I must pick the last of the apples before they drop off the branches.

Anne

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: maeve
Date: 21 Oct 10 - 05:00 PM

Dog rose- Mine too, Guest Jon. Lovely and delicate in appearance, yet it's a survivor. We have several native roses here, including one that is like the dog rose in dwarf form; no more than 18 inches high.

Maeve

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 21 Oct 10 - 04:45 PM

Chard is a winner here. David Austin Roses, when living in Wales, Mum had a couple nicked...

Trying to think of a couple (I just am playing with veg) mum has that really do look good. Paul's Himalayan Musk and Rambling Rector. Both climb up trees.

My own fave beieve it or not is the pure and simple dog rose. I love it's delicate single petal.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: maeve
Date: 21 Oct 10 - 04:07 PM

Carrots, three kinds of kale, and chard. Spuds in the shed too, but no place to store them over winter so I've been cooking some and selling the rest. Roses still in bloom: David Austin's "Dark Lady", a semi-double pink whose name escapes me, and the diminutive "Raven" with its glowing garnet blooms . A few violets are also blooming on short little stems, and of course New England and "Purple Dome" asters, "Autumn Joy" and other sedums, and Johnny-jump-ups.

Maeve

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 21 Oct 10 - 03:20 PM

Overall we had a pretty good one this year.

I took over the greenhouse and changed to big tubs from pots and it worked well. Tomatoes were better than we have managed before.

I'd also got the watering better, now using a Dosatron feeder.


Of course there were also disappointments eg. the first spinach just bolted. But for some reason, I can accept that with gardening. It's more about an overall feeling the garden has done well this year than everything was the perfect crop.

Subject: RE: BS: Gardening 2010
From: MMario
Date: 21 Oct 10 - 02:48 PM

I still have Roses blooming! I think this is the latest I ever have had roses - even the year I had a waterlily bloom on nov 2!