getting dirty: what's in the garden? | The Boneyard

getting dirty: what's in the garden?

ClifSpliffy

surf's up
Joined
Nov 9, 2018
Messages
9,512
Reaction Score
14,295
the ground has been warmer than normal since last fall, so we bumped up planting by two weeks this season (the field brown turkey figs got moving weeks before usual), and the stuff shows it, but we're bringing the water early cuz the rain has not been co-operating. the pickling cukes, hand tomatoes of various colors (no cherries or grape ones this year), and cantelopes are running nicely, and we'll be dropping in the jalapenos today.
ganims in fairdale has a really good potting soil mix, full of lobster shells and such, that he makes up in maine. that stuff seemed to wake up some old seeds that i thought were done. it feels like that 'dirt' could be magic for flowers.
get those seeds started!
 

oldude

bamboo lover
Joined
Nov 15, 2016
Messages
16,734
Reaction Score
147,325
In upstate NY we have to wait a little longer to get all the vegetables in. Got the red potatoes in about a month ago, sweet potatoes last week (first time planting) and finished up this week with my zucchini plants. I have one sprinkler head that covers the garden, which I run about 15 minutes a day. I’ll do a little weeding every so often. But mostly, I’ll just sit back and watch everything grow until it’s time to pick’em.
 
Joined
Feb 5, 2016
Messages
197
Reaction Score
1,352
Southeast NH. Soil plenty warm for everything. Where 5 or 6 years ago there'd be a hum everywhere when the apples, blueberries, raspberries bloomed, now I watch for minutes and occasionally see a lone tiny bee or two. Hoping for a good fruit set anyway and so far apples are promising. Peas, tomatoes, broccoli, rhubarb, all look strong. Squash, cukes, beans, soybeans emerging. Love the garden, love the season. Cutworms light this year & fox and hawk seem to be getting after the voles. Knock on wood.
 
Joined
May 15, 2019
Messages
1,250
Reaction Score
3,319
Started my seeds in cups back in March, down here in S. Alabama. 4 varieties of Tomatoes, straight 8 and pickling cucumbers, banana, sweet and jalapeno peppers, 2 types of peas, pole and bush beans, zucchini, watermelon, pumpkins, garlic and onions are all in the ground. Potatoes and radishes are in grow bags. Lettuce, spinach, sweet peppers, strawberries and marigolds are in the hydroponic system. Already getting lettuce and the Alaska peas are about a week away from being ready.
 

KnightBridgeAZ

Grand Canyon Knight
Joined
Aug 26, 2011
Messages
5,230
Reaction Score
8,727
Wow - good for all you ambitious gardeners. Growing up, we did have tomatoes every year. Also some flowers, generally Marigolds and Zinnias. My late mother kept it up until she was over 80, finally giving up at least partly because the soil in the small garden area she had was difficult to work with and - even though she lived into her late 90's, she was no longer able to do that sort of work. She did keep house (and everything that goes with it - cleaning, cooking, etc.) until she was 91.
 

ClifSpliffy

surf's up
Joined
Nov 9, 2018
Messages
9,512
Reaction Score
14,295
whatever is going on with this spring here (im sticking with, and doubling down on, 'ground warmer than usual since last fall'), the wild raspberries explosive expansion is very obvious as well. we actively manage the plots, and now have many new areas to work with.
i don't recall any season where daffys and forsythia on one hand, and azalea and rhodys on the other hand (and everrthing in between like magnolia, dogwood, etc), can have flowers at the same time. howza boot that pollen tsunami! impressive.
someone should label this annual time like they do for shark week. mebbe call it 'invasion of the body snatchers time' as it's absolutely killing season with the snakes chomping on young reptiles (and the 'air force' chomping on the young snakes, and so on), and bird egg and fledglings under constant attack from all sides, including sometimes their moms who boot them out and over the wall.
where i live, the reemergence of the carpenter bees is usually a reliable sign that the buffet is now open. at least, those guys clock seems around 'normal' this season here, sumtime around mid/latter may.
the obvious, open, and notorious drought here? notsomuch. mebbe in a week or three, the blowhard 'meterological experts' on tv will notice, too. mebbe.
looks like the zoysia grass is on its' way to another banner year for expansion, too.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Jan 28, 2015
Messages
66
Reaction Score
294
I'm stuck in a tiny rental waiting for the our home to be built in North Myrtle Beach. Just itchin to get my garden started. I envy each of you. Remember no WEEDs.
 

ClifSpliffy

surf's up
Joined
Nov 9, 2018
Messages
9,512
Reaction Score
14,295
I'm stuck in a tiny rental waiting for the our home to be built in North Myrtle Beach. Just itchin to get my garden started. I envy each of you. Remember no WEEDs.
congratulations on ur new home! i would say that u r a participant this season at the highest level by planting ur flag! cool. plenty of time later for aphids, mealworms, and an occasional brandywine or zucchini.
 
Joined
May 15, 2019
Messages
1,250
Reaction Score
3,319
I'm stuck in a tiny rental waiting for the our home to be built in North Myrtle Beach. Just itchin to get my garden started. I envy each of you. Remember no WEEDs.
Look into a small hydroponic system. Great for indoor growing. Less than $200 and your on your way. I have one that is 2 1/2' x 3 1/2' and it has the potential of 54 plants. A couple grow lights, Fertilizer and some rockwool. You're in business.
 

cockhrnleghrn

Crowing rooster
Joined
Jan 27, 2014
Messages
4,335
Reaction Score
7,979
Southeast NH. Soil plenty warm for everything. Where 5 or 6 years ago there'd be a hum everywhere when the apples, blueberries, raspberries bloomed, now I watch for minutes and occasionally see a lone tiny bee or two. Hoping for a good fruit set anyway and so far apples are promising. Peas, tomatoes, broccoli, rhubarb, all look strong. Squash, cukes, beans, soybeans emerging. Love the garden, love the season. Cutworms light this year & fox and hawk seem to be getting after the voles. Knock on wood.
I've seen a few bumblebees this spring, but nothing like it was years ago.
 
Joined
Apr 11, 2020
Messages
2,130
Reaction Score
8,597
My lot is totally wooded, so no garden. Bbut we have a bunch of paw paw trees. I pollinated them several weeks ago, and we appear to have 100-200 fruit set. It will be a wonderful fall!
Without getting too graphic, how do you pollinate a paw paw tree. What is a paw paw tree? Is that a planet 10 thing?
 
Joined
Apr 1, 2019
Messages
524
Reaction Score
2,695
Here in Kentucky the accepted wisdom is to plant no earlier than Derby Day (so first week in May).

We have a variety of herbs (chives, rosemary, tarragon, thyme, mint, lemon verbena, basil) along with tomatoes and peppers. Then a bunch of annuals, including lots of zinnias and sunflowers.
 

ClifSpliffy

surf's up
Joined
Nov 9, 2018
Messages
9,512
Reaction Score
14,295
ye ol wooden choppers George, a farmer of some reknown down in virginny, and in his diaries ('musings of a bad mofo?'), writes that you plant ur cannabis seeds in the 2nd or 3rd week of may (and separate the sexes in early/mid august). his pal and fellow farmer TJ, he of fame as the inventor of the patented cannabis seed rake, agreed. them boys knew farming.
checking the tea leaves for long range prospects of rain in the region, it does seem like that yuge mass of cold just now pooling together up in poutine land, may bring a few weeks of steady showers coming, but fer now, i'll only buy that it may happen in adirondack land, and upper newangland, so until further notice, we'll continue to top off the water tanks, and dig out from storage those 100 foot sections of hose. the 200s are a p.i.t.a. to handle cuz we ain't organized enuf to have them all nicely spooled up. they just sit in a big pile. got washers?
 

Bigboote

That's big-boo-TAY
Joined
Dec 16, 2016
Messages
6,632
Reaction Score
33,094
Without getting too graphic, how do you pollinate a paw paw tree. What is a paw paw tree? Is that a planet 10 thing?

The blooms are little bell-shaped things. Once they start to open up, you need to put a thin (artist's) paint brush to pick up some pollen. You need to start early, because they change sex once they open up fully (Is that too graphic?). In the middle of the season, both sexes are present.

If they're dense enough, there's no need to hand-pollinate (we only have four). The natural pollinators are carrion beetles and blowflies, which evidently think they smell like corpses.
 
Joined
Jun 12, 2019
Messages
2,138
Reaction Score
8,908
One of my plants has something like a white dust on the leaves..assume its a fungus..how do I get rid of it b4 it spreads?
 

oldude

bamboo lover
Joined
Nov 15, 2016
Messages
16,734
Reaction Score
147,325
One of my plants has something like a white dust on the leaves..assume its a fungus..how do I get rid of it b4 it spreads?
There are a number of garden fungicides you can pickup at any home and garden store. If you spray down your plants once a month or so, that will usually do the job.
 

ClifSpliffy

surf's up
Joined
Nov 9, 2018
Messages
9,512
Reaction Score
14,295
One of my plants has something like a white dust on the leaves..assume its a fungus..how do I get rid of it b4 it spreads?
two words - copper sulfate.
copper sulfate is used to control bacteria and fungus growth on fruits, vegetables, and other crops, as it’s been registered for pesticide use in the United States since 1956.
 

Bigboote

That's big-boo-TAY
Joined
Dec 16, 2016
Messages
6,632
Reaction Score
33,094
6 carolina reapers, 2 habaneros, scotch bonnet, thai hot, serrano, cayenne, jalapeno, 2 thai basil, 2 basil, thyme, oregano, chives
Lawdy Miss Clawdy them's some hots! I'm still getting through some habs my father in law grew about 3-4 years ago. I think I canned something like 6 quarts of them.
 

Bigboote

That's big-boo-TAY
Joined
Dec 16, 2016
Messages
6,632
Reaction Score
33,094
Without getting too graphic, how do you pollinate a paw paw tree. What is a paw paw tree? Is that a planet 10 thing?
I forgot in my last response: Paw paws are native fruit. They are literally about half fruit and half seed on the inside, which is probably why they're not marketed, but they're really really delicious. They kind of taste like a cross between a banana and mango. They do have a wikipedia page. They're probably about 4-6 inches long when ripe; here is a pic when they're babies, maybe 3/4-1" long.
pawpaw1.jpg
 
Joined
Mar 25, 2015
Messages
321
Reaction Score
1,369
CptNed plants Mesclun mix, French Breakfast Radishes, and Spinach on St. Joseph's Day. We have been eating these crops for 3 weeks now. Chives, Rosemary, Parsley, 3 Different Thymes, Basil, Dill are all humming along. Tomatoes and peppers will go in the ground when we get some rain. Haven't had a drop in over 2 weeks here in Mystic. We're on a well, so we water sparingly.
 

Online statistics

Members online
581
Guests online
3,474
Total visitors
4,055

Forum statistics

Threads
155,779
Messages
4,031,387
Members
9,864
Latest member
Sad Tiger


Top Bottom