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The Gardening Thread

Discussion in 'Permanent Threads' started by bewildered, May 27, 2017.

  1. Nettdata

    Nettdata
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    Mr. Toast

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    As you can see, I'm really pushing the density of this garden to the limits... but so far, everything seems to be going quite well. Lots of fertilizer 2-3 times a week, and everything is super green and healthy looking (except for a few bug holes here and there that has been handled).

    I have 3 cucumber plants that are taking off like crazy, so they were going to need some vertical support, so I whipped up a quick frame with some vinyl coated fencing on it.

    IMG_5360.jpeg

    I go out to check on things this morning, and I have no fucking idea how it managed it, but one of the cucumber plants has already got a stringer lashed to it with about 5 loops wrapped around the fence. I had to laugh.

    It's a shit picture, but you can see the one lone stringer reaching waaaay over and grabbing hold of the fence.

    IMG_5364-1.jpeg
     
  2. Improper

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    Disturbed

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    Nothing faster with a lasso than cucumbers and pole green beans. The green bean tendrils actually GRAB you, rough little hooks on the surface. Definitely well designed, it's a bit amazing really.

    Everything looks great, Nett! It will be growing and growing and growing.
     
  3. Nettdata

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    Thanks... the next step will be to keep it pruned enough that it doesn't grow too big/tall.
     
  4. GTE

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    The huge tulip poplar in my front yard has aphids resulting in sticky "sap" dripping all over my driveway and car. Did some Googling but almost everything I read was for applications directly to the leaves but my tree is probably 50' tall. No way to reach the top. A neighbor told me that years ago it had that issue and the previous owners put something on the ground that the root system picked up and got rid of the bugs.
    Any ideas? Or anyone have a good remedy?
     
  5. zyron

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    If you are going to be pruning your cucumbers then you want to cut off anything but the main vine. Your plant will try to send off smaller vines but that is what you want to get rid of. Don't cut the main one. I had one a couple years ago that got over 30 feet long. I wish I kept a picture but I eventually put it on a clothesline and it would not stop growing.
     
  6. bewildered

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    Backside of the tomatoes

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    I've got one San Marzano that is starting to blush so I should start having some ripen over the next couple weeks.

    Plenty of peppers. The Anaheims had 0 heat, probably because I picked them green, as they were splitting when they ripened. I made poppers with them that were pretty good over the 4th of July. These are the pasilla bajio peppers... will need a meal idea to use them up.

    [​IMG]

    I learned my lesson here... beans WILL climb the the top, very quickly. I will not be lugging a ladder around. My mom can come get her yellow wax beans if she wants them.

    [​IMG]


    Still the best part of the garden, the herbs. Oregano,varieties of basil, lemongrass, rosemary, thyme. The lemongrass is still in a small pot and the roots have cemented it in place. I'll be gifting the lemongrass and 2 extra chaya plants to a coworker who will appreciate them.

    [​IMG]
     
  7. Improper

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    Everything is in production, had to pull more onions as they succumb to the heat. Tomatoes are coming fast now, I usually pick morning and evening. Cucumbers are also very happy. Okra.....I fried some, pickled some, but it just keeps coming. I am now giving it to the neighbors as fast as I can.
     

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  8. Esian

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    Imidacloprid.

    Packaged under lots of different names. Most commonly carried as Bayer Tree and Shrub Protectant... but you can find cheaper packaging as well. Takes awhile for the tree to take it up so it's best put down earlier in the season to prevent but it will get rid of them.
     
  9. Nettdata

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    The garden still grows like crazy... time to start harvesting some of it...

    IMG_5383.jpeg

    IMG_5384.jpeg

    This is the back-side of the tomatoes... there are actually 2 rows of 13 plants, and they're all starting to show fruit. I think I might be able to pick the first one in around a week.

    IMG_5385.jpeg
     
  10. Improper

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    I am so glad, Nett, it is pretty satisfying to get from seed to table. It's great to see everyone's awesome gardens!

    I am putting out a plate of produce most evenings, like in pic 1. In the other pics, I am dealing with mass cucumbers by making some sweet pickles. It's really just an excuse to use the cool Pampered Chef slicer.
     

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  11. Kubla Kahn

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    Yeah I never knew cucumbers were so productive. Ive planted 4 the past few years and it is too much to handle. I fermented a lot of them last year but it's another semi intensive process to get them like something you'd get at a store.
     
  12. walt

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    It's kind of a shitty pic, but here's my garden. Yukon gold potatoes, green beans, cukes, zucchini and pumpkins. It's going well despite a lack of rain, I just have to haul water from the house every day. I'd live three days of gentle, steady rain.

    20180714_083300.png
    I've been staggering out the green beans 2 weeks apart and going to see what the absolute latest I can plant and get beans is.

    Blueberries are going like gangbusters now:

    20180714_083346.png

    Interestigly, that rhubarb on the end comes from root stock that's a couple hundred years old I'm told. Nearly everyone who has rhubarb here in our town has it from the same stock.
     
  13. Nettdata

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    I didn't plant any potatoes this year, but I figure I'll make another raised bed just for potatoes and root veggies next year... something that doesn't need the full sun like the stuff I put in this year.
     
  14. walt

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    I could probably get away with a couple half barrels but they wouldn't be as aesthetically pleasing to me.

    I tried carrots last year, but didn't get the soil mix right so they were pretty stunted. Those will require more sand than I want to dedicate a whole bed to.
     
  15. zyron

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    This is my second year trying potatoes and my first year results sucked. I got about a half a pound out of 8 plants. I made the mounds much bigger this year and then put more dirt on as the plants grew. Is there anything else you do with yours?
     
  16. bewildered

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    I was watching a YouTube video of a guy who has an urban farm and he noted that carrots really need even moisture and cannot dry out if you want them to grow properly. I have never tried carrots before. Do you think moisture was the issue or was it the soil composition?

    I am looking forward to being able to grow cold weather crops and root veggies!
     
  17. walt

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    Not really, just planted them, hill them ( last year I used straw, this year finished compost ) and keep them well watered.

    I'd have to say soil composition. The soil around here is largely clay, and even mixed with compost and loam it was still too much for the carrots to push into. Although now that you mention it, moisture could have contributed.
     
  18. Nettdata

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    Huge thunderstorm right now. Rain is coming down in sheets. I think there will be some severe damage to the garden.
     
  19. zyron

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    And now a huge thunderstorm with damaging winds is headed towards me. Gonna move the potted ones inside garage and see how well I can tie up the others.
     
  20. Nettdata

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    Luckily I just had a couple of strained tomato stalks that had to be supported... no other real damage. Colour me impressed.