What Are Some Tips for Successful Gardening?

In summary, we put in a huge garden and had a green thumb from the get-go. We still have a garden, although it's a little smaller now. We mainly grow vegetables, fruits, and flowers. I've been a pretty avid gardener at times but not for eating, just for looking.
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Got my bedding attachment yesterday, and today I assembled it and mounted on the tractor. Basically, it is a 3-point frame of square steel tube-stock with fixtures to hold two harrow disks. I set the disks so that they gather soil from just inboard of my rear tires and channel it to the center as I creep along with the tractor. It took me maybe 5 minutes to make three nice raised beds. I planted one bed of German white garlic and one bed of Russian red garlic, and mulched them with a couple of bales of oat straw. the third bed is unused - I estimated very closely and had very few cloves left over - enough for my wife to roast them and make a batch of garlic butter tomorrow.
 
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  • #2,592
Based on dlgoff's story about bringing his tomato in for the winter, I decided to do the same a few weeks ago.

Here it is tonight, setting tomatoes like crazy. I'm using the vibrator technique to pollinate, it works great.

[PLAIN]http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/1281/018wpd.jpg
 
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  • #2,593
Evo said:
Based on dlgoff's story about bringing his tomato in for the winter, I decided to do the same a few weeks ago.

Here it is tonight, setting tomatoes like crazy. I'm using the vibrator technique to pollinate, it works great.

:blushing: Whoa...
 
  • #2,594
lisab said:
:blushing: Whoa...
:tongue2:
 
  • #2,595
Evo said:
Based on dlgoff's story about bringing his tomato in for the winter, I decided to do the same a few weeks ago.

Here it is tonight, setting tomatoes like crazy. I'm using the vibrator technique to pollinate, it works great.

Very nice. Mine can't get enough sun and heat, I think. It's not making nice large buds now so I only got two tomatoes. But they are getting really big.
 
  • #2,596
dlgoff said:
Very nice. Mine can't get enough sun and heat, I think. It's not making nice large buds now so I only got two tomatoes. But they are getting really big.

dlgoff,

Heat is an issue with me as well, I am wondering if a heat mat under the plants would help a bit, the home greenhouse thing is a bust, too many bugs, etc... My hot pepper plants are leggy but hanging in there. I would love a greenhouse. As of right now that is not possible.

Rhody...
 
  • #2,597
Evo said:
Based on dlgoff's story about bringing his tomato in for the winter, I decided to do the same a few weeks ago.

Here it is tonight, setting tomatoes like crazy. I'm using the vibrator technique to pollinate, it works great.

I also brought in 12 of my 100 Thai plants about a month ago, as not a single plant had produced a single ripe pepper. But they are back where they were in April.

thaigarden2010.jpg


They all survived the transplant from garden to pots, and each is setting their fruit nicely.

pfhdygg201012051053.jpg


Fortunately, none are still blossoming, so I don't see the necessity in running out and buying a vibrator. :tongue2:
 
  • #2,598
OmCheeto said:
I also brought in 12 of my 100 Thai plants about a month ago, as not a single plant had produced a single ripe pepper. But they are back where they were in April.

thaigarden2010.jpg


They all survived the transplant from garden to pots, and each is setting their fruit nicely.

pfhdygg201012051053.jpg
That's great!

Fortunately, none are still blossoming, so I don't see the necessity in running out and buying a vibrator. :tongue2:
Maybe just lay a few magazines out, give them some incentive. :wink:
 
  • #2,599
Evo said:
That's great!

Maybe just lay a few magazines out, give them some incentive. :wink:

Hmmm... I'm not sure plants subscribe to Freud's "Pleasure Principle".

I'm sure they are much more Darwinistic/Catholic in this area.
 
  • #2,600
dlgoff said:
When I was tilling my garden for next year, I noticed this volunteer tomato plant growing in my mulch pile. It actually looked better than the plants I planted this spring that didn't do to well.

We had one little frost and it survived, so I dug it up, potted it, brought in inside and put it in my bedroom that has lots of southern windows.

It's doing so good that I had to cage it. It blooming too.

Yea. Tomatoes this winter I hope.

It's not winter yet but close enough.

I just finished a bacon and tomato sandwich from my baby. The tomato was big enough for one sandwich and a couple extra slices.

I was surprised how well it ripened indoors. It was firm but still juicy with a really thin skin. It had a "strong tomato" taste; sort of wild I guess.
 
  • #2,601
dlgoff said:
It's not winter yet but close enough.

I just finished a bacon and tomato sandwich from my baby. The tomato was big enough for one sandwich and a couple extra slices.

I was surprised how well it ripened indoors. It was firm but still juicy with a really thin skin. It had a "strong tomato" taste; sort of wild I guess.
Jealous. It's very cold and dark here. We probably topped out at 20 deg.
 
  • #2,602
dlgoff said:
It's not winter yet but close enough.

I just finished a bacon and tomato sandwich from my baby. The tomato was big enough for one sandwich and a couple extra slices.

I was surprised how well it ripened indoors. It was firm but still juicy with a really thin skin. It had a "strong tomato" taste; sort of wild I guess.
oooh, I am amazed that my indoor tomato is putting out blooms and setting fruit like it was spring. I'm not even supplementing the light, which I should probably do.
 
  • #2,603
Evo said:
oooh, I am amazed that my indoor tomato is putting out blooms and setting fruit like it was spring. I'm not even supplementing the light, which I should probably do.
Does your plant drink water like crazy? I have to give mine about 1/2 gallon per day.

My plant is too tall to get outside sunlight where the blooms (well, buds) are. The plant light doesn't really help. If it were 5 kwatt maybe it would.
 
  • #2,604
dlgoff said:
Does your plant drink water like crazy? I have to give mine about 1/2 gallon per day.

My plant is too tall to get outside sunlight where the blooms (well, buds) are. The plant light doesn't really help. If it were 5 kwatt maybe it would.
Can you prune it?

I had a tomato plant that wasn't producing until it fell and broke in half. Then it went crazy!
 
  • #2,605
Evo said:
Can you prune it?

I had a tomato plant that wasn't producing until it fell and broke in half. Then it went crazy!
I'll give it a try.
 
  • #2,606
dlgoff said:
Does your plant drink water like crazy? I have to give mine about 1/2 gallon per day.

My plant is too tall to get outside sunlight where the blooms (well, buds) are. The plant light doesn't really help. If it were 5 kwatt maybe it would.

outside they certainly drink like crazy. i tried some upside-down bucket tomatoes this year, and never will again because it's just too much work to give them each a gallon of water every day, and even then they wilt between waterings.

but yeah, light, water, heat, fertilizer, they like all these things.
 
  • #2,607
Passion fruit, Parsley, Basil, Chives, Coriander, Tomatoes, Lettuce, Zucchini, Potatoes, Corn, Orange, Mango, Strawberry. Can't quite see the Sage, Kumara or Lychee (unless you have very good eyes and knowledge)

The recent 95F+ weather has seen everything grow like crazy.
 

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Zryn said:
Passion fruit, Parsley, Basil, Chives, Coriander, Tomatoes, Lettuce, Zucchini, Potatoes, Corn, Orange, Mango, Strawberry. Can't quite see the Sage, Kumara or Lychee (unless you have very good eyes and knowledge)

The recent 95F+ weather has seen everything grow like crazy.
You must be near the equator or in the S. Hemisphere.
 
  • #2,609
Zryn said:
Passion fruit, Parsley, Basil, Chives, Coriander, Tomatoes, Lettuce, Zucchini, Potatoes, Corn, Orange, Mango, Strawberry. Can't quite see the Sage, Kumara or Lychee (unless you have very good eyes and knowledge)

The recent 95F+ weather has seen everything grow like crazy.
Nice garden!
 
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My tomato plant now has more blooms and set fruit than it's had all summer! The new stems are a but leggy though, perhaps I should put a light in there for it.
 
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turbo-1 said:
Jealous. It's very cold and dark here. We probably topped out at 20 deg.
Same conditions here, but guess what I found in the garden?
The kale still has harvestable leaves.. I picked a bunch today.
They must go into some kind of cryostasis as the temperature dips down. :smile:
 
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Ouabache said:
Same conditions here, but guess what I found in the garden?
The kale still has harvestable leaves.. I picked a bunch today.
They must go into some kind of cryostasis as the temperature dips down. :smile:
My kale survived last winter - down to -20 F. It was harvestable and edible throughout the winter into spring. I think a kale plant is good for 2 years.

We make kale and potato soup - with fried onion and sausage.
 
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OmCheeto said:
hmmm... Interesting. Of course, the technology is widely used now in the treatment of cancers.

But we're trying to get rid of aphids. How's about we merge the "keep the teenagers away with ultrasonics" and Rifes beam technologies?

Kids B Gone
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXhRmv1mrs4

Does anyone know if aphids have ears?

google google google

hmm... Can't seem to find anything about their hearing.

But they don't like http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2010/0809/Aphids-in-your-garden-Try-warm-goat-breath." . Get a goat. Or maybe an artificial goat.

Ah ha!
http://www.kaz.com/kaz/humidifiers/products/vicks-vaporizer-with-nightlight-v100/" , only $9.99!

Of course, now you have to get a de-humidifier. :frown:

hmmm...

Just went up to the Thai garden, just happened to have my glasses on, and what do I find?

Aphids. Trillions of them.

So of course, what do I do? Use the goat breath method.

What do they do?

Of course, they ignored me.

So I got out my hand held hair dryer and baked them all.

Do not buy a goat.

Nor invest in techno-surrogate-goats-breath devices.

:mad:

Idiot...
 
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  • #2,614
OmCheeto said:
Idiot...

Argh!

Trust not in glasses. The trillions turned out to be aphid moulting casings.

The live ones did in fact jump ship and returned a few minutes later...

Buy a goat!

But wait. What is this?

e-gads...

wiki on aphids said:
This process iterates throughout the summer, producing multiple generations that typically live 20 to 40 days. Thus one female hatched in spring may produce many billions of descendants. For example, some species of cabbage aphids (like Brevicoryne brassicae) can produce up to 41 generations of females.

No wonder we haven't seen Moonbear for a bit. I heard she had a moth problem of similar biblical proportions.
 
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Got Hot Peter pepper seeds :smile:
 
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Borek said:
Got Hot Peter pepper seeds :smile:
ooooh! Are you going to plant them outside in the spring? :biggrin:
 
  • #2,617
Borek said:
Got Hot Peter pepper seeds :smile:

OK, I will bite, what kind ? and from where ?

Rhody...

:bugeye: If they are ghost peppers, you are in for a long slow growing season, then moments of exhilaration, and possibly anguish when you begin nibbling on them.
 
  • #2,618
If I had a heated greenhouse and a long summer season, I would give those rascals a shot. For now, I'm happy to get some ripe habaneros.
 
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rhody said:
OK, I will bite, what kind ? and from where ?

Rhody...

:bugeye: If they are ghost peppers, you are in for a long slow growing season, then moments of exhilaration, and possibly anguish when you begin nibbling on them.
The <cough> peter peppers. :redface:
 
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Evo said:
The <cough> peter peppers. :redface:
Knowing we're going to see some pictures. :bugeye:
 
  • #2,621
Evo said:
The <cough> peter peppers. :redface:

Evo,

You are sooo... bad...

I am willing to bet Borek did NOT buy PP's. hehe.

Rhody... :redface:

Borek, ohhh Borek, where are you ?
 
  • #2,622
rhody said:
I am willing to bet Borek did NOT buy PP's. hehe.

<cough>, you lost.

Evo had an inside information, we talk about seeds during chat.

Borek, ohhh Borek, where are you ?

At 3:37 a.m. my time? Up the stairs I posted in the photo contest.
 
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Evo said:
ooooh! Are you going to plant them outside in the spring? :biggrin:

Most likely window sill first, pots later. Just like the last year.
 
  • #2,624
Borek said:
Most likely window sill first, pots later. Just like the last year.

cough cough, I lost but not fairly :devil:, so your bought peter pepper seeds and not bhut jolokia (ghost pepper) seeds, right ?

Rhody...
 
  • #2,625
Yep. I got some other free seeds as well, long red slim pepper and hot banana pepper.
 

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