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.
  • #3,081
My ghosts have been struggling. I have 2 healthy looking ones, and a bunch of not-so-healthy-looking ones. My habaneros do just fine out on the deck in the sun, but the leaves on these ghost plants seem to shrivel up after just an hour or two outside in the sun.
 
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  • #3,082
Evo said:
I'll get a new picture of my ghost, it's been putting out weird leaves but healthy as a horse, still waiting to see if it will set peppers now that we're getting high's in the 80's. I don't want to jinx it, but... one flower does appear it might have...no, no, I will jinx it. I haven't planted the white yet, because I want to make sure I have this one figured out first.

NeoDevin said:
My ghosts have been struggling. I have 2 healthy looking ones, and a bunch of not-so-healthy-looking ones. My habaneros do just fine out on the deck in the sun, but the leaves on these ghost plants seem to shrivel up after just an hour or two outside in the sun.

I understand your troubles with them, ghosts are finicky, the trinidad scorpions even more so. The ghosts should get some direct sun, preferably morning or late afternoon. Let the leaves wilt and droop, that is a good thing, every two weeks, add a little fertilizer, I use miracle grow, water from the bottom (if you can). My plants are pretty hardened off by now. They still get some sunburn so I have them all under the deck for a few days, it has been rainy and cool here. If they are taking a sun beating, give them a break in partial shade. I am betting you will get pods this year Evo, be sure to check under the leaves for aphids, mites, fungus, I have had all three from time to time. Good luck. (Malathion diluted in water kills em all, don't use if flowering or podding, however. Spray top, bottom of leaves and soil pretty well and it will rid you of the problem).

Rhody...
 
  • #3,083
Squirrel attack on my ghost! Knocked off that flower that looked like it had set a pepper and broke a branch!
 
  • #3,084
Evo said:
Squirrel attack on my ghost! Knocked off that flower that looked like it had set a pepper and broke a branch!
The Evo curse at work, alive and well, sad to say... Sigh...

Rhody... :eek:
 
  • #3,085
Evo said:
Squirrel attack on my ghost! Knocked off that flower that looked like it had set a pepper and broke a branch!

I have heard squirrel tastes good on the BBQ...

I lost two ghosts to heat stress. Went to work in the morning, plants looked fine. Came home from work, plants are wilted. Water perked up all 6, but two started losing leaves a few days later. So I pulled them off the heating pad.

I shared ghost seeds with two other people, one has said he has some growing, but I haven't heard from the other guy yet. I will try to get a picture soon, and see if I can get an update from both friends.

Not sure if I will do ghosts next year, not really interested in having a heating pad and lights year round! But I will do my best to get pods before I make the decision to turn the heat off.
 
  • #3,086
Ms Music said:
I have heard squirrel tastes good on the BBQ...
LOL. They just de-foliated my beautiful bell pepper. :frown: They ripped the leaves off and threw them all on the ground!

Not sure if I will do ghosts next year, not really interested in having a heating pad and lights year round! But I will do my best to get pods before I make the decision to turn the heat off.
They shouldn't need a heating pad after they've sprouted. I didn't have mine on one.
 
  • #3,087
I just set out the ghosts today (big pots on the back deck). It has been cool and rainy, so I have kept them in the mini-greenhouse. My (periodic) neighbor from Mass. got a late start, so the seedlings are quite small. Hopefully some of them will take off, and I'll weed out the laggards.
 
  • #3,088
Evo said:
LOL. They just de-foliated my beautiful bell pepper. :frown: They ripped the leaves off and threw them all on the ground!

Evil things!

Evo said:
They shouldn't need a heating pad after they've sprouted. I didn't have mine on one.

I live in Seattle. It is currently 5:30 pm, and 55 degrees F. We don't HAVE temps in the 80s until late July.

:cry:
 
  • #3,089
Ms Music said:
I live in Seattle. It is currently 5:30 pm, and 55 degrees F. We don't HAVE temps in the 80s until late July.

:cry:
Oh. Sorry.
 
  • #3,090
We had temps in the 80s through much of May. I won't wander into climate-change territory, but my peach, cherry, and apple trees all bloomed too early before the honeybees were active, and I wonder how much fruit I can expect this season. We don't rely on the fruit, but it's so nice to have fresh-picked fruit instead of stuff bought from stores or even local orchards.
 
  • #3,091
Where is localized global warming +80 F temperatures when you need it most !

Rhody...
 
  • #3,092
Strawberry bed with "deer guard" and drip/soaker hose irrigation.

http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg832/scaled.php?server=832&filename=img7213x.jpg&res=landing

Tomato trellis on the south side of my swing-set shed.

http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg580/scaled.php?server=580&filename=img7214t.jpg&res=landing

Inside the trellis "deer guard".

http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg854/scaled.php?server=854&filename=img7215i.jpg&res=landing

http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg11/scaled.php?server=11&filename=img7216b.jpg&res=landing

http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg17/scaled.php?server=17&filename=img7217dg.jpg&res=landing

In the garden.

http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg205/scaled.php?server=205&filename=img7218co.jpg&res=landing
 
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  • #3,093
Really nice, Don!
 
  • #3,094
I have to put wire around my plants, darn squirrels have gone wild
 
  • #3,095
The weather these days is just fine for lettuce and cruciferous plants (Brassicaceae (also called Cruciferae)) like cauliflower, cabbage, cress, bok choy, broccoli, kale and similar green leaf vegetables. It's not so great for crops like peppers or tomatoes that like warmer weather.

We had a mild winter, then a warmer than normal spring, now a cool start to the summer.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cruciferous_vegetables

I need to grow some rutabagas and turnips.
 
  • #3,096
Astronuc said:
The weather these days is just fine for lettuce and cruciferous plants (Brassicaceae (also called Cruciferae)) like cauliflower, cabbage, cress, bok choy, broccoli, kale and similar green leaf vegetables. It's not so great for crops like peppers or tomatoes that like warmer weather.

We had a mild winter, then a warmer than normal spring, now a cool start to the summer.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cruciferous_vegetables

I need to grow some rutabagas and turnips.
Nice! I sure wish that I had a garden again. :(
 
  • #3,097
turbo said:
We had temps in the 80s through much of May. I won't wander into climate-change territory, but my peach, cherry, and apple trees all bloomed too early before the honeybees were active,...

For a counter balance, when selecting a pic for the contest, I saw that the pictures of the roses in my garden were taken on 3 May last year. This year when we had a party at my birthday 22 may, it was remarked that the first roses would open any moment now.

But obviously, when it's much colder, it is called natural variation. And observations in a garden are not representative for the whole world.
 
  • #3,099
Yo English, what up?

I spent a summer on your soil when I was a teen, and I really love you all :!)! Love your fish and chips, and English muffins – yum! The English Bulldog and the English Sheepdog – both great dogs!

The English Walnut is a gorgeous tree. Your flag is pretty rad too. And hey, your language…well it’s my native tongue…love it!

London is a spectacular world-class city. I don’t get the whole royalty thingy but I do think the Queen is a remarkable woman. The Magna Carta - what a freakin' great idea y'all had there!

But.

But.

Your ivy. Yes I’m talking English Ivy, the bane of gardeners here in the US. I love vines but this plague of a plant is a scourge. It climbs and strangles 60-foot trees – wtf? Good God, it even creeps onto wedding cakes!

http://www.beardsleecastle.com/weddings-f/cake-3tier-ivy.jpg

What the...seriously?

Please. Please come on over and remove this affliction from our otherwise beautiful country.

Thank you.
 
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  • #3,100
So, my most favorite flower in the garden is blooming right now. I love this lily because of the color and the size. The flower is huge, 6 inches across or more. The only unfortunate thing about it is that, it is situated in a location that most people can't see, either from the window of the house, or from the patio. The only people who get to see this easily are our next-door neighbors, because the plant is right by the fence between our yards. And they thank us very often for having this plant there! :)

So here are a few pictures of the flower.
img5299wk.jpg


img5298o.jpg


img5297x.jpg


And no, I am not going to move it because I do not want to risk killing it. It is happy where it is, and I will just have to walk to it to enjoy it.

This one is just starting to bloom. I planted this more than a year ago, but I forgot what it is! Can someone identify for me what this plant is?
img5301t.jpg


img5303ch.jpg


Zz.
 

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  • #3,101
Zz, could the last two shots be of some kind of bee-balm? The bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds love it. If it chokes out every living plant in sight, it's probably bee-balm. Like all members of the mint family, it spreads like crazy and will take over.
 
  • #3,102
turbo said:
Zz, could the last two shots be of some kind of bee-balm? The bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds love it. If it chokes out every living plant in sight, it's probably bee-balm. Like all members of the mint family, it spreads like crazy and will take over.

Oh dear, I hope not, but I need to know if it is since it is in a planting bed with others.

Zz.
 
  • #3,103
ZapperZ said:
Oh dear, I hope not, but I need to know if it is since it is in a planting bed with others.

Zz.
We have a ton of that stuff (blue and purple-blossomed varieties) and they are as aggressive as can be. That's OK with me because I would love to have fragrant plants taking over, with less lawn to me. If you like herb teas, you should encourage the bee balm (even if you have to isolate it), because the leaves make wonderful tea.
 
  • #3,104
BTW, if you like bergamot tea, why not grow your own bee balm? Why pay for that herbal tea when you can grow your own bee balm and get all the leaves that you need for nice tea? Once the plants are well-established, you can pick off leaves tear them up, and make cold-brewed tea in your refrigerator. Bergamot tea goes well with a touch of lemon, and doesn't need sugar, IMO. Some people like a bit of honey, though. This is a really good plant to have around.
 
  • #3,105
Beautiful flowers Zz. :)
 
  • #3,106
Gad said:
Beautiful flowers Zz. :)
I hope he learns to like them because bee-balm will come back over and over again from even the smallest root tendrils. It's almost impossible to eradicate manually. Find someone who wants some and give them clumps of it year after year. Bee-balm is the gift that keeps on giving.
 
  • #3,107
turbo said:
I hope he learns to like them because bee-balm will come back over and over again from even the smallest root tendrils. It's almost impossible to eradicate manually. Find someone who wants some and give them clumps of it year after year. Bee-balm is the gift that keeps on giving.

Yea. I made the mistake of tilling a out of control patch of mint only to have a whole garden of it the next year. Round-up is the only way. IMO
 
  • #3,108
My garden is doomed this year. We had cold and wet, followed by a heat-wave, and now we are back into cold and wet. The seeds that didn't rot earlier were blanched by the heat, and the new seeds will probably rot in the ground. We have planted and replanted squash, cucumbers, and other garden staples only to see them fail. This weather is nasty.
 
  • #3,109
turbo said:
My garden is doomed this year. We had cold and wet, followed by a heat-wave, and now we are back into cold and wet. The seeds that didn't rot earlier were blanched by the heat, and the new seeds will probably rot in the ground. We have planted and replanted squash, cucumbers, and other garden staples only to see them fail. This weather is nasty.
Squirrels ruined my plants.
 
  • #3,110
Evo said:
Squirrels ruined my plants.
Unfortunately, I can't move my plants. There is no room for a ~1900 ft/sq garden on the deck or in one of the garages. We get what we get, and this spring's alternating cold-wet/hot-dry stuff has got me discouraged. Once we have replanted crops 2-3 times, it seems like a waste to keep putting more effort and money into them.
 
  • #3,111
Speaking of problems... Something wrong happened to most of my peppers. They had a perfect start and I was proud of them in the end of May, but now most of the young leaves are small and twisted. I have three varieties, and all three look this way (although some worse than others, and it is obvious that Peter Pepper was hit the hardest).
 
  • #3,112
My ghost peppers have been a bust. They just couldn't stand these extremes.
 
  • #3,113
Evo said:
Squirrels ruined my plants.

Some critters dug through my planters containing seedlings of my Thai basil, flat-leaf parsley, and thyme. My regular basil planter survived.

I will commit terrible acts of violence if I ever catch these critters.

Zz.
 
  • #3,114
I have a critter getting the ripe tomatoes inside my deer cage the night before I go to pick them. There's going to be a war.
 
  • #3,115
There are no veggies in my garden anymore. Oh sure I had them for many years, onions, green peas, peppers, carrots (lots), etc.

It meant continious struggling with weeds and pests, disappointments, but most of all at the time of harvest, the same veggies were a lot cheaper in the grocery stores, than the equivalent of the effort you'd put in them. Seed, dung, area, watering, not even counting the work done.

So then I scaled back to interesting veggies only, mainly cherry tomatoes and snow peas, which were relatively rare and expensive. But that changed over time too.

So in my garden you find roses, fuchsias, Japanese maples, etc, no veggies.
 
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