What Are Some Tips for Successful Gardening?

[dlgoff]

By the way, the word you want is "varieties" not "verities". If you want to discuss the "verities" go to the philosophy section!

 

[Borek]

So, we ate first fresh peppers today. Keeping them in pots on the window sill wasn't completely off.

 

[Ouabache]

By the way, the word you want is "varieties" ...

In academia (aggie college) they are all called cultivars. They said the old, less sophisticated,
term is variety. I suppose cultivar's etymology came from cultivated-variety.

 

[Astronuc]

Thomas Jefferson was quite a gardener and plant/seed collector. He had quite a garden at his estate, Monticello.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/20...ferson-s-garden-a-thing-of-beauty-and-science

 

[Evo]

First squirrel devastation yesterday. Found a large branch broken off my jalepeno that was laden with baby peppers. Also I am growing giant picotee begonias from bulbs, and yesterday I noticed that the soil in one pot seemed smoother than I had left it, so I poked my finger where the bulb was and nothing. The squirrel not only stole the bulb, but he smoothed and tamped down the dirt afterward. That bulb cost $3.50. I now have metal grates over all of my bulb pots.

 

[Andre]

Talking about seeds in the catalogues, you may find the term "F1 Hybrid" for less seed that's way more expensive. Trust me, go for it. You should be rewarded with big strong plants (provided of course that you do the rest right).

 

[Ouabache]

The seeds of newer varieties that you buy at the store or order from a seed catalog are naturally hybridized to develop resistance to disease, have less seeds, more flesh, larger size... they are not genetically modified.

Oh, and heirloom tomatoes are also hybrids. The original tomato was the size of a berry.

Talking about seeds in the catalogues, you may find the term "F1 Hybrid" for less seed that's way more expensive. Trust me, go for it. You should be rewarded with big strong plants (provided of course that you do the rest right).

You're right about tomato the size of a berry. When tomatoes were first introduced to Europe from the Americas, people in England planted them in their flower gardens as ornamentals, producing colorful berries and many there believed they were poisonous, being related (same family) to deadly nightshade Atropa belladonna.

About seeds, let's remind folks there are high quality open pollinated public domain, true bred seed for our home garden. They are purposely developed for high quality produce AND with the idea that you may collect and plant their seeds to obtain plants with the very same characteristics as their parent plants. There are many sources of open pollinated true bred seed (a web search will reveal). One pioneer http://www.seedsofchange.com/enewsletter/issue_63/farmer_interview_three.aspx, has devoted 30+ years producing high quality true breeding cultivars. He has a Ph.D. in molecular biology, founding companies http://peaceseedslive.blogspot.com/2011/12/peace-seeds-list-2012.html and Seeds of Change. He was http://www.fedcoseeds.com/seeds/breeder_Kapuler.htm by FedCo seed company up there in Maine (like a modern day Luther Burbank). Here is an article he penned, describing his perspective for producing garden seeds.

 

[turbo]

FedCo is a great company. They have a lot of seeds for plants that breed true, good varieties of hard-neck garlic, fruit-tree seedlings, etc. They get much of their stock from local organic farmers/gardeners, so they are giving back to the farming community. Their annual seedling sale is a community event. The parking lot fills up pretty fast, and people end up parking on the road-side and walking back maybe 1/4 mile to get their plants.

A couple of years back, one of my neighbors went there with me because I can't tolerate the fragrances in crowds and he bought 4 blueberry plants for me. He was grinning when he got back to the vehicle, because one of the plants was a variety called "Duke", and he loves my dog.

 

[Ouabache]

Glad to hear there are local outfits selling plants that breed true. Most people used to save their seeds so they could plant them in subsequent years. It is nice to know there are companies still supporting this type of gardening. How are your blueberry plants doing?

FedCo is a great company. They have a lot of seeds for plants that breed true, good varieties of hard-neck garlic, fruit-tree seedlings, etc. They get much of their stock from local organic farmers/gardeners, so they are giving back to the farming community. Their annual seedling sale is a community event..

 

[dlgoff]

I was talking to the neighbor the other day about saving seeds. I don't remember her saying what type of plant, but her father-in-law planted 35 year old seeds he had sealed in a mason jar that germinated. Some of the seeds I've saved don't seem to do well. Like my 1980s honeydew melon seeds.

 

[Ouabache]

I was talking to the neighbor the other day about saving seeds. I don't remember her saying what type of plant, but her father-in-law planted 35 year old seeds he had sealed in a mason jar that germinated. Some of the seeds I've saved don't seem to do well. Like my 1980s honeydew melon seeds.

I am impressed with germination of his 35 year old seed.

I've noticed each kind of seed differs in viability. In my experience, smaller seeds seem to fair better than larger ones, in viability > 2 years after saving them. For seeds older than one year old, I typically test them on moist paper towels sealed in plastic zip bags. If you keep track of how many seeds you put in the towels, label and date the bags, you can generate an accurate record of % germination and days to germination by cultivar.

Generally speaking, to maximize the storage of viable seeds. it is a good to keep seeds in tightly sealed containers, in a cool, dry place.

The oldest seed I am aware of germinating and growing into a healthy plant, is the
32,000 year old arctic flower; a narrow leaved campion.

 

[turbo]

Last weekend, I let my Mass.-based neighbor borrow my Kubota (his tractor is OK, but not enough to stand the weight of this massive tiller). Later this week, I tilled my garden, and some other neighbors had hinted that they wanted some areas tilled (existing or new), but they have not been forthcoming about timing, so I'm going to remove the tiller tomorrow and put on the hilling/rowing attachment so we can get our own garden ready for planting this weekend. If they want tilling done, they can get their butts down here and help me change the implements. Taylor-way tiller is a monster. If I have my 3-pt hitch raise-lower rate set too high, I can feel the tractor rearing back when I lift it. It's a pain to hook up, but it does a wonderful job.

 

[feathermoon]

Can you use a tiller in areas that may have buried rocks or should one excavate first?

 

[turbo]

Can you use a tiller in areas that may have buried rocks or should one excavate first?

Smaller rocks are OK. Anything much bigger than 6x6x6" can bind and slip the PTO clutch. For a smaller tiller, like my old Troy Bilt Horse, you can expect to get tossed and tugged around if you don't locate and remove the rocks.

 

[Krunchyman]

I don't garden but I do grow bacteria and algae cultures in my room.

 

[Evo]

Here is my tomato plant the day I bought it 5-14-12.

Here it is today 5-25-12.

 

[Evo]

By popular demand, my ducks, Herman and Martha, outside my bedroom window. Herman has started moulting, mating season is over for him, but these two are inseparable.

 

[micromass]

By popular demand, my ducks, Herman and Martha, outside my bedroom window. Herman has started moulting, mating season is over for him, but these two are inseparable.

:!)

 

[Pengwuino]

PENG GARDEN IS PENGING!

DISCUSS! :D

 

[Evo]

Wow, looking very nice Peng! I'm jealous!

 

[Ms Music]

Turbo, when do you harvest garlic scapes?

Mine are currently approximately 4 inches long from the "nub" to tip, or 6 to 8 inches from the base of the stem to tip. Don't they get bigger and curl? Or should I cut them now?

Peng, your garden looks great! I bet you have so much luck that you turn part of that lawn into garden next year.

 

[turbo]

I harvest scapes when they curl and the center swelling is well-emerged. The part from the center swelling to the tip is stringy and tough. From the swelling to the base is the the good part. Chop and use in stir-fries, add to salads, etc.

 

[Evo]

A good reference site for plant diseases.

http://njveg.rutgers.edu/assets/pdfs/aw/Late-Blight-Webinar_07_02_09.pdf

 

[akhenaten]

My ideal solution to gardening was to let my wife take care of the front garden, the one that need mowing and weeding and I (well a handyman) takes care of the Japanese style back garden whilst is basically trees , pebbles and stones. Leaves me time to think.

 

[Pengwuino]

YAY Tomatoes! :D There are 4 so far. They look so yummy.

 

[Evo]

Nice tomato peng!

 

[Astronuc]

Good job Peng!

 

[lisab]

Excellent .

 

[rhody]

PENG GARDEN IS PENGING!

DISCUSS! :D

Peng,

That middle one in the picture (black round pot) looks like a bhut pepper plant but I am sure it isn't. I ripped out some near dead bushes and put in twenty four sweet green peppers. So I have about twenty supers growing in pots in the back yard and these on the side.

http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/9220/sweetpeppers.jpg

This is a sample of super hot peppers I got from FLA:

http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/3673/bluescreenj.jpg

If you look carefully lower right of this image over the light brown carpet band, that is a moruga scorpion, the worlds hottest pepper. I sampled a small sliver and in my opinion it has a nice flavor, but O God, it is way hotter than my ghost peppers I grew last year.

Evo, do you have any pics of yours ? and did the white bhut make it as well ?
In the experimental stages of starting and growing a fairly large amount of peppers indoors at my friends honey shop. He wants to go the hydro route, and I prefer soil and forced drip watering system. We will see how it plays out. We plan to grow and use and process them year round.

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/7217/peppersloose.jpg

Rhody...

 

[Evo]

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]

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.

 

[rhody]

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.

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...

 

[Evo]

Squirrel attack on my ghost! Knocked off that flower that looked like it had set a pepper and broke a branch!

 

[rhody]

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...

 

[Ms Music]

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.

 

[Evo]

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

LOL. They just de-foliated my beautiful bell pepper. 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.

 

[turbo]

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.

 

[Ms Music]

LOL. They just de-foliated my beautiful bell pepper. They ripped the leaves off and threw them all on the ground!

Evil things!

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.

 

[Evo]

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.

Oh. Sorry.

 

[turbo]

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.

 

[rhody]

Where is localized global warming +80 F temperatures when you need it most !

Rhody...

 

[dlgoff]

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

 

[lisab]

Really nice, Don!

 

[Evo]

I have to put wire around my plants, darn squirrels have gone wild

 

[Astronuc]

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.

 

[Evo]

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. :(

 

[Andre]

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.

 

[Astronuc]

If you live in a city and can't get to a farm, a farm may be coming to you.

http://www.growingpower.org/

http://www.growingpower.org/about_us.htm

National Headquarters: The Community Food Center, Urban Farm in Milwaukee
http://www.growingpower.org/our_farms.htm

http://www.growingpower.org/tours.htm - in Milwaukee, WI

 

[lisab]

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.

 

[ZapperZ]

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.

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?

Zz.