What Are Some Tips for Successful Gardening?

[Astronuc]

Adding what turbo mentioned, make a hole in the ground about 2 to 3 times the diameter of the pot in which the plant is growing. File the hole around the potted soil with comparable soil, and water it initially. Doing in cool of evening let's the plant get accustomed to the new environment and doesn't stress it by water loss as would be the case in the daytime, especially in direct sunlight. One could even shade the plant for couple of days.

MJ, can you take a digital image?

 

[Evo]

This is a side note, not to do with the habenero, which is a more sensitive little plant. It just reminded me of the following.

Did you ever see Jim transplant plants in the Victory Garden show? My heart would stop at what he'd do to the roots. I was always so careful, but he'd knock those plants out, rip the roots up then stamp them into the ground, next thing you knew it was twice the size of the original.

But I learned that (especially when a plant was root bound) that breaking up the roots (in the right way) actually stimulated new root growth. It is customary to score into the roots about 1/4 to 1/2 inch depending on root ball size, you slice across them in a diamond shape. and gently fan out the bottom of the root ball. The reasoning behind this is that you want the roots to grow into the new dirt, rather than continue in a ball.

 

[Astronuc]

We typically score the sides of the root ball in 8 or more places depending on the size. The first time I did it, I cringed, but it works.

One has to get out the roots which wrap circumferentially around the root ball. One is supposed to do that for trees too.

 

[Ouabache]

Did you ever see Jim transplant plants in the Victory Garden show? My heart would stop at what he'd do to the roots. I was always so careful, but he'd knock those plants out, rip the roots up then stamp them into the ground, next thing you knew it was twice the size of the original.

Are you talking about Jamie Durie who hosted the show this past season, or the original James Underwood Crockett? Crockett gave me inspiration to explore the world of gardening. To this day, I steep a 5 gal bucket of manure tea, that he described. I use for both indoor and outdoor plants. They flower like crazy with that stuff.

 

[Ouabache]

How does my garden grow? Pretty dead, this time of year. Though the harvest preparations are still in full swing. I am putting up apples for pies & sauce, and baking pumpkins for breads, pie & soup.. Do you like pie?

 

[Evo]

Are you talking about Jamie Durie who hosted the show this past season, or the original James Underwood Crockett? Crockett gave me inspiration to explore the world of gardening. To this day, I steep a 5 gal bucket of manure tea, that he described. I use for both indoor and outdoor plants. They flower like crazy with that stuff.

The original Jim Crockett, that guy was amazing.

 

[turbo]

The temperature is not quite up to 20 deg F and the garden is covered with snow, but there's still stuff going on in there. Last sunday, I chopped frozen dirt (frozen quite deeply!) to plant my garlic, and there are parsnips in the ground, being conditioned and sweetened by the cold. Both crops are mulched with oat straw to help protect them from the worst of the cold, and we should get between 1-2 feet of snow Sunday-Monday, which will provide a mediating influence and more insulation.

 

[Math Jeans]

MJ, can you take a digital image?

Sorry for the delay. Yes, I'll try to get an image of the plant.

Yesterday, I planted another Savannah red habanero plant. This time I took a different approach.

I put soil into a cup, planted the seed in the cup, put wrap over the top to retain moisture, and then put the cup under the lamp in my Gecko's cage. Just for a head start on the plant so it isn't overwhelmed when I bring it outside. Although we don't get snow (and only four days of frost a year), the winters in phoenix get into the 30s.

I'll attempt to get a picture of my larger plant later today. I can't make any promises though. The plant just recently started budding again, so I have a few greens on there, but no orange yet (unless it has changed from yesterday). Maybe it has, I gave it Miracle Grow :D.

 

[turbo]

Here's my garden today. All tucked in for the winter.

 

[Math Jeans]

Here's my garden today. All tucked in for the winter.

OMG

 

[Math Jeans]

Eh. Sorry, I couldn't find my camera yesterday. I'll try this weekend.

One more question. How long does it usually take a seed to sprout? I need to know how long I should wait until I deem a seed as bad (seeing as I've had my seeds for a while and that is a possibility). If the seed is bad, would it be logical to plant a different type of plant? How good are tabasco peppers? Am I starting to get annoying?

 

[turbo]

Habanero seeds germinate in about 1-2 weeks, and will germinate better and grow faster if the soil is kept warm. That's why I get my plants from the greenhouse in town instead of starting mine from seed. I don't have any place near windows (for light) that can be kept around 80, and the greenhouse is perfect for that.

 

[Math Jeans]

Habanero seeds germinate in about 1-2 weeks, and will germinate better and grow faster if the soil is kept warm. That's why I get my plants from the greenhouse in town instead of starting mine from seed. I don't have any place near windows (for light) that can be kept around 80, and the greenhouse is perfect for that.

Ya. I planted my seed in a cup, and then put the cup in my gecko's cage under his heat lamp. I think it should be fine.

 

[baywax]

The honeysuckles are still flowering and its Dec 7. We've got about the same weather as Turbo. I credit this phenomenally extended blooming to the nutrients from the banana peel I stuck in the soil with the honeysuckle plants this fall. I also added to the plant's longevity by "pinching" old flowers and adding them to the potting soil.

 

[Astronuc]

While most gardening activities have been suspended for the winter, we still collect fallen leaves and mulch/compost them for use in the spring, and non-meat kitchen scraps still get added to the compost pile.

We have occasional guests looking for food. Last night it was an opposum scrounging around the bird feeders.

FYI -

Whether rural, residential or in the wilderness, opossums are a benefit to any area they inhabit. Their diet includes all types of bugs and insects including cockroaches, crickets and beetles. They love snails. They also eat mice and rats. The nocturnal opossum is attracted to our neighborhoods by the availability of water, pet food left out at night and overripe, rotting fruit that has fallen from trees. The opossum in turn helps keep our neighborhoods clean and free of unwanted, harmful garden pests and rodents, which may carry diseases. The opossum has earned the title of "Nature's Little Sanitation Engineer."

http://www.opossumsocietyus.org/opossum.html

 

[turbo]

We are a bit far north for possums, but one summer when we were living in Skowhegan, one regularly visited our bird-feeder. He never showed up alone, either. He was always in the company of a cat, a skunk, or a raccoon. Very sociable little fellow.

 

[turbo]

We got another foot of snow yesterday with a bit of sleet mixed in. I need to go out and clean that up, but the wind is howling away about 30mph with higher gusts, and that makes it pretty tough to run a snowblower without getting a lot of it right back in your face. My wife juiced a bunch of fruits yesterday to combine with the carrot juice that I made a while back. That meant that we had pulp to add to our (now frozen) compost bins, and she slipped on her tall rubber boots to make the trek to the bins. Those boots are no longer tall enough to keep out the snow. The ski areas and snowmobilers should have a good winter, if this weather holds, and my garlic and parsnips will be protected from extreme cold by a thick blanket of snow.

 

[Astronuc]

One interesting aspect of opossums -

Question: Do opossums carry rabies?

Answer: Any mammal can get rabies. However, the chance of rabies in an opossum is EXTREMELY RARE. This may have something to do with the opossum’s low body temperature (94-97º F) making it difficult for the virus to survive in an opossum’s body.

from the FAQ page of the opposum site.

So presumably, people with low body temperature may have some resistance to rabies? Actually, the apparent treatment for rabies in humans, assuming that it's too late for the shot, is to put the person in a drug-induced coma for about a week. This shuts down the brain activity and prevents the damage (apparently uncontrolled electrical activity) associated with the viral activity.

 

[rewebster]

We got about 8 inches after all two nights ago. Yesterday morning, I was having coffee thinking I should have replenished the salt/ice melt. Just then, I heard a 'clunk', 'grrack', 'clunk', 'clunk' from the street. It was a city plow waiting for its follow-up plow to catch up. I looked out a minute later, and where the first truck had stopped was a pile of salt--the truck must have had stopped few just a minute or two and kept putting out the salt. The pile was about six inches high. To prevent (uh--hmm) such a large pile 'contaminating' the surrounding area, I went out and scooped it up. It turned out to be about 80 lbs.

 

[turbo]

Interesting. We have opossums in the southern part of the state, but I don't remember any of them being implicated in a rabies incident. Raccoons, foxes, skunks, bats and feral cats seem to be the most common carriers.

 

[turbo]

We got about 8 inches after all two nights ago. Yesterday morning, I was having coffee thinking I should have replenished the salt/ice melt. Just then, I heard a 'clunk', 'grrack', 'clunk', 'clunk' from the street. It was a city plow waiting for its follow-up plow to catch up. I looked out a minute later, and where the first truck had stopped was a pile of salt--the truck must have had stopped few just a minute or two and kept putting out the salt. The pile was about six inches high. To prevent (uh--hmm) such a large pile 'contaminating' the surrounding area, I went out and scooped it up. It turned out to be about 80 lbs.

Our town's trucks "sand" the roads with sand that is loaded with stones in the 1/2"-1" range. I suspect that the road commissioner has a brother that owns a sand pit and doesn't want to bother screening the sand, and that he has another brother who owns an auto-glass business.

 

[Math Jeans]

The cold is starting to show on my habanero plant. I hope is survives the winter.

 

[Astronuc]

Our town's trucks "sand" the roads with sand that is loaded with stones in the 1/2"-1" range. I suspect that the road commissioner has a brother that owns a sand pit and doesn't want to bother screening the sand, and that he has another brother who owns an auto-glass business.

Or they use the same trucks for sand and stone, and don't bother to clean out the bin.

 

[turbo]

Or they use the same trucks for sand and stone, and don't bother to clean out the bin.

The dump bodies have motorized sanding inserts slid into them for road-sanding, and the inserts don't get used for hauling gravel. It's just poor-quality unscreened sand with lots of small stones in it.

 

[Math Jeans]

Christmas came early for me. The seed that I planted in a cup that I put in my gecko's cage sprouted last night! Woo hoo!

 

[turbo]

Christmas came early for me. The seed that I planted in a cup that I put in my gecko's cage sprouted last night! Woo hoo!

Too cool! Remember that chilies like heat, they don't like too much water, and they fruit better when you don't give them lots of nitrogen. If you give them high-nitrogen soils, they will produce lots of leaves and fewer peppers. You have to keep these guys stressed (compared to regular garden vegetables) to get the best out of them. Best of luck!

 

[ZapperZ]

One of my orchids is in the middle of its blooming period - in the middle of winter!

It has been going on so far for the past month. It is the first time in its flowering cycle that it is doing this in the middle of winter. I'm a bit apprehensive about it because the place is usually kept rather cool in winter (around 70F), and since it is also close to the window for its dose of sun, it is in an even cooler place. Since it normally likes warmer, more humid climate, I am not sure how well this flowering cycle will turn out.

So far, it seems to be doing OK. I try to give it a misty squirt whenever I remember, hoping it'll get the humidity it needs. With the number of buds still left to open, this will definitely go on till the end of the month, at least.

Zz.

 

[hypatia]

I'll be buying my seeds this week, and start them indoors by march 1.

 

[Math Jeans]

The cold was too much and my habanero plant outside died :(. However, the plant in my room is getting bigger. It will probably be big enough to move outside right when the weather gets warmer.

 

[Evo]

One of my orchids is in the middle of its blooming period - in the middle of winter!

It has been going on so far for the past month. It is the first time in its flowering cycle that it is doing this in the middle of winter. I'm a bit apprehensive about it because the place is usually kept rather cool in winter (around 70F), and since it is also close to the window for its dose of sun, it is in an even cooler place. Since it normally likes warmer, more humid climate, I am not sure how well this flowering cycle will turn out.

So far, it seems to be doing OK. I try to give it a misty squirt whenever I remember, hoping it'll get the humidity it needs. With the number of buds still left to open, this will definitely go on till the end of the month, at least.

Zz.

That's beautiful! I wonder why it decided to bloom?

 

[Evo]

Ok, I need some ideas for this spring. I have a patio with a southwestern exposure. Due to limited space, I am going to have to do tiered planting. I'm going to go for "bush" varieties of tomatoes, squash, etc... I'm not sure I'm going to have enough natural sunlight since the patio has a roof. Does anyone have any experience with patio gardening? Will I need to add artificial lighting?

 

[Andre]

Bush tomatoes as in wild -purple flowering- http://www.bushtuckershop.com/prod16.htm

They would definitely need lots of light. I'm not sure if I should recommend http://picasaweb.google.com/Miranda.Whitman/GardenProgression2007/photo#5070719482424536402 .

Edit: Flower suggestion for shaded areas: Impatiens, many variaties of Buzzy Lizzy available

 

[Astronuc]

Ok, I need some ideas for this spring. I have a patio with a southwestern exposure. Due to limited space, I am going to have to do tiered planting. I'm going to go for "bush" varieties of tomatoes, squash, etc... I'm not sure I'm going to have enough natural sunlight since the patio has a roof. Does anyone have any experience with patio gardening? Will I need to add artificial lighting?

Fruit-bearing plants need light. Tomatoes need light to ripen.

There are a variety plants that require partial sun (or part/partial shade), which might work.

See the bottom of this page for ideas - http://www.perennialplants.com/partial.htm


On the south side of the patio, one could put the tomato/squash/pepper plant (s), in a large pot (5 gal) with a lattice. Sugar peas or sting beans would work too.

On the north side, put plants that can cope with as little as 4 hrs of sun (in afternoon).

Is this one of those patios with a high (> 6 ft) fence so no one can look into the apartment, or is it a second floor or higher patio with a low wall so that more sunlight is possible?

 

[turbo]

Ok, I need some ideas for this spring. I have a patio with a southwestern exposure. Due to limited space, I am going to have to do tiered planting. I'm going to go for "bush" varieties of tomatoes, squash, etc... I'm not sure I'm going to have enough natural sunlight since the patio has a roof. Does anyone have any experience with patio gardening? Will I need to add artificial lighting?

Some plants can tolerate partial sun pretty well. If you like salads, you could plant a couple of window-boxes with mesclun or a leaf lettuce like black-seeded Simpson. That particular variety of lettuce is very hardy and will keep producing even through early frosts next fall. Just cut it and use it, and it keeps growing back. Swiss chard rebounds from cutting, too. It tends to get tougher in texture in mid-summer. I don't know if that is due to the temperature or to the sunlight, so perhaps a patio with lots of indirect sunlight would be a good place to grow it. Swiss chard is very high in vitamins K, A, and C.

 

[Evo]

Is this one of those patios with a high (> 6 ft) fence so no one can look into the apartment, or is it a second floor or higher patio with a low wall so that more sunlight is possible?

Ground floor patio, no fence, it opens onto a small backyard and a ravine, lots of privacy. But I can only plant on my patio since the grounds are kept.

Here is a tomato I was thinking of http://www.burpee.com/product/vegetables/tomatoes/beefsteak+tomatoes/tomato+-+bushsteak+hybrid+%281+pkt.+30+seeds%29.do

 

[turbo]

Most tomatoes need lots of full sun to develop large, ripe fruits. Here is a site that lists some varieties that can produce in partial sun. We generally concentrate on Big Boys and Early Girls, with a few Sweet 100 cherry tomato plants for shish kebabs and basket-grilling.

http://www.garden-helper.com/Shop/tomatoes.asp

 

[wolram]

I have a miniature fir tree, it is six months old and still alive, i am going to grow a miniature forest.

 

[Andre]

I have a miniature fir tree, it is six months old and still alive, i am going to grow a miniature forest.

Like this?

or this?

Also excellent for patio's

 

[wolram]

Mine is like a baby Christmas tree, it is the first thing to survive in my garden.

I like the bottom one Andre, may be i will try a mixed forest.

 

[Andre]

Mine is like a baby Christmas tree, it is the first thing to survive in my garden.

More like this then?

http://www.bonsai-wbff.org/enclosedbygrace_files/JuniperusSeikechinensis-400w-338h.JPG

The best deciduous tree for outdoors bonsai groups (best survivor on dark patios) is Ulmus parviflora.

But pruning and trimming is a lot of work, you have to recompose the group every year, for trimming the roots, which are growing extremely fast.

 

[turbo]

I bought a book on bonsai many years ago, intending to visit Coburn Mountain and select some stock. I worked on the ski patrol there and was fascinated by the heavy-trunked, stunted birches, etc that grew on the edge of the evergreen-only peak. Never got around to making that hike, but maybe I'll give it a shot some day. Even easier would be to drive up the access road to Mt Washington over in New Hampshire and Pick up a few little conifers at the boundary of their range.

 

[Andre]

For me it's more like a memory. Three trees left from once some hundred. But moving frequently and bonsai don't match. Also it costs lots of time, almost like pets. They need care every day.

I never forget my then 5 year old sons observation when he saw me working on one of them. He did not ask what kind of trees those were. he decided that it were climbing trees for gnomes.

 

[Astronuc]

Ground floor patio, no fence, it opens onto a small backyard and a ravine, lots of privacy. But I can only plant on my patio since the grounds are kept.

Here is a tomato I was thinking of http://www.burpee.com/product/vegetables/tomatoes/beefsteak+tomatoes/tomato+-+bushsteak+hybrid+%281+pkt.+30+seeds%29.do

The would seem to work.

Just remember -

Fruiting crops, including tomatoes, need full sun most of the day for good production of quality fruit. Good drainage is also important. In high to medium rainfall areas (more than 30 inches per year) work the soil into ridges and plant on the ridge or build raised beds 12 to 18 inches deep. Plan on setting out at least one cherry tomato and 4 to 6 large-fruited varieties depending on the number of fresh tomato lovers in your family. You'll need stakes or wire tomato cages to support the plants to keep the fruit off the ground where it would rot. To insure even and efficient watering, you will want to put in a drip or soaker hose system for watering. Finally, count on mulch to keep down the weeds.

This is especially true for tomatos.

 

[Evo]

I'm going to have to set up plant lights.

 

[ZapperZ]

Orchids update

The orchid that was blooming in the middle of winter that I reported earlier seems to be doing just fine, despite the cooler environment. More flowers have opened up, and it has at least 3 more to go, so this bloom should last for another month or so.

http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/2762/img0108mw2.jpg

But here's another exciting news. I have 3 different orchid plants. One is in the middle of its bloom, the other just finished about 4 months ago, and while I was watering the 3rd one this morning, I saw THIS:

That's the beginning of another branch for another bloom!

<dances around the house>

I don't recall having them overlap like this. At this rate, it should start with its first bloom in about a couple of months, which means I will have orchids over a better part of spring. This is the orchid that had bloom only twice before since I got it about 3 years ago. Other than two two, all it had done so far is putting out lots of leaves... big, shinny, dark green leaves!

Now if only I can remember the color of its flowers... :)

Zz.

 

[Astronuc]

The orchid that was blooming in the middle of winter that I reported earlier seems to be doing just fine, despite the cooler environment. More flowers have opened up, and it has at least 3 more to go, so this bloom should last for another month or so.

http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/2762/img0108mw2.jpg

But here's another exciting news. I have 3 different orchid plants. One is in the middle of its bloom, the other just finished about 4 months ago, and while I was watering the 3rd one this morning, I saw THIS:

That's the beginning of another branch for another bloom!

<dances around the house>

I don't recall having them overlap like this. At this rate, it should start with its first bloom in about a couple of months, which means I will have orchids over a better part of spring. This is the orchid that had bloom only twice before since I got it about 3 years ago. Other than two two, all it had done so far is putting out lots of leaves... big, shinny, dark green leaves!

Now if only I can remember the color of its flowers... :)

Wow! That's great Zz. What are the conditions under which the orchids flourish? Do they have their own room?

I've been thinking about Evo's patio, and there are several options. One option would be to use small pots on a frame or bench. Another option is to use planters, which could be mobile or fixed. http://www.simplyplanters.com/

The problem with fixed planters, besides the fact that they may not be allowed in the development, is that they will deteriorate over time due to weathering.

My father grew a passion fruit plant in a large 15 gallon pot, which when full of dirt was about 200 lbm or so. He built a small cart so that the planter (pot) and plant could be moved in doors during freezing weather, or into more favorable sunlight as necessary.

 

[ZapperZ]

Wow! That's great Zz. What are the conditions under which the orchids flourish? Do they have their own room?

Nope. They share the same south-facing bay window with the rest of my plants.

The only thing I would recommend with this type of orchid is that, unless you have a humidifier close by, then you'll need a spray bottle to make sure you give them enough humidity, especially during the winter months.

Zz.

 

[Astronuc]

Nope. They share the same south-facing bay window with the rest of my plants.

The only thing I would recommend with this type of orchid is that, unless you have a humidifier close by, then you'll need a spray bottle to make sure you give them enough humidity, especially during the winter months.

Zz.

I know they like tropical weather which means sun or partial shade with warmth and moisture.

Zz, are you a member of AOS?

They have some great information for anyone wishing to grow orchids (of course).
http://www.orchidweb.org/aos/orchids/page01.aspx
http://www.orchidweb.org/aos/orchids/documents/cultureinhome.pdf

 

[turbo]

Astronuc, there are lots of orchids here in Maine, which is a long way from tropical. Most have small blooms, but some are big and showy, like the Pink Lady's Slipper. These bloom in the cool of late spring, about the time the mosquitoes are showing up. Most are a bright purple/pink, but I know where there are some white variants growing alongside the pink ones.

 

[Evo]

I'm so happy for you Zz! I need to get some houseplants again.