What Are Some Tips for Successful Gardening?

[turbo]

I've got some decent apple trees and have planted peach, cherry, plum, pear, etc. There are a couple of very old, large rangy-looking trees on the side lawn that I'm tempted to prune to within an inch of their lives to rehabilitate them. These old varieties are the very first to set on blooms and they could be good producers If I trimmed them to the point where they could concentrate all their resources on fruiting instead of vegetation.

 

[rewebster]

I've cut over 2/3 of that apple off. Apples are one that can be almost trimmed to the trunk. I've ringed the limbs, and cut the roots. Its going on 12 years now and I think I've picked a peck.

 

[turbo]

I've cut over 2/3 of that apple off. Apples are one that can be almost trimmed to the trunk. I've ringed the limbs, and cut the roots. Its going on 12 years now and I think I've picked a peck.

Darn! That's a recalcitrant tree! I have one tree at the end of my driveway that produces apples that are firm and are much sweeter and more flavorful than Macs. I still don't know the variety for sure, but they are a family favorite. My nieces' daughters love climbing the tree and picking apples and my neighbors' granddaughters find it a special treat to come down here for some apples. At 3 and 4, they are prejudiced toward the apples, but they LOVE it when I let them dig up their own carrots and beets for supper. They love to play in the dirt and when their grandparents or mother haul them up here in the big garden cart, they can't wait to pile out and see what's growing.

 

[rewebster]

It was a 'four year old' when I got it. I'm beginning to think that the graft died, and it's a root stock tree that wasn't noticed that the graft died when the nursery sold it.

 

[Moonbear]

On the other hand, my grandfather had apple trees that WERE shade trees, and we got insane amounts of apples year after year. My aunt and my mom would both get bags and bags and bags and bags of apples from my grandparents (the old paper bags, filled to the top), and my grandparents still had plenty for themselves. We'd gorge ourselves on all the fresh apples we could, make apple cakes and apple pies, and can the rest. 10 of us (my parents, my sister, myself, my aunt and uncle and two cousins, and two grandparents) plus whatever random neighbors and fellow church-goers my grandparents gave fruit and vegetables to, even after the birds stole their share, couldn't finish off the apples we'd get in a year from about 3 trees. Inevitably, we'd be canning the next year's apples while having to dump some old jars into the compost heap. I think apples do whatever they feel like, or maybe it's just the soil.

Last weekend, I got my tomatoes and basil all into planters, along with a few planters of oregano. In my tiny garden patch, I planted a row of zucchini and a row with a mix of herbs (some lavender, some more oregano, and I think I sprinkled something else on there, but now can't remember what seeds I had...hee...guess I'll find out). I'm not sure how that's going to do. I only need a couple of the zucchinis to grow to get enough for myself, but we've had almost constant rain and cool weather since planting, which might be leaving my seeds rotting in the ground rather than sprouting.

 

[turbo]

It's also possible that the root stock was planted too deep and the stock overtook the graft.

 

[ZapperZ]

Flowering Plants update

I got back from my vacation, and my orchid is in full bloom. All of the flowers have opened, and I would say that ever since I started growing orchids, this is THE most spectacular bloom that I've ever had.

I'm hoping that the flowers last as long as Freckles, which still has a few flowers on her stem going into the 5th month. I don't have a name yet for this orchid plant. I was going to name her Pinkish, but her flowers are more purplish.

My African Violet is also has the fullest bloom I've ever seen ever since I got it a couple of years ago. It has never bloomed this thick.

http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/4125/img1852ps9.jpg

My desert plant is also flowering, although not as full.

It appears that 2 weeks of neglect while I was away was all they needed! :)

Zz.

 

[hypatia]

Purpish is just beautiful! And your violet and desert plant {Kalanchoe}, are just blooming their little hearts out. Lovely.

 

[Evo]

Wow, Zz, there has been quite a lot of bloomin' going on!

Those are just gorgeous! I love african violets. It's amazing how their petals sparkle so much. That is one of the thickest bloom custers I've seen and I've raised violets for years. Your orchid is better than varieties I've seen in greenhouses.

All of these pictures and talk of gardens has made me me so homesick for plants, that I may volunteer at the local arboretum this year. I'm calling them tomorrow. I hope they can use me out in the gardens and not inside the visitor center.

 

[turbo]

Zz, that is one massive inflorescence in the first pic. A close friend of mine (and the organist in my college band in 1970 onward) was the caretaker of the university's greenhouse, and he would have been really proud of an orchid blooming so profusely under his care.

 

[turbo]

Evo, if you're homesick for gardening, here is a shot of my garlic. I put a stake in the bed to mark the place where the German garlic (foreground) stopped and the Russian garlic started. As you can see, that was a moot point. The German garlic is huge and out-pacing the Russian handily.

 

[ZapperZ]

All of these pictures and talk of gardens has made me me so homesick for plants, that I may volunteer at the local arboretum this year. I'm calling them tomorrow. I hope they can use me out in the gardens and not inside the visitor center.

I would definitely recommend that you do. I think tending to plants is very therapeutic.

Zz.

 

[turbo]

My back is sore from splitting and stacking wood yesterday, so I decided to play change-up. I broke out the old Troy-Bilt Horse (really tough, heavy cast iron tiller over 30 years old) and deep-tilled the garden and then mowed the lawn. Enough exercise to loosen up the back and not compound the muscle strain. Last year I spaced my rows so that I could get the tiller between them. This year, I'm going to space them more closely to maximize production. I bought a scuffle-hoe last year and it does a wonderful job clearing weeds. It's a bit more more work than tilling, but I don't have to wrestle that brute of a tiller around when turning at the ends of the rows, and I can listen to the songbirds instead of a motor.

 

[larkspur]

I have ohttp://www.scotts.com/smg/catalog/productTemplate.jsp?bodyCssClass=scotts+blade+product+general+en&tabs=general&navAction=push&bodyId=product_general&proId=prod70022&title=p_product_general_general_title&itemId=cat50094&id=cat50008"
What should I set the dial on for the canola oil and soap spray?

 

[turbo]

I'm not sure, larkspur, except that I would want a sprayer that could reach 20-30 feet with your given hose pressure. There's a lot of gardening advice that is driven by sales and is not truthful nor reliable.

 

[baywax]

I got back from my vacation, and my orchid is in full bloom. All of the flowers have opened, and I would say that ever since I started growing orchids, this is THE most spectacular bloom that I've ever had.

I'm hoping that the flowers last as long as Freckles, which still has a few flowers on her stem going into the 5th month. I don't have a name yet for this orchid plant. I was going to name her Pinkish, but her flowers are more purplish.

My African Violet is also has the fullest bloom I've ever seen ever since I got it a couple of years ago. It has never bloomed this thick.

It appears that 2 weeks of neglect while I was away was all they needed! :)

Zz.

Is there some way to prove orchids are alien to this planet?

Way to grow, Zz, Georgia O'Keefe would be proud of you.

 

[Ouabache]

I was fighting wild mustard, pig-weed, goose-foot, and dozens of other noxious weeds all summer.

Interesting you mention those three, though they are unwanted guests in the vegetable rows, wild mustard, pigweed and a member of the goosefoot family known as 'lamb's quarters', make tastey edible pot herbs. (spring greens for soups and salad).

 

[baywax]

Interesting you mention those three, though they are unwanted guests in the vegetable rows, wild mustard, pigweed and a member of the goosefoot family known as 'lamb's quarters', make tastey edible pot herbs. (spring greens for soups and salad).

Chickweed is another unlikely salad addition. As the name suggests it is good feed for the chickens but it is also good salad fixin's. It also grows year round. Next time you neglect mowing your lawn, try getting out with the scissors and snipping some of the fresh chickweed for the guests. Its not bitter but has a salty taste.

Another "weed" that grows a lot in the NW is comfrey. I used it as a tea for my mom who was fighting bone cancer. It not only provides a good source calcium but is said to hold a property that inhibits malplasia.

 

[turbo]

Interesting you mention those three, though they are unwanted guests in the vegetable rows, wild mustard, pigweed and a member of the goosefoot family known as 'lamb's quarters', make tastey edible pot herbs. (spring greens for soups and salad).

I have eaten these in salads before - I shared an apartment with a botany student, but you certainly don't want to have to fight these in a garden, and if they go to seed, you'll never be free of them. The reason these plants were so richly represented in the horse manure is probably just because they are so tender and tasty and horses that are pastured eat all they can get.

 

[rewebster]

http://www.consciouschoice.com/2006/04/img/food1904_violet.jpg
"Violet vinegar’s beautiful color is second only to its gentle flavor. Aptly called “Nature’s vitamin pill” by wild edible plant expert Euell Gibbons, the violet’s benefits are only rivaled by its beauty. "

http://www.consciouschoice.com/2006/04/foodlead0604.html

I've had a violet leaf salads before---I think I could pick about 2-3 lbs out of the yard right now.

I worked at a health food store for two years, and was in charge of the 'Herb area'. I already had a huge selection of Materna Medica books from the turn of the century. I think there's a turn toward this again with the rise in 'Green', health, additives, insecticides, etc.

 

[baywax]

I think there's a turn toward this again with the rise in 'Green', health, additives, insecticides, etc.[/QUOTE]

Yes, I don't think its because people can't afford lettuce these days!

If you saw what traditional orchardists are spraying on their crops you'd be looking for alternatives too.

They wear the space suit for protection while their kids run around in the fog... in a fog.

On a positive note orchardists now only spray 13 times during the season (insecticide) down from a devastating 53. This change was due in part to an epidemiological study on crop growers and the effects of pesticides on their health. This study set off some alarms.

 

[turbo]

Commercial orchards are making it tough on those of us who use organic techniques for pest control. Their constant spraying accelerates the development of tougher and tougher insect pests that are resistant to many eco-friendly controls. Luckily, insects that attack my apple trees don't seem to be able to survive being smothered with a spray of canola oil and detergent emulsified and applied with a hose-fed tree sprayer, so I still have a weapon against them. Still, it requires vigilance and time to re-treat the trees after rains, etc. If I don't spray, nearly every apple will be damaged by insects. There are 5 or 6 large commercial orchards within 10 miles of here, and the insect pests can be brutal.

 

[Ouabache]

The reason these plants were so richly represented in the horse manure is probably just because they are so tender and tasty and horses that are pastured eat all they can get.

That's right, horses are no dummies, they know what's good eats..

Since it is spring and we touched on the subject of wild edibles.. Here is a set of interesting clips on learning to identify wild edibles. (He does have a caveat, don't eat it, if you're not sure what it is).. Here is his clip for pigweed. You can find lots more at following his links.

 

[baywax]

Commercial orchards are making it tough on those of us who use organic techniques for pest control. Their constant spraying accelerates the development of tougher and tougher insect pests that are resistant to many eco-friendly controls. Luckily, insects that attack my apple trees don't seem to be able to survive being smothered with a spray of canola oil and detergent emulsified and applied with a hose-fed tree sprayer, so I still have a weapon against them. Still, it requires vigilance and time to re-treat the trees after rains, etc. If I don't spray, nearly every apple will be damaged by insects. There are 5 or 6 large commercial orchards within 10 miles of here, and the insect pests can be brutal.

Yeah turbo. Its actually our reaction to insects that is overwrought. The insects then react by surviving our onslaught. Unfortunately it took a large portion of orchardists to exhibit the symptoms of cancer to slow down the spraying. But, of course, the concentration is higher now that the intervals are longer.

There's an organic winery/vinery down around Penticton in the OK valley but the funny thing is that they're situated right beside a coal processing plant. The reds are very dark and the whites... aren't! Seriously though, with the amount of stuff in the air, even in the great white north, its very hard to be super clean and free of irritants.

 

[Ouabache]

Commercial orchards are making it tough on those of us who use organic techniques for pest control. Their constant spraying accelerates the development of tougher and tougher insect pests that are resistant to many eco-friendly controls. Luckily, insects that attack my apple trees don't seem to be able to survive being smothered with a spray of canola oil and detergent emulsified and applied with a hose-fed tree sprayer, so I still have a weapon against them.

I do commend your effort to eliminate pesticides in the orchard. Yet it's ironic using canola oil as an organic control, as much of the canola (rapeseed) oil produced is now GM (genetically modified) by at least one pesticide company, to be herbicide resistant.

 

[turbo]

I do commend your effort to eliminate pesticides in the orchard. Yet it's ironic using canola oil as an organic control, as much of the canola (rapeseed) oil produced is now GM (genetically modified) by at least one pesticide company, to be herbicide resistant.

Thanks! When my wife and I moved here a couple of year ago, it was already mid-summer and the insects had infested the apples pretty heavily. I went to an Agway store looking for some kind of organic pest-killer, and noticed that the dormant-oil sprays available were almost all canola oil with a little insecticide in them. I decided to winter-spray with pure canola oil and a bit of palm-oil liquid soap after pruning that winter and kept it up before the blossoms set, and after the petals dropped and the bees stopped coming. The result was a very large crop of nearly unblemished apples. Most of the damage was actually done by birds taking bites out of the apples. I don't know what variety it is, yet, but one of my trees produces the sweetest, tastiest eating apples I have ever had. Yep! Those are the ones that the birds like.

 

[turbo]

It's supposed to be mostly sunny and dry this holiday weekend and we're going to plant our garden, since the threat of frost seems past. There are a couple of guys with a greenhouse in town and they've started our chili peppers, bell peppers, and tomato plants. We reserved them several weeks ago and will pick them up and transplant them tomorrow. I always get several varieties of chili peppers and ask them to get the very hottest habanero variety available. They never disappoint.

 

[hypatia]

Ive been planting a little every afternoon. While I loved the taste of the vintage tomatos I grew last summer, the yield was very poor. So I'm back to my basic Better Boy and Beefmaster, and of course cherry tomatos. This year I planted a extra cherry for my dog in hopes she will not take bites out of my other tomatos{yes Turbo, she's as bad as the birds}.
I've got a host of herbs planted, and several types of mild peppers.
Strawberrys are setting fruit, more then I've ever seen, maybe 6 fruits per plant.

 

[Andre]

While I appreciate the need for fruit and veggies, my favorites were roses. I used to collect the annual prize winners of the Rosarium Westbroekpark in The Hague.

 

[turbo]

hypatia, you might want to try Early Girls. As the name implies, you will get ripe, full-sized tomatoes a bit earlier than the Big Boys and Beefsteaks. If you buy seedlings, plant them deep - roots will develop from the buried portion of the stem, giving the plant a head-start in taking up nutrients and developing blossoms and fruit later. You probably already know this, but while the plants are setting on fruit, avoid top-watering which can accelerate skin-splitting. Water the base of the plants only, if you can.

I hear you about the dog - when I was a kid, we had a dog that LOVED the garden. She'd wander around, helping herself to peas, string beans, etc.

 

[lisab]

hypatia, you might want to try Early Girls. As the name implies, you will get ripe, full-sized tomatoes a bit earlier than the Big Boys and Beefsteaks. If you buy seedlings, plant them deep - roots will develop from the buried portion of the stem, giving the plant a head-start in taking up nutrients and developing blossoms and fruit later. You probably already know this, but while the plants are setting on fruit, avoid top-watering which can accelerate skin-splitting. Water the base of the plants only, if you can.

I hear you about the dog - when I was a kid, we had a dog that LOVED the garden. She'd wander around, helping herself to peas, string beans, etc.

One of my cherished memories is finding my daughter, at age 3 or 4, in our garden. She was wearing only overalls, no shirt or shoes. She was in the row between the sweet peas and tomatoes, helping herself to a nice afternoon snack. She didn't even bother to pick her treats off the bushes...she was just eating them off the vines!

 

[turbo]

One of my cherished memories is finding my daughter, at age 3 or 4, in our garden. She was wearing only overalls, no shirt or shoes. She was in the row between the sweet peas and tomatoes, helping herself to a nice afternoon snack. She didn't even bother to pick her treats off the bushes...she was just eating them off the vines!

Cute! Lady would snack on lots of stuff out there, and she loved stuff like Black-Seeded Simpson leaf lettuce, and would nibble on chives. We would have garden-fresh tossed salads with home-made vinaigrette dressing with our supper, and if there was any left over, Lady would wolf it right down, onions, chives, and all. About the only "human food" that she didn't like was Spanish olives.

 

[Ouabache]

Already pickin' asparagus & rhubarb for about 3 weeks now (zone 5). Apples are still blossoming and several blueberry varieties into bloom as well.. Sugar snap-pea plants have been up for about a week and just sprayed with 'liquid fence' (found at Agway, made with rotten eggs, garlic & surfactant). I use that to keep away deer, groundhogs, and other wild critters.. Today planted swiss chard, arugula, bok choy, cilantro, dill, basil. I've been harvesting chives from a perrenial bed for several weeks. I haven't seen many small critters though.. I suspect the notagoshawks & owls are keeping their numbers down.

Just planted three varieties of sweet corn (differing mainly in dates of maturity).. I tried to stagger plant the corn last year 1st planting did real well, but the 2nd planting didn't, I suspect due to the late summer draught. Soon will plant tomato, and curcurbits - cukes, melons, squash, pumpkin, and also green beans.

I'm a bit late on potatoes this year.. I should have planted those a month ago. But I'll plant some soon. I didn't have much luck with potatoes last year. I cut my seed potatos into pieces, with a sprouted eye in each section and let them dry and callous for couple days, in a cool dry place. But germination was only 50-60%.. The ones that didn't come up, I investigated.. They had disintegrated, turned to mush (physiiological decay?). Anyone else have this happen? This year I'm not going to take a chance and just plant seed potatoes whole.

 

[lisab]

Already pickin' asparagus & rhubarb for about 3 weeks now (zone 5). Apples are still blossoming and several blueberry varieties into bloom as well.. Sugar snap-pea plants have been up for about a week and just sprayed with 'liquid fence' (found at Agway, made with rotten eggs, garlic & surfactant). I use that to keep away deer, groundhogs, and other wild critters.. Today planted swiss chard, arugula, bok choy, cilantro, dill, basil. I've been harvesting chives from a perrenial bed for several weeks. I haven't seen many small critters though.. I suspect the notagoshawks & owls are keeping their numbers down.

Just planted three varieties of sweet corn (differing mainly in dates of maturity).. I tried to stagger plant the corn last year 1st planting did real well, but the 2nd planting didn't, I suspect due to the late summer draught. Soon will plant tomato, and curcurbits - cukes, melons, squash, pumpkin, and also green beans.

I'm a bit late on potatoes this year.. I should have planted those a month ago. But I'll plant some soon. I didn't have much luck with potatoes last year. I cut my seed potatos into pieces, with a sprouted eye in each section and let them dry and callous for couple days, in a cool dry place. But germination was only 50-60%.. The ones that didn't come up, I investigated.. They had disintegrated, turned to mush (physiiological decay?). Anyone else have this happen? This year I'm not going to take a chance and just plant seed potatoes whole.

Did the potato starts already have growth at the eyes when you planted them? I get better results planting starts with about 1 cm of growth. Does your soil hold water too long, or did you get a lot of rain soon after planting?

I've never tried planting whole potatoes.

 

[Ouabache]

Yes, they had small bit of growth in each eye (>1cm).. These were not purchased seed potatoes. I just used the table variety (round knobby white, and red potatos that came out of dormancy).

Soil was not unusually wet, though I did water them every 3-4days to make sure they had sufficient moisture. Soil doesn't hold water long.. The 50% that did make it, yielded several small potatoes about the size of a chicken egg. I hilled them to encourage tuber growth throughout the summer. Whole potatoes ought to work. They are tubers and meant to be vegetative reproductive structures. I expect there'll be a higher density of stems per plant though.

Did the potato starts already have growth at the eyes when you planted them? I get better results planting starts with about 1 cm of growth. Does your soil hold water too long, or did you get a lot of rain soon after planting?

 

[Evo]

One year I sprouted a sweet potato in a glass to show the girls. They weren't impressed, it started to smell, so I tossed it out underneath a window where nothing ever grew and it turned into lush vegetation, very pretty. That fall, after the first hard freeze, I had a major surprise when I pulled up the dead foliage. I had a bumper crop of sweet potatoes!

 

[Ouabache]

I had a major surprise when I pulled up the dead foliage. I had a bumper crop of sweet potatoes!

That's great! Did your sweets ever flower? They may look something like morning glories (same family). Have you ever made a pie with them

 

[turbo]

My wife and I just transplanted all the chili plants, Bell pepper plants, and tomato plants that we got from the local greenhouse. Over half the garden is planted, and we still haven't planted cucumbers, winter squash, snap beans, carrots, beets, Swiss chard, etc, etc We're going to have to intersperse some herbs, radishes, etc in between the pepper and tomato plants, or forgo growing them (no!). The tricky part is timing the dill and cilantro. I need cilantro to be maturing when I'm making salsas, and I need the dill to be flowering when I make chili relishes.

 

[Evo]

My tomato and bell peppers are going to bloom, but unless it warms up another 20 degrees, it may be too cold to set fruit.

 

[Astronuc]

We've had a relatively cool spring, well actually it's been quite variable - warm one week, cool the next, dry another period, then rainy the next. Lows are in the 40's F and highs are in the 60's, which saves us on cooling. It's great for lettuce.

Watch out Evo - your area has thunderstorms likely through Tuesday!

 

[Evo]

I just bought a grape tomato plant. I *love* grape tomatoes, they have a much better flavor than cherry tomatoes, not even in the same league.

I had to polinate my cucumbers by hand with a brush. I've done this many times in the past. I don't seem to have ANY insects here. NONE.

 

[lisab]

Turbo, have you grown cilantro before? I've tried it and it bolts at the slightest warming! Has this happened to you?

 

[Evo]

Turbo, have you grown cilantro before? I've tried it and it bolts at the slightest warming! Has this happened to you?

Apparently cilantro bolts very easily.

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/herbs/msg0711370130137.html?10=

Geeze, small bunches of basil were on sale for $3.50 at the store, each of my plants cost me about 3 cents if I count seed, soil and fertilizer, I reused pots from plants I bought.

 

[turbo]

Turbo, have you grown cilantro before? I've tried it and it bolts at the slightest warming! Has this happened to you?

We grow cilantro every year. Yes, it bolts, but like many herbs and vegetable, we do multiple plantings. That's my plan with the dill, too because I need to have flowering dill when it's time to make chili relishes and pickles.

 

[turbo]

The garden is all planted, and I am one massive itch due to the black flies. They are terrible this year. They probably survived in greater numbers due to the heavy insulating snow cover and the heavy spring run-off. They breed in running water, not stagnant water like mosquitoes. I've got a lot of mosquito bites, too, but the black flies are the bad guys.

Yesterday we transplanted 3 kinds of chilies and a row of bell peppers and two full 35' long rows of tomatoes, and today I hoed up the remaining rows for sowing beans, beets, 2 varieties of carrots, 2 varieties of Swiss chard, buttercup squash, pickling cucumbers, zucchini, and two mixed rows full of parsley, basil, cilantro, mixed salad greens, etc. This year, the radishes are planted between pepper transplants, and we plan to plant dill between the tomato plants. We've got cherry tomatoes in containers on the back deck, as well as more basil, cilantro, parsley, and other herbs, and lots more herbs in a little herb garden that I built up against the foundation of the south side of the house a couple of years back.

BTW, if anybody gets the urge to try New Zealand "spinach" because of its resistance to bolting, don't bother. It tastes pretty crappy. Instead, install plastic fencing for your squash and cucumbers to climb on, and plant real spinach on the shaded side. Spinach grows well that way and is less likely to bolt. The shade provided by the big squash and cucumber leaves protects the spinach from the worst heat of the day.

 

[Evo]

turbo, post pictures so we can watch the progress!

Here is my little patio "garden". To the front right are squash, left and down are jalepenos, behind them are tomatoes, to the left of the tomatoes are eggplant, and behind them are cucumbers.

Got my Stella D'Oro lily yesterday. Oh, and of course, the Fruit Bat.

 

[Astronuc]

Nice patio garden, Evo. You'll need to stake the tomatos, egg plant and cucumbers soon. We use strips of spent fabric softener to tie up tomatoes and climbing vines. The cukes and squash grow on the ground. We put down weed blocker which is a kind of geotextile and the plants can grow on that instead of the soil.

 

[lisab]

Nice pics, Evo - I like how your dog found some reason to wander into the picure! My dogs do the same thing!

 

[~christina~]

I'm just wondering if it's safe to eat the vegetables using that normal fertilizer that I see that you are using. Wouldn't it get into the vegetables.

 

[Evo]

I'm just wondering if it's safe to eat the vegetables using that normal fertilizer that I see that you are using. Wouldn't it get into the vegetables.

Are you talking to me? I use vegetable fertilizer.