What Are Some Tips for Successful Gardening?

[baywax]

I like how the grass looks two or three days after being cut with this mower. The top of each blade of grass is still green. With my old mower (an electric one), the tops would turn brown. The old one tore the grass, I think, while this one trims it.

Wow, that's a great observation. For some reason I oil my push mowers. I remember my dad doing this thing where he oiled every blade then pumped some in some receptacles that lead to the gears chambers on either side of the blades. But, sharpness has to be the ticket to get that nice cut. Nice one!

 

[baywax]

Either I eat it, give it away or throw it away.

Compost!

 

[rewebster]

I have 4 plants and if it's like usual, I will have plenty left over to give away. Seriously, how many bell peppers do you think I can eat? I've also got tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, eggplant, and spring onions. I wish I had room for more, but I have limited space. Still, I will have more than enough.

And I know what I'm doing, I've had very large gardens all of my life and my dad's family are commercial farmers.

My challenge this year is patio gardening.

When I'm back there (in my garden/back yard) when they're ripe, I may eat four or five just while back there. I like green peppers though (cilantro, no, its soap,- If someone wanted me not to eat their food, put cilantro in it.).

 

[Evo]

Compost!

In my apartment?

 

[baywax]

In my apartment?

Sure. It looks like you have a balcony. There are kits you can get that come complete with worms! The turn-over rate is pretty fast. It beats buying fertilizer.

 

[rewebster]

https://www.compostumbler.com/StoreFront/IAFDispatcher

https://www.compostumbler.com/StoreFront/jsp/images/bucket-bpct.jpg

I think they made one even smaller at one time.




https://www.compostumbler.com/StoreFront/jsp/images/bucket-oct.jpg
I've got this one--and everything that they say about these things is true.

"Make compost in 14 days"

 

[baywax]

https://www.compostumbler.com/StoreFront/IAFDispatcher

https://www.compostumbler.com/StoreFront/jsp/images/bucket-bpct.jpg

I think they made one even smaller at one time.

Here are tips for composting in an apartment.

http://www.perc.ca/PEN/1994-07-08/king.html

Here's a photo of an apartment composter

 

[larkspur]

http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/2215/mowerlj3.jpg

This is the 16" I got from Amazon. It was a bit tough to push at first, but it loosened up and now it's a breeze.

I used to have one of those...I gave it to my Mom when I move to a lot on a steep hill. Now I must have a self propelled mower or I pass out.

 

[rewebster]

(hhmmm..I got one in the garage behind some wood)

 

[rewebster]

:!) Wow I've never seen that color!

I have to get this.

here is an amazing supply of just about every variety (at good prices with photos)

http://home.search.ebay.com/iris_Flower-Bulbs-Roots-Corms_W0QQcatrefZC12QQfromZR40QQsacatZ42207

 

[~christina~]

here is an amazing supply of just about every variety (at good prices with photos)

http://home.search.ebay.com/iris_Flower-Bulbs-Roots-Corms_W0QQcatrefZC12QQfromZR40QQsacatZ42207

I think I'm in Iris heaven...
I never thought that there would actually be a Blue Iris that was actually blue. Awsome!


Oh and I forgot to mention that I have a yellow iris plant in my backyard but last year but I split it up and put 3 tubers int the front yard and now they all have bloomed! I'm not sure why the iris' were only having at max, 1-2 stems of flowers.
Now when they are split up, they all have 2 stems of flowers. Is it because they are an old variety of iris? (larger flowers) Someone down the street has a whole bunch of iris' planted in their front yard, maroon, purple and yellow varieties and they have so many flowers each year.

 

[baywax]

I think I'm in Iris heaven...

I think I'm in Iris hell. There really hasn't been any sun for about 6 weeks.

 

[~christina~]

I think I'm in Iris hell. There really hasn't been any sun for about 6 weeks.

I meant that looking at that site was heaven..there was every color under the rainbow on ebay!

But my iris' have bloomed and are looking yucky now...they look disgusting after they bloom, the petals turn soft and ew.

 

[turbo]

We have had so much rain in the last week that I have been taking care of inside chores. Yesterday, it turned off hazy and a bit warmer, so I got out and weeded the vegetable garden in the morning. By afternoon the lawns had dried up enough to mow (though they remained damp). Good thing I tackled that yesterday - it's been raining steadily all day, and we are under threat of showers and thundershowers all through Monday. By the time it dries up around here, the grass will be back up around my ankles - I want some dry weather.

 

[baywax]

We have had so much rain in the last week that I have been taking care of inside chores. Yesterday, it turned off hazy and a bit warmer, so I got out and weeded the vegetable garden in the morning. By afternoon the lawns had dried up enough to mow (though they remained damp). Good thing I tackled that yesterday - it's been raining steadily all day, and we are under threat of showers and thundershowers all through Monday. By the time it dries up around here, the grass will be back up around my ankles - I want some dry weather.

Yeah, I'd like a chance to beat back the mold and fungus once in a while.

 

[turbo]

Yeah, I'd like a chance to beat back the mold and fungus once in a while.

There is a danger that my newly sprouting vegetables will have problems with mold, etc if we don't get some nice dry air and sunshine. They are very tender at this stage.

 

[baywax]

There is a danger that my newly sprouting vegetables will have problems with mold, etc if we don't get some nice dry air and sunshine. They are very tender at this stage.

Have they found the cause of leaf curl in peaches?Probably an insect larvae eh?

 

[turbo]

Have they found the cause of leaf curl in peaches?Probably an insect larvae eh?

If that is the case, you may be able to spray your tree(s) with canola oil (and a little detergent) using a hose fed tree sprayer. The canola suffocates, eggs, larvae, and adult bugs. I don't know if peach trees will tolerate the canola, but my apple trees thrive and produce heavily.

 

[rewebster]

Have they found the cause of leaf curl in peaches?Probably an insect larvae eh?

it's a fungus that survives on the bark during the winter--you have to spray the bark (tree) with a fungicide in the dormant winter to control it--
I missed spraying this year and its on both the nectarine and peach. Some leaves drop (die), others don't. The fungus gets into the mesophyll.

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

--Another thing is buckshot disease (on my too) it creates multiple holes in the leaves---again, it can kill the leaf, but often doesn't. Another bug that likes both is some (thing) that lays another egg, and the larva burrows to the seed and it eats the 'meat' of the seed (inside the pit/seed shell). I try not to spray a whole lot but then I only get fruit off of the nectarine about one in four years (two of those four, the squirrels get them all before they get ripe).

 

[hypatia]

My bell peppers are looking pale and the leafs are curling...HELP S.O.S

 

[rewebster]

My bell peppers are looking pale and the leafs are curling...HELP S.O.S

if they were just planted, they do that sometimes. Too much fertilzer can do it too.

 

[hypatia]

Planted about 10 days ago, no fertilzer at all, just somewhat sandy garden soil. I've never tried to grow peppers here befor.

 

[turbo]

Generally, pale peppers are the result of insufficient Nitrogen uptake. Be careful, because N uptake can be suppressed by low soil pH, and adding N and THEN raising the pH with lime will result in pepper plants that are way too leafy and don't set on enough peppers. For less than $20 at a True-Value hardware or similar, you can get a soil-test kit that tests pH, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium and gives recommended amendment rates for each.

I had balanced the nutrient levels in my garden almost perfectly, only to have my pepper plants appear pale and yellowish last spring. The culprit was the huge truck-load of peat that I tilled into the garden the previous fall to boost the organic content, which lowered the pH and inhibited uptake of Nitrogen. A liberal application of powdered Dolomitic limestone, watering and about a week of fretful waiting resulted in wonderful, healthy, and productive pepper plants. Good luck!

 

[hypatia]

Thanks, I'll check it out. They are flowering, and one had a itty bitty pepper starting, then it fell off. I'll keep you up-dated on my progress.

 

[rewebster]

Thanks, I'll check it out. They are flowering, and one had a itty bitty pepper starting, then it fell off. I'll keep you up-dated on my progress.

mine do that every year---Is your garden area mulched good? (good drainage?)-----Every year I add a little mulch and a little sand (I'll get a few photos up of how I put the sand on)--both help with drainage (I've got raised beds too)

 

[turbo]

mine do that every year---Is your garden area mulched good? (good drainage?)-----Every year I add a little mulch and a little sand (I'll get a few photos up of how I put the sand on)--both help with drainage (I've got raised beds too)

That is critical for peppers and I have extended it to every other type of vegetable in the garden. Everything is in raised rows, so that in case of lots of rain (this week comes to mind) the plants and seeds won't be ruined, and if things get too dry, I can use the hose to water the plants. My sister-in-law is generally successful, but she planted early this year and all the rain and cool temps have caused her seeds to fail to germinate, and she has had to re-plant almost everything. Raised rows that allow better drainage (and results in higher soil temps when the sun shines) would probably have saved her all that trouble.

 

[rewebster]

Generally, pale peppers are the result of insufficient Nitrogen uptake. Be careful, because N uptake can be suppressed by low soil pH, and adding N and THEN raising the pH with lime will result in pepper plants that are way too leafy and don't set on enough peppers. For less than $20 at a True-Value hardware or similar, you can get a soil-test kit that tests pH, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium and gives recommended amendment rates for each.

I had balanced the nutrient levels in my garden almost perfectly, only to have my pepper plants appear pale and yellowish last spring. The culprit was the huge truck-load of peat that I tilled into the garden the previous fall to boost the organic content, which lowered the pH and inhibited uptake of Nitrogen. A liberal application of powdered Dolomitic limestone, watering and about a week of fretful waiting resulted in wonderful, healthy, and productive pepper plants. Good luck!

I put a dusting a plaster of Paris (because I had some) on the garden a couple a times in the early, early spring and rake it in each time. I hadn't ever heard of doing it, but I figured 'try it'--so far so good. Depending on how much I used the free standing fireplace in the garage (I've got one of those "magic heat" heat exchangers on it), I spread the ash on the garden too.


http://www.northerntool.com/images/product/images/17278_lg.gif

http://reviews.northerntool.com/0394/17278/reviews.htm

between this thing and the fan that I point toward the stove, the garage heats up nicely

 

[Evo]

My bell peppers are looking pale and the leafs are curling...HELP S.O.S

No spider mites?

 

[Evo]

Have they found the cause of leaf curl in peaches?Probably an insect larvae eh?

It's a fungus, and it's too late to do anything now, it has to be treated in the fall.

http://www.umass.edu/fruitadvisor/factsheets/leaf_curl_sheet.htm

 

[Evo]

There's a hole in my bucket! There are a few tiny holes in the bottom of my stainless steel watering can. I *love* this watering can. Do you think I can repair it with some of that metal stuff they sell at Home Depot?