What Are Some Tips for Successful Gardening?

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Gardening is a cherished activity for many participants, with roots tracing back to childhood experiences and family traditions. Organic gardening methods are favored, emphasizing the use of natural techniques over chemicals. Current gardening efforts include cultivating perennials like blueberries and raspberries, alongside plans for vegetable and herb gardens. Participants express a desire for more space to garden, reflecting on the challenges of apartment living and the joy of nurturing plants. The discussion highlights cultural differences in gardening practices, particularly contrasting American and Spanish lifestyles regarding home and garden ownership.
  • #2,701
dlgoff said:
I just watched the forecast for my area (DirecTV by area code) and they are saying a 40% chance of thunderstorms late tonight but I don't see any hail in the forecast. To me, it looks like the heavier storms may be southeast of you. Anyway thanks for your hope.

Have you moved that pepper plant outdoors yet? You might want to make sure it's protected just in case.
I just checked and they've removed the "large damaging hail" from the forecast.

Everything is outside, but on a covered patio.
 
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  • #2,702
Evo said:
Everything is outside, but on a covered patio.

Now would be a good time to get some tomatoes going. A couple 5 gallon buckets with them should give a fairly good yield.

I talked to this guy that takes 5 gallon buckets, cuts a bottom hole (~2" diam), fills them with potting soil, sticks a tomato plant in the bottom and hangs it up for a upside down tomato planter. Might work; if you have a place to hang it.
 
  • #2,703
Funny story based on Evo's post https://www.physicsforums.com/showpost.php?p=3019742&postcount=2602", a co-worker and I were discussing getting vegetable plants to pollenate indoors with access to natural insects, wind, and I mentioed Evo's post about vibrating the plant to get the blossoms pollinated, and I remembered Evo's post, well, three female co-workers were close by overheard the conversation and jumped in, it sort of went something like this, "You mean she used a vibrator to fertilize the plants ??!", immediately followed by cruder remarks that included taping a vibrator to a vegetable plant, from there, increased nervous laughter. They claim that I made the whole episode up, that was until I sent them the post listed above. They read it, and I haven't heard any snickering or crude comments since. I just thought I would mention it because I was trying to be helpful at getting indoor plants to produce fruit/peppers/etc... Goes to show that no good deed goes unpunished.

Rhody... :redface:

P.S. Hot Peppers are doing good indoors, ready to plant them outside with the ornamental's after Memorial Day. BTW. Astronuc, have you started and had any luck with your seeds ? Same question for Evo, any of the chocolate ghost seeds survive ?
 
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  • #2,704
rhody said:
They claim that I made the whole episode up, that was until I sent them the post listed above. They read it, and I haven't heard any snickering or crude comments since.

You're the man rhody. Thanks for protecting our integrity here. Or should I say Evos integrity. :cool:
 
  • #2,705
I wish there were some PF'ers within striking distance. My wife and I have transplanted an entire flat of habaneros into our garden, and I have another entire flat left. My neighbor surprised me by starting them in his big greenhouse, and he planted WAY too many. A 35' row of those little monsters is more than I'll need if we have a good year, even if I make all kinds of salsas and relishes. My neighbor and my brother have sworn off habanero relish after having problems due to over-indulgence, so I'm my best (only) customer.
 
  • #2,706
turbo-1 said:
I wish there were some PF'ers within striking distance. My wife and I have transplanted an entire flat of habaneros into our garden, and I have another entire flat left. My neighbor surprised me by starting them in his big greenhouse, and he planted WAY too many. A 35' row of those little monsters is more than I'll need if we have a good year, even if I make all kinds of salsas and relishes. My neighbor and my brother have sworn off habanero relish after having problems due to over-indulgence, so I'm my best (only) customer.

Very nice neighbor to give you these. Didn't you say you had to restart your seedlings?

A 35' row is a lot. What spacing distance did you use? Maybe bunch them up a little and plant the other flats worth between the others. Then worry about what you're going to do with all the extra fruit later.
 
  • #2,707
dlgoff said:
Very nice neighbor to give you these. Didn't you say you had to restart your seedlings?

A 35' row is a lot. What spacing distance did you use? Maybe bunch them up a little and plant the other flats worth between the others. Then worry about what you're going to do with all the extra fruit later.
No worries. I tilled up a new garden spot with my tractor for our new neighbors yesterday, and after the cute little lady spent hours and hours pulling out the clods and roots today, I went back up and tilled that whole spot twice more. They say that they love hot food, and they will plant all of the habaneros. We'll see how tough they are. Red Savinas are pretty snarly. I gave them a couple of 6-packs of Mariana tomato plants, too. Those are Italian-style sauce tomatoes that yield very well, so they ought to be able to whip up some decent hot sauces...
 
  • #2,708
I was a bad girl this weekend! I made boys and girls have sex together. :shock:

I had been at my mom's house, and noticed her rosemary absolutely COVERED with honey bees. So when I got home, I wandered around the yard. My rosemary had nothing. And all the other varieties of flowers only had one, MAYBE two bumble bees. I also had noticed that my tomatoes were not producing fruit, even though they had been flowering for a few weeks. (although some days were so cold and wet I left them inside, so I halfway expected that) So I went out and hand pollinated my tomatoes, and my kiwis.

The lack of bees in my neighborhood is a little disturbing. :eek: I think I will hand pollinate again tonight.
 
  • #2,709
Ms Music said:
The lack of bees in my neighborhood is a little disturbing. :eek: I think I will hand pollinate again tonight.
We have had a severe shortage of honeybees for the last few years. I try to provide nesting opportunities for bumblebees and solitary mason bees, and keep the hummingbirds happy with lots of flowers and bee-balm, but I really miss the honeybees.
 
  • #2,710
Incidentely, http://gardening.wsu.edu/library/vege016/vege016.htm but they are sensitive for cold weather

But it's an issue for other crop for sure.
 
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  • #2,711
I have been wondering if I am down wind of someone that uses heavy pesticides? My mom lives right on Puget Sound, so she is upwind of all the pesticides. I am only a couple of miles inland of her. But the difference was terrible!

Thanks Andre, I love the WSU site, but rumor has been going around that they are axing the program due to budget cuts. :cry: I just hope they leave the website!

3 years ago I brought a cherry tomato to work as an experiment. I tested nothing, shaking, and "pollinating", which actually consists of just lightly brushing the flower end with a small piece of tissue, not using a paint brush like normal. So I am not truly hand pollinating, but I found that method gave me the most fruit. And it is only a tiny bit more labor intensive than shaking.

But definitely the kiwi, I used a male flower to pollinate the females by squishing them together. I hope it is sufficient? I have had such terrible luck with males dying over the years, that having one live through winter AND flower? I want to eat kiwi! I haven't had fruit in about 5 years.

On another note, was it Evo that brought the jalapeno inside in winter? I went out, bought myself a gorgeous pot, and planted a jalapeno. This winter, I will bring it to work with me. (my office window faces south) Thank you for the idea, and I hope I have as much luck as you have had!
 
  • #2,712
Ms Music said:
I have been wondering if I am down wind of someone that uses heavy pesticides? My mom lives right on Puget Sound, so she is upwind of all the pesticides. I am only a couple of miles inland of her. But the difference was terrible!

Thanks Andre, I love the WSU site, but rumor has been going around that they are axing the program due to budget cuts. :cry: I just hope they leave the website!

3 years ago I brought a cherry tomato to work as an experiment. I tested nothing, shaking, and "pollinating", which actually consists of just lightly brushing the flower end with a small piece of tissue, not using a paint brush like normal. So I am not truly hand pollinating, but I found that method gave me the most fruit. And it is only a tiny bit more labor intensive than shaking.

But definitely the kiwi, I used a male flower to pollinate the females by squishing them together. I hope it is sufficient? I have had such terrible luck with males dying over the years, that having one live through winter AND flower? I want to eat kiwi! I haven't had fruit in about 5 years.

On another note, was it Evo that brought the jalapeno inside in winter? I went out, bought myself a gorgeous pot, and planted a jalapeno. This winter, I will bring it to work with me. (my office window faces south) Thank you for the idea, and I hope I have as much luck as you have had!
Yes, I had huge success with my jalapenos and tomatoes through the winter, and a once or twice daily thumping of the branches to simulate natural movement that pollinates peppers and tomatoes has worked better for me.
 
  • #2,713
Ms Music said:
On another note, was it Evo that brought the jalapeno inside in winter? I went out, bought myself a gorgeous pot, and planted a jalapeno. This winter, I will bring it to work with me. (my office window faces south) Thank you for the idea, and I hope I have as much luck as you have had!

Ms Music,

I have been growing bhut jolokia (hottest in the world) pepper plants now for three years, and last year was the first time I was successful at getting some incredibly hot peppers. During this journey, I bought a good pepper book, did some homework, and discovered that most pepper plants can survive from year to year and am told my variety can live up to 10 years, and have last years plants (trimmed back) and are now coming alive again after keeping them indoors all winter, you need to keep them watered, and can trim them back if you want.

The reason I tried this is because they are slow growing and susceptible to fungus, rot, and a host of other things. So far I have been able to keep my three plants going from last season and hope to get more peppers this year. Best of luck with trying to get more than one crop of peppers from your plants. If you try this method, please report back with any tips and tricks, they would be most appreciated.

Rhody... :smile:

P.S. These things like warm sun and soil temps around 80 - 85 F as ideal growing conditions with dry soil on top, not an easy thing to achieve without artificial intervention.
 
  • #2,714
I have been growing habaneros indoors for years. I started doing it when I lived in an apartment, and didn't have a garden. I found some cheap self-watering pots at walmart, and used them. They seem to work like a charm. I would put them on the balcony through the summer, and bring them in on stormy nights and during the winter.
 
  • #2,715
Test.
 
  • #2,716
I think our garden survived the heavy rain, hail, etc OK. I'm glad that I hilled up the rows well. I talked our new neighbors into hilling up the rows in the garden-spot that I tilled for them, and I checked their plants again today, and they seem fine. They have lots of ground-water, with water seeping out of the side of their lawn and running down the road, so aggressive hilling and good drainage are essential, especially when we have heavy rains.
 
  • #2,717
Glad to hear your garden is surviving. I've lost two Brussels sprouts due to drowning.
 
  • #2,718
dlgoff said:
Glad to hear your garden is surviving. I've lost two Brussels sprouts due to drowning.

That is a horrible loss! May the Brussels sprout gods smile down upon your remaining plants and bless them with bountiful, sweet goodness...

I love my Brussels sprouts so much, I even clean the leaves off the plants. My brother thought I was a freak, but now even HE realizes they take 2 seconds to stir fry, and they taste just as good (or even better) as the sprouts! Last year I got them all to myself. THIS spring we actually fought over the leaves.

(I wish my slugs would drown... )
 
  • #2,719
rhody said:
P.S. These things like warm sun and soil temps around 80 - 85 F as ideal growing conditions with dry soil on top, not an easy thing to achieve without artificial intervention.

Especially around my neck of the woods! I will have to keep that in mind. Maybe the pot should be kept here for the moment... It looks good for the moment, but now I fear fungus... Too much rain...

Thanks, everyone, for the tips! I will keep you all posted.
 
  • #2,720
Ms Music said:
I love my Brussels sprouts so much, I even clean the leaves off the plants. My brother thought I was a freak, but now even HE realizes they take 2 seconds to stir fry, and they taste just as good (or even better) as the sprouts! Last year I got them all to myself. THIS spring we actually fought over the leaves.

I never knew you could eat the leaves! Learn something every day.

I did a little googling and came up with this :smile: :

http://culiblog.org/2006/01/brussels-pearls-neither-bitter-nor-farty/"
 
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  • #2,721
I seem to be getting quite a bountiful of flowers, both indoors and outdoors.

Our roses are, how shall I say it, coming up roses! They were planted last year, and this year, they seem to be coming up like gangbusters. There are also more buds that will open up later, but it is anything close to this, it will be extremely lovely.

img1538v.jpg


Indoors, the orchids are going mad! MAD! All of my orchids are flowering right now, and the amount of flowers are the largest that I've ever had. Each orchids are coming up with several flowering stems, which doesn't happen very often.

The first picture here is one of the old-timers - Purple. She has been flowering consistently over the past 6 to 7 years. This year, she has outdone herself. This is the second flowering spurt she has had within the last 12 months.
[PLAIN]http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/5866/img1555am.jpg

Freckles is also a long-timer. She had a few rough spots here and then, but this year, she also outdid herself, coming up with not one, not two, but THREE flowering stems!
[URL]http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/4085/img1550qo.jpg[/URL]

[PLAIN]http://img822.imageshack.us/img822/9519/img1547a.jpg

This last one is a new coming. Several months ago, a friend gave me a small orchid plant. It came in one of those Styrofoam coffee cup, and it had only 2 leaves. I took it home, transplanted it to a pot, and took care of it, not knowing at all what it would look like. When it certainly came out in full style now. With three flowering stems, the plant is spectacular. The flowers are small, and purplish. I call this plant Little One. But there's nothing little about the visual impact of this orchid.
[URL]http://img543.imageshack.us/img543/3746/img1541v.jpg[/URL]

[URL]http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/5483/img1539pd.jpg[/URL]

With the lilies and other flowers also about to bloom, it is flowering all over!

Zz.
 
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  • #2,722
Beautiful flowers, Zz. You obviously have the magic touch!


Around our area, we are having cool weather - unusual for June. It was about 60 F this morning, and yesterday it was around 66F in the afternoon. Three and four days ago, it was 100 F in our backyard in the afternoon. A cool front moved in, and high winds came with it. On Friday we have some severe thunderstorms roll across our area. Trees were damaged, as were power lines.
 
  • #2,723
Nice plants, Zz, Freckles, Little One, never thought to name mine. I see your logic, it fits, freckles can be used to differentiate from Daughter of Freckles, Loss of Freckles, Where are my Freckles, etc... lol.

Going to put my struggling Ghost peppers in box next to windows on garage, I will post pics, if and when they start to flower.

Rhody...:blushing: :-p
 
  • #2,724
rhody said:
Nice plants, Zz, Freckles, Little One, never thought to name mine. I see your logic, it fits, freckles can be used to differentiate from Daughter of Freckles, Loss of Freckles, Where are my Freckles, etc... lol.

Giving them names make them easier to refer to, like anything else. :)

Unfortunately, I don't think they'll be "daughter of freckles" unless it starts growing off-shoots.

Zz.
 
  • #2,725
Absolutely awesome Zz! I used to be a member of the American Rose Society, so let me know if you have any rose questions. At one time I had over 80 bushes in raised beds with walkways between them.
 
  • #2,726
Evo said:
Absolutely awesome Zz! I used to be a member of the American Rose Society, so let me know if you have any rose questions. At one time I had over 80 bushes in raised beds with walkways between them.

Just curious. Was this in Texas?
 
  • #2,727
dlgoff said:
Just curious. Was this in Texas?
Yes, I also belonged to the Houston Rose Society and the Gladiolus society.

I have pictures stored in the garage, I want to get them scanned. I'll upload them.
 
  • #2,728
Evo said:
Yes, I also belonged to the Houston Rose Society and the Gladiolus society.

I have pictures stored in the garage, I want to get them scanned. I'll upload them.

Very cool. I'd love to see the pictures if you have the time to scan them.
 
  • #2,729
Anyone know what these are? Are they edible?

mushroomsz.jpg
 
  • #2,730
Evo said:
Anyone know what these are? Are they edible?

mushroomsz.jpg
The morphology of mushrooms is subject to lots of variation, and there are regional variations that most of us can't address. You'd be well-advised to ignore any identifications that you get on-line. Some mushrooms are very nasty. The father of a friend got really sick after eating mushrooms that he had picked, then seemed to get better. That's when he ended up in intensive care, fighting for his life. He never completely recovered from that.
 
  • #2,731
  • #2,732
Ms Music said:
I had mushrooms like that here at work. It either came from contaminated Miracle Grow potting soil, or contaminated seed (none of my pots at home had the mushrooms, but they were outside).

Don't eat them.

http://www.mushroomexpert.com/leucocoprinus_birnbaumii.html
That's it! You are awesome!

The potting soil has been the same for the last three years. I recently brought the plants outside, and they must have gotten hit by a spore release because three pots sitting next to each othr got them at the same time.
 
  • #2,733
Turbo,

From the link:
There is no getting rid of it, short of replacing all the soil in your planter (and even then it might reappear).

So are you going to replace the dirt ? Second, do you treat where the dirt came from with bleach before you do ? I used to get these in mulch near my bushes, don't use mulch anymore, I just weed it every once in awhile.

Rhody...
 
  • #2,734
rhody said:
Turbo,

From the link:So are you going to replace the dirt ? Second, do you treat where the dirt came from with bleach before you do ? I used to get these in mulch near my bushes, don't use mulch anymore, I just weed it every once in awhile.

Rhody...
All of my dirt is native to this place, along with sand (drainage) and organics ( composted manure). This garden-spot was clay, rocks, and crap-dirt that the previous owner flogged with Miracle-Gro to try to get any vegetables.
 
  • #2,735
The shrooms are very cute. I would possibly have even left them, but I was growing arugula, basil, thyme, and oregano last year. Poisonous mushrooms can just stay OUT of my food! I plucked them and tossed them out the window. I wonder if they will grow outside now? Next question, where did that dirt go... I hope they don't show up at home...
 
  • #2,736
rhody said:
Turbo,

From the link:


So are you going to replace the dirt ? Second, do you treat where the dirt came from with bleach before you do ? I used to get these in mulch near my bushes, don't use mulch anymore, I just weed it every once in awhile.

Rhody...
It wasn't turbo, it was me. I'm leaving them as the article suggests.
 
  • #2,737
Evo said:
It wasn't turbo, it was me. I'm leaving them as the article suggests.

Leucocoprinus birnbaumii won't hurt you, unless you eat it. It won't hurt your plant. It won't hurt your pets or your children, unless they eat it. There is no getting rid of it, short of replacing all the soil in your planter (and even then it might reappear). Since it makes such a beautiful addition to your household flora, I recommend learning to love it--and teaching your children to love it, too :blushing:.

Evo, yeah I missed that part, loving and leaving, hey isn't there a song to those lyrics ? hehe...

Rhody... o:)
 
  • #2,738
RHODY! The ghost pepper is up!

The others aren't up yet, I might plant more seeds.

I AM SO EXCITED!
 
  • #2,739
Evo said:
RHODY! The ghost pepper is up!

The others aren't up yet, I might plant more seeds.

I AM SO EXCITED!

Grow, Casper, grow!
 
  • #2,740
Evo said:
This is the creek at the bottom of the ravine in my backyard.

017ykp.jpg
Nice! :approve:
 
  • #2,741
The tiny ghost pepper is up on an altar. It is surrounded by candles.

There will be an all night candlelight vigil for it.
 
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  • #2,742
Yesterday I cut four cauliflower heads; two big ones and two huge ones. They weighed 7 lb. I'm enjoying some made with four cheese as I type.
 
  • #2,743
Evo said:
The tiny ghost pepper is up on an alter. It is surrounded by candles.

There will be an all night candlelight vigil for it.

I hope...the candles...aren't too...erm...close :redface:
 
  • #2,744
Evo said:
This is the creek at the bottom of the ravine in my backyard...
Today the fruitbat and I sat on the edge of the ravine looking down, listening to the gentle babble of the water around the rocks and contemplating our place in the universe. The fruitbat was wearing his hartz reflective collar.
It's a great shot... but I want a picture of the fruitbat... It's been a long time since I've seen his cute face on PF!

Poisoned shrooms... lit candles. Get that picture up for me soon before your next accident.
 
  • #2,745
physics girl phd said:
Poisoned shrooms... lit candles.

...ghost peppers and hailstones poking holes in windows. Why does it make me to think about Esme Weatherwax?
 
  • #2,746
Potatoes are up! I just cut some that had sprouted and buried them, so I don't know how big they will get. Peppers have blossoms, so do the tomatoes. Many herbs overwintered, all the makings of a great summer garden!
 
  • #2,747
I have at least one pepper that is already size of my small finger. No idea how large it should get, as its a variety I never heard of, I got seeds as a free sample together with Peter Pepper seeds.

Which are underperforming, but perhaps that's the way they are.
 
  • #2,748
My ghost pepper, thanks to Rhody! Yes, I used a jiffy 7 pellet, I love those things. I planted the ornamental peppers in regular light potting soil suitable fo seedlings, and nothing yet. :(

ghostpepperchocolate.jpg
 
  • #2,749
We planted some pickling cucs, sweet peppers, habaneros, serranos, and chili peppers. A mess of tomatoes as well and some rhubarb in another spot to grow.

May throw some radishes or onions bulbs in the spare space.
 
  • #2,750
The blueberry bushes are doing well, as are the raspberries. The grapes look good, too, but I'm almost certain of another Japanese beetle infestation this year, and they ruin grapes.

Edit: My organic-gardening neighbor and I applied milky spore to our lawns to kill Japanese beetle grubs, but that treatment is quite expensive and our neighbors are not really motivated to apply the stuff to their lawns, so they breed all the Japanese beetles that we can stand. :mad:

Today I picked up a brimming truck-load of pine shavings from a neighbor who has been planing wood like crazy, and we'll mulch the berry-bushes with that. Actually, I have much more than a truck-load because I loaded the shavings into very large paper leaf-bags, and packed them into the bed, so the shavings in the bags are at least a foot or more above the edge of the bed. The old lady that delivers the papers stopped raising chickens and doesn't stop by for shavings for bedding, so my neighbor asked us to take away all the shavings that we wanted.
 
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