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.
  • #2,671
Evo said:
I can't wait to get eggs!

It will be a pleasure.

Hey. You have a meat man. Now you'll have an egg man. :smile:
 
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  • #2,672
turbo-1 said:
...The quality of the food speaks for itself, though.

I know exactly what you mean. Garden produce, just like home grown eggs; once you tried them, store bought just taste awful.

I've raised gain (corn & milo) feed steers and the cuts of beef can't be compared to anything you can buy.
 
  • #2,673
dlgoff said:
Now you'll have an egg man. :smile:

coocoocachew
 
  • #2,674
hypatia said:
coocoocachew
LOL. Isn't my baby CUUUTE? :!)
 
  • #2,675
hypatia said:
coocoocachew

So glad I'm not the only one who thought that :smile:
 
  • #2,676
I am not the egg-man. A very cute young lady approached me last summer while I was distributing garlic to lady-friends, and told me that I am the garlic-man, though. She is an artist and she supports the local community garden, so I got her started growing hard-neck garlic. She has young kids in the school district and helps tend the community garden located in back of the elementary school, so I'll help her with garlic production as needed. Growing garlic is not a typical avocation for gardeners, here. It's much more typical for people to fall back to growing stuff that their grandparents grew, like varieties of pole beans or strains of red potatoes, for instance.
 
  • #2,677
Out of 10 Peter Pepper seeds put into soil over two weeks ago, only one germinated so far
 
  • #2,678
Our lettuce and arugula has sprouted but the dill hasn't made an appearance yet. I'm looking forward to lots of lettuce this summer.
 
  • #2,679
Here is a branch on one of the jalapeno plants that I brought inside during the winter. It's blooming and setting peppers like crazy.

074ll.jpg
 
  • #2,680
Evo said:
Here is a branch on one of the jalapeno plants that I brought inside during the winter. It's blooming and setting peppers like crazy.

074ll.jpg

Excellent. It's starting to get warm and sunny enough that you will be able to get it back outside. What a great head start.

I know a couple that has a pepper plant they've been bringing in every winter for many years. They had to transplant it in a half barrel sized planter. I'm kidding you not. The "trunk" was ~4" in diameter and had bark on it like a tree.

I just got back from buying my green house cold crops. So I'm hoping that we don't get a lot of hot/above average days. I going to wait until late afternoon to put them in the ground so today's sun doesn't shock them. I bought 1/2 dozen of each; Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts.
 
  • #2,681
I would love to have enough sunlight in this cabin to bring in some prized peppers, but I have neither the space for large containers, nor enough light to keep the plants alive. After my father-in-law lost one leg to gangrene (complication of diabetes) and was still gravely ill, he started raising chili peppers in a galvanized wash-tub in a sunny window. They were very snarly little peppers!

He picked up a taste for very hot peppers during WWII, as a liaison between the military and governments in Indo-China, working with insurgent groups in Japanese-occupied territories and helping arrange the construction of air-fields/refueling stops. The poor guy suffered long-term effects of malaria and other tropical diseases all the rest of his life, which certainly didn't make his battle with diabetes any easier.
 
  • #2,682
4/10 germinated. Still not as expected, but better than two days ago. Peter Pepper seems to be a slow starter - all other peppers germinated much earlier.
 
  • #2,683
Borek said:
4/10 germinated. Still not as expected, but better than two days ago. Peter Pepper seems to be a slow starter - all other peppers germinated much earlier.
Hopefully you can pick a peck. :devil:
 
  • #2,684
dlgoff said:
I just got back from buying my green house cold crops. So I'm hoping that we don't get a lot of hot/above average days. I going to wait until late afternoon to put them in the ground so today's sun doesn't shock them. I bought 1/2 dozen of each; Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts.

We are having some cool damp weather right now and my cold crops are loving it. It's 43 deg F.
 
  • #2,685
dlgoff said:
Excellent. It's starting to get warm and sunny enough that you will be able to get it back outside. What a great head start.

I know a couple that has a pepper plant they've been bringing in every winter for many years. They had to transplant it in a half barrel sized planter. I'm kidding you not. The "trunk" was ~4" in diameter and had bark on it like a tree.

I just got back from buying my green house cold crops. So I'm hoping that we don't get a lot of hot/above average days. I going to wait until late afternoon to put them in the ground so today's sun doesn't shock them. I bought 1/2 dozen of each; Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts.
I have never heard of a pepper plant lasting many years. Any chance you could get a picture?! A 4-inch dia. trunk is impressive!
 
  • #2,686
Astronuc said:
I have never heard of a pepper plant lasting many years. Any chance you could get a picture?! A 4-inch dia. trunk is impressive!

It impressed me too. Especially the bark. I'll try to get over to their house and get a picture (I'll need to borrow my daughters camera).

In the winter, it didn't seem to be getting that much light, however it was in a south facing window. They gave me a sample of the fruit (in the summer they move it outdoors) and I didn't think it tasted all that good.
 
  • #2,687
dlgoff said:
It impressed me too. Especially the bark. I'll try to get over to their house and get a picture (I'll need to borrow my daughters camera).

In the winter, it didn't seem to be getting that much light, however it was in a south facing window. They gave me a sample of the fruit (in the summer they move it outdoors) and I didn't think it tasted all that good.

Astro, dlgoff,

I have a chili book that claims with proper care, the plants can live ten years or more, however, when dlgoff claims that the pepper plant is in a barrel and is 4 inches in diameter, that may be true, but at that size they have to be more than ten years old, however, I am only guessing. I posted a picture of bansi pepper plant from my pepper book awhile ago in this thead, I just dug the book out again, and here are three other pics adjacent to it, see thumbnails... Compared to these pictures, the trunk must be twice as big as the pic on the right, it will be interesting to see them in comparison.

I just moved four more plants from starter seed cups to a small pot, keeping the roots warm and watering sparingly from the bottom with warm water. My other three ghost pepper plants (started late January) are looking real healthy and getting big, hope to see them produce good pepper stock this year. I am thinking about bringing some to a local bagel shop, have them chop them (with rubber gloves on) real fine and bake into bagels, they may not be able to sniff the vapors while they cook, right now it is just a pie in the sky idea, but whole knows they could catch on. Time will tell.

Rhody... :devil:
 

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  • #2,688
dlgoff said:
I attached somed pictures in the "PF Random Thoughts" thread.
This is was April 3rd...
...Home grown eggs have thicker shells and can last for months refrigerated and when I collect them, they get washed and go directly in the refrigerator.

Ah say boy, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTwnwbG9YLE"... So we have another backyard chicken enthusiast.. Good to hear it. You mention red pullets (in the other post).. Are you referring to Rhody Reds?

I'm a member of a local chicken co-op, we have 7 families all pitching in, we take care of 22 laying hens.. and have Rhodys (brown eggs) Leghorns (white eggs) & Ameraucanas (blue-green eggs).. These were born last April. And yep I can attest, the eggs do have thicker shells, especially with all the calcium we give them. But I wouldn't want to keep eggs around for months (refrigerated or otherwise).. The "http://www.fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/Does_Washing_Food_Promote_Food_Safety/index.asp" " (natural coating) on freshly laid eggs, act as an antibiotic, keeping bacteria from penetrating the shell.. Washing fresh eggs removes this bloom. I don't wash my eggs til using them. Only when giving them to friends & family will I go the extra step and wash any soil or poop off.

These friendly critters often undertake this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJ9wlI4GXck" chook is quite a show stopper.

To keep this in the realm of gardening.. Chickens will eat bugs that are garden pests. They are a great source of natural fertilizer and will even trim your lawn :wink:
 
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  • #2,689
rhody said:
Astro, dlgoff,

I have a chili book that claims with proper care, the plants can live ten years or more, however, when dlgoff claims that the pepper plant is in a barrel and is 4 inches in diameter, that may be true, but at that size they have to be more than ten years old, however, I am only guessing. I posted a picture of bansi pepper plant from my pepper book awhile ago in this thead, I just dug the book out again, and here are three other pics adjacent to it, see thumbnails... Compared to these pictures, the trunk must be twice as big as the pic on the right, it will be interesting to see them in comparison.

The middle and right picture are similar to the plant that these folks have. Thanks for posting them.

They told me once what type it was, but I've forgotten now. The fruit had a sort of purple hue.
 
  • #2,690
Ouabache said:
Ah say boy, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTwnwbG9YLE"... So we have another backyard chicken enthusiast.. Good to hear it. You mention red pullets (in the other post).. Are you referring to Rhody Reds?

You know, I'm not sure. I bought them from the Tractor Supply Company and they were just call red pullets. I'm assuming they are Rhody Reds. Anyway, they said "I hope you like brown eggs"; which I do. :smile:
 
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  • #2,691
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  • #2,692
I hobbled out to the garden to check the garlic, and the shoots are poking through the heavy straw mulch. We have some unseasonably cold weather in the forecast, so I can't pull back the straw to give the garlic a chance to get up to the light. Garlic is very cold-hardy, but I don't want to find out what a hard freeze could do to the plants.
 
  • #2,693
Take it easy on the ankle turbo. You have plenty of good weather coming.
 
  • #2,694
dlgoff said:
Take it easy on the ankle turbo. You have plenty of good weather coming.
Yes, I'm pushing it and I shouldn't. Then later today my wife volunteered me to take the tractor to a neighbor's house and pull some diseased evergreens bordering their driveway. Unfortunately, neither the owner or her son knew anything about how to rig a chain, so I had to get off the tractor, hobble out to the bucket and show him how TWICE. I'm pretty sore now and the swelling has gotten worse. Time to lay low for a few days.

My wife thought it would be a nice gesture because running the tractor isn't too tough on the ankle, and there would be a male there to handle the rigging. Unfortunately, he was absolutely clueless, so I had to rig the chain myself the first couple of times so I wouldn't have to raise the loader bucket excessively (unsafe condition under heavy loads). My wife is used to rural Maine guys who know how to run and maintain heavy equipment, run chain saws, etc. Instead, I got teamed up with a life-long city boy. Live and learn.
 
  • #2,695
dlgoff said:
You know, I'm not sure. I bought them from the Tractor Supply Company and they were just call red pullets. I'm assuming they are Rhody Reds. Anyway, they said "I hope you like brown eggs"; which I do.
I think you will like the Rhody's. They are more a consistent egg-layer and also friendly
chickens. They don't mind if you pick them up and hold them.. Here’s a http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpZyDSnZ6VM" they are. You get to hear their funny cackling sounds in this clip.. I wonder what kind of coop are you going to build for them? Don't forget to protect them from wild predators (short list: fox, coon, possums, fisher-cats, owls, skunks & notagoshawks )

rhody said:
Ohh, the shame, imagine, poor Rhody now being reduced to nothing more than a brown egg laying machine...
I should have thought of this possibility before choosing my name over two years ago. Face-palm...
Hey, now we've given you some new ideas, in case you'd like to change your avitar :smile:
 
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  • #2,696
Ouabache said:
I think you will like the Rhody's. They are more a consistent egg-layer and also friendly
chickens. They don't mind if you pick them up and hold them.
...

I wonder what kind of coop are you going to build for them? Don't forget to protect them from wild predators (short list: fox, coon, possums, fisher-cats, owls, skunks & notagoshawks )

I've raised red chickens for several years; it's just been a while.

I have a wood constructed building with steel barn roofing. The inside is floored with nesting boxes.

I do have to rebuild the outside pin so that they will be safe from predators when they go out during the day. But for now, they can just stay inside until I get around to buying some rolls of chicken wire.
 
  • #2,697
dlgoff said:
I just got back from buying my green house cold crops. So I'm hoping that we don't get a lot of hot/above average days. I going to wait until late afternoon to put them in the ground so today's sun doesn't shock them. I bought 1/2 dozen of each; Broccoli, Cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts.

dlgoff said:
We are having some cool damp weather right now and my cold crops are loving it. It's 43 deg F.

The cold crops are doing really well. I can see some really good stir fry dishes coming this summer.

Today I finally got around to put out some tomato plants. It was a perfect day with high humidity, cloudy to prevent sun shock, and a little rain coming later tonight. It's been a long time since there's been a good tomato season here. But I'm thinking this year is the year for a bumper crop. Bacon and tomato sandwiches, here we come. :smile:
 
  • #2,698
I have flowers on one of my tomatoes! So hopefully I will be getting better weather this year, and gorging on bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches (or just tomato sandwich). Yummmm!

Cold crops are almost done, everything is going to seed. We just stir fried all the leaves and flower heads (like broccoli flowerettes) from the brussel sprouts. The only thing left now is kale and collard greens. And they will be gleaned here shortly. *sigh* Must get garden planted SOON! Must not resort to nasty grocery store food...

Also, must look into growing a pepper at work next winter. *lightbulb moment*
 
  • #2,699
dlgoff said:
The cold crops are doing really well. I can see some really good stir fry dishes coming this summer.

Today I finally got around to put out some tomato plants. It was a perfect day with high humidity, cloudy to prevent sun shock, and a little rain coming later tonight. It's been a long time since there's been a good tomato season here. But I'm thinking this year is the year for a bumper crop. Bacon and tomato sandwiches, here we come. :smile:
:eek: The weather channel is calling for large damaging hail tonight. I hope you are spared.
 
  • #2,700
Evo said:
:eek: The weather channel is calling for large damaging hail tonight. I hope you are spared.
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.
 

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