Rac80
The Belle of the Ball
you want to make a house call? we have dandelions growing in our garden.
not even begun transplanting yet. 
Grow your own food/ home, yard and garden DIY stuff/fixing your own home issues
- Thread starter YJ02
- Start date
you want to make a house call? we have dandelions growing in our garden.
not even begun transplanting yet. 
shavedape
Well Known GateFan
you want to make a house call? we have dandelions growing in our garden.
We don't have dandelions growing yet. Oddly enough the grass is growing quite well despite being covered in snow after the weird snow storms we got last week.
Anybody growing romaine lettuce? I need some tips.
YJ02
Well Known GateFan
that is usually what we grow along with red leaf
i know you have diff considerations in your environment, but for us, it is just put the seeds under about 1 1/2 ' of soil, water regularly until they sprout then once a day after
we use soil; that we "made"-that is composted leaf and grass clippings along with just a little chicken manure (that is aged)
you may want to try adding a fertilizer (or chicken manure if you can get some--make sure it is like 6 mo's old) that has a good nitrogen content
N is great for green growth and seeing how you do not want your lettuce to flower and grow seeds, it is the fertilizer you want for it
YJ02
Well Known GateFan
so far so good!!!
finger crossed and an eye to the long range weather forecast
if all holds,we should have a good yr for pears, plums,peaches and apples!
a lot of blooms on all of those trees right now and not a cold night in the forecast
if it goes good, this will be the first yr we will have all trees and bush fruits producing
--------------
got my "hardy kiwi" plants planted too!
built a simple arbor for them--a necessity that needs to be pretty large if you want the vines to grow properly--last year and got the plants in today
if all goes well, we will have some nice kiwi berries in about 4-5 yrs
also found some cold hardy Passion fruit seeds. grew a large vine last yr, just waiting to see just how "cold hardy" they actually were. seeing if it come back to life this yr! will be nice to have fresh passion fruit too
planted a couple of good sized,started thornless blackberry plants today too. have them mixed in with some 'cultivated' wild blacks berries and wild black raspberries
our goal is to have nothing less then a fruit and veg section on the vine/tree/bush in our yard in the next 5 yrs!!!
finger crossed and an eye to the long range weather forecast
if all holds,we should have a good yr for pears, plums,peaches and apples!
a lot of blooms on all of those trees right now and not a cold night in the forecast
if it goes good, this will be the first yr we will have all trees and bush fruits producing
--------------
got my "hardy kiwi" plants planted too!
built a simple arbor for them--a necessity that needs to be pretty large if you want the vines to grow properly--last year and got the plants in today
if all goes well, we will have some nice kiwi berries in about 4-5 yrs
also found some cold hardy Passion fruit seeds. grew a large vine last yr, just waiting to see just how "cold hardy" they actually were. seeing if it come back to life this yr! will be nice to have fresh passion fruit too
planted a couple of good sized,started thornless blackberry plants today too. have them mixed in with some 'cultivated' wild blacks berries and wild black raspberries
our goal is to have nothing less then a fruit and veg section on the vine/tree/bush in our yard in the next 5 yrs!!!
shavedape
Well Known GateFan
Picked up a couple cherry tomato plants today but they are sitting on my kitchen windowsill. It's still too cold to put stuff outside here. Seriously, I've got the heat on that's how cold it is. It's times like these that I wish I was living in Arizona.
At any rate, this year I'm going to add calcium along with epsom salts to the tomato soil to prevent blossom end rot. Lost a fair amount of toms last year but couldn't figure out why. By the time I did the research it was too late. This time I plan to be better prepared.
At any rate, this year I'm going to add calcium along with epsom salts to the tomato soil to prevent blossom end rot. Lost a fair amount of toms last year but couldn't figure out why. By the time I did the research it was too late. This time I plan to be better prepared.
Wait, I went to water my romaine lettuce plant, and there are APHIDS on it? I pulled some mint from outside and thoroughly rinsed them before planting, and there must have been an aphid or two on the sprig because the mint plant had a hundred or so of them. I noticed that some of the aphids had wings on them and were on the window. Oh well, I dumped both plants and sprayed my other houseplants just in case. I am glad it was not yet ready for harvest. I will have to think of a more isolated way to grow indoors if I still have to concern myself with aphids. They can come through window screens? Wow.
BTW, it was grown from a storebought stalk of romaine and not from seeds (which I have for romaine). I wonder now if I should start on the seeds?
YJ02
Well Known GateFan
Wait, I went to water my romaine lettuce plant, and there are APHIDS on it? I pulled some mint from outside and thoroughly rinsed them before planting, and there must have been an aphid or two on the sprig because the mint plant had a hundred or so of them. I noticed that some of the aphids had wings on them and were on the window. Oh well, I dumped both plants and sprayed my other houseplants just in case. I am glad it was not yet ready for harvest. I will have to think of a more isolated way to grow indoors if I still have to concern myself with aphids. They can come through window screens? Wow.
BTW, it was grown from a storebought stalk of romaine and not from seeds (which I have for romaine). I wonder now if I should start on the seeds?
i wouldn't be shocked if there was aphid larvae on the store bought lettuce!!
and i don't care what store it was--in fact, the closer to the farm and the more organic/naturally grown, the better chance there would be for that
the food distro system doesn't concern itself with harmless things like larvae or micro bugs --they know the product will in all likelihood be bought or thrown away before the things hatch
they could have also came in on your clothes or shoes as well
YJ02
Well Known GateFan
YJ02
Well Known GateFan
placed an order to GARDENS ALIVE tonight for 5 million nematodes
first yr we will have tried this; they dwell in the soil and eat all manner of grubs-particularly jap beatle grubs, flea larvae, cutworm grubs, army ant larvae and so many more
will be getting some lacewings later as well; tried praying mantis last yr and the buggers won't stay put though
first yr we will have tried this; they dwell in the soil and eat all manner of grubs-particularly jap beatle grubs, flea larvae, cutworm grubs, army ant larvae and so many more
will be getting some lacewings later as well; tried praying mantis last yr and the buggers won't stay put though
shavedape
Well Known GateFan
Years ago I got a catalog in the mail that listed stuff like "Lady Bugs" to put in your garden. I thought it was really cool but then couldn't find the company now that the years have gone by. They probably went out of business. At any rate, I think it's cool to be able to order beneficial insects and stuff for the garden. (Funny thing is no one believes me when I tell them that there was a company that actually sold insects for the garden.)
Those are sold in Home Depot, Lowes and Orchard here in California, live.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/LADIES-IN-RED-1-2-Pint-of-Live-Ladybugs-121/100655858
YJ02
Well Known GateFan
here is the place we have been using the past few yrs
they don't have praying mantis' though --and frankly, those bastards are hard to hatch and keep in the area
http://www.gardensalive.com/category/beneficial-insects
a PM site:
http://www.prayingmantisshop.com/
Home Depot here carries those too, in egg cases (there are more than 100 per egg case) Birds will eat lots of the nymphs, but more than a few will establish. Squirrels will eat them too.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/LADIES-I...ontrol-of-Yard-and-Garden-Pests-242/100655857
shavedape
Well Known GateFan
Growing a pair of cherry tomato plants that I got like a month ago on a blustery cold day. They are finally taking off now. This time I added tomato fertilizer, epsom salt and I also crushed a Caltrate pill for each container. Last year I got some blossom end rot and lost some tomatoes. Research told me to add calcium to the soil (more than is in the fertilizer) and that would help prevent it. Epsom salt helps too supposedly. At any rate, I hope it works this time. I'll post some pics when I get a chance.
BTW, that's all I'm growing this year so far. I might pick up a basil plant but that will be it. And my faithful chive plant is, well, faithful that I don't even think about it much. I just pull it out of the garage each Spring and set it in the sun and it grows just fine.
BTW, that's all I'm growing this year so far. I might pick up a basil plant but that will be it. And my faithful chive plant is, well, faithful that I don't even think about it much. I just pull it out of the garage each Spring and set it in the sun and it grows just fine.
Bluce Ree
Tech Admin / Council Member
YJ02
Well Known GateFan
adding calcium is good, but you should be prepped with some water based calcium spray once you get fruit-just in case
it seems as if the Blossom End rot can never get hit with too much calcium--its a tough bastard
Epsom salt is mainly magnesium and sulfate and neither are known to stop BER (other then through backyard folklore
) but they are used for tomatoes and other plants because the mag and sulfur helps to grow larger and firmer fruit
YJ02
Well Known GateFan
Now SOME ppl should just stick to buying their food!
of course we are talking hipsters here, the kind of ppl who think their driving one electric car will save the world and that if someone told them eating fried cow dung was healthy,they would do it, so....
(story is from 2013, but the time frame tracks with the 'beginning' of the recent backyard chicken frenzy. A few yrs and most chickens will stop laying eggs. so 2013 - 4 yrs or so= start of backyard chicken frenzy)
http://www.care2.com/causes/hipster-farmers-abandoning-backyard-chickens-by-the-hundreds.html
of course we are talking hipsters here, the kind of ppl who think their driving one electric car will save the world and that if someone told them eating fried cow dung was healthy,they would do it, so....
(story is from 2013, but the time frame tracks with the 'beginning' of the recent backyard chicken frenzy. A few yrs and most chickens will stop laying eggs. so 2013 - 4 yrs or so= start of backyard chicken frenzy)
http://www.care2.com/causes/hipster-farmers-abandoning-backyard-chickens-by-the-hundreds.html
shavedape
Well Known GateFan
so, I just had some leftover, homemade chili that I made for yesterday's lunch
it was good freshmade, but why is it that some things-chili one of them-taste so much better after it has sat in the fridge for a day or two?
mystery of the universe here
Yes, my black bean chili tastes great after it sits in the fridge for a day. Same with lasagna.