What Are Some Tips for Successful Gardening?

[baywax]

I am currently growing peaches, blueberries, raspberries, onions, lettuce, basil, thyme, marjoram.

Anyone else grow onions? This is the first year I have tried onions. How do you know when to pick them?

You have to sacrifice one to generally figure out how the others are doing. You are talking about yellow or white onions, right?

My Fuchsias have started regenerating. As Yoda would say, perennial they must be. I've placed some rotting pears in with the dirt and this they seem to like.

We're not seeing any indication of global warming in the north west. It snowed all Friday night and into Saturday morning. The air feels and smells like Christmas yet the Cherry Blossoms are already starting to let go of their flowers.

 

[rewebster]

It depends on what type of onion---

most of the larger onion varieties are picked (dug) in the fall when the tops start to fade

 

[rewebster]

One thing about the magnolia --its leaves and blossoms make excellent mulch. They mulch quickly too. The blossoms must have some high nutrients in them, in that, one time I gathered them (from the tree I have, the raked up the blossoms weigh about 100-150 lbs), they mulched within about 2 weeks; and, some type of large fly 'hung' around the mulch pile. I noticed toward the end of the mulching process that there were fly maggots in the mulch.

The earthworms like them too. I've got some photos that I took of the earthworms 'progress' with the leaves and blossoms. What got my attention was that I was outside under the tree, and noticed out of the corner of my eye that a blossom petal moved. The wind wasn't blowing, etc. Then, another moved. I went to one, moved the other leaves and petals away, and a huge night crawler zipped back down its hole. The night crawlers were actually getting partially out of their 'hole', grabbing onto the petal, pulling the petal back to the hole to 'chew' on---that this was during the day. I went out one time after it had rained a little, and there were so many night crawlers 'grabbing' petals that it looked like the ground was moving (not like the recent earthquakes). Some had eaten so many of the petals that a pile of 'expelled' 'eaten petals' created a pile of 'dirt' two to three inches high, so it ended up looking like a landscape of small Earth pyramids after mosts of the petals disappeared.

I've used a lot of the dirt from under the magnolia for potting.

 

[larkspur]

You have to sacrifice one to generally figure out how the others are doing. You are talking about yellow or white onions, right?

.

It depends on what type of onion---

most of the larger onion varieties are picked (dug) in the fall when the tops start to fade

These are Vidalia onions.

So I have a long time to wait on these...

 

[Moonbear]

It depends on what type of onion---

most of the larger onion varieties are picked (dug) in the fall when the tops start to fade

Yep, as the tops start yellowing/browning, it's time to pick. Keep in mind that with onions, you need to let them dry after picking before cutting off the tops...this keeps them from rotting/molding/losing all their juice. My grandfather would just line them up on makeshift tables of plywood placed across saw horses in the garage...in the fall, the cool garage is the right temperature for them. A cool basement is a good place too (the advantage of the garage is it's easier to air out to get rid of the onion smell). You DON'T want to leave them outside to get rained on after picking or in big piles (they'll turn out moldy for sure), lay them out in a single layer. When the stem completely dries up, you can cut it off (we always left at least an inch on the top...didn't cut them as close as they do with grocery store onions). If you do it right, they'll keep in a cool, dry location all winter.

 

[larkspur]

Yep, as the tops start yellowing/browning, it's time to pick. Keep in mind that with onions, you need to let them dry after picking before cutting off the tops...this keeps them from rotting/molding/losing all their juice. My grandfather would just line them up on makeshift tables of plywood placed across saw horses in the garage...in the fall, the cool garage is the right temperature for them. A cool basement is a good place too (the advantage of the garage is it's easier to air out to get rid of the onion smell). You DON'T want to leave them outside to get rained on after picking or in big piles (they'll turn out moldy for sure), lay them out in a single layer. When the stem completely dries up, you can cut it off (we always left at least an inch on the top...didn't cut them as close as they do with grocery store onions). If you do it right, they'll keep in a cool, dry location all winter.

Thanks Moonbear! That helps a lot!

 

[rewebster]

tying them in bunches of 5 or so depending on the size, close to the bulb, and hanging them works, too, to dry out the tops and the outer layer (where the air can flow easily around them)----don't them them freeze---some will rot (unavoidable just about)--

 

[larkspur]

tying them in bunches of 5 or so depending on the size, close to the bulb, and hanging them works, too, to dry out the tops and the outer layer (where the air can flow easily around them)----don't them them freeze---some will rot (unavoidable just about)--

Thanks rewebster!

 

[Evo]

Here's a better pictue of eggplant.

 

[Astronuc]

For vegetables, I love eggplant. They are a beautiful plant with nice purple flowers and I love the taste of eggplant. Even if you don't eat eggplant, they are pretty as an ornamental, I started planting them in the flower bed.

Nice plant! That's grown indoors? How many weeks is the plant?

Home grown turnips are nice too, but after that last crop with root maggots. <shudder>

One has to keep the moths (possibly flies, but they're more difficult) away so they don't lay eggs.

 

[baywax]

These are Vidalia onions.

So I have a long time to wait on these...

Should be no skin off your onion.|

 

[turbo]

I have ordered 50# of Vidalia onions through the Rotary Club's charity drive. We'll have to give away a lot of them, because it is highly unlikely that we could keep spring-harvested onions much more than a month or so.

 

[lauraannq]

Hi,
I just read through this thread and I was wondering a few things...

1) I read that catnip oil deters Mosquitos.. can I just plant it? How far from it can I be (as it attacts bees).. anyone know the concentration of the oil ?

2) You guys are awsome gardeners (I am SO envious!).. do any of you grow stuff inside? what does best?
I live in NE US in the woods on a SMALL mt. so summers are short and cool and growing season is short so I would love to extend it (I just grow enough for 2 people)

 

[Ms Music]

I live in NE US in the woods on a SMALL mt. so summers are short and cool and growing season is short so I would love to extend it (I just grow enough for 2 people)

Anything black! Black plastic pots, row covers, old tires, anything to warm the soil up faster. I am moving to a small mountain in the woods in the Pacific Northwest, so I will be doing the same. I hope to have a simple hoop greenhouse there too. I wish I was living on my property all ready, I am afraid food prices are going to go through the roof. Who would have believed that rice would be scarce in the US?

 

[ZapperZ]

2) You guys are awsome gardeners (I am SO envious!).. do any of you grow stuff inside? what does best?

All of the plants that I've mentioned (and the pictures that I've taken) are all plants that I grew indoors. So obviously, I would say orchids (Phalaenopsis variety), amaryllis, and jade plant would be good indoors.

Zz.

 

[NeoDevin]

I'm having some trouble starting peppers from seeds. The seeds germinate fine, and come up as little green plants with two small little leaves on them. The problem is, after this they promptly die. Anyone have any advice on how to stop them from dying off at this stage?

 

[turbo]

Here is a picture of a robin surveying my vegetable garden from a perch atop the mulch covering my German garlic. DON"T eat all the worms, you pig!

 

[rewebster]

I'm having some trouble starting peppers from seeds. The seeds germinate fine, and come up as little green plants with two small little leaves on them. The problem is, after this they promptly die. Anyone have any advice on how to stop them from dying off at this stage?

For me, it's usually caused by the soil becoming dry. Starter beds should be kept moist all the time, and drained. If you've used the right 'starter' bed soil, the water isn't contaminated (do you feel sick?), then the water is the other variable.

You've got them in grow lights (or sun), warm enough, where the cats can't pee on them. right?

 

[undrcvrbro]

My family just built a grape arbor last year. Apparently, if all goes as planned, it should start to really take off soon. It's a full square and should be a good hideaway once it's completely grown in.

 

[Ms Music]

My family just built a grape arbor last year. Apparently, if all goes as planned, it should start to really take off soon. It's a full square and should be a good hideaway once it's completely grown in.

<envy envy envy envy envy>

 

[NeoDevin]

For me, it's usually caused by the soil becoming dry. Starter beds should be kept moist all the time, and drained. If you've used the right 'starter' bed soil, the water isn't contaminated (do you feel sick?), then the water is the other variable.

You've got them in grow lights (or sun), warm enough, where the cats can't pee on them. right?

They are moist all the time, not much drainage though. They are starting in coconut fiber pellets (the kind you add water and they expand, not peat). I don't feel sick, and none of my other plants are dying from the water. They are in one of those little starter trays, with the plastic lid.

 

[B. Elliott]

Here lately I've thought about buying a few plants to add some variety to the back yard, so I took a trip down to the local nursery earlier today to look around. Not surprisingly, I didn't see much that I liked. There was a fern that grabbed my attention (which i'll probably end up going back to get), but 99% of what they had didn't appeal to me, even though there are some that were attractive. I Never had much of a typical-type houseplant taste either. One thing that I've always been fascinated with though, is the extinct trees, conifers, horsetails and scale-type trees. You know, the ones with larges trunks relative to the size of the leaves and branches... typically short in size. I have a fairly large plant fossil collection and I thought it would be awesome to have some modern day like/living species to see and show off.

Are there any odd, ancient looking plants out there that could still be found somewhat easily? Even though most are extinct, here's a few examples...

http://www.edgeofexistence.org/images/fern.jpg
http://universe-review.ca/I10-68-Triassic.jpg
http://www.meridian.net.au/Art/Photography/Nature/Images/nature-prehistoric-tree-small.jpg
http://taggart.glg.msu.edu/isb200/equiset.gif
http://img.tfd.com/wn/01/6BF0B-scale-fern.gif
http://www.devoniantimes.org/who/images/R-fern-composite-2.jpgThere's so much out there that I'm having trouble finding specific ones that I like. There's quite a few ferns I do like, but none that really have the, "what the heck is that?" look to them.

 

[Astronuc]

The growing season is about to begin across eastern New York and adjacent western New England. And its beginning about 2 weeks early in our area, but we are now about 2weeks without rain, although we have a 50% chance of rain tonight. We definitely need rain. We are under a fire watch. Several thousand acres burned in a wild-fire last weekend in a state park. So we've gone from floods to very dry weather in two months.

The National Weather Service in Albany will be issuing freeze
warnings during the growing season when the temperature is
forecast to be 32 degrees or lower...and frost advisories will be
issued when the temperature is forecast to be 33 to 36 degrees.
The growing season for a given area normally starts on the average
date of the last spring freeze for groups of zones...except during
anomalous climate patterns such as this spring...where abnormally
warm temperatures have resulted in bud development on fruit trees
being a week to two weeks ahead of schedule in some areas.

Due to the abnormally warm temperatures this spring...the mid
Hudson Valley...greater Capital District...Lake George-Saratoga
region...Mohawk Valley and southern Litchfield County will have
their growing season start on april 25th. Specifically this
includes NY zones . . . ..And Connecticut zone 13.
In these zones some fruit trees have already reached first bloom
stage.

The growing season in the remainder of eastern new york and
adjacent western new england is not considered to be ahead of
schedule. Therefore...the average date of the last spring freeze
will be used to start the growing season for these groups of
zones. Zones where the average date of the last spring freeze
falls within days 1 to 10 of the month...11 to 20 of the month and
21 to 30 or 31 of the month have been grouped together. The mid
point of each group is used as the starting date for the growing
season.

The eastern catskills...taconics...most of southern vermont...the
berkshires and litchfield hills will have their growing season
start on may 15th.

The southern adirondacks and the higher terrain in the southern
green mountains will have their growing season start on may 25th.

This message is to inform you of when to look for the issuance of
freeze warnings and or frost advisories in your area should
conditions warrant their issuance during the growing season.

In addition...it might be helpful to know when the average date of
the last freezing temperature occurs in your area in eastern new
york or adjacent western new england.

The following is a rough guide only...and may not indicate the
specific date for your location. However...the information could
be very useful if you have made long term temperature comparisons
between any of the locations listed and your specific location.

Based on the most recent 30 year climatological period from 1971
to 2000...the following list gives the average date of the last
occurrence of 32 degrees or lower in the spring for selected
locations in eastern NY and adjacent western NE.

In Connecticut...

Bulls Bridge Dam...May 6.
Falls Village...May 16.
Norfolk...May 9.
Wigwam Reservoir...May 15.

In Massachusetts...

Great Barrington...May 13.

In New York...

Albany Airport...May 2.
Alcove Dam...May 14.
Cairo...May 3.
Conklingville Dam...May 7.
Glens Falls Airport...May 8.
Glens Falls Farm...May 13.
Gloversville..May 8.
Grafton...May 9.
Hudson...May 3.
Indian Lake...June 2.
Little Falls...May 10.
Millbrook...May 12.
Mohonk Lake...April 23.
Old Forge...June 8.
Poughkeepsie Airport...May 2.
Salem...May 15.
Saratoga Springs...May 8.
Slide Mountain...May 19.
Stillwater Reservoir...May 21.
Troy...April 23.
Valatie...May 8.
Whitehall...May 1.

In Vermont...

Ball Mountain Lake...May 27.
Bellows Falls...May 5.
Readsboro...May 14.
Vernon...May 8.

 

[baywax]

Here lately I've thought about buying a few plants to add some variety to the back yard, so I took a trip down to the local nursery earlier today to look around. Not surprisingly, I didn't see much that I liked. There was a fern that grabbed my attention (which i'll probably end up going back to get), but 99% of what they had didn't appeal to me, even though there are some that were attractive. I Never had much of a typical-type houseplant taste either. One thing that I've always been fascinated with though, is the extinct trees, conifers, horsetails and scale-type trees. You know, the ones with larges trunks relative to the size of the leaves and branches... typically short in size. I have a fairly large plant fossil collection and I thought it would be awesome to have some modern day like/living species to see and show off.

Are there any odd, ancient looking plants out there that could still be found somewhat easily? Even though most are extinct, here's a few examples...

http://www.edgeofexistence.org/images/fern.jpg
http://universe-review.ca/I10-68-Triassic.jpg
http://www.meridian.net.au/Art/Photography/Nature/Images/nature-prehistoric-tree-small.jpg
http://taggart.glg.msu.edu/isb200/equiset.gif
http://img.tfd.com/wn/01/6BF0B-scale-fern.gif
http://www.devoniantimes.org/who/images/R-fern-composite-2.jpg


There's so much out there that I'm having trouble finding specific ones that I like. There's quite a few ferns I do like, but none that really have the, "what the heck is that?" look to them.

Like Astronuc says, growth is upon us in the variety of the plant kingdom.

If you want a really cool fern that will add a succulent variety to your dinners, try to get some Fiddlehead Ferns in the ground before they start sprouting.

They're called fiddlehead because of the shoots of the young fern sprouts come out like the end of a violin. If you can pick some you have an incredible edible delight on your hands.

Just take about 10 fiddleheads, heat a skillet, add butter and fiddleheads, fry until slightly browned and steamed... then eat.

This is an old what you call Native American dish that goes even better with Bannock but it should be fine with fish, bread or as a side dish to whatever.

You'll have to plant a lot of the fern mind you and it needs shade and good watering... possibly a lot of conifers around the garden... specifically Cedars for the acid content.

 

[Evo]

Yesterday's high was only in the mid 40's and it froze last night, I had ice on my car this morning. We're having a very cold, wet spring.

Another gripe. I have a little watering can and I wanted to mix up some fertilizer in it. The instructions are to use 1/2 tsp per 2 quarts of water, well my can is 56 ounces, 8 ounces short of two quarts. Would it have killed them to make the can an even 2 quarts?

 

[Astronuc]

Yesterday's high was only in the mid 40's and it froze last night, I had ice on my car this morning. We're having a very cold, wet spring.

I'll trade you dry for wet.

Another gripe. I have a little watering can and I wanted to mix up some fertilizer in it. The instructions are to use 1/2 tsp per 2 quarts of water, well my can is 56 ounces, 8 ounces short of two quarts. Would it have killed them to make the can an even 2 quarts?

That's for indoors? We have a two gallon watering can.

On the other hand, I tend to improvise. Instructions are simply recommendations.

 

[turbo]

On the other hand, I tend to improvise. Instructions are simply recommendations.

It's also a good idea to look at the nutrient requirements for the plants you are feeding. For instance, if you give chili peppers too much nitrogen, they will get bushy and leafy, but will not set on blossoms and fruits as they should, nor will they ripen as quickly. Last year, I had a problem. The previous fall, I had tilled in a whole truck-load of peat into my garden, and last year's chili plants started looking pale and yellowish. There was plenty of nitrogen in the soil, but the peat lowered the pH to the point where nutrient availability was low. A good dose of dolomitic lime fixed that, but it was a close call, and I lost perhaps a couple of weeks of early development in my peppers before I realized what the problem was.

 

[turbo]

I'll trade you dry for wet.

We are in desperate need of rain, too. Leaf mulch, duff, and dead undergrowth are all VERY dry and without some vegetative growth to help stifle a fire, even a carelessly-tossed cigarette could spark a real problem. There is still a lot of snow in the mountains and in the north, so the risk of flooding is still very real, but we sure could use a "little" rain to soak stuff, as long as it is not enough to trigger a rapid melt of the snow-pack.

 

[Astronuc]

I have some 15-30-15 for supplement, and composted material with which to amend to soil.

I need to go till.

 

[Astronuc]

We are in desperate need of rain, too. Leaf mulch, duff, and dead undergrowth are all VERY dry and without some vegetative growth to help stifle a fire, even a carelessly-tossed cigarette could spark a real problem. There is still a lot of snow in the mountains and in the north, so the risk of flooding is still very real, but we sure could use a "little" rain to soak stuff, as long as it is not enough to trigger a rapid melt of the snow-pack.

The big fire we just over the other side of the river was started by someone throwing a cigarette where it shouldn't have been thrown.

Kind of amazes me that some folks seem to feel entitled to throw their garbage onto the public, and even private land. I'm often cleaning up cigarette packs and butts, beer bottles, paper cups, and food wrappers from the front yard.

 

[turbo]

I just got in from the garden. My wife and I split and stacked firewood today and were sitting on the back deck listening to the frogs in pond when I looked down in the garden and noticed that the parsnips were starting to sprout through the mulch. When they sprout, it's high time to dig them up because allowing them to develop leafy tops depletes the sugars in the roots. We are going to have some parsnips with onions in foil envelopes on the grill tonight, along with potatoes and onions in foil, and some grilled hot dogs. It's fun to go down to the garden and harvest food in the spring, before you've even planted much. I have planted spinach already, and may put in the Swiss chard tomorrow or Monday. They are very hardy greens and can tolerate the cold nights.

 

[Astronuc]

I just got in from the garden. My wife and I split and stacked firewood today and were sitting on the back deck listening to the frogs in pond when I looked down in the garden and noticed that the parsnips were starting to sprout through the mulch. When they sprout, it's high time to dig them up because allowing them to develop leafy tops depletes the sugars in the roots. We are going to have some parsnips with onions in foil envelopes on the grill tonight, along with potatoes and onions in foil, and some grilled hot dogs. It's fun to go down to the garden and harvest food in the spring, before you've even planted much. I have planted spinach already, and may put in the Swiss chard tomorrow or Monday. They are very hardy greens and can tolerate the cold nights.

When the heck did you plant those parsnips?

I love parsnip! It's great to roast them carrot and potatoes with with roast beef - or mashed with carrot and buttered.

 

[turbo]

When the heck did you plant those parsnips?

I love parsnip! It's great to roast them carrot and potatoes with with roast beef - or mashed with carrot and buttered.

I planted the parsnips last spring. They do not sweeten (convert their starches to sugars) until they have been hit by really heavy late-fall frosts or have over-wintered under mulch like ours did. They are quite tasty and sweet by this time of year, but in a winter with lots of snow like this one, you have a very narrow harvest window, and we have to resort to spreading them out among parsnip-lovers everywhere.

 

[B. Elliott]

Like Astronuc says, growth is upon us in the variety of the plant kingdom.

If you want a really cool fern that will add a succulent variety to your dinners, try to get some Fiddlehead Ferns in the ground before they start sprouting.

They're called fiddlehead because of the shoots of the young fern sprouts come out like the end of a violin. If you can pick some you have an incredible edible delight on your hands.

Just take about 10 fiddleheads, heat a skillet, add butter and fiddleheads, fry until slightly browned and steamed... then eat.

This is an old what you call Native American dish that goes even better with Bannock but it should be fine with fish, bread or as a side dish to whatever.

You'll have to plant a lot of the fern mind you and it needs shade and good watering... possibly a lot of conifers around the garden... specifically Cedars for the acid content.

Thanks baywax. Fiddleheads are just what I was looking for! The only problem I might run into is that the elevation I live at is ~1,800ft and the winters can sometimes get pretty nasty. I was talking to a neighbor today and they said they tried growing a fern, but the last winter killed it.

Kind of amazes me that some folks seem to feel entitled to throw their garbage onto the public, and even private land. I'm often cleaning up cigarette packs and butts, beer bottles, paper cups, and food wrappers from the front yard.

I know exactly what you mean Astronuc. A few years ago when I lived within the city, I called the local news channel to have their 'on your side' reporters do a report on the trash mailings that people would constantly throw in our yard, and everyone else's in our neighborhood. They would end up blowing away in the wind, become soggy the first time it rained, ect. Calls to the company that solicited them weren't be returned so we figured some good old bad publicity would help. The mailings stopped a week later.

We also had to constantly deal with cigarette packs, beer bottles and fast food bags. People would actually have the nerve to throw the stuff out their windows while we were sitting in our front yard! No respect.

 

[turbo]

Thanks baywax. Fiddleheads are just what I was looking for! The only problem I might run into is that the elevation I live at is ~1,800ft and the winters can sometimes get pretty nasty. I was talking to a neighbor today and they said they tried growing a fern, but the last winter killed it.

Please try growing these, if you want ferns. These fiddlehead ferns are Ostrich Ferns, and they grow quite readily in Maine at 45 deg N latitude, and at relatively high elevations, too, as long as there is sufficient ground-water. Ostrich Ferns thrive on the seasonal vaguaries of flood-plains (inundations, covering with silt, etc) and they can withstand some very dry weather once they are established. My wife and I dug some of these, and planted them along the walk-way to our previous house. They were beautiful, and the soil at that place was sandy-acid with great drainage. Go figure!