What Are Some Tips for Successful Gardening?

[lisab]

So if it isn't for the gin, is it so that you can yell Monty Python quotes at it?

(Of COURSE the bush brought forth juniper berries, its a JUNIPER BUSH!)

Or do you think it is just a nice shrub? ;)

I just like their texture...kind of pokey and sharp, and the colors can be beautiful. I'd say a juniper is a very nice shrub, indeed .

Why do such nice-looking, well-behaved plants get no respect from the gardening establishment ?

 

[Evo]

I just like their texture...kind of pokey and sharp, and the colors can be beautiful. I'd say a juniper is a very nice shrub, indeed .

Why do such nice-looking, well-behaved plants get no respect from the gardening establishment ?

At one of my homes I added lovely variegated prostrate junipers as a landscaping accent in my large beds. I may have pictures stored away somewhere. The only thing I miss about owning a home is the landscaping.



http://www.magnoliagardensnursery.com/productdescrip/Juniper_VarProstrata.html

 

[lisab]

At one of my homes I added lovely variegated prostrate junipers as a landscaping accent in my large beds. I may have pictures stored away somewhere. The only thing I miss about owning a home is the landscaping.



http://www.magnoliagardensnursery.com/productdescrip/Juniper_VarProstrata.html

Although I feel weird about plants with "prostrate" in the name, I do like that one.

 

[turbo]

Although I feel weird about plants with "prostrate" in the name, I do like that one.

Around here, we call the wild varieties "ground hemlock" because they really hug the ground and spread out. They are great cover for partridges (ruffed grouse) in the winter, at least until the snow crusts over.

 

[turbo]

My garden is doing terribly, with all the rain and humidity. Late blight has hit my tomato plants and is decimating them. A similar disease is badly damaging my cucumber plants, meaning that my pickling season will be slim-to-none. We escaped late blight last year, though my neighbors garden was badly damaged. There's nothing to do except harvest as many tomatoes as possible and sauce them, then pull up the diseased plants and burn them, to minimize the chances of reinfection.

 

[Evo]

My garden is doing terribly, with all the rain and humidity. Late blight has hit my tomato plants and is decimating them. A similar disease is badly damaging my cucumber plants, meaning that my pickling season will be slim-to-none. We escaped late blight last year, though my neighbors garden was badly damaged. There's nothing to do except harvest as many tomatoes as possible and sauce them, then pull up the diseased plants and burn them, to minimize the chances of reinfection.

Oh no, did you get enough tomatoes earlier to can sauces and salsas?

 

[turbo]

Oh no, did you get enough tomatoes earlier to can sauces and salsas?

We have had a few batches of fresh (raw) salsa, and I am doing my best to sauce the rest. I won't get gallons of marinara, like last year, but we'll get by. It's just sad to have to resort to store-bought stuff over the winter instead of produce from our garden. It's not a matter of cost, but of quality.

 

[That Neuron]

I'm a Newbie here but just thought I should drop by and say "Hi" as gardening is one of my passions... bit abnormal considering my age Hahaha... My "Garden" if you could call it that (more just hundreds of pots of assorted sizes containing various plants I have found interesting) Is doing quite well, I am from sydney Australia, and we are just entering spring, thus a lot of the seeds and tubers (as well as dormant trees) I planted in middle-late winter are finally peeping through, I am trying to select my apples (all grown from seed) to see which saplings can survive our summers here... those are the ones I will rootstock!

Wondering as well if any of you guys have had any luck at root-stocking a tree on the main stem... and having the rootstock create some lateral branches?

Ouch Turbo... Same thing happened to my bananas... but instead of sauce, I made banana bread!

 

[Evo]

Gardens are usually their own reward with the healthy workout they provide, you don't notice how much of a workout you get when you're doing something you enjoy.

Of course when you see those first blooms, then the first set fruit, not to mention the excitement of finding full grown vehetables to pick.

I was a really weird child, my mother would take me to visit the elderly couple that had a small farm at least once a week during the summer, and when Pa Tingle would take me out into the fields, and I'd move leaves back and find a squash, you'd think I'd just found a ticket to Disneyland!

 

[Astronuc]

My two habanero plants just started producing fruit in the last couple of weeks. Now that the season is more or less over - we're having cool days and nights - I don't see that many will ripen. This time about 4 years ago, I had a couple of hundred peppers on one plant.

 

[Ms Music]

Look at my gigantic fig! This may not be impressive in hotter areas of the world, but this IS Seattle, where figs don't grow well due to lack of long hot summers. We also had the coldest summer in about 50 years. So I am impressed.

It tasted absolutely fantastic.

 

[Evo]

Look at my gigantic fig! This may not be impressive in hotter areas of the world, but this IS Seattle, where figs don't grow well due to lack of long hot summers. We also had the coldest summer in about 50 years. So I am impressed.

It tasted absolutely fantastic.

Those are awesome! I grew up in Houston, TX, and we had a large fig tree in our backyard. I miss fresh figs so much! All you can get here are dried or old, moldy, shriveled "fresh" ones that cost a fortune and have no taste.

 

[Ms Music]

Ew. Anyone that sells figs like that should be shot on site!

Well, at least reprimanded...

I didn't know what a fresh fig was most of my life. I thought they were nasty, vile dried things in fig Newtons. About 5 or so years ago, my brother got a huge crop and shared some. Not long after that I bought my own tree. They must have splits in them, and/or have honey dripping from the flower. Then you had better have a bigger stick than me, because guaranteed I will be fighting you off. I don't share much when they are this good! (and so few)

 

[turbo]

I've never had real fresh tree-ripened figs. Judging from the difference between fresh tree-ripened peaches and store-bought peaches, I expect that I would love fresh figs. I managed to get a couple of tiny plums off one of my 2-year-old trees on the weekend, and they were incredible. Very sweet and rich, with just a touch of tartness. I want more!

 

[Astronuc]

Look at my gigantic fig! This may not be impressive in hotter areas of the world, but this IS Seattle, where figs don't grow well due to lack of long hot summers. We also had the coldest summer in about 50 years. So I am impressed.

It tasted absolutely fantastic.

Impressive! I've seen figs on trees, but not 3 inches diameter - not even in Houston.

 

[Ms Music]

Impressive! I've seen figs on trees, but not 3 inches diameter - not even in Houston.

*puffs up with pride* Thanks! I really should have placed that one on the gram scale.

Turbo, if you can grow any varieties in your area, you really should get one. They are HEAVEN. I would say even MORE of a difference between peaches and plums. An improperly picked fig will taste like dirt. They absolutely MUST be picked with either cracks or honey dripping, and can not be shipped or they would be a puddle of goo. If you look at the picture, you can see the cracks in both figs.

Which reminds me, I need to run past my rental house and pick Italian Prunes if they are on.

 

[turbo]

Turbo, if you can grow any varieties in your area, you really should get one. They are HEAVEN.

I don't know anybody who grows figs here. I'll have to look into it. You get nice (though wet) weather moderated by the Pacific. We get relentless (COLD!) arctic highs all winter, and lots of fruit trees will not survive the winters.

 

[flyingpig]

In the 4th grade we planted flowers for assignment. Needless to say, mine died...

Gardens r way to expensive for me

 

[Ms Music]

I don't know anybody who grows figs here. I'll have to look into it. You get nice (though wet) weather moderated by the Pacific. We get relentless (COLD!) arctic highs all winter, and lots of fruit trees will not survive the winters.

If there aren't any varieties that are cold hardy to your area, figs actually are quite happy in a pot as they are very slow growers. My fig tree is still in a pot, it was just pruned last year for the 1st time. Those two figs actually came from my brother's tree, no one knows what variety it is, but it doesn't produce well here. He has hundreds of figs, but only about 5 that have ripened. I have a Desert King, it had maybe 12 figs, there is one left that will probably be ready tomorrow, and 3 teeny ones that may not ripen. When mine gets as big as his, I will be drowning in figs. Our dad gave him the fig that he has, and my dad passed away nearly 19 years ago.

So if you have a sheltered area that a pot could winter, select something that likes your summer heat and go for it.

 

[Evo]

My ghost pepper from Rhody.

 

[Evo]

The weather has turned cold, so the plants are coming into Evo child's old bedroom. Taken this morning, very cloudy. If it was sunny, you would be blinded by the light, windows to the left are south, windows to the front are west. I'm really sad to be moving because my new old place has only a few windows facing west. Not good for wintering sun loving plants.

 

[rhody]

My ghost pepper from Rhody.

Very nice Evo,

From the looks of it I would guess you are about a month away from getting buds, flowers, then peppers. Your challenge as I see it will be to bring IT indoors, put them on a heat mat to keep the roots nice and warm, and then make sure they get full sun whenever possible, and if needed supplement with a grow light. Once you see flower buds give them a shot of miracle grow plant food. I wouldn't be surprised to see peppers around the beginning of November, continuing to Thanksgiving. You will get hotter peppers if you let them wilt a bit before watering and bring them back. I did this at least six times and it seems that the capsaicin is more potent this year. Once the peppers are gone, trim the stems back like a rose bush and keep indoors for the winter, you may get more leaves but that is no big deal, just keep the roots healthy like I did and you will get peppers again next year. I lost so many plants compared to you, you are careful and obviously have a green thumb. If the leaves get fungus or turn yellow, strip them and new ones will grow back like mine did.

Rhody...

 

[Astronuc]

We have frost warnings in our area - in the middle of September! Lows at night in the mid-30's and highs in the mid-60's already.

Growing season is more or less over.

 

[Hepth]

yeah it got really cold here in detroit, my tomato plants have about 25 green tomatoes on them, had to bring them all inside today, they may never ripen... the plants were starting to really wilt with the cold and too much rain.
My poblanos are doing fine, jalepenos are wilting, green peppers are fine, and cherry tomatoes have only 4 fruit...

 

[Evo]

This season has been another dud. We had a late cold spring, cool summer that turned into an inferno, first it's too cold for the plants then it's too hot for the plants and then BOOM, cold weather, season over.

 

[Hepth]

Im almost willing to go buy some (or 1) HPS lights for them. I think one 200W would be fine, I only have a bout 7 plants and they get decent window sun. But does a $50 kit justify some really cheap veggies... Its a tough call, I just want them to succeed!

 

[Evo]

Im almost willing to go buy some (or 1) HPS lights for them. I think one 200W would be fine, I only have a bout 7 plants and they get decent window sun. But does a $50 kit justify some really cheap veggies... Its a tough call, I just want them to succeed!

If they live throught the winter, you will get a headstart on next year's crop and won't have to get new plants.

 

[dlgoff]

This season has been another dud. We had a late cold spring, cool summer that turned into an inferno, first it's too cold for the plants then it's too hot for the plants and then BOOM, cold weather, season over.

This reminds me of the time when a late spring frost was forecast and my peach trees were in full bloom. Since I really wanted to do something to save the blooms, I bought a bunch of these, put 200 watt heat lamps in them, and clamped them to the trees so the heat went up through the blooms. It was a hard freeze, but it worked.

Now I use a couple to light and heat Rogers coop.

 

[Astronuc]

This reminds me of the time when a late spring frost was forecast and my peach trees were in full bloom. Since I really wanted to do something to save the blooms, I bought a bunch of these, put 200 watt heat lamps in them, and clamped them to the trees so the heat went up through the blooms. It was a hard freeze, but it worked.

Now I use a couple to light and heat Rogers coop.

I've done something similar with plastic sheets and a 100W lightbulb for tomato plants, or just plastic by itself, to prolong the growing season for a couple of weeks.

 

[turbo]

We had a frost last night, but not hard enough to kill the garden. Yet.

 

[OmCheeto]

This season has been another dud. We had a late cold spring, cool summer that turned into an inferno, first it's too cold for the plants then it's too hot for the plants and then BOOM, cold weather, season over.

Nooooo!

We had a great, albeit late starting, season out here. My Cherokee Purples are the largest tomatoes I have ever grown(4" across!)

But it started raining two days ago, and I'm afraid they will never turn purple.

btw, does anyone else cut up water noodles to make armrests for their tomatoes? I think these girls may need bra's or something.

 

[Evo]

Nooooo!

We had a great, albeit late starting, season out here. My Cherokee Purples are the largest tomatoes I have ever grown(4" across!)

But it started raining two days ago, and I'm afraid they will never turn purple.

btw, does anyone else cut up water noodles to make armrests for their tomatoes? I think these girls may need bra's or something.

Very clever. I have made slings for tomato vines by cutting up and tying together plastic grocery bags, then attaching them to wood poles.

 

[Borek]

I have plenty of peppers (that is, for a few pots). But it is getting cold and I am afraid my peter peppers won't get red, they are green so far; only one looks like ripening. And we had a frost tonight as well, luckily peppers look OK.

 

[Evo]

I'm wondering if this early onset of wintery weather means we are in store for a very cold winter?

 

[Borek]

Frost in September here is not that rare.