What Are Some Tips for Successful Gardening?

In summary, we put in a huge garden and had a green thumb from the get-go. We still have a garden, although it's a little smaller now. We mainly grow vegetables, fruits, and flowers. I've been a pretty avid gardener at times but not for eating, just for looking.
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My garlic is up, poking through the oat-straw mulch. Looking pretty good.
 
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I have decided not to attempt a vegetable garden this year, it's cheaper to just buy them and at least I'll have some, what few grew last year were eaten by squirrels.

So, this year I am doing flowers. I just received my dwarf ever blooming day lilies today. I will have to keep the pots covered with metal grates until I get the plants going or the squirrels will dig up the bulbs and destroy them.
 
  • #3,258
Evo said:
It's a fungus called peach leaf curl, my peach tree had it too. Unfortunately you can only treat it at the end of the growing season. My tree did fine the following year.

http://www.umass.edu/fruitadvisor/factsheets/leaf_curl_sheet.htm

http://farmerfredrant.blogspot.com/2011/04/peach-leaf-curl.html

My peach tree still has leaf curl :frown: Are there any fungicides effective? The only fungicide I've been able to find in the gardening center is one that treats mildew.
 
  • #3,259
Monique said:
My peach tree still has leaf curl :frown: Are there any fungicides effective? The only fungicide I've been able to find in the gardening center is one that treats mildew.
Copper soap is recommended, if you can find it there.

All purpose fungicide controls mildew, blackspot and rust. se on ornamentals, vegetables and fruits. Controls peach leaf curl.
Available in concentrate or ready-use-spray.
Contains Copper Octanoate (copper soap)

http://www.greenhousegardencenter.com/green_garden.html
 
  • #3,260
The peas are in the ground, along with kale, spinach, lettuce, etc. The garlic is coming up nicely through its mulch.
 
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turbo said:
The peas are in the ground, along with kale, spinach, lettuce, etc. The garlic is coming up nicely through its mulch.

I have difficulties with any type of beans, the crows and pigeons find a way to dig them out.
 
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Julio R said:
I have difficulties with any type of beans, the crows and pigeons find a way to dig them out.
Darn them, darn them to heck.
 
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Monique said:
My peach tree still has leaf curl :frown: Are there any fungicides effective? The only fungicide I've been able to find in the gardening center is one that treats mildew.
The leaf curl fungus needs to be treated with fungicides in the winter, as it lives in the bark and is easier to kill then. Once it's in the leaves, it doesn't do any good to spray with a fungicide. You'll need to treat for several winters to completely get rid of it, from my experience.

Edit: Unfortunately the EPA has banned most of the good stuff but I still have some Zineb. Zinc is the secret.
 
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  • #3,264
Alright, I'll have to live with it until winter comes again then.. Maybe I should just get a new tree.

Today I'll be planting seeds for a whole list of plants: green and gold zucchini, bell pepper, cucumber, cherry tomato, flesh tomato, balcony tomato, watermelon, coriander, Eastern papaver and a mixture of cutflowers.

I don't know how I'll fit them all on the terrace, probably I should buy some pots to put the individual plants in. A friend told me not all produce can be grown next to each, is there any truth in that?
 
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Monique said:
... A friend told me not all produce can be grown next to each, is there any truth in that?

That's called intercropping or polyculture. But I wonder if all combinations mentioned here are tested used the scientific method.
 
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  • #3,266
Andre said:
That's called intercropping or polyculture. But I wonder if all combinations mentioned here are tested used the scientific method.
Alright, I'll put the cucumber in separate pots then :smile: I planted seeds last Sunday and the cucumbers are the only ones sprouting at this moment.. hopefully the other seeds will follow soon.
 
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We are having a cool, dry spring. This morning it was 2 C (36 F). I had to water plants yesterday, but hopefully we will get some rain this week.
 
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Remember this post.

It looks like this today, before the sun hits it:

 
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Looks like strawberries even after 60mph winds the day before yesterday.

 
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Very nice grow-bed, dlg. Is the watering on a timer?
 
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My garlic is looking wonderful! By the time the scapes are ready for harvesting, I will pull the garlic and have three nice raised rows to plant short-term vegetables in. Lettuce, chard, kale, spinach... even another crop of peas, perhaps.
 
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turbo said:
Very nice grow-bed, dlg. Is the watering on a timer?
Thanks. No. I just attach a hose when needed. So far this spring, I've watered twice slightly.
 
  • #3,273
The beans I planted have been successful. The flowers and tea are growing, but the tomatoes planted by my dad died, I think pests were the cause. And my compost is almost ready.
 
  • #3,274
This year the only vegetable plant I am growing is the eggplant Evo child bought me for mother's day. It's doing better than any other eggplant I've had in years. It already has 5 babies.

The first is my eggplant to produce in years.

The second is borek and marzena, they are everbloomimg perrenial rosey rumors day lillies. They will be gorgeous, and are currently under the anti-squirrel dome. they will be gorgeous when they begin blooming.

The third is Monique. A pink bronze leaf Whopper begonia, and it's just a baby.
 

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Evo said:
The third is Monique. A pink bronze leaf Whopper begonia, and it's just a baby.
:!) you didn't name it after me, did you?

All my plants are still babies, I gave two zucchini plants (yellow and green) to my mother along with a cucumber, bell pepper, watermelon, cilantro, and two different tomato plants. Hopefully they don't overgrow their garden :biggrin:
 
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Monique said:
:!) you didn't name it after me, did you?
Yes, it made me think of you.
 
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I just bought a Presto "Kitchen Kettle" for finish up my morels but after seeing your nice eggplant, I'm going to the greenhouse tomorrow; deep fried eggplants...yum.

I've grow them before; even the white ones, which do just a well.

post_1492152_1250713124_med.jpg
 
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I've started my collection of orchids. I admit I'm a little obsessed with them. :-p

Here are a few that I have.

IMG_2230_zps2876d31c.jpg

A sunset colored phalaenopsis. I found that it was a bit waterlogged and sick when I purchased it.

IMG_2231_zps81843271.jpg

A miltoniopsis orchid also known as a pansy orchid.

IMG_2235_zpse777a673.jpg

Another phalaenopsis which only has two flowers left at the moment.
 
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Evo said:
I have decided not to attempt a vegetable garden this year, it's cheaper to just buy them and at least I'll have some, what few grew last year were eaten by squirrels.

So, this year I am doing flowers. I just received my dwarf ever blooming day lilies today. I will have to keep the pots covered with metal grates until I get the plants going or the squirrels will dig up the bulbs and destroy them.

A side comment regarding squirrels eating plant bulbs: You can try growing daffodil bulbs around the lilly bulbs or anything else you would like to grow since they are toxic and squirrels avoid them or so I've heard. One of my previous instructors mentioned that she had a problem with tulips being eaten and found this was a good solution.
 
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~christina~ said:
I've started my collection of orchids. I admit I'm a little obsessed with them. :-p

Here are a few that I have.

IMG_2230_zps2876d31c.jpg

A sunset colored phalaenopsis. I found that it was a bit waterlogged and sick when I purchased it.

IMG_2231_zps81843271.jpg

A miltoniopsis orchid also known as a pansy orchid.

IMG_2235_zpse777a673.jpg

Another phalaenopsis which only has two flowers left at the moment.
Wow, those are gorgeous!
 
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My zucchini plants have started producing flowering buds, but the plants are still relatively small with 4 adult leaves. Should I remove the flower buds so they will invest more energy in growing leaves, or can I leave them on without too much harm?

Amazing orchids christina!
 
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Monique said:
My zucchini plants have started producing flowering buds, but the plants are still relatively small with 4 adult leaves. Should I remove the flower buds so they will invest more energy in growing leaves, or can I leave them on without too much harm?

Amazing orchids christina!
The first blooms are male and will fall off without producing. Sounds like your plants are raring to go, just let them go through their normal process.
 
  • #3,283
Ok I will, and today there are 6 leaves so they're growing well. The cucumbers and cilantro are doing well too, but all the other plants (tomato, paprika, watermelon) are still at the seedling stage, they're really slow to develop.
 
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Monique said:
Ok I will, and today there are 6 leaves so they're growing well. The cucumbers and cilantro are doing well too, but all the other plants (tomato, paprika, watermelon) are still at the seedling stage, they're really slow to develop.

Sometimes a bit of cold weather will make seedlings appear to stall in their development.
 
  • #3,285
In my island we have so many natural gardens to which we don't even have to water.Watering comes naturally from rain.I am so happy that I have natural gardens.I enjoy them a lot.:smile:
 
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adjacent said:
In my island we have so many natural gardens to which we don't even have to water.Watering comes naturally from rain.I am so happy that I have natural gardens.I enjoy them a lot.:smile:

Sounds like you live in a paradise :cool:.

Gardening where I live is similar: the battle is getting things *not* to grow.
 
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lisab said:
Gardening where I live is similar: the battle is getting things *not* to grow.

Mold & moss?
 
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lisab said:
Sometimes a bit of cold weather will make seedlings appear to stall in their development.

The seeds were all planted at the same time indoors, but some were slow to develop into seedlings and the last few weeks indeed there has been little sun and cool temperatures that might have stalled them further. I didn't dare to put them outside yet, last week there was still night frost (it's been the coldest May in over 50 years).

I've planted two extra watermelon seeds, I really want some for summer. My boyfriend's mom will give me some squash seeds, so I'll give that a try as well :)
 
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Monique said:
The seeds were all planted at the same time indoors, but some were slow to develop into seedlings and the last few weeks indeed there has been little sun and cool temperatures that might have stalled them further. I didn't dare to put them outside yet, last week there was still night frost (it's been the coldest May in over 50 years).

I've planted two extra watermelon seeds, I really want some for summer. My boyfriend's mom will give me some squash seeds, so I'll give that a try as well :)
All of those plants that are slow need a lot of sun and warmth, so being inside due to cold weather might be holding them back, but you're right, they shouldn't be outside in that weather.
 
  • #3,290
When it is cold outside keeping plants inside can actually speed up their growth. But if weather at Monique's place was not much different from what we had here, I am not surprised plants were slow. Past years my peppers were at least twice larger.
 

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