The Gardening Thread

[Go aeiou]

Thanks a ton Sir. You just saved me a bunch of $$$ Wife has been on my all winter to build her a raised bed!!

I looked on their website this morning, and the are showing 2x2x8 for $4. Excelent for corner post. 1 will give you 6 16" post. I think lowes also sells 2x2 stakes. I think they are about 18-24".
Your wife might like the wood as it ages to grey. When it rains the red part turns red again. My beds are 10 years old now.

 

[walkenvol]

Is this eastern red cedar (the local tree) or western cedar?

 

[Go aeiou]

Is this eastern red cedar (the local tree) or western cedar?

Eastern red. Its everywhere in middle TN.

 

[JustFunnN'Orange]

I looked on their website this morning, and the are showing 2x2x8 for $4. Excelent for corner post. 1 will give you 6 16" post. I think lowes also sells 2x2 stakes. I think they are about 18-24".
Your wife might like the wood as it ages to grey. When it rains the red part turns red again. My beds are 10 years old now.

Thanks again GO!!!!!!

 

[JustFunnN'Orange]

Is this eastern red cedar (the local tree) or western cedar?

Walken, you won't find Western cedar anywhere near the prices mentioned n TN

 

[walkenvol]

Walken, you won't find Western cedar anywhere near the prices mentioned n TN

Didn’t realize eastern was so available and affordable. Haven’t found it that way in East TN. Recently have been doing a project where I used eastern cedar and I found my own logs and had them sawn. I’ve always found it hard to find cedar logs that aren’t dowdy on the inside for larger logs but got lucky and found a few

 

[Tin Man]

My young plants do not like this bale on wheat straw. Some of their leaves have gone papery white and fallen off. I’ve pulled the straw further away from them. This hasn’t happened to me, before...

 

[walkenvol]

I blow/rake my leaves into the d/w each fall then chop them up good with the mower that has mulching blades. Bag the remains and set aside for next spring and use for top mulch after planting. 2-3 inches deep will last the summer and keep the weeds out and decay into the soil. I either plant a cover crop or fall greens for the winter. Has worked well for me and the clay soil has become rich brown and soft. I don’t have to keep a separate mulch pile that I don’t have a good place to hide so this sort of accomplishes having the garden and mulch pile in the same space

 

[VolNExile]

I blow/rake my leaves into the d/w each fall then chop them up good with the mower that has mulching blades...

The dishwasher??

 

[Go aeiou]

My young plants do not like this bale on wheat straw. Some of their leaves have gone papery white and fallen off. I’ve pulled the straw further away from them. This hasn’t happened to me, before...

My young plants do not like this bale on wheat straw. Some of their leaves have gone papery white and fallen off. I’ve pulled the straw further away from them. This hasn’t happened to me, before...

Too much water, too much fertilizer, powdery mildew?
Typically mulch on about June 1 after the soil has warmed. But I grow primarily tomatoes and peppers.

 

[Tin Man]

Too much water, too much fertilizer, powdery mildew?
Typically mulch on about June 1 after the soil has warmed. But I grow primarily tomatoes and peppers.

If it’s powdery mildew, I think that I can cope with that.

 

[walkenvol]

The dishwasher??

Drive way

 

[Go aeiou]

Drive way

That's good to know. I think "Dear Wife" when I see DW.

 

[VolNExile]

That's good to know. I think "Dear Wife" when I see DW.

That’s an even better mental image than dishwasher!

 

[norrislakevol]

Some nice, big cherry belle radishes and some lush romaine lettuce from the garden. good early harvests!

 

[GVF]

Some nice, big cherry belle radishes and some lush romaine lettuce from the garden. good early harvests!View attachment 367169

Love fresh radishes. And roasted. They are also a quick and easy crop when you need re-assurance you know how to grow things.

 

[Tin Man]

Welp, none of the green beans have sprouted. The seed beans were four years old. Still, I was hoping...

 

[Volunteer_Kirby]

My Kwanso (Double Orange) Daylilies are beginning to bloom. Agapanthus finishing up, Sprekelia starting, Gloriosa lilies and Bletilla (Chinese Ground Orchid) are in swing, Liatris is budded up so should be soon now. My herbaceous salvias from Mexico are beginning to get up to a good size and my greggii (Autumn Sage) relatives have been putting on a nice show. Ive had some luck with multiple Oxalis varieties. Iron Cross, Reverse Iron Cross, standard purple, plus some tuberous cultivars a few Mexican sp ("Palm Tree" Oxalis is really beautiful) and trying a South African sp now. I didn't have great luck with versicolor or adenophylla but likely to try again next fall. Eucomis is looking nice around this time. If yall arent growing Eucomis in East TN you're missing out.

 

[CAVPUT]

TN Dog,
Will you pls go to the long keyboard effort of telling me/us how you made your raised beds. ie the wood you used, thickness, how u attached the corners and any other wisdom you wish to pass along..
I was going to build one out of 6x6 treated (lining the insides of course) but, about fainted when i went to Lowes and saw the price of treated timber in Jan......I hear it's much more now...
Thanks

Great suggestions from dog. In addition to fencing, I recommend a screening material on the bottom to add a barrier to those burrowing pests.

 

[Tin Man]

My dogwood trees got hit by a fungus (started with the dogwoods in the new mega-mansion subdivision behind me - they’ve done nothing). I pruned away the dead branches with my new pole saw attachment, today (some sign of borers in a few of these). I’ll use a hose attachment to spray them with copper fungicide in hopes of saving them.

 

[Go aeiou]

Spots on the leaves. I think there are several fungicides that are used. I had a builder bring in infected trees, and wipe out most of the trees in a significant area. That was 20 years ago. You had to get to it early then.
NCSU has a great ag dept, and my be able to diagnose and recommend specific treatment.
Good luck with it.

 

[GVF]

Welp, none of the green beans have sprouted. The seed beans were four years old. Still, I was hoping...

Mine were from last year. also didn't sprout: Cukes, squash, baby limas, green peas, okra. All over 2 weeks in. Put between wet towels covered with clear wrap for 2 days in sun and re-seeded. fingers crossed. Not sure what was going on other than cool weather even though freeze was passed.

 

[GVF]

can't find dry butter peas either. and only one grocer locally has them frozen. I'm testing whether or not I can get the fresh frozen to germinate.

BTW, best way to keep dry bean seed is in tightly sealed jar in freezer. Will germinate 2-3 years out that way. Might even get lucky on the four. Or vacuum seal even.

 

[Volunteer_Kirby]

My dogwood trees got hit by a fungus (started with the dogwoods in the new mega-mansion subdivision behind me - they’ve done nothing). I pruned away the dead branches with my new pole saw attachment, today (some sign of borers in a few of these). I’ll use a hose attachment to spray them with copper fungicide in hopes of saving them.

I'm unfamiliar with pathogens and pests that affect Dogwoods but usually fungus outbreaks are caused by excess moisture- ie frequent rains in spring. Unless it is something like powdery mildew, it may be hard to control unless caught early. Fungus usually attacks tender new growth so damage may already be done. Continue monitoring and use foliar applications, especially on new growth. Read up on local uni suggestions and mark your calendar for foliar application early next spring. There may be a systemic application that can be used to help but those are usually recommended early spring as trees break dormancy. Good luck.

 

[Volunteer_Kirby]

Sprekelia.