The Gardening Thread

#601
#601
GVF said:
I ain't forgot about you Exie. Will be mailing you some bean seeds soon. I still have text with address.

Interesting possibility for the future though...My step-son just changed jobs from one seed company to another and they will be relocating to Tampa area. New company is wanting to expand it's base, and he has already been talking to them about our green beans and texted me to see if I have a picture of them. Funny thing is, I've been meaning to talk to him about same thing. So, who knows? Maybe they get a jar to taste test, and a few seeds to grow out, etc., etc. All with a pre-signed agreeemnt of course. If things pan out, our beans may be available on the market to buy seed and grow for all.
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Wouldn’t that be amazing?!
 
#602
#602
Garlic update: the vast majority of the cloves have sprouted due to the warm weather we’ve been having here in ET. I’ve read that’s okay because the sprouted stalks will draw more energy/food to the plant, they will die off in the cold months, and then new stalks will emerge in the spring. Hopefully so!
 
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#603
#603
VolNExile said:
Wouldn’t that be amazing?!
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Prolly gonna be a bout a 30K deal, but they will trial it in several grow zones before they ink a check. Bout a 2 year wait for payout. Either Johnny's Seeds or Clifton. My step son has in-roads to both and he's setting up the inital phases. It's kinda his job anyway. He was more into trial grows, but has moved over to seed sales and acquisitions.

His contact at Johnny's has seen pics of it, and feels it's a cool bean. My dad always grew it well in upper midle GA about 40 miles south of ATL, but my step son has struggled with it in his home garden in extreme south GA just 4 hours away. But, he did a fall plant and not an early spring plant. In our zones, it's a normal spring plant when the soil has warmed. They both feel it would crash and burn in the FL zones. 6b/7a where we are both bordering it grows exceptional prolific and disease free. But, we got about 80 plus years or more seed saving on this bean.
 
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#604
#604
Spent a good bit of time on the mower yesterday. Unchallenged, my leaves from my many trees can get shin deep in some areas. With care and precision, I ran them over and over and over and eventually got them blown all the way over on top of my garden. About 1.5” cover on roughly two thirds of the garden so far. Then get my neighbor to bring his tractor and till it under and let it percolate. Something new I’m trying this year instead of just blowing them to the woods and getting nothing out on them at all. See how the soil amendment turn out when I till it again in the spring.
 
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#605
#605
GVF said:
Spent a good bit of time on the mower yesterday. Unchallenged, my leaves from my many trees can get shin deep in some areas. With care and precision, I ran them over and over and over and eventually got them blown all the way over on top of my garden. About 1.5” cover on roughly two thirds of the garden so far. Then get my neighbor to bring his tractor and till it under and let it percolate. Something new I’m trying this year instead of just blowing them to the woods and getting nothing out on them at all. See how the soil amendment turn out when I till it again in the spring.
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I mulch up some of mine with the mower and bag enough to heavy mulch the garden after sitting out my plants/seeds. Almost eliminates weeds and helps keep the soil moist. Leaves are a gardener’s friend!
 
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#607
#607
walkenvol said:
I mulch up some of mine with the mower and bag enough to heavy mulch the garden after sitting out my plants/seeds. Almost eliminates weeds and helps keep the soil moist. Leaves are a gardener’s friend!
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Well, that's an option I didn't consider, and I'm sure a good coating of mulched leaves prevents weeds better than most things. I've still got a good bit of leaves to go. Maybe I'll bag some. Hay straw work fine on my maters cause I layed it on pretty good. Other areas my son strawed were just not thick enough. The leaves would be ideal for my bean rows to keep them clear and manageable. After the leaves sit in lawn bags waiting for a few months, they'd be good friends to the soil as well. Or maybe blow them up close enough that I can finish piling them up with a rake and let them dit and not spend the time bagging. I'm out in the countryside, so I don't have to store them neatly.
 
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#608
#608
GVF said:
Well, that's an option I didn't consider, and I'm sure a good coating of mulched leaves prevents weeds better than most things. I've still got a good bit of leaves to go. Maybe I'll bag some. Hay straw work fine on my maters cause I layed it on pretty good. Other areas my son strawed were just not thick enough. The leaves would be ideal for my bean rows to keep them clear and manageable. After the leaves sit in lawn bags waiting for a few months, they'd be good friends to the soil as well. Or maybe blow them up close enough that I can finish piling them up with a rake and let them dit and not spend the time bagging. I'm out in the countryside, so I don't have to store them neatly.
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At 3 diffrent home sites I tilled in my leaves every fall for about 10 years or as long as I lived there. I had mostly leaves in the top 8 inches. It only takes a little soil to rot the leaves, and by spring they will be 90-95 composted. In just one or two years i had TN clay change to a fertile silt soil.
Yes, if you have them use them for mulch in the spring.
 
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#609
#609
GVF said:
Well, that's an option I didn't consider, and I'm sure a good coating of mulched leaves prevents weeds better than most things. I've still got a good bit of leaves to go. Maybe I'll bag some. Hay straw work fine on my maters cause I layed it on pretty good. Other areas my son strawed were just not thick enough. The leaves would be ideal for my bean rows to keep them clear and manageable. After the leaves sit in lawn bags waiting for a few months, they'd be good friends to the soil as well. Or maybe blow them up close enough that I can finish piling them up with a rake and let them dit and not spend the time bagging. I'm out in the countryside, so I don't have to store them neatly.
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How deep did you straw your tomatoes? (lying on top of the soil, not dug in)

I used straw this year, and it helped with the diseases, but not quite enough.
 
#610
#610
GVF said:
Well, that's an option I didn't consider, and I'm sure a good coating of mulched leaves prevents weeds better than most things. I've still got a good bit of leaves to go. Maybe I'll bag some. Hay straw work fine on my maters cause I layed it on pretty good. Other areas my son strawed were just not thick enough. The leaves would be ideal for my bean rows to keep them clear and manageable. After the leaves sit in lawn bags waiting for a few months, they'd be good friends to the soil as well. Or maybe blow them up close enough that I can finish piling them up with a rake and let them dit and not spend the time bagging. I'm out in the countryside, so I don't have to store them neatly.
Click to expand...
For the leaves I want as mulch in the summer I bag them to delay decomposing. The ones you leave on top of the soil or till in will likely have enriched your soil before summer and not serve as a weed block. If you have a big supply, do both!
 
#611
#611
VolNExile said:
How deep did you straw your tomatoes? (lying on top of the soil, not dug in)

I used straw this year, and it helped with the diseases, but not quite enough.
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I strawed the tomatoes pretty deep this year.when you cut the bale strings they kinds separate into "sections" I take those and only very loosley break them up keeping the same septh mostly. It took about 3 bales to do 10 tomato plants this way. That ended up being enough to control disease and weeds, and give good mositure and heat regulation. Always read straw needs to go on thick, so I finally bowed up and quit spreading it so thin. Also strawed the okra, peppers, melons and squash. To slightly less success as I didn't do those near as thick.
 
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#612
#612
GVF said:
I strawed the tomatoes pretty deep this year.when you cut the bale strings they kinds separate into "sections" I take those and only very loosley break them up keeping the same septh mostly. It took about 3 bales to do 10 tomato plants this way. That ended up being enough to control disease and weeds, and give good mositure and heat regulation. Always read straw needs to go on thick, so I finally bowed up and quit spreading it so thin. Also strawed the okra, peppers, melons and squash. To slightly less success as I didn't do those near as thick.
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I also use straw. There is a difference in the bales of straw that you buy. Here, a bale from Lowes is loose and will almost fall apart when carried. A bale from a reputable garden center is more likely to be locally grown, tighter and heavier with fewer seeds. You will pay more for that. I typically use about 3-4 inches if the bale is very tight . I find that a bale kind of chooses where it will let you divide it.
I primarily grow mild pepper and tomatoes so my mulch needs are consistent.
 
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#613
#613
GVF said:
I strawed the tomatoes pretty deep this year.when you cut the bale strings they kinds separate into "sections" I take those and only very loosley break them up keeping the same septh mostly. It took about 3 bales to do 10 tomato plants this way. That ended up being enough to control disease and weeds, and give good mositure and heat regulation. Always read straw needs to go on thick, so I finally bowed up and quit spreading it so thin. Also strawed the okra, peppers, melons and squash. To slightly less success as I didn't do those near as thick.
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Perfect, thanks!

Do you have any problems with slugs hanging out underneath? I’ve never had them bother the tomatoes, but they’ll go after other things.
 
#614
#614
Go aeiou said:
I also use straw. There is a difference in the bales of straw that you buy. Here, a bale from Lowes is loose and will almost fall apart when carried. A bale from a reputable garden center is more likely to be locally grown, tighter and heavier with fewer seeds. You will pay more for that. I typically use about 3-4 inches if the bale is very tight . I find that a bale kind of chooses where it will let you divide it.
I primarily grow mild pepper and tomatoes so my mulch needs are consistent.
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I get straw from a local ag supply place with the dense layers. You’re right about the loose stuff.
 
#616
#616
VolNExile said:
Perfect, thanks!

Do you have any problems with slugs hanging out underneath? I’ve never had them bother the tomatoes, but they’ll go after other things.
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Have you tried diatomaceous earth? One bag has lasted at least 5 years for me. I think Lowes sales it.
Organic.
I use it a couple of times on bare soil, and under the mulch.
 
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#617
#617
Go aeiou said:
Have you tried diatomaceous earth? One bag has lasted at least 5 years for me. I think Lowes sales it.
Organic.
I use it a couple of times on bare soil, and under the mulch.
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I’ve got a bag, but never got around to using it. 😳 In my defense, I had bought it for the hosta bed, which was immediately fried when we had a dying shade tree taken down just as the July heat wave hit. So there wasn’t much left to protect.

The worst thing about slugs to me is the certain knowledge that at some point, I will step on one barefoot. 🤢🤮

Great suggestion about using it under the mulch.
 
#619
#619
VolNExile said:
Any recommendations for green (when ripe) tomatoes? Cross-posted in The Endzone Garden Thread: The Endzone Garden Thread
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Green Zebra is cool, I recall eating some smaller marbled greens at a farmers market and they were delicious

Seen them available as starts, never trialed them

Google search yielded Green Giant & Aunt Ruby as options too
 
#620
#620
Volunteer_Kirby said:
Green Zebra is cool, I recall eating some smaller marbled greens at a farmers market and they were delicious

Seen them available as starts, never trialed them

Google search yielded Green Giant & Aunt Ruby as options too
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I wound up going with Green Giant. Thanks!
 
#624
#624
VolNExile said:
Flowers won’t; foliage probably won’t; bulbs should make it, especially if they’ve been in the ground for several years. Some mulch (leaves, etc.) might help
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Yeah, I'm in Nashville, and they are saying 5-10 degrees. My main concern is my Japanese Maples (14). I expect to lose some plants. Hosta, heuchera, fern? Oh well! I put my fall leaves on top.
 
#625
#625
Go aeiou said:
Yeah, I'm in Nashville, and they are saying 5-10 degrees. My main concern is my Japanese Maples (14). I expect to lose some plants. Hosta, heuchera, fern? Oh well! I put my fall leaves on top.
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Perennials (both herbaceous and woody) are tougher than we think. They store their energy in their roots or root equivalents (bulbs, rhizomes, etc.) Mulch them if you can, and make sure that the soil doesn’t completely dry out over winter.

They may sulk a bit for a season while they recover, but most will wind up fine. Early spring bloomers that blossomed in late fall/ early winter (side-yard forsythia, I’m looking at you! 👀) might be sub-par in spring 2023 blooms, but the plant itself should survive.

— this is one of the reasons for the “$2 plant in a $20 hole” quote. Give a plant optimal conditions when you first put it in the ground, and you might be surprised how tough it is over the long run.
 
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