The Gardening Thread

[GVF]

I’m in the Alcoa/Maryville area. The late March/April frosts we tend to get is one of the reasons I chose these 2 peach varieties. Wanted freestone, sweet, and self pollinating. And even though these both are self pollinating my research came back that both of these varieties benefit from having a second peach tree of a different variety. And since both varieties set fruit and produce at the same time they should be good together.

Have you found that you need bird netting and a trunk cover for your peach tree?

This year I plan on no peaches and just trying to focus on tree/root growth. Pluck all flowers that emerge (if any actually do) and fertilize them for growth.

My in-laws have 2 dwarf cherry trees. I may have to wait until next year, but I’d like to eventually try a cherry bush/tree.

I'm just out of cookeville north into Jackson County. We pretty much have the same conditions. My grandparents lived off John Sevier and Chapman Hwy in Woodfield Park maybe it was called. Old subdvision on right after crossing chapman. Alot of my knowledge comes from having an Ag Scientist dad and not so much my own expertise. But we had magnificent productive gardens growing up and the best lawn in 3 counties. Mom could put up 80% of our years veggies. Had pickling crocks lining the kithen floor. Dad would bring home insane corn, peaches and apples from the experiment station trial fields and orchards. He started that lawn of 12 plugs of trial zoysia from the turf grass guys and kept re-plugging from the lawn each year till it filled in the yard.

Your research goes well with what the nursery owner told me. Both of those peaches are more late frost hardy than most. Self pollinators of any fruit will always produce a little better in numbers. I just chose to have only the one. It'll prob give more than I can use as is. I just planted mine in the fall, so all I did for the winter is put one of those white trunk protectors on for the winter. As well as on my apples. Didn't really know why those were put on, but the garden center guy says bucks will tear them up in the rut, and I also read where the freezing and thawing of the young trunks will cause swelling and splitting and leave scars. I'll prob remove them later in month. What I didn't do was stake them up. Being lazy. The ones he helped me pick out already were pretty strong. Prob 2nd year pots or more at about 1" base and atleast 5' high. They have stood strong in the winter storms and winds.

I specifically chose the Carmine Jewel bush cherry due to bearing maybe a tiny bit on year one and pretty decent year 2. doesn't take 3-5 years like the trees. And ease of care and netting from the birds with the 6' height. I also plan on keeping my apple and peach lopped off and around 8 foot max.

 

[zhangliao04]

I'm just out of cookeville north into Jackson County. We pretty much have the same conditions. My grandparents lived off John Sevier and Chapman Hwy in Woodfield Park maybe it was called. Old subdvision on right after crossing chapman. Alot of my knowledge comes from having an Ag Scientist dad and not so much my own expertise. But we had magnificent productive gardens growing up and the best lawn in 3 counties. Mom could put up 80% of our years veggies. Had pickling crocks lining the kithen floor. Dad would bring home insane corn, peaches and apples from the experiment station trial fields and orchards. He started that lawn of 12 plugs of trial zoysia from the turf grass guys and kept re-plugging from the lawn each year till it filled in the yard.

Your research goes well with what the nursery owner told me. Both of those peaches are more late frost hardy than most. Self pollinators of any fruit will always produce a little better in numbers. I just chose to have only the one. It'll prob give more than I can use as is. I just planted mine in the fall, so all I did for the winter is put one of those white trunk protectors on for the winter. As well as on my apples. Didn't really know why those were put on, but the garden center guy says bucks will tear them up in the rut, and I also read where the freezing and thawing of the young trunks will cause swelling and splitting and leave scars. I'll prob remove them later in month. What I didn't do was stake them up. Being lazy. The ones he helped me pick out already were pretty strong. Prob 2nd year pots or more at about 1" base and atleast 5' high. They have stood strong in the winter storms and winds.

I specifically chose the Carmine Jewel bush cherry due to bearing maybe a tiny bit on year one and pretty decent year 2. doesn't take 3-5 years like the trees. And ease of care and netting from the birds with the 6' height. I also plan on keeping my apple and peach lopped off and around 8 foot max.

I’ve wondered how hard it would be to just kill my entire yard (easy) and then use zoysia plugs to cover my yard with zoysia grass. I haven’t done much looking into it at all the thought has just crossed my mind a few times.

I got both peach trees as a hope that if one doesn’t work the other will. And if they both work I’ll just feed my entire family + extended with peaches hah. From what I hear most peach trees produce a ton each year once they become old enough. And I’m planning the same thing with short peach trees. I don’t have a big backyard so I have to utilize my space well. I have a fence so hopefully I do t need those white trunk protectors.

 

[VolNExile]

I’ve wondered how hard it would be to just kill my entire yard (easy) and then use zoysia plugs to cover my yard with zoysia grass. I haven’t done much looking into it at all the thought has just crossed my mind a few times.

I got both peach trees as a hope that if one doesn’t work the other will. And if they both work I’ll just feed my entire family + extended with peaches hah. From what I hear most peach trees produce a ton each year once they become old enough. And I’m planning the same thing with short peach trees. I don’t have a big backyard so I have to utilize my space well. I have a fence so hopefully I do t need those white trunk protectors.

We're killing our whole front yard and replacing with native flowers and grasses. Easy because we're paying a local businesswoman to do it! (blame it on our backs)

Patchwork Meadows

Native Wildflower Pollinator Gardens

patchworkmeadows.com

 

[Go aeiou]

We're killing our whole front yard and replacing with native flowers and grasses. Easy because we're paying a local businesswoman to do it! (blame it on our backs)

Patchwork Meadows

Native Wildflower Pollinator Gardens

patchworkmeadows.com

Isn't that unamerican?

 

[GVF]

We're killing our whole front yard and replacing with native flowers and grasses. Easy because we're paying a local businesswoman to do it! (blame it on our backs)

Patchwork Meadows

Native Wildflower Pollinator Gardens

patchworkmeadows.com

That's a trend anyways.

 

[GVF]

I’ve wondered how hard it would be to just kill my entire yard (easy) and then use zoysia plugs to cover my yard with zoysia grass. I haven’t done much looking into it at all the thought has just crossed my mind a few times.

I got both peach trees as a hope that if one doesn’t work the other will. And if they both work I’ll just feed my entire family + extended with peaches hah. From what I hear most peach trees produce a ton each year once they become old enough. And I’m planning the same thing with short peach trees. I don’t have a big backyard so I have to utilize my space well. I have a fence so hopefully I do t need those white trunk protectors.

Dad started with maybe a couple dozen plugs, and spaced them on a 12 inch grid. Early spring while still dormant. At that a zoysia patch will completely fill in one growing season. He repeated that each year by taking the plugs from what filled in the previous season. Took about 5 years or less to completely fill about a 100 x 100 front yard. Basically each year the amount of plugs double from the previous years plugging. If you were wanting to buy the plugs and do it in one sweep, the dealer will have calculations on how many plugs and your done in one growing season. I'm a huge Zoysia fan. No grass feels as good under bare feet. And it makes for good practice chipping when plush. We had many chipping contests around the front yard.

The only thing I didn't like about dad's zoysia is that it wasn't thatch free. If he missed a couple years de-thatching when dormant, it would get super thick and would choke out the mower. you'd have to raise the blades for that year. El Toro is a non-thatch variety.

My dad worked for UGA Experiment Stations. He was in peanuts. There were trial peach orchards out in the county where they developed varieties. When they got done with what they needed, employees could come pick out the rest of the harvest. He would bring home grocery bags full of the best peaches I have ever eaten. The apple orchards were in N GA. Corn fields. What they didn't grow trials for, he would plant in the garden. There was no evening TV in the summer until beans were snapped and corn shucked. That was back patio family time.

 

[Go aeiou]

That's a trend anyways.

A good one.
My neighborhood is Nashville in Chem lawn, Moxie, Tru Green, Weed Man, etc. or wid bermuda grass which puts out runners 6 feet long.

 

[Go aeiou]

Dad started with maybe a couple dozen plugs, and spaced them on a 12 inch grid. Early spring while still dormant. At that a zoysia patch will completely fill in one growing season. He repeated that each year by taking the plugs from what filled in the previous season. Took about 5 years or less to completely fill about a 100 x 100 front yard. Basically each year the amount of plugs double from the previous years plugging. If you were wanting to buy the plugs and do it in one sweep, the dealer will have calculations on how many plugs and your done in one growing season. I'm a huge Zoysia fan. No grass feels as good under bare feet. And it makes for good practice chipping when plush. We had many chipping contests around the front yard.

The only thing I didn't like about dad's zoysia is that it wasn't thatch free. If he missed a couple years de-thatching when dormant, it would get super thick and would choke out the mower. you'd have to raise the blades for that year. El Toro is a non-thatch variety.

My dad worked for UGA Experiment Stations. He was in peanuts. There were trial peach orchards out in the county where they developed varieties. When they got done with what they needed, employees could come pick out the rest of the harvest. He would bring home grocery bags full of the best peaches I have ever eaten. The apple orchards were in N GA. Corn fields. What they didn't grow trials for, he would plant in the garden. There was no evening TV in the summer until beans were snapped and corn shucked. That was back patio family time.

Back in "The Good Ole Days"(1960) I used to cut grass. I started when I looked and reached up to the handle bars. One of the yards of a rental unit had a tenant that decided to put in plugs of zoyia. Within 2 years it was all I could do to push that dam mower through the grass. No self propeled mowers at that time that I recall.

 

[VolNExile]

Isn't that unamerican?

lol

I feel it’s as American as you can get. Just growing plants that evolved here, feeding animals that evolved here. Our ecosystems need all the help they can get these days.

 

[VolNExile]

Back in "The Good Ole Days"(1960) I used to cut grass. I started when I looked and reached up to the handle bars. One of the yards of a rental unit had a tenant that decided to put in plugs of zoyia. Within 2 years it was all I could do to push that dam mower through the grass. No self propeled mowers at that time that I recall.

I started out mowing my grandmother’s yard with a reel mower. My hope is to eventually have so little turfgrass that it can be handled by a slightly updated version.

Ridiculous to burn gasoline to cut your grass. Burn fat, not gas!

 

[Orangeslice13]

Mark your blackberries so you know where to keep them pruned.

 

[Go aeiou]

lol

I feel it’s as American as you can get. Just growing plants that evolved here, feeding animals that evolved here. Our ecosystems need all the help they can get these days.

I agree 100%.
Sadly there are neigborhoods that require grass that is kept neat and mowed. Look at most of the restrictive covenants of residential developments in the last 30 years.

 

[VolNExile]

I agree 100%.
Sadly there are neigborhoods that require grass that is kept neat and mowed. Look at most of the restrictive covenants of residential developments in the last 30 years.

We didn’t buy a house in an HOA, and we never will.

And somehow, it’s now one of the hottest real estate markets in Asheville. Go figure.

 

[Go aeiou]

We didn’t buy a house in an HOA, and we never will.

And somehow, it’s now one of the hottest real estate markets in Asheville. Go figure.

People wanted in the suburbs for years. Now they want in the City. We have the same thing in Nashville.
Things change.
Does your neighborhood have a detention/rentention pond? Every neighborhood and every house contributes to stormwater runoff. Before a house is built the ground is grass and/or trees and some water(streams). When it rains the water slowly soaks into the ground or makes it's way to a stream.
Stormwater management became a big deal in the 90s. When a neighborhood is built we replace woods and/or fields wtih rooftops and asphalt. The rain that falls on them quickly makes it's way to roads and then streams. That runoff needs to be slowed down to prevent flooding and let pollutants settle out before making it's way to streams, rivers and lakes. The goal is for the stormwater to leave the neighborhood at the same rate as before homes and streets were built.
Here is the manual for NC: Stormwater Design Manual | NC DEQ

I didn't read the NC manual, but the point is for 30 years(TN) real estate developers have had to build detention ponds and someone has to maintain them. Local Govts don't want to do that. Therefore we have HOAs.
Most covenants do not stop at storm water though, and some HOA boards want to expand the covenants to be even more restrictive. Some people like that. Others don't.

You are fortunate to live in a nice older home in a nice City.

 

[VolNExile]

People wanted in the suburbs for years. Now they want in the City. We have the same thing in Nashville.
Things change.
Does your neighborhood have a detention/rentention pond? Every neighborhood and every house contributes to stormwater runoff. Before a house is built the ground is grass and/or trees and some water(streams). When it rains the water slowly soaks into the ground or makes it's way to a stream.
Stormwater management became a big deal in the 90s. When a neighborhood is built we replace woods and/or fields wtih rooftops and asphalt. The rain that falls on them quickly makes it's way to roads and then streams. That runoff needs to be slowed down to prevent flooding and let pollutants settle out before making it's way to streams, rivers and lakes. The goal is for the stormwater to leave the neighborhood at the same rate as before homes and streets were built.
Here is the manual for NC: Stormwater Design Manual | NC DEQ

I didn't read the NC manual, but the point is for 30 years(TN) real estate developers have had to build detention ponds and someone has to maintain them. Local Govts don't want to do that. Therefore we have HOAs.
Most covenants do not stop at storm water though, and some HOA boards want to expand the covenants to be even more restrictive. Some people like that. Others don't.

You are fortunate to live in a nice older home in a nice City.

No retention pond (old neighborhood, not much space to build one), but most of us have permeable driveways if we have one at all. Landscaping meant to retain rainfall, etc.

 

[Swiftybaby]

Anybody ever grown shallots or have any tips? Never have seen bulbs available till the other day and I had to get some. Just finished planting

 

[Swiftybaby]

Also any tips for blueberries and blackberries? Pick up some from Walmart. Blueberries are patriot and blue Ray and the blackberry is Natchez.

 

[Swiftybaby]

That's a trend anyways.

I’d love to do that here where I live. (Soddy) but I live right next to the wood line 40 yards from the creek. I feel like the ticks and fleas and bugs would just be to much

 

[VolNExile]

I’d love to do that here where I live. (Soddy) but I live right next to the wood line 40 yards from the creek. I feel like the ticks and fleas and bugs would just be to much

Well, ticks and fleas are looking for warm-blooded critters, not native plants. Which "bugs" (insects, right?) would you be concerned about? --I'm truly curious; I understand that this is sort of a new thing.

 

[Swiftybaby]

Well, ticks and fleas are looking for warm-blooded critters, not native plants. Which "bugs" (insects, right?) would you be concerned about? --I'm truly curious; I understand that this is sort of a new thing.

The ticks and fleas live in the grass plus we’ve damn feral cats around here. And just bugs in general aside from pollinators. As I said I live on the wood line next to the creek so I’ve got plenty

 

[VolNExile]

The ticks and fleas live in the grass plus we’ve damn feral cats around here. And just bugs in general aside from pollinators. As I said I live on the wood line next to the creek so I’ve got plenty

Yeah, I can see that the feral cats could host the fleas and ticks.

 

[Go aeiou]

Anybody ever grown shallots or have any tips? Never have seen bulbs available till the other day and I had to get some. Just finished planting

Grew them for many years. Used them to cook with. I no longer cook using "fancy" recipes so I just use onions, garlic etc.
I always had enough left over for next year.

 

[Swiftybaby]

Grew them for many years. Used them to cook with. I no longer cook using "fancy" recipes so I just use onions, garlic etc.
I always had enough left over for next year.

I like to get a little fancy from time to time but mainly just got these because I’ve never had an opportunity to buy any. I guess I could’ve ordered some bulbs but never did.

 

[GVF]

Got my grape and bush cherry in the ground. Orchard complete for now. Peppers and herbs germinated in tray and growing. Trayed up Broccoli Rabe, Brussels and tomatoes last night. Next project that has to happen very soon is get the sawz-all after the side walls of some old tires and get the strawberry beds and plants down.

 

[Go aeiou]

Got my grape and bush cherry in the ground. Orchard complete for now. Peppers and herbs germinated in tray and growing. Trayed up Broccoli Rabe, Brussels and tomatoes last night. Next project that has to happen very soon is get the sawz-all after the side walls of some old tires and get the strawberry beds and plants down.

I've turned under the greens that I planted last fall. They were going to seed. Might have to get some of those shallots.
I have elephant garlic which is milder than most garlic. It stays in the ground year round. The tops die back mid summer.