The Gardening Thread

[VolNExile]

My brothers rooster bowed up on me when they were gone last week. Like a cartoon. Went out to put them up. He turned his head sideways at me and eye balled me. Swear I saw his eyes twinkle. Feather ruffed up, and I thought oh crap. And here he came. Had on shorts. He won.

Ahhh, if only someone had their cellphone ready to record!

 

[GVF]

Ahhh, if only someone had their cellphone ready to record!

My son was on other side of fence in front yard putting the duck up. He just watched and laughed, and wouldn't come over. Dang rooster got after me twice. Spurred my Shin. Like I wanted his hens.

Ethan said if that rooster came at him like that they'd have a chicken in the fridge. I'm thinking sure tough guy.

 

[VolNExile]

My son was on other side of fence in front yard putting the duck up. He just watched and laughed, and wouldn't come over. Dang rooster got after me twice. Spurred my Shin. Like I wanted his hens.

Ethan said if that rooster came at him like that they'd have a chicken in the fridge. I'm thinking sure tough guy.

Did you get it to protect the hens, or do you want fertilized eggs, or ???

They've always seemed like a royal PITA (or shins ) to me. In some alternate universe, if I were raising hens and the inevitable males snuck in the chick order, they'd be raised separately (once I could identify them) for din-din.

 

[GVF]

Did you get it to protect the hens, or do you want fertilized eggs, or ???

They've always seemed like a royal PITA (or shins ) to me. In some alternate universe, if I were raising hens and the inevitable males snuck in the chick order, they'd be raised separately (once I could identify them) for din-din.

Those are all my borothers animals. I was just feeding. They mostly pull eggs. They let a few hatch out here and there. The rooster is only intolerant of me and my brother. He does nothing against the foxes and coyotes. He lost about 20 hens the last 2 years.

 

[SlipKidVol]

Did you get it to protect the hens, or do you want fertilized eggs, or ???

They've always seemed like a royal PITA (or shins ) to me. In some alternate universe, if I were raising hens and the inevitable males snuck in the chick order, they'd be raised separately (once I could identify them) for din-din.

Wasn't even going to get one, but coworker of my wife had three roosters but only 8 hens, so needless to say her hens were getting killed. So she asked if we want him and said yes. All are barred rock and within one month in age. No plans for chicks.

 

[LouderVol]

You'll enjoy that new set up. And easy to expand. Make sure to fill in at hte bottom of those boards before some of it washes out. Also looks like you might have room for one more raised bed to the right. Great start. I can tell you have fence wire on the trellis posts, but what's the board for? And is that a tomato trellis?

Board is for lateral stability, it also lets me get a few more attachments to the fencing to make sure it doesn't sag.

that is for cucumbers. The tomatoes are in the center.

rear box has okra in the bare front part, 2 red, 2 green bell peppers, and then marigolds in the back.

3 tomatoes with wire cages in the middle.

front raised bed has peppermint and oregano up front, carrots in the middle, and squash at the back.

onions in the bricked area.

trellis element is for cucumbers.

 

[zhangliao04]

What variety did you order.

1 Contender and 1 Belle of Georgia. Supposed to be good cross pollinators and hold up to late frosts. I wanted to try a Galaxy Donut Peach tree, but I’m not spending $100+ on a tree I’ve never tried to grow yet.

 

[GVF]

1 Contender and 1 Belle of Georgia. Supposed to be good cross pollinators and hold up to late frosts. I wanted to try a Galaxy Donut Peach tree, but I’m not spending $100+ on a tree I’ve never tried to grow yet.

My peach is a contender as well, but since it is a self-pollinator, I went with only one. It'll still put out more than I can probably handle. It actually has 3 peaches on it in it's first spring. Supposed to be a really good flavored peach too. Belle of GA gets great flavor reviews as well. Prob would have had more peaches but my not staying on top of hte watering admist all the rain left the ball a little dry and it shed some leaves. But since it's a 1st spring tree, was gonna cull them off except for a few tasters anyway.

Need to find you a good local garden center. Not lowe's or HD. Prob could have added the Galaxy and got all 3 for the online Galaxy price. My Contender was around $25 and was 3 gallon-5'. Maybe a hair taller. Base was already in the +1" range.

 

[GVF]

Board is for lateral stability, it also lets me get a few more attachments to the fencing to make sure it doesn't sag.

that is for cucumbers. The tomatoes are in the center.

rear box has okra in the bare front part, 2 red, 2 green bell peppers, and then marigolds in the back.

3 tomatoes with wire cages in the middle.

front raised bed has peppermint and oregano up front, carrots in the middle, and squash at the back.

onions in the bricked area.

trellis element is for cucumbers.

Good starter set up. What tomatoes did you choose. Cages are more than fine for Determinate varieties. Not so great for Indeterminates.

Since you had the wisdom to do okra with your tomatoes, cute some tomato wedges and coat up with your okra, and skillet fry till okra is done. Mind blowing eating experience of the most southern kind. If you did Clemson Spineless okra, make sure you keep up with the picking and get them in the finger size range. They will get touch quick once they get some size on them. And once they start producing, okra will cut every 2-3 days.

The peppermint will go ballistic too. Keep on top of the spread or it will take over. I still pull up rogue mint every year.

 

[LouderVol]

Good starter set up. What tomatoes did you choose. Cages are more than fine for Determinate varieties. Not so great for Indeterminates.

Since you had the wisdom to do okra with your tomatoes, cute some tomato wedges and coat up with your okra, and skillet fry till okra is done. Mind blowing eating experience of the most southern kind. If you did Clemson Spineless okra, make sure you keep up with the picking and get them in the finger size range. They will get touch quick once they get some size on them. And once they start producing, okra will cut every 2-3 days.

The peppermint will go ballistic too. Keep on top of the spread or it will take over. I still pull up rogue mint every year.

definitely hoping to get some more peppermint plants off it, wouldn't mind spreading around. Even if I just pot them around the house.

They are Better Boys. I have some other cages I can kinda stack if needed. But figured I would prune if they were becoming a problem.

 

[VolNExile]

definitely hoping to get some more peppermint plants off it, wouldn't mind spreading around. Even if I just pot them around the house.

They are Better Boys. I have some other cages I can kinda stack if needed. But figured I would prune if they were becoming a problem.

Sink a good-sized pot into the garden soil, with about 2" above ground, and plant the mint in that. Do that with ANYTHING in the mint family (think lemon balm.) You'll get plenty of mint to split up and repot if you want, and it will *somewhat* keep it under control.

You might not mind them spreading around, until you find them strangling young plants and try to eradicate them. They are tenacious little barstidges, although wonderful in so many ways.

 

[zhangliao04]

My peach is a contender as well, but since it is a self-pollinator, I went with only one. It'll still put out more than I can probably handle. It actually has 3 peaches on it in it's first spring. Supposed to be a really good flavored peach too. Belle of GA gets great flavor reviews as well. Prob would have had more peaches but my not staying on top of hte watering admist all the rain left the ball a little dry and it shed some leaves. But since it's a 1st spring tree, was gonna cull them off except for a few tasters anyway.

Need to find you a good local garden center. Not lowe's or HD. Prob could have added the Galaxy and got all 3 for the online Galaxy price. My Contender was around $25 and was 3 gallon-5'. Maybe a hair taller. Base was already in the +1" range.

Yeah I’m wondering how bad it’s going to get with having pollinator peach trees. At least I have a bunch of people at work that will love to have some hah.

That price was from Fast Growing Trees website. I use it to peruse and find stuff, but never to buy. Way too expensive. I bought my peach trees from Arbor Day Foundation along with some hydrangeas for the wife. Supposed to come bare root and only cost $18-20 each at 5’ tall.

There are some good local garden centers around Alcoa, but the one I really like is Stanley’s Greenhouse in South Knoxville across the river.

 

[zhangliao04]

Good starter set up. What tomatoes did you choose. Cages are more than fine for Determinate varieties. Not so great for Indeterminates.

Since you had the wisdom to do okra with your tomatoes, cute some tomato wedges and coat up with your okra, and skillet fry till okra is done. Mind blowing eating experience of the most southern kind. If you did Clemson Spineless okra, make sure you keep up with the picking and get them in the finger size range. They will get touch quick once they get some size on them. And once they start producing, okra will cut every 2-3 days.

The peppermint will go ballistic too. Keep on top of the spread or it will take over. I still pull up rogue mint every year.

I’ve got rogue raspberry canes growing all over the place this year. Even outside of the raised bed. It’s going to be another good crop I’m sure, but man are these plants multipliers.

 

[GVF]

definitely hoping to get some more peppermint plants off it, wouldn't mind spreading around. Even if I just pot them around the house.

They are Better Boys. I have some other cages I can kinda stack if needed. But figured I would prune if they were becoming a problem.

Better boys IMO as good as it gets on determinate hybrids. Reliable, easy to grow, next best flavor to an heirloom. Gramps only grew them and big boys. My dad also liked to throw in Rutgers. Didn't know about tomatoes beyond those 3 till I really got into them. I used to do a better boy with my heirlooms just to make sure I got some tomatoes. Add some mushroom compost around the better boys to filter in over the season and they will be a beautiful deep red. Add a little baking soda around the base while blooming and just fruiting to get a little sweeter tomato.

 

[GVF]

I’ve got rogue raspberry canes growing all over the place this year. Even outside of the raised bed. It’s going to be another good crop I’m sure, but man are these plants multipliers.

Nothing wrong with a few extra fresh raspberries. They have a very short shelf life, so getting them vine ripe makes store bought like toilet water. THis is my first year with a raspberry, and so far the plant looks great. I think I picked the right spot. My garden man said they could hack a little shade as long as they got atleast 6 hours direct. I planted them other side of house from garden and everything else where they get morning sun, but afternoon some shade and no direct brutal sun. He said that'd be perfect, and so far he was right. I picked the Caroline. Maybe that has something to do with where he said to plant.

 

[GVF]

Yeah I’m wondering how bad it’s going to get with having pollinator peach trees. At least I have a bunch of people at work that will love to have some hah.

That price was from Fast Growing Trees website. I use it to peruse and find stuff, but never to buy. Way too expensive. I bought my peach trees from Arbor Day Foundation along with some hydrangeas for the wife. Supposed to come bare root and only cost $18-20 each at 5’ tall.

There are some good local garden centers around Alcoa, but the one I really like is Stanley’s Greenhouse in South Knoxville across the river.

Fast Growing Trees prices are horrible. THey are more than everyone else, and Gurney's isn't cheap.

 

[zhangliao04]

Nothing wrong with a few extra fresh raspberries. They have a very short shelf life, so getting them vine ripe makes store bought like toilet water. THis is my first year with a raspberry, and so far the plant looks great. I think I picked the right spot. My garden man said they could hack a little shade as long as they got atleast 6 hours direct. I planted them other side of house from garden and everything else where they get morning sun, but afternoon some shade and no direct brutal sun. He said that'd be perfect, and so far he was right. I picked the Caroline. Maybe that has something to do with where he said to plant.

Mine are the Joan J variety. I bought them from Nourse farms who have a really large selection of different berries at really good prices. I picked this variety because they are thornless and are pretty large even for raspberries. Great flavor and juicy as well. And my little one loved them last year so I’m looking forward to the crop this year. They get full sun and do very well with that setup. The only thing I’d do differently is put them in their own bed because they are now trying to grow up around my blueberry bushes. I have to do a cleansing every other week.

 

[zhangliao04]

Fast Growing Trees prices are horrible. THey are more than everyone else, and Gurney's isn't cheap.

Horrible for price but great for browsing and getting ideas.

 

[VolNExile]

Better boys IMO as good as it gets on determinate hybrids. Reliable, easy to grow, next best flavor to an heirloom. Gramps only grew them and big boys. My dad also liked to throw in Rutgers. Didn't know about tomatoes beyond those 3 till I really got into them. I used to do a better boy with my heirlooms just to make sure I got some tomatoes. Add some mushroom compost around the better boys to filter in over the season and they will be a beautiful deep red. Add a little baking soda around the base while blooming and just fruiting to get a little sweeter tomato.

Love Rutgers tomatoes! Jury will always be out as to how close they are to the original, but they are great-tasting and a bit less fussy than most heirlooms.

 

[Go aeiou]

Fast Growing Trees prices are horrible. THey are more than everyone else, and Gurney's isn't cheap.

You might give these folks a look:
Garden Center:

Walker Nursery Company- A Tennesse wholesale tree farm, growing shade and flowering trees.

walkernurseryco.com

I've always dealt with Randal Walker Farms:

Home | Randall Walker Farms

www.rwalkerfarms.com

Haven't been in a couple of years, but much cheaper, and you can see what they have on their website. Good size plants.

 

[zhangliao04]

Pepper plants are doing good so far. Gonna have to give some away because I don’t have enough grow bags for all of these.



Blueberry and raspberry patch. Just put up the trellis this past weekend. Need to add another bag of cement to each to make sure the cement is higher than ground level.

 

[Go aeiou]

Better boys IMO as good as it gets on determinate hybrids. Reliable, easy to grow, next best flavor to an heirloom. Gramps only grew them and big boys. My dad also liked to throw in Rutgers. Didn't know about tomatoes beyond those 3 till I really got into them. I used to do a better boy with my heirlooms just to make sure I got some tomatoes. Add some mushroom compost around the better boys to filter in over the season and they will be a beautiful deep red. Add a little baking soda around the base while blooming and just fruiting to get a little sweeter tomato.

Indeterminate?

 

[SlipKidVol]

Supposed to be 40 Monday night, I got to get these in the ground or repot

 

[GVF]

Indeterminate?

No. Better Boys are a determinate hybrid.

 

[GVF]

Supposed to be 40 Monday night, I got to get these in the ground or repot

View attachment 635369

Looking good.