Southern Spirit Hunters
Gardening => Gardeners Chat => Topic started by: bestofour on Aug 24, 2014, 10:58:50 PM
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I gathered some cukes, squash, tomatoes, okra and green beans. I think the cukes are about over and I think the squash may be giving it up too. It's not due to bugs, which is unusual, so I guess it's just time. I've always wondered if the plants eventually stop producing on their own.
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They do stop on their own. In California, if a tomato lives over winter it will begin to produce again as the weather warms in spring.
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I'm also waiting to see what's going to happen to these pansys I planted last October that have lived through the summer. Will they just keep on or will they eventually give up the ghost?
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They will probably keep going. Many of our annuals aren't in their natural habitat.
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I've topped one of my tomato plants so I can overwinter it indoors.
Today I cut about 1/3 of the front lawn, pruned the out of control rosemary bush and cut a fox grape vine down at the root. i hope that takes care of it.
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You remain very busy Tammy. It is good to hear from you.
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Thanks Tina. I bought a daisy styled mum and then left it in the car all day. The blooms have all died. I hope the plant comes back.
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I'll bet it will. Prune off the flowers. Mums are hardy.
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I'll do that.
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I pulled up the squash plants and was going to try and grow more before it got cold but I've given up on that idea. It's just not in me right now for some reason. I'm taking up the tomato plants tomorrow. They look sort of pitiful. The okra looks good but I don't want to go cut it. I'll have to think about what I want to do about that.
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Randy got the lawnmower working, Yeah! Now it is raining, lol. I'll get there.
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Tomorrow on taking up the tomato plants didn't happen until today. Johnny said he picked about 100 (exaggerated I'm sure)while I was at Ginger's and took them to Amy. They looked almost finished to me so today was the day.
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I still have to do that. I'm working on the future iris bed. My neighbor split the large rock for me. i pulled over the old shower surround and put it down to smother the weeds. Then I dug up or cut off the bushes. Then I put more rocks around it so I know where it starts and ends lol. I still need to cardboard the rest of the area and then decide whether I'll put down horse poo or try and find chicken poo.
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I'd put down which ever you find first.
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I didn't and am not going to plant anything in a fall garden. Johnny has decided he's fat and he's hardly eating anything. He's not fat. He's crazy. :) After doing some reading and seeing a few pictures we both have decided not to ever eat chicken again. At $6.00 a pound we can't afford to eat free range or pastured chickens so it's out. I've told him that the flesh of a pig is probably worse than chicken but he eats bacon every morning. Bacon is soooo good.
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Bacon is good.
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and it goes with everything :)
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Here it is time to start up the garden chores if you haven't already.
Today I planted the orange primroses I bought last week. I got a rather slow start on those.
I transplanted the lilies of the valley inside the garden plot where they were starting to grow in the lawn such as it is.
I raked around the garden beds so I wouldn't run over the rocks with the new lawnmower.
And I mowed the bottom third of the lawn with the new, self propelled, mulching, bag mower. I loved it!
I'll get better at it as the season continues on. I expect by the end I'll be able to mow the complete yard in a day.
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Yay! Great going with a good machine, Even if you don't get it all done in a day, it will all be easier.
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I agree, I get the mulching and the mowing done at the same time. It is great. I should have compost about 3 years faster than the old system and I shouldn't have to screen. So it is all good.
Today I got out there and planted the Mexican Tarragon, Portulaca, Tennessee Ostrich Fern, Anstible Red Sentinel, and more Anemone. I'm excited about that.
Then I raked about half of the leaves out of the space between the house and the shed. I want them out in the yard so I can mow them.
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We cleaned up the yard a bit.
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That's great. I so need to do that.
The weeds are getting away from me.
I'm going to have to get a but kicking machine here real soon.
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I tried mowing yesterday and the mower quit on me. i'm not sure what is going on there.
Then, I tried weed wacking and there wasn't enough charge in the wacker so I couldn't do that either.
And, that was after arguing with my sewing machine for over 1/2 hour.
I guess it wasn't my day to run equipment.
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I planted 7 of my tomato plants today. I've got my fingers crossed. I actually took more cuttings than I have room for. I guess I still can't count. But I'll keep them for awhile incase some of them don't make it.
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Some of the transplants aren't looking to good but I'll give them more time and maybe some water this evening when I get home.
I got out the weed wacker and did the street side of the ditch bed and then behind it and down the edge of the new planned iris bed. It was so nice not to have to fight a cord.
But it sure wore me out.
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Our weed whacker runs on gas and is very heavy and make whomever uses it smell like gas. I'm a little bit afraid of it. It throws things everywhere.
Johnny and I put stakes in the raised beds yesterday and there are 4 or 5 pretty good sized tomatoes plants that have returned from last year and at least one already has blooms. We didn't get finished.
I started my squash and cucumber seeds in the greenhouse at the same time and now I can't tell which is which. Oh brother.
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You will figure out which is which before you eat them, Sheri.
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:)
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to day a friend came over and helped me with the lawn mower. We're going to try one more thing before we take it to the repair shop.
He mowed the back and side yards and I mowed the front yard. Not particularly well but it's a start.
Then he blew the leaves all into a pile for me.
I planted the last 4 tomatoes that I'm putting in this year.
Now I need to weed. Ugh
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First post of the new growing year.
I planted the flowers that I bought on thursday, yay!
It is surprising what it took out of me. But that's my life now. I dumped the water out of the garden carrier so the mosquitoes lost that home yeah. And I dumped the water out of the 5 gallon bucket that I shouldn't have left in the garden bed last year.
My plan for monday is to gather up as much of the trash in the yard and take it to the dump.
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That is a good plan. I have to that too.
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That is a good plan. I have to do that too.
Oops, I meant to modify.
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the wind really brings stuff into the yard.
Bucket List for 2016 growing season:
plant the plum tree
use compost to level out the septic tank dip
Spread Lawn Food
Weed, weed, weed [where is the ugh icon?]
Keep the yard mowed [more ugh icons?]
Spread the mulch
I think that is plenty to keep me busy. Now I just have to find the energy.
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Yes. My list is similar except mowing. And I have several dead trees to cut into firewood.
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I could do some wood cutting but it would be to thin out the wooded area rather than for firewood. But I doubt I'll get to it this year.
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Today I sprayed the wasp nest in the front door jam of all places. No wonder they have been chasing me up and down the walkway this spring. There are absolutely loads of them so I'm sure they have nest in other places yet I just haven't found them all. One of those little buggers even rode in the car to breakfast with me.
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Today because of the power outage I managed to get the branches out of the shade garden. My peonies already have buds on them. One is really putting out a lot of buds. I missed most of the lily of the valley and the old fashioned weigela. But I caught the azalea. I really need to get out there and clean up the winter damage.
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I need to do more of that too.
Good job, Tammy.
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Thanks Tina. I have a new plan for the back yard. I'm going to make a retaining wall at the end of the "grass" with all the sticks and such followed with yard waste. Then fill as time goes on with the idea that at some point after I'm gone the back yard will be level. It's never going to happen but it will be fun working on it. Gives me something constructive to do with all the branches and stuff. Right now they are just a big pile on the left side of the back lawn.
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Today I will have help with the berm. The electric companies subcontractors are here to trim the trees. I told them they could trim them right down to the trunks if they wanted. He said he's not allowed to do that but would do as much as he could. And he's going to see if he can get me a load of the crunched up stuff. That will give my retaining wall a head start. It just might motivate me too. So yay!
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They didn't leave the trees, but they did cut them down to the trunk so I'm in good shape in that area. I just need to get out there with the drill and the salt. So the trunks die rather than regenerate. I'm hoping dead roots are easier to dig up than he live ones. I'd like to keep the right of way clear so that it isn't a job that needs doing every 3 or 4 years. I'm hoping that maybe they drop off a load of wood chips today while I'm running around. They probably can't, but I can hope.
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Have two loads of mulch and as soon as I get dressed I plan to get out there and play in it. Woohoo.
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Got out there and began spreading it. There is about 800 sq feet that I want to cover with the 1st pile. I think I might have gotten maybe 15% covered today. It took 20 minutes and my arms know I did it.
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Yay, you're getting busy. Good going.
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Well today so far the gardening has been limited to the deck. And the deck is covered in spiders. I don't know what to do about that at this stage. If you have a good suggestion please let me know.
I thought the tulips were probably rotted because they died quickly out on the deck and then were sitting in their un ventilated pots all during the rains we've had. But I got out there today and dug them up and they were in pretty good condition and had made a bunch of bulblets. So I planted them in one of the large corner hand rail pots. The coffee cup and saucer pot after serious cleaning and the square pot that the dead bonsai was in. The deck table is now a mess but I'll get to that next time. It took me an hour just to do what I did and I'm tired.
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Well, you got something done today. It is more that I did.
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my sand walkway floods when it rains heavy. I'm thinking a small french drain would solve the problem since I don't want to build up. I'm thinking the center is the place to put it rather than on one side or the other. Or would it matter. We are only talking 3 feet wide and 33 feet long.
BTW got spider spray. Now all I have to do is mix it and spray it on the spiders. Ugh I hate insects. :thpullhairout:
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Johnny deals with French drains a lot and he says to be sure and use filter fabric and gravel to keep it from clogging up. It also needs to go from high to low so the water will flow out by gravity. He said the center would work if it's put in correctly.
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I have both the fabric and the gravel but thanks for the heads up. I can't do the digging now because of the neck but maybe this fall. That's for the word on the center being the correct placement.
Today I actually felt well enough to rescue the tomato plant from the cage. I had put it in upside down and a tomato loving doe had knocked it over getting to the tomatoes. (why do I bother all I do is feed the wildlife?) And I refilled the tire with fresh soil.
Now if I could just get going on the weeding, mulching, and mowing I might catch up with the yard. ... not.
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It's never ending duh.
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Well it is that time again. I got the leaves out of the sidewalk path and have cleared the weeds between the first and second rosebush. It's a start. And I plugged in the weed wacker battery so I can rescue my crepe myrtle from the tall grasses.
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A good start, Tammy.
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It is raining today but I still got 20 gallons of weeds to the dumpster and I'm taking that as a win. I'm so easy.
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I went out to do a little yard work today and it immediately started raining so I came back in and took a shower. Now it's stopped raining but I can't make myself go out and get dirty and sweaty. Think I'll take a nap.
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Don't you hate it when that happens. It's always perfect gardening weather when I'm going out and raining when I want to garden. It does make the roots easier to get out of the bed when it is moist.
I bought and planted a ranaculus it died when I was getting it home, but I planted it anyway just incase the crom survived.
Now I just need to get the gladiolus in the ground this year.
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Did I tell you guys that I got attacked by ants the other day. Thankfully they were not fire ants so I've recovered quickly.
I've mixed compost into the raised beds and put organic calcium where I'm going to plant tomatoes, fertilized the straw bales where the squash will be planted, planted a few potatoes. I was going to plant the beans and squash yesterday but we're having a cool snap this week so I'm going to wait 4 or 5 days. My garden will be much smaller this year than in years past.
duh, did you leave the ranaculus in a hot car for a long time?
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So far I've planted radish seeds and carrot seeds. They have broken ground but have stopped growing. I think the weird weather has them confused.
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it will be another year without a garden :(
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Jen, stuff is so cheap at the farmers market it's hardly worth the effort although it is nice to get your own stuff when you need it.
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i really want some herbs and mints and stuff like that. i'll try to get some plants for the porch for those.
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I'll do a small garden again this year for the squash and cucumbers. Probably do 4 or 5 tomato plants too with a few rows of peas. My tiller is in the shop right now. The plastic gas tank had a small pin hole in it. Last year when I used it, I just put a small mount of gas in it because by the next time I used it, the tank was bone dry.
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Jim, I've gone from the ground to straw bales and raised beds. It's easier and closer to the house. Seems like you'll have plenty planted for eating and maybe saving too.
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I bought some chocolate mint in the hopes that I'll start drinking tea instead of Pepsi. Hasn't happened so far.
Got some radishes out of the garden yesterday. The green peas look stunted though. I thought they could take the cold but maybe it was too much because they just aren't growing.
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I've got to get my mint plants. thank you for reminding me sheri!
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I set out the straw bales and fertilized them, then set up the drip hoses. Planted sunflower seeds around the flag pole. Hope they bloom. Saw the first hummingbird. Also saw a pileated woodpecker and the bluebirds are nesting.
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Sounds like spring, Sheri. Lovely.
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I sat inside and watched it storm!
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Man that was some storm wasn't it Jif. Our screened in porch is soaking wet and a chime is blown apart. It's still windy here today BUT Mr. Rape came and put together my raised bed that has been on Johnny's list for over a month. Have I mentioned that I love Mr. Rape :) Saw 3 more hummingbirds today.
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i bought some parsley and catnip.
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I've started buying parsley plants too. Starting it from seed takes forever or I'm doing it wrong.
The plan today is to move the raised bed Mr. Rape built and cover the bottom of it with leaves.
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i got the front walk trimmed. it really needed a weed eater, but i don't like using them, and i had hedge trimmers. tomorrow i am going to go get me one of those rolling garden stools.
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Not sure what happened to my plan from the other day but I didn't get the bed moved until Saturday and still don't have leaves in it. BUT I did get the straw bales fertilized for the 2nd time before the rains came today. Good for me.
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Got the potatoes planted and started working on the bed for tomatoes. The straw bales are ready when it's time to plant and today I got plenty of radishes. They're unusually tasty this year for some reason. Maybe the strange weather helped. Still no flowers on the peas. It took 1-1/2 hour to pull the bedstraw out of the daylily bed. The sunflowers around the flag pole are coming up. Only have 1 bloom on the peonies this year. Not sure what happened.
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Potatoes, cucumbers, squash, limas, okra have all come up. The tomatoes look good. I've been eating green peas right off the vine. The radishes are finished.
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Jim have you planted yet?
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Jim have you planted yet?
Can't get it dry enough. I was late anyway and this continuous rain hasn't helped. I've got some tomato plants sitting on the back porch just waiting for it to get dry enough and lots of seed. I may just plant some cucumbers and squash now at this late date.
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i took some pictures! does that count?
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Did anyone plant anything? I've had a problem with the straw bale squash which has never happened before. I have a few blooms now and even a squash so I hope it was pollinated and grows.
I planted limas for the first time and something is eating them. I might just pull them up because they aren't healthy enough to end up putting out many beans. Everything else looks pretty good.
Now that it's 12 millions degrees we could use some rain.
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I never got the garden planted. Dianna potted the tomato plants that we had bought so I guess we will see if they produce anything on the porch.
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i really want to try the straw bale garden thing. i'm going to have to read up on it. but start it with a winter garden.