2020 Gardening: digging up some new dirt on an old hobby

[Zepol87 9185]

Cucumber plant is growing like crazy but no fruit yet. I have a 2ft trellis but it isn't enough, any tips on the best way to trim it down or do I need 6ft vines on this thing?

[Both Tacos 1806]

Cucumber plant is growing like crazy but no fruit yet. I have a 2ft trellis but it isn't enough, any tips on the best way to trim it down or do I need 6ft vines on this thing?

You need to go higher or just have it lay on the ground, if you have room. I have 16 ft. cattle panels made into arches that cucumbers will grow up and over.

[Both Tacos 1806]

Any of you ever heard of leaf cutter bees? Apparently their entire reason of living is to pollinate, unlike honey bees that pollinate as a side when trying to collect pollin to take back to their hive.

 

These bees are very docile and won't sting because they don't have a need to protect the hive or a queen. They stay within 300 yards of their home so perfect for a garden and flower bed around the house.

 

They cocoon over winter and come out when temps are above 80. Got a shipment of 200 bees this past week, put up their house by the garden and they should "hatch" within 21 to 30 days. At the end of the season when it starts cooling off, this year's bees will have laid their eggs into the empty tubes and can be stored in the fridge till next spring.

 

Figured I would try them out. Also the kids will get to enjoy seeing them buzz around without me worrying that they are going to get stung.

 

House and 200 bees for $70 using GYG promo code to get 10% off. Got that from Growing Your Greens YouTube video he had on these bees.

www.midasbees.com

 

 

 

 

[NorthLoop 14180]

Well now you've done it. Those are actually murder hornets. 

[Walden Ponderer 12639]

So funny that I'm the one who started this thread, but I'll seemingly be the last one to harvest anything. Well, anything I've personally planted, anyway. We've got a metric shit ton of wild strawberries that have been producing for about a month or so, and the wild blackberries look like it's only a couple more weeks on those, and we've got a bunch of fig trees, an apple tree loaded for bear (no idea what variety yet), and this weird pear hybrid the locals call a "pickling pear" - bigger fruit than an ornamental, but smaller than a "true" fruit pear, and you have to pickle it to eat it. Never even heard of such a thing before.

The farms all around us have knee-high corn, and the soy farmers have little green stubble in their fields, so I don't feel so bad about my bare veggie beds. I figure this first year is just to break up all this ridiculous clay soil, anyway.

[mulletpelini 5210]

On 5/26/2020 at 9:06 PM, Pato del Muerto said:

You spent a lot more time on your boxes than I did, with your rail caps and miter cuts. 

HEY, this is americuh bud

[NorthLoop 14180]

Getting a handful of cherry tomatoes each day

 

Also... This is supposed to be a Jalapeno plant (grew from seed)... 

[mulletpelini 5210]

Those look more like sweet than hot peppers.  I'll take em if you aren't wanting..

[NorthLoop 14180]

Nah it'll find a place blended into my refried beans

[Both Tacos 1806]

Dang mosaic virus hit most of my squash and zucchini plants. Had to tear out 3 squash and 2 zucchinis. That left me with 1 plant of each.
It hit a couple of plants at the end of last season and apparently laid dormant in the soil.
Definitely will plant them in a different part of the garden next year.

[mulletpelini 5210]

I've had so many problems with them over the years I just plant them in pots now and keep them seperate.  I hate using pots but it seems the only way I can grow zuc/squash with any success.  Built a separate trellis wall for them and cucumber out of pots with their own watering system just to keep them away from everything else.

[4th and 5 4914]

if the virus don't get em, vine borers will....I gave up years ago

[MrPhlegm 3413]

lawnmowers ztr. anybody got a ztr. Im looking for a ztr. I got maybe 1/2 acre to mow. lots of trees. im looking at a ferris 400s. anybody got any recs?

[cactusflinthead 27598]

Check out Tractor Supply. What is your budget like? 

[mulletpelini 5210]

Any advice on growing lavender from seed?  I can't get it to do shit.  Probably to much moisture and probably the wrong type of soil but not getting a ton of info. here locally.

[4th and 5 4914]

It is difficult and slow going, I've tried 

Try cloning new shoots in a light potting soil and vermiculite, keeping it moist and out of the sun.

But I just buy it at HEB plus. 

I have a huge herb garden with tons of lavender. And some in pots. It’s my favorite plant.

Plant it in a place where it gets good drainage and do not over water it.

Take cuttings of it, put it in a mesh baggie and put it inside your pillowcase. 

[cactusflinthead 27598]

3 hours ago, mulletpelini said:

Any advice on growing lavender from seed?  I can't get it to do shit.  Probably to much moisture and probably the wrong type of soil but not getting a ton of info. here locally.

Learn About Growing Lavender

Start the seed early and place the seed tray on a heat mat or in a warm location so that your lavender seeds germinate well. Rather than a traditional potting mix, use a very light mix or fine vermiculite that drains very quickly. The seedlings will germinate in about two weeks and will take a while to look like lavender. Make sure that the lavender seedlings get sufficient water, but do not let them stay damp, and place them in full sunlight for maximum health.

https://www.burpee.com/gardenadvicecenter/herbs/lavender/how-to-grow-lavender-from-seed/article10487.html

I'll second what he said about not overwatering. 

[mulletpelini 5210]

14 hours ago, 4th and 5 said:

It is difficult and slow going, I've tried 

Try cloning new shoots in a light potting soil and vermiculite, keeping it moist and out of the sun.

But I just buy it at HEB plus. 

I have a huge herb garden with tons of lavender. And some in pots. It’s my favorite plant.

Plant it in a place where it gets good drainage and do not over water it.

Take cuttings of it, put it in a mesh baggie and put it inside your pillowcase. 

are you flirting with me?

Edited June 3, 2020 by mulletpelini
all good info. ty

[Walden Ponderer 12639]

I grew some pretty damned good lavender in sandy College Station soil. I think I had all 12 square feet of sandy soil in Brazos County.

Not even trying it here in the Chapel Hill area. It hates wet feet, and I have yet to turn over a shovelful of dirt that hasn't been soggy.

Meanwhile, I didn't even know what an apple tree looked like until I looked up, and one of my trees was full of apples. Pleasant damned surprise.

[Redneck Mutha 7954]

My grape and two cherry tomato plants are producing, but the larger ones (Cherokee Purple and can't recall maybe beefsteak?) are not.  They are blooming but blooms are not producing, they just end up wilting away after a while.  

[Mrs Whiggins 13050]

It's interesting that it isn't all of them. They are a mix of indeterminate/determinate correct? Don't know if something happened as they were ready to set fruit? Too hot, too much/too little water, too much nitrogen or too little calcium. Would think those things would be reflected in the other varieties as well even though they are bush types. Maybe one of the tomato gurus has some answers on here. I've got a cherry hybrid and then 'Celebrity' as our large variety. Both have been doing well and I'm busy trying to outwit the birds that manage to find any way into the bird netting that they can.

[Both Tacos 1806]

16 quarts and 9 pints of dill pickles from this weekend. Cucumbers are just taking off, so should be another good year for pickles.

[NorthLoop 14180]

So I've noticed that some mockingbirds have taken a liking to my cherry tomato plant. At first I thought they were just going after bugs as I didn't notice any loss of fruit. But now I've started to see some rando tomatoes dropped in the yard. A quick google search tells me that mockingbirds fucking love tomatoes. Goddammit. 

[cactusflinthead 27598]

 

[Mrs Whiggins 13050]

On 6/15/2020 at 11:42 AM, NorthLoop said:

So I've noticed that some mockingbirds have taken a liking to my cherry tomato plant. At first I thought they were just going after bugs as I didn't notice any loss of fruit. But now I've started to see some rando tomatoes dropped in the yard. A quick google search tells me that mockingbirds fucking love tomatoes. Goddammit. 

Yes they do. They have all the time in the world to plot and plan to steal the fruits of your labor. I have a contraption over ours with bird netting and posts etc. and I'm sure the neighbors just love looking at it but when the early varieties are finished in a little bit then I can take it down.

I have an ear of corn and I am about ready to do a cartwheel. Had a terrible germination rate and finally got four stalks to grow. Wasn't sure I could get any results with such a poor do. Just tickled pink that it has tassels and is growing.

[NorthLoop 14180]

I'm getting some rubber sneks delivered today from Amazon. We'll see how that works

[Both Tacos 1806]

In all my years growing tomatoes, I've never had a problem with birds. Found 2 tomatoes today packed at. Guess I'll have to start picking them when they start turning ripe.

[4th and 5 4914]

My Yukon Golds made it to last week, this has been my best harvest ever. I spent under $5 and got a shitload of potatoes

[NorthLoop 14180]

[NorthLoop 14180]

Well that didn't work. It pissed off the birds but didn't stop them. I'll try an owl next.

[Both Tacos 1806]

Well that didn't work. It pissed off the birds but didn't stop them. I'll try an owl next.

You can try some netting draped over the plants.

[NorthLoop 14180]

Save for that one asshole, it's seemed to work so far today. I put a few more sneks out anyways.

Looked up bird netting and it looks like a messy pain in the ass. My in-laws have a big plastic owl that I can use too 

[Both Tacos 1806]

Picked this one today before the birds get to it. Believe it is the biggest tomato I've ever grown. After ripening up, going to a BLT meal.

[Mrs Whiggins 13050]

On 6/20/2020 at 2:16 PM, NorthLoop said:

Save for that one asshole, it's seemed to work so far today. I put a few more sneks out anyways.

Looked up bird netting and it looks like a messy pain in the ass. My in-laws have a big plastic owl that I can use too 

Yes and no. Depends upon what you do.

Based on your photo (as it looks like your plants are near a stockade fence), what we ended up doing might be something that wouldn't be too big a PITA.

Measure your distance along the fence across the top for where your plants start and stop plus wiggle room. My spouse took some leftover hooks he had in his tool kit, some were eye hooks and some were cup hooks. He put them at the top of the fence--he might've used three. Netting comes in different sizes, and I think ours was maybe 14 sq ft. We hooked the netting over the hooks or used bread twisties where we had eye hooks.

Opposite the fence at the front corners (because our width wasn't too many pots) we drove in some 6-8 foot tall green plant stakes we had left over. Because the netting will fall down the stakes due to the holes, I cut a slit in a couple of dead tennis balls from the garage with a box cutter and put one on each pole. This allowed the netting to drape from the hooks over the tops of the tomatoes to the tennis ball stakes. At the bottom toward the back of the fence I weighted the netting down with a brick on each side, then in the front I weighted it down or clothespinned it to the stake depending upon where I wanted access. When we mow, I just lift the netting for the little bit of time I'm mowing/trimming and then a minute later drop it back down.

It looks a little rinky dink, but our tomato area isn't huge and I don't have to watch the birds as closely. When the tomatoes are done, we'll pop the stakes out of the ground and we'll leave the hooks in place since they're small.

[NorthLoop 14180]

lol yeah that's definitely more effort than I'm willing to put in

 

The sneks seem to be working. I think that one asshole bird told his friends because they're not even hanging around anymore. 

[Mrs Whiggins 13050]

Well, that's good to know. Maybe I'll try that next season.

[4th and 5 4914]

My tomatoes are kicking ass. I dug up all my potatoes and then put in a row of okra. Also I’ve got some blackberries that should have a nice yield next year. And then some more cucumbers and peppers

[4th and 5 4914]

The herb garden and the porch flowers are loving all the rain that we’ve had. 

[Llano Estacado 1257]

Any advice on pickling okra? Pretty idiot proof, yes? I’ve canned other crap before, but my pickling experience is zero.

My uncle advised find a recipe online. Follow it. Ensure sterile jars. Increase mustard, fennel, and spice (pepper flakes, hot sauce, or jalapeños and habaneros themselves)if going for “Texas” flavor.

Also mentioned in his bachelor days he’d just add boiled vinegar and spice to old jars, and keep a rolling pickled okra mason jar in fridge all summer/fall. Don’t think that’s going to work for the wife and kids.

[fattyflattie 4639]

Our okra and cucumbers have been kicking ass.  Cherry tomatoes doing ok.  Jalapenos and all the other salsa fixings lagging a bit.  Oh, and watermelon is blowing up.  Wife started a few raised beds (fire rings) in the back yard this year to get the girls involved, and holy hell it has taken off.   The okra has been absolutely fantastic.  

[Sam Lin 3550]

3 hours ago, 4th and 5 said:

The beers don't grow very well unless you plant multiple bottles so they can cross-pollinate.

[Both Tacos 1806]

Well damn it. Something has eaten all the leaves off my pepper plants (bell, sweet and japs). The peppers are there and just the stem.
I was in garden on Sunday and everything looked okay.
I checked for horn worms but don't see any and usually they attack the tomato plants.

[workswithseed 2088]

On 5/2/2020 at 12:01 PM, Walden Ponderer said:

I'm still having to get used to a whole new schedule. I just put in a bunch of tomatoes and herbs in my wife's kitchen garden, but I drive past a bunch of local farms every time I go out (once or twice a week at the most) just to see what's what, and they are still harvesting winter hay. None of the corn farmers have done much more than till a couple of fields -- nothing planted at all, yet, seemingly.

Meanwhile, wild strawberries and blackberries are all over the place. In Texas, we used to start harvesting Brison blackberries right about now; here, they've just started to bloom. And these little beauties are all over the place -- about an acre of fallow ground is teeming with 'em. 

I actually feel you. This is the first year where my apartment has some dirt. I planted potatoes, and 2 cherry tomatoes over a month ago. Well the temperature fell back to the 40s at night to 60s during the day, and it started to rain every day for 3 weeks. I miss Texas 

[Mrs Whiggins 13050]

I'm going to try and post a pepper pic and maybe one of the roses. I don't take the best pics. Here goes:

Here is a Don Juan Climber. It has a lovely scent. One of the favorite roses for scent is Chrysler Imperial. My husband loves that one and when it has a round of blooms I put them by his place at the dinner table.

 

[Both Tacos 1806]

Another pickle batch and I guess it's time to make some salsa.

[4th and 5 4914]

I had not been down to the garden for a few days, I’m glad I did. I had lots of picking to do

[Walden Ponderer 12639]

I'm cryin' over here. I've got some cherry tomatoes that look like they'll turn in a few days, but otherwise, my harvest (other than the previously mentioned wild berries) has been a bag of apples, a handful of jalapeños, and a single, solitary cowhorn pepper.

[fattyflattie 4639]

Pulled the first few Jalapenos off last night.  Pretty damn spicy.  Very good.

[Pato del Muerto 52485]

Looking good so far. Bout time to pick the chard, bok choy, and spinach, and not long for the kale. Tomatillo is flowering and the squash have lots of blossoms. 
 

Tomatoes are a little behind but not too bad  only thing we’ve really lost is the peas.  Celery was looking bad but recovered once i rugged up a shade cloth that we can use on hot days.

Edited June 29, 2020 by Pato del Muerto

[NorthLoop 14180]

2nd pepper harvest of the year plus some cherry tomatoes