Garden 2010
Now's the time to plan. I got this wonderful catalog from
D. Landreth Seed Company. I'd read an article in the paper last November about the history of this 1784 company, and the woman who is trying to rebuild it from the little outfit it had become after WWII, back to it's glory days of one of the nations leading seed companies.
This years catalog is beautiful. They're reproduced many of the pages of the 1874 centennial catalog, and have a section put together from a list of African American traditional veggies put together by Michael Twitty, a cultural historian. This is a good fit because they specialize in heritage seeds.
Veggies, vines, herbs, flowers, ornamentals, so much to do....:D
Oh, and this is the last year the catalog will be free.
hum nice
I looked through the pages. It is a very beautiful catalog.
I'd gladly plunk down $5 dollars for it.
As a garden catalog lover, I have to pitch my favorite catalog -- based, at least, on the awesome catalog covers! Check 'em out.
http://www.plantdelights.com/Catalog/Ghosts/Very nice! live not far from the home of the former J.B. Rice seed company. He was one of the huge "robber barrons" of our area. He and a few of his pals installed the water system to the entire village on their own dime.
During WWI he re-tasked all his fields to grow beans for Uncle Sam (thus letting all his other commercial crop seeds fade out) the war ended and he was left with a lot of beans and not much market for them. That was pretty much the end of hs dynasty.
There is still a lot of memorabilia in the area. I'll see if I can find and upload some seed packets.
We planted a garden yesterday. Decided to plant it in the front yard this year because of all the sun there. The soil here is terrible. All clay. So we mixed some bags of topsoil in with it.
I've got big hopes for this one. We got an automatic water timer so even when the mosquitoes are bad it will still get plenty of water. And it won't die when we take a vacation.
4 tomato plants, a packet of sunflower seeds, a bunch of basil, sage, dill, and a few other herbs I'm forgetting right now. Oh, and some other flowers too.
It took 3 hours yesterday afternoon, but through the magic of my new time lapse plantcam, you can watch us do it all in only a little over a minute.
[YOUTUBE]tWONTlQkEx4[/YOUTUBE]
Is your wife a teamster gardener?
the camera doesn't lie, does it? The Aussie neighbors came over for a chat. We had to be social. It would be rude to keep working.:)
I really need one of those. As long as it isn't pointed at the computer.
That plantcam might be the coolest thing evah.
Thanks for letting us watch you and your family plant your garden. It makes me smile. :)
very cool glatt..... but you need a haircut, hippie.
That plantcam might be the coolest thing evah.
It's a lot of fun.
I've been trying to come up with neat things to film. I pointed it at the back yard from an upstairs window while I was mowing the lawn. But it didn't work out well. The edges of the yard were outside of the shot, and I learned that I spend most of my time there at the edges as I turn around. The movie is a shot of a big empty back yard, and occasionally I pop into view in the middle, always getting a little closer to the camera.
It would be great at public gatherings, like a demonstration from up in a tree, but I wouldn't want to leave it unattended someplace like that.
I like How every Now and then all you see is a Kids face Peering into the Camera
We planted a garden yesterday. Decided to plant it in the front yard this year because of all the sun there. The soil here is terrible. All clay. So we mixed some bags of topsoil in with it.
I've got big hopes for this one. We got an automatic water timer so even when the mosquitoes are bad it will still get plenty of water. And it won't die when we take a vacation.
4 tomato plants, a packet of sunflower seeds, a bunch of basil, sage, dill, and a few other herbs I'm forgetting right now. Oh, and some other flowers too.
It took 3 hours yesterday afternoon, but through the magic of my new time lapse plantcam, you can watch us do it all in only a little over a minute.
[YOUTUBE]tWONTlQkEx4[/YOUTUBE]
The tomato plants are all wilting! I think maybe they got too much water. They had been doing amazing too. :( A couple small tomatoes were already on two of them.
too much water from watering and the tips of the leaves die. The cells burst from water. Too much water from rain and the fungus spores in the soil get splashed on the lower foliage and the fungus spreads.
If the leaves are normal looking, but wilted, you probably have this bad nematode or some sort of parasite that blocks the plants from taking up water. It basically eats up all the little root hairs until the plant is just unable to give itself water. If it looks ok in the am, but shitty after being in the hot sun, then it is probably those parasites. My book isn't nearby, but I'll look it up for you.
For now, just give it long, deep waterings. I'll check if there is a chemical or cultural solution. Did you buy the plants or start them? Sterilized potting soil to start?
http://vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/diagnostickeys/tomleaf/tomleafkey.html
http://blogs.cornell.edu/hort/2010/04/12/avoid-the-late-blight-blues/
I might be confusing two plant diseases, follow the top link for diagnostic
Cool. Thanks for any information you can provide.
The things were looking freaking awesome just two days ago. Now they are wilted at the top. The top third of each plant (an early producing variety) is completely flopped over and wilted. No discoloration or cankers. The soil is plenty damp. I've been running a soaker hose for an hour a day in the morning, and we have also had a fair amount of rain lately. There's no way the soil is too dry, so I figured I was over watering.
Soil here is mostly clay, and I added a bunch of bags of "topsoil" I bought to mix in with the clay. The topsoil had a bit of green slime growing on it just under the plastic bag, but otherwise looked fine. It wasn't advertised as being sterile.
I bought potted plants, and they were pretty root bound when I planted them. I think that's the word. The roots had reached the inside of the pot and were all grown around a lot in a tight circle.
I was all psyched this year because my problem usually is that I never water enough, and I got this timer to control a soaker hose.
can you take a good photo of the plants? and they are wilted all day long, right? No changes throughout the day?
It's possible they are less wilted in the morning, but if they are, it's pretty negligible. They are definitely wilted in the morning too. I'll have to pay closer attention to the severity.
In the early afternoon, they look like this:
Here's a good overview of the wilt.
And this is a shot of the base of the plant. The leaves are turning yellow. I didn't notice that yesterday. It might be new. That dead branch is broken, so it's not dead as the result of the disease.
And this is a detail of some leaves with brown spots on them. Not dirt.
I was at the farmer's market this morning and bought two new tomato plants. If I dig these out and plant the two new ones, will they catch whatever these things have? Is the problem in the soil now?
Problem is and most likely always was in the soil. Get two new plants and in the meantime pot them in 5 gallon pails full of bagged mix, drill some decent drainage holes in the bottom. Grow them in that this year.
Did you check out the link with plant pathology photos? Which do you think your plant most closely represents?
If you want to risk planting them, put down plastic mulch. The mulch keeps the soil from splashing onto the leaves. That is usually the route of transmission.
I'll look at my books later tonight and see if I can give you a better answer.
Copper (sulfide? sulfate?) is often used for fungus.
The tomatoes are now clearly better looking in the morning and really wilted in the late afternoon.
And I got an e-mail from my wife this morning that there are little white bugs all over the plants. Just took a look at them, and the wilted ones are now covered in aphids. Good news is, now I have a subject for my "pest" picture in the treasure hunt thread.
Better than me all around: this has been yard work year instead of garden work year, and all that yard work left us neighbor-friendly but plant-free. The beds are full of weeds and there may be no time to rescue the year.
But there is dill. At least there is dill.
Glatt, that sounds like verticillium wilt. Sucks. The aphids are opportunistic, though they often appear on over fertilized plants. pull the plants and don't replant in that spot. I'd really consider growing them in 5 gallon pails, mulch them well so the soil doesn't splash on the leaves.
Glatt, that sounds like verticillium wilt. Sucks. The aphids are opportunistic, though they often appear on over fertilized plants. pull the plants and don't replant in that spot. I'd really consider growing them in 5 gallon pails, mulch them well so the soil doesn't splash on the leaves.
I think you're right. It looks just like the picture. Thanks for all your help.
Well, that's too bad. This is a spot where we have had bad luck with other plants too. Shrubs. Everything we plant there dies. I thought that adding new topsoil and watering a lot would fix it, but I guess it's a dead zone.
take some soil samples to your local cooperative extension and have them test your soil. it might be a simple fix like pH or NPK.
Looking closer, you don't want to put plants up near your house anyway. bugs, moisture, bad times
Or buy plants that are resistance (sp) to wilt
Hey, Buster's back! How'd it go?
Last year our gardening experience was a loss. We picked a bad place to put it and it sat in swampiness the whole time. this year, we have a huge garden, but we just planted it, because the weather was so cold until now. Yesterday I just picked up some 2-3 year old thornless raspberry plants. I doubt they will fruit this year, but still, they are pretty cool. I will post some pictures when I get around to it.
Swampiness? Grow Wasabi and make a fortune.
2 Rows = 20 plants, 4 egg plants, 16 maters. One row of La. purple pod beans. Deer have been in beans & maters already. I let the row on right lay by. The iron frame work on far right is, was a retaining wall. Made with rebar and belting from sawmill. When I get some help or able will move it to about center of unused row and let grass have that space.
I like your setup, buster. That's a serious garden. The soaker hose under the black plastic is sweet. Do you find you have to weed much with that black plastic around the tomatoes? Also, how much do you water? How often and for how long? Is it hard to judge what the water needs are when you can't see the soil under the plastic? Do you just look at the plants to see if they are getting a little wilted and need some water?
The deer must be a huge pain. We only have rabbits to deal with here. They have destroyed my two blueberry bushes.
Glatt. Maybe TMI. My garden was planted way late this year. It's hard to find the right kind of plastic for home use. Most places sell landscape fabric, at around 12 bucks a 50' roll, which should be used under bark, ETC. The fabric sucks for what I want. UV eats it up. I water when I think it needs water.
I'm on city water and more you use, sewer bill goes up. Yeah go figure.
When my plants needed caging, I had my eye worked on. No bending over. So that was late and the sucker weren't picked off.
Dry as a bone here, temps around 95 and heat index 104 & 105. Boy I love a garden!!!!
I can see you're serious about the deer problem - that razor wire should keep them out!
Nice buster!
I see you have a hoot owl in your garden. We have on hanging here someone put up. It didn't stop the barn swallows from building a nest inside the landing. Maybe they only scare crows.
We've been enjoying the first peas of the season :yum:
We put up several plants for the first time this year, and while it's nothing compared to the huge raised beds most of you guys have, we're pretty pleased with ourselves. Two big pots of tomatoes, two big pots of bell peppers, and three watermelon plants in the ground.
The tomato plants are being a little weird: they're growing huge and tall, clearly thriving, but not budding much fruit at all. We're hoping for an explosion of tiny green balls to show up any day now.
The watermelons may be a complete failure: one is not growing at all (but not dying either,) one we accidentally planted right under the roof's edge so it gets pummeled every time it rains, and the third is actually growing but only slowly.
The bell peppers are rocking. The biggest one is already about 3 inches long, and there are probably 15 more in various smaller sizes. I don't like green bell peppers, so they're going to stay on the vine as long as it takes to turn red.
My maters and sorry fabric, it's less that 2 months old.
Hey Buster, we've got 4 tomato plants that have been growing nice and tall for over a month now, lots of leaves and seem to be thriving--but they're not producing a single actual tomato. Does this maybe mean not enough sun, not enough water, or something else...? Any suggestions?
Nope, just lots and lots of leaves right now.
Hey Buster, we've got 4 tomato plants that have been growing nice and tall for over a month now, lots of leaves and seem to be thriving--but they're not producing a single actual tomato. Does this maybe mean not enough sun, not enough water, or something else...? Any suggestions?
Have you considered the possibility that your tomatoes hate you?
(Age 12)
Michael: So I hate Dave now.
Michael's mom: Oh now, Michael, don't say you hate. It's so rude.
Michael: OK, I just don't like him, a whole lot.
When tomato plants experience extreme temperatures, either below 55° or above 90° F, for an extended period of time it may cause developing tomato blossoms to drop off.
Well hell. That's every freaking day here. Plus, the nitrogen angle rings true as well, because they're in nitrogen-prepped soil and we had also been watering with a fertilizer that includes nitrogen. Oh well, maybe they'll grow back in the Spring when it's not as hot.
Did they flower? and if they flowered were there any bees around to pollinate them?
When you do tomatoes again prep the hole youplant them in with 1/2C epsom salts mixed in with the soil. contact your local extension office and bring them a soil sample for testing. pH is very important as well as NPK.
also read the Frog and Toad chapter "The Garden" Decide if you are more like Frog or Toad, then decide if Mr. Fobble is more like Frog or Toad. Emulate the appropriate character in the book. Report back to us.
Also read this:
http://tomclothier.hort.net/page35.htmlWhen you do tomatoes again prep the hole youplant them in with 1/2C epsom salts mixed in with the soil.
Salt the earth, General Sherman? This helps the tomato?
Not Sodium Chloride, epsom salts, magnesium sulfate:
(wikipedia)
Applications
In agriculture and gardening, magnesium sulfate is used to correct magnesium deficiency in soil, since magnesium is an essential element in the chlorophyll molecule. It is most commonly applied to potted plants, or to magnesium-hungry crops, such as potatoes, roses, tomatoes, peppers and cannabis. The advantage of magnesium sulfate over other magnesium soil amendments (such as dolomitic lime) is its high solubility.
I've been putting about 2 Tbs of epsom salts in hole, with some dirt on top for plants, for years. Cheaper than other junk.
In stark contrast to last year's garden, my garden this year is producing more vegetables than I have ever seen (outside a grocery/market, that is.)
This is just what I harvested today...there has been a lot more. The only thing that has been a real disappointment are my tomatoes. I think perhaps I made the soil too hot. They are just now popping out little green tomatoes.
And here is my fail picture:
In stark contrast to last year's garden, my garden this year is producing more vegetables than I have ever seen (outside a grocery/market, that is.)
Wow, that's fantastic.... everything looks really nice. Beautiful carrots.
We have 2 sqaush plants in our front flower bed because of last halloween's forgotten gourds. Yay.
In stark contrast to last year's garden, my garden this year is producing more vegetables than I have ever seen (outside a grocery/market, that is.)
Maybe you got a good deal on that house because there's nuclear waste buried under the yard? :lol2:
I haven't gotten a good picture, but we've been living high on the red bell peppers here. Probably a total of 20 nice ones, plus another 7-10 or so that had some kind of rot so we cut them off early and trashed them. We gave up completely on the tomato plants though, and the watermelons, while extremely prodigious with their vines, have yet to start to grow any tiny melons.
This past weekend Mr. Clod put in the boards for the raised bed, which means butternut squash, kale, and radishes are going in the ground soon. I can't wait for the kale!
Oooh, Clod, don't give up on the maters. I think they are just late for everyone this year. Mine are finally starting to pop out tomatoes. I wish we had planted some red bells. Too bad we aren't neighbors or we could swap veggies!
We have melons (watermelons and cantaloupe) that are growing quite nicely, broccoli, cukes, lots more pumpkins and still much more in the way of squash and zucchini that we are waiting to harvest. This year has been amazing in terms of garden success. I don't know if you guys remember me saying this, but last year our garden was an abysmal failure. Perhaps bruce is right...maybe we have some kind of weird nuclear waste under the soil.
Any of your watermelons that do not ripen, can be used to pickle! Pickled watermelon is really yummy.
Do you use plain pickling salt to pickle your watermelon, Jaydaan, or a different recipe?
pickling your watermelon sounds like it ought to be a euphemism for something.....
:watermelonsmilie:
I think I might have pickled my watermelon last night. I can't be sure.
Any of your watermelons that do not ripen, can be used to pickle! Pickled watermelon is really yummy.
You know, I was wondering about that. My grandma use to pickle watermelon. I am not a pickle person at all...but my son and husband love them, so they might like pickled watermelon.
Pickled Watermelon Rinds
Makes 7 pints
* 1 large watermelon (about 25 pounds)
* 2 tablespoons salt
* 3 cups sugar
* 2 cups cider vinegar
* 1 piece fresh ginger, 1/2 inch long, peeled
* 1/2 teaspoon ground mace
* 2 small cinnamon sticks
* 1 lemon, thinly sliced
Directions
1. Cut watermelon in half; remove flesh and seeds. Using a metal spoon, scrape rind to remove all traces of pink. Cut rind crosswise in 1-inch-wide strips. Using a vegetable peeler or a small sharp knife, peel the green skin from the rind. Cut away any bruises or bad spots. Cut rind into 2-inch lengths.
2. In a large nonreactive bowl, combine salt and 1 gallon cold water. Add rind; let soak in brine overnight. Rinse rind 2 or 3 times in fresh cold water, and drain well.
3. Combine sugar and vinegar in a large nonreactive pot, and heat until sugar is dissolved. Fold an 8-by-16-inch piece of cheesecloth in half to make a square; rinse, and squeeze dry. Place ginger, spices, and lemon on the cheesecloth. Tie cloth closed with one end of a 12-inch piece of kitchen twine. Tie a loop in the other end, and slip it over the handle of a wooden spoon. Suspend spice bag in the vinegar syrup by placing the spoon across the top of the pot. Add rind to the pot, and return to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer for 30 minutes, and let sit overnight. Discard spice bag.
4. Wash seven 1-pint canning jars, lids, and screw bands with hot, soapy water, and rinse well. Place jars upright on a wire rack in the bottom of a large pot. Fill pot with hot water until jars are submerged by 1 to 2 inches, and bring to a boil. Boil for 15 minutes. Turn off heat, leaving jars in water. Sterilize lids according to manufacturer's instructions.
5. Using stainless-steel tongs, remove jars from water, and place on a layer of clean towels. With a slotted spoon, transfer rind to jars, leaving 3/4 inch of space beneath the rim. Return syrup to a boil. Pour hot syrup over rind, covering it by 1/4 inch and leaving 1/2 inch of space beneath the rim. Slide a clean plastic chopstick or wooden skewer along inside of each jar to release any air bubbles. Wipe mouth of jar with a clean, damp cloth. Place hot lid on jar; turn screw band firmly without forcing.
6. Place a wire rack in the bottom of a large pot, and fill partway with hot water. Using a jar lifter, place jars upright on rack. Add enough hot water to cover by 2 inches, and bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes. Remove jars from water bath; let stand on clean dish towels for 24 hours. Check cool jars for the slight indentation in the lids that indicates a vacuum seal. Jars that do not seal properly or that leak during processing should be stored in the refrigerator and pickles consumed within a week. Allow sealed pickles to mellow in a cool, dry place for 2 to 3 weeks. Store opened jars in the refrigerator.
This year has sucked. Planted late for weather. Then a few weeks drought. Then the Deer. They eat the tops of maters & eggplants. Knocked over some plants. Plus a few worms. With the too late rain, I should have had maters till frost. Stand by! Flickr changed things since I last linked.
knocked over by
Sparkidiot, on Flickr
Tops eatin by
Sparkidiot, on Flickr
mater worm by
Sparkidiot, on Flickr
The rat bastard woodchuck won't go into the trap. I am in the market for a .22
Where to post this ...
Garden 2010 ?
Ye Olde Videoe Clippe Threade ?
Treasure Hunt 12 - Texture
good music on youtube ?
The pure joy of entertaining yourself and friends ?
Post your pet ?
For a
first attempt at what he was trying to do, I feel he did quite a good job...
[YOUTUBE]cBN-CAhOYQ0[/YOUTUBE]
This year has sucked. Planted late for weather. Then a few weeks drought. Then the Deer. They eat the tops of maters & eggplants. Knocked over some plants. Plus a few worms. With the too late rain, I should have had maters till frost. Stand by! Flickr changed things since I last linked.
knocked over by Sparkidiot, on Flickr
Tops eatin by Sparkidiot, on Flickr
mater worm by Sparkidiot, on Flickr
Sorry for your loss. That is one ugly worm!
Do those things eat roses too?
I planted a double knockout rose, which is doing better than the properties own plants. They have been suffering from something eating the leaves. They/it eats until there are only stalks left. I have recovered the few roses in front of my windows but not without plenty of systemic and topical treatments. I read that it is a worm that lives in the dirt and crawls up the stalk.
How did you kill them?
