GARDEN 2023

[elkhound]

First of skillcult apple tree scion to bloom in my orchard. its the BITE ME! apple he developed. i wont let that apple grow with it being a 2 year graft it needs more energy into healing and growth. but its exciting anyway.

looks like the scion this year are trying to wake up and put a leaf or two out. i hope so. it was several grafts this year.

 

[LadyLocust]

Plan on playing in the dirt this weekend. Hoping to get a good lot done. Tender plants will have to wait a while longer. Temps are still on the chilly side.

 

[Pearl]

Plan on playing in the dirt this weekend. Hoping to get a good lot done. Tender plants will have to wait a while longer. Temps are still on the chilly side.

Cool (cold) weekend here, planting too!!

 

[Tommyice]

Spent a good part of the afternoon cleaning up one of the beds. Filled with lots of “hairy” roots. Can’t figure out where or what they came from but they are gone. Spread a little bit of bone meal and worked it in. That bed is for carrots and onions. I’m using onion sets. Had watched a video of Huw Richards where he started sets in module trays. So I tried it and they took off really well—tops and beautiful roots. Both onions and carrots go in the ground tomorrow provided the weather holds out--expecting rain.

All the tomatoes and peppers have been moved from the dining room to the greenhouse.

 

[Bacpacker]

According to the almanac best planting days are Monday Tuesday and Wednesday. Thats what I'm shooting for. Seeds on Monday,, plants Tuesday and Wednesday. We may have frost Monday and Tuesday morning.
Here are a couple of pictures of my latest bed. And my taters

 

[Tommyice]

Question for those of you who use drip irrigation.....

Do you lay out your tubing and emitters first or do you plant and then adjust everything to the plant locations?

 

[Bacpacker]

I usually plant first. I move my plants around each year. But it other than being in the way when planting, it wouldn't matter. I use drip tapes cut to length and assembled for each bed.

 

[UrbanHunter]

The wife was upset with the squirrels getting the bird food and asked if I could electrify the feeders, so I did. Then she said will it work on crows and jay birds? I said if you want it too... I told her that there was a remote control that she can turn it on only when the uglies were present... Then she said, "Oh I don't want to know how YOU do it, I just want you to DO IT!" She almost sounded disappointed when I told her that it wouldn't kill the critters just surprise them a bit...

 

[Neb]

The wife was upset with the squirrels getting the bird food and asked if I could electrify the feeders, so I did. Then she said will it work on crows and jay birds? I said if you want it too... I told her that there was a remote control that she can turn it on only when the uglies were present... Then she said, "Oh I don't want to know how YOU do it, I just want you to DO IT!" She almost sounded disappointed when I told her that it wouldn't kill the critters just surprise them a bit...

There is a risk of fire if they don't disconnect.

Ben

 

[UrbanHunter]

There is a risk of fire if they don't disconnect.

Ben

No, I installed a remote switch to the AC feed, Push on-Push off... That way I can selectively zap them. In fact the remote I have is called zap, the box is designed for 5 miles of fence so there will be plenty of juice available when we zap them....

https://www.amazon.com/Patriot-Elec...efix=electric+fence+energizer,aps,117&sr=8-43

https://www.amazon.com/Century-Wire...9Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=
We actually like the finches, itty bitties (sparrows), the doves, and robbins, it is just the squirrels and crows that the wife really wants entergized!

 

[Neb]

No, I installed a remote switch to the AC feed, Push on-Push off... That way I can selectively zap them. In fact the remote I have is called zap, the box is designed for 5 miles of fence so there will be plenty of juice available when we zap them....

https://www.amazon.com/Patriot-Elec...efix=electric+fence+energizer,aps,117&sr=8-43

https://www.amazon.com/Century-Wire...9Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=
We actually like the finches, itty bitties (sparrows), the doves, and robbins, it is just the squirrels and crows that the wife really wants entergized!

Take some pictures as you go for a thread on that topic. In the meanwhile this video may make for a nice tutorial for you and the Mrs.



Ben

 

[Amish Heart]

The grade school kids here made one of those a few years ago, they had a blast

 

[Buffalo]

So we are trying something new this year, growing horseradish and asparagus in containers. These are feed troughs from Tractor Supply. They were on sale a few weeks ago and I snagged a couple of them. I started with a mix of 1 part compost to 1 part garden soil to 1/2 part peat moss:

Then, mixed it together well with a garden fork. (The strange looks you get from your wife when she walks into your shop while mixing the aforementioned soil mix is optional. )

Then I planted one container with several second year asparagus starts and the other with about half a dozen horseradish rhizomes. The asparagus won't stay that crowded, roughly half will be transplanted to a permanent bed at our place in Kansas this fall, I just haven't had time to get them in the ground down there and I'm afraid they are going to die if I wait much longer.

My original thought was to divide the horseradish between the two containers, as I've read it is extremely invasive and will grow like mad if left to it's own devices. Worst case scenario, I can always transfer several of the rhizomes to another container this fall and winter as well.

I haven't the faintest idea if this will work or not, but I wanted to give it a go regardless and satisfy my curiosity.

 

[Neb]

So we are trying something new this year, growing horseradish and asparagus in containers. These are feed troughs from Tractor Supply. They were on sale a few weeks ago and I snagged a couple of them. I started with a mix of 1 part compost to 1 part garden soil to 1/2 part peat moss:
View attachment 107569

Then, mixed it together well with a garden fork. (The strange looks you get from your wife when she walks into your shop while mixing the aforementioned soil mix is optional. )
View attachment 107570
Then I planted one container with several second year asparagus starts and the other with about half a dozen horseradish rhizomes. The asparagus won't stay that crowded, roughly half will be transplanted to a permanent bed at our place in Kansas this fall, I just haven't had time to get them in the ground down there and I'm afraid they are going to die if I wait much longer.

My original thought was to divide the horseradish between the two containers, as I've read it is extremely invasive and will grow like mad if left to it's own devices. Worst case scenario, I can always transfer several of the rhizomes to another container this fall and winter as well.

I haven't the faintest idea if this will work or not, but I wanted to give it a go regardless and satisfy my curiosity.

Did you add drainage holes?

Ben

 

[Buffalo]

Did you add drainage holes?

Ben

Sure did! It was actually pretty convenient, as the mold they use for those tanks has nice 1/2 inch "pipes" molded right into the bottoms, I just opened up the inside and added a bit of wire mesh over each one.

 

[Bacpacker]

Horseradish is VERY invasive. I put 2 small roots in a corner of a raised bed last year. Grew huge plants. I dug al the way to the ground trying to remove it all. Got 2 Walmart bags stuffed full and 4 quarts zip locked packed full from it. Thaought I got it all. But I'm continually pulling new shoots this year. I'm digging down and trying to remove every last bit as it comes up. Bed is full of taters and I don't want it there.
I have asparagus in another bed for the 3rd year now. We are getting a nice harvest. Had a few roots kill off this winter. Just replanted 10 new roots tonight to fill the gaps. I will mulch heavily after the fronds die back.
Also planted some cucumbers in another bed with the lettuce and cabbage. Potted more melons and squash seed and put on the heat mat.

 

[Buffalo]

Horseradish is VERY invasive. I put 2 small roots in a corner of a raised bed last year. Grew huge plants. I dug al the way to the ground trying to remove it all. Got 2 Walmart bags stuffed full and 4 quarts zip locked packed full from it. Thaought I got it all. But I'm continually pulling new shoots this year. I'm digging down and trying to remove every last bit as it comes up. Bed is full of taters and I don't want it there.
I have asparagus in another bed for the 3rd year now. We are getting a nice harvest. Had a few roots kill off this winter. Just replanted 10 new roots tonight to fill the gaps. I will mulch heavily after the fronds die back.
Also planted some cucumbers in another bed with the lettuce and cabbage. Potted more melons and squash seed and put on the heat mat.

Sounds to me like you'll have horseradish for years to come, even if you don't want anymore! We are not quite at the point of being able to start planting cucumbers or any cold sensitive vegetable right now. We've been under a freeze warning 3 of the last 4 nights. When is your last frost date for Tennessee? Ours is May 10th, but even then I'm still a little leery of planting right then and there, I usually wait another five days to a week.

 

[Bacpacker]

I think our last date was the 20th. Right around there anyway. I usually wait until 1st of May to plant warm weather stuff, cucs, maters, peppers, etc. But today and next 2 days are the best planting days for the next month. I doubt we'll have more freezing temps. But I can protect from frost, which could still happen.
I've got 3 Horseradish plants in the lower garden, so yeah we'll be set for life, and whoever comes behind us. I'll keep pulling them from the bed and hopefully get rid of all of it eventually.

 

[elkhound]

29f this morning..last week it hit 84f and 86f...potatoes already popped out of ground. some got bit off..headed to low again tonight. freeze warning not just frost...brrrr. its spring here..last frost is may 10th but i seen it frost hard the 3rd week in june and smoke every garden in the county.

 

[Neb]

We have had great flowering of our apple trees but have 31 degrees as the expected low. If we get through tonight we may have an apple harvest.

Ben

 

[LadyLocust]

Hubby and I walked down to the river yesterday evening in a wishful attempt to find morels. Didn’t find any, but did find either melon or squash plants growing. Will be fun to see what they do.

 

[Weedygarden]

I fully expect at least one more snow storm before I plant cold tender plants outside. We don't usually plant here until after Mother's Day.
Seedlings are doing very well. I need to repot many of them. I still have more seeds to plant in starter trays, but mostly flowers such as zinnias.

 

[ClemKadiddlehopper]

All of my fruit trees survived the winter. I wrapped them in burlap and garbage bags to try and control the freeze/thaw cycles and protect them from wind while they are small. That, and being buried in snow seems to have been a success.

 

[ClemKadiddlehopper]

The seed situation is pretty bad here. The same seeds everywhere and not much of them. I have managed to get some old seed from my own seed saving to sprout and now I have to baby those plants and do whatever I can to get them to produce seed.


I had really good luck sprouting some kind of melons from store bought. They are from Guatemala and Costa Rica. I got the six year old hopi pale blue squash to sprout, but I cannot get broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage or pak Choi to sprout. They are all fresh seed and total duds.


I did notice that they are not dating the seed packages anymore. Buyer beware.

 

[LadyLocust]

The seed situation is pretty bad here. The same seeds everywhere and not much of them. I have managed to get some old seed from my own seed saving to sprout and now I have to baby those plants and do whatever I can to get them to produce seed.


I had really good luck sprouting some kind of melons from store bought. They are from Guatemala and Costa Rica. I got the six year old hopi pale blue squash to sprout, but I cannot get broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage or pak Choi to sprout. They are all fresh seed and total duds.


I did notice that they are not dating the seed packages anymore. Buyer beware.

This year, I didn't need many seeds but did order a few specifics from "Totally Tomato" (they have more than tomatoes), and Strictly Medicinal Seeds (herbs + others). Have had great luck with both the companies and the seeds.

 

[ClemKadiddlehopper]

Since the covid bs getting seeds from the US has been a problem and the few small growers here are struggling or gone.

 

[joel]

I really want to know if Asparagus will do well in containers after three years.
Please keep us up dated on what well they do.

How Deep Do Asparagus Roots Grow?​

Asparagus roots grow to an astonishing size of 5–6 feet (1.5–1.8 meters) in diameter and 10–15 feet (3–4.5 meters) deep. These plants, sometimes mistakenly called asparagus ferns, are also highly invasive. For this reason, it’s sometimes pejoratively referred to as a perennial weed. Asparagus seedlings need to be handled carefully to limit future asparagus production. You won’t want this deeply-rooted perennial vegetable to overtake your local flora. Exercise proper care in asparagus plantings to avoid unchecked green asparagus growth.

Do Asparagus Have Shallow or Deep Roots?​

Asparagus plants are well-known for their deep root system. An aspiring asparagus grower should avoid shallow soils and soils prone to water saturation when planting an asparagus bed. Additionally, an asparagus bed should be planted in such a way as to not shade other plants. Asparagus should be planted at the north end of any vegetable garden. If you have the necessary sun, a raised bed is a great option for asparagus.

 

[Bacpacker]

Mine are 3 years in now in the raised bed. So far so good. Producing well. 5 to 10 years from now will tell the true story.
I acted my roots about a foot deep. And give them a good dose of 0-45-0 and some bone meal each year in late winter

 

[elkhound]

30f this morning

looked at 10 day forecast...all next week is to be in the 30's....!!

 

[LadyLocust]

I'm going to put this here rather than in the funny pages.