If you're a gardener ...

by compound complex 16 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  nancy drew

  We had a house once and I went through a wild planting phase. It was great fun and experimental I learned how important it is to know your area and what grows there.

  where we lived it was very hot with akaline soil so if you plant acidic soil plants it can be done but not easily and at the nursery the plants might say full sun but full sun in texas is different than in ohio for example so from my experience I'd say know your area and what does well there.

  also watch your garden and the sun because I had a shady area I thought but about five everyday the sun shot a beam on one spot of my shade garden and incinerated a few plants.
• 

  cameo-d

  You can't go wrong with a tumbleweed. If you forget to water it...it comes back when you do.

  Here are some of my secrets:

  Greensand. It's hard to find, but it has a lot of natural organic minerals that will continue to release over time. It is a wonderful soil builder.

  Molasses. Dilute the molasses and let it set for a couple of days before pouring on plant soil. It improves soil minerals, corrects acidity, and keeps those dang ants out of your pots.

  Earthworms. The castings are worth their weight in gold. And earthworms multiply fast. They help to aeriate the soil, too. If you don't want earthworms in your houseplants, you can purchase a bag of earthworm castings and make a dilute tea to pour on houseplants.

  Compost. Keep a pile of raked leaves in a corner area. If you have opportunity to get some free mulch chips from a tree service (they are always looking for place to dump a load) add that to your compost pile. Throw in vegetable scraps. You can also add dirt. There are formulas for doing this in layers. Each layer should be moistened when added and the pile should be aeriated which can be done with rebarb in center, moved around, or by turning compost to help it decay faster. There are "hot" compost piles and "cold" compost piles. It depends on additives and your time factors. It's only for serious gardeners.

  For moles...I have heard a stick of chewing gum, esp. Juicy Fruit, stuck below ground in their tunnel will do the trick. Or get a cat.
• 

  compound complex

  I appreciate the helpful advice, some of which is new to me.

  Thanks Sobeit, Mattieu [I will figure out your riddle], Nancy and cameo. Great points on soil ph, how and when the sun hits [plants tolerant of sun and heat in the ground may wither up on a deck, shouting "radiant heat!", worm castings, compost tea and bad years for experienced gardeners [50 years for me, too].

  Above all else, do not lose heart!

  Excellent!

  Gratefully,

  CoCo Composting
• 

  TD

  All gardeners lose a plant now and then. The better you get, the more exotic things you try to grow

  I've tried to get Mayapples (P. peltatum) to grow here in AZ as a winter plant in (and out) of a cold frame. Zero success so far
• 

  ESTEE

  Hi CoCo!

  I love to garden. I don't do too well with house plants. Usually, I stifle them with love, I figure.

  I do better with the garden outside, where I grow most of my own veggies and a variety of flowers and shrubs.

  >do all your plants grow?

  No, sometimes my plants do not do well. I planted four geraniums and they would not flower, until I distributed tea leaves around the base. Within a week, new buds appeared. I figured it was the soil condition.

  My potatoes grew very well. I planted ten potato parts. They all came up and only one died. The stem turned brown. I cut it down before it could spread to the other plants. We harvested 18 lb of potatoes from 9 plants.

  Then, there was the aphid problem. I discovered aphids on my peas, so I cut them down and bagged them, soaked them in cooking oil/laundry detergent, and left the bag in the garbage in the blazing sun. I also discovered aphids on my brussel sprouts
  and --- again ---destroyed the plants. I was disappointed, but the infestation was severe.

  We grow organic veggies.

  Also, some garden seeds simply did not germinate. I planted an entire row of flowers at the front of the veggie patch. Not one seed sprouted! I figure there was something wrong with that bag of seed, since the rest of the garden grew fine.

  Mr ESTEE transplanted some plants from the old house to the new house. Some lived and some died. Don't know why, except maybe some plants do not like to be disturbed. But, Mr ESTEE is most gentle with plants, saving a great big root ball, yet they still died. Puzzling.

  >I recently asked a friend about certain gardening problems and wondered if,
  >despite all your own green thumb efforts, some of your plants - potted
  >or in ground - remain stunted in their growth.

  I planted beets this year and they were stunted...never grew mature. I threw them all into the compost bin. They were behind the geraniums, so maybe the soil is depleted. Mr ESTEE will be topping up the garden with compost this fall.

  Last year I planted lettuce, which grew fine, except they did not last very long before it got too old. This year, I used the remainder of the seed package, and the lettuce grew and grew and grew and we kept eating it and eating it. The lettuce stayed nice this year, even though the seed was a year older. This was very nice, but how do I explain that one?

  Happy gardening!

  ESTEE
• 

  compound complex

  Thanks much, TD and ESTEE, for giving specific examples of what you've done. I guess I'm not alone. When it comes to infestations in an organic vegetable patch, you really have few options, as I understand, ESTEE.

  I read dandelion seed is good some 25 years. Given its extremely high nutrient levels, maybe we should concentrate on growing and harvesting that, miner's lettuce, dock ...

  Gratefully,

  CoCo
• 

  ESTEE

  I have eaten dandelion salad and it is quite good if the leaves are young.

  Love,

  ESTEE