A Gardening Thread

[DireWolfSpirit]

^^^^MMMMMM get out the dipping chips!

My apples are finally a nice red and sweet as well so of course im taking those.

Im relieved everything survived this summers draught, it was pretty severe for a few months. Did way more watering than I ever have had to bother with.

Neighbor lost a small row of pines because he thought i was "waisting my time and they dont need it",  mine I watered are fine, his didnt come back after the draught.

I cant just let something wither like that.

My commute to work goes by several miles of pathetic, waiste high corn stalks with absolutely no ears to harvest.

Not certain if this is from the draught as well or its some sort of 2nd planting that they just make a sileage from for livestock?

If memory serves right i didnt notice any first crop, i think they just had a super crapola crop, but im no farmer, this is just general musing over the summers growing season through like 2 months without rain. Those that could irrigate were fine, same extrapolated for us backyard gardeners.

[Alarich II]

We harvested our apples and pears during the last three weeks, unfortunately all the plums have terribly suffered from the draught, so there was nothing there. And the same for elderberry. But our pears were glorious, big, sweet and plenty of them. The apples were 50/50 - the old trees (60 years and older) did still get some water; especially our old Boskoop had huge, but not very many, apples. The others had many, but small apples

The biggest part of the apple and pear harvest went into our mincer and from there to the juice squeezer. From the juice I made a batch of apple must and a batch of perry and a batch of juice for the kids. The perry was a bit lacking on the acid, of which the apple must had plenty, so after 10 days, I made a 50/50 blend of the two. Which tastes so good, that I'm afraid it won't even last until christmas.

The rest went into pear jam and jelly, apple purée, dried apples, pear compote and other stuff, which will (hopefully) last us until the end of next spring.

[Toth]

So my Corona lockdown induced idiocy goes into the next round.

After my two chestnut plants died this year, possibly because I put them too early into a large pot that didn't get enough sun, I collected last month a bunch more and planted them and one of them has already sprouted. Will keep that one closely guarded on the window sill and will see how that one fares. I also... collected all kinds of random other seeds while I was at it and an acorn has also sprouted. XD I will see whether an oak tree is easier to raise at home than a chestnut...

Meanwhile some of my peppers have now died after two years, though some are still stubbornly clinging to life. Admittedly, cutting down on heating because of that whole war going on two flight hours away has probably also played a part in that. Some of the smaller orange plants have been dying, too. Though some of the bigger ones now also developed thorns. Never knew they had those, but... well, you never stop learning I guess.

The two pomegranates are still alive, but still look remarkably delicate. Why don't they turn more shrub-like? I also had experimented with planting ginger and potatoes. The ginger grew into a nice tall plant, but unfortunately didn't develop any nodules. The potato turned into one single 4 meter long snake like monstrosity strangling everything on the dinner table before it suddenly died. With only one tiny mini potato being able to get harvested. I replanted that one as well... and it also turned into a similar snake plant. Damn you, Mark Watney, you lied to me! Potatoes suck as indoor crops!

One of my other experiments had been mango. The first mango seed turned into a truly magnificient plant, but unfortunately all the ones after that had turned out oddly decrepit. Only a few died, but the others seem always to be just on the verge of dying and that's really frustrating to watch. I fear it has something to do with the bad light situation in winter. My mother also brought physalis seeds and a banana plant and... things went crazy. A couple of the physalis plants are strangling and overshadowing the avocado plant (though others look rather miserably), meanwhile the banana... turned into a massive tree-like monstrosity I have no space for anywhere... it also keeps churning out shoots like crazy, which I have also planted and which also quickly grow similarly well, with one of them also already growing more shoots.

[A Horse Named Stranger]

On 12/11/2022 at 11:27 AM, Toth said:

So my Corona lockdown induced idiocy goes into the next round.

After my two chestnut plants died this year, possibly because I put them too early into a large pot that didn't get enough sun, I collected last month a bunch more and planted them and one of them has already sprouted. Will keep that one closely guarded on the window sill and will see how that one fares. I also... collected all kinds of random other seeds while I was at it and an acorn has also sprouted. XD I will see whether an oak tree is easier to raise at home than a chestnut...

Meanwhile some of my peppers have now died after two years, though some are still stubbornly clinging to life. Admittedly, cutting down on heating because of that whole war going on two flight hours away has probably also played a part in that. Some of the smaller orange plants have been dying, too. Though some of the bigger ones now also developed thorns. Never knew they had those, but... well, you never stop learning I guess.

The two pomegranates are still alive, but still look remarkably delicate. Why don't they turn more shrub-like? I also had experimented with planting ginger and potatoes. The ginger grew into a nice tall plant, but unfortunately didn't develop any nodules. The potato turned into one single 4 meter long snake like monstrosity strangling everything on the dinner table before it suddenly died. With only one tiny mini potato being able to get harvested. I replanted that one as well... and it also turned into a similar snake plant. Damn you, Mark Watney, you lied to me! Potatoes suck as indoor crops!

One of my other experiments had been mango. The first mango seed turned into a truly magnificient plant, but unfortunately all the ones after that had turned out oddly decrepit. Only a few died, but the others seem always to be just on the verge of dying and that's really frustrating to watch. I fear it has something to do with the bad light situation in winter. My mother also brought physalis seeds and a banana plant and... things went crazy. A couple of the physalis plants are strangling and overshadowing the avocado plant (though others look rather miserably), meanwhile the banana... turned into a massive tree-like monstrosity I have no space for anywhere... it also keeps churning out shoots like crazy, which I have also planted and which also quickly grow similarly well, with one of them also already growing more shoots.

Well, depending on the kinda of banana plant, but 1.5-2 m in height should be it. So that'd be still within room plant measurements (at least that's what google says). Curious, I somehow always assumed that bananas grow on giant trees.

Edited December 12, 2022 by A Horse Named Stranger

[maarsen]

2 hours ago, A Horse Named Stranger said:

Well, depending on the kinda of banana plant, but 1.5-2 m in height should be it. So that'd be still within room plant measurements (at least that's what google says). Curious, I somehow always assumed that bananas grow on giant trees.

Does everything have to be big for you Horse?

[A Horse Named Stranger]

3 hours ago, maarsen said:

Does everything have to be big for you Horse?

Nah, not everything. Remember I am trying to get to 200 about the smalles and most unworthy state in the US - Florida (176). 

[Toth]

18 hours ago, A Horse Named Stranger said:

Well, depending on the kinda of banana plant, but 1.5-2 m in height should be it. So that'd be still within room plant measurements (at least that's what google says). Curious, I somehow always assumed that bananas grow on giant trees.

The issue isn't exactly height yet (the avocado is notably taller), but rather width. Each of the leaves is bigger than my head and it looks quite uncomfortably squeezed against the window if I place it on the bathroom window sill. Unfortunately any other place would have not enough light and humidity for its liking.

[A Horse Named Stranger]

Ok, that makes sense.

[maarsen]

3 hours ago, Toth said:

The issue isn't exactly height yet (the avocado is notably taller), but rather width. Each of the leaves is bigger than my head and it looks quite uncomfortably squeezed against the window if I place it on the bathroom window sill. Unfortunately any other place would have not enough light and humidity for its liking.

There are people who grow bananas here in Canada, but yes they are huge and need a lot of room. Some kind of greenhouse would be ideal. I am quite impressed that you managed so well.

[Toth]

So yeah, I was laughing out loud when I saw that the surviving pepper plants after three years are already developing new fruits: https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/988019526346092544/1091669558835810304/20230330_165734.jpg

Tough little buggers!

Meanwhile I harvested the ginger. After all of its plant died, I dug in the earth and found four very tiny nodules. I separated them into groups of two and replanted them. Will see how this goes. Physalis, bananas, avocado and mango are still fine. The three surviving tomato plants are blooming as well, but haven't developed any new fruits yet. The lychee plants are also still small, but going on strong. The oak plant hasn't grown a bit and is still just a tiny fragile little thing with three leaves. Two more chestnuts had sprouted in the meantime and since their chestnuts were triple the size of the first one that sprouted, they have already grown to the size of the orange plants (which are also still doing very fine). Wonder why nothing became of the beeches and maple seeds I also planted...

My misadventures continue, as it seems...

[DireWolfSpirit]

I have in the last week of May a 10 day block off of work. Gardening is at the top of list for stuff to do during that free time.

Am mulling just what type of greenhouse structure Im going to put in.

The final pick hasnt been made, but the choice for location is fairly certain. 

Also Morels!!!! Only need a few nice warm snaps in the coming weeks and im usually picking these for most of May so good stuff soon there.

Will be adding a new climbing yellow rose to the patio area flower plot, its sprouting nicely in the window sill, still getting too cool in the eves for me to add this outdoors yet in this northern Wisconsin zone.

Also a nice elderly neighbor has decided she no longer wants the hassle of keeping up her Iris's so she is going to pass the bulbs off to lucky me.

Have also added some flower edging and fencing after seeing the manic trampling our new puppy was capable of.

Lots too look forward to this spring.

[Mlle. Zabzie]

Managed to fill the planters by my door this weekend with pansies and stock and alyssum.  I’ll pull out the pansies in a month or so and put in superbells or wave petunias (or both).  The nursery I went to didn’t have ranunculus, which I adore.  Oh well.  

Also ordered some hollyhocks and a few other things from white flower farm.  We’ll see…

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

Stupid Minnesota weather. A week ago it was 80. It's 42 right now. How can one begin to prep their garden with these insane swings even when you know you have to account for them?

Oh well, another season where the peppers and tomatoes have to go in late and will likely underperform.  

Edited April 24, 2023 by Tywin et al.

[Cas Stark]

Ha, yes, same here, it was almost 90F last week and now it's back to the 60s.  They don't even have the full slate of annuals in stores yet, and HOLY MOTHER OF GOD, the prices for a small flat of annuals seems like it has doubled since last year.  I've got nothing but snap dragons so far and the perennials that are starting finally to sprout.  Have barely seen any petunias or impatients or the rest of the basics.  Trying to grow cat nip from seeds, we will see how that turns out.  I can never find it anymore as an actual plant, where it used to always be at Lowes/Home Depot garden depts.  

[Mlle. Zabzie]

3 hours ago, Tywin et al. said:

Stupid Minnesota weather. A week ago it was 80. It's 42 right now. How can one begin to prep their garden with these insane swings even when you know you have to account for them?

Oh well, another season where the peppers and tomatoes have to go in late and will likely underperform.  

I don't usually put in peppers or tomatoes or similar until mid-may at the earliest.  I had meant to put in peas and carrots last weekend but Saturday was my daughters' birthday and Sunday it POURED until 4 so I didn't really have enough time to do more than my planters.

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

37 minutes ago, Mlle. Zabzie said:

I don't usually put in peppers or tomatoes or similar until mid-may at the earliest.  I had meant to put in peas and carrots last weekend but Saturday was my daughters' birthday and Sunday it POURED until 4 so I didn't really have enough time to do more than my planters.

That's around when I start as well. It's really not that far away now and this is typically when I begin to prep, but the awful weather is a motivational killer. 

[Mlle. Zabzie]

1 hour ago, Tywin et al. said:

That's around when I start as well. It's really not that far away now and this is typically when I begin to prep, but the awful weather is a motivational killer. 

I know - I had big plans to work compost into my raised beds this weekend.  Alas.

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

2 hours ago, Mlle. Zabzie said:

I know - I had big plans to work compost into my raised beds this weekend.  Alas.

Such is life, right? But there in lies the meditative beauty of gardening. 

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

15 pepper plants in. Might be space for some more that my grandpa gives me. Cilantro is in too. Should have the tomatoes in over the long weekend. Also am going to plant a bunch of random flowers. I might be dirty as hell, but the garden looks pretty good. 

Now about fixing the fence....

[DireWolfSpirit]

Only one of my 2 plum trees is thriving so I will need to replace the withered one to get these to seed each other.

Have added a ornamental purple leaf sand cherry tree its looking vibrant, the lilacs as well.

Have found some really effective deer nettings to protect my newer trees and some of the flowering perenials. Its sort of fish net(ish) and is real course so the deer have an unpleasant experience when it scrapes their filthy noses and voila, the stuff doesnt get munched!

Have planters and blooming flower garden and a couple of stacked shelves full of planted veggies all on our large patio.

The stuff still on the shelves will go into the new greenhouse in about a week. Still have some benches and knee walls and frame support to complete inside the greenhouse so i want the last of my ladder and fastener type work done before I introduce the plants to their new home. Plus an area inside the greenhouse will have an inground plot so yeah any and all ladder work needs to be completed first.

Today has been our first real rain in about a month so lots of effort expended on the watering front, bonus has been conplete weeks skipped mowing the grass which im happy about.

All in all the greenhouse construction has set me back on getting veggies in soil but im banking on making up for it with an extended grow season and hoping for some decent late yields. I really love the greenhouse and am already weighing adding a 2nd one down the line a bit.

Edited June 19, 2023 by DireWolfSpirit