bookkeeper
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Post by bookkeeper on May 22, 2022 12:32:50 GMT -5
Pink do you have saucers underneath the pots you have planted the tomatoes in? If your pots are drying out too quickly, you can put a two or three inch deep saucer under the pot. When you water the tomato, you also fill the saucer full of water. The plant will wick up the water in the saucer when it starts to dry out the soil. This is how our flowers get through the 100 degree days in July and August. You will notice a big difference.
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bookkeeper
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Post by bookkeeper on May 22, 2022 12:35:21 GMT -5
32 degrees this morning. We covered flowers and garden plants the last two nights. I hope spring is coming back!
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cooper88
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Post by cooper88 on May 22, 2022 12:44:00 GMT -5
The hell strip is that patch between the sidewalk and the curb. I really wish the sidewalk was just up against the curb. I have Bermuda grass in the rest of the yard and it's a tough grass. I keep making my flower beds bigger and planting trees, so the amount has really shrunk. It's just the amount of water and mowing and edging I have to do for that little strip seems insane, when I sat and thought about it!
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jerseygirl
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Post by jerseygirl on May 22, 2022 12:46:57 GMT -5
We don’t use any weed killer or pesticides. Yard is green but lots of wild strawberries, dandelions, violets etc really anything that’s green is fine. We live on a lake so don’t want any chemicals going into water that we use for swimming and fishing. Lots of trees/wooded areas also although as new folks move in they’re cutting down trees in front and putting more lawn. It looks more suburban now. Even with this no pristine lawns thankfully Most everyone has a lawn service . Narrow roads so the big trailers and trucks parked are annoying. No sidewalks either so between walkers and parked lawn care trucks keeps driving like an obstacle course!
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NoNamePerson
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Post by NoNamePerson on May 22, 2022 12:54:49 GMT -5
We don’t use any weed killer or pesticides. Yard is green but lots of wild strawberries, dandelions, violets etc really anything that’s green is fine. We live on a lake so don’t want any chemicals going into water that we use for swimming and fishing. Lots of trees/wooded areas also although as new folks move in they’re cutting down trees in front and putting more lawn. It looks more suburban now. Even with this no pristine lawns thankfully Most everyone has a lawn service . Narrow roads so the big trailers and trucks parked are annoying. No sidewalks either so between walkers and parked lawn care trucks keeps driving like an obstacle course! I always said if it blooms leave it alone. That meant some things others considered weeds I just left alone if at all possible. Admit it made mowing the lawn a challenge at times so some "weeds" got mowed down bug some got mowed around! I had a tendency to be more lax in the back yard than front though
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cooper88
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Post by cooper88 on May 22, 2022 12:56:26 GMT -5
jerseygirl I garden all organically too. Weeds don't bother me except the goat's heads (wicked little barbed stickers). Due to them, I try not to have any bare patches but I do prefer flowers to grass. I was bummed this year when it got hot really fast and my hen bit didn't bloom before it started to burn out. It's the prettiest weed!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 22, 2022 13:00:43 GMT -5
Pink do you have saucers underneath the pots you have planted the tomatoes in? If your pots are drying out too quickly, you can put a two or three inch deep saucer under the pot. When you water the tomato, you also fill the saucer full of water. The plant will wick up the water in the saucer when it starts to dry out the soil. This is how our flowers get through the 100 degree days in July and August. You will notice a big difference. No, I don’t have saucers under them, I have them raised on “feet” to protect the deck underneath the pots. I’ve read conflicting advice on the webs about the saucers for tomato plants in containers, and I’m pretty sure I asked about using them here, and got no answers. I know that with a lot of plants, the advice is to empty the saucers instead of letting the pots sit in water, so I called myself erring on the side of caution and not using them for my tomato plants because it would be a lot of trouble to keep having to lift the pots to empty the saucers if that’s what I’d need to do.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 22, 2022 13:13:59 GMT -5
Mister has been fussing because he has to cut around my 2 rosebushes and my tiger lilies with the mower, then go back with the weed eater to get the grass around them. First of all, SIR! I intended to put the roses in a flower bed, and I asked for weeks and weeks for him to help get the spot ready for them. I’d already bought the roses and I didn’t want them to die before they got a chance to live, so I finally gave up waiting on him and stuck them in the ground. I told him where I was going to plant them instead, and he said ok. Because that let him off the hook with preparing space in the flower bed. I asked and asked him to help me plant the tiger lily bulbs. He never got around to it, and DS offered to help me, so I put them where I wanted to. He missed all his opportunities to chime in on locations, so now, just hush.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 22, 2022 17:01:23 GMT -5
The hell strip is that patch between the sidewalk and the curb. I really wish the sidewalk was just up against the curb. I have Bermuda grass in the rest of the yard and it's a tough grass. I keep making my flower beds bigger and planting trees, so the amount has really shrunk. It's just the amount of water and mowing and edging I have to do for that little strip seems insane, when I sat and thought about it! Absolutely agree! The concrete sidewalk and the concrete street suck all moisture out of the little strip. We tried planting hardy perennials there instead of grass, but folks parking on the street trampled it all down. So now we are back to grass and it's super vulnerable to weeds because of the dryness. And folks parking on the street trample the grass. We have also reduced the amount of lawn by increasing beds and flagstone patio and pathways. It's cost us a lot though, because while our City suggests reducing the amount of "lawn" you water, they also calculate permeable and non-permeable area and assess a drainage fee accordingly. They consider our non-grass surfaces non-permeable. Our flagstone and other rock work IS permeable IMHO because it sits on crushed granite over weed barrier. But it costs a ton to challenge the City's rulings with a lawyer and engineer, and it's just not worth it.
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CCL
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Post by CCL on May 22, 2022 17:13:24 GMT -5
Pink do you have saucers underneath the pots you have planted the tomatoes in? If your pots are drying out too quickly, you can put a two or three inch deep saucer under the pot. When you water the tomato, you also fill the saucer full of water. The plant will wick up the water in the saucer when it starts to dry out the soil. This is how our flowers get through the 100 degree days in July and August. You will notice a big difference. Be sure you also have drainage holes in the pots and that they aren't clogged/blocked. Sometimes they can get too much water, too.
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raeoflyte
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Post by raeoflyte on May 23, 2022 22:00:54 GMT -5
I think I need to run outside and re-cover my plants. I will never plant before memorial day again.
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happyhoix
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Post by happyhoix on May 24, 2022 8:40:52 GMT -5
Mister has been fussing because he has to cut around my 2 rosebushes and my tiger lilies with the mower, then go back with the weed eater to get the grass around them. First of all, SIR! I intended to put the roses in a flower bed, and I asked for weeks and weeks for him to help get the spot ready for them. I’d already bought the roses and I didn’t want them to die before they got a chance to live, so I finally gave up waiting on him and stuck them in the ground. I told him where I was going to plant them instead, and he said ok. Because that let him off the hook with preparing space in the flower bed. I asked and asked him to help me plant the tiger lily bulbs. He never got around to it, and DS offered to help me, so I put them where I wanted to. He missed all his opportunities to chime in on locations, so now, just hush. Well, at least he didn’t mow them over. DH crushed one of my rose bushes down to the roots. He also managed to mow some of my green beans several years back - how did he manage to mow green beans growing peacefully in a nice raised bed? Got the big fat wheel of the riding lawn mower up over one corner of the bed. No he does not drink beer while mowing, no our yard is not a ‘tight’ little yard with lots of delicate mowing maneuvers required (2 acres, mostly grass) and no, he doesn’t drive his car like that. I don’t know how he does it.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 24, 2022 16:11:28 GMT -5
My baby tomatoes are getting easier to find. None of them are growing as fast as that first one on the mistreated plant did though. It went from a baby to at least a teenager in size, in one week. It must be some kind of mutant.
2 branches on the mistreated plant still have curled leaves. I’ve still not tried to do anything to fix” it though, because I’m afraid I’ll do something that does more harm than good. I’ll just leave it be a few more days and see what happens. The day I said the weatherman lied and I ended up watering them myself, my little rain gauge ended up with 3 inches of water in it by the next morning. When it finally did rain, boyyyy did it rain!
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Sharon
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Post by Sharon on May 24, 2022 19:56:50 GMT -5
I need to join in on this thread. In December I moved to a new place and now have just under two acres. It has a large yard area and two pasture areas. The last owner just existed here for a couple of years until they could sell. My DD and I, with help when he can from DSIL, are working on getting the place back in shape. We thought we had the garden area all weeded and ready to go and while we were waiting for the temps to warm up enough the weeds took over again. This weekend DD and I worked on one area of the garden and got it cleaned out. I had planted peas in March and kept the weeds out that area and they are doing great. This weekend I planted broccoli starts and then from seed planted green beans, carrots, lettuce, and radishes. Today I got another partial section cleaned out and planted my zucchini plant and 4 tomatoes. I also replaced one of the raspberry bushes that had died so I dug it up and planted a new one in its place. I have discovered that I have 14 fruit trees. We have more or less identified most of them. I seems I have 2 apple, 2 pear, 2 cherry, 2 peach, 2 crab apple, a plum, an apricot, and 2 still unknown. I have been spraying the fruit trees trying to make sure we can get edible fruit from them. That job will be the death of me. Right now I'm using an 8 ft double sided ladder, meaning I can climb up either side. That sucker is heavy and I'm old, fat, and out of shape. I have a 10 ft orchard ladder, or tripod ladder, on order. I think it will be even heavier then the 8ft ladder but I will be able to reach higher and get closer into the trees when it is time to pick.
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cooper88
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Post by cooper88 on May 24, 2022 20:08:42 GMT -5
It's going to be great Sharon! All your hard work will pay off!
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finnime
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Post by finnime on May 25, 2022 3:09:54 GMT -5
There is great solace in gardening.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 25, 2022 14:50:12 GMT -5
I haven’t been able to treasure hunt and play tomatoes today because it’s been raining all day. I appreciate Mother Nature watering my plants for me, but I’m starting to wonder if she might be doing a little too much lately. I don’t mean it literally when I say my plant babies are going to have to sink or swim.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 25, 2022 16:14:27 GMT -5
I noticed it had finally stopped raining, so of course I went to play tomatoes. My rain gauge now has 4 1/2 inches of water in it since Monday morning, so another inch and a half since yesterday. The mistreated plant has at least a dozen tomatoes, in various stages of growth. The big monster that grew so fast and a lot of babies and little children. The other Celebrity has at least 5. The better boys, 2 or 3 each. The big monster has a little brown now around the top, where it is attached to the plant. I guess I need to Google and try to find out what that means. I looked over at my little lemon tree and thought my tiny lemon had disappeared, and I was sad. I went to get a closer look, and it’s still there, hiding underneath some leaves. Whew! Idk when the leaves grew enough to hide it, I look at it literally every day, but that’s okay as long as it’s still there. As my Grandmother use to say when something was going well, I’m cooking with grease over here!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 25, 2022 17:33:39 GMT -5
We got a little under 1" of rain in 2 days so we are doing the happy dance here.
My tomatoes are weird this year. Lots of flowers, few setting fruit, fewer yet hanging on and growing up. Big differences this year are (1) got the plants in the ground late (2) didn't put in a bag of composted pig poop and (3) it hit the 90's in early May. Oh well, maybe next year. Of course, we say the same about the Texans, Rockets and Astros every year.
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cooper88
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Post by cooper88 on May 25, 2022 19:29:57 GMT -5
I saw a Facebook meme today that said "You know you're an adult when you have a yard full of plants you can't smoke."
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Knee Deep in Water Chloe
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Post by Knee Deep in Water Chloe on May 25, 2022 20:28:08 GMT -5
Here are some of the plants at the new house.
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Knee Deep in Water Chloe
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Post by Knee Deep in Water Chloe on May 25, 2022 20:29:14 GMT -5
I’m not sure what this space used to be. I’ll likely turn it into cutting beds.
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CCL
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Post by CCL on May 25, 2022 21:32:11 GMT -5
Peonies are starting to bloom. They are big, too.
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Post by empress of self-improvement on May 29, 2022 11:22:16 GMT -5
I just bought 2 peonies. And a lilac, a butterfly bush, 2 bee balms, 2 clematis and a few more things along with a bunch of dirt. I apparently need a keeper at the plant nursery.
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happyhoix
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Post by happyhoix on May 30, 2022 16:55:40 GMT -5
I’m not sure what this space used to be. I’ll likely turn it into cutting beds. Dog run?
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happyhoix
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Post by happyhoix on May 30, 2022 16:59:51 GMT -5
I need to join in on this thread. In December I moved to a new place and now have just under two acres. It has a large yard area and two pasture areas. The last owner just existed here for a couple of years until they could sell. My DD and I, with help when he can from DSIL, are working on getting the place back in shape. We thought we had the garden area all weeded and ready to go and while we were waiting for the temps to warm up enough the weeds took over again. This weekend DD and I worked on one area of the garden and got it cleaned out. I had planted peas in March and kept the weeds out that area and they are doing great. This weekend I planted broccoli starts and then from seed planted green beans, carrots, lettuce, and radishes. Today I got another partial section cleaned out and planted my zucchini plant and 4 tomatoes. I also replaced one of the raspberry bushes that had died so I dug it up and planted a new one in its place. I have discovered that I have 14 fruit trees. We have more or less identified most of them. I seems I have 2 apple, 2 pear, 2 cherry, 2 peach, 2 crab apple, a plum, an apricot, and 2 still unknown. I have been spraying the fruit trees trying to make sure we can get edible fruit from them. That job will be the death of me. Right now I'm using an 8 ft double sided ladder, meaning I can climb up either side. That sucker is heavy and I'm old, fat, and out of shape. I have a 10 ft orchard ladder, or tripod ladder, on order. I think it will be even heavier then the 8ft ladder but I will be able to reach higher and get closer into the trees when it is time to pick.
Sounds lovely! Don’t do what my family did - we moved into a house with a cherry tree and kept waiting for the cherries to get ripe. They got big but stayed yellow and then disappeared. My mom kept saying the birds and squirrels must be sitting in the tree waiting on each cherry to ripen and then carrying it off. Nope. It was a yellow cherry tree. We’d live there I think about 4 years until finally I was looking at the tree, wondering why there wasn’t a single red cherry on the tree at all, and noticed a bird eating one of the yellow cherries. I figured if it didn’t kill the bird it couldn’t kill me - and that’s when we figured out we’d been missing out on eating nice yellow cherries for years. Oh well.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 30, 2022 19:04:41 GMT -5
I just bought 2 peonies. And a lilac, a butterfly bush, 2 bee balms, 2 clematis and a few more things along with a bunch of dirt. I apparently need a keeper at the plant nursery. And that's why I go only once a year! I made some more progress on all the weeds that proliferated while I was traveling. A small azalea bush had almost become overgrown- I had to search for it! I transplanted a "volunteer" native grass bush that had grown right in the middle of a path and then cleaned up some other areas. I try for an hour every day. I wish I could do more but it's enough- I hand-weed because I don't like to use chemicals and the gardens are so big it would cost a fortune anyway. I don't think I'll ever win any awards.
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azucena
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Post by azucena on May 31, 2022 9:44:09 GMT -5
Walmart had lily bulbs on clearance from $12 to $2 for 14 packs. I bought the six that they had left. Lots of bulb planting to do - better get it done before the temps get too hot!
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ken a.k.a OMK
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They killed Kenny, the bastards.
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Post by ken a.k.a OMK on May 31, 2022 14:00:28 GMT -5
Non of the seeds I planted outside germinated. I thought I had one last chance and looked for seeds at Lowes and WM. The displays are gone. My library has a seed exchange, but all the flower seeds were gone but 2 packs of sunflowers. My green thumb has turned black.
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thyme4change
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Post by thyme4change on May 31, 2022 16:56:41 GMT -5
My hydro basil is going crazy, so I harvested. I kept some of the roots on and put it in a Mason jar of water. I put some lettuces and cilantro into the hydro. I left it inside - I think it is too hot outside for seeds. I really hope these sprout. The last batch didn't make it - my guess is too much heat and son.
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