MarionTh230
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Joined: Jan 1, 2014 10:07:42 GMT -5
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Post by MarionTh230 on Sept 1, 2022 9:47:30 GMT -5
Marion, What are you planting for fall? I am going to attempt broccoli, spinach, and lettuce. I also started a couple of tomato seeds just because that accidentally worked well that one time. I will also replant the half of the wildflower patch that is pretty much run its course. I will overwinter the verbenas and dianthus same as I did last year. I have a large pot with begonias so I'll attempt to overwinter those as well. I also have a stackable pot of strawberry plants that haven't completely died due to the heat. Cooler weather should make them happy, so I'll see how that goes.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 4, 2022 8:06:34 GMT -5
I returned 2 days ago from a 3-week trip and last night I finally went out and surveyed the garden. Plenty of weeds, of course, and I cleared put a few patches- it's endless so I typically just stop after an hour or so. The surprises were in the pepper plants and the tomatoes. Before I left, I'd had ONE tomato and while I was waiting for it to ripen something ate it and left half on the ground. Now I've got tons of green tomatoes. Maybe some will stay on the vines long enough to ripen. I know there are recipes that use green tomatoes, too. The Carolina reaper peppers hadn't been producing even though they'd been in the ground far longer than the info label said it would take to produce fruit. I came back and there are tons of green ones on the plants. The critters don't seem interested in eating hot peppers (wonder why ) so I should have a good harvest. The cayennes are doing fine but I'd planted those last year with good results so that's not aa surprise. Anaheims are also producing. Fortunately, the peppers freeze well. I just have to get back to spending an hour or so on weeding every evening again.
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Deleted
Joined: Apr 30, 2024 10:07:33 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2022 19:15:31 GMT -5
Tomorrow's agenda includes feeding two rose bushes with liquid fertilizer, then using a long lopper to trim off the nandina trying to grow up under one rose bush. This will involve some interesting gymnastic moves to avoid getting punctured by rose thorns.
The last project is trying to kill off a pecan tree sprout on one side of the house. I can't dig it out because it's right where all the landscape light wiring comes up into the controller box. One wrong move with a shovel and it's "Hello, Mr. Electrician, can I contribute to your son's college fund?" And I can't indiscriminately spray it with a herbicide because of desirable plants in the bed. So my sneaky plan of attack is to put on disposable gloves, saturate paper towels with my "Tough Brush Killer" and encapsulate some leaf areas with the towels, followed by heavy duty aluminum foil to seal off those areas and prevent leakage onto the other plants. Time will tell how that goes.
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happyhoix
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Joined: Oct 7, 2011 7:22:42 GMT -5
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Post by happyhoix on Sept 8, 2022 6:47:29 GMT -5
Tomorrow's agenda includes feeding two rose bushes with liquid fertilizer, then using a long lopper to trim off the nandina trying to grow up under one rose bush. This will involve some interesting gymnastic moves to avoid getting punctured by rose thorns. The last project is trying to kill off a pecan tree sprout on one side of the house. I can't dig it out because it's right where all the landscape light wiring comes up into the controller box. One wrong move with a shovel and it's "Hello, Mr. Electrician, can I contribute to your son's college fund?" And I can't indiscriminately spray it with a herbicide because of desirable plants in the bed. So my sneaky plan of attack is to put on disposable gloves, saturate paper towels with my "Tough Brush Killer" and encapsulate some leaf areas with the towels, followed by heavy duty aluminum foil to seal off those areas and prevent leakage onto the other plants. Time will tell how that goes. I use a big syringe with a wide bore tip loaded with that brush killer, then cut off the tops of wild blackberries and squirt the stem with the brush killer. Then I wait a few weeks for the plant to turn black and trim it. Doesn’t seem to impact the blue rug junipers that the blackberries grow up through.
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MarionTh230
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Joined: Jan 1, 2014 10:07:42 GMT -5
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Post by MarionTh230 on Sept 9, 2022 18:09:14 GMT -5
Seeds are sprouting. One lettuce variety may be a slow germinator. Just going to wait it out. Made the mistake of perusing the seed catalog. Which of course means I bought seeds. I don't necessarily have plans for gardening these seeds, but, I mean, the seed catalog is just so tempting I succumbed to the temptation.
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Sept 10, 2022 8:18:52 GMT -5
I found out lettuce will flower if you forget about it for several weeks.
The local bumblebees love it so I'm leaving the plant alone.
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bookkeeper
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Joined: Mar 30, 2012 13:40:42 GMT -5
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Post by bookkeeper on Sept 12, 2022 19:16:31 GMT -5
I picked the garden today and made 3 jars of dill pickles. Also have green beans for a meal to be announced!
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Deleted
Joined: Apr 30, 2024 10:07:33 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Sept 13, 2022 16:16:56 GMT -5
I'm all excited because I threw a picture of one of my plants up on a Facebook gardening group and got an I.D. John Fanick phlox, aka autumn phlox. I bought it years ago at a master gardener annual sale and have only seen it in one other yard. I can't figure out the photo thing here, but you can Google it. Root hardy (survived 13 degrees in 2021), handled 103 this summer without a problem, no bugs, no diseases, smells incredible. About 2 feet tall, spreads over time but not crazy aggressive. I'm a happy gardener person
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 13, 2022 19:25:17 GMT -5
The birds are coming back- my feeders emptied during my trip, of course, and they must have found other food sources but I see the levels dropping again. Oh. well- good to keep the local Wild Bird Store solvent.
Id thought my ghost pepper plants didn't make it and it turns out they're smaller and were dwarfed by the others. And one is producing! I added some sliced green tomatoes and a single finely-chopped ghost pepper to my stir-fry. Just the right amount of heat. I may try oven-drying some since I'll be going through them VERY slowly.
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skeeter
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Post by skeeter on Sept 13, 2022 19:41:56 GMT -5
The birds are coming back- my feeders emptied during my trip, of course, and they must have found other food sources but I see the levels dropping again. Oh. well- good to keep the local Wild Bird Store solvent. Id thought my ghost pepper plants didn't make it and it turns out they're smaller and were dwarfed by the others. And one is producing! I added some sliced green tomatoes and a single finely-chopped ghost pepper to my stir-fry. Just the right amount of heat. I may try oven-drying some since I'll be going through them VERY slowly. Are your birds as finicky as the ones around here? Along with several regular bird feeders, I put out suet cakes in suet cages. It seems the birds here only like certain flavors of the cakes and will not eat all the flavors.
Never knew birds had taste buds.
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Deleted
Joined: Apr 30, 2024 10:07:33 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Sept 14, 2022 6:45:20 GMT -5
Are your birds as finicky as the ones around here? Along with several regular bird feeders, I put out suet cakes in suet cages. It seems the birds here only like certain flavors of the cakes and will not eat all the flavors. Never knew birds had taste buds. No, mine eat just about anything. Actually, I don't think they have taste buds- I buy a mix of seeds laced with hot pepper powder so the squirrels stay away from it. It doesn't bother the birds. Maybe it's the mix of seeds? The ones I buy are hulled and a 15-lb. bag is about $40.
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skeeter
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Joined: Dec 21, 2010 22:06:35 GMT -5
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Post by skeeter on Sept 14, 2022 9:05:23 GMT -5
Are your birds as finicky as the ones around here? Along with several regular bird feeders, I put out suet cakes in suet cages. It seems the birds here only like certain flavors of the cakes and will not eat all the flavors. Never knew birds had taste buds. No, mine eat just about anything. Actually, I don't think they have taste buds- I buy a mix of seeds laced with hot pepper powder so the squirrels stay away from it. It doesn't bother the birds. Maybe it's the mix of seeds? The ones I buy are hulled and a 15-lb. bag is about $40. I get the Song Bird Mix bags of seeds and they all devour that in no time flat. It's suet cake flavors that they seem to be picky about. They love Peanut Butter, Oriole, Sunflower and Raisin, but will NOT touch anything berry flavored except as a last result when all the other stuff is emptied.
I just find it kind of odd.
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jerseygirl
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Post by jerseygirl on Sept 14, 2022 11:08:19 GMT -5
I bought cherry flavored bird seed. Think I saw them actually spit it out in disgust. The seed wasn’t eaten so went back to previous brand. Yummy!! Ate it right up
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Tennesseer
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Post by Tennesseer on Sept 14, 2022 11:15:18 GMT -5
I bought cherry flavored bird seed. Think I saw them actually spit it out in disgust. The seed wasn’t eaten so went back to previous brand. Yummy!! Ate it right up Are you sure that cherry flavored bird seed wasn't for humans to put on top of their salads like alfalfa sprouts?
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jerseygirl
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Gardening
Sept 14, 2022 12:26:55 GMT -5
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Post by jerseygirl on Sept 14, 2022 12:26:55 GMT -5
I bought cherry flavored bird seed. Think I saw them actually spit it out in disgust. The seed wasn’t eaten so went back to previous brand. Yummy!! Ate it right up Are you sure that cherry flavored bird seed wasn't for humans to put on top of their salads like alfalfa sprouts? No definitely for birds
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Deleted
Joined: Apr 30, 2024 10:07:33 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Sept 14, 2022 17:01:39 GMT -5
I wish I could put out suet cakes but I have to use shepherd's crooks for the feeders and the ants swarm up the post and all over the cakes. I use some ant-stopper devices to suspend my hummingbird feeders but they are $$$$ and only good for about 30 days.
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CCL
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Post by CCL on Sept 15, 2022 13:44:23 GMT -5
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 15, 2022 16:58:46 GMT -5
Thanks CCL, I'll check those out
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Opti
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Post by Opti on Sept 15, 2022 17:58:21 GMT -5
Anyone know how well Asters last as a plant compared to mums? The local grocery store had a bunch, they are pretty, but I probably need to buy in the next couple days if I want some. I like the idea of the blue asters over purple mums.
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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 Sept 15, 2022 18:55:45 GMT -5
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Happy prose
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Post by Happy prose on Sept 17, 2022 19:57:12 GMT -5
Hi gardening friends- is it true that deer won't eat Vinca? I'm moving to an area where none of the houses have flowers, just green bushes, due to deer. I'm determined to find something to plant! Not moving until November, so I'll have to wait for Spring anyway.
** I'm in North Jersey, moving to South Jersey.
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jerseygirl
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Post by jerseygirl on Sept 17, 2022 20:16:53 GMT -5
Hi gardening friends- is it true that deer won't eat Vinca? I'm moving to an area where none of the houses have flowers, just green bushes, due to deer. I'm determined to find something to plant! Not moving until November, so I'll have to wait for Spring anyway. ** I'm in North Jersey, moving to South Jersey. Also in North Jersey Yes vinca are safe from deer, and cat mint Some of the few plants with flowers that survive!
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Happy prose
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Post by Happy prose on Sept 18, 2022 6:40:07 GMT -5
jerseygirl I had to google cat mint. It's pretty! Maybe I could plant along the side of my house. Thank you!
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cooper88
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Post by cooper88 on Sept 18, 2022 11:59:22 GMT -5
I planted some cat mint along a side bed at an old house. About three days later I came out and five or six unknown cats were napping in that bed.
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Happy prose
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Post by Happy prose on Sept 18, 2022 12:43:33 GMT -5
cooper88 I love cats! I had to put my cat to sleep about a year ago, and don't plan to have a pet in retirement. I would love 'borrowed' cats.
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cooper88
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Post by cooper88 on Sept 18, 2022 14:21:54 GMT -5
That sounds like a great solution!
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weltschmerz
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Post by weltschmerz on Sept 20, 2022 16:08:51 GMT -5
I had to bring the harvest in.....it was exhausting. I got 2 medium tomatoes and about 30 cherry tomatoes.
A lot of work for little payout.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 22, 2022 19:02:39 GMT -5
The ^%%$$#! squirrels have eaten nearly all of my green tomatoes- and I was planning on making a Green Tomato and Sweet Pepper salad for the Garden Club lunch Saturday. I hope I have enough left. I have yet to harvest a ripe or even nearly-ripe one and they never get to the point where they can be taken in to finish indoors. I will not be planting tomatoes again. The cayenne, Anaheim, Carolina Reaper and ghost plants are producing like crazy. Thank heaven the squirrels don't like them. I've realized, though, that one Carolina Reaper in a stir-fry that will make 2 large meals is too much hot and spicy-even for me. Besides, the cooking fumes make me cough, even with the exhaust fan on. I plan to try air-drying some and freeing others. I've taken a new approach with the flower beds. The areas where I've planted native grasses are attractive and low-maintenance (except for cutting back annually every spring) but I have many swaths of bulbs overgrown with grass and the bulbs don't even bloom. My most-used garden tool looks like a miniature pickaxe and I'm hacking everything out of those patches and will plant more grasses and some ground cover in the spring, maybe vinca since I already have that in some areas. Right now the newly-bare areas look so tidy!
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daisylu
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Post by daisylu on Sept 23, 2022 6:02:51 GMT -5
The ^%%$$#! squirrels have eaten nearly all of my green tomatoes- and I was planning on making a Green Tomato and Sweet Pepper salad for the Garden Club lunch Saturday. I hope I have enough left. I have yet to harvest a ripe or even nearly-ripe one and they never get to the point where they can be taken in to finish indoors. I will not be planting tomatoes again. The cayenne, Anaheim, Carolina Reaper and ghost plants are producing like crazy. Thank heaven the squirrels don't like them. I've realized, though, that one Carolina Reaper in a stir-fry that will make 2 large meals is too much hot and spicy-even for me. Besides, the cooking fumes make me cough, even with the exhaust fan on. I plan to try air-drying some and freeing others. I've taken a new approach with the flower beds. The areas where I've planted native grasses are attractive and low-maintenance (except for cutting back annually every spring) but I have many swaths of bulbs overgrown with grass and the bulbs don't even bloom. My most-used garden tool looks like a miniature pickaxe and I'm hacking everything out of those patches and will plant more grasses and some ground cover in the spring, maybe vinca since I already have that in some areas. Right now the newly-bare areas look so tidy! Not sure if I have mentioned it here before, but we got so many hot peppers one year there was no way we would use them all. So we put them in a dehydrater and crushed them into a powder. Just a little bit of it packs a punch!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 23, 2022 6:45:13 GMT -5
Not sure if I have mentioned it here before, but we got so many hot peppers one year there was no way we would use them all. So we put them in a dehydrator and crushed them into a powder. Just a little bit of it packs a punch! I've considered a dehydrator but am reluctant to buy single-use appliances. I plan to try air-drying them. On a visit to a farm in Croatia I saw large, round red peppers (bigger than cherry tomatoes) strung up to dry outside. They looked pretty, too! You just string them up with needle and thread and leave them for a few weeks.
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