Gardening

[Pink Cashmere]

Sept 27, 2023 12:00:23 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Sept 26, 2023 20:52:18 GMT -5 Pink Cashmere said:

Tennesseer , I just noticed today that I have another stalk of tuberose flowers growing. So, one has done it’s thing already, another is flowering now, and 2 more are growing flowers.

I’m not trying to rub it in, I am just sharing because I never would’ve even heard of them if not for you, and I am grateful for you sharing bulbs with me last year.

These are different bulbs, that I bought myself this spring, from a family owned business in Tennessee, that grows them. I didn’t plant all the bulbs I bought, and there are still some somewhere in my house, that may have rotted or whatever by now, for all I know.

In hindsight, I wish I would’ve shared them with you, but if you’ve been reading my posts in other places on the boards, you know I’ve been kind of crazy this whole year.

I will order us both some more next spring from the Tennessee growers. Hopefully I won’t still be crazy by then.

I got brave and went outside just now, in the dark, AND turned the lights off to make the picture better, so I could show you.

Hallelujah!

One of my tuberose plants is sending up a flower stalk and bud!

Yayyyy!

[Tennesseer]

Sept 27, 2023 14:11:26 GMT -5 Pink Cashmere said:

Sept 27, 2023 12:00:23 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Hallelujah!

One of my tuberose plants is sending up a flower stalk and bud!

Yayyyy!

And I received my TDOT milkweed seeds order today. You should soon be receiving your order of same.

[Pink Cashmere]

How concerned should I be about the tomato branches that are on the ground? I did end up watering them by dragging the water hose off the deck down there, which I’m glad I have the option, but it is a PITA, so I hope Mister will fix the other water hose this weekend, or at least help me do it. 

I still could not get the cages to stay upright, so I ended up using twine tied between the 2 cages (the plants are at opposite ends of a galvanized tub), to make both of them stay somewhat upright. Not perfect, but at least better. The plants are at least 2 feet taller than the cages now, but the branches on the ground are lower branches that I didn’t tuck back into the cage as they were growing, and they are growing down, instead of up. Now they are too thick to tie them to the cage without breaking them. I tried, but didn’t want to break them. They have tomatoes growing on them. 

I was surprised all over again today, at how many tomatoes are growing all of a sudden, especially since the plants themselves look so crazy. I didn’t see any insects on them, but I admit I was afraid to look too hard. But I sprayed them down with the “safe” spray that is supposed to keep worms and crap off of them, I’d have to go look at the container to see exactly what it is, because I don’t remember. But I didn’t use  the Sevin,. I do have Sevin spray and Sevin dust, but I consider that a last resort, if all else fails. 

I don’t like the branches and tomatoes being on the ground, and “on the ground” is on the rocks surrounding the container, not on grass or whatever. But idk how to fix it.

After eating the Romas I roasted when they were growing this season, I’m ready for some more of that. I will definitely grow Romas again next year. That was the first time I’ve ever enjoyed eating just tomatoes, and not a tomato based dish. I only had 1 Roma plant, and pulled it up a while back, well Mister did it for me. The ones out there now are Better Boys. Idk if they will be the same roasted, but I’d like to see. If nothing else, I can dice and freeze them because the few packages of Celebrity and Better Boys that I diced and froze last year, were very tasty additions to tomato based sauces when we (Mister, to be honest lol) used them.

Anyway, idk what to do with the plants, now that they have more tomatoes growing than they have all season. Keep leaving them alone, since they started going crazy with fruit when I started neglecting them? 

[CCL]

This is one reason why I like tall stakes better than cages. The cages are always falling down on me. With stakes, I can tie up any stems as they start to fall and keep everything up, easier to reach and looking better.

If there are lots of tomatoes on the stems that are still upright, I'd just cut off some of the falling ones. Generally, you'll get bigger tomatoes if there are fewer on each plant.

Grandbabies are still picking tomatoes and peppers over here. It's been a great year for tomatoes and zucchini. My freezers are full. Only 4 or 5 pumpkins, though.

I thought about you, Pink, and your green beans. It took all summer, but now I've got green beans growing like crazy. We've been picking them every day. Noone likes them but me. I tried to convince the toddler to eat a couple, so I cut them up into little pieces. She said, "I no like peas!" and spit them out lol.

[MarionTh230]

DH is not so good at gardening.  He had more cucumbers than he could keep up with.  Too many of them went bitter before he picked them.  In the meantime the man on the TV that pretends to predict the weather is saying a cool front will move in.  If that's true, DH's summer bed won't take it well.  I'll wait until the end of next week to see what plants need to be pulled.

The squirrels seemed to have lost interest in DH's fall bed for now.  But, apparently the birds have gained interest.  There are some empty squares because some plants didn't survive the squirrel buffet, so I direct sowed some seeds.  Now I know why my seeds didn't sprout!!!  Not sure what I want to do next for DH in that bed.  I'm in a flower mood instead of a veggie mood.  I guess I'll see how the week goes.  My mood may change.

[Pink Cashmere]

My tomato plants are still going crazy with tomatoes, and still making even more baby tomatoes, as I saw yesterday. I tried to make the cages upright again, and tied them with twine, after the circles started breaking, to try to help them be upright, which still didn’t get the tomatoes growing on the ground, off the ground. But it was the best I could figure out to do.

They have fallen over again, and I give up. Sunday Mrs, T was outside and came over to chat, and I told her about the tomatoes, and we walked to the end of the driveway so she could see what I meant about how many green ones were growing. I’d told her there was a red one inside the mess, but I was scared to get it off the vine. She spotted it and asked if I wanted her to get it for me. I said sure, and take it hime with you, I’d already seen it was cracked, which is why I wasn’t in a hurry to get it, and she said that’s nothing, you can just cut that part off. I said yep, you can cut that part off after you take it home with you lol.

Tennesseer, have your tuberose bloomed, so you can smell them? I don’t get to smell mine that are blooming, because I don’t sit on my deck anymore.

Also, I ordered the free milkweed seeds from the TDOT initiative before I told you about it, and I still have not received any seeds. I’m glad you received yours, but I wonder where mine are, darn it! 

[Tennesseer]

Oct 10, 2023 20:01:54 GMT -5 Pink Cashmere said:

My tomato plants are still going crazy with tomatoes, and still making even more baby tomatoes, as I saw yesterday. I tried to make the cages upright again, and tied them with twine, after the circles started breaking, to try to help them be upright, which still didn’t get the tomatoes growing on the ground, off the ground. But it was the best I could figure out to do.

They have fallen over again, and I give up. Sunday Mrs, T was outside and came over to chat, and I told her about the tomatoes, and we walked to the end of the driveway so she could see what I meant about how many green ones were growing. I’d told her there was a red one inside the mess, but I was scared to get it off the vine. She spotted it and asked if I wanted her to get it for me. I said sure, and take it hime with you, I’d already seen it was cracked, which is why I wasn’t in a hurry to get it, and she said that’s nothing, you can just cut that part off. I said yep, you can cut that part off after you take it home with you lol.

Tennesseer, have your tuberose bloomed, so you can smell them? I don’t get to smell mine that are blooming, because I don’t sit on my deck anymore.

Also, I ordered the free milkweed seeds from the TDOT initiative before I told you about it, and I still have not received any seeds. I’m glad you received yours, but I wonder where mine are, darn it! 

A couple bloom heads growing on the stalk. The upper one is just about to bloom. I will take a photo and post it here when it does. The side bloom on the stalk is probably two weeks away from blooming. Hopefully we won't have a frost that knocks it out.

I can share some of my milkweed seeds with you. It's not as if I had to pay for them. They need to be scattered on the ground before winter comes. Winter seems to held the seeds germinate in the spring.

[Tennesseer]

Pink Cashmere -My tuberose is just about to bloom. Further down the stalk are additional flower heads. You cannot really see it in this picture (or any other picture I took) but to the right of the flower stalk is a clump of tuberose leaves and another stalk and flower head are in development within it. Will it bloom before we have our first frost? Time will tell.

[Pink Cashmere]

Oct 11, 2023 15:15:48 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

Pink Cashmere -My tuberose is just about to bloom. Further down the stalk are additional flower heads. You cannot really see it in this picture (or any other picture I took) but to the right of the flower stalk is a clump of tuberose leaves and another stalk and flower head are in development within it. Will it bloom before we have our first frost? Time will tell.

I am excited you are finally about to get some flowers! I zoomed in on the picture and found the other one that’s starting to grow. Please report back and tell me how you like the scent once they start opening.

To me, the scent is not as strong as I’ve seen it described, which could just be an issue with my nose, due to my allergies and sinus issues, but they do smell really good.

[Pink Cashmere]

CCL, IIRC you shared a while back that you grow herbs or salads or something in a hydroponic set up. I thought I’d saved a link you provided to what you have, to my Amazon wish list, but I couldn’t find it when I was looking for it today.

I hope you don’t mind answering questions, because I have several….. Amazon had an AeroGarden for $50 during the Prime Day sale.

Can you please remind me what set up you have? And what do you grow in yours?

OAN, between the temperatures cooling off, and all the activity I’ve been seeing with birds and squirrels in my yard, Idk if I will be able to harvest all the tomatoes that suddenly popped up on my plants. Whyyyyy couldn’t all, of those tomatoes have appeared earlier in the season? 

I tried to prop the plants back up about a week ago, and the cages started breaking. I managed to get them a little more upright, but they fell back over a few days later. Today Mister rigged them up a bit better.

After the horrible season I’ve had with them, I want those tomatoes! LOL!

[CCL]

I have this one in black:

www.amazon.com/AeroGarden-901110-1200-Harvest-360-Black/dp/B07CKNX6C6/ref=mp_s_a_1_20_maf_1?crid=1O1CSGHPBML4G&keywords=aerogarden&qid=1697069110&sprefix=aerogarden%2Caps%2C124&sr=8-20

I use it to grow mostly lettuce in cold weather. I've used it a few times to start seedlings then move them to bigger pots.

Then I also have this:

www.amazon.com/GrowLED-Kitchen-Function-Enthusiasts-Decoration/dp/B07THYV71G/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=F8616L4VR52G&keywords=growled+c+plant+light&qid=1697069505&sprefix=growled+c+plant+light%2Caps%2C147&sr=8-3

Which I use to grow herbs in my kitchen.

[CCL]

$50 is a good price for the Aerogarden. I bought mine at the end of season at Sam's Club. I think I paid $70 for it.

[daisylu]

Pink Cashmere , I saw THIS this morning about ripening tomatoes inside.

[jerseygirl]

My MIL grew delicious tomatoes. She always had green ones near colder weather. She picked the green tomatoes and just put on kitchen windowsill where they ripened nicely.

[Pink Cashmere]

Oct 11, 2023 19:15:06 GMT -5 CCL said:

I have this one in black:

www.amazon.com/AeroGarden-901110-1200-Harvest-360-Black/dp/B07CKNX6C6/ref=mp_s_a_1_20_maf_1?crid=1O1CSGHPBML4G&keywords=aerogarden&qid=1697069110&sprefix=aerogarden%2Caps%2C124&sr=8-20

I use it to grow mostly lettuce in cold weather. I've used it a few times to start seedlings then move them to bigger pots.

Then I also have this:

www.amazon.com/GrowLED-Kitchen-Function-Enthusiasts-Decoration/dp/B07THYV71G/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=F8616L4VR52G&keywords=growled+c+plant+light&qid=1697069505&sprefix=growled+c+plant+light%2Caps%2C147&sr=8-3

Which I use to grow herbs in my kitchen.

The AeroGarden in your link is the one I bought.

I want to use it the same way you use yours, to grow lettuce in it and eventually start seedlings, so I’m talking to the right person lol. Do you use their preseeded pods or do you use your own lettuce seeds? If you use your own seeds, how many lettuce seeds do you put in each pod? Are you able to grow enough for you and your DH to eat salads often?

For now, I think I will stick to growing herbs outside as companion plantings with my vegetables. I wasn’t diligent about harvesting them though, so until I get better with that, I “forbid” myself to buy something to grow them inside the house, even if I choose different ones than the ones outside.

[Pink Cashmere]

Oct 12, 2023 8:45:25 GMT -5 daisylu said:

Pink Cashmere , I saw THIS this morning about ripening tomatoes inside.

Thank you for sharing that. I’ve been reading about different ways to ripen them inside, but I hadn’t seen that method.

The only thing is they are very slow about getter bigger. There are a couple that are big enough that we could probably take off and have fried green tomatoes, but the rest are still rather small. I’ve brought green ones in before, when they were big enough, and just sat them on the kitchen counter and they eventually ripened. I’ve learned to at least take them off as soon as they start changing color, to try to beat the critters getting to them.

I am back to going out there every day again, to see what they are doing. There are SO many. They are even growing in bunches on the same vines, the first time any of my tomato plants have done that.

I have been diligently watching the weather forecast. It’s suppose to get down to the lower 40’s 2 nights next week, but the highs will be warm enough. If I need to cover them those nights, I need to figure out how.

[CCL]

Oct 12, 2023 12:17:06 GMT -5 Pink Cashmere said:

Oct 11, 2023 19:15:06 GMT -5 CCL said:

I have this one in black:

www.amazon.com/AeroGarden-901110-1200-Harvest-360-Black/dp/B07CKNX6C6/ref=mp_s_a_1_20_maf_1?crid=1O1CSGHPBML4G&keywords=aerogarden&qid=1697069110&sprefix=aerogarden%2Caps%2C124&sr=8-20

I use it to grow mostly lettuce in cold weather. I've used it a few times to start seedlings then move them to bigger pots.

Then I also have this:

www.amazon.com/GrowLED-Kitchen-Function-Enthusiasts-Decoration/dp/B07THYV71G/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=F8616L4VR52G&keywords=growled+c+plant+light&qid=1697069505&sprefix=growled+c+plant+light%2Caps%2C147&sr=8-3

Which I use to grow herbs in my kitchen.

The AeroGarden in your link is the one I bought.

I want to use it the same way you use yours, to grow lettuce in it and eventually start seedlings, so I’m talking to the right person lol. Do you use their preseeded pods or do you use your own lettuce seeds? If you use your own seeds, how many lettuce seeds do you put in each pod? Are you able to grow enough for you and your DH to eat salads often?

For now, I think I will stick to growing herbs outside as companion plantings with my vegetables. I wasn’t diligent about harvesting them though, so until I get better with that, I “forbid” myself to buy something to grow them inside the house, even if I choose different ones than the ones outside.

Sorry it took me a few days to respond. I've been busy with the grandbabies every day. I'm still hobbling around with my broken foot and chasing them around wears me out lol. I haven't been able to do much else lately.

Anyway, to be honest, I haven't had any luck with the pre-seeded pods. I've tried several and haven't had a single one sprout. I've got a big collection of seeds already, so have plenty to choose from.

I plant 2 seeds in each pod. Just drop them in. Once they sprout and grow a couple leaves, I cut the smallest seedling off down to the dirt. If they were in a regular pot, I would pull them out, but in the pods it usually pulls the other plant with it. If it's leafy lettuce I will let both keep growing and they do fine.

Be sure to use the little round stick-on paper thingies. They keep light from getting to the water. Without them you'll be growing algae instead of food.

Hubby doesn't eat salads with me. Once the lettuce is growing well there's enough for a salad every couple days and to add to sandwiches and burgers a few times a week.

[Pink Cashmere]

Oct 18, 2023 19:58:56 GMT -5 CCL said:

Oct 12, 2023 12:17:06 GMT -5 Pink Cashmere said:

The AeroGarden in your link is the one I bought.

I want to use it the same way you use yours, to grow lettuce in it and eventually start seedlings, so I’m talking to the right person lol. Do you use their preseeded pods or do you use your own lettuce seeds? If you use your own seeds, how many lettuce seeds do you put in each pod? Are you able to grow enough for you and your DH to eat salads often?

For now, I think I will stick to growing herbs outside as companion plantings with my vegetables. I wasn’t diligent about harvesting them though, so until I get better with that, I “forbid” myself to buy something to grow them inside the house, even if I choose different ones than the ones outside.

Sorry it took me a few days to respond. I've been busy with the grandbabies every day. I'm still hobbling around with my broken foot and chasing them around wears me out lol. I haven't been able to do much else lately.

Anyway, to be honest, I haven't had any luck with the pre-seeded pods. I've tried several and haven't had a single one sprout. I've got a big collection of seeds already, so have plenty to choose from.

I plant 2 seeds in each pod. Just drop them in. Once they sprout and grow a couple leaves, I cut the smallest seedling off down to the dirt. If they were in a regular pot, I would pull them out, but in the pods it usually pulls the other plant with it. If it's leafy lettuce I will let both keep growing and they do fine.

Be sure to use the little round stick-on paper thingies. They keep light from getting to the water. Without them you'll be growing algae instead of food.

Hubby doesn't eat salads with me. Once the lettuce is growing well there's enough for a salad every couple days and to add to sandwiches and burgers a few times a week.

Thank you! Time with Grandbabies is high priority Imo, so no worries.  I also didn’t know or remember that you broke your foot. I’m sorry about that.

I will wait until my AeroGarden is FINALLY delivered, to see if I understand what you mean about the round paper things before I ask more questions about that.

Again, thank you so much for answering my questions. 

[Tennesseer]

Every gardner's nighmare as a Halloween costume.

[Tennesseer]

Another three inches and the tuberose stem on the left will be five-feet tall. And if it doesn't bloom by this Sunday it ain't gonna' bloom as overnight low temps will be in the 32 degree or lower range next week. Last and this week, overnight lows have been in the upper 50s and 60s and daytime temps in the low 80s. Goodbye nice temps.

[Tennesseer]

After tonight and daytime tomorrow, the tuberose blossoms will be no more. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday night, the overnight low temps will be in the upper 20s.  Blossom scent light.  Could be because it is now cool outisde.

The weight of the tuberose blossoms have tipped over the tuberose stem:



Side view of the blossoms:

[Opti]

Could you cut the stem and put it in a vase for inside to enjoy a little longer? I did not water my mums or anything recently and they will look awful soon. Our weather crashed today but we've had too dry off and on so lots of dead or brown flowers a bit earlier than I remember last year.

[Tennesseer]

Oct 29, 2023 18:31:24 GMT -5 Opti said:

Could you cut the stem and put it in a vase for inside to enjoy a little longer? I did not water my mums or anything recently and they will look awful soon. Our weather crashed today but we've had too dry off and on so lots of dead or brown flowers a bit earlier than I remember last year.

I thought about that. But then I know 30 seconds after I put it in a vase, one of the felines will jump up onto the counter and send it all to the floor.

There is always next year.

[Tennesseer]

My front yard garden today at 5:01 p.m.

[NoNamePerson]

Nov 10, 2023 19:14:10 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

My front yard garden today at 5:01 p.m.

  Looking good!  No moon flowers??  

[jerseygirl]

One of my 6’ butterfly bushes fell over and will die. It was supported by a wire cage , thinking a deer knocked it down

[Tennesseer]

Nov 11, 2023 7:47:03 GMT -5 NoNamePerson said:

Nov 10, 2023 19:14:10 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

My front yard garden today at 5:01 p.m.

  Looking good!  No moon flowers??  

Hard freeze last weekend.

[Tennesseer]

[NoNamePerson]

Dec 22, 2023 11:11:17 GMT -5 Tennesseer said:

  Early morning laugh. 

[Knee Deep in Water Chloe]

Nov 11, 2023 8:51:29 GMT -5 jerseygirl said:

One of my 6’ butterfly bushes fell over and will die. It was supported by a wire cage , thinking a deer knocked it down

Damn deer!