2014 Garden Thread

[Medusa]

I used to grow them, the Phoenix dry heat makes for some amazingly hot ones. I might go buy a plant and put it in the hydroponic planter, I have a dead tomato plant in there that was the wrong variety for the desert. I couldn't find any of the Hatch chilies, those are the best. A few of the Hispanic grocers here roast them over fire outside of their stores, which is the best, better than the oven or a backyard grill. I need to try to make nopalito salsa, it is made with very chewy pieces of cactus pads. When it is good, it is really good, but not easy to get them tenderized...lots of fiber!

l agree there is nothing like this traditional wood fire .did you try fire roasted potato ,onion and corn ?

l usually roast or grill vegetables of all kinds.


but whats cactus pad ?

 

[beefheart]

l agree there is nothing like this traditional wood fire .did you try fire roasted potato ,onion and corn ?

l usually roast or grill vegetables of all kinds.


but whats cactus pad ?

 

[Medusa]

View attachment 67166933

:lol:

it is cactus l think how does it exactly taste ?

 

[GottaGo]

Tansy is also reputed to make many veggies taste better when planted near to them. However, it can be invasive and it is poisonous so don't plant it in an area where a young child, cat or dog might get at it. If you're concerned about it spreading, you can heavily mulch or even better, plant it in a pot and spread clippings from the plant around the area where you want to repel pests.

I'm still pulling it out of the garden. Invasive is an understatement! :lol:

 

[sangha]

I'm still pulling it out of the garden. Invasive is an understatement! :lol:

Two words....Sheet mulch

Wet some cardboard and cover the area with it. Then cover the cardboard with a thick layer of mulch

However, you'll have to make sure you cover not only the area where the tansy is, but where it might be spreading to. Also, you'll have to leave it in place for a year making the area "ungardenable" for that period of time. However, when done the soil there will be improved due to the composting of the cardboard and the mulch.

on edit: Since tansy seeds remain viable in the soil for years and years, I suggest using a no-till method in the area after sheet mulching

 

[leoborn]

View attachment 67166933

I didn't know you could eat those. What do thy taste like?

 

[GottaGo]

Two words....Sheet mulch

Wet some cardboard and cover the area with it. Then cover the cardboard with a thick layer of mulch

However, you'll have to make sure you cover not only the area where the tansy is, but where it might be spreading to. Also, you'll have to leave it in place for a year making the area "ungardenable" for that period of time. However, when done the soil there will be improved due to the composting of the cardboard and the mulch.

on edit: Since tansy seeds remain viable in the soil for years and years, I suggest using a no-till method in the area after sheet mulching

The garden will be getting moved next year, so I'm just using the yank and curse method for this season. It's all raised beds right now which will get demolished when it gets moved.

I've used the newspaper/cardboard method for mulching before, but have found that pill bugs multiply at a horrendous rate in the garden because of the decomposing paper (wood pulp) attracts them.

 

[vesper]

So what are you folks putting into the dirt this year?

Here's my list so far, though the cooler weather and wet has kept me out of the garden in early May, so I missed my early lettuce, spinach and radishes. I'm planning on going out this afternoon and do the last bit of tilling so I can get the last bits in.

- 1 row Burpee Kentucky Wonder climbing beans
- 6 beefstake type tomatoes, 2 Brandywine
- 6 California Wonder Peppers
- 3 Early Sweet Sugar Pie pumpkins
- 1/2 row of Bush Beans (Shumways has a experimental blend)
- Medium patch of ornamental corn (Hopi Blue Dent, Giant Indian and Bloody Butcher)
- 1 row Burpee Little Ceaser lettuce
- 1 row Red Romain lettuce
- 2 Red and 1 Green Rhubarb (wont' get anything for a few years but planted)
- 2 new Rosemary plants, supposedly hardy to -15 degrees
- 3 hills of Fordhook Zucchini
- 3 hills of Straight Eight cucumbers

I cut back my 5 hops plants this year and may divide them in the fall and dig the older plants out and replant them somewhere else. My Elderberry and blackberries seem to be doing good this spring but the Red Raspberries are again looking poor. I may have to go back to the Heritage ever bearing variety as these raspberries just aren't growing. My current plants are doing well but won't produce much this year as the winter was hard on them. It'll take some care to get them back to where they were. I lost half my gooseberry and may have to cut it out totally, and my two young persimmons are growing well. Another few years and they'll start bearing as well. My asian pears are finally doing well and I think I'll get a decent number of pears this year. I'll try and get some pictures up later.

Sounds like a nice garden. This year as far as veggies go, a few tomato plants, peppers, and just one pickling cucumber bush. I'm redoing my herb garden. I'm not into a lot of canning and the freezer is only so big. I do like to put up jams and pickles though. I go to farms that allow you to pick all the berries you can carry by the quart for jams. And I have a brother who puts in a huge garden that supplies me with all kinds of squash and beans, beets etc. My passion is flowers. Just picked up two more flats to finish everything off tomorrow.

 

[sangha]

The garden will be getting moved next year, so I'm just using the yank and curse method for this season. It's all raised beds right now which will get demolished when it gets moved.

I've used the newspaper/cardboard method for mulching before, but have found that pill bugs multiply at a horrendous rate in the garden because of the decomposing paper (wood pulp) attracts them.

Pulling works, but if there are any flowers or seed heads, put them in a plastic bag and throw them away. Their seeds get around easily and the flowers can develop into seeds even after you pull them.

Pill bugs are benign, and even slightly beneficial as they help eat decaying material, speeding up the composting process. Of course, you don't want them in your house, but in your garden they will do little damage and maybe none at all.

But if they give you the creepies, use diatomaceous earth, preferably food-grade DE.

 

[radioman]

Pill bugs are benign, and even slightly beneficial as they help eat decaying material, speeding up the composting process. Of course, you don't want them in your house, but in your garden they will do little damage and maybe none at all.

.

Thanks for the pill bug info.
My grandson calls them rolly-polys and collects 'em.
I'm glad to hear they're harmless in my garden.

 

[Ockham]

Sounds like a nice garden. This year as far as veggies go, a few tomato plants, peppers, and just one pickling cucumber bush. I'm redoing my herb garden. I'm not into a lot of canning and the freezer is only so big. I do like to put up jams and pickles though. I go to farms that allow you to pick all the berries you can carry by the quart for jams. And I have a brother who puts in a huge garden that supplies me with all kinds of squash and beans, beets etc. My passion is flowers. Just picked up two more flats to finish everything off tomorrow.

I just picked up Hyssop and Bee Balm to get the honeybees in, and some Nasturtium and Radish seeds for around my pumpkins as well as some catnip. I like to go blueberry picking in late June and freeze whatever we don't eat. The wife's deathly afraid of snakes so the blueberry fields are a no go with her. Sounds like your brother brings over whatever you don't grow - I do the same thing. Usually I stop asking about mid summer and just take bags of stuff over to my sisters. :2razz:

 

[sangha]

Here's something I've been looking into lately. I don't really have the space to do it where I am, but I'm going to try it when I move



Here's an example of a front-yard hugelkultur



And here's one that's not quite hugelkultur but instead uses a deep mulch of wood chips with no till gardening

 

[beefheart]

I just picked up Hyssop and Bee Balm to get the honeybees in, and some Nasturtium and Radish seeds for around my pumpkins as well as some catnip. I like to go blueberry picking in late June and freeze whatever we don't eat. The wife's deathly afraid of snakes so the blueberry fields are a no go with her. Sounds like your brother brings over whatever you don't grow - I do the same thing. Usually I stop asking about mid summer and just take bags of stuff over to my sisters. :2razz:

I have a passion fruit that attracts all the butterflies in the neighborhood, it is near my tiny pond which gets all the dragon flies. I have to destroy the eggs or the caterpillars, the plant is just starting to grow out, and it needs to turn into a massive hazard like my other type of passion.

 

[beefheart]

I was quite surprised to find that my Frederick Passion Fruit is putting out blossoms again. It skipped all last year. Amazing flowers, only open for a day, this one is near the end of its bloom. Hopefully, I can get some fruit to grow, but they don't pollinate easily...I need some big carpenter bees.

 

[radioman]

I was quite surprised to find that my Frederick Passion Fruit is putting out blossoms again. It skipped all last year. Amazing flowers, only open for a day, this one is near the end of its bloom. Hopefully, I can get some fruit to grow, but they don't pollinate easily...I need some big carpenter bees.

View attachment 67167087

I've got lots of those, they love our Larkspur, but ignore everything else.
Huge, lumbering creatures.
I'd hate to be stung by one (they're really docile).
Even worse, I'd hate to be bitten by one.....they dig tunnels in trees, fer gawdsakes...highly acidic saliva, maybe?
Anyway, plant some Larkspur next spring.

 

[beefheart]

I've got lots of those, they love our Larkspur, but ignore everything else.
Huge, lumbering creatures.
I'd hate to be stung by one (they're really docile).
Even worse, I'd hate to be bitten by one.....they dig tunnels in trees, fer gawdsakes...highly acidic saliva, maybe?
Anyway, plant some Larkspur next spring.

We have them around, not enough. I had a neighbor that had a big piece of ironwood that they built a hive in. Cool bees...

 

[sangha]

I was quite surprised to find that my Frederick Passion Fruit is putting out blossoms again. It skipped all last year. Amazing flowers, only open for a day, this one is near the end of its bloom. Hopefully, I can get some fruit to grow, but they don't pollinate easily...I need some big carpenter bees.

View attachment 67167087

Pollinator Partnership

Type in your zip and you'll get a link to a pdf that describes the pollinators in your area. Find a plant that flowers at the same time as your Passion Fruit and plant that in the area.

 

[beefheart]

Pollinator Partnership

Type in your zip and you'll get a link to a pdf that describes the pollinators in your area. Find a plant that flowers at the same time as your Passion Fruit and plant that in the area.

Thanks, but it is a number of things, the flowers are only open for about 9 hours, and the lack of humidity plays a factor, I think... I'm glad to see it blossoming, I have a different strain that is starting to grow well, and yet a different one, in a tiny pot, struggling...

But this plant...is taking over the house...see below:

(Plumerias in front, blooming..)

 

[GottaGo]

Pulling works, but if there are any flowers or seed heads, put them in a plastic bag and throw them away. Their seeds get around easily and the flowers can develop into seeds even after you pull them.

Pill bugs are benign, and even slightly beneficial as they help eat decaying material, speeding up the composting process. Of course, you don't want them in your house, but in your garden they will do little damage and maybe none at all.

But if they give you the creepies, use diatomaceous earth, preferably food-grade DE.

I have the diatomaceous earth, and have used it. Pill bugs are not as benign as you might think, especially in strawberry patches. The will eat into any fruit that touches the dirt, and they can cause problems with root systems such as potted plants.

 

[sangha]

I have the diatomaceous earth, and have used it. Pill bugs are not as benign as you might think, especially in strawberry patches. The will eat into any fruit that touches the dirt, and they can cause problems with root systems such as potted plants.

I'm not going to say you're wrong, but I've seen no evidence of them eating roots in either the literature or in real life. However, since they do like well-shaded places (because they're crustaceans and need moisture) and will eat tender plant material, I could imagine that they might eat the low hanging fruit.

 

[Ockham]

How's the Gardens growing?

Just an update on mine - the bean beetles are kicking my patootie. String beans, swisschard and bush beans were covered with them this year. Sometimes 5 and 6 on a single leaf!
Had to spray with Pyola and will probably have to continue after the rains are over.

Ornamental corn is doing great - those early sweet sugar pie pumpkins are busting out all over. Probably have 50 flowers right now and a dozen or so fist sized pumkins. The lettuce went into seed quick as soon as we hit 90 degrees so the Romaine is pretty much over. I expect tomatoes in the next week and for the rest of the summer from all the plants I have - the green peppers (which I had bad luck over the past 3 years with little to no production) are doing very well. The zucchini's are producing and I've been giving them away as are the cucumbers. I plan to make some sun pickles next week sometime.

How about an update guys!

 

[sangha]

How's the Gardens growing?

Just an update on mine - the bean beetles are kicking my patootie. String beans, swisschard and bush beans were covered with them this year. Sometimes 5 and 6 on a single leaf!
Had to spray with Pyola and will probably have to continue after the rains are over.

Ornamental corn is doing great - those early sweet sugar pie pumpkins are busting out all over. Probably have 50 flowers right now and a dozen or so fist sized pumkins. The lettuce went into seed quick as soon as we hit 90 degrees so the Romaine is pretty much over. I expect tomatoes in the next week and for the rest of the summer from all the plants I have - the green peppers (which I had bad luck over the past 3 years with little to no production) are doing very well. The zucchini's are producing and I've been giving them away as are the cucumbers. I plan to make some sun pickles next week sometime.

How about an update guys!

Mexican Bean Beetle Control | Planet Natural

Mexican Bean Beetle Control: Since damage is most severe during summer months, consider planting early maturing bean varieties to reduce pest problems. Hand pick the adults and immature stages from plants and drop them in a pail of soapy water. Also, remove the bright yellow eggs laid in clusters on the undersides of leaves. Harvest-Guard can be used as a physical barrier to keep beetles and grubs from damaging plants. Beneficial insects, such as ladybugs, green lacewing and minute pirate bugs, are all voracious predators of both the egg and young larval stage. Apply diatomaceous earth to plants and/or spot treat with Safer Soap to keep pest populations under control. Thorough coverage of both upper and lower leaves is necessary for control. If pest levels become intolerable, spot treat with botanical insecticides as a last resort. Treatments should be repeated in 7-10 days if additional beetles are found. Remove garden trash and other debris shortly after harvest to reduce over-wintering sites.

Petunias are also supposed to repel them. Plant some around the beans

 

[Ockham]

Mexican Bean Beetle Control | Planet Natural

Petunias are also supposed to repel them. Plant some around the beans

I would but these are climbing beans - so they're on the edge of the garden by the fence with a pathway on one side and the grass/lawn on the other. No place for me to put them and they're up about 4 1/2 feet so the petunia's around them won't help in this case. They were so heavy on the bush beans that literally the beans wouldn't recover for another picking so I picked the beans and pulled the plants out. So far so good however on the pumpkins - no beetles on them so far but I keep checking the underside of the leaves.

 

[sangha]

I would but these are climbing beans - so they're on the edge of the garden by the fence with a pathway on one side and the grass/lawn on the other. No place for me to put them and they're up about 4 1/2 feet so the petunia's around them won't help in this case. They were so heavy on the bush beans that literally the beans wouldn't recover for another picking so I picked the beans and pulled the plants out. So far so good however on the pumpkins - no beetles on them so far but I keep checking the underside of the leaves.

I see

For future reference, petunias do well in a hanging basket. They look good like that too. Maybe you can hang a few baskets from the fence or whatever

 

[Medusa]

How's the Gardens growing?

Just an update on mine - the bean beetles are kicking my patootie. String beans, swisschard and bush beans were covered with them this year. Sometimes 5 and 6 on a single leaf!
Had to spray with Pyola and will probably have to continue after the rains are over.

Ornamental corn is doing great - those early sweet sugar pie pumpkins are busting out all over. Probably have 50 flowers right now and a dozen or so fist sized pumkins. The lettuce went into seed quick as soon as we hit 90 degrees so the Romaine is pretty much over. I expect tomatoes in the next week and for the rest of the summer from all the plants I have - the green peppers (which I had bad luck over the past 3 years with little to no production) are doing very well. The zucchini's are producing and I've been giving them away as are the cucumbers. I plan to make some sun pickles next week sometime.

How about an update guys!

you may post pics