What's Growing In Your Garden? Horticultural Science

[Turtle]

Lookin' Good Turtle-san.

 

I'll be getting stuff in the ground soon. My enthusiasm is a little waned this year.

But I enjoy a bit of yard work myself. I'm glad your here to pick up my slack :D:hyper::doh:

 

I have a couple tomato starts for ya Rac & they need in the ground soon!! :hyper:

So here's a little tour of my garden: (if video is blurry/jerky, it hasn't fully processed yet. :rant: )

April Showers Bring May Flowers

or

Gardening Is As Gardening Does

url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1-cLOlvMQ4]YouTube - garden tour may '09[/url

 

Edit: Rats! Damn Murphy & his law!! :rant: The video tour failed for unknown technical reasons, although operator error is not unknown in these circumstances. So while said operator tries again, here's some highlights via verbiage.

 

My wheat is heading, gourds blooming, first tomato buds budding, last years over-Wintered leeks about to flower, jalepenos in da groun', wildflowers flowering, yada garden yada... :D New leaner-n-meaner (shorter too!) video soon at a terminal near you. :doh: :D

[Turtle]

Here we go thens. Peas-a-poddin' and all. :doh:

 

YouTube - garden tour http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPoCHoKhNyg

[freeztar]

I unfortunately did not start a proper planting this year, but I still couldn't resist the urge to buy some seeds yesterday. My yard has very little sunlit areas, but I intend to at least harvest some herbs and maybe, just maybe, a few peppers. :D

 

Everything will be done in pots to allow for transport (the sun keeps freakin movin all over the place :doh:). My next step is to procure some char for some smashing times. :doh:

 

Then, everything goes in and they're off! I'm quite sure I can get some basil to grow in my shady backyard, but I'm concerned about the peppers and tomatoes.

 

We'll see...

[maikeru]

This is what different types of basil look like in biochar. These are growing in my room. Note the big difference between basils grown in terra cotta pots vs. other pots. The bigger ones started off as the smaller ones until I repotted them in terra cotta. I think the improved air flow to the roots has something to do with it. I'm impressed.

 

Science Forums - maikeru's Album: Basils in Biochar

 

Tomorrow, I hope, I'll get some photos of my forest garden, although it's been coming along slowly. I'll explain more after I snap the pics.

[Turtle]

This is what different types of basil look like in biochar. These are growing in my room. Note the big difference between basils grown in terra cotta pots vs. other pots. The bigger ones started off as the smaller ones until I repotted them in terra cotta. I think the improved air flow to the roots has something to do with it. I'm impressed.

 

Science Forums - maikeru's Album: Basils in Biochar

 

Tomorrow, I hope, I'll get some photos of my forest garden, although it's been coming along slowly. I'll explain more after I snap the pics.

 

Nice! I have some basil sproutlings in an outdoor pot, but it's one of those things I don't normally eat & I'm growing it because someone gave me the seeds. :hyper:

 

I wanted to link to your Blog bit on the ollas as it may have escaped wide notice and I am doing it myself with a regular terra cotta pot with the drain hole plugged with hot-melt glue. It's in the ground now & will see just how well it holds water and all. Photos to follow. :)

 

Makieru's most excellent horticultural blog entry: >> Hola to Ollas: Saving Water in Your Desert Garden - Science Forums

 

I unfortunately did not start a proper planting this year, but I still couldn't resist the urge to buy some seeds yesterday. My yard has very little sunlit areas, but I intend to at least harvest some herbs and maybe, just maybe, a few peppers. :)

 

Everything will be done in pots to allow for transport (the sun keeps freakin movin all over the place ;)). My next step is to procure some char for some smashing times. :hihi:

 

Then, everything goes in and they're off! I'm quite sure I can get some basil to grow in my shady backyard, but I'm concerned about the peppers and tomatoes.

 

We'll see...

 

That's the spirit!! I ended up with more tomato starts than I had room in the ground for and even after giving away a few I have 3 growing in pots. My tomatos are just starting to flower now :), but obviously I started way early and I don't think it is too late for anyone to start.

 

Till next time then... .....:eek:

[Mercedes Benzene]

I've been trying to grow sunflowers for weeks now. The problem is, out of the hundreds of seeds I've planted, something has eaten the seedlings. I'm assuming rabbits, but I guess it could also be squirrels or even birds.

 

As a solution, I've been starting the seeds in plastic cups, and I'll transplant them later. I hope that works.

Any suggestions for preventing critters from eating them once they're transplanted?

[Turtle]

I've been trying to grow sunflowers for weeks now. The problem is, out of the hundreds of seeds I've planted, something has eaten the seedlings. I'm assuming rabbits, but I guess it could also be squirrels or even birds.

 

As a solution, I've been starting the seeds in plastic cups, and I'll transplant them later. I hope that works.

Any suggestions for preventing critters from eating them once they're transplanted?

 

I've lost a few Sunflowers this season to slugs I think. :) :eek: Do you have slugs or snails there? A little salt sprinkled in a circle around the seedlings will keep them out. :) Once the seedling is big enough the slugs/snails shouldn't be a problem. For other pestys, a little cover of chicken wire. It needn't be more than a foot or so tall, as once the Sunflowers are that big they are getting a pretty tough stem. Startings inside a good extra measure, and go ahead and plant more seeds outside too.

[Mercedes Benzene]

I've lost a few Sunflowers this season to slugs I think. :) :eek: Do you have slugs or snails there? A little salt sprinkled in a circle around the seedlings will keep them out. :) Once the seedling is big enough the slugs/snails shouldn't be a problem. For other pestys, a little cover of chicken wire. It needn't be more than a foot or so tall, as once the Sunflowers are that big they are getting a pretty tough stem. Startings inside a good extra measure, and go ahead and plant more seeds outside too.

 

We do have slugs here, and they're usually a problem, but I've seen no characteristic evidence on my destroyed sunflowers. It's definitely a small-mammalian problem.

I can try chicken wire. I also just did some research and it would seem that cayenne pepper repels bunnies and squirrels. I may try that also.

[Turtle]

We do have slugs here, and they're usually a problem, but I've seen no characteristic evidence on my destroyed sunflowers. It's definitely a small-mammalian problem.

I can try chicken wire. I also just did some research and it would seem that cayenne pepper repels bunnies and squirrels. I may try that also.

 

Roger. Might be cats. :hyper: :) I won't dog that subject though. :hihi: :)

 

Here's my olla irrigation experiment. Holding water fine so far. :eek: :)

 

[maikeru]

I've been trying to grow sunflowers for weeks now. The problem is, out of the hundreds of seeds I've planted, something has eaten the seedlings. I'm assuming rabbits, but I guess it could also be squirrels or even birds.

 

As a solution, I've been starting the seeds in plastic cups, and I'll transplant them later. I hope that works.

Any suggestions for preventing critters from eating them once they're transplanted?

 

Here are a few ideas:

 

--Cover them up with grass or weed clippings or mulch with used coffee grounds and that should hide the seedlings. Scatter randomly on top and around the seedlings, so predators get confused and have to waste more energy and time to find food. You want to make life hard for them.

 

--Scatter broken eggshells heavily around the seedlings to dissuade them. It'll also act as gradual fertilizer. Should also work for slugs and snails. Maybe use in combo with clippings or mulch.

 

--Grow spiky or pungent herbs close by. If animals brush against them, they'll be deterred. Some things that smell great to people smell awful to animals. E.g., garlic, onions, rosemary, lavender.

[maikeru]

Roger. Might be cats. :eek: :hyper: I won't dog that subject though. :cat: :dog:

 

Here's my olla irrigation experiment. Holding water fine so far.

 

 

Looking good so far, Turtle! I'll buy some more terra cotta pots tomorrow and get the glue gun ready. I need to be careful. I have seedlings sprouting up all over. I killed some tonight by accident while digging. :(

 

Finally, I have some decent photos of my biochar garden outside. These were taken tonight after I was done with the garden work. If I'd taken them a few weeks earlier, you would've seen a lot of twiggy-looking dead things and dry grey dirt (or dead stuff sticking out of snow from freak snow storms we've had this spring)...but most of the trees, shrubs, and bushes are not dead! Just slow to come out of dormancy. Today I discovered my grape vines are starting to bloom, even though I half-thought them gone.

 

Science Forums - maikeru's Album: Gardening Like the Wild

 

I hope to have more luxuriant white clover, vetch, and ground-cover growth later. Still working on this. My white clover is scattered all over. If you see any little fuzzy green stuff in the photos, that's clover & vetch. For a full list of what I'm growing in there, please see my blog post. I'm losing track of what kind of seeds I've chucked in there, but I'll recognize them when they come up. :)

[Turtle]

...

I hope to have more luxuriant white clover, vetch, and ground-cover growth later. Still working on this. My white clover is scattered all over. If you see any little fuzzy green stuff in the photos, that's clover & vetch. For a full list of what I'm growing in there, please see my blog post. I'm losing track of what kind of seeds I've chucked in there, but I'll recognize them when they come up. :)

 

:D I pull up clover like crazy. :D I let the "vetches" go in spots though as I'm trying to ID them. So far my books have not helped. :lol: :rant:

 

I have little tomatos already and here is a shot of the main bed. Also in the shot you may see a radish blooming (young seed pods edibleicious), some spinach, peas, green beans, and broccoli. :D

 

 

wildflower bed

[Racoon]

Looks good Turtle! :)

I can tell you have been making serious progress.

 

My Strawberry patch wayyyy outperformed last year. I have about 4 good sized tupperware containers of frozen, processed strawberries in the freezer now..

I went on a slug pre-emptive strike late spring :hihi:.. I turned over all hiding spots and stabbed all the slugs underneath before the strawberries began.. I noticed that my strawberry ruination was cut in half! :D

I had so many strawberries this year in my little patch that I let the rest go for now and the slugs can have 'em. :hihi:

 

Raspberries are coming in. They have overrun the neighbors fence (underground rooting) and are starting to turn crimson.

 

Peppers and Tomatoes are coming along nicely.

Deck garden doing good as per usual..