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Garden Geeks thread
- Thread starter leswp1
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walrus
Wind up workin' in a gas station
Re: Garden Geeks thread
Planted a bunch of stuff yesterday but decided to wait till today to transplant as it was supposed to be cloudy. That worked out well. tomatoes, Peppers, broccoli and Cauliflower got done today. Still have squash left to go, maybe next weekend, they are still kind of small
Planted a bunch of stuff yesterday but decided to wait till today to transplant as it was supposed to be cloudy. That worked out well. tomatoes, Peppers, broccoli and Cauliflower got done today. Still have squash left to go, maybe next weekend, they are still kind of small
Re: Garden Geeks thread
Planted over the weekend - cucumbers, leeks, jalapenos, basil, lavender, dahlias, impatiens and some other flowers that I can't remember. Didn't put up my gutter garden on the patio fence yet - I'm thinking I'll start small, probably with a couple rows of flowers. Just painted my patio fence last weekend (10 hours of painting!) after getting a new patio installed, so some brightly colored annuals would look great on it.
There's a dill sprig coming up in my garden. I think I planted dill in that spot 2 years ago (I read somewhere it's biennial?), but it never really grew there, so I was surprised to see it come back.
I have berries on my strawberry plants!!!
Planted over the weekend - cucumbers, leeks, jalapenos, basil, lavender, dahlias, impatiens and some other flowers that I can't remember. Didn't put up my gutter garden on the patio fence yet - I'm thinking I'll start small, probably with a couple rows of flowers. Just painted my patio fence last weekend (10 hours of painting!) after getting a new patio installed, so some brightly colored annuals would look great on it.
There's a dill sprig coming up in my garden. I think I planted dill in that spot 2 years ago (I read somewhere it's biennial?), but it never really grew there, so I was surprised to see it come back.
I have berries on my strawberry plants!!!
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Re: Garden Geeks thread
So do we, but we've yet to see a ripe one. As soon as they're near ripe, something's scarfing them up. Bunnies, birds, I dunno. If I need to buy yet another roll of chicken wire and some top netting, I might as well go ahead and declare bankruptcy.
I have berries on my strawberry plants!!!
So do we, but we've yet to see a ripe one. As soon as they're near ripe, something's scarfing them up. Bunnies, birds, I dunno. If I need to buy yet another roll of chicken wire and some top netting, I might as well go ahead and declare bankruptcy.
Re: Garden Geeks thread
It took us years to get where we are now with our strawberries, hopefully a brief history of our travails will help you see it through too....so far this year we've harvested over a quart and there awaits right now another two quarts of one kind and a pint of the tart mini-strawberries from a second bed.
When we first put in our strawberries, I thought it was a total waste of time and space, since we harvested about two berries from the whole patch, slugs got most of them and some other critters got the rest.
So that winter after the ground had frozen*, we actually laid about 4" of straw across the top of the bed, and enclosed it in chicken wire. We got a decent increase in berries, it was better than before but still a lot of work and space for not much reward**. The next year we draped bird netting across the top, which helped increase berry harvest when we went out to harvest but harvesting itself was a pain.
Finally, I built a frame using bamboo rods and corner connectors around the top of the chicken wire enclosure and used wire to fasten the chicken wire to the frame. Then I wrapped each end of the bird netting around another piece of bamboo rod, laid it over the top, then fastened one more bamboo rod across the middle to the frame on either side. Now, when we want to harvest, we just lift the bamboo rod from one side, harvest, replace and lift from the other side. We are having a fantastic harvest so far.
* weird winter this year, the ground never froze, and we had more snow on Halloween -- that one autumn day alone -- than we had cumulatively throughout the entire winter.
** We get a phenomenal harvest from bush beans and some other plants and not much space overall, so that if it doesn't yield above a certain level I don't want to devote any space to it....though on the other hand, the year we grew zucchini, we had so much of it that we were challenged to give it away fast enough. Our neighbors would see us coming and yell "no more zucchini please"
So do we, but we've yet to see a ripe one. As soon as they're near ripe, something's scarfing them up. Bunnies, birds, I dunno. If I need to buy yet another roll of chicken wire and some top netting, I might as well go ahead and declare bankruptcy.
It took us years to get where we are now with our strawberries, hopefully a brief history of our travails will help you see it through too....so far this year we've harvested over a quart and there awaits right now another two quarts of one kind and a pint of the tart mini-strawberries from a second bed.
When we first put in our strawberries, I thought it was a total waste of time and space, since we harvested about two berries from the whole patch, slugs got most of them and some other critters got the rest.
So that winter after the ground had frozen*, we actually laid about 4" of straw across the top of the bed, and enclosed it in chicken wire. We got a decent increase in berries, it was better than before but still a lot of work and space for not much reward**. The next year we draped bird netting across the top, which helped increase berry harvest when we went out to harvest but harvesting itself was a pain.
Finally, I built a frame using bamboo rods and corner connectors around the top of the chicken wire enclosure and used wire to fasten the chicken wire to the frame. Then I wrapped each end of the bird netting around another piece of bamboo rod, laid it over the top, then fastened one more bamboo rod across the middle to the frame on either side. Now, when we want to harvest, we just lift the bamboo rod from one side, harvest, replace and lift from the other side. We are having a fantastic harvest so far.
* weird winter this year, the ground never froze, and we had more snow on Halloween -- that one autumn day alone -- than we had cumulatively throughout the entire winter.
** We get a phenomenal harvest from bush beans and some other plants and not much space overall, so that if it doesn't yield above a certain level I don't want to devote any space to it....though on the other hand, the year we grew zucchini, we had so much of it that we were challenged to give it away fast enough. Our neighbors would see us coming and yell "no more zucchini please"
G
Gurtholfin
Guest
Re: Garden Geeks thread
One other hint on strawberries that I discovered:
Let them migrate if possible. I found that new plants always had the biggest and best berries. Over the years, I have allowed my patch to move around the rest of the garden.
This is accomplished by the plants sending out their shoots and me allowing them to migrate to a specified new area.
Each late-summer, I weed about a quarter of the patch, always choosing an old growth segment. The next spring, this becomes home to beans, tomatoes, peppers whatever.
Our patch is probably no more than 30 square feet at any time and we always get sick of berries before they're done. Good problem to have.
One other hint on strawberries that I discovered:
Let them migrate if possible. I found that new plants always had the biggest and best berries. Over the years, I have allowed my patch to move around the rest of the garden.
This is accomplished by the plants sending out their shoots and me allowing them to migrate to a specified new area.
Each late-summer, I weed about a quarter of the patch, always choosing an old growth segment. The next spring, this becomes home to beans, tomatoes, peppers whatever.
Our patch is probably no more than 30 square feet at any time and we always get sick of berries before they're done. Good problem to have.
walrus
Wind up workin' in a gas station
Re: Garden Geeks thread
So I transplanted squashes and cukes last weekend, since then we've had temps in the 50s and 60s and 5 or 6 inches of rain, guess what, 50% drowned or rotted. I just went out and planted again, might get some squash, might not. If I do they'll be late. Oh well. Broccoli and cauliflower looks awesome though, apparently they like the cold weather, peas look great too. Tomatoes have taken hold and look ok, peppers not so good.
So I transplanted squashes and cukes last weekend, since then we've had temps in the 50s and 60s and 5 or 6 inches of rain, guess what, 50% drowned or rotted. I just went out and planted again, might get some squash, might not. If I do they'll be late. Oh well. Broccoli and cauliflower looks awesome though, apparently they like the cold weather, peas look great too. Tomatoes have taken hold and look ok, peppers not so good.
leswp1
New member
Re: Garden Geeks thread
Tomatoes have buds/flowers. The squash and cukes look anemic. Cool and rain here too. Beans are up but something ate the tops off half of them. Grr. Arugula bolted but only some of it. Lettuce is straggling along. Spinach is horrible. Tried a new variety Leaves are so little I could strip the garden and stoll not have enough to fill a bowl.
Tomatoes have buds/flowers. The squash and cukes look anemic. Cool and rain here too. Beans are up but something ate the tops off half of them. Grr. Arugula bolted but only some of it. Lettuce is straggling along. Spinach is horrible. Tried a new variety Leaves are so little I could strip the garden and stoll not have enough to fill a bowl.
FiveHole12
Registered User
Re: Garden Geeks thread
Everything is looking good. I waited and planted Memorial Day weekend (well... I really didn't wait, I spent the first 3 weeks of May fishing up in Wally's country).
Tomatoes have some buds, spinach is delicious (the mrs. picked 3 rows yesterday), cukes and squash all looking very healthy. The eggplant has been getting eaten up by bugs, but I fixed those buggers Saturday.
Just thinned the beets... should be eating them soon.
Everything is looking good. I waited and planted Memorial Day weekend (well... I really didn't wait, I spent the first 3 weeks of May fishing up in Wally's country).
Tomatoes have some buds, spinach is delicious (the mrs. picked 3 rows yesterday), cukes and squash all looking very healthy. The eggplant has been getting eaten up by bugs, but I fixed those buggers Saturday.
Just thinned the beets... should be eating them soon.
leswp1
New member
Re: Garden Geeks thread
Put in a new shade garden. NOTHING is in flats anymore for annuals. They want you to buy one plant for 3 bucks. Be serious folks. I did alot of stuff from seed early this Spring but I hate not being able to cheat and get a few flats to fill in stuff. They didn't even have flats in May. GRR.
Anyone have any suggestions for creative ways to deal with 100' of hose. I have a large yard and gardens on the perimeter. 20 yrs later and we are still struggling with what to so with the hoses. It is too large to hang off the house. We have used the spool thing but that broke after about a yr.
Put in a new shade garden. NOTHING is in flats anymore for annuals. They want you to buy one plant for 3 bucks. Be serious folks. I did alot of stuff from seed early this Spring but I hate not being able to cheat and get a few flats to fill in stuff. They didn't even have flats in May. GRR.
Anyone have any suggestions for creative ways to deal with 100' of hose. I have a large yard and gardens on the perimeter. 20 yrs later and we are still struggling with what to so with the hoses. It is too large to hang off the house. We have used the spool thing but that broke after about a yr.
FiveHole12
Registered User
Re: Garden Geeks thread
Run a pipe underground to the garden area and put in a spigot there. You'll have to blow out the water in the fall so the pipe doesn't freeze and damage the piping. You could do this with plastic piping. Or... run the hose underground and run hoses off of it. You can leave the hose underground year round, just blow the water out each fall. I have one like that has been there for 10 years.
Cut the 100 footer into 5@ 20' pieces. LOL... teasing.
Run a pipe underground to the garden area and put in a spigot there. You'll have to blow out the water in the fall so the pipe doesn't freeze and damage the piping. You could do this with plastic piping. Or... run the hose underground and run hoses off of it. You can leave the hose underground year round, just blow the water out each fall. I have one like that has been there for 10 years.
Re: Garden Geeks thread
This is exactly what I did for the roughly 200' from the house to the main lower garden. I just got tired of having to get all that hose out of the way for mowing. Between the three different areas we needed water, I had 1100" of hose out! So yeah, for that 200' I buried white 1/2" pvc pipe and set it up with a way to drain it for winter. It's worked great for at least 5 years now, and the stuff is cheap enough that I already feel like I got my money's worth. This year for the upper garden I added a 275 gallon water tank that I'll rig as a rain barrel from a 28x30 garage. I can bring the drain pipes from both eaves to the center back of the garage where I set the tank, and it should work great. That eliminates another 400' of hose.
This is exactly what I did for the roughly 200' from the house to the main lower garden. I just got tired of having to get all that hose out of the way for mowing. Between the three different areas we needed water, I had 1100" of hose out! So yeah, for that 200' I buried white 1/2" pvc pipe and set it up with a way to drain it for winter. It's worked great for at least 5 years now, and the stuff is cheap enough that I already feel like I got my money's worth. This year for the upper garden I added a 275 gallon water tank that I'll rig as a rain barrel from a 28x30 garage. I can bring the drain pipes from both eaves to the center back of the garage where I set the tank, and it should work great. That eliminates another 400' of hose.
FiveHole12
Registered User
walrus
Wind up workin' in a gas station
Re: Garden Geeks thread
, one made of metal.
http://www.factorydirecthose.com/site/932652/page/394681
Get a real spool thing
, one made of metal.http://www.factorydirecthose.com/site/932652/page/394681
Re: Garden Geeks thread
I've had a bunch of different hose reels, and you're right, anything short of metal is junk. For my money, this is the absolute best hose reel on the market.
http://www.amazon.com/Rapid-Reel-Mount-Garden-1041-GH/dp/B0025ZHV3W
Sadly, it costs like the best, too. I have one right now for 150' feet of hose, and I can easily whip in the whole thing lefty when it's full of water. Just smooth as silk. When I win the lottery, I'll be able to afford one more, and I'll be content.
I've had a bunch of different hose reels, and you're right, anything short of metal is junk. For my money, this is the absolute best hose reel on the market.
http://www.amazon.com/Rapid-Reel-Mount-Garden-1041-GH/dp/B0025ZHV3W
Sadly, it costs like the best, too. I have one right now for 150' feet of hose, and I can easily whip in the whole thing lefty when it's full of water. Just smooth as silk. When I win the lottery, I'll be able to afford one more, and I'll be content.
walrus
Wind up workin' in a gas station
Re: Garden Geeks thread
I have one like that , it mounts on the wall but is oriented 90 degrees different than the one you posted. I unhook the hose from the spigot in the winter and the reel and hose freeze solid, no issues so far
Re: Garden Geeks thread
A question both for you and for Walrus....how is the junction on those? We had a hose reel that worked fine as far as storing hoses goes; however there always was a small leak somewhere in each one of them.
We "solved" our problem by buying a spigot splitter or whatever you call it, along with burying a pipe. Now the pipe carries water out back (have to blow it out every winter); and for the back, front and side of the house we just have three hoses, each running from the spigot to a different part of the yard. Most of the hose remains in place, we only need to move around the last 20 feet or so (20 feet each direction times 3 hoses = 120 feet of coverage).
A question both for you and for Walrus....how is the junction on those? We had a hose reel that worked fine as far as storing hoses goes; however there always was a small leak somewhere in each one of them.
We "solved" our problem by buying a spigot splitter or whatever you call it, along with burying a pipe. Now the pipe carries water out back (have to blow it out every winter); and for the back, front and side of the house we just have three hoses, each running from the spigot to a different part of the yard. Most of the hose remains in place, we only need to move around the last 20 feet or so (20 feet each direction times 3 hoses = 120 feet of coverage).
FiveHole12
Registered User
Re: Garden Geeks thread
Do you drain the hose first? I drain all my hoses before storing and blow out the underground pipes.
FiveHole12
Registered User
Re: Garden Geeks thread
Heads up gals... there's men in here talking about their hoses. 
Heads up gals... there's men in here talking about their hoses.
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