Garden Geeks thread

[Carter]

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.

It's amazingly leak free, unlike my plastic one. The feeder hose comes in the back center of the reel, and attaches to a brass 90 degree elbow. The hose on the reel comes through a gap in the face of the reel, attaches to that elbow, and is strapped down with a heavy duty zip fastener. The fact that the thing is guaranteed for a full 10 years says a lot. The reel can also mount parallel or perpendicular to the wall. Pretty snazzy, if pricey.

 

[walrus]

Re: Garden Geeks thread

Never drain the hose, don't believe I have any leaks in the swivel either. Been on my house 5 years or so. Mine has a brass swivel with O Rings not plastic crap.
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200466747_200466747

 

[theprofromdover]

Re: Garden Geeks thread

Heads up gals... there's men in here talking about their hoses.

Actually, they're talking about blowing their hoses! ;-)

 

[jen]

Re: Garden Geeks thread

Cucumbers and jalapenos have flowers on them already. Strawberries still ripening - I still need to put netting over them. I only have 4 plants, so it should be no problem to cover them (I haven't actually noticed the birds and bunnies taking them - but I have plenty of both around).

This year I had trouble coming up with enough things to plant in the garden, because everything seems to grow better in pots (except cucumbers and the perennial stuff). Thinking of adding a raspberry plant, but is it worth it to just have one?

Didn't do the gutter garden thing - I added 2 window boxes to the patio instead. Very happy with the result.

A couple years ago, I planted some hostas under my magnolia (because nothing grows there). Thinking of expanding the area, but not sure what shady plants I should use (could do different types of hostas, I guess, since they seem to do well).

 

[FreshFish]

Re: Garden Geeks thread

This year I had trouble coming up with enough things to plant in the garden, because everything seems to grow better in pots (except cucumbers and the perennial stuff). Thinking of adding a raspberry plant, but is it worth it to just have one?

I'm not a horticulturist, and so my answer to this question might be off.....generally however you need at least two plants so that they can pollinate each other.

In our experience, setting aside a plot exclusively for raspberries provides one of our highest yielding areas, both in terms of flavor and for duration (only the green beans consistently do better). Our raspberry patch is 3' x 8' and it keeps wanting to get bigger. We are lucky to have a pretty decent size available for gardening.

One more thing to consider about raspberries, if your garden space is limited, is that they are very hardy! You can stick them somewhere else that's not in your garden and still have decent yield from them.

 

[leswp1]

Re: Garden Geeks thread

I'm not a horticulturist, and so my answer to this question might be off.....generally however you need at least two plants so that they can pollinate each other.

In our experience, setting aside a plot exclusively for raspberries provides one of our highest yielding areas, both in terms of flavor and for duration (only the green beans consistently do better). Our raspberry patch is 3' x 8' and it keeps wanting to get bigger. We are lucky to have a pretty decent size available for gardening.

One more thing to consider about raspberries, if your garden space is limited, is that they are very hardy! You can stick them somewhere else that's not in your garden and still have decent yield from them.

They also spread like a bugger!

 

[FreshFish]

Re: Garden Geeks thread

Any ideas on the following problem?

We start our green beans in successive plantings, to extend the harvest season. Plant a row, cover it with remay for three weeks or so; plant a new row and move remay over from old row since seedlings are now on second set of true leaves.

Uncovered a row yesterday and about 1/4 of the plants had no leaves!

If it's not a mammal eating them (no sign of any burrowing activity), what might it be? slugs perhaps? something that either was under the remay from the start or that could move under (it's only held down with a few rocks along the sides so a creepy crawly could find a way under somewhere...)

We're hoping that with the remay off the predation will now stop.







Meanwhile, the raspberries have just started to ripen. This year, we spread deer netting* over the top, leaving the sides open, hoping it will keep the birds away at least so that we can harvest more of what they can't get to. Our strawberry patch is only 6' x 4 feet but with the new cover we built, the increase in what we can harvest is astonishing. After this morning we are now over 7 quarts with plenty more still ripening. I'm getting close to "harvest fatigue", that condition in which the novelty of the first berries has worn off and picking is less a joy and more a chore....even went out to get a bottle of rum so that we can take the "excess" strawberries and toss them in a blender to make fresh strawberry dacquiris!







* deer netting is exactly like bird netting but with a larger grid.

 

[Carter]

Re: Garden Geeks thread

Any ideas on the following problem?

We start our green beans in successive plantings, to extend the harvest season. Plant a row, cover it with remay for three weeks or so; plant a new row and move remay over from old row since seedlings are now on second set of true leaves.

Uncovered a row yesterday and about 1/4 of the plants had no leaves!

If it's not a mammal eating them (no sign of any burrowing activity), what might it be? slugs perhaps? something that either was under the remay from the start or that could move under (it's only held down with a few rocks along the sides so a creepy crawly could find a way under somewhere...)

We're hoping that with the remay off the predation will now stop.

I know we've had problems in the past with rabbits just mowing off our pole beans as they sprout. Now, aside from the 7' fence they grow on, they're surrounded by another 2' fence of chicken wire. Problem solved. Although I do remember about 10 years ago, when they were in a different location, the beans getting eaten right down to the ground. So I replanted and put 3 feet of fence around them. Problem solved, until they cleared the 3' fence where they were promptly mowed off again. I attributed it to deer that time, since I've never seen rabbits climb fence. Not in this life, anyways.

 

[leswp1]

Re: Garden Geeks thread

Chipmunks and birds get mine. I use black plastic net which seems to help.

 

[jen]

Re: Garden Geeks thread

I shouldn't have said I hadn't seen evidence of critters in the strawberries. First ripe berries were plucked clean today (I guess the netting wasn't enough). Little mother****ers. So now I have two plastic fences around them and netting over the top.

 

[Carter]

Re: Garden Geeks thread

I shouldn't have said I hadn't seen evidence of critters in the strawberries. First ripe berries were plucked clean today (I guess the netting wasn't enough). Little mother****ers. So now I have two plastic fences around them and netting over the top.

Yeah, that's the most frustrating aspect of the whole situation. The little fockers are very smart about judging ripeness. You'll be watching a few strawberries for days, getting redder and redder, and then poof, they're gone. It grinds my beans.

 

[FiveHole12]

Re: Garden Geeks thread

A couple years ago, I planted some hostas under my magnolia (because nothing grows there). Thinking of expanding the area, but not sure what shady plants I should use (could do different types of hostas, I guess, since they seem to do well).

I have these (primrose) planted in shade with hosta and they are doing great. Been there for years and they're really starting to have beautiful, long flowering seasons now. Scroll down to see the purple color of my plants.

Plant them in front of the hosta as they only grow about 6"-12" high.

 

[goldy_331]

Re: Garden Geeks thread

I shouldn't have said I hadn't seen evidence of critters in the strawberries. First ripe berries were plucked clean today (I guess the netting wasn't enough). Little mother****ers. So now I have two plastic fences around them and netting over the top.

I had plastic fence around our garden one year. Bunnies ate right through it. Best defense we have had have been the hawks when they nested near our yard one year and when the coyote was hanging around.

 

[jen]

Re: Garden Geeks thread

I had plastic fence around our garden one year. Bunnies ate right through it. Best defense we have had have been the hawks when they nested near our yard one year and when the coyote was hanging around.

I don't think I'd want to meet those bunnies in a dark alley. I looked at the fences again, and they're both metal - I'm pretty sure I'm safe, unless the bunnies have been doing a lot of squats and can hop 2 feet high and crash through the netting (in which case... I think they deserve a strawberry)

Thanks for all the tips, though - this thread is very helpful for someone who has no idea what they're doing, like me.

I have these (primrose) planted in shade with hosta and they are doing great. Been there for years and they're really starting to have beautiful, long flowering seasons now. Scroll down to see the purple color of my plants.

Plant them in front of the hosta as they only grow about 6"-12" high.

Thanks! I like those - will look for them.

 

[FreshFish]

Re: Garden Geeks thread

The raspberries have just started ripening, picked a quart yesterday. We are trying an experiment this year in which we spread bird netting only over the top, leaving the sides open to make harvesting easier. The birds can have whatever falls to the ground. We've heard that they won't land on the branches if they are unable to fly away; we'll see how that works.

With the strawberries, it's almost become "be careful what you wish for." Our 4'x6' patch has already yielded over 7 quarts with plenty more still ripening. With my work schedule and all the children (er, offspring as they are now young adults) away this summer, I barely can keep up with harvesting the ones that ripen before they start to rot!

Peapods have started to form on the peas, will probably start picking this weekend. Yum! They almost never make it indoors, just too tasty to resist popping them open right then and there.

 

[FreshFish]

Re: Garden Geeks thread

I don't recall that we've ever had such a bounteous harvest of raspberries, and the seaaon is just starting....over two quarts picked today and twice as much still ripening. Third harvest of peas. Green beans have started to flower, as have cucumbers. Even the pumpkins are poking their leaves above the ground.

No more planting, lots of weeding and tending.

 

[nmu_27]

Re: Garden Geeks thread

Zucchinis are flowering, just waiting for the male flowers to start. Nothing else is flowering yet, though I'm thinking the peas can't be too far behind. Everything seems to be surviving the weather, and I haven't seen any huge bug damage.

 

[FreshFish]

Re: Garden Geeks thread

This is amazing, just picked the first green beans of the year. The first of the jalapenos are almost ready to harvest. I don't recall ever having so much ready to pick so soon.

The nearby store had a sale, 6 oz of raspberries for $2.99.....which means we picked about $72 of raspberries so far. Add in the strawberries from earlier in the year and we've already topped $100. Fingers crossed that there is no blight on the tomatoes this year.

Also tried something new, tomatillos, grow sort of like pepper plants except way way larger (almost too large for the space, as we've never had them before).

 

[FiveHole12]

Re: Garden Geeks thread

I've been harvesting summer squash and zucchini for a few weeks now. Once they start you just keep picking. Picked my first batch of beets yesterday. Much like tomatoes, there's nothing like a fresh home grown beet.. they are delicious.
Tomato and cucumber plants are looking very healthy with buds and some small green tomatoes, but no tommy toes or cukes to pick as of yet.
I am hoping for no blight this year as well.

 

[FreshFish]

Re: Garden Geeks thread

Welcome to another edition of Be Careful What You Wish For, Gardeners' 2.0.....


While the raspberry season was wildly successful, I'm somewhat glad it's now at an end.....you sort of feel an obligation to harvest. At least with raspberries, when they ripen they usually fall to the ground, and birds and other creatures can then eat them.

With our haricot verts (a specific form of bush bean), you don't merely feel an obligation to harvest, harvesting is actually obligatory.

These beans taste so good when you pick them on time, steam them, while on another burner you put a Pyrex measuring cup with butter and crushed garlic....pour melted butter / garlic over steamed beans, eat fresh picked from garden minutes earlier, one of life's exquisite simple sensory pleasures.

If you don't pick the beans before they ripen, not only do they ripen on the plant, the plant also stops bearing any new beans. Which means that you have to harvest regularly, whether you are hungry or not, whether you feel like it or not, if you want a sustained long-term harvest.

Having thought we learned our lesson, this year we planted only three rows of beans, staggering the planting date by two weeks per row. Last week I picked a few, enough for a nice garnish for two. Today I filled a mid-sized colendar....from one row. Each row bears for maybe four to six weeks (hence the staggered planting ), which means that the weeks when all three rows are bearing at the same time, we'll to pick three times a week!

That's okay, we're lucky that between us our schedule fits and we really like the taste of fresh beans. It's a double treat if one of the grown offspring are home, and a triple treat if we can get one of them to do the picking!