Chowhound's Latest » Gardening

Lemongrass & snails on citrus tree

INDIANRIVERFL — Sun, 19 May 2013 19:25:51 GMT

Buy local! Lompoc California.

Getting rid of roly-poly's(or pill bugs)?

hettingr — Sun, 19 May 2013 13:23:23 GMT

The rolypolys are definitely ON THE LEAVES of the just emerged beans, chomping away. They are definitely eating the stems. And 5 out of 12 plants are gone. I've read they were harmless, too. Not here in Kentucky.

Spacing plants in a raised-bed garden

madeliner — Sat, 18 May 2013 01:38:15 GMT

Great helpful forum I visit once in awhile: http://squarefoot.creatingforum.com/ Good spacing chart: http://www.mysquarefootgarden.net/plant-spacing/ I have 2 square foot beds, much easier than in the ground gardening, it's helpful to prune the suckers off the tomatoes, they take up less space :)

how to plant really tiny seeds (like viola or basil or ....)?

tonyabbo — Thu, 16 May 2013 03:49:02 GMT

I spread out only as many seeds as I think I will need on a paper plate, then pick them up and place them with the moistened end of a chop stick.

Any one have experience with Lambs Quarter from seed?

meatn3 — Wed, 15 May 2013 17:22:16 GMT

Yes, that was my initial thought. But then I began to read about the difficulty many had with the seeds. Some resorted to sprouting, scratching the outer seed pod, soaking in something acidic such as orange juice. Many reported less than 10% success rate with their seeds. I don't have that many seeds so I posted the question! I have foraged lambs quarter before and it is delicious. I really hope to be able to just pop out to the deck and gather it regularly!

Harvesting from young asparagus plants: what does "lightly" mean?

junescook — Sun, 12 May 2013 17:14:30 GMT

On added word: keep careful watch out for these tiny guys, the black ones with the cream colored spots and the red trim. They're barely 1/4" long but both they and their larvae will damage your crops. They're not terribly fast so you can pick them off and drop them into soapy water, or once the ferns are formed (and you're not going to eat the asparagus any more) spray them with an organic pesticide like rotenone or pyrethrin.: http://www1.extension.umn.edu/garden/insects/find/asparagus-beetles/

Growing indoors - Need input

DonShirer — Sat, 11 May 2013 02:57:12 GMT

I made a light stand something like the one in the photo below, using 3/4" PVC pipe and Tee connectors, but with 4 tiers instead of 3. Two shoplights on each tier hanging from chains so you can adjust their height to just above the leaves. One cool, one warm fluorescent tube in each stoplight (although 2 cool ones seem to work as well). Some people use expensive "grow lights" but ordinary bulbs seem to work fine. Procedure as in Morwen's post, except that I use light potting mix, not potting soil. (Fafard has several varieties). Peppers need 75-85°F to germinate, so if you don't have a good warm location, a heating pad or a 40watt bulb under the tray will help. Once they germinate, you can remove the heat. I usually start about 25% more seeds than I plan to plant out, to allow for poor germination, bugs, damping off and other unforseen ills. Remember to harden off your plants by moving them outside during the day then back in at night for several days before transplanting out into the garden (or put them in a cold frame) or greenhouse to get used to outdoor conditions.

Ontario/Quebec/Great Lakes gardeners- have you started planting?

Wahooty — Fri, 10 May 2013 00:30:52 GMT

My arugula sprouted nicely this week - may have to throw a sheet over the seedlings to get them through the weekend's cold snap. Lettuces and radishes haven't come up yet...I'm hoping they're working on it, but insulated well enough to pop after it warms back up. Tomatoes are still in their peat pots...true leaves are just starting to come out, so they're not even ready for bigger pots yet. I think I'm going to move them back and forth across the apartment to get them more sun. April sucked for seed-starting.

Looking for a less sweet tomato

kitchengardengal — Thu, 09 May 2013 03:23:32 GMT

We had several Marglobes last summer, and were pleased with the yield and the not so sweet flavor. We used them for canning.

What's growing in my potting soil? And WHY?

CindyJ — Wed, 08 May 2013 16:22:30 GMT

Well, I'm not going to use the soil. I'm just not sure if I should put it out with the trash, or dump it somewhere on the "back 40."

Where did the worms come from, and other composting ruminations

coll — Wed, 08 May 2013 13:13:42 GMT

Thanks this is a very interesting website, and easy to follow. I have bookmarked it for my next batch, to be started soon!

Planting bareroot trees: to soak or not to soak?

gimlis1mum — Wed, 08 May 2013 01:25:39 GMT

FWIW all the trees leafed out. It's good to hear everyone's experience, though. I wonder if it makes a difference in how far the trees travel, the exact time of year that you plant, etc. Our weather warmed up fast shortly after my trees arrived so it seems like the timing was just about perfect.

Trying to grow habaneros!

Dimbo — Mon, 06 May 2013 13:57:49 GMT

A couple of common things that can cause flower drop are over fertilization (too much Nitrogen, the N on the NPK fertilizer rating scale) and excessively high or low temperatures both day and night. I have found habs and a couple of other kinds of hot peppers (in particular, the "Ghost Pepper") to be especially sensitive to these things. Remember, too, that they are actually perennials. A neighborhood friend (I'm in the Florida Panhandle) has a habanero bush....amazing to see, as it is about four feet tall and three feet wide. I have a thai pepper bush that I've been growing in a pot for about three years now. So, I guess what I'm saying is that you can keep it around for next year's growing season and try again if you keep getting skunked. You'll actually have a stronger plant that is better adapted to your local environment. What is your zone, CharlieKilo?

What's Going In Your Garden Now?

acssss — Sat, 04 May 2013 17:53:20 GMT

Looking back, I don't think I did any of the things you mentioned. Just planted them with the mint and one was a success the other a failure - I'll try again the way you suggested. Thank you.

How to switch from one years compost heap to the next?

eepi — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 16:57:21 GMT

Oh, thank you!

let's talk potatoes

prima — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 18:56:59 GMT

Would you plant Norland or Red Pontiac for reds? Which is your favourite or best-tasting potato variety you've grown? My favourite potato out of the dozen+ varieties I've grown is the Bintje. Unfortunately, my go-to nursery isn't selling Bintje seed potatoes this year.

Pistachio Shells in the garden

pinehurst — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 15:59:27 GMT

We do the Starbucks haul, too, pine time, for our evergreens. I feel shady posting this because no one in my area seems to know they offer the used grounds for free. It does smell great. I can imagine the cocoa hulls combo.

Sweet Tomato

mbCrispyBits — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 19:49:09 GMT

For sandwiches, go with red or pink Brandywine tomatoes. They're the large beefsteak type tomatoes that can weigh a pound or more and are great for slicing. You don't find those too much in grocery stores but most farmer's markets will have them, and you can grow them from seed or buy seedlings from your garden center. For salads, just about any kind of cherry tomato will do. Sweet 100's are easily found at most grocery stores (and even if they're not labeled as such, any variety labeled "cherry tomatoes" at the store are probably Sweet 100's.)

New gardener in New England

mbCrispyBits — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 19:36:53 GMT

My response is specific to growing vegetables. If you're planning to grow mostly flowers or other types of ornamental foliage, this probably won't apply. Others have mentioned good sources for growing in RI (I live in MA, where the climate is pretty much the same) so I won't comment on that. But my #1 piece of advice to ANYONE starting a garden is to wait a year before building a permanent garden plot. Until then, grow in containers during your first year (or skip it altogether until year #2.) Why? Because unless you're in an area where there aren't many trees, you won't know where the sunniest part of your yard is until you've had the chance to observe the sun's path for a whole growing season. For this reason, I recommend that a first year garden be done in planters or small pots - nothing too ambitious. All the while, take note of what part of your yard gets the most sunlight - you want to have a garden plot that gets at least 6 hours of direct sun, and preferably 8 hours or more, during peak growing season (late June through early September.) In urban and suburban communities that can be difficult, as your neighbors' houses, trees, fences, etc. can all create shade where you don't want it. It could be that the spot you think would be best for your garden isn't as ideal as you think. If you don't get as much direct sun as you'd like, that tells you what kind of garden to make: perhaps you'll end up growing shade-tolerant veggies only, like spinach, kale, lettuce, certain root veggies, etc. Then in Year 2, you actually commit to the garden and till the soil, build raised beds, etc. and have at it. I also recommend that you start vegetables from seed as much as possible. Direct sowing (putting seeds right into your garden) is much easier and less energy consuming than starting indoors with heat mats and grow lights. Certain veggies, like eggplant, cucumbers, and tomatoes, need to be started indoors if you're growing in New England, but most other veggies and herbs can be planted right in the ground. For this reason most home gardeners buy seedlings of hot-weather vegetables from their local garden center. (and if you do buy seedlings from a garden center, go with a local business as opposed to a national chain. It supports your local economy and you're less likely to get diseased plants that traveled hundreds -- or thousands -- of miles from potentially blight or disease-infected greenhouses.)

Habanero peppers - are they always slow to fruit?

Novelli — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 22:39:19 GMT

I'd give it a good hit of a fish emulsion/water mix or something with a decent nitrogen rating. That'll give it a good boost to start putting on some foliage. Keep it in good sun, and you should see some flowers blooming in the coming months. best of luck!

Sluggish compost bin? I found a solution. Bokashi is like speed composting!

ursy_ten — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 08:50:59 GMT

Heh, my family would totally agree with your son :) Actually some days, so would I! The smell definitely is a variable factor.

What are some tips you would give someone who is just about to grow their first garden?

dfrostnh — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 11:20:27 GMT

I've ended up combining ideas with Lasagna gardening - a no till method. And now I'm trying some soil amendments like granite meal and alfafa meal. Have my fingers crossed that our usual source of well composted horse manure is still available. I can get free steer manure but it hasn't been composted and I don't like the way it cakes up. We finally moved the compost bins to a better location so I should start mixing the steer manure with kitchen scraps and leaves. Years ago I didn't pay attention to soil fertility and surely I could skip one year of composed manure. So one year I planted spinach early (it has to go in the ground as soon as possible in spring) before the manure came. Then I planted a second bed after adding the manure. Wow, what a difference in the size of the plants. Good looking plants vs incredible looking. So don't stop working on your soil. Also way back I had limited space. One available patch was only 3x3 but in went some bush bean seeds. That little patch provided several meals. When we moved here I built 2 lasagna beds. We have plenty of space but very thick sod. It was easier to use the lasagna method and not buy a tiller. I had plenty of time so the beds were at least 24" taller than the surrounding ground but it didn't take more than 2 years for them to deflate. All those leaves etc broke down and there's lots of worms. I agree that there's a tendency to plant a whole packet of seeds or plant an entire row when maybe 3' of space is all you need for something (turnip is not popular at my house). I try to time things so I don't have too many bush beans since I don't want to can/freeze them, just eat fresh. I also work with short rows (only 2 of us) maybe 10-12' long. Best wishes!

Tomatoes in Containers

scubadoo97 — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 13:15:02 GMT

Really easy to make your own sub irrigation planters. Just search of sub irrigation planters. I've been making them from with old 5 gal chlorine tablet buckets from my pool care and tote containers and using used plastic bottles and containers that would have gone in the recycle bin as the water reservoirs. Can put one together in under 30 min start to finish for just a few dollars if you have to buy anything.

aerogarden seeds

cimabuehw — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 17:14:09 GMT

If you're starting without seed kits (and they are very pricey) don't buy kit. Go to http://www.aerogarden.com/ and order what you want. Go through a "season" and then order the bulk materials and create your own seed kits. There are youtube videos that discuss various topics that are very helpful.

Growing currants

Glencora — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 18:34:36 GMT

Last May I bought a currant seedling at an edible schoolyard sale. I have no idea what type it is. A few weeks ago it leafed out and has been growing almost alarmingly fast since then. I probably want to take it out of the pot it has lived in for the last year. My research suggests I want to put it in sun or light shade. Any other advice before I stick it in the ground? How much space should I give it? One blog I found said I should plant it deeper than it was in the pot. True? And is it likely to bloom this year? And should I prune it after planting? So many questions. Thanks.