any gardeners?

“but what's the fruit like?...i'm doing my first garden this year...i'd rather have a plant that produces some good tomatoes rather than one that will give me bushels and bushels
last edited: 2/27/06 7:30:12 AM”

“I met a man in the grocery store that just mulches his tomatoes to get a good crop. I figured they needed fertilizer, but I guess the mulch is fertilizer.

He talked about how they spray broccoli with pesticides when it's small so the stuff gets way down in the buds or flowerettes, yuck. He said to put the broccoli in water with salt and bugs will come out. I think I'd rather leave them in there and pretend there aren't any.”

“LP, I dont fert my toms either except when I plant them-

I put a corn cob in the planting hole, some egg shells, compost and manure. Thats it. I have gazzilions of toms every year.”

“I use mulch every fall, mix it in in spring.

Bought some seeds yesterday. =D Made sure I got an extra packet of snow peas for the fall this time.”

“I need to get out and garden weasel in some organic fertilizer in the tomato bed today. It's almost time to put them in the ground. Heck I could've done that last month, with a row cover.”

“dang, tree, I have to wait about 4 more weeks before I caN even start the seeds indoors for tomatoes lol!”

“Hey, remember I live in Florida. My down time for most gardening is midsummer; too humid and hot for most things to d owell.


My tomato seedlings are ready to go. I'm going to plant speckled butter beans as well. It looks like the english pea crop is a total loss; only one germinated. Not good.”

“I scrape sweet peas on an emery board prior to germination, seems to help.”

“Soak sweetpeas overnight in warm water. Never fails! :)”

“I won't grow broccoli again as i don't want to use any pesticides in my yard. The only time I grew them, they were so loaded with bugs, we couldn't eat it.”

“Do you mean green peas, or do you mean Sweet Pea the flower?”

“The drink?”

“I mean the flowers, but I imagine that the regular peas would be about the same, (same family, vines and pods). Just a slight nick, along with a soak (like spirit Coyote said) and they sprout much easier.”

“Violin convinced me, I'm not buying organic broccoli. Bring on the pesticides, lol:)!!!!

Spirit, we do get a lot of tomatoes, but they stay green into September and some never get red at all. I think we may be planting them too late in the year, plus the spot where they grow may not be where it's sunniest in my backyard, so we may plop them in the middle of our yard where it may get more sun. I don't really want to put them there and tear up grass, but we may have to.
last edited: 3/03/06 1:26:02 PM”

“Grass SUCKS. Let it rip!”

“Something that helps ripen tomatoes is red plastic weed barrier sheeting. I was very surprised one year to find how much it helped ripen tomatoes. I need to get more of it myself.”

“Tomatos are excellant container plants too, Lipstick. I started growing ours on our deck, in old five gallon buckets (UGLY, but inexpensive), with holes drilled in the bottom. They were very happy, and got the sunshine they needed.”

“That red plastic really does work. I wish garden centers carried it. I hate paying shipping when I mail order it.”

“tree & violin, is this the stuff you are talking about. They are selling it at Wal Mart

”

“Yep that's the stuff. Works well for peppers too.”

“http://www.idigmygarden.com/forums/index.php?

http://pharmerphil.proboards37.com/
last edited: 3/04/06 9:41:25 PM”

“Crap. Now I'll have to put on a disguise and head over to Wal-Mart.”

“Sass, that's an excellent alternative to my ripping up the grass in the middle of my yard where I think the sun tends to be most of the day, thanks!”

“No problem. Hope you have too many tomatoes this year! =)”

“We have a nice warm up, high forties today. Spent some time today and yesterday raking and picking up the yard, and generally mucking about outdoors. It was awesome. Sass has been getting seeds purchased, I am itching for planting time.”

“I am hoping to plant more veggies this year.”

“i'll be planting less this year as we are selling the house. I might have some in pots.”

“So far, I have only planted 60' of onions and 240' of peas, much more is eminent.

Kale, mustard, turnips, still harvestable and broccili, planted last August is coming back strong with new broccili heads already harvested.”

“I got my raised garden completed last night. I planted snow peas this morning. I tired to plant Simpson lettuce seeds but the winding was blowing so hard they were getting blown out of my hand. A storm is suppose to come thru today so I will wait till this weekend to get the lettuce planted.”

“You'll have little renegade lettuce plants all over your yard. =)

My crocus' are blooming today.”

“Anyone have a coupon code for Burpee?

I couldn't find that red plastic mulch at my local WalMart, Ewker. Maybe it is too early for them to carry it up here but I have no desire to ever go back.”

“Violin, want me to check and see if they have anymore here. I could buy it for you. Just give me your credit card number and your address”

“Thanks!

All the info is on my web page: http://violinbackpacker.tripod.com/homepage.html”

“yeah right”

“LOL”

“Anyone ever put up a bamboo fence?

I want to dress up the neighbor's fugly chain link fence. This split cane fencing looks pretty good: http://www.gardeners.com/Split-Cane-Fencing--16--x-39--tall/default/32-856.prd

Anyone have experience with this? Does it hold up?”

“...and I found a code for 15% off orders over $55: XNET8305”

“No, but I looked into making it before at a prior house. To make an authentic one takes a lot of work and skill, but is beautiful.”

“People use that fecing all over the place here. If you go with it, spray it with a clear sealer first, including the ends. It will last longer.”

“Bamboo lasts a long time. We use bamboo vine tee-pees for our snow peas. They're going on 7 now and stay outside year round. they've silvered considerable but are really in great shape. That fencing is always used on Ground Force.”

“I like that site. The company is one my Dad always orders from. He always has their catalogue floating around.

I've got to get some netting for my cherry tree. Last year was the first year it bore fruit and the birds got it all. Not this year.”

“Thanks ladies. I think I'll go for it.”

“so is it time yet to plant the seeds??????”

“not until mothers day (except for snow peas and lettuces, they go in around the last week of april) in my zone. you are probably about the same.”

“no more snow peas for me :(”

“Bunnys get them all?

Hey, BTW.... my chipmunks moved out after I allowed the dogs to spend as much time as they wanted under the house one day. =) They packed their bags and moved next door.”

“snow peas are about 2-3 tall, lettuce is finally coming up”

“I'm a Nursery owner & landscaper. Where do you live. Chances are if its a Northern state its too early for most seeds. Things that one plants first are radishes, onions, garlic, shallots, lettuce, swiss chard, spinich, peas ...
last edited: 4/04/06 10:07:47 PM”

“Something eats my strawberries every year, either mice or squirrels. If it is mice, how do I get rid of them without potentially hurting the squirrels?”

“USA, the squirrels get my strawberries as they ripen up every year. They pick them one at a time, just when they're ready. I'm either going to get a net for them (and anchor it down) or start picking the berries early and letting them ripen inside.”