Garden thread
Replies
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Protecting strawberries:is there a better way to do that? Last summer was our first year with strawberry plants and the silly birds, instead of eating a whole strawberry before going to get another one, it looked like they'd take bites out of all of them and then the berries rotted. I've been looking into anti-bird netting but don't want to take the chance of killing bird.
What about using 50 grade cheesecloth or those iridescent strips of tape? Nothing that takes too much creativity or time to put together; we've already got flowers. 
I don’t have strawberries but I have raspberries and have had good luck with the mesh bags meant to keep birds out.
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Protecting strawberries:is there a better way to do that? Last summer was our first year with strawberry plants and the silly birds, instead of eating a whole strawberry before going to get another one, it looked like they'd take bites out of all of them and then the berries rotted. I've been looking into anti-bird netting but don't want to take the chance of killing bird. What about using 50 grade cheesecloth or those iridescent strips of tape? Nothing that takes too much creativity or time to put together; we've already got flowers.
While I've seen reviews of bird netting on Amazon that talked about birds getting caught and dying in the nets, this has not happened with the netting I currently use on my strawberries. I bought it at a garden center and have no idea the brand - it's just standard black netting. I have 18" modular fencing around the plants and the netting on top of that.0 -
kshama2001 wrote: »kshama2001 wrote: »Question: I planted green/red pepper seeds from a couple peppers we'd had. None of the seeds planted in dirt have poked through and it's been well over 3 weeks now. But I also put some in a plastic bag in the window, with a wet paper towel and they're sprouting so I can plant those. Why the difference?? I'm hoping putting the seedlings into dirt won't kill them.
In dirt outside? You're north of me, in VT or NH, right? It was too early to plant those seeds outside:
https://todayshomeowner.com/how-to-measure-soil-temperature-for-planting/
Garden Vegetable Seed Germination Temperatures
The soil temperature for planting vegetables should be:- 40° F or warmer: Lettuce, kale, peas, spinach.
- 50° F or warmer: Onions, leeks, turnips, Swiss chard.
- 60° F or warmer: Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, carrots, beans, beets.
- 70° F or warmer: Tomatoes, squash, corn, cucumbers, melons, peppers.
If in dirt inside, then likely you over or under watered them.
I'm just seeing this, sorry! I took a bit of a hiatus.
Yes, it was potting soil, actually 3 different bags mixed together that I had leftover from last year. I got disheartened and things started drooping/dying so I just threw all the potting soil into a huge tub and will work it into my regular garden space. I did plant them all inside because I have some nice sunny windows. I think someone mentioned on here, you need to use started soil, which I didn't have much of so maybe that's why the disaster. Anyways, I bought tomato plants and onion sets today, there were no pepper plants to be found. And I'm planning on planting green beans and cucumbers from seed this weekend. Usually I wait until Memorial Day but this whole week is supposed to be 60's and up.
Plus I bought a whole boatload of flowers for our house and the cemetery. It's so hard to stop.
I've been dreading going to the greenhouses. One place wasn't too bad because it wasn't busy. But the other place, even with signs requiring face masks, there were at least 3 people I saw without them, and 1 was a worker! No social distancing whatsoever. I just did NOT like it even though that place has the choicest plants.
I went to a Lowes* a few weekends ago and it was super-busy. However, everyone was wearing masks and trying to social distance in lines. There was a sign on the door that masks were required for entrance.
Home Depot here has been great. (Especially since with the run on plants and seeds other places have been out of some stuff I wanted, and also I needed light bulbs and ended up picking up a ton of paper towels too.) I went last week, during the day, and it was pretty empty (when I'd been before was on the weekend). No line, but I know they are strict about how many can come in (I waited in line on the weekend), they were enforcing masks, sanitizing carts, and people were social distancing, which was easy given the reduced number of people in the stores.
My local plant shops are one that is delivering only (but for one neighborhood store nowhere near me, thus the trip to HD, since some stuff I wanted is now out unless you go to the one open store, and not available for delivery), and another that is normally packed but only just reopened after being voluntarily closed (an employee lost her husband to COVID, which might be part of that), and now has a strict "no one in without masks, and we would prefer you wear gloves" policy and is of course limiting entrance. I haven't been there yet, but have friends who went and reported that it is enforcing the requirements on the website.
I went to my Home Depot at lunch today and since there was a line waiting to get in, I decided to wait. This was just for brick edging for my new garden project, and only two feet are ready for that now.
Then I went to an out-of-the-way family garden center where I can always count on no crowds, individual attention for in-depth consultations, and well cared for plants priced cheaply, and none of that was true today, lol.
Despite that, I did manage to come home with 10 plants, a day after I finished planting everything from last weekend.
This pandemic has brought out the gardeners in so many people!2 -
kshama2001 wrote: »Protecting strawberries:is there a better way to do that? Last summer was our first year with strawberry plants and the silly birds, instead of eating a whole strawberry before going to get another one, it looked like they'd take bites out of all of them and then the berries rotted. I've been looking into anti-bird netting but don't want to take the chance of killing bird. What about using 50 grade cheesecloth or those iridescent strips of tape? Nothing that takes too much creativity or time to put together; we've already got flowers.
While I've seen reviews of bird netting on Amazon that talked about birds getting caught and dying in the nets, this has not happened with the netting I currently use on my strawberries. I bought it at a garden center and have no idea the brand - it's just standard black netting. I have 18" modular fencing around the plants and the netting on top of that.
I have some pretty cheap black landscaping fabric that I never used; wonder if that would be okay to use for this? It's not netting but it's pretty cheap stuff so would think the sun would go through alright?0 -
kshama2001 wrote: »Protecting strawberries:is there a better way to do that? Last summer was our first year with strawberry plants and the silly birds, instead of eating a whole strawberry before going to get another one, it looked like they'd take bites out of all of them and then the berries rotted. I've been looking into anti-bird netting but don't want to take the chance of killing bird. What about using 50 grade cheesecloth or those iridescent strips of tape? Nothing that takes too much creativity or time to put together; we've already got flowers.
While I've seen reviews of bird netting on Amazon that talked about birds getting caught and dying in the nets, this has not happened with the netting I currently use on my strawberries. I bought it at a garden center and have no idea the brand - it's just standard black netting. I have 18" modular fencing around the plants and the netting on top of that.
I have some pretty cheap black landscaping fabric that I never used; wonder if that would be okay to use for this? It's not netting but it's pretty cheap stuff so would think the sun would go through alright?
Not enough light gets through plus the black color could easily overheat the plants in the sun.2 -
kshama2001 wrote: »Protecting strawberries:is there a better way to do that? Last summer was our first year with strawberry plants and the silly birds, instead of eating a whole strawberry before going to get another one, it looked like they'd take bites out of all of them and then the berries rotted. I've been looking into anti-bird netting but don't want to take the chance of killing bird. What about using 50 grade cheesecloth or those iridescent strips of tape? Nothing that takes too much creativity or time to put together; we've already got flowers.
While I've seen reviews of bird netting on Amazon that talked about birds getting caught and dying in the nets, this has not happened with the netting I currently use on my strawberries. I bought it at a garden center and have no idea the brand - it's just standard black netting. I have 18" modular fencing around the plants and the netting on top of that.
I have some pretty cheap black landscaping fabric that I never used; wonder if that would be okay to use for this? It's not netting but it's pretty cheap stuff so would think the sun would go through alright?
Not enough light gets through plus the black color could easily overheat the plants in the sun.
Ok thanks.:)0 -
kshama2001 wrote: »Protecting strawberries:is there a better way to do that? Last summer was our first year with strawberry plants and the silly birds, instead of eating a whole strawberry before going to get another one, it looked like they'd take bites out of all of them and then the berries rotted. I've been looking into anti-bird netting but don't want to take the chance of killing bird. What about using 50 grade cheesecloth or those iridescent strips of tape? Nothing that takes too much creativity or time to put together; we've already got flowers.
While I've seen reviews of bird netting on Amazon that talked about birds getting caught and dying in the nets, this has not happened with the netting I currently use on my strawberries. I bought it at a garden center and have no idea the brand - it's just standard black netting. I have 18" modular fencing around the plants and the netting on top of that.
I have some pretty cheap black landscaping fabric that I never used; wonder if that would be okay to use for this? It's not netting but it's pretty cheap stuff so would think the sun would go through alright?
Not enough light gets through plus the black color could easily overheat the plants in the sun.
Ok thanks.:)
These are the mesh bags I use for my raspberries. I bought off Amazon and they come in a bunch of sizes
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moonangel12 wrote: »Planting peas today. I planted 4 slices of tomato and 2 of them have sprouted so many of the seeds!! I have lots of marigolds growing. But my pepper seeds and spaghetti squash seeds are doing nada. I planted kale seeds but we'll see how those do. My sister gave them to me and they're a few years old.
Still waiting another month before planting cucumbers, green beans and sunflowers. My strawberries seem to have survived the winter, now to protect them from the birds who like to take a nip out of each one.
Great idea about the mesh trashcans over the strawberries! Will have to try this.0 -
lol one bit of each is what the birds do to the peaches here. I have small mesh bags on a lot of fruit just now - peaches, apples, pomegranates. It's snails get my strawberries, I have 3-4 little plants that are propagating themselves in a spot, I should probably see about protecting the fruit one year. I noticed flowers the other day.1
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MelanieCN77 wrote: »lol one bit of each is what the birds do to the peaches here. I have small mesh bags on a lot of fruit just now - peaches, apples, pomegranates. It's snails get my strawberries, I have 3-4 little plants that are propagating themselves in a spot, I should probably see about protecting the fruit one year. I noticed flowers the other day.
I'm trying something new for slugs this year - I'm saving them, crushing them, boiling them (I didn't boil the first batch and they attracted lots of little black flying bugs,) and sprinkling them around the strawberries.
When I used leaves to mulch my strawberries I saw more slugs than I do now that I use straw.1 -
kshama2001 wrote: »MelanieCN77 wrote: »lol one bit of each is what the birds do to the peaches here. I have small mesh bags on a lot of fruit just now - peaches, apples, pomegranates. It's snails get my strawberries, I have 3-4 little plants that are propagating themselves in a spot, I should probably see about protecting the fruit one year. I noticed flowers the other day.
I'm trying something new for slugs this year - I'm saving them, crushing them, boiling them (I didn't boil the first batch and they attracted lots of little black flying bugs,) and sprinkling them around the strawberries.
When I used leaves to mulch my strawberries I saw more slugs than I do now that I use straw.
I just heard a new recommendation for container mulch that is even better than straw: wood shavings that are sold as bedding for small animals. Aspen and cedar are the most commonly sold and no, using cedar or pine will NOT lower the pH of the soil too much. One advantage is that it is sold sanitized so it won't add ickies like mold, fungus, or critters.3 -
kshama2001 wrote: »Protecting strawberries:is there a better way to do that? Last summer was our first year with strawberry plants and the silly birds, instead of eating a whole strawberry before going to get another one, it looked like they'd take bites out of all of them and then the berries rotted. I've been looking into anti-bird netting but don't want to take the chance of killing bird. What about using 50 grade cheesecloth or those iridescent strips of tape? Nothing that takes too much creativity or time to put together; we've already got flowers.
While I've seen reviews of bird netting on Amazon that talked about birds getting caught and dying in the nets, this has not happened with the netting I currently use on my strawberries. I bought it at a garden center and have no idea the brand - it's just standard black netting. I have 18" modular fencing around the plants and the netting on top of that.
I have some pretty cheap black landscaping fabric that I never used; wonder if that would be okay to use for this? It's not netting but it's pretty cheap stuff so would think the sun would go through alright?
Not enough light gets through plus the black color could easily overheat the plants in the sun.
Ok thanks.:)
These are the mesh bags I use for my raspberries. I bought off Amazon and they come in a bunch of sizes
It’s like sleeping bags for the plants! Love these. Hehe. ☺️1 -
Yesterday was perfect planting weather - cool and cloudy. I made tremendous progress on my new garden project. Spent 4-5 hours on it.
Last month:
Towards the end of the day:
End of the day:
The peony wants a 2x2' hole and that was beyond me.
In fact, I am feeling remarkedly unambitious today. I managed to remove the box that was protecting the basil from last night's cold, and that might be it for gardening today
The buckets of rocks near the peony represent yet-to-be bought sun astilbes, and the buckets on the far ends are supposed to be hyssop black adder. Also recommended is dwarf Russian sage.5 -
I am almost satisfied with my perennials. I still plan to plant some dianthus along the border where the hyacinth are now and there is a hole between the monarda and agastache (aka hyssop) where I think I will plant a platycodon (balloon flower).
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I am almost satisfied with my perennials. I still plan to plant some dianthus along the border where the hyacinth are now and there is a hole between the monarda and agastache (aka hyssop) where I think I will plant a platycodon (balloon flower).
I love seeing other perennial beds, helps give me good ideas! I will post one of mine when I get it cleaned up- didnt put landscaping fabric under it before mulch last year- rookie mistake. So that'll be this weekend coming assuming I finish painting the basement after work this week my hostas didn't survive the winter unfortunately- so may replant some. 1 -
I am almost satisfied with my perennials. I still plan to plant some dianthus along the border where the hyacinth are now and there is a hole between the monarda and agastache (aka hyssop) where I think I will plant a platycodon (balloon flower).
Lovely!
I have crocosmia and mouse ear hosta and had to move them both from an area that loses the sun around 1 PM - it was not enough sun for the crocosmia and too much sun for the hosta.
The monarda and agastache will fill in that hole themselves
I have bee balm in a small bed and every spring give away a bunch of runners. It's in the mint family - not as bad as mint or lemon balm, but does spread.
I bought agastache for the first time yesterday and read it will spread up to 3 feet. No idea how long that takes.
I have a very similar hummingbird feeder. They like it very much this time of year but abandon it for the bee balm once that starts blooming.2 -
MeganD1704 wrote: »I am almost satisfied with my perennials. I still plan to plant some dianthus along the border where the hyacinth are now and there is a hole between the monarda and agastache (aka hyssop) where I think I will plant a platycodon (balloon flower).
I love seeing other perennial beds, helps give me good ideas! I will post one of mine when I get it cleaned up- didnt put landscaping fabric under it before mulch last year- rookie mistake. So that'll be this weekend coming assuming I finish painting the basement after work this week my hostas didn't survive the winter unfortunately- so may replant some.
I never use landscaping fabric, my plants have always done better without and a good layer of mulch will keep the weeds to a minimum.2 -
kshama2001 wrote: »I am almost satisfied with my perennials. I still plan to plant some dianthus along the border where the hyacinth are now and there is a hole between the monarda and agastache (aka hyssop) where I think I will plant a platycodon (balloon flower).
Lovely!
I have crocosmia and mouse ear hosta and had to move them both from an area that loses the sun around 1 PM - it was not enough sun for the crocosmia and too much sun for the hosta.
The monarda and agastache will fill in that hole themselves
I have bee balm in a small bed and every spring give away a bunch of runners. It's in the mint family - not as bad as mint or lemon balm, but does spread.
I bought agastache for the first time yesterday and read it will spread up to 3 feet. No idea how long that takes.
I have a very similar hummingbird feeder. They like it very much this time of year but abandon it for the bee balm once that starts blooming.
I have already moved my bee balm once since I first planted it 3 years ago. The variety of agastache I have is only supposed to spread 2 feet so we'll see, The space I have is kind of funny, not quite enough sun for full sun plants but too much for low sun plants. Everything I have there has done really well. I think the reflection of light off the brick helps the crocosmia. The only thing that died completely were a couple of heuchera.
Many of my flowers are hummingbird and/or pollinator friendly. I hope to see them at the flowers later, especially with the honeysuckle and agastache.2 -
spent the past three days in the backyard.
my only problem is i don't know where to put my boomerang lilac
i also need to pot my citronella and bay laurel
where, where do i put it?
patio is at the front of the picture. with herbs
yard
veggie plot with a few berries on the side
herbs, foster dog helped
my problem isn't the birds but one of my dogs
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MeganD1704 wrote: »I am almost satisfied with my perennials. I still plan to plant some dianthus along the border where the hyacinth are now and there is a hole between the monarda and agastache (aka hyssop) where I think I will plant a platycodon (balloon flower).
I love seeing other perennial beds, helps give me good ideas! I will post one of mine when I get it cleaned up- didnt put landscaping fabric under it before mulch last year- rookie mistake. So that'll be this weekend coming assuming I finish painting the basement after work this week my hostas didn't survive the winter unfortunately- so may replant some.
I never use landscaping fabric, my plants have always done better without and a good layer of mulch will keep the weeds to a minimum.
I have so much mulch it isnt funny but they are still popping up, same with mushrooms. I dont understand my neighbor said the same thing, he has none either. Maybe its the quality of mulch? I have no clue. 0 -
MeganD1704 wrote: »MeganD1704 wrote: »I am almost satisfied with my perennials. I still plan to plant some dianthus along the border where the hyacinth are now and there is a hole between the monarda and agastache (aka hyssop) where I think I will plant a platycodon (balloon flower).
I love seeing other perennial beds, helps give me good ideas! I will post one of mine when I get it cleaned up- didnt put landscaping fabric under it before mulch last year- rookie mistake. So that'll be this weekend coming assuming I finish painting the basement after work this week my hostas didn't survive the winter unfortunately- so may replant some.
I never use landscaping fabric, my plants have always done better without and a good layer of mulch will keep the weeds to a minimum.
I have so much mulch it isnt funny but they are still popping up, same with mushrooms. I dont understand my neighbor said the same thing, he has none either. Maybe its the quality of mulch? I have no clue.
Mushrooms in mulch is pretty common. The spores are in the mulch itself and all they need is damp shade to grow. I pick them out occasionally but usually don't bother. I only get them in the spring/early summer. Usually by mid June it is dry enough that they don't grow, even after a rain or a watering.
As far as the weeds go, just keep pulling but make sure you get the roots. It also helps to mulch as early as possible so spring blooming weeds like dandelions can't seed there. A year or two and you will see very few. The only ones I get now are from the seeds the chipmunks plant to "store" them.2 -
spent the past three days in the backyard.
my only problem is i don't know where to put my boomerang lilac
i also need to pot my citronella and bay laurel
where, where do i put it?
patio is at the front of the picture. with herbs
yard
veggie plot with a few berries on the side
herbs, foster dog helped
my problem isn't the birds but one of my dogs
Awww I don't think she's a problem at all. I've got my garden fenced in because I have a couple dogs and one of them is notorious for jumping the fence anyways. She's been known to knock off a few plants. My other dog just sits outside the fence and barks her fool head off, tattling away. They've stayed out so far this year but I have seen dog prints over where I planted sunflowers; I only have a short fence around that area so I can remember where I put them. 1 -
spent the past three days in the backyard.
my only problem is i don't know where to put my boomerang lilac
i also need to pot my citronella and bay laurel
where, where do i put it?
patio is at the front of the picture. with herbs
yard
veggie plot with a few berries on the side
herbs, foster dog helped
my problem isn't the birds but one of my dogs
Awww I don't think she's a problem at all. I've got my garden fenced in because I have a couple dogs and one of them is notorious for jumping the fence anyways. She's been known to knock off a few plants. My other dog just sits outside the fence and barks her fool head off, tattling away. They've stayed out so far this year but I have seen dog prints over where I planted sunflowers; I only have a short fence around that area so I can remember where I put them.
she eats all the berries
and she dives under fences0 -
Ate a radish from my garden yesterday (it was kind of small but I wanted to see how they were doing).
Lettuce and chard are ready for me to start using.
I have tomatoes and peppers ready to plant, and planted cukes and zucchini.
The herbs on my back porch continue to look good (and I've been using them). Saw a couple of squirrels this morning playing tag on my herb carts, so I knocked on the sliding glass door to the back porch and they ran away (but I'm sure came right back).
Strawberries and blueberries have flowers, but no berries yet (early for blueberries but I would have thought my strawberries would be farther along -- so far they look like they are on the same schedule). Both were planted last year.
The flowers I planted from seeds aren't doing much (they are in containers, not the ground). Until the past few days it had been a cold spring, however.2 -
My gardening shop is doing lots of Zoom classes (free), and last night I did one on making your own herbal teas. Motivated me to start experimenting with making my own.3
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so i have some mountain bluet/knapweed. i want to keep it because i like the color and some areas it's popular, but in my area it's considered an invasive weed. pollinators love it. i like my garden to be useful.
but being invasive....maybe i should pull it
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so i have some mountain bluet/knapweed. i want to keep it because i like the color and some areas it's popular, but in my area it's considered an invasive weed. pollinators love it. i like my garden to be useful.
but being invasive....maybe i should pull it
Check with your local natural resources or university agricultural department. Some will require you to remove it, others will be fine as long as you keep it in check. It really depends on the plant and what native species it can crowd out.1 -
My gardening shop is doing lots of Zoom classes (free), and last night I did one on making your own herbal teas. Motivated me to start experimenting with making my own.
Do you have a favorite spot from ordering your tea herbs from? My really good nursery went under awhile back so seedlings are out. I used to get a Medicinal Herbs catalog but never tried ordering. I love herbal teas and think this would be fun, grew stevia and chamomile in the past and grow mints but that's about it. All my stevia plants died when I repotted them.
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My gardening shop is doing lots of Zoom classes (free), and last night I did one on making your own herbal teas. Motivated me to start experimenting with making my own.
Do you have a favorite spot from ordering your tea herbs from? My really good nursery went under awhile back so seedlings are out. I used to get a Medicinal Herbs catalog but never tried ordering. I love herbal teas and think this would be fun, grew stevia and chamomile in the past and grow mints but that's about it. All my stevia plants died when I repotted them.
Apparently my local gardening store (which normally sells a bunch of them) is having supply chain issues still due to the extra popularity this year, so I'm not sure. I'm going to start with mint, as I have a few different kinds, lemon balm, echinacea, sage, and lavender, as I already have those. The person teaching the class recommended experimenting with other culinary herbs and combinations with those too, like rosemary, thyme, and basil (which I also have, but haven't tried in teas).
I really want to add some chamomile.
I think I'll dry some fruit to use too, and maybe cheat and use store-bought ginger and, of course, lemon.2 -
I love gardening. Have lots of plants, mostly orchids. A few fruit trees that i started from seed and a some herbs and a bell pepper. I am looking into starting a raised bed and growing some more veggies. I live in the Tampa Bay. What recommendations or tips would you give a not so new newbie?1
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