Garden thread

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  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,846 Member
    Our crocus and iris are long gone, but they were ridiculously early this year (Oregon). I have tulips that are up and ready to bloom, but we're getting a nighttime cold snap, so they're probably going to stay closed for another couple of weeks. Daffodils are in full bloom, magnolias too. I was going to put my cold weather veggies in, but with temps in the 20s at night now, I'll wait.

    One thing I lost all of last year was butternut squash. I had over a dozen at my community garden plot and the squirrels got them ALL. That's never happened. I always lose some produce to pests, but an entire crop, never. I'll be planting more flowers this year...

    Mom has problems with turkeys pecking at her butternut squash, but so far has never lost an entire crop. She's going to plant some Blue Hubbard squash this year - that has a thicker rind so should keep them safer. She found one last year and made it into a pie. I don't like pumpkin pie, but I liked this!

    https://simpleseasonal.com/how-to/all-about-blue-hubbard-squash

    to-cut-hubbar-rock-knife-to-crack-squash.jpg
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    My hyacinths just started poking up.

    87290375_2878131872269990_1000321295105130496_o.jpg?_nc_cat=103&_nc_sid=8024bb&_nc_ohc=ElX5G0mjGHsAX-0gFz8&_nc_ht=scontent-ort2-2.xx&_nc_tp=7&oh=e95ce80edab98fb25b2fd46c6b2bd7cd&oe=5E8F9B69
  • amtyrell
    amtyrell Posts: 1,449 Member
    Well here in zone 7 my salad greens and radishes are doing good. Inside I have started tomatoes eggplants , peppers . I am super excited about my artichoke seedlings even though they are a long shot.
    Unseasonably warm but only cold weather crops going to stay outside as still supposed to get into 20s later this week overnight.
  • moonangel12
    moonangel12 Posts: 971 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    Our crocus and iris are long gone, but they were ridiculously early this year (Oregon). I have tulips that are up and ready to bloom, but we're getting a nighttime cold snap, so they're probably going to stay closed for another couple of weeks. Daffodils are in full bloom, magnolias too. I was going to put my cold weather veggies in, but with temps in the 20s at night now, I'll wait.

    One thing I lost all of last year was butternut squash. I had over a dozen at my community garden plot and the squirrels got them ALL. That's never happened. I always lose some produce to pests, but an entire crop, never. I'll be planting more flowers this year...

    Mom has problems with turkeys pecking at her butternut squash, but so far has never lost an entire crop. She's going to plant some Blue Hubbard squash this year - that has a thicker rind so should keep them safer. She found one last year and made it into a pie. I don't like pumpkin pie, but I liked this!

    https://simpleseasonal.com/how-to/all-about-blue-hubbard-squash

    to-cut-hubbar-rock-knife-to-crack-squash.jpg
    Yum! The farm down the road from us has these, but I wasn’t sure what to do with them. I like trying new squash varieties, but rarely have success with family approval of them (usually only if it’s a sweet recipe).

  • summery79
    summery79 Posts: 116 Member
    amtyrell wrote: »
    summery79 wrote: »
    I just bought some frames for raised beds. I want to grow watermelons and some simple veggies like lettuce. I do not have a green thumb. Tips from seasoned gardeners appreciated!

    I know I can handle the lettuce but the watermelon packet makes me think the plants are fussy. They need a certain pH apparently :(

    Lettuce is easy and you are likely to be successful.
    Watermelons the hardest bit is they take a long time. I want you to google your last frost date in spring and first frost date in fall and figure out how many days are between them. Large watermelon take a really long number of days.
    If you have lots of days and lots of bery su,ny space you will be fine.

    I’m in zone 6, so the growing season is 4-6 months. I am worried I’m going to run short on time for the watermelon. At least they aren’t the big ones. I’ll make sure to start them early.
  • agbmom556
    agbmom556 Posts: 694 Member
    @moonangel12 -what a great spot for a garden. I haven't seen any bees yet. I plan to plant more sunflowers this year hopefully it will attract more bees.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Back on the Spring bulbs and other blooms obsession, my usual order here in 5b is (Snowdrops and/or Winter Aconite), Tommie Crocus, Iris 'George', regular Dutch/Spring crocus (mostly C. vernus), Narcissus 'Rijnveld's Early Sensation', other rock garden Iris, other Narcissus, with some of the Hellebores blooming rather variably with the H. Niger and its related hybrids usually on the early side (sometimes first of everything, this year quite late - not blooming yet) and the H. orientalis and hybrids usually later, but not always).

    I think the Snowdrops I have are more than one species of Galanthus, but I don't really remember which without finding my planting diagrams, and besides, they've naturalized quite messily, so who knows.

    Both the snowdrops (no photo) and the Tommie crocus (C. tommasinianus, the lavendar-y ones in varying shades) are wandering out well into the lawn, as with the Tommies shown. The cream colored Crocus is one of the standard species, probably C. vernus. Narcissus not on yet, but soon. Ditto Hellebores.

    I am a bit further north of you. Jealous. I want flowers :'(:'(:'(

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 31,724 Member
    earlnabby wrote: »
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Back on the Spring bulbs and other blooms obsession, my usual order here in 5b is (Snowdrops and/or Winter Aconite), Tommie Crocus, Iris 'George', regular Dutch/Spring crocus (mostly C. vernus), Narcissus 'Rijnveld's Early Sensation', other rock garden Iris, other Narcissus, with some of the Hellebores blooming rather variably with the H. Niger and its related hybrids usually on the early side (sometimes first of everything, this year quite late - not blooming yet) and the H. orientalis and hybrids usually later, but not always).

    I think the Snowdrops I have are more than one species of Galanthus, but I don't really remember which without finding my planting diagrams, and besides, they've naturalized quite messily, so who knows.

    Both the snowdrops (no photo) and the Tommie crocus (C. tommasinianus, the lavendar-y ones in varying shades) are wandering out well into the lawn, as with the Tommies shown. The cream colored Crocus is one of the standard species, probably C. vernus. Narcissus not on yet, but soon. Ditto Hellebores.

    I am a bit further north of you. Jealous. I want flowers :'(:'(:'(

    Soon! :) (or should that be :flowerforyou: ? )
  • annliz23
    annliz23 Posts: 3,193 Member
    So far so good for my tiny garden
    Tomato plants going well.
    Curly Kale doing brilliant
    Cabbage started
    Sweet peppers starting
    Just planted French beans
  • agbmom556
    agbmom556 Posts: 694 Member
    @mbaker566- great picture of your strawberry plants. I am going to pick some plants up in a couple of weeks
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    edited March 2020
    Just checked and I see more green in my garden (right on the line between zones 4b/5a). I rearranged some of the perennials last fall and kind of forgot where I put some but I think the new pips coming up are the amsonia and the balloon flowers. The cranesbill is also showing growth and I see a few branch/leaf buds starting on my clematis. Of course, we are supposed to get a few snow showers this week but nothing should accumulate.

    Balloon flowers (platycodon) are really cute. Zone 3-8, about 12-18" high. Mine are white but they come in shades of purple and pink too. I picked them up as a potted plant but put it in my perennial garden.

    b103e11e6dd3abcb5a640241759e1d01.jpg


  • moonangel12
    moonangel12 Posts: 971 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    Just for something a little different . . . and a little more prickly and possibly plant-nerd-y er (still not exactly veggies/herbs, though technically some parts are edible). I grow these guys in pots, outdoors year 'round, in Michigan (5b). In Winter, they tend to get wrinkly and even more ratty than usual (as shown, though they've already plumped a bit from their most depleted), then perk up and look better by the end of the favorable-weather seasons. (I admit, I grow them more for the fun, as a party trick, rather than because they're bee-you-tee-full. I like weird plants.) Some types are believed native in the state, but others have been introduced and grow wild. These are all cultivated types, of course.
    Fun! I like things for their funkiness as well :blush:
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,846 Member
    With next weekend's plans looking like they will fall through, I'm thinking of planting peas instead. Here in 6b we can do that as early as St. Patrick's Day, which is March 17.

    Last Fall, my FaceBook gardening group recommended not doing a traditional fall cleanup, which may have been based on this article, so I have a fair amount of work ahead:

    https://savvygardening.com/6-reasons-not-to-clean-up-your-garden-this-fall/

    I was wondering when it won't be too early to do spring cleanup. This article says to wait until daytime temperatures are consistently in the 50s, and we are very close to that point:

    https://savvygardening.com/spring-garden-clean-done-right/
  • amtyrell
    amtyrell Posts: 1,449 Member
    I spent the day clearing my yard of sticks ,mulching my beds, weeding, and general garden prep. I also planted out my peas and beets
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,846 Member
    @lemurcat2 what's your soil temperature?

    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.

    The seed germination temperature is often much warmer than the plant’s growing temperature. Once established, many veggies can handle much cooler air temperatures as long as the soil is warm enough. To get a head start on spring planting, plant seeds indoors or use plastic row covers to warm the soil more quickly.
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,899 Member
    edited March 2020
    Don't know how to check that. Standard estimate seems to be that I'm in 50 degrees after May 5 area. This (https://dtn.ilfb.org/index.cfm?show=1&mapID=20&showMenu=0) says 36 degrees.

    I do know none of my perennials are doing anything visible yet.

    I think it's late enough to at least start some things sprouting indoors and to plant some others outside, but it's not that nice out -- it's supposed to snow some. I think I'll curl up and read some gardening books today