Garden thread
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It's a happy-sad day.
Happy that fruit processing is coming to a close.
Sad that the last of the Asian pears are coming off the tree.... right now.
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Well, not quite done I guess.
I picked some figs yesterday. I planned to put them in the dehydrator but got distracted. Well, the sun came out for a bit yesterday, so I got the ladder out and went up to find... almost another bucket full from two trees. The figs on the third tree, and I really love those figs, aren't getting ripe. Some of what I picked aren't quite ripe, but we've got a few cool rainy days. What's left will start to get moldy and rotten. They don't ripen off the tree; they turn to mush.
So I got six more trays of figs drying. Since the dehydrator was getting turned on anyway, I filled a tray with tomatoes that needed to have something done with them really soon. The last tray was three of the last eight Asian pears. I have three left.
As I was processing the figs, I found something I have found before and it always amuses me. I feed oil seeds to the birds. The chickadees like to go hide them. Sometimes they like to "hide" them in the bottom of a fig.
Then a friend told me she has way too many apples and some other fruit. I might help take some off he hands to avoid waste and add more flavors to my pantry. I'm going to mail some of my figs to friends across the state who just LOVE them but I haven't seen in over a year.
I am really glad I got garlic in last weekend. The soil would be too wet now, although this weekend is when I often targeted for planting.
I am thinking the fall peas won't go. They keep growing, but unless we get another round of hot sunny weather, I bet they don't flower. Oh well. It was an experiment with seeds I had left over from last spring so I already got two years of peas from them. I'm tempted to throw some radish seeds in the ground -- just because.
My neighbor's quince tree is more full than I have ever seen it. She sells some at a farm market; she said help myself to all I want. I usually just take a couple because they are so pretty and smell so good. I leave one on a window sill and take the other to work. Maybe I should learn to make quince paste. Could make nice gifts.
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Our crazy fall has allowed me to still pick tomatoes and eggplant. We are not expected to get a frost for at least 2 more weeks where we would normally have one by now. I have been learning all kinds of fun things to cook with eggplant. This is my first year growing it and the two plants have produced so much more than I expected.
My eggplant:
Also, I pulled my carrots a week ago. Carrot Pi anyone?
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I did more landscape maintenance today.
I figured the foliage was still dry, I had room in my green waste cart, and rain is coming.
First I cut back some honeysuckle. It is oddly still blooming, so I didn't do the full job. I just cut it back so I can walk by and not get drenched from wet leaves after it rains. I deadheaded an astilbe. I cut back a hydrangea just a bit also so I can easily walk around. I tied up some zebra grass to open up an area that it had fallen down on top of. I will cut it back to the ground later in the season.
Then I went in back and took care of something I only have to do every couple or three years. I planted some Mahonia nervosa years ago. It's native here. I also planted some Mahonia aquifolium, but I took that out years ago. Too invasive even though it's native. Well, that dwarf variety is easier to control, but it still spreads. I thinned it out and it's much nicer now.
Then I did the annual pruning out old Marionberry canes and stringing up new ones. I limited myself this year more than I usually do. I only chose five of the best canes to hang and cut all the rest out. I cut them shorter than normal. I did salvage a bunch of ends that had rooted, and I'll have them to give away to anyone that wants marionberries.
I dug some Siberian iris that is in a place I don't want. They were in one place in the yard when I bought the property 20 years ago. I thinned them and moved them to more places. Now I want to get rid of a bunch of them. They get too thick and stop flowering. I left some there. I have them all over the damn place. Anybody want some?
There was a plant that volunteered in front of my front door a couple years ago. This year I finally figured out what it is; it is a buddleia. I generally don't like these plants because they are so invasive. I moved it to another place... where I had dug up irises.... As long as I cut off the flowers when they are spent, there won't be seeds, so I can keep it from being invasive. If I sell the place, I'll cut it to the ground.
Taking a lunch break, then maybe get back out after it until the rains start. Canoe tomorrow.
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I did more landscape maintenance today.
I figured the foliage was still dry, I had room in my green waste cart, and rain is coming.
First I cut back some honeysuckle. It is oddly still blooming, so I didn't do the full job. I just cut it back so I can walk by and not get drenched from wet leaves after it rains. I deadheaded an astilbe. I cut back a hydrangea just a bit also so I can easily walk around. I tied up some zebra grass to open up an area that it had fallen down on top of. I will cut it back to the ground later in the season.
Then I went in back and took care of something I only have to do every couple or three years. I planted some Mahonia nervosa years ago. It's native here. I also planted some Mahonia aquifolium, but I took that out years ago. Too invasive even though it's native. Well, that dwarf variety is easier to control, but it still spreads. I thinned it out and it's much nicer now.
Then I did the annual pruning out old Marionberry canes and stringing up new ones. I limited myself this year more than I usually do. I only chose five of the best canes to hang and cut all the rest out. I cut them shorter than normal. I did salvage a bunch of ends that had rooted, and I'll have them to give away to anyone that wants marionberries.
I dug some Siberian iris that is in a place I don't want. They were in one place in the yard when I bought the property 20 years ago. I thinned them and moved them to more places. Now I want to get rid of a bunch of them. They get too thick and stop flowering. I left some there. I have them all over the damn place. Anybody want some?
There was a plant that volunteered in front of my front door a couple years ago. This year I finally figured out what it is; it is a buddleia. I generally don't like these plants because they are so invasive. I moved it to another place... where I had dug up irises.... As long as I cut off the flowers when they are spent, there won't be seeds, so I can keep it from being invasive. If I sell the place, I'll cut it to the ground.
Taking a lunch break, then maybe get back out after it until the rains start. Canoe tomorrow.
I love Siberian Iris but they do take some work to keep under control. I used to give the excess away on freecycle.org; now I use a local Facebook gardening group.
A lot of what I have was excess from my Mom, so tends to spread somewhat to very aggressively. I am in the midst of selling the house and predict the new owners won't be able to keep things under control as well as I did. For example, I know the iris will "eat" the peony in a year or two. But I've told her once and I will reiterate that she is free to call on me for gardening advice.
I haven't been able to garden much due to prepping for the move, but did spend most of the afternoon outside. We are moving in with my mother and brother - she is 83 and slowing down and he has special needs.
Mom's neighbor and I went cranberry picking at a local bog that has been abandoned.
I helped Mom harvest butternut squash and clean up the green bean plants.
I was delighted to see that the handful of strawberry plants I planted there in the spring have exploded, so started making plans to expand their bed.
I finally got a sedum and two Montauk daisies into the ground.3 -
I give a lot of plants away. I'll put some of the irises by the street. I can dig more any time I want. I need to thin ALL the clumps so they actually flower. I've got several different kinds of bearded iris as well, and there's probably a few yellow flag iris left. I mostly mow them because they can become invasive in streams, so I've grown to dislike them.
My belladonna lilies have been frustrating me the last few years. I thinned them and moved them around to different places. In two years, they don't seem so happy. Plenty of leaves, but just a couple of them flower each year. Oh well.
Picked more figs today. A banner year for figs. Dehydrator is full again.2 -
I give a lot of plants away. I'll put some of the irises by the street. I can dig more any time I want. I need to thin ALL the clumps so they actually flower. I've got several different kinds of bearded iris as well, and there's probably a few yellow flag iris left. I mostly mow them because they can become invasive in streams, so I've grown to dislike them.
My belladonna lilies have been frustrating me the last few years. I thinned them and moved them around to different places. In two years, they don't seem so happy. Plenty of leaves, but just a couple of them flower each year. Oh well.
Picked more figs today. A banner year for figs. Dehydrator is full again.
I am one of those who cannot stand to let a living plant die. I pruned my brugmansia and had 2 cuttings so I rooted them is water and found homes for them. I will probably get another couple of cuttings next year when I prune it again.
A few of my perennials will probably need to be dug up next spring, especially the monarda and cranesbill. Last time I separated the cranesbill I sent out a notice via Next Door and found homes for them. The idea of thinning plants and letting the cuttings die is hard to take. I know I get that from my mother. Every neighbor AND the community areas maintained by the town park service has hostas originally planted by Mom back in the 70's. My SIL has a bleeding heart that has spread to quite a bit of her small town as well as friends living elsewhere.3 -
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I not only deadhead other people's gardens, but sometimes pocket the seeds. Got all my marigolds and snap dragons that way.
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This used to be me. These days, the only seeds I buy are bean and pea. For everything else, I buy seedlings at reputable garden centers. They come at the right time to plant in the perfect amount.
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kshama2001 wrote: »This used to be me. These days, the only seeds I buy are bean and pea. For everything else, I buy seedlings at reputable garden centers. They come at the right time to plant in the perfect amount.
I used to buy seedlings as well, but when Covid hit, I started all my seeds indoors. The only problem is that I never have the heart to cull perfectly good seedlings and so I end up with far more garden produce than I can use, can, or freeze. This year I had a dozen tomato plants - two of which are still producing.
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One gets a lot more choices of varieties buying seeds, IME - that's been important to me, as a Northern gardener. Most of the garden centers here - even locally owned large ones - mostly only carry seedlings for the varieties favored nationally. For long-season veggies, there are specialty varieties that do better in the North, and that makes seeds especially worthwhile . . . particularly IMO, among things that tend to have more significant transplant setbacks. Some that come to mind are melons, okra, squashes, and that sort of thing. Those are easy to direct seed here, and the varieties much better IME.
Gardeners in more gardening-friendly regions may not experience the same tradeoffs.1 -
One gets a lot more choices of varieties buying seeds, IME - that's been important to me, as a Northern gardener. Most of the garden centers here - even locally owned large ones - mostly only carry seedlings for the varieties favored nationally. For long-season veggies, there are specialty varieties that do better in the North, and that makes seeds especially worthwhile . . . particularly IMO, among things that tend to have more significant transplant setbacks. Some that come to mind are melons, okra, squashes, and that sort of thing. Those are easy to direct seed here, and the varieties much better IME.
Gardeners in more gardening-friendly regions may not experience the same tradeoffs.
I live in a Northern area that has several mom-and-pop garden centers with their own greenhouses so they have a nice variety of the different veggies. I have a small garden so I typically plant 3 tomato plants, 1 each of 3 different varieties so it is more cost effective for me to buy plants. Anything that can be direct sown, I do. Greens, carrots, radishes, green onions, beans, peas, cucumbers, etc. are all from seed. Tomatoes and eggplant are from nursery plants.0 -
One gets a lot more choices of varieties buying seeds, IME - that's been important to me, as a Northern gardener. Most of the garden centers here - even locally owned large ones - mostly only carry seedlings for the varieties favored nationally. For long-season veggies, there are specialty varieties that do better in the North, and that makes seeds especially worthwhile . . . particularly IMO, among things that tend to have more significant transplant setbacks. Some that come to mind are melons, okra, squashes, and that sort of thing. Those are easy to direct seed here, and the varieties much better IME.
Gardeners in more gardening-friendly regions may not experience the same tradeoffs.
I live in a Northern area that has several mom-and-pop garden centers with their own greenhouses so they have a nice variety of the different veggies. I have a small garden so I typically plant 3 tomato plants, 1 each of 3 different varieties so it is more cost effective for me to buy plants. Anything that can be direct sown, I do. Greens, carrots, radishes, green onions, beans, peas, cucumbers, etc. are all from seed. Tomatoes and eggplant are from nursery plants.
I normally bought peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, and tomatillos from the garden center - don't have the set-up to grow good seedlings. I really saw no downside to direct seeding most of the curcurbits (large seeds, easy planting), especially in a hilled format. The seeds reached the size of the garden center seedlings quite quickly (especially if hilled & started with a cloche of some type), and the varieties were *much* more suitable for our shorter seasons, vs. what I could get here from garden centers. Johnny's Selected Seeds in Maine has some gem varieties, for my conditions here.
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One gets a lot more choices of varieties buying seeds, IME - that's been important to me, as a Northern gardener. Most of the garden centers here - even locally owned large ones - mostly only carry seedlings for the varieties favored nationally. For long-season veggies, there are specialty varieties that do better in the North, and that makes seeds especially worthwhile . . . particularly IMO, among things that tend to have more significant transplant setbacks. Some that come to mind are melons, okra, squashes, and that sort of thing. Those are easy to direct seed here, and the varieties much better IME.
Gardeners in more gardening-friendly regions may not experience the same tradeoffs.
I live in a Northern area that has several mom-and-pop garden centers with their own greenhouses so they have a nice variety of the different veggies. I have a small garden so I typically plant 3 tomato plants, 1 each of 3 different varieties so it is more cost effective for me to buy plants. Anything that can be direct sown, I do. Greens, carrots, radishes, green onions, beans, peas, cucumbers, etc. are all from seed. Tomatoes and eggplant are from nursery plants.
I normally bought peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, and tomatillos from the garden center - don't have the set-up to grow good seedlings. I really saw no downside to direct seeding most of the curcurbits (large seeds, easy planting), especially in a hilled format. The seeds reached the size of the garden center seedlings quite quickly (especially if hilled & started with a cloche of some type), and the varieties were *much* more suitable for our shorter seasons, vs. what I could get here from garden centers. Johnny's Selected Seeds in Maine has some gem varieties, for my conditions here.
What is your zone? I am right on the line between 4b and 5a.0 -
One gets a lot more choices of varieties buying seeds, IME - that's been important to me, as a Northern gardener. Most of the garden centers here - even locally owned large ones - mostly only carry seedlings for the varieties favored nationally. For long-season veggies, there are specialty varieties that do better in the North, and that makes seeds especially worthwhile . . . particularly IMO, among things that tend to have more significant transplant setbacks. Some that come to mind are melons, okra, squashes, and that sort of thing. Those are easy to direct seed here, and the varieties much better IME.
Gardeners in more gardening-friendly regions may not experience the same tradeoffs.
I live in a Northern area that has several mom-and-pop garden centers with their own greenhouses so they have a nice variety of the different veggies. I have a small garden so I typically plant 3 tomato plants, 1 each of 3 different varieties so it is more cost effective for me to buy plants. Anything that can be direct sown, I do. Greens, carrots, radishes, green onions, beans, peas, cucumbers, etc. are all from seed. Tomatoes and eggplant are from nursery plants.
I normally bought peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, and tomatillos from the garden center - don't have the set-up to grow good seedlings. I really saw no downside to direct seeding most of the curcurbits (large seeds, easy planting), especially in a hilled format. The seeds reached the size of the garden center seedlings quite quickly (especially if hilled & started with a cloche of some type), and the varieties were *much* more suitable for our shorter seasons, vs. what I could get here from garden centers. Johnny's Selected Seeds in Maine has some gem varieties, for my conditions here.
What is your zone? I am right on the line between 4b and 5a.
5b. The issue is more season length than anything else. A lot of really good mainstream variety vine-y things are in the 100-120 day or higher maturity range, IME, given the totality of our summer weather especially (not always enough heat - though that's less true in recent years!). That season length can happen here, but gotta be right on top of planting/covering, especially in heavier soil (like I have) that takes time to warm up in Spring. My dad had a sandy loam, had better luck than I did with the common varieties. I had more success, more years, with the varieties more adapted to a shorter, cooler growing season.1 -
@ReenieHJ speaking of shorter growing seasons, how'd your sweet potatoes do? If I recall correctly, you planted a sprouted supermarket sweet potato. Since I normally buy varieties intended for up here in the north, I was curious if you had time to get a crop. With our mild fall you got some extra time!1
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Little garlic plants
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One gets a lot more choices of varieties buying seeds, IME - that's been important to me, as a Northern gardener. Most of the garden centers here - even locally owned large ones - mostly only carry seedlings for the varieties favored nationally. For long-season veggies, there are specialty varieties that do better in the North, and that makes seeds especially worthwhile . . . particularly IMO, among things that tend to have more significant transplant setbacks. Some that come to mind are melons, okra, squashes, and that sort of thing. Those are easy to direct seed here, and the varieties much better IME.
Gardeners in more gardening-friendly regions may not experience the same tradeoffs.
I live in a Northern area that has several mom-and-pop garden centers with their own greenhouses so they have a nice variety of the different veggies. I have a small garden so I typically plant 3 tomato plants, 1 each of 3 different varieties so it is more cost effective for me to buy plants. Anything that can be direct sown, I do. Greens, carrots, radishes, green onions, beans, peas, cucumbers, etc. are all from seed. Tomatoes and eggplant are from nursery plants.
I normally bought peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, and tomatillos from the garden center - don't have the set-up to grow good seedlings. I really saw no downside to direct seeding most of the curcurbits (large seeds, easy planting), especially in a hilled format. The seeds reached the size of the garden center seedlings quite quickly (especially if hilled & started with a cloche of some type), and the varieties were *much* more suitable for our shorter seasons, vs. what I could get here from garden centers. Johnny's Selected Seeds in Maine has some gem varieties, for my conditions here.
What is your zone? I am right on the line between 4b and 5a.
5b. The issue is more season length than anything else. A lot of really good mainstream variety vine-y things are in the 100-120 day or higher maturity range, IME, given the totality of our summer weather especially (not always enough heat - though that's less true in recent years!). That season length can happen here, but gotta be right on top of planting/covering, especially in heavier soil (like I have) that takes time to warm up in Spring. My dad had a sandy loam, had better luck than I did with the common varieties. I had more success, more years, with the varieties more adapted to a shorter, cooler growing season.
I've been looking for those too. IIRC we are on opposite sides of the Lake so have a similar length growing season. We get a little more cold because we have nothing to the west to warm it up a little.0
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