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  • DiscoveringLisa
    DiscoveringLisa Posts: 112 Member
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    mtaratoot wrote: »
    @DiscoveringLisa

    Oh, I get it. I wonder if there were some kind of netting I could use to exclude slugs and ants I'd get on it. I've for SURE had crows and jays eat pea seeds freshly planted. If they sprout, they have to run the gauntlet of slugs until they're a little bigger. Then the ants seem to somehow destroy the roots of some plants. Good thing I like playing with plants!

    I grazed on blueberries and raspberries yesterday and helped myself to a pint of strawberries from the next door garden so they'll keep producing. I've been eating so many sugar peas trying to keep up with them. If my neighbor doesn't get home soon, there will be lots of little yellow squashes. I'm being vigilant with the zucchini so they'll keep producing. Once some of those start to have mature seeds, the plant stops fruiting. I think she'll have melons later in the year; I bet she'll share. I'm jealous of her amazing space, but I also know how much time she takes loving it.

    Ants are relentless, I don't envy you that problem. My neighbour is a horticulturist so he's growing all kinds of good stuff and he makes it look easy 🤣 Your neighbors sound generous, I love strawberries, I might try growing them next year, I think I'm too late now
    I've just planted my artichoke seeds and I harvested some garlic today which smells amazing. My Brussel sprouts are just starting to appear above the soil so I can't wait to harvest them for Christmas. I have peas, spinach, chard, onions, beets and carrots growing too. Oh and I just planted some ginger and Chinese chives. I plan to plant some more potatoes soon as well. I love growing stuff, don't know why I didn't start sooner
  • mtaratoot
    mtaratoot Posts: 13,332 Member
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    DiscoveringLisa wrote: »
    Ants are relentless, I don't envy you that problem. My neighbour is a horticulturist so he's growing all kinds of good stuff and he makes it look easy 🤣 Your neighbors sound generous, I love strawberries, I might try growing them next year, I think I'm too late now
    I've just planted my artichoke seeds and I harvested some garlic today which smells amazing. My Brussel sprouts are just starting to appear above the soil so I can't wait to harvest them for Christmas. I have peas, spinach, chard, onions, beets and carrots growing too. Oh and I just planted some ginger and Chinese chives. I plan to plant some more potatoes soon as well. I love growing stuff, don't know why I didn't start sooner

    Actually, most of my neighbors are generous. We share a lot. When there's artichokes in my garden, everyone gets artichokes. When the pears are ripe, everyone gets pears. Same with Asian pears and plums. A few figs, too, but most of those get dehydrated. "Excess" blueberries get frozen on sheets then vacuum sealed for winter. Neighbor with strawberries is generous with produce. Other side neighbor is generous with eggs from their hens. We share "excess" space in our trash, recycle, and green waste bins so not everyone needs to rent one. We share tools if needed. I mowed the neighbor's lawn last week because they are out of town tending to family. Had to mow it multiple times because it was so long and thick. A few of us like to ferment vegetables, and we share some of that. It's a very nice bunch of people and one of the reasons I like to live here.

    There was a strawberry bed in my garden when I bought my house. It was full of weeds. I tried to weed it. No luck. I killed it, but every now and then I still find a strawberry plant out there. I moved some of them to another location.... that eventually got full of weeds too. Now I just have one of those strawberry pots. I will probably put in a new bed at some point. First I have to get rid of the weeds. And get better management of the ants.

    You didn't start sooner, but you did start. It's like Warren Miller used to say, "If you don't do it now, you'll be a year older when you do."

    You might be able to plant or transplant strawberries now. I'm not sure. They usually aren't available in stores this time of year. When you do plant them, plan on not harvesting any (or not many) the first year. You'll want to pull off the flowers to encourage the plants to spend their energy growing roots. Then the second year... make pancakes because yer gonna have some berries.

  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,952 Member
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    I think earlier I mentioned spinach here in New England bolting. As expected, mine did bolt in early June. It's one of the early cool annuals, so I plant it anyway, although it does not perform as well as Swiss chard or kale, plus we like it better.

    qsmpaz9e689v.png
    (Tall plant in the middle; to the right of the purple petunia.)

    There's an abandoned property near us with blueberry bushes. Going to check them out when the weather cooperates; maybe tomorrow AM. There's a gate up now so I can no longer drive right to them :(
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,952 Member
    edited July 2022
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    ReenieHJ wrote: »
    In trying to beat the slugs to my strawberries, I went to the local hardware store to buy Sluggo, as suggested on MFP, yesterday. All out due to supply chains. :/ One guy showed me Seven and I asked if it was organic...oh no, lots of poisons in that stuff. :( Tell me why they still sell *kitten* like that. :( Anyways, they also suggested the beer thing, along with cutting an orange or grapefruit in half and placing it cut side down, then next morning it'll be covered in slugs and you can just throw it away. JIC someone needed another 'kill the slugs' idea. :)

    If you have a Home Depot near you, try there. It is in stock and mine and under $10.
    https://www.homedepot.com/p/Monterey-1-lb-Sluggo-LG6515/202043630

    Otherwise, they've added $10 on Amazon but it is available there:
    https://smile.amazon.com/Monterey-Sluggo-Pellets-Organic-Gardening/dp/B01820AVTO/

    What are you using for mulch? Slugs like leaves but where I use chopped straw (NOT hay) I have less of an issue.
  • Countandsubtract
    Countandsubtract Posts: 276 Member
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    Ooh! Those sound awesome. I'm jealous
  • DiscoveringLisa
    DiscoveringLisa Posts: 112 Member
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    My honeyberry bush is really starting to grow, must be all the sunshine and rain. Has anyone ever tasted a honeyberry? Apparently they're like a cross between raspberries and blueberries and have twice the antioxidants....I'd never even heard of honey berries so I'm excited to see them grow and get some harvested
    t4iuuoy8qe7j.jpg
    j8wzgn11z3oz.jpg
  • mtaratoot
    mtaratoot Posts: 13,332 Member
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    DiscoveringLisa wrote: »
    My honeyberry bush is really starting to grow, must be all the sunshine and rain. Has anyone ever tasted a honeyberry? Apparently they're like a cross between raspberries and blueberries and have twice the antioxidants....I'd never even heard of honey berries so I'm excited to see them grow and get some harvested

    I've not heard of them, but that plant looks like a species of Lonicera (honeysuckle). Opposite leaves, vininng habit. There's some flowers in the top picture that look sort of like they're attached to that plant, but I think there's a fuchsia behind it; that's what those flower look like. If it's a Lonicera, it will have trumpet-shaped flowers. We have a native honeysuckle here that has a shrub growth form, but is still kind of vinelike. Common name is twinberry because the flower come in pairs like the opposite leaves, and two blue berries follow. They taste insipid. They're so insipid the birds don't even eat them. I planted a couple of these in my yard. They have to be pruned heavily every year unless you don't mind them getting huge. Not only tall, but they also spread. Once I realized this, I've enjoyed them more. I also have some Japanese honeysuckle, a non-native that can become invasive in some places. The flower smell so sweet. I remember as a kid sucking the nectar out of the flowers. Mmmmm. Also has to be pruned heavily every year. When they start blooming, the hummingbirds have a party.
  • SuzanneC1l9zz
    SuzanneC1l9zz Posts: 452 Member
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    My sister has a honeyberry bush. I haven't had a chance to try them, but her whole family raves about them.
  • DiscoveringLisa
    DiscoveringLisa Posts: 112 Member
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    mtaratoot wrote: »
    DiscoveringLisa wrote: »
    My honeyberry bush is really starting to grow, must be all the sunshine and rain. Has anyone ever tasted a honeyberry? Apparently they're like a cross between raspberries and blueberries and have twice the antioxidants....I'd never even heard of honey berries so I'm excited to see them grow and get some harvested

    I've not heard of them, but that plant looks like a species of Lonicera (honeysuckle). Opposite leaves, vininng habit. There's some flowers in the top picture that look sort of like they're attached to that plant, but I think there's a fuchsia behind it; that's what those flower look like. If it's a Lonicera, it will have trumpet-shaped flowers. We have a native honeysuckle here that has a shrub growth form, but is still kind of vinelike. Common name is twinberry because the flower come in pairs like the opposite leaves, and two blue berries follow. They taste insipid. They're so insipid the birds don't even eat them. I planted a couple of these in my yard. They have to be pruned heavily every year unless you don't mind them getting huge. Not only tall, but they also spread. Once I realized this, I've enjoyed them more. I also have some Japanese honeysuckle, a non-native that can become invasive in some places. The flower smell so sweet. I remember as a kid sucking the nectar out of the flowers. Mmmmm. Also has to be pruned heavily every year. When they start blooming, the hummingbirds have a party.

    Yes that's a fuscia in the background. I hope its not too invasive as I just planted along the border of my garden next to my neighbours fence 🤣 I guess we'll see. They can't really complain though as they have planted a bamboo in their garden and it keeps sending up shoots into my garden, it's a nightmare 😫
    Thanks for the info
  • DiscoveringLisa
    DiscoveringLisa Posts: 112 Member
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    SuzanneC1l9zz wrote: »
    My sister has a honeyberry bush. I haven't had a chance to try them, but her whole family raves about them.

    Oooh good, I can't wait for mine to start fruiting !
  • LoveyChar
    LoveyChar Posts: 4,335 Member
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    MsCzar wrote: »
    Fresh picked green beans, sweet peas, mushrooms and onions stir-fried to perfection - one of my favourite dishes. But maybe ask me again about that a month and a half from now. 😆

    jdyz8ya6cn3x.jpg

    Great plates, "vintage!" I ate off these plates as a child and would love to get my hands on a set. Meal looks delicious, nutritious.
  • MsCzar
    MsCzar Posts: 1,042 Member
    edited July 2022
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    Yep! Still rawkin' 1970's Corelle! Never liked the cups, but I'll still pick up a dish or bowl in this pattern if I see it at a thrift store.
    Picked four Straight Eight cukes this morning and another two pints of black wild raspberries. Making Thai curried squash soup today - with a side of jasmine rice - and of course, more green beans. :)
  • SuzanneC1l9zz
    SuzanneC1l9zz Posts: 452 Member
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    So I had one little pak choy bravely hanging on, maybe a couple of inches tall. I weeded on Friday so it was more exposed. When I got home from work yesterday it was gone without a trace 😢 I suspect the squirrel.

    I PUT OUT NUTS FOR YOU, YOU TRAITOR
  • DiscoveringLisa
    DiscoveringLisa Posts: 112 Member
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    mtaratoot wrote: »
    It's not the best time of year to prune fruit trees. However, the best time to prune any tree is "when you have the shears in your hand."

    I pruned a fig tree today.

    I know I will give up on some figs this year and maybe a little bit next year. I also know I'm not done pruning this tree. Figs are weird. The first (breba) crop (and that's often the only crop I get in my climate) grows on last year's new wood. The main crop grows on THIS year's new wood. Usually any that grow rot before I can harvest them, so I don't mind losing them on ONE tree per year. I am hoping that after this pruning, the tree will grow new wood for the rest of the season and result in a good Breba crop next year. And I'll keep cutting it.

    I've owned my house about 20 years. The figs were mature when I bought the house. One year they died back to the ground from extreme cold. They grew back. The grew back fast and spindly. They died back again after a year or two. Now they've been going absolutely nuts for five years or so. I cut them back every now and then. When most of the fruit is way too high even for an orchard ladder, it's time to bring 'em down. So I did that today. I don't mind if SOME are too high. I share with the birds. When they get greedy, I get angry, but that's another story. If 80% of the fruit is unreachable, they feast and I just cry. So I got out the saw.

    I dare not cut any more right now. I bet I took out 30% of the canopy. It's fine. Something needs to slow them down. My green waste cart is completely full, and I have a pile on the ground to fill after it gets emptied later this week. If my neighbor doesn't fill her cart, maybe I can get it all chopped up and disposed of this week and have room for the next project!

    Also grazed a bit on some berries....

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    j3m5yk92yhqf.jpg
    dfr3bcwypv39.jpg

    Oh your berries look lovely 😋
  • mtaratoot
    mtaratoot Posts: 13,332 Member
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    DiscoveringLisa wrote: »
    mtaratoot wrote: »
    It's not the best time of year to prune fruit trees. However, the best time to prune any tree is "when you have the shears in your hand."

    I pruned a fig tree today.

    I know I will give up on some figs this year and maybe a little bit next year. I also know I'm not done pruning this tree. Figs are weird. The first (breba) crop (and that's often the only crop I get in my climate) grows on last year's new wood. The main crop grows on THIS year's new wood. Usually any that grow rot before I can harvest them, so I don't mind losing them on ONE tree per year. I am hoping that after this pruning, the tree will grow new wood for the rest of the season and result in a good Breba crop next year. And I'll keep cutting it.

    I've owned my house about 20 years. The figs were mature when I bought the house. One year they died back to the ground from extreme cold. They grew back. The grew back fast and spindly. They died back again after a year or two. Now they've been going absolutely nuts for five years or so. I cut them back every now and then. When most of the fruit is way too high even for an orchard ladder, it's time to bring 'em down. So I did that today. I don't mind if SOME are too high. I share with the birds. When they get greedy, I get angry, but that's another story. If 80% of the fruit is unreachable, they feast and I just cry. So I got out the saw.

    I dare not cut any more right now. I bet I took out 30% of the canopy. It's fine. Something needs to slow them down. My green waste cart is completely full, and I have a pile on the ground to fill after it gets emptied later this week. If my neighbor doesn't fill her cart, maybe I can get it all chopped up and disposed of this week and have room for the next project!

    Also grazed a bit on some berries....

    Oh your berries look lovely 😋


    They really are.

    There are two kinds of raspberries. I used to like the red ones more than the golden/blonde ones, but my tastes must have changed, or possibly these red ones are different than the ones I grew at a previous location. They are both very robust. I have been giving away rooted cuttings that I dig up when they leave their bed. They were a gift from a friend who's no longer alive, so it gives me joy to help spread them.

    I gave a couple canes to a neighbor. He already had two kinds of raspberries growing, but they seemed really anemic. Later that season I was over there and he pointed out the ones he'd had growing were still puny, but the ones from LaVerne were just going great guns. If anyone needs raspberry canes, I've got you covered. I can generally pull canes that are most likely the blonde ones; the red ones are sort of in the middle, so if I dig up some from that area... who knows.

    There are four blueberry bushes that were mature when I bought the house 20 years ago. I've maintained them, and I might jump the gun this summer and do some light pruning after the fruit is harvested.

    I was also pleased that when I went to prune the fig tree, I found some marks I had made previously with magic marker. It's nice to know that the places I chose to cut were the same places I had decided previously needed to be cut. I don't like to prune too much away at one time, so last time I pruned, I probably marked up which ones needed to come next. There will be more to do this winter, and I may have given up on some figs for this year, but it will benefit me going forward... as long as I remember to keep pruning the tree shorter every year or so. It grows so fast. They are also pretty easy to propagate. I gave some cuttings of another fig tree to my boss. He was agape when I had brought in some figs from that tree because they are fist-sized. He already had a couple trees. I figured maybe half of the cuttings would root. I just used some rooting hormone and put them in water. He said they're all growing. Every one. Maybe one didn't make it, but he's going to have to cut some of those trees down!

    I got zero cherries this year though. Between weather, birds, and that spotted wing drosophila, any fruit that was there rotted before it was ripe. So sad.
  • DiscoveringLisa
    DiscoveringLisa Posts: 112 Member
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    mtaratoot wrote: »
    DiscoveringLisa wrote: »
    mtaratoot wrote: »
    It's not the best time of year to prune fruit trees. However, the best time to prune any tree is "when you have the shears in your hand."

    I pruned a fig tree today.

    I know I will give up on some figs this year and maybe a little bit next year. I also know I'm not done pruning this tree. Figs are weird. The first (breba) crop (and that's often the only crop I get in my climate) grows on last year's new wood. The main crop grows on THIS year's new wood. Usually any that grow rot before I can harvest them, so I don't mind losing them on ONE tree per year. I am hoping that after this pruning, the tree will grow new wood for the rest of the season and result in a good Breba crop next year. And I'll keep cutting it.

    I've owned my house about 20 years. The figs were mature when I bought the house. One year they died back to the ground from extreme cold. They grew back. The grew back fast and spindly. They died back again after a year or two. Now they've been going absolutely nuts for five years or so. I cut them back every now and then. When most of the fruit is way too high even for an orchard ladder, it's time to bring 'em down. So I did that today. I don't mind if SOME are too high. I share with the birds. When they get greedy, I get angry, but that's another story. If 80% of the fruit is unreachable, they feast and I just cry. So I got out the saw.

    I dare not cut any more right now. I bet I took out 30% of the canopy. It's fine. Something needs to slow them down. My green waste cart is completely full, and I have a pile on the ground to fill after it gets emptied later this week. If my neighbor doesn't fill her cart, maybe I can get it all chopped up and disposed of this week and have room for the next project!

    Also grazed a bit on some berries....

    Oh your berries look lovely 😋


    They really are.

    There are two kinds of raspberries. I used to like the red ones more than the golden/blonde ones, but my tastes must have changed, or possibly these red ones are different than the ones I grew at a previous location. They are both very robust. I have been giving away rooted cuttings that I dig up when they leave their bed. They were a gift from a friend who's no longer alive, so it gives me joy to help spread them.

    I gave a couple canes to a neighbor. He already had two kinds of raspberries growing, but they seemed really anemic. Later that season I was over there and he pointed out the ones he'd had growing were still puny, but the ones from LaVerne were just going great guns. If anyone needs raspberry canes, I've got you covered. I can generally pull canes that are most likely the blonde ones; the red ones are sort of in the middle, so if I dig up some from that area... who knows.

    There are four blueberry bushes that were mature when I bought the house 20 years ago. I've maintained them, and I might jump the gun this summer and do some light pruning after the fruit is harvested.

    I was also pleased that when I went to prune the fig tree, I found some marks I had made previously with magic marker. It's nice to know that the places I chose to cut were the same places I had decided previously needed to be cut. I don't like to prune too much away at one time, so last time I pruned, I probably marked up which ones needed to come next. There will be more to do this winter, and I may have given up on some figs for this year, but it will benefit me going forward... as long as I remember to keep pruning the tree shorter every year or so. It grows so fast. They are also pretty easy to propagate. I gave some cuttings of another fig tree to my boss. He was agape when I had brought in some figs from that tree because they are fist-sized. He already had a couple trees. I figured maybe half of the cuttings would root. I just used some rooting hormone and put them in water. He said they're all growing. Every one. Maybe one didn't make it, but he's going to have to cut some of those trees down!

    I got zero cherries this year though. Between weather, birds, and that spotted wing drosophila, any fruit that was there rotted before it was ripe. So sad.

    I didn't know you could get blonde raspberries 🤔
    I've taken cuttings from my fuscia bush and am trying to get them to root so I can plant them further along my border. I haven't put hormone on them though just put them in water. Would I be better adding rooting hormone do you think?
  • mtaratoot
    mtaratoot Posts: 13,332 Member
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    @DiscoveringLisa

    I almost always use rooting hormone even for things that are easy to root. It can't hurt, and I have plenty.

    I use a powder, and I think it's long past it's expiration date, but still works. I went to visit my old workplace yesterday and chatted with my old boss. I was wrong when I reported he only lost a few of the fig sticks I collected for him. They are ALL alive and in the ground. Poor guy is going to have so many trees. I told him if he wants I can make cuttings of the other two varieties I have, and I will.

    Some things apparently don't need hormone. I put a sprig of rosemary in some water to keep it fresh. I usually trim off more than I need when I cut off a branch. Well, the darn thing started sending out root, and I put it in soil because... why not? I also brought in some spearmint and put it in some water and of course it has LOTS of roots. But that's mint. I think if you put a sprig on dry sand it would grow....

    I also don't use the "best" method for rooting which includes some kind of medium. I just usu water. The advantage is I can see how the roots are growing... or not. The disadvantage is that it's not as successful. I am going to try to start some cuttings of a Rex Begonia this afternoon. I gave most of mine away, so I now only have one of them. I'm also going to make cuttings of a Hoya that some friends gave me last year for my birthday and that finally flowered this week.

    My technique for things like the hoya, for figs, or for some kinds of begonia is to trim off at least two or three nodes, then remove the leaves (not the petiole, just the leaf) below the top set of leaves. I put them in water for a few minutes or more to let them soak up fresh water, then pull them back out, put them on a piece of newspaper, and put on some rooting hormone. I usually pour some out onto a small piece of paper or foil and kind of roll the wet stems in the hormone. I then leave them sitting out for a while - usually less than an hour but more than a few minutes. I figure this lets some of the hormone get into the plant or at least start to work. Then I gently and carefully put the stems in a jar of water. Some of the hormone will inevitably fall off and float to the water surface, but some sticks. Then I put it in a bright window out of direct sun and wait and watch. Boom boom - that easy. For the Begonia Rex, I just cut a leaf and do the same treatment. I sometimes cut down the leaf to a smaller size so it doesn't try to pull more water up than can be delivered through the cut stem. The bonus is that the pieces of leaf I cut off actually can root on their own, but I'm less successful with them. If I used a medium, I bet even those little leaf cuttings would root.

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