23,822 Garden Web Discussions | Vegetable Gardening

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sunnibel7 Md 7(7)

Charlie, it's only been a few winters that I've had the room to try with the chokes, and none of them have been "normal". But yes, they seem to be fine with the normal course of things and revive after long hard freezes just fine. But we've had 80ð days in February and 26ð nights in late April, and it seems like they only have enough oopmf to get through one or two freeze-thaws like that. They will start growing again in March, then freeze out in a sudden late freeze in April. I've had them unprotected and lightly protected. I didn't want to encourage my voles with a heavy mulch. Maybe it makes sense they don't have too much in reserve, they are only yearling perrenials at their first winter.

If mine make it through to the spring, I will try harder to protect them from late freezes. And maybe I'll go out now and dig one of the small ones to try in a pot over winter.

    Bookmark     November 21, 2013 at 8:15PM
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DanW WI (z5a)(5a)

I have a real challenge in growing artichokes being in Zone 5a. Have had seed sprouting success but thats about it. I wonder if you could do the following:

put some ground cloth over the plant before bedding it down for the winter then bury it with 12" or so of dirt

Then in the spring uncover them after the night temps are above 45 degrees or so then make a mini-greenhouse that you put over the plant, along with a bowl of water inside, until the day temps are in the mid-70s. I am doing this for tomatoes; in SE Wisconsin we have cool springs here with possible snow up to 1st week of May some years. I will be doing this this year for my peppers and tomatoes.

Another idea, which I have not tried personally, would be to bury some fresh cow dung near the plants which will provide extra heat and create a mini-climate near the plants all winter long (you'd have to remove it plus some surrounding dirt in early spring and throw it in your mulch pile though or I would think you might burn out your plants)

The mini greenhouse is just a square frame of 2x4s with holes drilled vertically and 2 loops of wire at right angles to each other; then clear plastic stapled on the bottom where the frame touches the ground.

    Bookmark     March 18, 2015 at 9:14PM
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digdirt2(6b-7a No.Cent. AR HZ8 Sun-35)

Since most of your original compost has since decomposed and the nutrients have been used up the standard recommended supplement for most all gardens is more compost.

All compost continues to breakdown over time so many find twice (or more) times a year replacement with approx. 3" of quality compost to be ideal. If you don't or can't compost on your own then I'd suggest find a good local source of quality compost.

Dave

    Bookmark     March 18, 2015 at 3:56PM
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nancyjane_gardener(Zone 8ish North of San Francisco in the "real" wine country)

We have an organic source of compost from our local dump. I usually get a truckload about every other year and use as much of my own compost as I can. I have started letting one bed go unplanted each year and composting straight on the bed in a bin. There's still room to plant something small like basil while the box sits there in the middle.

About every 3rd year, I buy a load of "garden mix" from the organic dump place and top it off. I have a very small tiller that I mix it all in with (only about 10 lbs)

Truckloads are really the way to go. With 20 forever beds, you can always find a place for the soil/compost! Nancy

    Bookmark     March 18, 2015 at 5:53PM
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daninthedirt(Cent TX; HZ10, Sunset z30, USDA z8a)

Generic rectangular plastic tubs, about a foot and a half long and a foot wide, with sides a few inches high, are called "tote trays" or "stacking containers". I find those work very well, and are durable, long lasting, and fairly inexpensive. Some have ribs on the base, which keep seedling tubs out of standing water. You can get those at Target or Walmart, I think.

    Bookmark     March 17, 2015 at 4:56PM
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nancyjane_gardener(Zone 8ish North of San Francisco in the "real" wine country)

If it's for your own use, you could either try freecycle.com or craigslist. But you could also recycle by using TP rolls with paper bottoms, or egg cartons (cardboard type). I also see tons in thrift stores/recycle places at the dump.

    Bookmark     March 18, 2015 at 5:43PM
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Starting to figure out posting pics. Herb garden from last year. Nan
Posted by nancyjane_gardener(Zone 8ish North of San Francisco in the "real" wine country) March 17, 2015
3 Comments
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luvncannin

I love this.

    Bookmark     March 18, 2015 at 3:48PM
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nancyjane_gardener(Zone 8ish North of San Francisco in the "real" wine country)

They reweed...er reseed! I rip them out by the handful! Nancy

    Bookmark     March 18, 2015 at 5:36PM
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acorn922

Thanks for the tip.

It's growing outside.

    Bookmark     March 17, 2015 at 4:00PM
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jean001a(Portland OR 7b)
    Bookmark     March 17, 2015 at 9:33PM
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little_minnie(zone 4a)

You have to use BT Israeli not Kurstaki like in caterpillar killers. Mosquito dunks or Gardens Alive fungus gnat killer is Bt Israeli and is extremely safe for everything but the gnats! Dave is right.

    Bookmark     March 17, 2015 at 7:19PM
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daninthedirt(Cent TX; HZ10, Sunset z30, USDA z8a)

I read about folks who use Dipel religiously in seed trays to kill the gnat larvae. Might not kill the gnats themselves, but does a job on the larvae (and therefore, eventually gets rid of the gnats). The larvae, I understand are the real threat to seedlings. Not the gnats.

    Bookmark     March 17, 2015 at 7:38PM
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daninthedirt(Cent TX; HZ10, Sunset z30, USDA z8a)

The idea of the treatment is to preserve the wood. If the wood is still pretty well preserved, I think you have to assume that the treatment chemicals are still in it. I assume you're talking about pressure-treated lumber? If the wood is a few decades old, it might have been CCA treated, and that stuff was pretty nasty. If the only treatment was ten year old stain, it's probably OK to use now for gardening.

    Bookmark     March 17, 2015 at 6:26PM
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NHBabs(4b-5aNH)

Advice is to plant peas as soon as soil can be worked. Still frozen doesn't quite qualify I don't think. ;-) I only grow edible podded peas which are a bit more prone to rotting in cool soil, so I always presprout mine. I soak for several hours until they swell and then place in lightly damp paper towels until I just see roots starting. Then I plant out and get good growth - it seems to take care of the rotting issue. A good resource is Johnny's Select Seeds - for every vegetable they give an optimal germination temperature chart (scroll down to the top of the "growing information" section.)

    Bookmark     March 17, 2015 at 7:01AM
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drscottr(7)

Pre-sprouting makes sense. I've only grown snap peas the past few years as well.

The top 3 - 4 inches were very workable. I suspect I'll plant more in a few days if we get another decent window of weather.

Thanks

    Bookmark     March 17, 2015 at 4:53PM
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Plastic hardware clothHow easily can critters chew through it?
Posted by hairmetal4ever(Z7 MD) March 4, 2015
8 Comments
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zeedman Zone 5 Wisconsin

Animals are less likely to chew their way into an enclosure, since it will offer few escape routes. A fence, with open sky above it, is another matter. This year, though, I had a deer jump my 6-foot garden fence for the first time. It landed, saw that it was fenced in, and beat itself against the fence trying to get back out. After 4 tries, it escaped... without eating a thing.

    Bookmark     March 16, 2015 at 9:57PM
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daninthedirt(Cent TX; HZ10, Sunset z30, USDA z8a)

If plastic hardware cloth is strongly discouraged for protecting birds in aviaries from carnivores (by folks who are expert at that stuff), seems to me the same has to apply to protecting vegetables. Animals will chew their way into an enclosure if there is good stuff to eat there. Frankly, I suspect rodents are pretty clueless in thinking about how enclosed they will be. I'm here, the food I want is there. Chewable plastic in between. That's the equation they're solving. I've put chicken wire fencing around veggies, and squirrels burrow under it to get in to get those veggies. They get in and gorge. Yes, they're sorta enclosed, but there was a way in, and that's the way out.

    Bookmark     March 17, 2015 at 4:47PM
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weirdtrev

Why do you say that relocating them is killing them? I've not heard that before, though I have also never tried to relocate any.

    Bookmark     March 17, 2015 at 11:43AM
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daninthedirt(Cent TX; HZ10, Sunset z30, USDA z8a)

Studies have shown that relocation of rodents to random sites more than half the time results in their death. At least partly because they are very territorial, and partly because of restricted food supply. What I do, however, is relocate in the spring, when edibles reemerge, and well before they start putting away food for the winter. I also relocate in very similar (for me, riparian) habitat. FWIW, squirrels are reared (and kicked out of the nest) in early spring, which is often why recolonization happens around then.

    Bookmark     March 17, 2015 at 12:06PM
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zeedman Zone 5 Wisconsin

With a garden of that size, an electric fence sounds like the most cost-effective option. In my rural garden, I use a hybrid fence of electric fencing high, and chicken wire low. The wire not only keeps out the deer, it keeps the racoons out of my corn. To make an entryway, I just tie pieces of twine between two poles with quick-release knots... the deer could come through there, but once bitten by the fence, they don't seem to know the difference between wire & string.

But like almost any other method of animal deterrent, an electric fence is most effective when used proactively, to keep them out before they learn what's on the other side. If the animals know that something they like is inside, they will find a way through... so putting up a fence after damage has begun is less likely to discourage them.

    Bookmark     March 16, 2015 at 3:39PM
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noinwi

"Those are some weird deer that eat squash and not tomatoes. I guess maybe there are regional tastes in deer?"
Mama deer teaches her babies to eat what she has developed a taste for.

    Bookmark     March 16, 2015 at 7:07PM
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digdirt2(6b-7a No.Cent. AR HZ8 Sun-35)

Sure looks like multiplying onions to me. Here is a good article on How to Grow them. They just need feeding now and then, keep them watered, harvest a few from each bunch 2-3 times a year as needed. If you want them to expand faster transplant a few as you have done. Mulch them well in the fall for some winter protection.

http://www.gardeningblog.net/how-to-grow/multiplier-onions/

    Bookmark     March 14, 2015 at 7:40PM
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pnbrown

There are many cultivars of "multiplyers". Knowing your climate and zone would help.

    Bookmark     March 16, 2015 at 5:08PM
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theforgottenone1013(MI zone 5b/6a)

Several things can make radishes more or less hot. How much water they get, how fast they grow, the temps they're grown in, and most importantly the variety. I grew Long Black Spanish for the first time last year and holy geez those things were hot and it didn't matter what time of the year I grew/harvested them.

Rodney

    Bookmark     March 15, 2015 at 1:28PM
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pnbrown

The reason a lot of N sometimes results in small roots/tubers is because it causes reduced availability of K - which is what is required for large root and tuber crops. OTOH, if K is low to start with failing to supply the crop with N is not going to help.

    Bookmark     March 16, 2015 at 5:05PM
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jenandwya

I have 6 rows, each are 3X13 ft. One row has a wire tunnel over it for cukes to vine on one side and green beans to vine on the other. Will put corn, tomatoes, zukes and squash, carrots dispersed properly over the other rows. raspberry and blackberry bushes in the corner. And a bag of compost/worm castings to throw off to the side and stick some watermelon seedlings in there to vine out away from my rows. Have 2, 1x13 ft beds off to the side for wildflowers to feed the honey bees so they will pollinate my garden. No raised beds. Have a, 18 ft lettuce bed with radishes in it as well. And a little 4 ft herb bed

    Bookmark     March 9, 2015 at 7:41AM
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charlieboring

I do not have a lot of room, so I use something called "edible landscap

ing." I have landscaping around 3 sides of my house where I have a variety of flowering shrubs and flowers. Among the landscape plants on the south side, I have planted bush cherries, a blackberry bush, a pomegranite bush and a strawberry patch. In the spring I intend to add 3 cranberry bushes and some tomatoes and eggplants. In front of the house I have interspersed herbs among the flowering shrubs and flowers. On the northside of the house I plant tomatoes, eggplant and peppers among the flowering shrubs and flowers. In front I also have a Japanese persimmon tree and a cherry tree. In the backyard I have a plum, 2 asian pears, 2 paw paws, 2 jujubes, an apricot and 3 fig trees. A also have a blueberry, 2 raspberry and a blackberry bush. I have a trellis on which I run 3 hardy kiwi vines and a pergola on which I run 3 fuzzy kiwi vines. For additional garden plants I have a 10'X20' garden plot where I plant beans, greens, parsley, garlic, leeks and tomatoes. I also have a raised garden where I have 2 gojiberry bushes and I am planting artichokes, radishes and carrots. Finally, I have 2 honeyberry bushes. Here are some pictures.

1 Like    Bookmark     March 16, 2015 at 8:53AM
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zeedman Zone 5 Wisconsin

Ditto on a reduction in watering, which would be my first guess on the cause. However, as the plants age, there will naturally be some leaf die-back on the lower leaves. Your plants are still producing, as long as the new leaves & fruits look healthy, there is probably no need for concern. Given the size of the container, it's possible a light application of fertilizer might be necessary, but I would not do so until the plants stop bearing.

For good California gardening references, I would add the Sunset New Western Garden Book. They are up to their 9th edition now (I still have the 4th from when I lived in California in the 80's). It is a very comprehensive garden book, it was of enormous help to me when I gardened in San Diego and Pala Alto.

    Bookmark     June 28, 2014 at 4:13PM
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gaynor42

My leaves (the older) look like they have powdery mildew and at one point I did have white fly which I sprayed naturally but it still kept the bees away. Now I have a plant that is producing what looks like great fruit (and a conjoined) but most have just shrivelled, turned brown and well that's it

This is my first time trying to grow cucumbers but some how everything else I have grown from seed is doing fantastic... I'm losing friends off handing the stuff!

Why the heck are the cucumbers being so god dang awful to grow! There are heaps of flowers although I admit not many male when I last looked. What the heck am I doing wrong??? Oh and it is grown in a large wooden container with struts for growth.

Any help before the season here in Australia finishes would be so welcome and thank you in advance for the help.

    Bookmark     March 16, 2015 at 5:36AM
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