23,594 Garden Web Discussions | Vegetable Gardening


Well, there kind of is an air pocket unless the water is filled all the way up to the top of the gravel. And actually, there should be an overflow hole that prevents this from ever happening.
The gravel does not wick water. It's purpose is to hold up the soil (or potting mix) without wicking. Think of it this way: both the water reservoir, and the air gap above it just happen to be filled with gravel.
In any event, there should be an air pocket, in my opinion. I think the roots will rot otherwise. (unless you are growing rice or something).
McKenzie


Eggplant and pepper are both perennial, so you can, in principle, keep them going over the winter. They are both highly frost intolerant. Light freeze and they're DEAD. Eggplant will shut down production entirely in temps like you're having. They like nighttime temps in the 60s or above. You may still get a few peppers.
I suspect that indoors, without much light, they wouldn't do that well. But if they survived, you could get a head start on production in the spring.
For container plants, protection from animals just needs a little chicken wire.

Dear Sir, i already read the article concerning vernalizing artichoke seeds a while ago. They mentionned two methods:
1: Seed chilling necessity
2: Plant chilling nrcessity
Concerning seeds, it is a very easy task to put the seeds in the fridge at 2 degrees celcius, or 34 degrees F for 40 days.
Concerning plants, you can put them in a cold mid shaded area from February until March, or put the plants in the freezer at 2 degrees C for a whole month, bringing them outside weekly for few hours to prevent rot.
I myself planted Green globe variety during last year spring, without vernalizing, and they produced during the next February, after having their chilling need.
Hope that helps

In the Phoenix area, I've had good luck planting in the fall. The small artichokes acclimate and are big enough to make it through any light freezes with some mulch. In spring they always provide me with tons of chokes.
I'm now in NC and I have several baby artichokes getting ready to plant out in zone 8. This will be my first time in NC for any gardening at all.

I don't know if this is what you mean but I have a number of beds with 3" pcv pipes below. I have an elbow and short piece of pipe to bring the opening above ground level. The pipe is buries 8 to 10 inches down, covered in dirt.
The pipes have holes drilled in the sides and cord threaded through. I pour water into the pipe and it wets the cord through about 8 inches on either side.
I have used it for three years with potatoes, garlic and strawberries to my satisfaction.


Hi im having a similar problem,please check the pic below and let me know what is causing it and any remedy if possible?
Here is a link that might be useful: sugar baby watermelon photo

My experience differs, Daninthedirt. But on consideration that's likely because you're in Texas and I'm way North of you. The OP's in Georgia so, yes, there's probably more light available through windows than up here. So I need to change my statement and add something about latitude.
I raise all my seedlings in a glazed porch with no artificial lighting. But it is always going to be second best in light terms to outdoors.

I think it's less a matter of latitude and more a matter of the window size and arrangement in the inside room you're using. Let's face it. If I'm on the equator and my picture-window room is badly shaded by trees outside, it's not a good place to raise plants. Of course, the yard outside directly under those trees is going to be no better.
All inside rooms are not created equal.


The thread is old so probably pointless to add to it but I do think they are aphids. You can see the cast off skins in the photo too. Black aphids look just like those, at least the ones we get here do. There is a species which particularly loves runner beans and favas. But I've never seen aphids of any description my chard.

Yep, cauliflower is a biennial. That is only important to you when you want to save seeds.
Here is a link that might be useful: Saving seeds from cauliflower


No they cant fly...but unless you took them a mile or so from your house they will come back.
I kill them on sight. I pick them and kill them or if there are a few
on the pants I will squirt them with a water/dawn solution. Works great and doesnt hurt the plants or the environment.
It also works on grasshoppers just takes a little longer to kill them.
This post was edited by shayneca25 on Thu, Sep 18, 14 at 21:41



I'm in the same boat as you are. I planted artichokes for the first time this year, they got to a certain size and stalled out, and I got no 'chokes from them.
As for overwintering them, I'm going to pile on a thick layer of leaves later in the fall and then put a tarp over top of the leaves to keep them dry and to insulate them more. Hopefully it works.
Rodney
What Rodney said. Mulch and lots of it. What kills overwintering plants in general is not the deep cold of mid-winter (which is typically accompanied by deep snow cover in temperate zones) but the freeze-thaw cycles of late winter and early spring. Keep the mulch on until the soil thaws completely and nights don't drop below 20 degrees anymore.