2011 Vegetable Garden & Backyard Garden Thread

[freedombecki]

For anyone who doesn't want to spend another $5.00 for a small sack of bone meal to improve tomatoes, corn, etc., save all your eggshells. I dry mine in one of the 3 or 4 useless baskets they give you when you buy a new dishwasher (or beg or borrow a discarded basket from your local hamburger or sandwich joint). Put your broken, dry eggshells in a nut grinder 3 or 4 times.

Voila, pure calcium! They say it strengthens your corn, too, as do fish bones if you're a fisherman.

If you don't want to do it, you're anti-conservative, and you have money to burn, go ahead, buy the bone meal.

/dervish grin

 

[uscitizen]

For anyone who doesn't want to spend another $5.00 for a small sack of bone meal to improve tomatoes, corn, etc., save all your eggshells. I dry mine in one of the 3 or 4 useless baskets they give you when you buy a new dishwasher (or beg or borrow a discarded basket from your local hamburger or sandwich joint). Put your broken, dry eggshells in a nut grinder 3 or 4 times.

Voila, pure calcium! They say it strengthens your corn, too, as do fish bones if you're a fisherman.

If you don't want to do it, you're anti-conservative, and you have money to burn, go ahead, buy the bone meal.

/dervish grin

Powdered lime works well too and a couple of bucks for a 40 lb bag pretty cheap too.

 

[freedombecki]

Got some Zuchinni and Cantelope planted a few days ago. Had to superglue gravels to the seeds to keep them from floating back up though.

Love it!

 

[freedombecki]

For anyone who doesn't want to spend another $5.00 for a small sack of bone meal to improve tomatoes, corn, etc., save all your eggshells. I dry mine in one of the 3 or 4 useless baskets they give you when you buy a new dishwasher (or beg or borrow a discarded basket from your local hamburger or sandwich joint). Put your broken, dry eggshells in a nut grinder 3 or 4 times.

Voila, pure calcium! They say it strengthens your corn, too, as do fish bones if you're a fisherman.

If you don't want to do it, you're anti-conservative, and you have money to burn, go ahead, buy the bone meal.

/dervish grin

Powdered lime works well too and a couple of bucks for a 40 lb bag pretty cheap too.

Better get some tomorrow, just in case they double the price of gas again. 40 pounds of anything lately is getting to be more expensive just because the gas market is going apes.

 

[uscitizen]

Over 10 inches of rain in April, ne all time record and have gotten about 3 inches so far in May.

 

[uscitizen]

Anyone ever use Preen in the garden? howzit work?

 

[Douger]

good for you.

I'm trying to garden outta pots this year. Last year I tried with cheaper 5 gal paint cans. It didn't work so well cuz I had to poke holes to prevent rot, but just ended up with soil that dried to fast in the heat.

This year I have scallions and mini carrots in long pots, a tomato in a 1/4 barrel, and 2 pots for cucumbers. Also working on some herbs indoors in the windows. I'd like to keep them going year around.

I'm making my first effort ever at container gardening. At least my tomato plants are dying already, but the Peppers are thriving.

I don't have any good pots to transplant into yet, and was wondering if I can make do for a while with a good cardboard box, lined with a strong garbage bag instead.

NO. The roots need air too. Use old cut off two liter bottles and punch an assload of holes near the bottom and one bigger one dead center bottom.
You can add a cup of hydrogen peroxide to a gallon of water and use that to water them until they go in a proper pot or in the ground.
If they're out in the weather get yourself some Kilol ( GC3) and spray after a heavy rain.

 

[kwc57]

For anyone who doesn't want to spend another $5.00 for a small sack of bone meal to improve tomatoes, corn, etc., save all your eggshells. I dry mine in one of the 3 or 4 useless baskets they give you when you buy a new dishwasher (or beg or borrow a discarded basket from your local hamburger or sandwich joint). Put your broken, dry eggshells in a nut grinder 3 or 4 times.

Voila, pure calcium! They say it strengthens your corn, too, as do fish bones if you're a fisherman.

If you don't want to do it, you're anti-conservative, and you have money to burn, go ahead, buy the bone meal.

/dervish grin

Powdered lime works well too and a couple of bucks for a 40 lb bag pretty cheap too.

Better get some tomorrow, just in case they double the price of gas again. 40 pounds of anything lately is getting to be more expensive just because the gas market is going apes.

A week ago, gas was $3.69 where I fill up in Oklahoma City. THis weekend I filled up for $3.57. This morning I went by where I filled up and it was $3.50.

 

[kwc57]

good for you.

I'm trying to garden outta pots this year. Last year I tried with cheaper 5 gal paint cans. It didn't work so well cuz I had to poke holes to prevent rot, but just ended up with soil that dried to fast in the heat.

This year I have scallions and mini carrots in long pots, a tomato in a 1/4 barrel, and 2 pots for cucumbers. Also working on some herbs indoors in the windows. I'd like to keep them going year around.

I'm making my first effort ever at container gardening. At least my tomato plants are dying already, but the Peppers are thriving.

I don't have any good pots to transplant into yet, and was wondering if I can make do for a while with a good cardboard box, lined with a strong garbage bag instead.

NO. The roots need air too. Use old cut off two liter bottles and punch an assload of holes near the bottom and one bigger one dead center bottom.
You can add a cup of hydrogen peroxide to a gallon of water and use that to water them until they go in a proper pot or in the ground.
If they're out in the weather get yourself some Kilol ( GC3) and spray after a heavy rain.

Hydrogen peroxide? What does that do?

 

[kwc57]

Anyone ever use Preen in the garden? howzit work?

Never have, but I need to use something as my weeds are getting out of hand. The nursery my son works at also sells corn gluten as a natural pre-emergent. What little reading I've done says that it dries out the germinating seed and deprives it of the moisture needed for gemination. Of course, you can only use this in a garden where you have transplanted rather than where you have seeded.

 

[Two Thumbs]

good for you.

I'm trying to garden outta pots this year. Last year I tried with cheaper 5 gal paint cans. It didn't work so well cuz I had to poke holes to prevent rot, but just ended up with soil that dried to fast in the heat.

This year I have scallions and mini carrots in long pots, a tomato in a 1/4 barrel, and 2 pots for cucumbers. Also working on some herbs indoors in the windows. I'd like to keep them going year around.

I'm making my first effort ever at container gardening. At least my tomato plants are dying already, but the Peppers are thriving.

I don't have any good pots to transplant into yet, and was wondering if I can make do for a while with a good cardboard box, lined with a strong garbage bag instead.

You can, sorta.

The issue is root rot.

in the empty box, put the bag in, line the bottom with rocks or course sane. over that place a window screen over the top to keep the roots out [good luck finding that], then fill with dirt and water. Depending on the source of dirt, wait 2 weeks, then pull the weeds, then plant seeds. If you can find a long straight box, you can bring it in and either keep the garden going inside during the winter, or get a jump on it early next spring.

 

[Two Thumbs]

I'm making my first effort ever at container gardening. At least my tomato plants are dying already, but the Peppers are thriving.

I don't have any good pots to transplant into yet, and was wondering if I can make do for a while with a good cardboard box, lined with a strong garbage bag instead.

NO. The roots need air too. Use old cut off two liter bottles and punch an assload of holes near the bottom and one bigger one dead center bottom.
You can add a cup of hydrogen peroxide to a gallon of water and use that to water them until they go in a proper pot or in the ground.
If they're out in the weather get yourself some Kilol ( GC3) and spray after a heavy rain.

Hydrogen peroxide? What does that do?

What he said.

Does it prevent root rot?

 

[uscitizen]

Makes blond peppers and tomatoes?

 

[masquerade]

Makes blond peppers and tomatoes?

The politically correct word would be albino. Albino peppers and tomatoes.



Our cucumbers have popped up! We're well on our way!

 

[kwc57]

Powdered lime works well too and a couple of bucks for a 40 lb bag pretty cheap too.

Better get some tomorrow, just in case they double the price of gas again. 40 pounds of anything lately is getting to be more expensive just because the gas market is going apes.

A week ago, gas was $3.69 where I fill up in Oklahoma City. THis weekend I filled up for $3.57. This morning I went by where I filled up and it was $3.50.

Not to get us off topic here, but I drove past my gas station again this morning. $3.77!!! WTF? A 27 cent jump in 24 hours?

 

[Shadow]

Makes blond peppers and tomatoes?

The politically correct word would be albino. Albino peppers and tomatoes.



Our cucumbers have popped up! We're well on our way!

This made me think of a kind of cucumber plant that I saw at the garden store today. I didn't buy one...but they looked interesting. Something called a lemon cucumber. If anyone has grown them...what are they like? Here are some pictures.

Lemon Cucumber Recipe | Salad with Lemon Cucumbers

 

[JWBooth]

I picked my first pepper today, there are several more that could come off of the plants. Numerous tomatoes are forming, the cool weather has kept the lettuce from bolting. The remaining chickens are nearly feathered out.

 

[syrenn]

Anyone ever use Preen in the garden? howzit work?

Good question. I just got some. Put it under the mulch and some on top. Hopefully it keeps the weeds back.

 

[uscitizen]

I planted some chicken eggs but they did not come up.

 

[uscitizen]

We are still so wet here....

My corn has been up for a month but is just sitting there not growing and just looking kinda yellowish.

Been thinking of planting rice.