2012 Gardening Thread (Read 1516 times)

    Holy crap with that giant caged woodchuck! Thing looks like a freaking capobeira. Good Lord my gardening problems are a picnic compared with crap like that.

     

    I'm wondering if anyone has had success with tomato clippings. I've read in several places that it is easy to do but I've had little to no luck after dozens of attempts. I think my problem is in the rooting, specifically what I jam the clippings into. I've tried soil, wet paper, sandwich bags (like an elementary school seed project). No luck. I've tried using 'rooting powder'. I need some garden-yoda to let me in on the secret technique.

     

    And thank you for the tips/comments on growing potatoes. From this thread - to my super-rad make-it-all-up-as-I-go garden.

    vegefrog


       

       

      I'm wondering if anyone has had success with tomato clippings. I've read in several places that it is easy to do but I've had little to no luck after dozens of attempts. I think my problem is in the rooting, specifically what I jam the clippings into. I've tried soil, wet paper, sandwich bags (like an elementary school seed project). No luck. I've tried using 'rooting powder'. I need some garden-yoda to let me in on the secret technique.

       

       

       By clippings, do you mean pinching off the suckers and replanting them? I have tried replanting them in all kinds of soil and they never seemed to do very well. Last year I read on the internet somewhere that you could just put the sucker in water and put it in a sunny window until it had roots, then transplant to the garden like a seedling...I tried it and it worked! Could have just been luck, but I got 3 tomato plants that way. It's nice because they bloom and fruit later then the parent, so it extends my tomato harvest.

       

      Also make sure you aren't starting with tiny suckers...the ones that worked for me last year were all @ least 4 inches long/tall.

      vegefrog


        http://www.hendersonparkgarden.org/transplanting-tomato-suckers/

         

        Here's a good article on transplanting suckers Smile


        Prince of Fatness

          Squirrel #4 is gone.

          Not at it at all. 

             By clippings, do you mean pinching off the suckers and replanting them? I have tried replanting them in all kinds of soil and they never seemed to do very well. Last year I read on the internet somewhere that you could just put the sucker in water and put it in a sunny window until it had roots, then transplant to the garden like a seedling...I tried it and it worked! Could have just been luck, but I got 3 tomato plants that way. It's nice because they bloom and fruit later then the parent, so it extends my tomato harvest.

             

            Also make sure you aren't starting with tiny suckers...the ones that worked for me last year were all @ least 4 inches long/tall.

             

            I might try it just for the heck of it, but, in reality, my plants produced into late September, even some into October (albeit, only a few toms by the time October rolled around).

            Jeff


            Feeling the growl again

              Squirrel #4 is "gone".

               

              FTFY

               

              Big grin

              "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

               

              I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

               

                http://www.hendersonparkgarden.org/transplanting-tomato-suckers/

                 

                Here's a good article on transplanting suckers Smile

                 

                Right on man. I may have tried this method once already and forgot, but I'm going to give it another go and will report back. Appreciate the help.

                  14 days later,  the beans have shot up and I was able to rig up some tomato cages.  

                   

                   

                  Temps have been so high I know whatever lettuce we get out of this will be way too bitter to eat.     

                   

                  Need Mr. Finn to come get all to the squirrels in the yard.  They keep eating my grass seed. 


                  Feeling the growl again

                    Well I just put Round 2 of Roundup on 2/3 of my unfenced garden, Round 1 on the fenced garden and where my potatoes were in the unfenced.  The thistles were already a foot tall and thick over the potato area, they are my nemisis here (along with the late-coming grasses).  My potato seed is in...hopefully by next weekend stuff will be starting to puke so I can till and start planting...

                     

                    The volunteer lettuce in my kitchen garden has shot up, now big enough to eat.  Smile

                    "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

                     

                    I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

                     

                    vegefrog


                      Picking my first Zucchini's when I get home today. I might have gone overboard...last year I had 3 plants, this year I did 7. HA! Anybody have any favorite Zucchini recipes to share? I usually either slice and sautee them or use them in a veggie loaded pasta.

                       

                      I have little green tomatoes all over the place and my  pole beans and cukes are climbing away on their cattle panel trellises Smile

                       

                      amcneice, it is officially summer here in the Lowcountry and I know it's hot over in the middle of the state too! Every time I go to work in my garden now I wear a nice layer of OFF!! Damn mosquitos.

                       

                      Spaniel I just found some volunteer lettuce too! I didn't even know there was such a thing until you guys posted about it (usually I just find tomatoes and marigolds where they aren't supposed to be) so I looked all around my garden area. I found 3 little patches of Romaine Smile YAY!

                         

                        amcneice, it is officially summer here in the Lowcountry and I know it's hot over in the middle of the state too! Every time I go to work in my garden now I wear a nice layer of OFF!! Damn mosquitos.

                         

                         

                        It's been nice this week with the mid 80's.  Last two weeks were nuts.

                         

                        We've got a good number of bats that take care of most of the unofficial statebird, since I live on the edge of civilization, there must be a few abandoned barns they live.  Still have to later myself in OFF as for the days when the bats were full. 


                        Feeling the growl again

                          Very sad day.  With a few warm days to promote growth, it is evident that four of my 58 grape vines were outright killed by the 2-day frost we got a few weeks back.  Worse yet, they were mature 3 and 4 year vines, meaning it will be 3-4 years from NEXT spring before they are really replaced.  Normally I would consider this highly unusual, but I think they were already quite stressed from 2 straight drought years and putting out a good crop last fall.  I think the row of younger vines did better because I did not let them fruit out last year (ie they preserved more strength).

                           

                          Sad

                           

                          The gardening starts in earnest tomorrow.  My potato spot is 3 feet tall in thistles, Roundup last weekend did not seem to knock them back very quickly so the 6ft brushhog it is, then the plow, then the tiller (I don't screw around!).  Was hoping to avoid having to hook up the plow this year but I don't think the tiller will handle thistles that thick without it.

                          "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

                           

                          I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

                           

                          vegefrog


                            Sorry about your grape vines Spaniel Sad That is sad.

                             

                            I am going on a cruise Monday-Sunday and as much as I'm looking forward to it...it's bittersweet. I should have my first ripe cherry tomatoes and cukes around mid week. I have already been picking a zucchini a day since Thursday and they need to continue to be picked. The squash will be  ripe, but will probably be ok (just big). We have someone watching our dogs and staying at our house, she isn't much into gardening and I have already asked her to water it. I don't think I can ask her to pick the veggies too.

                             

                            Oh well, it's a long summer. I just hate missing my first mater!!! Smile


                            Prince of Fatness

                              Sorry about your grape vines Spaniel

                               

                              +1

                               

                              Most of my potatoes have come up.  I have to get out there and weed.  Looking at the forecast I don't think that I'll have to worry about frost, so I can plant anything that I want.  I just need to find the time.

                               

                              Speaking of time, over the past couple of weeks we have ripped out all of our shrubs in the front of the house.  After 10+ years that stuff gets all overgrown.  Digging out stumps is hard work.  We are also building a small block wall around part of the beds.  Looks nice so far.  All of the shrubs went through my neighbor's hammermill chipper so I have a couple of yards of mulch for my garden.  I just need to let it cook for  a while before I spread it.  We still need to pick out plants to put in there.  Next year we will do the back.

                              Not at it at all. 

                              Trent


                              Good Bad & The Monkey

                                Seems the birds totally ignored the cherry tree this year.


                                Score!

                                 

                                 

                                About to make some jam...