The 2024 Gardening Thread

[Winchester]

Thanks much, N NY cat man . I'll be on the lookout for them. We're always interested in new perennials. I showed your picture to Rick and he liked it as well. I'll make sure he knows to wear gloves for them.

 

[di and bob]

We finally got several big rains here in NE, the ground is nice and soaked. Perennials are all coming up, my long berm of cone flowers will be beautiful this year, it is full of flowers and they are 1.5 feet tall already! Everything a little late, been kinda cool here at night, is 43 right now. We got antsy and put our tomatoes in, since they hate cold we cover them when it is in the 40s. Potatoes are doing well, already hilled with dirt, grew 6 more inches, so the straw was used to hill them again. Carrots, beets, lettuce, radishes are up and going in raised beds. Planted onion plants, 4 cabbage, 3 brussel sprouts ( thought they were cabbage, were in with them, only I eat them!) and 1 jalapeno and one green pepper plant which are covered. So far so good, even though we have had small hail with every rain so far!

 

[MoochNNoodles]

I finally got my seeds in the garden beds planted yesterday. And now it's hot! My sunflowers are sprouting on the side of the house. Everything I planted from the nursery or Lowes look wonderful. I bought a timer for watering that I'm going to try out. I didn't feel like going in the shed to find the sprinkler and set it up right now in the heat. Maybe this weekend. Sometimes hand watering with the hose gives me a chance to mentally reset too.

 

[vansX2]

Can anyone suggest a good fertilizer for Strawberries and Raspberries ?

 

[di and bob]

Any good garden fertilizerwould do. you don't want a lot of nitrogen, that produces a lot of green growth at the expense of fruiting. I like 10-10-10 or 12-12-12. This is available at most garden centers, I just got mine at Walmart.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

I usually get the miracle grow fertilizer that you mix in a watering can. They list on the box what each are good for. I tend to keep several around to use based on each plants needs. I need to do my roses!

 

[di and bob]

I use Miracle Gro too! They have it for roses, vegetables, lawns, acid loving plants, and general purpose.

 

[NY cat man]

I have been using a product called Osmocote for my perennials. It is a 14-14-14 fertilizer, but it also is a slow-release fertilizer, lasting up to 4 months per application, so there isn't that big jolt like there is with faster-acting products. For the rest, I use my own compost mixed with Black Kow manure, with a dash of peat moss and perlite added for good measure.

 

[NY cat man]

As spring slowly turns into summer, more plants are starting to put on a show.
It has taken two years since I started these Arctic Fire Dianthus from seed, and only 3 out of 48 seeds actually sprouted, but finally.......

The Dutch iris are just starting to bloom

The Widow's Tears suddenly erupted, and as often as not, I can see a patch of orange, as Grumpy likes to take his naps in the shade.....but not today.

I have two blueberry bushes, and if I can keep the birds at bay, I might even have some. This one is called Sunshine Blue

And this on is called Patriot

And finally, the potatoes are really going to town, now that we have been getting some sunshine after all the rain

More to come.

 

[posiepurrs]

I finally finished planting the vegetable garden today. I planted my sugar pumpkins, sweet corn, pole beans as well as calendula, and several other flowers to pull in pollinators and the good bugs. I have onions, garlic, various hot peppers, peas, sweet peppers, tri color beans, purple hull peas, tomatoes, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, yellow squash, zucchini, dill summer savory. Parsley, watermelon, cantaloupe, cucumber, sugar pumpkins, pole beans, corn, and potatoes planted. I have carrots planted in a bin. Funny story about the potatoes. Last year I had a double row and when I dug them last year I must have missed a lot of them because I have a bonus double row of potatoes. I didn’t need to plant any this year! Supposed to rain tomorrow so my next yard work day will probably be Tuesday.

 

[Gunther4ever]

Garden has proven tough this year, new growth on Maple trees as pretty much shaded out the square foot garden areas so its planting plants that can get by on 4-5 hours of sun (not many to choose from that's for sure) the new garden are has been tough. Having to use a pick ax to break up that ground due to roots and who knows what else is in that area. Moved some perennials to the outer areas and now finally close to completion laying down straw and mulch and a pathway. Container planting as well, I just like having plants growing anywhere you look in the yard.

 

[doomsdave]

Can anyone suggest a good fertilizer for Strawberries and Raspberries ?

Di and Bob beat me to it. Miracle Grow 15-30-15 is water soluble and works great, and won't burn if used as directed. Give a good drink of water, wait a day, then give it the Miracle Gro. There's others, too, a whole galaxy of brand names.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

DH transplanted one of my lilacs that wasn’t getting enough sun on the other side of the house. I now have 3 new ones in a row and a new japanese holly.

Someone snipped off a shoot of the transplanted lilac! I’m assuming deer. Its just sitting there next to it so they didn’t eat it. DS and I sprayed liquid fence last night after the rain but we got a lot more today so i guess I’ll be out there again!

Hopefully they do well because lilacs are my absolute favorite and these are viewable from my kitchen window.