The 2023 Gardening Thread

[posiepurrs]

I have a flat and a half of lavender seedlings I am going to plant, minus the 6 or 7 I am giving to my neighbor. I wish I had more time and money to invest in gardening. I have a lot of ideas on revamping the landscape. I want to enlarge the entryway beds, add a sidewalk. In the back off of the deck I want to finish the bed going from the deck to the driveway and plant more hydrangeas there. I got it partially done last summer. I also want to finish my mini orchard along with under planting the trees with beneficial plants.

 

[strider rose]

i have a sub zero rose bush and im wondering when to sprinkle rose food mixed with water on it ?

 

[CatladyJan]

Since I moved to my current home 5 years ago, I've had to dig up tons of hostas, irisis and other plants and relocate them. I've done lots of weeding, digging and planning. I think I'm getting to the final stretch

I've just put several butterfly weed seedlings into my garden along with lavender, russian sage, blue sea holly, black eyed susans and coneflower. I've got some perennial gold alyssum, whitewell gem and baby's breath seeds started. Coneflowers take a long time to germinate and grow, but I'm working on them. Since I will not get blooms this year I have several annuals planted for color. I have profusion zinnias, zinnias, chinese forget me nots and portulacas. I'm so excited as I got started early this year and won't have to spend the hot summer digging anymore.

We are going to have big boy and roma tomatoes, green beans, green peppers, cucumber, cantaloupe, radishes, basil, watermelon, pie pumpkins and blue pumpkins.

Woo hoo

 

[CatladyJan]

I have a flat and a half of lavender seedlings I am going to plant, minus the 6 or 7 I am giving to my neighbor. I wish I had more time and money to invest in gardening. I have a lot of ideas on revamping the landscape. I want to enlarge the entryway beds, add a sidewalk. In the back off of the deck I want to finish the bed going from the deck to the driveway and plant more hydrangeas there. I got it partially done last summer. I also want to finish my mini orchard along with under planting the trees with beneficial plants.

I have never had success starting lavender from seed, good job!

 

[MoochNNoodles]

I think roses are fertilized after they come out of dormancy and start growing leaves again. Mine are in full leaf but not blooming yet. I’ll fertilize soon.

My lilacs are pretty much at full bloom. DS and I did a little more potting outside yesterday. My arm feels like I pulled something a little around my tricep so I’m going to wait a day or two for more work. Its hot today anyway.

 

[JamesCalifornia]

~ Is there any truth that coffee grinds in the garden supply nitrogen .. ?

 

[catapault]

Don't know about that, JamesCalifornia But they do attract earthworms. I used to leave a 5 gallon bucket at a local cafe, which they would fill with coffee grounds (and the filters) - another minor thing that has vanished with the advent of covid.

Banana peels placed in the soil, barely covered, a good, quickly rotting source of potassium.

 

[strider rose]

C catapault when should i spray miracle crow rose food on my rose bush ?

 

[catapault]

If you mean Miracle Grow there should be directions on the package for how much water to add to how much fertilizer crystals and when to apply it. Liquid fertilizers like that are quick acting, very short lasting fertilizers that are absorbed through a plant's leaves and need to be reapplied periodically.

 

[NY cat man]

Since the ground is (finally) drying, I have been out weeding the flower beds. Yesterday, when weeding around Michele's Must See lilies, I spotted some of those dastardly scarlet lily beetles. I ended up killing about a dozen of them all told. Last year, I came out one morning to find that one plant had been stripped of leaves overnight.
On the positive side, the daffodils are in full bloom, as are the Beth Evans fumewort, and the grape hyacinth, while the delphiniums, clematis, phlox, coneflowers, and daylilies are off to good starts. I did lose one Daybreak tickseed and two Winky aquilegia over the winter, though. I haven't figured out what to put in their place yet.
Also yesterday, I planted a Northland blueberry bush in an unoccupied spot in one of the beds that doesn't get full sun because of a neighbor's large black walnut tree. If the birds cooperate, I might even get to eat some of the berries.

 

[Winchester]

The asparagus is up!

 

[rubysmama]

My first tulip of the year opened yesterday. It's right by the foundation, so probably gets toasty warm there. But its neighbours look ready to open soon too. This is really early for tulips, so I'm thinking I must have an early variety. They're also not very tall, which google suggests is a trait of early bloomers. Early is great, as every year I'm ready to plant the annuals, and the tulips are still putting on their show.

 

[Winchester]

We covered the peas the last couple nights as we've had frosts. They seem to be doing well and are getting ready to climb; they have lots of little tendrils.

 

[NY cat man]

I have bean, cucumber, tomato, and squash seedlings that could go in the ground, if only the weather would cooperate, but with daytime temps only in the 40s and rain almost every day, that's not happening, at least not yet. I even started the seeds later this year than last, but no joy.

 

[CatladyJan]

MoochNNoodles I love those purple pots.
N NY cat man I bought one heat mat and 4 grow lights. I have a large aquarium I use to start seeds. I have Small Greenhouse I bought at Aldi's. I'm going to bring it in the house and continue my growing.

I'm currently growing a lot of cardboard and weed fabric so I can kill the weeds in order to plant my seedlings.
I've also ordered some grow bags and hope they work well.

 

[NY cat man]

MoochNNoodles I love those purple pots.
N NY cat man I bought one heat mat and 4 grow lights. I have a large aquarium I use to start seeds. I have Small Greenhouse I bought at Aldi's. I'm going to bring it in the house and continue my growing.

I'm currently growing a lot of cardboard and weed fabric so I can kill the weeds in order to plant my seedlings.
I've also ordered some grow bags and hope they work well.

I had a thought about how to construct a makeshift greenhouse, using rerod and PVC pipe. Use the rerod as anchors, then make arches over the planting bed with the pipe, then cover with plastic sheeting, either 4- or 6-mil. It might even work.

 

[CatladyJan]

I had a thought about how to construct a makeshift greenhouse, using rerod and PVC pipe. Use the rerod as anchors, then make arches over the planting bed with the pipe, then cover with plastic sheeting, either 4- or 6-mil. It might even work.

Probably would, you are more talented than I am so I have to buy mine lol I've had a amazing success with my little greenhouse germination, just have to vent it because it gets too hot in there and then my seedlings would wither away if I didn't have time to monitor. I've had a difficult time getting this anchored with strong winds.

 

[NY cat man]

Probably would, you are more talented than I am so I have to buy mine lol I've had a amazing success with my little greenhouse germination, just have to vent it because it gets too hot in there and then my seedlings would wither away if I didn't have time to monitor. I've had a difficult time getting this anchored with strong winds.

By the bye; how did you make out with the butterfly weed? Michele wanted to grow dianthus from seed, and that stuff makes butterfly weed seem like a walk in the park by comparison. Only 17 out of 72 seeds started ever sprouted, and those are growing only veeeeeeerrrrrrrry slowly.

 

[strider rose]

it has been hot and cold here ever since march and i just want to know when to water my rose bush without freezing it ... i am trying to wait for when it will stay warm outside

 

[CatladyJan]

By the bye; how did you make out with the butterfly weed? Michele wanted to grow dianthus from seed, and that stuff makes butterfly weed seem like a walk in the park by comparison. Only 17 out of 72 seeds started ever sprouted, and those are growing only veeeeeeerrrrrrrry slowly.

I have quite a few going, some have been planted in the garden already, others are going to a friend and I'm starting some more. Is Michele growing the annual or perennial? I finally gave up on lavender a couple of years ago.