The garden's starting to come alive!

View attachment 921We have had a whole lot of rainy weather here, and my garden is slow starting also. I ordered some asparagus, strawberries, and some of those bush cherries, and they are all struggling along, but leafing out and growing.
Rhubarb doesn't do well down here, but I got one to try anyway. It was really hot when it is not pouring rain, so I have the rhubarb in a pot by the window, where it can get some sun, but not burn up, and then, when it is not so hot, I can take the pot out for a little early morning sun, and bring it back in when it hits the 90s out there.
This morning, I discovered an elderberry bush out back, and it is in bloom, so maybe we will have at least a few elderberries this fall, and I can try making elderberry jam.
it looked so pretty out there, I had to take the iPhone out and get a picture of it, as well.
 
Enjoyed reading this whole thread. The raised beds that Anne mentioned are the only way to go where I live ... have to deal with nasty clay here.
I have the most luck with easy things like herbs. Tomato plants and peppers, and things like radishes and green onions do well too. They like the sun and heat, with some shade netting, so the sun doesn't burn them up. I plant peas after Thanksgiving when I think it will be cool enough for them to survive.
Berries grow wild around the yard ... mainly blackberries.
Would like to plant melon seeds, any kind. Have no luck with any of that!
I've got some fruit trees, a lemon, two orange, two pear, two pomegranate, and a green apple. The apple tree has a bunch of apples on it at the moment. Have a problem with squirrels going after any fruit that they can sneak before my dogs see them!
Have a large (6'+ tall) fenced in yard, so only squirrels, and occasional possum are the enemy.
Also have an Almond tree that is starting to sprout almonds this year for the first time. The tree is about 4 yrs. old.
 

Success of sunflowers (so far . . .) is only balanced out by struggling sweet peas. Instead of climbing up the trellis, they are heading under the shed. Too late to redirect them as they're too fragile and just break. Learned that the hard way before. So, lesson learned. Next year will try (operative word, "try") to train them climbing before they get a mind of their own. Was hoping them might grow among and climb the sunflowers. One can hope...
 
Lo and behold, I thing I have a few sunflowers that might live!! Certainly not chest high, actually only about 6" out of the soil but they look Perky so I'm hoping they amount to something. Wish me luck!!!!! (or them luck)
 
TICA said:
Lo and behold, I thing I have a few sunflowers that might live!! Certainly not chest high, actually only about 6" out of the soil but they look Perky so I'm hoping they amount to something. Wish me luck!!!!! (or them luck)
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A perky few is better than none. Reach for the sun, little fellas!
 
I pulled about half of the beets yesterday and Brooke canned 13 pints of pickled beets and put some beet greens in the freezer.

She canned green beans over a week ago. We've been eating carrots, turnips, collards, and potatoes too. Squash and tomatoes will be ready any day now. Okra is growing but not blooming yet.

How is your garden doing?
 
rkunsaw said:
I pulled about half of the beets yesterday and Brooke canned 13 pints of pickled beets and put some beet greens in the freezer.

She canned green beans over a week ago. We've been eating carrots, turnips, collards, and potatoes too. Squash and tomatoes will be ready any day now. Okra is growing but not blooming yet.

How is your garden doing?
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Now, that's what called a successful garden.
 
Sunflowers are magically shoulder high, now. Won't be long until they're overhead and spittin' out some flowers. Rock garden just awaiting finishing touches of gravel and sand fill. Most of the weeding done and bank ready for wildflower seeds come fall. Now, to attack weeds growing among the stepping stones on the other side of the house . . .
 
rkunsaw said:
I pulled about half of the beets yesterday and Brooke canned 13 pints of pickled beets and put some beet greens in the freezer.

She canned green beans over a week ago. We've been eating carrots, turnips, collards, and potatoes too. Squash and tomatoes will be ready any day now. Okra is growing but not blooming yet.

How is your garden doing?
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My goodness, that seems early, rkunsaw....we've a few little tomatoes on the vine, and cucumbers not blooming yet. However, down the road, grandsons garden is doing great, with small cucumbers already. They started with plants, not seeds, but their whole garden is doing better. I'm thinking the previous owner used plenty of horse manure on it for such rich soil.

Beets...gave up on those. I get tiny ones that never get big. Must be the heavy soil here.
 
Yes,Anne, beets and I guess all underground crops benefit from loose soil. Some of mine were in a raised bed and did much better than the ones in the garden.

We did get several ripe tomatoes yesterday. Corn is tassleing and beginning to silk. I saw a bloom on an okra too.
 
rkunsaw said:
Yes,Anne, beets and I guess all underground crops benefit from loose soil. Some of mine were in a raised bed and did much better than the ones in the garden.

We did get several ripe tomatoes yesterday. Corn is tassleing and beginning to silk. I saw a bloom on an okra too.
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There's that great argument for raised beds, again.
 
Something is eating the kale leaves down to the ribs....anyone know of something non-toxic to use to stop it?? I only use sevin as a last resort.
 
Anne said:
Something is eating the kale leaves down to the ribs....anyone know of something non-toxic to use to stop it?? I only use sevin as a last resort.
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No need for sevin under any circumstance as there are many, many safer ways to deal with nastiness in the garden. First, you're gonna need to try and identify the cause. Is it an insect, a disease? A lot of solutions can be made at home. I suggest a good search for organic methods that will solve your problem.
 
That Guy said:
No need for sevin under any circumstance as there are many, many safer ways to deal with nastiness in the garden. First, you're gonna need to try and identify the cause. Is it an insect, a disease? A lot of solutions can be made at home. I suggest a good search for organic methods that will solve your problem.
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I thought that sevin was one of the less toxic ones, and I only use it when nothing else works. I did take a close look, and it's tiny worms..can't identify what kind as yet, but they don't look like cabbage worms.

Checking on various gardening forums now, though I think I may try vinegar and a mild salt solution to start.

Thanks for the reply.
 
Anne said:
I thought that sevin was one of the less toxic ones, and I only use it when nothing else works. I did take a close look, and it's tiny worms..can't identify what kind as yet, but they don't look like cabbage worms.

Checking on various gardening forums now, though I think I may try vinegar and a mild salt solution to start.

Thanks for the reply.
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I am not a fan of sevin. But, anything with pyrethrin such as Safer products might be better. Actually, Neem Oil is great to spray for a lot of problems. I'm concerned vinegar and salt might not be good for your plants; especially if they are stressed to begin with.

A simple solution of mild dish detergent and water can work wonders. A good pesticide can also be made from tobacco by soaking it overnight, straining into a sprayer with water and a little detergent as a wetting agent and you are set to go . . . Watch out bugs! Here we come...
 
That Guy said:
I am not a fan of sevin. But, anything with pyrethrin such as Safer products might be better. Actually, Neem Oil is great to spray for a lot of problems. I'm concerned vinegar and salt might not be good for your plants; especially if they are stressed to begin with.

A simple solution of mild dish detergent and water can work wonders. A good pesticide can also be made from tobacco by soaking it overnight, straining into a sprayer with water and a little detergent as a wetting agent and you are set to go . . . Watch out bugs! Here we come...
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Ahhh...tobacco; now there's a 'safe' alternative!! :p J/K - Don't know where I could get neem oil around here, but I may try a garlic/pepper spray and see if that does the trick.

Another thing is, we have this Carolina wren nesting in a hanging basket on the porch. The plant was dying, and I discovered it was covered with aphids...didn't want to spray anything that might hurt her or the eggs or nestlings; so I made a garlic/water solution with a drop of dish soap, and just dipped the hanging leaves in it. It seems to have done the trick. The plant is looking much better, and she is happily feeding the little ones, and still has her shelter. Gotta love the Carolina wrens...they are so tame. :)
 
Anne said:
Ahhh...tobacco; now there's a 'safe' alternative!! :p J/K - Don't know where I could get neem oil around here, but I may try a garlic/pepper spray and see if that does the trick.

Another thing is, we have this Carolina wren nesting in a hanging basket on the porch. The plant was dying, and I discovered it was covered with aphids...didn't want to spray anything that might hurt her or the eggs or nestlings; so I made a garlic/water solution with a drop of dish soap, and just dipped the hanging leaves in it. It seems to have done the trick. The plant is looking much better, and she is happily feeding the little ones, and still has her shelter. Gotta love the Carolina wrens...they are so tame. :)
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Yeah, tobacco. Nicotine is as excellent insecticide. Rose Defense is a neem oil product and should be available where ever you get gardening supplies. But, your garlic/water/detergent solution should do the trick on the little caterpillars eating your kale. Way to go killing the aphids and protecting your wren and her little ones.
 
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Has anyone ever seen a Luna Moth? I had never heard of them until I moved here and found one on the screen one night. They apparently are rather endangered, and come out only at night, although the picture I took was of one in the day time. They are very large, about 4-5 inch wingspans.

Below is an interesting link that tells more about them. They really are beautiful. Unfortunately, the cats seem to catch most of them as I usually find them on the deck, decimated in the mornings. Below is a link that gives more information about them.

http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/luna_moth.htm6-20-13 001.jpg
 
Anne said:
Checking on various gardening forums now, though I think I may try vinegar and a mild salt solution to start.
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Yikes!!!...Ann, do not use vinegar and salt for bug control on any plant you do not want to kill. I use this combination to kill unwanted grass and weeds, and it will kill anything you spray it on. The vinegar will burn the plant and the salt will get into the soil and dry up the roots. This is an excellent organic weed killer. I just used 4 gallons with salt yesterday to kill the weeds and grass coming up through the gravel in the driveway. If you use it for weed killer, add some Dawn dish washing soap. This will help it adhere to the plant. I have vast patches of dead grass and weeds in my driveway today. This is a great herbicide for anywhere you do not plan to plant in. Do not spray this on soil you will be planting in as nothing will grow because of the salt.
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Ozarkgal said:
Yikes!!!...Ann, do not use vinegar and salt for bug control on any plant you do not want to kill. I use this combination to kill unwanted grass and weeds, and it will kill anything you spray it on. The vinegar will burn the plant and the salt will get into the soil and dry up the roots. This is an excellent organic weed killer. I just used 4 gallons with salt yesterday to kill the weeds and grass coming up through the gravel in the driveway. If you use it for weed killer, add some Dawn dish washing soap. This will help it adhere to the plant. I have vast patches of dead grass and weeds in my driveway today. This is a great herbicide for anywhere you do not plan to plant in. Do not spray this on soil you will be planting in as nothing will grow because of the salt.
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I was thinking a very diluted solution, Ozarkgal, but now that you mention it, I guess you are right - thanks for the comeback!! :) I did use a soap solution, but think it was a bit late, as most of the leaves are eaten, pretty much overnight. Just hoping they will regrow now.

Love the Luna moth picture!!! They are so beautiful!! When we lived near West Plains, I saw them often, but very seldom see them here; don't know why, we're not that much farther north.
 
Sunflowers are shoulder high and one is showing signs of a bloom any day now. Noticed some whiteflies and need to attack them before they get themselves comfortable.

Damed gopher has set up residence in the rock garden. Why not out in the field, huh? I'm beginning to take this very personally.

Just about finished weeding the bank where I want to plant wildflowers. Thinking of spraying the area with some vinegar, too.

My red-winged blackbird is still hanging around. Don't know where his friends are spending their time. Quail came by with a couple dozen little ones. Turkeys passed through but no sign of the one baby they had earlier. Probably lost to a coyote or cat or something.
 
Yeaahhh..got my first cucumber today. It was a surprise as the plants are still pretty small. I just happened to spy it hiding under a leaf. We got a few ripe cherry tomatoes yesterday and there are some picking size jalapenos on the bush. The glads, lillies, bee balm, geraniums and a patch of wildflowers are blooming nicely. The plants are small for some reason this year, much smaller than this time last year, despite the catastrophic drought last year.

Spied Lovey playing with and tossing something around in the driveway this morning. At first we were happy thinking she had caught a mole..turned out to be a young bird...baaaad Lovey, you devil cat.

I caught three coons while my friend was here and she got a kick out of checking the traps in the morning and hauling them off to the cemetary road. Two of them were very nasty characters that wanted to see me dead. Usually they are quite subdued and hide in the back of the cage with their head tucked under their chest. These two put on quite a show of howling, hissing and trying to grab me through the wire.

We're up to number 12 now and still have more to go as evidenced by the clean cat bowls the last few mornings. I just haven't felt like taking the road trip with them the last few mornings, so haven't set the traps. Tomorrow I'll get back on the job.

That Guy...Thanks again for the link to the wildflower web site. I got the catalogue in the mail and it's great.
 
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