No gardening here either. I went on a wildflower walkabout at Tyler Arboretum with a college roommate. We recently reconnected after waytoomany years. She only lives a half hour away. Very fun, kinda muggy, but no bugs, so all was well. Turns out the guide put us under a physical test to see how we would do if we ever came back. Apparently there is a group of 'regulars' that come for these Wednesday walkabouts. We must have passed since he told us about it. Heehee.
Yarden maintenance May into June
Should I be cutting down garden phlox and tall sedums right now? I read somewhere that pruning them now helps prevent them from flopping over with blooms later.
I have transplanted the ajuga on that but still haven't taken a pic. I'll try to get my hands on a camera.
I'm going to make another batch of Al's potting mix (the "5-1-1" mix) today for my summer containers and baskets. Then I'm pretty much done planting for the season! Next it'll be water water water and weed weed weed.
Al's potting mix is fabulous stuff! I tend to just use compost (I'm cheap), but it doesn't hold a candle to Al's mix and gets very dense very quickly.
Where does a person learn more about Al's potting mix?
Ruby
See http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/527353/ -- this has been "continued" at least 3 times. They are saved as "stickies" in the Container Gardening forum.
ssgaredener- 'ladygardener' told me to cut phlox that way, for that reason. I did mine and they've bushed out nicely. Oh, I did my Autumn Joy sedum too. (Now probably will have a lot of little volunteers from the dropped cut tips.)
thanks for the link happy- That thread was really eye opening. I am a big Al fan. I now buy a big bag of tiny bark mulch, and use it kind of half in with my Miracle Gro potting mix. Bark is much cheaper than potting mix. Ace has a mulch which is very small bits, they just call it mulch and it is smaller bits than their small chunk.
Be aware that Al's mix is more draining than straight typical potting mix and that can affect your watering regimen.
Thank you for that, Sally! I'm going to prune the sedum and phlox tomorrow.
Personally, I'm not skilled enough to keep a container alive without using Al's mix. With the usual peat-based pottin mix, I tend to over/under water and the plants end up dying of root rot or shriveling up.
I've read from other gardeners from out west that they modify Al's 5:1:1 mix by adding more peat or compost for outdoor summer containers. So I'm trying out different ratios and combinations to see what works best. I love that it's cheaper than store bought potting soil, but it's certainly a lot more time consuming to make!
ss, would you post the 5-1-1 mix you use? I am thinking about putting the "Miss Kim" lilac that gardadore gave me into a container (for better sun), and I know it needs well-drained soil....
sssgardener- Today I planted your John Creech and Ogon. AWESOME soil you had in there! Was that your Al mix? Your bark chunks are lovely and even finer than what I get in my mulch bags. The fancy garden center south of here had 'fines' but that's the only place I have seen it, and too far to drive for just that. Did you get Turface, or that absorbent garage floor stuff he said could sub for it?
I had a most loverly time arranging my new Sedums along my sunny bed today, thanks happy and ssg!
Jill, do you put Sedum arachnoideum outside?
In other 'news' I really ought to get some bushes trimmed, but planting has to be first, and is more fun.
The regular 5-1-1 is 5 parts pine bark fines that have been screened, 1 part coarse Perlite, and 1 part peat or Leafgro. This mix is really acidic (I think around 4.5 or 5 or so) so I use Espoma lime to add calcium and to increase the ph to around 6 or so. I also add a capful of Osmocote 3-1-2 (15-5-10?) to the mix.
I get the pine bark fines from Behnkes and use 1/2 inch chicken wire to screen out the large pieces. The large pieces are used as mulch in the beds or in the containers.
Some of the pots for the swap were potted without screening out the mulch first, because I was being lazy. :P They were noticeably coarser and didn't hold moisture as well, but it was ok for the little while they needed to be potted up.
I'm so grateful to Al for coming up with this mix! For the summer containers, I've been increasing the Leafgro or peat to 2 or 3 parts.
thanks
Thanks. I don't recall seeing that mix -- I remember the more complicated early mixes he put out there. This one sounds nice and easy!
Ah, I'm still too lazy, I'll stick with my Pro mix B, with water crystals and osmocote added. :-} Ric
I got that old fence between Alfie's yard and the garden completely taken down and cleaned up yesterday, as well as getting the pool uncovered and shocked. Guess I'll be cleaning pool and digging fence post today.
I hope we get a break in the rain so I can get back in the garden without boots LOL, it seems the hurrier I go, the behinder I get in respect to the veggie garden. ROTFL Ric
I do not know where "Pine Fines" can be gotten? Someone said "Ace hardware"?
I have one at the end of my stret-1 mi. away. Have to go see....
Bought a bag once when visiting my daughter in Seattle. Nice stuff..
HD carries "Leaf Gro". Great stuff, especially for planting trees and shrubs. $4.97 a bag.
I am with Ric---too lazy to concoct special soil mixes. I 'concoct" anyway....mix garden soil with Organic Choice--
Sometimes I use last year's soils from pots and doctor them up---sometimes I just dump them in my beds
to loosen up the soil a bit.
Of course, this year, I had all that Mushroom soil I went and dug out to add to most things. And always
some of the slow-release fertilizers--whatever kind.
I have a half a wheelbarrow left. Will be just enough to do my long S. bed. Haven't planted anything there yet.
I should thin out my Iris. they are taking over....Maybe I will wait closer to the fall Swap..
I have yet to plant ANYTHING I grew from seed! Daturas--Zinnias--extra Tomatoes--extra Basil--etc..
I long for no plants sitting around to plant----and yesterday, I came home with 4 pots of 6" annuals.
4 / $10. 4 plants in each. Reg. price $3.33. One each--Marigolds--Dusty Miller--Coleus--and purple Zinnias.
Maybe today.....Yeah, right! The heat will be overbearing. Tomorrow in the low 90's...Ugh!
Tomorrow is out Memorial Day Cookout at work. I am bringing a slew of my home-made pickles.
Not working. Just stopping by to eat. Usual stuff---Burgers, Sausage and Dogs plus asst. salads...
OK! gotta get going....Gita
Oh, I forgot to mention something very important! The mix needs to get wet before planting. It's really hard to get it completely wet after potting up.
Gita, the "pine bark mulch" I get from Behnke's Nursery is considered "pine fines," but I still have to screen out almost a half of the bag because the pieces are just too big.
I wish I were more of a natural green thumb, but I need all the help I can get to keep my plants alive! Ric, I think the texture of Al's mix is really similar to one of the bark+peat based ProMix potting mixes. That's what I would use if I didn't feel like making my own anymore, but since I make Al's cactus mix, I figured I'd go ahead and do both!
I got maybe 1/10 of what I wanted to get done yesterday. Something about the heat really slows me down. Here's to happy yardening in the heat!
Just one more fence post, then the easier part, stretching and attaching the wire. If that crazy Alfie bites this stuff he'll need new teeth. LOL
Holly responded to a request to sync and update her photo files and managed to misplace all her existing folders and 16,000 pics. OOPs ROTFL I was able to recover all the pics for her this morning but they were restored by date entered rather than by folder. I'm sure she will get plenty of couch time resorting them to her liking. Who knows, maybe she'll delete a few in the process. Just how many pics of sea gulls and grandbabies on the beach do you really need. LOL Ric
Gita and Sally, I usually get about 2 years out of my promix;
year 1 and 2, containers, hanging baskets, and window boxes by year 3 the water crystals are breaking down and it gets added to the beds and like or some may be used to up pot some things. Our heavy clay can always use more organic material, that's why we compost so much, or as Becky says, "Your compost is as big as my yard!" LOL Ric
Thanks for the laugh Ric, but if I were you, I would tread softly. A person is very smart to not get between a woman and her sea gulls and grand children. hahaha
Thanks for the link to the potting mixture Happy. Will have to check it out when I have more time. A year or so ago John read about a concoction that he has been using. I am more like Ric and tend to a bit lazy about extra work. I do love my perlite though and was quite dissapointed a month or so back when upon a shopping trip John only brought home one bag of it. Didn't take long for him to realize that another trip was necessary and this time he bought two bags. That ought to last us a while.
Gosh, when I looked at the extended weather forecast and saw several days in a row of above 90 degree temps, I realized I wouldn't be getting much gardening done. I am currently using the indoor in the air conditioning time to begin packing up my many knick knacky types of things in preparation for carpet layers to come the middle of June and lay new carpeting throughout the house. I got a decent start yesterday and am hoping to keep up the same pace today.
Still have a few houseplants that need to go outdoors if I can find the space for them. That was a major project for last week, as well as tending the new plants we received at the swap. What a busy week it was and it doesn't seem as though it will slow down any time soon.
I am really loving hearing about everyone getting their new plants in to new homes. I feel as though I am right there with you watching you as your tend your new babies. I hope that everyone has good luck with all their new goodies.
Ruby
Ric, just popping inside for a little coolness. Seems I did all my shady jobs this morning before it got hot and now I have the hot ones left. Weather dyslexia?
But your posts about posts reminded me to comment on a brief stop at a garden center on my way to buy oil for the vehicles, Usually Italian operas are playing but yesterday it was Gene Autry, The Singing Cowboy. I chuckled while there because I knew the words to most of the songs! "I've Got Spurs that Jingle, Jangle, Jingle", or "I'm an Old Cowhand"...So I will think of you rustling up some more garden space and keeping those fences mended...Whoopie TiYiAy Get Along Little Doggies!!
Gene Autry’s Cowboy Code
1. The Cowboy must never shoot first, hit a smaller man, or take unfair advantage.
2. He must never go back on his word, or a trust confided in him.
3. He must always tell the truth.
4. He must be gentle with children, the elderly, and animals.
5. He must not advocate or possess racially or religiously intolerant ideas.
6. He must help people in distress.
7. He must be a good worker.
8. He must keep himself clean in thought, speech, action, and personal habits.
9. He must respect women, parents, and his nation’s laws.
10. The Cowboy is a patriot.
"* Keep your fences horse-high, pig-tight & bull-strong"
Now where is my hat...
This message was edited May 27, 2012 11:16 AM
I hear you, SS, about the heat affecting how I work in the yarden. It is beastly humid!!
Oh, Ric, I would love to have to wear boots about now. The rain has bypassed us for the last two weeks. It is very dry here. Boohoo!!
I am right there singin Gene's songs, Coleup. Yippieikiyay!!!
What could have eaten the tops from a couple of tomatoes? Do deer do that? I am bummed!
Seems to me like deer, Jan, dear Jan....Then again, in the plants are still small, are the tops at face level to a groundhog or rabbit?
I thought they were too tall for rabbits or groundhogs. Deer, dear Sally?. I didn't think anything would eat tomatoes. Aren't they too pungent for animals? Heehee, I'm really showing my ignorance here.
Raccoons will pick and eat tomatoes.
I had some tomato plants kne high or more one year andthe tops got eaten, That'swhat made me think der when you asked. I could not imagine any other explanation. Deer ate of my moms tomato plants too, the leaves, not just fruit. It does seem like a nasty taste, from the smell of the leaves.
Groundhog at all the leaves off a pumpkin vine of mine once. How fuzzt that must have been! But the vine was young and the dozen or so leaves, I guess, still tender.
What do you all do with the foxgloves after the blooms have faded?
I spent most of the long weekend working in the yard. The heat only really got to me on Sunday - it wasn't any different weather from Saturday, but I guess it just caught up with me. Alternated 2 hours of gardening with 1 1/2 of napping. I ended up moving the hammock to a more convenient location LOL!
Mike helped me tackle some big projects, it sure does help to have access to a mini excavator, bobcat, and dump truck.
The first job was to relocate the Miss Kim lilacs from the walkway to the house out to the open space near the power lines on the driveway easement. I originally planted seven bare root from a mail order place. The description indicated "dwarf", but they must have really liked where they were planted because they became huge - like 8' tall x 5-6' wide. In a heavy snow during winter 2011, most of the branches of all but the one closest to the house broke. I did a quick crappy prune just to get rid of the broken branches, thinking that I would get back to it and shape them up properly. I never did get back to it, and in just one growing season they got huge again. Mike used the mini excavator to dig out the root ball and dropped them on a flat bed trailer to move them to the new location. Then used the mini excavator to dig new holes. It took about 2 1/2 hours with the equipment, doing it by hand would have taken a whole day or more.
Next job was to use the bobcat to move fill dirt from the excavation of the basement underneath the conservatory to make a flat area where the tent canopies were at the 2011 swap - much better than the slope it used to be. Used the dump truck to go get a load of shredded mulch to cover the dirt. Washed and then set up two round tables and chairs. Turned out really nice. That fill dirt mound had been sitting there for a little more than a year - glad the eyesore is gone and something nice and useful in its place.
Then.... he used the bobcat to make a path through the woods - going from the dock, around the downside of the new flat area, and coming out on the logging trail at the back of the house. He poo pooed my idea - rolling his eyes and muttering the way he does, but when he was done I heard him singing its praises to a neighbor who had brought her kids down to swim in the pond. It appears that he realized that it now makes easy access to get things up and down from the dock, either with the tractor or the ATV - no more hand hauling up and down the steps LOL.
Well, this post has gotten REALLY long, so more later....
This message was edited May 29, 2012 6:48 AM
Speaking of something eating tomato plants....
A few years ago, my neighbor Joey swears that racoons took all of his ripe tomatoes from the garden down to the creek and had a late night feast. He saw racoon tracks and lots of tomato remnants as evidence. He had planted a whole bunch of roma tomatoes and was planning on picking them the next day for a big batch of spaghetti sauce - he was fuming LOL! Anyway, this incident was actual tomatoes, not the tomato plants themselves... so probably was dear that et up Jan's.
I once gardened in a community garden in Washington DC, and the raccoons took all the tomatoes. What made it worse (if that is possible) is that they'd take a bit or two and throw the rest of the tomato away.
Heehee, AH, isn't that the way? Grumble grumble. Wow!!! This is great!!
Sounds like there are lots of critters that could have eaten the tomato tops. Bummer!
ssgardener--
Re the Foxgloves.....Please know that ALL parts of this plant are quite toxic--especially the seeds.
When the blooms fade--all those little "bumps" left over up and down the stem--are seed pods.
Foxglove seeds are like coarse dust--too small to even pick up--but you can gather them if you like.
Allow the pods to dry and then just cut them off and let them drop into a bowl of some kind.
Wearing gloves (I use the regular Latex ones), crunch up all the seed pods and get rid of the shells.
Sift the remaining contents through a fine sieve/strainer and you will now have the seeds.
PLEASE be careful!!! You do not want to inhale any of the seeds!!! Discard the gloves when you are done.
Wash your hands after"messing" with this plant as well. Better safe than sorry!
To measure out seeds for sharing and bagging up in mini zip-bags, use a long-handled small spoon.
Even a Popsicle stick will work.
Foxgloves are seriously biennial--and will drop seed, which comes up in fall and overwinters as small plants.
In spring--these plants, and a bunch of new ones, will grow everywhere.
You will be amazed how fast and how big these plants can grow!
Then--they start sending up the bloom spike, which can grow to 5' or more.
The blooms start at the bottom of the spike and continue forming buds and blooming to the very end.
Please stake it --or it will fall over from the weight of the blooms--especially if it rains.
Late fall and early spring is a good time to dig the seedlings up and move them where you want them.
That is where I got all mine that I had at the Swap. I think I had over 30.
Gita
Picture is from this March--showing how the foxgloves start to bolt from the leaf-mass. This will be the bloom stem.
Gita: That is very helpful -- thanks!
Thanks for info on foxgloves Gita. The juveniles you shared at swap have almost tripled in size already. They will be planted amongst the ostrich fern so their blooms next year will pop up above them. should be pretty as the bleeding hearts fade. Ostriches are waist high but can go higher, Are foxglove seeds good candidates for winter sowing? I'm thinking that I could raise seedlings in ideal conditions for them and then transplant them in the fall to where I want them to bloom in the spring even though they wouldn't normally be an ideal spot for them there. Or I could just swap Greenthumb for some more perrenial yellow blooming type....
In case you missed this picture on another Thread--this is how tall mine grew--and bloomed.
It is incredible that something this massive can grow from a speck of dust.....
Tried to send 3 pictures---after 5 minutes--it gave up and defaulted to another site on DG.
I thought the Admin. was working on this.
It is Tuesday AM--10:40AM--not too busy a time as far as posting goes...Still--it would not send!
Cut it back to 2 pictures.....lets see....
1--starting out
2--to give them a bit of scale..these are taller than I am (5'7")
Several years ago our "one bite out of ripe tomatoes" whodonit was solved when I spied a large box turtle stretch out his neck and take a bite.
Gita and everyone else having problems loading photos,
Terry of DG Admin has requested that when this happens to report it to Admin by clicking on the "Contact Us"
button at the bottom of every page. It looks like this:
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Judy--
Greenthumb started a whole new Thread re this on the DG Forum.
All Adm. kept saying is that we need to re-size our photos before sending.
Did you follow this Thread any? David had some very valid comments....
If you noticed---no one is sending 5 pictures any more. Mostly just two. As in the photos
of everyone from the Swap.
I think they created something that is overwhelming THEIR systems--and that is not OUR fault.
The need to fix that.
Gita
Here is the link to that Thread http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1257471/
This message was edited May 29, 2012 8:32 AM
Thank you, Gita!
Do you also chop down the leaves after the blooms fade?
Gita, thanks for the info on the foxglove. Maybe with the foxglove that I received from you and David at the swap, I can finally get some established. Now I'll know what to look for with the seed pods. You guys were so generous, that I was able to group them in five different locations.