Yardening Fall #3 2013

I was thinking the same thing...............

Bleach IS Chlorine (Chlorox???)--so you ARE using it, Meadowyck.

Maybe you were thinking of Chlorine in the form people use to keep their pools clean???
Not the same.
Gita

clorox ll in non chlorine It really doesn't have the disinfecting properties, but it does work for me.

Jan

I just rinse, if that, and stack. I store the pots and saucers upside down on shelves outside so I don't know that disinfecting would really do much. Maybe it would....

Paul, sorry, I won't be able to make it either. =(

I just wash my pots in warm soapy water (in the wheelbarrow), rinse with hose, dry with a "gardening towel", then stack them. I use dishwashing liquid, but a VERY little amount in the barrow full of water, then use a scrubby sponge for scrubbing.

I was just noticing yesterday that one of my small clay pots has some greenish stuff on it like algae? Is it safe for plants, or should I toss it? Would a bleach solution work on it?

Most likely it's safe for plants (hard to tell without looking at it in person); it's probably just proof of a happy growing condition... rather like lichens! =)

A very dilute bleach solution would be perfectly safe to use, provided you rinse REALLY well after the cleaning. Were it my own pots, that is what I would do and not worry one little bit.
=)

thanks, Speedie! :-)

"But I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep"

Transplanted 9 Rose of Sharon trees. Planted 4 rescue azaleas. Uppotted a gazillion 4' pots of babies to gal or 3 gal pots. Will water in this am and then stash for winter. Tucked in 2 areas and ran out of leaves. Will use van on route this afternoon so can pick up more before they become yard waste. 5 more need tucking in.

Found rolls of bird netting and deer fencing. Because of added pressure on vegetation in my yard since clearing of neighbor yards I see it as prudent to protect this year from deer browse.

Disconnected mid post. Grr

Terp: I'd love to do the full moon guided walk/hike at some point, but I have to work tonight unfortunately -- and we are beginning the drill of getting ready for Thanksgiving.

Coleup sounds like a busy day for you. Stay warm!

Terp thanks for the invite. Unfortunately parenting responsibilities make most weeknight commitments difficult for me. Someday though! ;-)

SSG is going to join me tonight. It should be a nice night.

Maybe next time!

Paul--

Besides---wasn't it on one of those "guided full moon walks" you fell in love
with the Wintersweet??
And see where that led you---------------what will strike your fancy on this one?
G.

geeze coleup… what a lot of work fun

what a gorgeous morning! I grabbed a little raking time between household chores.
I have all the leaves I want at the moment. But my neighbor in back is my happy source of OPPNs- pine needles for blueberries and garden paths. And he's got a ton of leaves all over too. I'll check in with him and see what he does with them. I would save bags of shredded leaves if any are handy.

haha Gita. Paul, make it a small shrub this time!

Wellllllllllllll....

I spent most of the day outside--of course--trying to do some of the
things I have been putting off...as always, there comes a time when you
just HAVE TO do it--as there won't be too many days like today left.

I finally re-planted the Tahiti Daffs back in the WS bed. Glad that is done!
They have been potted since the big WS DIG--so they were pretty happy and
growing well in the soil--albeit, a bit crowded.
I had 6 pots of these left. Started out with 12--but shared away the other six.
I had plenty to re-plant! Not to worry! Done!

Planted a few more Daffs here and there in the bed where the Iris are.
That is also where I dug a lot of them up from. ...:o)
They have been sitting in pots of mulch since the Iris Dig. reminding me to get it done.
Done!

Other than the roots some of you got--I have shared away most of the better Iris roots
that I did not plant back with some people at work. Many went to a nice man that
works in Garden at the HD. He got some of all 3.
Then today--I potted up some of the mini divisions....Hate to just toss them....
Also DONE!

THEN--The BIGGIE CHORE---I dug up all the Cannas!!! YEAH!!
I want you to be aware that--if you plant Wind's Red Cannas--make sure they are
not too close to each other--as their massive roots will intermingle. 2' apart--minimum!
It was terribly hard--especially my neighbor Olga's 3 plants. She not only had them
close together--they were also on top of old roots from the "bush" Fig tree by the shed
that she got cut down. I dug up a couple of them up while trying to dislodge
he huge clumps of canna roots. Did NOT need that!
I could hear the Canna roots snapping apart......oh, well...there's plenty! DONE!

Started cutting back perennials and yanking out dead annuals.
Never got to my Tomatoes or anything in my "YUK" bed. NOT DONE!!!
Feels good, though, to say "DONE" on so many things I have been putting off...

It got dark on me--and i was pooped!!! Gotta work tomorrow--
Yesterday was a killer day at HD for me---besides Pack-down of a bunch of stuff,
I spent most of the day trying to straighten shelves in the aisles, as Inventory
is on Dec. 5. My mission (self assigned) was to get on any ladders needed and try to see
if there is any product wayyyyy behind the nice rows we all see. YES! There was plenty!
I wanted as much product in sight as I could find--so it will get counted.

It was a tiring day...but I DO look forward to all the walking and climbing and activity
I do in Garden--beats sitting in the Phone Center.. i DO look forward to it!

I think I can......I think I can.......and--it will be good for my body and my muscled to do all this.
Positive thinking...NOT complaining--that's what I do! G.

1--Remember this picture I posted recently? These are Olga's 3 red Cannas. Solid roots!

2--Here are the Canna roots from Dianna's red Canna I dug up today.
This is from just 5 plants. The round table is 5' in diameter...

3--This is the biggest single clump. I hosed off all the soil--and, still, I can hardly lift it.

4--On the more positive note--this is the reddest I have ever seen my old Burning Bushes.
Must be that early frost we had....These are VERY old!!! 40 plus years.

Gita

sounds like you've been super busy and productive, Gita!

those cannas are REALLY impressive! need to beg an extra from you for next year!

I'm feeling put upon by circumstance... left arm is back in huge tubular wrapping to reduce swelling (lymphedema, still), and right shoulder developed tendonitis from overdoing with right arm last week... wouldn't have ordered quite so many bulbs if I could have forseen this, LOL. Hoping ground doesn't ice over for too long at a time... I've planted in dec. before... might be putting lotsof bulbs in big bins of potting mix and replanting in spring!

will post if I have aa "fire sale" on leftover bulbs! :-)

Critter, so sorry to hear about the lymphedema and tendonitis! :-(

Gita, sounds like a great, tiring and yet fun productive day- yayy!
Jill, sounds like a not great, annoying and unproductive situation- boo!

Jill: I'm awfully sorry to hear that. If it is any comfort, I have planted daffs as late as February with no adverse results. (They do bloom very late the first year.) Once I get mine planted (sigh), I'd be happy to come help you plant! Maybe that can be a good excuse for a January get-together on an unusually warm January day -- it is hard to find time between now and the holidays.

Oh Jill, every one of the cells in our bodies really does its utmost to keep us going . Keep your good arm for hugging your beautiful family and let's see if there aren't some creative alternatives for you and all those bulbs just itching for a chance to bloom, bloom, bloom.

I'm in the same boat with more bulbs to plant than means to do so as I was to send most of my bulbs to daughter. That did not happen, so I am scrambling for quick easy ways to 'plant' them. Just today I asked my neighbor if I could plant them in his veggie garden...It is already tilled, so little digging. I'll push them in like onion sets, water and then mulch at some point with all the leaves I have been collecting.

I've also stuffed bulbs in every container I have even if filled with spent potting mix. lol, keep wondering if just putting them on top of the ground and covering with shredded leaves might do.! Just read that soil temp when planting should be below 60 degrees at planting depth. It will take a while to reach that. One of those bulb augers that attach to a drill would go thru a frozen top layer of soil and might be a time and tendon saver, depending. Planting them in large tubs and replanting in the Spring also seems like a plan and that way the bulbs will go where you want them!

Of course, we all stand ready to well wish and pitch in as you say the word. Well, I speak for Wayne and I at least. May be able to actualy find your hose this time! I mean 'house'!

Didn't you get a lot of bulbs to be planted for relatives?

Oh, and I'm putting a ton in the basement fridge -- that was my original plan. I didn't mark well the spots in the yard where there are "holes" in the daffs, so once they start showing their foliage in February/March, I will plant those.

http://www.bulbsociety.org/About_Bulbs/BULB_BASICS/FlowerBulbFAQs.html


A tip: the proper time to plant is when ground temperature is below 60°F at planting depth (while this is not easy for most of us to gauge, it gives you some notion of what's appropriate). If you don't have six weeks lead-time, plant anywayeven if you have to hack your way through hard, chilled surface soil. (As always, be sure to water.) The key: you must plant in fall to have blooms in spring. Even if planted late, bulbs will spring into action and try to start root growth. They are pre-programmed to grow and will do their best no matter how late you plant them.

OOOPs--double post.



This message was edited Nov 19, 2013 7:44 AM

Jill--

No begging needed.....I will, gladly, share some. Just remember the pictures above!
It is NOT fun to dig these up!
Can you please remind me to bring you some to the seed Swap?

Wind posted somewhere (recently) that she only digs up a few--and lets the rest rot.
It is impossible to do them all...

Here is the canna that makes these monstrous roots.....nice!
G

This is also the one that makes the big, black seeds...

Jill and Coleup I would be happy to spend some time with either/both of you helping with bulb planting! :-)

I had a wonderful time at the Full Moon hike at the arboretum. The weather was perfect, and the moon was so bright that it felt like someone was shining a spotlight on our walk. Living so close to the city, I never get to walk outside at night for longer than a couple of blocks, and definitely not in complete silence. They ask you to be somewhat quiet so that we can hear wildlife, and although I didn't get to hear the owls that nest there, the silence was wonderful.

It's definitely a brisk hike, not a casual stroll, and there were very fast walkers in the group. I wouldn't recommend it if you have bad night vision, or if walking uphill at a brisk pace is too strenuous for you. Well, it was a brisk pace for me, but Paul's legs are at least a foot longer, so it was probably a casual stroll for him. :)

I would have preferred to stop more frequently and walk more slowly in order to take in the view. It's such an usual experience that I wanted to look around more, but I had to concentrate on where I was stepping.

Glad you enjoyed it- and maybe your feedback will be helpful. I'd like to see the view from the hill at night, and even though the road is a very flat surface, it is a steady climb up.

Catmint & Coleup, I may end up taking you up on that offer -- Happy, too -- if I can't get this resolved soon! Yes, I do have a good number of bulbs I was planning to plant in NC next week. Might see if I can hire their handyman to dig some meandering trenches for me... fortunately their soil is very loamy, so easy digging.

If Jim's dad will let me plant up against the low wall near the driveway, I can definitely recruit neighbor help also -- and tell the kids they can pick some of the daffs! I think that's a good idea for those tall sturdy 'Las Vegas' daffs. Hmm, maybe we'll plant those daffs on both sides of that wall, then the kids will know which ones to pick and which to leave for Jim's mom.

There's always a way. I was thinking that I could make a big "X" cut on the top of a bag of pottting mix that I'd laid flat in an out of the way spot, shove in a bunch of bulbs, and they'd bloom in spring. Veggie bed is also a good idea... bags of potting mix *on* veggie bed might be even better, making it easy to find bulbs if I wait too long & foliage dies back. Some extra insulation with leaves is a good idea also... hey, didn't Sally write an article about this?

Yes!! http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/3468/ Thanks, Sally!

Also, I know jmorth is putting lots of pots of forcing bulbs into plastic storage tubs and then setting them on the steps of a sheltered basement entrance... I can do that!

About half of the hike is on paved surface and the other half is on mulched, wooded surface with water bars, some steps, and fallen leaves/branches. I've been super cautious since I broke my ankle a couple of years ago, so I made sure to watch the person in front of me to see if they were stepping down or up.

The best part of the hike for me was the moonlit Capitol columns. Just gorgeous. The lights at the columns were broken (the only artificial lights on the hike), which made the moonlight even more beautiful.

And the view from the top of the hill where you can see the Washington Monument and the Capitol was also nice.

There you go Jill, always thinking outside the box, and always thinking share with kids.. Hey, thanks, I enjoyed rereading that, and fixing the usual typo
8 ^O

Good to consider Terry- if I go on such a thing maybe I'll take a walking stick for security-feeling. I'd love to hear some owls.

Oh Jill, so sorry to hear your arm's still troubling you. I was amazed at how much you were able to do with your other arm, but I guess that has led to tendonitis!

I may be able to help in early December, if you still have any bulbs left by then.

I love the view at night of the Washington Monument and Capitol.

Today Google has a wonderful tribute to Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg address. Hope yall will take a few minutes to read through how his address came to be.

ssgardener, you are so right to be careful, as walking at night on uneven ground can be very difficult and lead to injuries. My girlfriend fell and broke her humerus bone in her upper arm and lives everyday with that one night of being in the dark walking.

I'm not trying to say don't do this, it is just best to always be alert when you are.

Jan

hey, Critter, happy to help! Saturdays are generally better for us than Sundays due to my daughter's volleyball schedule.
Would be fun to see you, Coleup, and possibly Happy! :-)

Yep, definitely overdid it during last week's projects. Jim is "on the case" getting a mike & speech recognition software set up since typing is slow. He & Joyanna are sweetly helping out with all sorts of things also, since I'm not supposed to lift more than 5 pounds with either arm. I'll see where I'm at by Dec... Happy is right; I've got time!

And this is seriously inconvenient, but nothing scary, so I'll deal. I appreciate the sympathy & offers of help more than I can say... but I'll also try not to keep moaning about it. This week, I'll live vicariously hearing about what everybody else is doing in their yardens!

Good to hear from you Jill. Hey, I need one of those voice rec systems since I can talk ever so much faster than type! Yea Jim.

I did see a post from someone looking for odd jobs and extra work to pay for a neede surgery for her dog on the Fred. Craigslist.......Post # 4173940668. An intermittent landscape/planter/heavy lifter might be a route to explore, and perhaps your tree guy knows a good bulb person?

lol, I dreamed last night that Catmint and I had just arranged to meet at your house this Sat to plant bulbs but when I checked this am there is no record of such arrangement! In the dream world at least those bulbs are as good as planted!

Critter: My spouse uses Dragon Naturally Speaking fairly often, and likes it -- you do have to give it time, because it takes a while to "learn" your voice and your own commonly used words/phrases/acronyms.

ROFLOL! I figure you both have plenty to do this coming Saturday without bulb planting. But I love the thought!! I'll look for that Craigslist post; thanks. I can also check with the guy who cut our lawn for several years; he's probably looking for more hours this time of year (or at least will be once all the leaves are down & gone). I've got half a system... flagging planting locations and putting the shrub name on the tag. I can do the same with flower bulbs, might need to get some different colored tags. No such thing as too much organization when you hire help!

Happy, does he have the "home" version (around $50) or the "professional" one ($100+), do you know? Having trouble finding the actual differences between the two... THX!