Gardeners of AW, unite

sunandshadow

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So what do you folks know about Strawberries? Can I just clip off a section of runner that is barely starting to make roots and stick it in the ground, or does it need to be more established before I can cut and transplant?
I bought a giant strawberry plant at the end of the season a few years ago because it had about a dozen feet of runner hanging from it. I clipped off the runners and planted them, watered well, and the weather was mild. But, they all died. So the lesson I learned was, root the runner while it is still attached to the parent plant if at all possible.

This same applies to roses, actually - they make clip-on pots that go around the middle of a branch of rose bush, the branch will root inside there, then you clip it off and plant it, and there's a MUCH higher survival rate than for trying to root cut branches.
 

blacbird

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So what do you folks know about Strawberries? Can I just clip off a section of runner that is barely starting to make roots and stick it in the ground, or does it need to be more established before I can cut and transplant?

Why do you want to clip it at all? These runners are how strawberries spread and establish new plants. Leave it alone.

caw
 

Fenika

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Most my strawberries are in hanging strawberry baskets. I like it but the runners look weird :)
 

Fenika

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Okay, pic time! I'm still working on getting the sides looking tidy, so pardon my mess.

But first, today I took a bunch of lettuce to the local aid ministry. I hope someone enjoys it.

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The 10x4 bed. Strawberries at the foot. Lots of celeriac. Snap peas at the end. Behind it is bed 2, a 4x4 with the same celeriac and single row of snap pea arrangement. Both have high water needs.

Downhill is another 4x4 bed, and barely visible is the newest 10x5 bed.


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The 10x5 with zuccs, two tomatoes, one lone brocolli in the south corner, some carrots and bush beans starting to sprout...


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Chive flowers! These are between the long beds and in fairly poor soil and happy as can be.


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Downhill of the stairstep 4x4s. Cosmos for polinators and color are in that tan pot. In bed 3 I have brocolli, lettuce, and spinach.


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Flower already little peas!!! You can also see one of the bigger celeriac. They grow slowwww. I also have lots of empty spots, but my mom brought me back seeds from Czech. I think they are the Prague variety and I hope they dont mind a slightly late start.


:)
 

Fenika

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And overnight the beans have sprouted :D
 

Fenika

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Cheers, Teinz. I want to post monthly pics to show the differences. Todays project is to clear some roses and plant two berries. A blackberry and black raspberry. I'll also have room to put the potted plants.
 

Fenika

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Anyone know what this is? I saw it at lowes in a mixed planter and I wants it.

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Fenika

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Thank you for the compliment and the info :) Now I just need to find the vine. The nursery I go by tomorrow might have some.
 

Hip-Hop-a-potamus

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I can barely move. It is Victoria Day weekend, which is the time Canadians recognize as "green light for planting!"

I have been out all day cutting in a new bed, marking with landscape paint where i want it to go, tilling, and adding compost and coffee grounds.

Probably next weekend, I'll be making a visit to my favorite nursery and getting some peonies and roses to put in.

My tulips have opened. "World Peace" -- red and yellow stripes and so lovely! They brighten the whole place up.

:D
 

Fenika

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I just murdered four roses :)

Your garden sounds nice though. Is your soil alkaline that you are adding grounds or are you just adding some?
 

Tepelus

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Yup, black potato vine. They are pretty common. There is a chartreuse version out there too. They get pretty purple flowers as well, but those are few and usually hidden beneath the foliage. Pretty vines and grow quickly. I grew one once in a pot with different flowers and by the end of summer it pretty much took over the whole pot. Looked awesome for Halloween, though.
 

Fenika

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Sweet :) (pun intended)
 

Hip-Hop-a-potamus

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Lovely, Fenika!

I want to grow vegetables one of these days. I'll get more adventurous the more used to the climate I get up here. But I want to intersperse my veggies with flowers and make everything very cottage-y. I don't want straight rows. I like curves and discovering new aspects of the garden as I explore. I always want everything to be pretty before practical. Kind of a problem, when gardening requires certain plants in certain places with so much light, a certain kind of soil, protection, etc. I have several books on doing this. I love Rosalind Creasy's stuff.

Yes, our soil here is super clay-like. Same as what I was dealing with in Texas, so at least that is similar. I've found it really helps. I had a clematis a few years ago that was barely staying alive, and one of the ladies at work mentioned I might want to try coffee. I fed that sucker grounds, I dumped leftover coffee on it, I made tea...whatever I had on hand at the time. That sucker was a java-holic! Pretty soon it almost took over the backyard! Definitely an acid lover.

Our landlady has a giant rhubarb plant here in the backyard, and I had tried rhubarb only once in my life (1950s mom who never made anything that wasn't a mix or canned. It's amazing I became a foodie!). We are on a corner, with a detached garage facing to the side, and the rhubarb was in a cranny between garage and fence. There was lattice blocking it. So yesterday I had Mr. Hip move the lattice back a bit, and now I can get to it more easily. It was getting nice and red.

I did a little online research on plucking it, and have just made some Rhubarb Oatmeal Bars. So yay me! I so want to begin planting more of my own foodstuffs. I've had tomatoes, but haven't tried them up here yet. And I LOVE herbs. I'll put them anywhere.

This year, with my woodruff growing out of control, I may try to make some May Wine. My Teutonic genes are getting all happy. http://theherbgardener.blogspot.ca/2008/03/may-wine-may-punch.html
 

Fenika

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That all sounds lovely. I should try some grounds on my clematis which is looking a little rough right now.
 

Hip-Hop-a-potamus

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That all sounds lovely. I should try some grounds on my clematis which is looking a little rough right now.

Do it! You'll be amazed at the difference. Save your grounds every morning--I just put mine in a plastic grocery bag, 2 or 3 days worth at a time, and dig it in a little bit around the roots. And if you've got any extra liquid in the morning-- you forgot and it went cold, throw that on the roots too.

:)
 

Teinz

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Not much to see yet. Taters have come up. I've resown my beans, because what came up was damaged already. It's just been too cold. Today we've had our first day with temperatures above 25 C.
 

Shadowflame

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YEA! Gardens.
Mine is tilled, seeded and planted. However, I now have slugs in some of my potted herbs and lettuce.

anyone have any solutions to these little boogers?
 

backslashbaby

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Gorgeous garden, Teinz! Even not yet in season!

YEA! Gardens.
Mine is tilled, seeded and planted. However, I now have slugs in some of my potted herbs and lettuce.

anyone have any solutions to these little boogers?

http://www.plantea.com/slug-baits-coffee.htm

This link covers the kinds of baits that are chemical that are very safe, too. It's not all about dishes of beer, although I've totally heard that works.

Me, I have tons of toads! They hop out of the snaily areas when I water, lol. Still, I may need some of that bait in my strawberries. We'll see. So far so good this year.
 

Hip-Hop-a-potamus

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YEA! Gardens.
Mine is tilled, seeded and planted. However, I now have slugs in some of my potted herbs and lettuce.

anyone have any solutions to these little boogers?

Either put out cracked mussel shells (they're scared to crawl over them because they're so sharp...), or set out little jar lids full of beer (which did work for me-- I once had a lid JAMMED full of them the next morning after I put it out). They drink themselves to death.

That's what they always recommended in Texas for slugs on the hostas.
 

Fenika

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Teinz, that looks like a lovely spot. Sorry you lost your plants. Do you have any floating row covers for this fall?

YEA! Gardens.
Mine is tilled, seeded and planted. However, I now have slugs in some of my potted herbs and lettuce.

anyone have any solutions to these little boogers?

What the others said with emphasis on attracting toads to your area. Having a totally chemical free lawn will keep the sensitive toads, who absorb everything through their special skin, alive, healthy, and hungry.

I'm still working on getting my garden area more toad friendly, but I see them in my yard. I've had snails completely disappear from my salad, which made me extremely happy (though before the toad(s) discovered the snails, they did do a little damage)

http://birdsandbloomsblog.com/2011/06/02/attract-toads-to-your-backyard/

http://www.nwf.org/Get-Outside/Outd...Attract-Frogs-Toads-and-Other-Amphibians.aspx
 

Teinz

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Teinz, that looks like a lovely spot. Sorry you lost your plants. Do you have any floating row covers for this fall?

Nope, no covers. If everything works out, I'll only have cabbages and spinach left in the fall. The cabbages are more or less winterhardy, the spinach'll have to go in my favourite tart.

I do use a lot of netting, for birds and butterflies. Snails, I've tried everything for, including throwing them in my neighbours garden ( ;) ), but a tiny bit of poison works very well. I'm going to try the beer-thing though, it sounds promising.
 

Fenika

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Toads would love your spot. Do look into basic cold frames or tunnels for later. Fall use will give you practice for saving sprouts in the spring during cold snaps. :)