Gardeners of AW, unite

sunandshadow

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It amuses me to see pretty much the same assortment of plants that I have, except mine are 10 times messier. My yard has more of a post-apocalyptic, nature-reclaiming-civilization look. :ROFL:
 

Ari Meermans

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Vertical Gardening

I wish we had more rain; I'm having to water every evening here. We had such poor soil we hauled in composted manure for last year's garden. Result: Just as poor as the year before. So I'm fertilizing and watering like crazy this year with amazing results.

Mr. M had only created one 10X12 raised bed because he's not a gardener and thought that was all I could handle by myself. Huh. Of course, that limited how many types of veggies I could plant. My work around for that small space for this year was to trellis everything that vines. I've always trellised the peas, beans, and tomatoes; but this year I sent the cukes, squash, and cantaloupes vertical, too, with amazing results. I'm just thrilled to pieces. :)

Now, that teeny tiny garden has room for the three varieties of tomatoes (16 plants), eggplant, yellow squash, cukes, cantaloupe, beets, bell peppers, spinach, and radishes.

::does happy gardener dance::
 
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Fenika

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Ari, we need pics :)

And you should avoid watering in the evening- it encourages and increases many diseases.
 

Ari Meermans

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I would if my camera wasn't on the fritz. I think I need a new one.

I have to water in the early evening down here; morning watering steams the plants when the hot mid-day sun hits. Dad taught me that and he had the most incredible green thumb, which I, unfortunately, did not inherit. Still, after forty years of learning and trying, I've become a *somewhat* better gardener than when I started.

ETA: My apologies, Fenika. That reads a little sharp and know-it-all(ish). It was certainly not my intent. When we lived in Iowa, I watered in the early morning hours before work, and the garden thrived. It was a thing of beauty and I gave more away produce than we could use. I tried watering in the morning--everywhere from just light 'til about 8:30--when we moved back down here to Northeast Texas (near the Oklahoma line). By 3:00 p.m., I'd have plants that were wilted and struggling. Lousy producers, if they survived. So, remembering Dad gardened down here and thinking maybe he was on to something with this merciless sun and sometimes arid air quality, I started watering in the early evening. It's made a world of difference. So far *knock on wood*, I've had no disease problems. Keep your fingers crossed on that, please. It can be tricky down here sometimes.
 
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Fenika

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I didnt read that as know it all. :)

Texas is tough. Have you tried soaker hoses? Are you watering deep in the early evening? How often are you watering? I dont even know what is recommended in Texas... Your weather is so killer, the diseases have probably escaped to Oklahoma.

If you get a few days of cool moist air, try switching to morning watering at the base. Otherwise, do what works.

Do you take advantage of the climate and do four season gardening?
 

Ari Meermans

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I've only been using soaker hoses for my fruit trees. Since the garden is so small, it's easy to stand there and let my mind wander on my WIP while I water it. I usually only water every couple of days or so. Sometimes, though, the sun and the strong wind make daily watering a necessity. Right now, it's every third day; by the end of the month going into July, it'll be every day.

I haven't really taken advantage of having an extended growing season, but we're talking about a winter cover crop this year (green manure like rye, oats, or cowpeas) to amend the nitrogen-deficient soil. It's something I've wanted to try but just never got around to doing.
 

shakeysix

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i water early in the morning and then in the evening. i don't sprinkle though. we have a hot, constant wind and lots of dust in the air because of wheat harvest. it isn't all bad--i never saw a slug until i was 22 years old and visiting new york, staying with my husband's family. i was having a cup of tea early one morning in the garden when i spotted a giant dill pickle crawling up the side of the house. i screamed. i had to fight japanese beetles in illinois while visiting a friend. we get something that looks a little like them but they dry up pretty fast. grasshoppers are our plague. my friend in illinois had a "cute" grasshopper sculpture in her garden. i was wordless--the only cute grasshopper is lying on its side kicking!--s6
 

Ari Meermans

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Ain't it the truth, shakey! In August, when it gets really hot and dry here, we get our annual plague of grasshoppers. Those suckers are sometimes so big they look like birds lined up on the fence. They leave NOTHING behind.
 

AndreaGS

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Ari, I want to see pics of your vertical garden when you have the means to take them! It sounds lovely!

I'm excited because we just started getting our first fruits of the summer off of our trees. Apriums and pluots - yum.

This is what our garden looks like right now. I think my husband planted too much zucchini. -_- He does this every year and then we're swimming in them...

garden_ground_level_6-11-12.jpg
 

shakeysix

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-i am ashamed to admit this but i have taken pix for this thread but cannot get them to post. where i trip up is the url of the photo. they are in my documents and i can't figure where to find the url so i can insert them in a post.--s6 ps--and if i could do that i would be able to show off my second novel and maybe even my third. i've asked so many times i am embarrassed to ask again.
 

Fenika

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Very pretty :)

I think I'm going to cut down a zucchini today. It's a runt and the plants are a bit crowded...
 

Fenika

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Shakey, you have to put the photos on the internet. Sign up for a free file sharing sight like photobucket. Theres more info in tech help or possible FAQ. Search AW for uploading photos or photo sharing or somesuch.
 

Teinz

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-i am ashamed to admit this but i have taken pix for this thread but cannot get them to post. where i trip up is the url of the photo. they are in my documents and i can't figure where to find the url so i can insert them in a post.--s6 ps--and if i could do that i would be able to show off my second novel and maybe even my third. i've asked so many times i am embarrassed to ask again.

Try tinypic, Shakey, it's real easy... No signing up or anything, just upload your pic and paste the forumlink here. Done. :)
 

Shadowflame

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I have harvested 4 green beans from my garden! I will have fresh tomatoes by the 4th of July!

Squash is blooming but the buds are just falling off. No telling what is going on with that right now, but willing to wait.

I also have cucumber blooms.
 

Fenika

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I am not getting enough produce. My celeriac takes forever, I get a few berries a day, if even. No peppers or tomatoes, or even brocolli! The snap peas are slowing down a little...

I may be fertilizing like mad this weekend :)
 

Fenika

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So I failed to mention I had a buch of not quite ready zucchini. When I got home I checked them, and then trimmed some old leaves and found one that was just ready, bloom about to fall off, and grabbed it. I baked it in the toaster oven and added garam masala. Nom.
 

aliwood

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I have some fruit growing out in the front garden, black currants, red currants and gooseberries. I haven't really managed to get the front sorted this year so the grass is elephants eye height, but yesterday I happened to spot that despite me, the fruit was growing anyway. I think I'd better get on to the front and clear a path to my fruit.
 

Fenika

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With all that fruit you should be out there daily, fighting back the wilds :)
 

Fenika

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Heh, that is a problem. I put four berries half way down my front slope, but they are still separated from the road by thick bushes.
 

stormie

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I'm a novice at this, since my husband, sister, and one of my sons usually tended to the yard and I just helped out. This year it has to be more on my shoulders, but I'm finding it very peaceful when I'm out there. I also love being the sole caretaker right now. No one to tell me I'm doing such-and-such wrong. :)

Anyway, our first jalepeno was ripe yesterday and it pretty much fell into my hand. I'll be using it tonight. And thanks to Fenika, I'm watering the plants in the evening at the roots and so far, so good. The tomato plants are sporting flowers.

This garden is the best we've had since our neighbors took down several trees that bordered it.
 

Fenika

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We need pics, Stormie :)

It is so hot, and I go to work before dawn, so 3 beds got watered yesterday afternoon and the last bed today. Some containers got watered both days. We went from high in the 70s and now it's in the 90s.
 

Shadowflame

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Yep hot here too. watering in the evening so the ground has plenty of time to soak everything up.

I'll have messes of greenbeans in a few weeks, along with tomatoes! :D

Squash is blooming though only male flowers so far. Many more blooms coming on. Peppers are showing buds along with cucumbers. My corn I guess is a fail (not enough sun) though they might surprise me.

The neighbor's cat has claimed my garden for his hunting territory. He sits out there most afternoons and keeps the birds and squirrels out of everything. For payment, I keep fresh water and a bit of kitty kibble out there for him.
 

Fenika

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Can anyone guess the story behind these tomatoes?

c03e07ae.jpg


:)