Author Topic: Planting / Growing your own 2018  (Read 94137 times)

Cgbg

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #150 on: March 28, 2018, 03:26:51 PM »
Yes- figs grow great here. Not on the coast or in the mountains but pretty much in the valley including Portland. Not fussy at all.

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #151 on: March 28, 2018, 05:57:38 PM »
I have fig envy - in my area you have to bury them.

Trifle

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #152 on: March 29, 2018, 02:08:55 AM »
I have fig envy - in my area you have to bury them.

Wow Frugal Lizard -- People are growing figs in Ontario?  I'm impressed that that works, even with the heroic burying measures.  The things you learn on the forum!

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #153 on: March 29, 2018, 04:30:08 AM »
There’s at least one fig variety (Chicago Hardy) that’s zone 5, and there are parts of Ontario as warm as zone 7 (e.g. right around Windsor).

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #154 on: March 29, 2018, 07:06:07 AM »
I have fig envy - in my area you have to bury them.

Wow Frugal Lizard -- People are growing figs in Ontario?  I'm impressed that that works, even with the heroic burying measures.  The things you learn on the forum!

There is a very large Italian community in Toronto who must have figs.  One of my uni friends would go to his friend's grandpa's place in October to help bury the fig trees.  They buried 6 trees every year and had a huge bounty of figs the following summer.  They did the dig around 2/3 of the root ball and lay them down in a trench - which they dug by hand.  The only redeeming thing about this task is that they dug in the same location year to year so it was easy digging?!? 
Other people keep them in pots and put them in the cold cellar.  I have long wish for a fig tree or three.  If I ever build a house, I will be designing it with an in ground cold cellar for root veggies and overwintering fig trees. 

Tris Prior

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #155 on: March 29, 2018, 08:35:49 AM »
DAMMIT! I am sitting here at work and just remembered that I forgot to turn on the grow light for my seedlings this morning before I left (overslept and rushing). I really need to put that thing on a timer. Do you guys think there's any hope that they won't all be dead when I come home? It is dark and grey out today so there will be no sunlight in the room that they're in.

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #156 on: March 29, 2018, 10:33:40 AM »
DAMMIT! I am sitting here at work and just remembered that I forgot to turn on the grow light for my seedlings this morning before I left (overslept and rushing). I really need to put that thing on a timer. Do you guys think there's any hope that they won't all be dead when I come home? It is dark and grey out today so there will be no sunlight in the room that they're in.

I doubt one day will hurt them too much. Timers are cheap, though :)

Cgbg

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #157 on: March 30, 2018, 08:36:06 AM »
Yeah I don’t think one day is going to hurt a thing. Probably not much growth but no real damage.

I did the same thing a month ago. Dh leaves about a half hour after I do and he noticed I hadn’t turned on the lights. He sent me a text after he got to work, letting me know he’d turned the light on. Um, lights? No, light. Well, one out of three isn’t bad I guess. No harm. I was starting peppers at the time so the heat mat didn’t turn on either. Oops. I should probably do the timer thing too.

My ground cherry seeds just popped up. I’d forgotten how tiny they are at germination.

sparkytheop

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #158 on: March 30, 2018, 10:04:53 AM »
My saffron is surviving me!  Hopefully, come fall, I'll have a small amount to harvest and I can plant more crocus bulbs in an area of the yard that is hard to get at with a lawn mower.  Next time I go to my parent's house, I should see how they are doing there.

I should buy my mom a fig tree...  We don't eat figs all that often, but would eat more if they were fresh off a tree at "home" rather than having to buy them. 

We did a lot of work on her garden, and my BIL got her leaves all tilled under (was able to get the tractor to till down 16 inches).  Her deal with the landscaper guy seemed to work out really well.  Out of yards and yards of leaves, there were only two bags that were mostly limbs (they went to the burn pile) and minimal garbage.  They broke down really well over the summer and hopefully will make the sandy soil much better at holding moisture.


Tris Prior

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #159 on: March 30, 2018, 02:09:44 PM »
Seedlings are all fine, hooray! But yeah, I have to get a timer anyway for when we go on vacation in a few weeks so I may as well put it on the grow light.


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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #160 on: March 30, 2018, 07:16:01 PM »
So many free seeds from the seed swap! I was greedy. I just cannot resist weird varieties I've never heard of. I do not have room for all of this. Tough choices must be made!

Have any of you grown the following tomato varieties:
Mr. Stripey
Litt'l Bites Cherry
Mystery Pink Brandywine
Inca Jewels
Martino's Roma
Nebraska Wedding

Also, any experience with Candy Cane red peppers? I don't know why I'm bothering starting peppers from seed as their yields are always low. I keep thinking that one of these years we're going to have one of those really hot summers and then the peppers will be happy.

Aww, yeah, Nebraska Wedding tomatoes are great for slicing fresh. My sister, a native Nebraskan, grew them for her wedding dinner caprese salads (she got married in Colorado).

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #161 on: March 31, 2018, 04:38:52 AM »
Have to share this meme here:

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #162 on: March 31, 2018, 06:42:29 AM »

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #163 on: March 31, 2018, 06:50:48 AM »
I have never grown onions from seed before so it has been fun watching these weird little seedlings come up. I am hoping that this thread has some plant nerds that would be interested in the kind of plant unique traits that I find so intriguing. 
Onions come up in an inverted u shape and then finally when they are about two inches high the growing point pops out of the soil and then a day or five later (a long time to me) they finally stand straight up with the seed shell on the top still.
« Last Edit: March 31, 2018, 01:50:53 PM by Frugal Lizard »

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #164 on: March 31, 2018, 06:58:35 AM »
I have never grown onions from seed before so it has been fun watching these weird little seedlings come up. I am hoping that this thread has some plant nerds that would be interested in the kind of plant unique traits that I find so intriguing. 
Onions come up in an inverted u shape and then finally when they are about two inches high the growing point pops out of the soil and then a day or five later (a long time to me) they finally stand straight up with the seed shell on the top still.

Yeah, when I first started gardening, I really wished seed packets had a picture of the seedling in cotyledon stage so you know what’s come up is what you planted.

Mezzie

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #165 on: March 31, 2018, 08:21:30 AM »
I have pumpkin, cilantro, strawberry, and basil sprouts. I HAD English Thyme, but it all disappeared overnight. Bugs?

I am impatiently awaiting all the other sprouts.

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #166 on: March 31, 2018, 01:53:05 PM »
Got myself warm despite the wind and cold working in my future garden. And popping into the greenhouse to water the little seedlings. 
I have made a little tent for the planter boxes because it is going to be really chilly overnight.

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #167 on: March 31, 2018, 02:16:06 PM »
I just potted up 32 New Guinea impatiens cuttings - hope they root (yes I used rooting hormone).  I also found some old mallow seeds and started them - 4 tiny babies up so far.

krmit

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #168 on: March 31, 2018, 09:11:31 PM »
Acquired and planted some horseradish roots this weekend, with some to spare for the kitchen! Super excited to see how they grow. I've only ever had the storebought stuff; can't wait to try it fresh.

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #169 on: April 01, 2018, 04:50:24 AM »
Acquired and planted some horseradish roots this weekend, with some to spare for the kitchen! Super excited to see how they grow. I've only ever had the storebought stuff; can't wait to try it fresh.

It’s stronger if I remember what my sister has told me from her experience. It’s also a pretty interesting looking plant.

Cgbg

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #170 on: April 01, 2018, 07:17:27 AM »
Horseradish has very nice leaves! My neighbor likes to harvest them to use on her tables at summer parties (I have enough plants going that I don’t mind her leaf harvesting at all.)

Grating fresh horseradish is best done under a vent hood with the fan on high. It’s that strong. Fresh horseradish sauce is incredibly tasty compared to the jarred stuff.

I find the plant is mildly invasive. I give it challenging growing conditions to keep it in check.

Jon_Snow

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #171 on: April 01, 2018, 08:40:47 AM »
I've started Journaling again and much of my garden exploits will be detailed there, but I'd also like to pop my head into this thread once in a while. I enjoy following all the different approaches to growing things in different locations and climates.

I freaking LOVE horseradish and have a corner of my garden set aside for it - I was told to do this because it can TAKE OVER. Sometimes I'll dig up a root, give it a rinse, and wander around the garden munching on it. DW just shakes her head. ;) I haven't yet got into large scale preserving of it, apart from a few jars here and there.

What can I say other than my garden is off to a great start this year....as symbolized by this beautiful little spinach....


Thegoblinchief

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #172 on: April 01, 2018, 10:39:23 AM »
Nice! Spinach is something I haven’t figured out here yet, haven’t tried it in a couple seasons though.

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #173 on: April 01, 2018, 04:44:14 PM »
"tomato blight" is a nebulous term, especially if it's attacking a seedling. Needknow a more specific disease.

Trifle

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #174 on: April 03, 2018, 04:57:35 AM »
We bench grafted 10 apple trees last night for the first time.  Very fun in a Dr. Frankenstein kind of way.  We did not have anyone to show us how, so thank god for Youtube.  :)  Although those guys make it look so easy, when it isn't quite. 

The 'babies' are resting in the garage now for a couple weeks following their surgeries.  I will let you all know if any of them take, and how many.

So yesterday we opened the container on the apple trees we grafted, and -- THEY'RE ALIVE!!!  All 10 show strong growth on the graft, which surpasses my wildest hopes.  This is the biggest gardening thrill I've ever gotten.

They're all potted out now, sitting in a sheltered location outside.  If they can make it til summer, from what I've read they should be good to go.  Live long and prosper little guys.

« Last Edit: April 03, 2018, 06:31:32 AM by Trifele »

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #175 on: April 03, 2018, 05:27:12 AM »
Nice!

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #176 on: April 03, 2018, 08:17:37 AM »
I'm in the high rockies of Colorado, and this year I am determined to make a garden work. My little town is really more "high desert" as it has a pretty low snowfall, and is very, very dry. We get a lot of Spring weather activity though, as we are close to the continental divide, and it could snow as late as June. I come from Louisiana, where you can pretty much throw anything in the ground and it will be amazing, so this has been a huge learning curve over the past 5 years.
What I've got going so far, all inside under grow lights still currently. I started everything from seed this year, which is new for me, but has been so fun to watch everything grow. I had about a 99% germination rate, which I'm stoked about!

- 12 San Marzano tomato seedlings
- 6 cherry tomato seedlings
- 2 trays of baby greens (I'm thinking of putting these outside soon, since they can handle a little cold)
- 1 tray of Sage
- 2 trays of Italian basil
- 1 tray of Thai basil
- 1 tray of oregano
- 1 tray of thyme
- 1 tray of cherry peppers
- 1 tray of jalepenos
- 1 tray of Rainbow Chard
- 2 trays of Lacinato Kale.
- 6 beautiful zucchini seedlings 

I'm also planning to sow directly into the ground some more baby greens, kale, rainbow chard (later) and spinach.

I just acquired 4 large rectangular wooden beds that will be perfect for the greens, herbs, etc. I've placed them on the south side of my house which gets TONS of sun, and is regularly 15 degrees warmer than the actual temperature outside. I also have a raised bed that I'm planning to put the zucchini, peppers, and whatever else I decide to plant later in the summer. The tomatoes of both varieties will be in big 5 gallon buckets, as I've read they do best there. I love the ability to bring them in the garage if we get a random late cold snap.
The biggest hurdle here besides the 40+ mph winds, the cold, the late snow, the dry air, etc haha...are our millions of town deer, who eat everything in site and jump any fence they see. I'm really hoping to out smart them this year, but that is definitely the thing I am most worried about!

Tris Prior

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #177 on: April 04, 2018, 07:59:33 AM »
It snowed overnight and I want to cry. Enough already!

But three of my peppers have finally sprouted indoors! Two sweet bananas and a "candy cane" pepper which I am excited to try.

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #178 on: April 04, 2018, 10:05:10 AM »
@mountain mustache  Please post plenty of updates on your garden! I LOVE the Colorado mountains and one of my fantasies is to relocate to a small mountain town in the Canadian Rockies, and I wonder about my ability to garden at altitude so am keenly interested in how your garden grows!

Here in the Canadian prairies, I'm heating water to sterilize my tomato pots before sowing new seeds (I'm trying to rid my garden of septoria leaf spot fungus). There's nothing like making plastic pot soup in the morning to make me feel like a proper eccentric!
  Love it.

Rural

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #179 on: April 04, 2018, 08:15:10 PM »
This year I’m growing flowers like a lady of leisure (the soil in husband’s grad school city is too contaminated to grow food, which is all I’ve ever grown before). It feels really weird. I may not grow any food other than herbs this year.

Trifle

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #180 on: April 05, 2018, 04:34:29 AM »
This year I’m growing flowers like a lady of leisure (the soil in husband’s grad school city is too contaminated to grow food, which is all I’ve ever grown before). It feels really weird. I may not grow any food other than herbs this year.

That sucks.  Do you know what it's contaminated with?  Could you do containers or raised beds?


Trifle

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #181 on: April 05, 2018, 07:38:52 AM »
I ordered 6 gooseberry bushes, coming next week.  And then I REALLY need to get off the fruit kick I am on and plant some damned vegetables.  :)

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #182 on: April 05, 2018, 07:54:29 AM »
I ordered 6 gooseberry bushes, coming next week.  And then I REALLY need to get off the fruit kick I am on and plant some damned vegetables.  :)

There's a u-pick here that does gooseberries. They're very similar to grapes, on the tart side but definitely no sugar needed for a ripe one. I have some here but none producing very well yet and have had some issues with insects defoliating them.

Tris Prior

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #183 on: April 05, 2018, 08:27:06 AM »
Can someone explain to me like I'm 5 years old how I'm supposed to be doing the early spring pruning of raspberry bushes? I have googled and read many articles but I can't seem to relate the instructions to how my bushes look. I see that I'm supposed to prune the old canes that bore fruit last year. I don't remember which ones bore fruit on the one bush, it was last July, so how can I tell which are the old canes? And what about the bush that didn't bear at all last year? Do I do anything to it?

I'm worried that they didn't make it through the winter; I see absolutely no new canes which, from these articles, it sounds like they should have? No signs of life at all. Maybe I killed them. :(

Tris Prior

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #184 on: April 05, 2018, 08:28:04 AM »
This year I’m growing flowers like a lady of leisure (the soil in husband’s grad school city is too contaminated to grow food, which is all I’ve ever grown before). It feels really weird. I may not grow any food other than herbs this year.

Do you have any space for containers or a raised bed? I live in an area where all the soil is pretty much contaminated so that's what I am doing for my vegetables.

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #185 on: April 05, 2018, 09:01:10 AM »
Can someone explain to me like I'm 5 years old how I'm supposed to be doing the early spring pruning of raspberry bushes? I have googled and read many articles but I can't seem to relate the instructions to how my bushes look. I see that I'm supposed to prune the old canes that bore fruit last year. I don't remember which ones bore fruit on the one bush, it was last July, so how can I tell which are the old canes? And what about the bush that didn't bear at all last year? Do I do anything to it?

I'm worried that they didn't make it through the winter; I see absolutely no new canes which, from these articles, it sounds like they should have? No signs of life at all. Maybe I killed them. :(

New canes don’t start growing until the plant is out of dormancy and raspberries are one of the later perennials to break dormancy.

Are your berries a floricane variety (one crop in summer on second year canes) or a primocane variety (these bear an additional fall crop on first year canes)?

The best/easiest practice in my book is to prune the second year canes after they are done bearing in the summer. Obviously you can’t do this right now. Second year canes will tend to have a darker/woodier bark and also be thicker. First year canes are a lighter/smoother tan color. Take out the thick, woody canes and leave the thinner canes unless the whole plant is really wild/overgrown in which case thin some of the younger canes too.

I hope that helps? If you’re still struggling maybe post a picture and I can draw arrows?

Trifle

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #186 on: April 05, 2018, 09:15:21 AM »
I ordered 6 gooseberry bushes, coming next week.  And then I REALLY need to get off the fruit kick I am on and plant some damned vegetables.  :)

There's a u-pick here that does gooseberries. They're very similar to grapes, on the tart side but definitely no sugar needed for a ripe one. I have some here but none producing very well yet and have had some issues with insects defoliating them.

Yep, I've grown them before with mixed results.  I just read that they are fairly finicky about ph, and they also are heavy feeders of potassium and magnesium.  That may be why I've only had blah results before.  This time around will be keeping an eye on these things.

Trifle

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #187 on: April 05, 2018, 09:17:33 AM »
Can someone explain to me like I'm 5 years old how I'm supposed to be doing the early spring pruning of raspberry bushes? I have googled and read many articles but I can't seem to relate the instructions to how my bushes look. I see that I'm supposed to prune the old canes that bore fruit last year. I don't remember which ones bore fruit on the one bush, it was last July, so how can I tell which are the old canes? And what about the bush that didn't bear at all last year? Do I do anything to it?

I'm worried that they didn't make it through the winter; I see absolutely no new canes which, from these articles, it sounds like they should have? No signs of life at all. Maybe I killed them. :(

New canes don’t start growing until the plant is out of dormancy and raspberries are one of the later perennials to break dormancy.

Are your berries a floricane variety (one crop in summer on second year canes) or a primocane variety (these bear an additional fall crop on first year canes)?

The best/easiest practice in my book is to prune the second year canes after they are done bearing in the summer. Obviously you can’t do this right now. Second year canes will tend to have a darker/woodier bark and also be thicker. First year canes are a lighter/smoother tan color. Take out the thick, woody canes and leave the thinner canes unless the whole plant is really wild/overgrown in which case thin some of the younger canes too.

I hope that helps? If you’re still struggling maybe post a picture and I can draw arrows?

X2 -- Exactly right.  I wouldn't do any pruning now unless you are 100% sure which canes are Year 1 and which ones are Year 2.  Best practice is to prune in fall when it is obvious, and take out all the Year 2 canes at that point. 

Edited to add:  I would not touch the bush that didn't bear last year; wait and see what it does this year.  It could just be waiting for 2nd year growth to flower/bear.
« Last Edit: April 05, 2018, 09:29:19 AM by Trifele »

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #188 on: April 05, 2018, 10:24:03 AM »
I ordered 6 gooseberry bushes, coming next week.  And then I REALLY need to get off the fruit kick I am on and plant some damned vegetables.  :)

There's a u-pick here that does gooseberries. They're very similar to grapes, on the tart side but definitely no sugar needed for a ripe one. I have some here but none producing very well yet and have had some issues with insects defoliating them.

Yep, I've grown them before with mixed results.  I just read that they are fairly finicky about ph, and they also are heavy feeders of potassium and magnesium.  That may be why I've only had blah results before.  This time around will be keeping an eye on these things.

Good to know. I hadn’t really done much research on them. I’m personally getting to the point with perennials that rather than my earlier desire to GROW ALL THE THINGS I’m letting high maintenance stuff atrophy out and just buy the fruit from orchards/farms, though so far raspberries have been very happy here, which is awesome since they’re one of the most expensive fruits to buy. Plus in my very limited space, some of the easiest perennial stuff to grow is valuable feed plants for my animals like comfrey and shrub willow (I’m planting a Cornell variety of willow this year specifically selected as a good livestock forage).

When you get some gooseberries, I really like a jam that’s 1/2 gooseberry and 1/2 raspberry. I’ve got a bunch of both kinds of berries in the freezer from last year waiting to be turned into this jam. No sugar if you don’t mind intense, a bit tart, or sweeten to taste. At least here gooseberries bear at the same time as the summer crop of raspberries, not sure if that stays the same in other climates.

Tris Prior

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #189 on: April 05, 2018, 10:39:57 AM »


New canes don’t start growing until the plant is out of dormancy and raspberries are one of the later perennials to break dormancy.

OK, good to know. I have a dwarf raspberry bush in my community garden (which I'm not allowed in until the end of the month). I've never seen it before late April, at which point it's generally growing back - and I've never done a damn thing to prune it. It bears well! But, these aren't dwarves, and I've no idea what the dwarf looks like right now. Maybe this is normal. Our winter wasn't THAT cold, as winters go here, maybe 2 weeks of below zero. But it seems to be lingering. :/

Are your berries a floricane variety (one crop in summer on second year canes) or a primocane variety (these bear an additional fall crop on first year canes)?

The best/easiest practice in my book is to prune the second year canes after they are done bearing in the summer. Obviously you can’t do this right now. Second year canes will tend to have a darker/woodier bark and also be thicker. First year canes are a lighter/smoother tan color. Take out the thick, woody canes and leave the thinner canes unless the whole plant is really wild/overgrown in which case thin some of the younger canes too.

I hope that helps? If you’re still struggling maybe post a picture and I can draw arrows?

I have a Canby - I just googled and it is floricane. It made raspberries in July last year and that was all. The other is a purple brandywine that did not bear at all. It's supposed to be everbearing. I will take a look and see whether I can tell the difference between the canes - on the Canby they all look thick to me, and the brandywine is basically just one big long cane - ??

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #190 on: April 05, 2018, 10:43:46 AM »
I may be able to help with a good picture. Do any of them still have flower/fruit deadheads? Many of mine have dead heads that stay on through winter, could be another way to tell the canes apart.

Trifle

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #191 on: April 05, 2018, 11:14:06 AM »
I ordered 6 gooseberry bushes, coming next week.  And then I REALLY need to get off the fruit kick I am on and plant some damned vegetables.  :)

There's a u-pick here that does gooseberries. They're very similar to grapes, on the tart side but definitely no sugar needed for a ripe one. I have some here but none producing very well yet and have had some issues with insects defoliating them.

Yep, I've grown them before with mixed results.  I just read that they are fairly finicky about ph, and they also are heavy feeders of potassium and magnesium.  That may be why I've only had blah results before.  This time around will be keeping an eye on these things.

Good to know. I hadn’t really done much research on them. I’m personally getting to the point with perennials that rather than my earlier desire to GROW ALL THE THINGS I’m letting high maintenance stuff atrophy out and just buy the fruit from orchards/farms, though so far raspberries have been very happy here, which is awesome since they’re one of the most expensive fruits to buy. Plus in my very limited space, some of the easiest perennial stuff to grow is valuable feed plants for my animals like comfrey and shrub willow (I’m planting a Cornell variety of willow this year specifically selected as a good livestock forage).

When you get some gooseberries, I really like a jam that’s 1/2 gooseberry and 1/2 raspberry. I’ve got a bunch of both kinds of berries in the freezer from last year waiting to be turned into this jam. No sugar if you don’t mind intense, a bit tart, or sweeten to taste. At least here gooseberries bear at the same time as the summer crop of raspberries, not sure if that stays the same in other climates.

Yes -- when I lived in Wisconsin I grew  gooseberries and raspberries near each other, and the gooseberries bore fruit just a tad earlier than the raspberries.  Always had great luck with raspberries -- super vigorous and productive -- while my gooseberries were sort of anemic.  Now I'm in a new area.  Raspberries are doing well here -- they are just happy-go-lucky plants I think.  We will see how the new gooseberries do! 

Gooseberry jam is the best!  I never heard of combining it with raspberry but that sounds yum.

Tris Prior

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #192 on: April 05, 2018, 11:19:46 AM »
I may be able to help with a good picture. Do any of them still have flower/fruit deadheads? Many of mine have dead heads that stay on through winter, could be another way to tell the canes apart.

I will take pix when I get a chance. thanks!

krmit

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #193 on: April 05, 2018, 11:20:21 AM »
My tomato starts are HUGE - I let spring fever get the better of me and sstarted seeds a few weeks too early.  I noticed a few flower buds forming on the largest one. Should I pinch off the buds? It's an indeterminate cherry tomato. Probably won't be able to harden them off for at least another 2-3 weeks.

Trifle

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #194 on: April 05, 2018, 11:31:56 AM »
Plus in my very limited space, some of the easiest perennial stuff to grow is valuable feed plants for my animals like comfrey and shrub willow (I’m planting a Cornell variety of willow this year specifically selected as a good livestock forage).

@furrychickens -- I had to google shrub willow, but I didn't see anything about it being used as feed.  It sounds like it is woody -- how does that work?

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #195 on: April 05, 2018, 01:42:58 PM »
Plus in my very limited space, some of the easiest perennial stuff to grow is valuable feed plants for my animals like comfrey and shrub willow (I’m planting a Cornell variety of willow this year specifically selected as a good livestock forage).

@furrychickens -- I had to google shrub willow, but I didn't see anything about it being used as feed.  It sounds like it is woody -- how does that work?

Lots of animals benefit from eating woody forages (goats being the big ones in terms of livestock, but sheep and cattle will definitely browse woody plants, and poultry will nab the leaves and more tender shoots). In my case, it’s mainly for the rabbits. The leaves have a protein and overall nutritional profile similar to alfalfa, and the bark has anti-parasitic properties. So it’s both food and medicine. Much like comfrey, which also is a high protein feed with medicinal benefits.

The specific variety I’m planting is SX61. My cuttings should arrive later this month.

Trifle

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #196 on: April 05, 2018, 01:46:19 PM »
Plus in my very limited space, some of the easiest perennial stuff to grow is valuable feed plants for my animals like comfrey and shrub willow (I’m planting a Cornell variety of willow this year specifically selected as a good livestock forage).

@furrychickens -- I had to google shrub willow, but I didn't see anything about it being used as feed.  It sounds like it is woody -- how does that work?

Lots of animals benefit from eating woody forages (goats being the big ones in terms of livestock, but sheep and cattle will definitely browse woody plants, and poultry will nab the leaves and more tender shoots). In my case, it’s mainly for the rabbits. The leaves have a protein and overall nutritional profile similar to alfalfa, and the bark has anti-parasitic properties. So it’s both food and medicine. Much like comfrey, which also is a high protein feed with medicinal benefits.

The specific variety I’m planting is SX61. My cuttings should arrive later this month.

Interesting!  Thanks

CodingHare

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #197 on: April 05, 2018, 08:05:25 PM »
Planted: 25 strawberries in a total of three containers.  May need to thin them out, but so far they are all happy looking.  *prays the squirrels leave them alone*

Also planted, our tiny Blueberry plant.  I put it in a large container to grow into as a container friendly plant.  I'm thinking about planting some companions because it is tiny and the pot can definitely sustain more than just the blueberry plant.  Maybe basil?

I'm trying to decide if I want to go all in and build a small squarefoot garden in the back yard.  If I take over the weedy/gravelly area where they were parking their boat, the plants would get full sun.  I'm just not sure if we'll be in this location enough years to make it worth it.  Decisions...  Still have most of the rest of April to decide since we're still getting frosts, although I've been setting aside egg cartons to start seeds in.

Thegoblinchief

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #198 on: April 06, 2018, 04:45:47 AM »
Planted: 25 strawberries in a total of three containers.  May need to thin them out, but so far they are all happy looking.  *prays the squirrels leave them alone*

Also planted, our tiny Blueberry plant.  I put it in a large container to grow into as a container friendly plant.  I'm thinking about planting some companions because it is tiny and the pot can definitely sustain more than just the blueberry plant.  Maybe basil?

I'm trying to decide if I want to go all in and build a small squarefoot garden in the back yard.  If I take over the weedy/gravelly area where they were parking their boat, the plants would get full sun.  I'm just not sure if we'll be in this location enough years to make it worth it.  Decisions...  Still have most of the rest of April to decide since we're still getting frosts, although I've been setting aside egg cartons to start seeds in.

Strawberries can vary a lot on spacing. It really depends on how much you want to let the runners fill in over time. I suck at growing them, so take with a grain of salt, but I think a good target spacing crown to crown is ~6” (this includes mature “daughter” crowns).

The trick with a companion for blueberries is finding something that likes the very low pH blueberries need. Most other edibles need a much more neutral pH. I’ve had decent luck growing some annual flowers like petunias next to my blueberries though.

Tris Prior

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Re: Planting / Growing your own 2018
« Reply #199 on: April 06, 2018, 09:25:43 AM »
My tomato starts are HUGE - I let spring fever get the better of me and sstarted seeds a few weeks too early.  I noticed a few flower buds forming on the largest one. Should I pinch off the buds? It's an indeterminate cherry tomato. Probably won't be able to harden them off for at least another 2-3 weeks.

I've done this before. At this point you want to channel the plant's energy into becoming a strong plant, not into making tomatoes.

I hear you on starting too early - I'm determined to wait a couple more weeks this year. It seems like if I start mine before late April, I end up with trees before it's warm enough to plant them out. My past 2 years have been like that!

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!