Author Topic: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020  (Read 61643 times)

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #700 on: September 26, 2020, 01:04:25 PM »
@RetiredAt63 the packaging recommended planting before October 15th and I have time this weekend....so that is why I was going to do it tomorrow. 

RetiredAt63

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #701 on: September 26, 2020, 02:06:38 PM »
@RetiredAt63 the packaging recommended planting before October 15th and I have time this weekend....so that is why I was going to do it tomorrow.

Aha, makes perfect sense.  I'm holding off, we can see how things turn out.  Or, we could be scientific, both plant half now and half late October.  Mine are tiny, I'm sure your bought ones are much larger.

Other thought, are yours soft neck or hard neck? Mine are hard neck, they do better in cold climates.

Rosy

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #702 on: September 26, 2020, 05:15:45 PM »
My coffee plant seeds arrived today!:)

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #703 on: September 26, 2020, 06:48:33 PM »
@RetiredAt63 the packaging recommended planting before October 15th and I have time this weekend....so that is why I was going to do it tomorrow.

Aha, makes perfect sense.  I'm holding off, we can see how things turn out.  Or, we could be scientific, both plant half now and half late October.  Mine are tiny, I'm sure your bought ones are much larger.

Other thought, are yours soft neck or hard neck? Mine are hard neck, they do better in cold climates.
No idea - I think it is called music...I am not so good at being scientific.....I would probably forget to plant the second batch!

RetiredAt63

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #704 on: September 27, 2020, 06:56:14 AM »
@RetiredAt63 the packaging recommended planting before October 15th and I have time this weekend....so that is why I was going to do it tomorrow.

Aha, makes perfect sense.  I'm holding off, we can see how things turn out.  Or, we could be scientific, both plant half now and half late October.  Mine are tiny, I'm sure your bought ones are much larger.

Other thought, are yours soft neck or hard neck? Mine are hard neck, they do better in cold climates.
No idea - I think it is called music...I am not so good at being scientific.....I would probably forget to plant the second batch!

Music is a hard neck. 

I can be scientific for both of us if you want to try it.   You plant 1/2 now, I'll plant 1/2 soon as I have the spot ready.  Then when I  plant the second half I remind you.

Of course it's a lot easier to plant all at once, no gaps, no overlap.

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #705 on: September 27, 2020, 02:56:00 PM »
Oops...I was on a roll and planted it all.  I have a lot going on and can't be certain I would get it in by the 15th as recommended by William Dam.

I planted all three kgs.  Soil is so dry.  Very little rain forecast.

RetiredAt63

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #706 on: September 27, 2020, 05:59:55 PM »
Oops...I was on a roll and planted it all.  I have a lot going on and can't be certain I would get it in by the 15th as recommended by William Dam.

I planted all three kgs.  Soil is so dry.  Very little rain forecast.

3 kg, that is a LOT!  I have 6 tiny bulbs with about 2 cloves each.   They really didn't like the pot.

They are dormant now, they will get going once the rains come.

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #707 on: September 27, 2020, 06:50:52 PM »
Oops...I was on a roll and planted it all.  I have a lot going on and can't be certain I would get it in by the 15th as recommended by William Dam.

I planted all three kgs.  Soil is so dry.  Very little rain forecast.

3 kg, that is a LOT!  I have 6 tiny bulbs with about 2 cloves each.   They really didn't like the pot.

They are dormant now, they will get going once the rains come.
half is for me and half for my neighbour who owns the land of my in town garden. 

I planted way too many potatoes.  I dug about 50 pounds today and that is probably only a fifth of what I grew.  Lots of long rows still to dig. They are huge potatoes this year.

Trifle

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #708 on: September 28, 2020, 05:21:37 AM »
Oops...I was on a roll and planted it all.  I have a lot going on and can't be certain I would get it in by the 15th as recommended by William Dam.

I planted all three kgs.  Soil is so dry.  Very little rain forecast.

3 kg, that is a LOT!  I have 6 tiny bulbs with about 2 cloves each.   They really didn't like the pot.

They are dormant now, they will get going once the rains come.
half is for me and half for my neighbour who owns the land of my in town garden. 

I planted way too many potatoes.  I dug about 50 pounds today and that is probably only a fifth of what I grew.  Lots of long rows still to dig. They are huge potatoes this year.

Wow that’s a lot of potatoes @Frugal Lizard!  Fabulous.  If you can’t eat them all yourself, maybe a local food bank that takes farm produce donations?

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #709 on: September 28, 2020, 07:06:36 AM »
@Trifele - I have three brothers with families and the family on whose land most of the food grows, is six in size, but I truly think I was way too ambitious. Yesterday I gave my stepmom, her mom, her brother, their friend and my stepbrother bags of potatoes.  And two neighbours.  So that took care of about 12 pounds!  I took a picture of my three year old nephew holding one of the larger potatoes and it is almost as big as his head.

I do have a food pantry I have been donating to all summer whenever the harvest allows.  They are thrilled. Two weeks ago, all the tomatoes went off happily to them. 
Also I have been "selling" to the neighbours and then donating the cash to the food pantry.  So far the cash collection has been $110 dollars for the beans, greens and tomatillos.

I also grew over 100 pounds of squash.  I want to store the correct amount!  I want to try making some squash leather with my dehydrator


Trifle

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #710 on: September 28, 2020, 07:48:36 AM »
Wow your production is amazing @Frugal Lizard!  Very impressive.

RetiredAt63

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #711 on: September 29, 2020, 10:43:33 AM »
Oops...I was on a roll and planted it all.  I have a lot going on and can't be certain I would get it in by the 15th as recommended by William Dam.

I planted all three kgs.  Soil is so dry.  Very little rain forecast.

@Frugal Lizard    How many bulbs/cloves is 3 kg?  I'm  looking at my garlic (several varieties) and thinking most weeds I small it will take 2 years to get them back to a good size.  So I'm going to order from William Dam today.  I'd like 15-20 cloves, which means 3-4 bulbs if each bulb has about 5 cloves.

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #712 on: September 29, 2020, 10:59:31 AM »
Oops...I was on a roll and planted it all.  I have a lot going on and can't be certain I would get it in by the 15th as recommended by William Dam.

I planted all three kgs.  Soil is so dry.  Very little rain forecast.

@Frugal Lizard    How many bulbs/cloves is 3 kg?  I'm  looking at my garlic (several varieties) and thinking most weeds I small it will take 2 years to get them back to a good size.  So I'm going to order from William Dam today.  I'd like 15-20 cloves, which means 3-4 bulbs if each bulb has about 5 cloves.
One kilo had at least 24 bulbs.  The bulbs ranged from in size, but some had six-seven cloves.  Some had four huge cloves.  The bag was about four cups of cloves once they were all separated.

RetiredAt63

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #713 on: September 29, 2020, 07:56:04 PM »
Oops...I was on a roll and planted it all.  I have a lot going on and can't be certain I would get it in by the 15th as recommended by William Dam.

I planted all three kgs.  Soil is so dry.  Very little rain forecast.

@Frugal Lizard    How many bulbs/cloves is 3 kg?  I'm  looking at my garlic (several varieties) and thinking most weeds I small it will take 2 years to get them back to a good size.  So I'm going to order from William Dam today.  I'd like 15-20 cloves, which means 3-4 bulbs if each bulb has about 5 cloves.
One kilo had at least 24 bulbs.  The bulbs ranged from in size, but some had six-seven cloves.  Some had four huge cloves.  The bag was about four cups of cloves once they were all separated.

Thanks, that is really useful.

I gave away quite a bit of my garlic harvest last year.  Not sure if that will happen this year, who knows with Covid.  But planting more is better than not planting enough, so 500 gms is the order.

Rosy

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #714 on: September 29, 2020, 09:53:02 PM »
@Frugal Lizard - you are my new hero. Feeding people is awesome. You garden is unbelievably productive.
Not only are you blessed but you are a blessing to many:).

For 2020/2021 I've decided to keep developing the new garden area into a food forest aka tropical garden with permaculture influences. 

New this fall.....
SWEET CHERRIES:) - yay!
Cherry of the Rio Grande Eugenia Involucrata aggregata
White blooms, dark(ish) red cherries. Columnar -10-20ft
At this point I don't care what shape or size they are I am just happy to find cherries that might survive and thrive in our climate, especially since the apples failed.

COFFEE ARABICA
I bit the bullet and ordered three coffee plantlings. I also have seeds but they take 60-90 days...
We'll see. I would have done this years ago if I had only known that you can grow coffee in my region. 

GINGER
1. Common Ginger - for cooking and tea.
To fill in spaces in the back as an understory plant - so it can spread and be easily harvested.

2. Yellow Turmeric Ginger
For that tropical garden feel. Beautiful and scented - who can resist?
"Scented", "white" flowers and tropical foliage, the rhizomes are a staple in Indian cuisine so I might try them once I have a nice patch.


3. Shampoo Ginger - Zingiber Zerumbet
I had to have this one the minute I found out it existed.
Yes, it is instant shampoo and conditioner.
Paul Mitchell made it famous - it is used in his Awapuhi Shampoo.


A preppers deam plant:) - It has several medicinal uses, good for your skin and no, you can't eat this ginger, but it is used as perfume in some products.
It smells nice, looks pretty and is a trouble free, spreading tropical - will do well under the bananas.
My kinda plant, it is useful, takes care of itself and is perennial.

4. Adding a different BANANA
That will give me three different bananas and one freebie banana pup already almost five ft high.

5. ORNAMENTAL - TROPICALS
Love-in-a-Mist Passionflower Vine - what's not to love?:).


There is no way I could resist this scented beauty once I saw it, besides I needed something to cover my new double garden arch.
Strictly speaking this one also has edible fruit too, but it is being grown for it's scent and its beauty, so I will leave the fruit for the birds.

HELICONIA - for that tropical look.
I only bought one - we'll see how it does. I've tried years ago but none ever survived the hot summers.
Maybe this new garden area is better suited to them in a partially shaded area.
https://i.etsystatic.com/5812231/r/il/86aa4c/997214309/il_794xN.997214309_9n43.jpg

LOBSTER CLAW - I have several already in other areas of the garden, so I'll just be moving a couple, this stuff can become invasive.
Anyway - it is a freebie and in the right spot it is a beauty to behold.


FINAL TREE DECISIONS
I wanted something evergreen, easy no care:) with cool tropical blooms. These are the last two additions, I'm officially out of space.
That means I ended up with

PRODUCTIVE
Papayas (3), Bananas (3), Blackberry Jam bushes (2), Cherries (2), Moringa (1), Florida Cranberry (2), Elderberry (2-4), Avocado (1), coffee bushes (3)

ORNAMENTAL - new this fall
WHITE POWDERPUFF - soft like a kitten:)
I am so excited I finally found a white one. We have two 'red' powderpuffs in other parts of the garden. So I know they are easy care once established and they bloom practically all year long - even in the winter.
The leaves are so feathery and airy and it stays a small tree that is easy to shape if you wish.


PRIDE OF BARBADOS - a rare beauty, gorgeous blooms in a great rose color fringed with a creamy vanilla. Small tree/bush.
I had to settle for seeds, could not find a plant anywhere. I searched for this one specific color ever since I spotted it at the Ford Estate botanical garden in Ft. Myers fifteen years ago.
More about that later.

VEGETABLE
I've wanted Egyptian Walking Onions like forever - the bulbs arrived yesterday, to be planted tomorrow.
They look so cool - hopefully they will do fine in our climate.

It is time for choosing which seeds to plant. I changed my mind a million times already.
All I know is I have more seed packets than space:).

So there you go - moving right along with fall gardening.
I'm out of space and out of budget, except for hardscape and maintenance.

Rosy

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #715 on: September 30, 2020, 07:53:47 AM »
First signs of fall this morning - it is, wait for it! - only 70 degrees at almost ten a.m. and will only get up to 80 today and tomorrow.
Cooler, drier air - Northwind.
Even better, last night we had rain come through! We can open all the windows in the house this morning.

Of course it will not last, but maybe it will last until this weekend, before the heat and humidity returns.
For now - life is good, it is a pleasure to work in the garden:).

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #716 on: September 30, 2020, 08:18:10 AM »
@Rosy - you make me blush.  I am indeed blessed in so many ways.  Gardening has been my solace through PTSD symptoms and deep grief. Harvests are a byproduct of caring for my mental health.  I am fortunate to have this outlet.

Those tropical plants are so very gorgeous.  I love sour cherries but it is too cold here.  I love the vicarious gardening! 
« Last Edit: September 30, 2020, 08:20:02 AM by Frugal Lizard »

RetiredAt63

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #717 on: September 30, 2020, 09:25:38 AM »
@Rosy - you make me blush.  I am indeed blessed in so many ways.  Gardening has been my solace through PTSD symptoms and deep grief. Harvests are a byproduct of caring for my mental health.  I am fortunate to have this outlet.

Those tropical plants are so very gorgeous. I love sour cherries but it is too cold here.  I love the vicarious gardening!

Sour cherries are hardier than sweet cherries.  I had sour cherries in zone 4a,and some of the newer varieties are pretty sweet (Romeo and Juliet, for example).  Maybe there is more than one kind of sour cherry? 

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #718 on: September 30, 2020, 12:17:46 PM »
The trees seem to be ok but they always seem to blossom when it is too cold and fruit doesn't seem to develop.

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #719 on: September 30, 2020, 01:23:39 PM »
The trees seem to be ok but they always seem to blossom when it is too cold and fruit doesn't seem to develop.

They are hardier than the bees, I guess.

Actually honey bees are special snowflakes at times.  You need these:

https://www.natureconservancy.ca/en/what-we-do/resource-centre/featured-species/insects-and-spiders/blue-orchard-mason-bee.html

You are warm enough that you can grow sweet cherries.  I was in too cold an area for them.  I definitely lost more cherries to birds (and the odd raccoon) than I did to failure to pollinate.  I did lose more apples to failure to pollinate, but that was just in years that nothing that bloomed early got pollinated due to long cold wet springs.

Rosy

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #720 on: September 30, 2020, 04:20:15 PM »
I love the sweet, dark cherries but the few tropical cherries that grow here are all tart.
So I'm hoping the Rio Grande cherries will do fine and survive the summer heat especially if I put them in the ground now.

Pics from this morning of our two
PRIDE OF BARBADOS
This is the orange variety - we love it. We planted one on each side of the Royal Poinciana Tree.

One of many blooms on the baby plant I planted this spring - grown from the seed of the mother plant last year.
It is already about three feet tall and full of blooms. I'm thinking of selling or trading some of my seeds.



To give you some context - this is the mature bush or small tree up to 10-12 feet.
About 10 or 15 years old.
I cut it back drastically in February, because it was growing wider and taller than we wanted.



It is a butterfly magnet.
A Gulf Fritillary stopped by this morning. I've counted at least ten different varieties of butterflies if not more.
We have more Monarchs this year than ever before.



They do get blousy looking blooms around this time of year and they start setting lots of seed pods.
We love the exuberant bright colors of the orange variety but the pink/rose/magenta looks like a completely different species,
more elegant and fragile somehow.
I started the seeds for the pink variety with vanilla cream fringes today - I tried two different methods - wish me luck.

This is a difficult plant to photograph and do it justice. A few years ago I made a project out of
capturing as many different butterflies on the blooms as possible.



Enjoy your fall gardening everyone!

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #721 on: October 01, 2020, 12:36:08 PM »
those are gorgeous

I picked enough beans to shell and make a minestone soup with.  I shelled them during a lunch break.

I have a sweet cherry in a bush form, but so far (four years) haven't gotten a fruit set.  In fact, none of the fruit trees I have planted have yielded any pears, plums or nectarines.  The nectarines died in fact.
I am ever hopeful though....

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #722 on: October 01, 2020, 03:28:48 PM »
Gorgeous pictures @Rosy!   Surreal!

@Frugal Lizard, sorry if I missed it but do you grow apples?  I would think your location would be good for those?  I used to live in Upstate NY, and they did really well there. 

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #723 on: October 01, 2020, 05:51:15 PM »
Kudos to William Dam Seed and Canada Post . I ordered my garlic online the evening of September 29 and it arrived today.  Now I know why shipping was expensive, it was Priority Post. 

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #724 on: October 02, 2020, 01:20:12 PM »
Okay, I need some help! We have two raised garden beds and they are galvanized cattle water troughs. Quite large and perfect to grow my tomatoes. I plant marigolds around them to keep bugs away and it seems to work. This summer was hellish hot and we had weeks and weeks of 90+ temperatures. We watered and watered and due to the galvanized containers getting super hot and the hot weather, the soil always seemed dry. We have a well so we try to be frugal. Plus, this summer we had a drought and it barely rained.

I am been thinking and thinking on how we can prepare the beds next spring so we can keep the soil moist but be as frugal as we can be with the water. We use potting mix and peet moss mixed together in the planters now. Each year, we dig about half of the soil out of the beds and replace it with fresh. To keep more moisture in the beds, I am thinking of adding lots of newspapers and or cardboard sheets. Then poke holes in the cardboard, cover with the new potting mix and peet moss. However, not sure if that will keep it moist enough.

I was also thinking about buying baby diapers and using them to line the bottom of the beds but read that the beads that collect moisture are not good or safe in the soil.

Then I even had a crazier idea to buy lots of sponges to line the bottom of the beds.

So, does anyone have a tried and true moisture idea?

I don't think the hub will go for a drip irrigation thing. It is all I can do to get him interested in gardening. That is another story. His father made him pull weeds every single summer as a kid, day after day.

Rosy

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #725 on: October 02, 2020, 03:40:01 PM »
Egyptian Walking Onions - planted twelve bulblets - most in the ground, four in a planter together with the Mesclun Lettuce Mix.
Really enjoyed watching this youtube garden lady - all enthusiastic about her Egyptian Walking Onions - entertaining how-to.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YASVTIZ4_8M

Lettuce - Mesclun Mix - 2 small plant boxes
Lettuce - Paris Island Cos (Heirloom) - One small planter box
Both seed packs were freebies I got with online orders - now all I need to get is some Buttercrunch and Endive.

More weeding and composting... - cleared:) a walkway that was chock full of self seeded cosmos - up to seven feet tall.
Sorted all my seeds - soaking four sets later today.

@Roadrunner53 - I'm thinking insulation is your best bet to offset the heat from the metal. Along the sides of your container - anything you can get your hands on - packing peanuts or pieces of styrofoam from packaging.
Florida is hot in the summer so I use moisture soil in my pots and a good layer of leaves at the bottom - sort of a combination of built-in compost but the leaves do a good job of holding on to the moisture and preventing the water to run out. You can also place a piece of terracotta in the holes of the bottom to keep the water in. Cardboard might help at the bottom, but it actually deteriorates quicker than the leaves.

As far as the water there are a few age old tricks used around the world - unglazed terracotta container filled with water set into your bed or container - it releases the water slowly through evaporation because it is unglazed.
Even those pretty glass water globes that you stick into your pots work.
Tomatoes are water hogs in my opinion so I do mulch generously with leaves both on the top and the bottom.   

I'm wiped out. The only other thing I'm doing today is trying out a new recipe for a pear dessert.
Easy and quick - Caramelized Pears served hot w/Vanilla Ice Cream. https://www.marthastewart.com/925572/caramelized-pears#reviewSection
One of Mr. R's co-worker gave us a batch of pears from his dad's garden.

We've been sharing our avocadoes...


Trifle

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #726 on: October 03, 2020, 04:03:24 AM »
@Roadrunner53 -- I've dealt with big containers of tomatoes in hot weather, and what works for me is to (1) makes sure it's sitting right on the ground (so it can act as a heat sink) (2) put some rotten wood in the bottom as a water reservoir -- it absorbs like crazy and soil microbes love it, and most importantly (3) mulch the hell out of the soil surface with leaves or straw. Like 5 or 6 inches deep covering the whole surface.   Keep the mulch a few inches from the stems themselves, but cover everything else tightly. 

Tomatoes like cool roots, so that soil mulching is really critical.  It's insulation that is keeping the temperature down and the moisture up in the soil below. 

Rosy

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #727 on: October 06, 2020, 05:48:10 PM »
Ugh, the heat and humidity is back with a vengeance.
Regardless fall gardening will continue to commence - took advantage of three rainy, overcast days.

Planted all my kitchen windowsill babies - it looks strangely bare now:).
Rosemary cutting, just in time, since all my Rosemary's died, they only last about five years or less.
African Blue Basil - starting one more plant/big bush - it's not like I don't already have seven giant bushes of it:), all five that I planted in the spring survived and thrived - the bees love it and it smells oh so good. Oh and yes, I do cook with it.
Rue - this was an experiment, but it grew roots in water (wrapped in a papertowel in a spice jar). This spring I purchased a live plant and it liked it's spot, partly shady. So this summer I cut the flowering part and voila, it worked.
Next year I'll see if it selfseeds - but I just didn't want to spend another $5.95 for one little herb that isn't noticeable in my big garden - hopefully it will survive, maybe I should have planted it in a pot first.

MYSTERY PLANT
It showed up in my garden one day in a flowerpot under the oak tree - birds maybe? I called it my mystery plant and I'm so glad I waited for it to grow, curious to see what it would turn out to be.
It has lovely blooms on sturdy tall spikes, blooms for almost three months. Over the years I've divided the clumps thinking it was a lily or an iris.
I shared it with my garden friends.
We all love it and it was easy to grow - leave it alone, fertilize when you think of it and water during the heat of the summer.

Mystery solved - it is a NUN'S CAP ORCHID
The exciting part is that I just learned on youtube that you can cut the stalks into sections and get several new plants from the flower stalk once it is done blooming. Wow - I'm definitely propagating that way.
Too late for this year though since they already turned black - I cut them this afternoon. You can even propagate from seeds which might be how I ended up with mine - thanks to the birds.
For now I am dividing my 18-inch big pot into half, maybe even thirds. Gorgeous freebies.

It looks like this - when all the spikes are in bloom.
But what I really appreciate is that it has good size green tropical looking leaves all year long.
It always looks good - in bloom or not. (Sorry, the pics of the blooms are on my phone and I haven't figured out how to upload pics from my phone)


Here is what is what my orchid looks like when it is not in bloom. Shot today.
The leaves show a little stress from the summer heat.
But fertilizer, water and some TLC will perk it right back up.

Easy care plant - evergreen - gorgeous flowers - it doesn't get better than that.


...and yup, the lettuce I planted four days ago all showed up already - thanks to the reprieve we had in the weather no doubt.
LETTUCE MESCLUN - two window boxes. Mr. R's fav.
LETTUCE - Parris Island Cos - One window box and mixed in a planter with Egyptian Walking Onions.
EGYPTIAN WALKING ONIONS - yup, I can see the green shoots, a couple are two inches already - trying in two different garden areas.
I really want some celery - it does so well here and is so versatile. Hoping to just get some six-packs locally.

Several of the online plants arrived today but it is still too hot, so they will all have to be transplanted from two and four-inch pots to six-inch pots or larger until they've acclimated and have a stronger, better root system.
Ginger/Tumeric roots arrived, I will plant those in the ground tomorrow.

I'm excited about my new dwarf banana. I thought I had one, but oops, I ordered a dwarf plaintain instead. It grew well since Spring and we are happy to have a plaintain since we both love them. Happy accidents ...:).
My one big banana just started a second pup - the first pup is already almost six foot and looking happy.

We'll see how it goes tomorrow. I do have garden help from Mr. R. come Friday thank goodness - I need to get our Potager in shape.
It is a hot mess right now.

horsepoor

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #728 on: October 06, 2020, 09:24:07 PM »
Rosy, your photos are gorgeous, especially the orchid!  Such a different gardening environment from Idaho, it's fascinating to read about. :)

What I'm lacking in tomatoes this year is being made up in hot peppers.  There are plenty more where these came from, including some other wicked-looking habanero type that hasn't ripened yet.  I'm hoping to get more of the lemon drop peppers, because they make a delightful fresh-tasting hot sauce.  The chocolate habaneros will go in the freezer and be used one by one to make blistering hot pots of chili into the forseeable future.


Trifle

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #729 on: October 07, 2020, 07:06:23 AM »
Wow @horsepoor !  That photo is so pretty.  A work of art.   

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #730 on: October 07, 2020, 07:42:07 AM »
Gorgeous!  @horsepoor and @Rosy

Last night's supper was a harvest feast of:
bean casserole made with shelled purple pole beans, onion, tomato, garlic and basil with some slices of chicken from a mystery container in the freezer
steamed beet greens with my maple syrup and garlic
roasted heirloom carrots and yellow beets.

Very colourful and tasty.  The carrot harvest turned out ok unless you consider that I sowed four times and use nearly five packets of seed.  I think three packets of beet seed generated three beets - I kept sowing and sowing and getting the measliest germination and then the plants do nothing.  Hopefully the second to last planting will plump up into something.  They are currently hidden from view under floating row covers.

For lunch yesterday I had a little salad with the first red bell pepper this year.  Hopefully the green house is warm enough that the rest of them ripen. 


DeniseNJ

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #731 on: October 07, 2020, 08:21:28 AM »
I've got lettuces, spinaches, and mustard greens, growing in a big shoe box on the balcony.  Also, my strawberries are still producing.  I've got beet greens and radish greens growing from scraps.  And my broccoli seeds for sprouts are coming in the mail today!  So excited to grow sprouts.  I'm mostly doing microgreens since I don't have tons of room.  Thinking of doing a lemon tree indoors too.  I bought a growlight.

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #732 on: October 15, 2020, 06:57:26 AM »
DD and I have spent the last three evening shelling beans.  I really wanted to harvest enough black beans to store a full winter's supply.  So I saved a cup of seed (I think it started as a full cup of fresh juicy seed) and planted the whole supply out in my farm garden.  The soil is beautiful out there.  Full sun.  Barely enough rain.  The plants grew twice as tall as they do in my city garden.  I pulled them last Friday.  Monday morning DD and I picked 3/4 of the pods off the plants.  Some of the plants had over 30 plump pods.  About five times what the yield was last year.  Needless to say - I have way too many beans.  But I have to say, I like having something to do with my hands while I watch shows.  And my brain is too tired to do anything else at the end of the day. 

I have saved two cups of seed - 1/2c for me and the rest for the seed library.  Everyone in my family is getting a jar of dried black beans for Christmas. 

Trifle

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #733 on: October 16, 2020, 03:20:50 AM »
I love hearing about your beans @Frugal Lizard -- what a great harvest!  They're so satisfying to grow. 

I came across this big guy (gal?) while picking peas yesterday.  What a beauty!  Almost five inches long.  I've been seeing a lot of praying mantises in the garden, so hopefully I'll be seeing some egg sacks, and lots of babies next year.
« Last Edit: October 16, 2020, 03:22:22 AM by Trifele »

Rosy

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #734 on: October 19, 2020, 03:02:33 PM »
ALMOST THERE ...:)!
FOUNTAIN IDEAS - PROJECTS
I have been looking at low budget fountain ideas for a while. This is the year I hope to make three different water sources with wildlife in mind. I also want/need to do some maintenance and spruce up the ancient, hopefully salvageable, one big fountain we already own. I really wish I hadn't cheaped out on that fountain, I should have gone with concrete, expense be damned because we are always in the garden and it is in a prominent spot.
Surprisingly it still works but I doubt it will survive another storm or next year for that matter.

The first fountain is 'almost' assembled
from an old pedestal (from a small fountain that was destroyed by the avocado torpedos falling off our 30 foot Avacado tree).
For the top fountain bowl, I'm using a low but wide planter.
The pedestal has plenty of that "old garden - been there forever appeal' and will work famously since it has all the openings and notched exit point for the electric cord at the base already.
This wide, low planter had fissure break lines which we fixed this weekend, but we didn't close the hole in the bottom since I wasn't quite sure yet how it would ultimately be put together - I was considering other alternatives until this morning I discovered the old pedestal and VOILA:).

Yesterday amazon delivered the pump I scored on prime day. I'll post a pic once it is all placed and functional.

CONUNDRUM
I'm still mulling over the construction of the second fountain. This is one of those projects I'd really like to complete before I die.
The problem is that it uses a 4x4 or 6x6 square lumber pole (the design calls for three copper spouts-V-shaped copper sheets - on top of each other - mounted on this pole - water flowing into a basin below) - nice and simple and attractive - a rustic look) BUT no way can I use wood in humid Florida it might not even last the season before the termites and the humidity destroy it.
The trouble is using different materials totally changes the look and the vibe.

POSSIBILITY ONE
I'm contemplating going contemporary-Meditteranean-Mexican by using half-size concrete blocks - stacking them to the desired height and perhaps stuccoing them and/or either using my tile collection as a unique design element or use my collection of mosaic tiles.
If I did that I could still use some old weirdo shape pieces of copper we already have as (mismatched) spouts.

OPTION TWO
The other idea I have would be more funky - colorful - artsy-whimsical ... using a leftover white six-inch or so PVC plumbing pipe that I already have.
Paint it in wild tropical colors, possibly up the ante by gluing on some rocks or other shiny objects for fun.
I could use up my second shorter piece of white PVC plumbing pipe as the waterfall spouts (you know slice the pipe in half and let the water drip from it).
I'm definitely giving a version of this a go - making something beautiful, fun, and unexpected out of stuff I already have is so utterly satisfying.
I could use an old pot as the basin in the ground and I think we have enough chicken wire stashed somewhere to use as a leaf filter.

Now I wish I had ordered two pumps, but I do have an old pump that might work, which would only require new tubing and some cleanup. May go for a new pump anyway because the old one doesn't have enough oomph to pump the six-seven feet I need for this project - it barely did OK for three feet.
Maybe I can come up with an idea for a small, scrappy fountain using that old pump - maybe something with rocks and rusty tools or car parts?   

Anyway - don't mind me I'm just thinking out loud.

I plan to build three fountains for under one hundred and be surrounded by the sound of splashing water.
I'm dreaming - drooling - of a large stone rectangle filled with water graced by a water lily - built to seating height so I can sit there and draw my hands through the water... dreaming on...

This is what happens when you are a passionate gardener and watch too many youtube vids.

PLANTINGS
Progressing nicely - I even managed to keep a (rooted) rose cutting alive and thriving so far.
Besides one plant - Australian Mint Bush with lovely purple flowers that seems to love our heat, five more Egyptian Onions, and one Heliconia rhizome -everything is either potted or planted.

FAILURE
I think I may have killed the cherry cuttings, with luck I might save one.
Apparently growing things from cuttings is not my thing.

CRAZY SEEDLINGS
The craziest thing happened, my Zinnias grew seedlings themselves - right in the seed pod still on the plant.
I couldn't believe my eyes, it happened while we had three days of drizzling rain, overcast - green seedlings EMERGING FROM INSIDE THE POD!
So I cut them off and scooped up the seed pods into pots and after two weeks they are ready to go into a permanent pot - most will go into the ground.
Sometime this week...

PROJECTS - ARCH - MOCK-GATES - TRELLIS
Today I am seeding highly scented old-fashioned sweet peas into the ground and some in pots too, to climb around the arch Mr. R. moved from another part of the garden yesterday. This arch is the iron skeleton of an old indoor bookcase - those rattan ones with glass shelves from the sixties - it has held up in my garden for at least fifteen years - one repair and many coats of paint.
Thanks to my neighbor I have plenty of clips to hold it into the ground. Now I need to find the chickenwire to attach to the frame to help them climb.

THE ARCH LOOKED LONELY
SO - I have two narrow gothic arch trellis (from an old room divider tryptic) that I am using as an "open gate illusion" on either side of the arch - for more sweet peas of course:).
 
Funny how doing nothing but seeding a packet of sweet peas can turn into a full-fledged garden project.
Oh and well, there was the small matter of enlarging the entry and path, but it is done and looks good - so onward to the next project.
... and we decorated the house and premises for Halloween!

AMARANTH - seeds
One for a stunningly beautiful tropical-looking big bush with amazing red foliage and red striking blooms which grows well in colder climates too, because I spotted it on a visit to Germany.
The other looks like Coleus with green leaves marked with red - edible leaves that can be eaten raw in salads or cooked like spinach, an evergreen veggie.
Very excited to see how these two work out in my garden.
It took me forever to track down the "Carmencita" Amaranth, I saw it once and fell in love - five years ago. The other is an Heirloom rare seed (Baker Creek?) I'd never heard of - but I think it will look great in the salad bed and in the landscape - we'll see.

Still working on the POTAGER.
Mostly herbs, veggies, flowers - all in pots.
Right now I'm still cleaning up the mess from summer - weeding, repairing, cleaning, organizing, and deciding on this year's final plantings which are changing by the minute as always.

I'm only about 25% done and then it is on to Party Central and the Secret Garden.
The Secret Garden has one major project that I've been avoiding - taking down a huge Bougainvillea. UGH

The Front Yard has to happen somewhere in between mostly alongside other projects.
The new Tropical Garden remains an ongoing experiment - most of my projects will happen there.

Then there is the true Backyard which needs hardscape - professional hardscape that we can't handle.
Difficult to find a good contractor since the pandemic they are all in-demand non-stop - everyone wants a nice backyard:).

So it goes...
... there was an early morning breeze and it was so nice to have coffee in the garden this morning.
I'm so ready for the temps to at least go down to 80.



 

Trifle

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #735 on: October 20, 2020, 03:05:37 AM »
That's really cool about your zinnias @Rosy!  I'm going to check mine this morning for seed pods. 

Rosy

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #736 on: October 27, 2020, 02:34:49 PM »
Rosy, your photos are gorgeous, especially the orchid!  Such a different gardening environment from Idaho, it's fascinating to read about. :)

What I'm lacking in tomatoes this year is being made up in hot peppers.  There are plenty more where these came from, including some other wicked-looking habanero type that hasn't ripened yet.  I'm hoping to get more of the lemon drop peppers, because they make a delightful fresh-tasting hot sauce.  The chocolate habaneros will go in the freezer and be used one by one to make blistering hot pots of chili into the forseeable future.

Thx @horsepoor - that hot pepper photo of yours is swoon-worthy too:).

We got some very fine hot peppers this year - due to a sweet pepper seed packet that was mislabeled by the seed company:). I've dried some for the capsaicin for a natural arthritis relief medicine that I'm concocting myself - hence my interest in growing Turmeric this year which just so happens to have lovely tropical foliage and pretty pink and white blooms:).
Yay for happy accidents.

TOMATO VOLUNTEERS showed up via the compost pile two weeks ago, so I let them get to about two-three inches high in the Papaya tree pot and transplanted them into three pots this weekend - we'll see what happens.

OH, THE MANY FLAVORS & SCENTS OF BASIL and LEMON BALM - FASCINATING
This morning I seeded 'Mandarin' scented/tasting Lemon Balm called 'Mandarina' - a new variety.
I am trying it out in two of the tomato pots as well as in the garden.
Later, I'll seed the tried and true Italian Sweet Basil into the third tomato pot.
Then I need to find my saved Marigold seeds from last year and this spring to add to the trio.

Lately, I haven't been able to find spicy globe basil - one of my absolute favorite basils. Such a neat, small globe growing habit and it is sooo tasty with goat cheese, feta cheese, or Mozzarella - Yum!

Tracked down some holy basil seeds, the Krishna variety is supposed to be particularly effective medicinally. We'll see how it likes my garden this fall. Came across 'clove basil' seeds - can't wait to plant that one in the early spring. Curious to see what it tastes like.
Extremely long time to maturity.
I really don't want to wait 180 days - like for the Endive, but sometimes good things are worth waiting for.

"CUCUMBER - Lemon. A gardener's favorite since 1894 but hard to find in grocery stores, this unusual, eye-catching, lemon-sized cucumber has excellent flavor and is a great slicer or pickler. It is scrumptious eaten with the skin and all just like you would an apple; non-bitter and burpless. Plants are more drought tolerant than other varieties."
Source: Botanical Interests
https://www.botanicalinterests.com/product/Lemon-Cucumber-Seeds

Why am I just now finding out that cool veggies like that even exist???


LEMON BALM - GOLDEN

Seeded this morning together with the cucumber - if it works they should look great together - on the plate and in the garden.
"Golden - Lemon Balm" with golden yellow leaves instead of plain green. Cool looking new variety from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.
In the pictures, it looked a bit like a Coleus to me - golden yellow leaves with a slightly greenish tinge here and there. Reviews said some had white, yellow and green leaves. Should be fun to try.
I am testing it in various areas of the garden, in the ground and in pots.
The leaves should look cool in a glass ice tea pitcher too or any cocktail or salad.

@Trifele and all you veggie gardeners - if you didn't know about this place I think this one might be of interest to you.
... waiting impatiently for my latest seed order from a place called Victory Seeds in Oregon.

Clunky website but I loved their interesting, amazing heirloom veggie selection and they had a pencil that is supposed to work on metal garden markers, yay.
Apparently, they are part of a global heirloom seed project - I was thrilled to find the Kohl Rabi and Sugar Snaps I wanted and a Turnip variety I remember from my childhood.
Of course, I caved and ordered several more interesting veggie varieties like one of their celeries.
Good thing that Florida has two growing seasons in Spring and again in the Fall.
I may become a true veggie gardener yet:).

Oh and Trifele - my Zinnias are reverting back to wildflowers, probably because these were not Heirloom varieties.
But I ordered enough new Zinnia seeds to last me at least three years so I'll get to play with new combos.
Only one variety looks promising and may have seeded true, we'll see. I just put all the others in an out-of-the-way area and let them be wild.

Anyway, it's 92 degrees here today - heat index 100 degrees - so I'm chilling with endless youtube garden videos and learning more about food forests and tropical gardening to implement in my newest garden area.
With luck, we'll have some decent temps, nice weather this weekend.
Can't believe poor Louisiana is supposed to get hammered by yet another hurricane.

My garden fountain project is stalled but I need to use what little time I can tolerate outside for actual gardening.
I just wish I were done with the weeding in the potager/veggie garden, it is coming along though.

Not sure about planting my other cucumber 'Beit Alpha' - how am I supposed to magically produce some afternoon shade?
I'm really glad I didn't try to transplant the Cucumber volunteers from the compost. They all have their tongues hanging out - this heat and sun intensity is just awful - although surprisingly the tomato seedlings/transplants are hanging in there without a drooping leaf in sight.

Glad the new banana baby just happens to be shaded by the huge Alocasia in the afternoon, still, it is struggling every afternoon.
I should have waited and ordered the banana in the spring to give it a better start - I always thought planting in the fall was better.
Should have paid attention to my Florida garden book - in Central Florida - Bananas should be planted in the spring.

I am discovering that Australian plants do very well in my particular sub-tropical not tropical:) micro-climate.
California plants only work 25% of the time.
Expensive mistake!

One silver lining though - this beautiful scented Philadelphus 'Mock Orange'

It barely made it through our hot summer only with extra attention and water, but I moved it Saturday and found the perfect spot!
It shook off all it's leaves and is covered in new green growth already, finally looking happy!
It isn't the spot I would have chosen, but hey, if it looks good and smells amazing right by my potting table - I can live with that.

Hope you are all having fun gardening or dreaming up your spring garden!
Send me some cool air blasts!!!
« Last Edit: October 27, 2020, 03:03:41 PM by Rosy »

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #737 on: October 29, 2020, 10:04:53 AM »
@Rosy - so green with envy up here in the North.  Our forecast high today is 7C - which the google machine converts to 45F. 

I was pretty chuffed with myself picking a few peppers and tomatoes from the greenhouse yesterday.  But I am going to have to wind that down for the season shortly - the plants are looking a little unhappy from the cold. 

I still haven't finished digging my potatoes at the farm but only part of one row left - about 25 feet.  The soil is so heavy with moisture, I gotta do it sooner next fall.  And I am only planting a third of the seed next spring.

I have been collecting seed and giving away food.  And freezing. And drying.  A couple of weeks ago I felt gardened out, but now I feel sad.
So sad, that I might just set up some grow lights and the heat mat for some salad greens....Can't wait till spring.

RetiredAt63

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #738 on: October 29, 2020, 11:19:35 AM »
@Rosy - so green with envy up here in the North.  Our forecast high today is 7C - which the google machine converts to 45F. 

I was pretty chuffed with myself picking a few peppers and tomatoes from the greenhouse yesterday.  But I am going to have to wind that down for the season shortly - the plants are looking a little unhappy from the cold. 

I still haven't finished digging my potatoes at the farm but only part of one row left - about 25 feet.  The soil is so heavy with moisture, I gotta do it sooner next fall.  And I am only planting a third of the seed next spring.

I have been collecting seed and giving away food.  And freezing. And drying.  A couple of weeks ago I felt gardened out, but now I feel sad.
So sad, that I might just set up some grow lights and the heat mat for some salad greens....Can't wait till spring.

I'm still doing cleanup in my garden,  the wet weather is definitely slowing things down.

I brought my 2 potted dwarf tomatoes inside.  As soon as the last tomatoes ripen I will cut them way back.  Houseplants get me through the non-gardening seasons.

Roots&Wings

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #739 on: October 29, 2020, 11:55:54 AM »
That golden lemon balm is beautiful @Rosy, hadn't heard of it or cucumber lemons before. The pop of yellow color and the fragrance would be lovely.

Should have paid attention to my Florida garden book - in Central Florida - Bananas should be planted in the spring.

I am discovering that Australian plants do very well in my particular sub-tropical not tropical:) micro-climate.

My bananas were all planted in fall/winter! Hope yours establishes well. Have a bumper crop this year, six racks are now fruiting and flowering.

Hoping your luck with Australian plants rubs off here, recently picked up an Australian finger lime, aka "fruit caviar".

Sent moringa seedlings to my nieces up north, they're excited to grow them indoors for the winter ahead.

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #740 on: October 29, 2020, 05:07:09 PM »
@Roots&Wings - where did you get your Australian finger lime? It is still on my wish list:) along with Star fruit.

Australian Mint Bush
The latest Australian additions were two Australian mint bushes. Very pleasant scent, more aromatic than just minty. Pretty and useful for tea and culinary.
They will be covered with blooms in deep lavender for several months. Mine came in four-inch pots and I can't believe that they do fine in the heat - no drooping even in the sun. Up to six foot tall...:) - it doesn't like the relentless wind we have had today though.
https://www.anniesannuals.com/plants/view/?id=5413

Moringa
I found seeds for an Indian dwarf Moringa at Baker Creek rare seeds. We'll see how it does.
I did not cut down my Moringa - it is full of scented blooms, but I have been eating and saving the seeds.

I got a little carried away and picked up some extra seeds to experiment with - like Strawberry Spinach.
Schwartzenbeeren Blackberries - I know they are perfectly sweet only once they are baked/cooked - like in a cake or pie or as a filling in dumplings or home made ravioli. I noticed some of the reviews were complaining about the taste fresh of the bush - just don't. They are great for making wine/liquor though - I remember them from my childhood.
Chinese Muli Color Spinach - never heard of it, but the pic looked so enticing it just called my name:). At $2.75 a seed packet - I was willing to splurge and give it a chance in my garden. 

Right now I am totally thrilled that my Pride of Barbados (bush/small tree) seeds sprouted - I already have two orange with yellow blooming ones.
These are the cherry blooms with vanilla cream variety - took me forever to find seeds. I tried three and they all came up in less than a week.

What new things are you trying? and do report on how your Finger Lime does. I missed your posts:) - it is nice to have a tropical gardening buddy.

Roots&Wings

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #741 on: November 01, 2020, 05:39:26 AM »
@Rosy, I wish you (and several others here!) had a garden journal :)
@Roots&Wings - where did you get your Australian finger lime? It is still on my wish list:) along with Star fruit.
Stumbled upon the Australian finger lime at a local nursery (Greens). It's a red variety, I think are 5 different colors, and a true red finger lime, not a FL hybrid that's more rounded. They said it fruited previously and was quite good, I'm hoping that's true.

Is your Chinese multi color spinach a type of amaranth? I tried growing red amaranth from seed, and so far, it's only fed the pests. Bugs have decimated the sissoo spinach and mulberry leaves too, but I'm still 100% self-sufficient for greens, it's good to have backup (longevity spinach, Okinawa spinach, moringa, katuk, cranberry hibiscus, and sweet potato greens). 

Latest projects here are growing moringa and New Zealand spinach from seed (moringa's easy, NZ spinach not so much). It's been fun giving away and trading the moringa seedlings, such a healthy plant, I wish everyone had one. I'll look into the dwarf moringa! Also have a new black Surinam cherry that I need to plant.

The native yaupon holly tea is a success! Found instructions from both UofF (http://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/smallfarms/2018/09/28/yaupon-a-native-florida-tea-is-making-a-comeback/) and in an old library book for brewing. Gotta have caffeine after all :) And picking it from the yard is a heck of a lot more satisfying than buying something from halfway across the world.

Roots&Wings

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #742 on: November 01, 2020, 07:51:45 AM »
Dwarf moringa is only $3.50 and free shipping?! https://www.rareseeds.com/store/herbs/moringa/moringa-dwarf
Ordering it next :)

Trifle

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #743 on: November 01, 2020, 10:46:11 AM »
First freeze of the fall is likely for us tonight (Zone 7a).  Most of what I have still going in the garden is quite cold hardy (broccoli, kale, carrots, lettuce, spinach, cabbage).  But the freeze will kill the sugar snap peas and the basella (Malabar spinach) so today I'm harvesting all I can.  Those plants are much too big and tall for me to cover, unfortunately.   

It's too bad about the sugar snaps -- they were just hitting their stride and bearing heavily.  This past week I've been picking a quart a day.   

The other thing I'm working on is to put my banana tree leaves to good use as winter garden mulch.  I have a 15' tree that has crazy huge leaves, like five feet long. 

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #744 on: November 01, 2020, 05:13:40 PM »
Well, duh:) - @Roots&Wings the Chinese Multi-Color Spinach is indeed an Amaranth.


That means I already have some seeds, double duh! I'll try them both and let you know.
I already have one called Amaranth Edible Red Leaf from Botanical Interest - for $1.89
and the one called Chinese Multicolor Spinach from Baker Creek rare seeds - for $3.50.
Who knows, maybe there are different strains - one reviewer at Baker Creek said it loved the heat and tasted great, another said the bugs ate it all.
I think I only have a small window of time to plant - package says 49-63 days (Bot Int) the other hasn't arrived yet.

If I plant only half of the seeds I ordered and ahem, the plantlings 4-pk that I just picked up at my favorite nursery we will have our first true veggie garden.
Not playing around no more...:).

I discovered


Rosy

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #745 on: November 01, 2020, 05:42:30 PM »
First freeze of the fall is likely for us tonight (Zone 7a).  Most of what I have still going in the garden is quite cold hardy (broccoli, kale, carrots, lettuce, spinach, cabbage).  But the freeze will kill the sugar snap peas and the basella (Malabar spinach) so today I'm harvesting all I can.  Those plants are much too big and tall for me to cover, unfortunately.   

It's too bad about the sugar snaps -- they were just hitting their stride and bearing heavily.  This past week I've been picking a quart a day.   

The other thing I'm working on is to put my banana tree leaves to good use as winter garden mulch.  I have a 15' tree that has crazy huge leaves, like five feet long.

Sugar Snap
I feel your pain, @Trifele - I LOVE sugar snaps - tried some years ago so I know they do alright here, but didn't plant enough and around here they are not easy to find.
But this year - probably because of Covid - there was a MOB at the nursery on Saturday, I found one four-pack of seedlings - the only one left,
plus I ordered three different kinds/seeds from three different sources.
There will be sugar snaps!
Really looking forward to that harvest.:)

Taro - Giant Alocasia
I'm going to replant another one of the wild Taro - Alocasias into my garden, (it is already growing on our property but the county people keep cutting it down since it is near the ditch in the back).
With some TLC they get to seven feet. Tropical freebie and truly an easy plant to grow.
I'll see if I can shoot a pic of my garden chair in the shade underneath the canopy of the giant Alocasia.
Kinda cool to be able to do that:).

The butterflies, I mean the caterpillars, are decimating my Fennel -
first there was one, then two and now there are four.


I don't mind sharing with the critters.


Rosy

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #746 on: November 07, 2020, 09:10:21 PM »
VEGGIE CONTAINER GARDENING is progressing nicely.
Just a few more live herbs and flowers to plant this weekend. I'd love to get a few more herbs, flowers and veggies seeded on Monday but with ETA on the way who knows what the weather will do this coming week - so I may only pot up and continue with garden clean-up and garden projects.
If the rain and/or storm gets too bad I can shelter the smallest seedlings in the carport for protection.

Then it is back to seeding like crazy, both in the Potager and the Tropical Food Forest area.
Really, really would like to be 'completely':) done with seeding and planting by next Sunday.
We'll see how it goes.

Debating whether to plant the coffee bushes in the ground or leave them in the pots I transplanted them to. Then plant them in the ground next spring.
I've thrown over my garden plans a million times, wrangling with the placement of the fruit and ornamental trees and bushes.

TOMATO MAYHEM - I blame the pandemic...
I'm adding one more Tomato variety - a wild, native to Florida Tomato called Everglades cherry tomato. You Tubers in Florida are talking about how it grows like a weed. I discovered it last year but forgot about it.
This wild Florida tomato doesn't mind our brutal summer heat at all - grows in plain sandy soil and yeah, it is perennial.
Supposed to be super-tasty and sweet. 

Since I'm already growing three mystery tomatoes from the compost plus I picked up two Romas and a Celebrity and plan to seed two Heirloom varieties from Baker Creek Seeds - I may as well go hog-wild and try this wild, native Tomato too.
We have enough space to just let it grow wild, apparently, it does just fine with very little water - no pests either.
I can't resist such a wonder.

horsepoor

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #747 on: November 15, 2020, 09:21:37 AM »
I'm a little envious of the ambition level of many of the posters on this thread! Such interesting plants being grown.

With a fulltime job and now training two of my horses, the garden has taken a back seat. I thought teleworking would give me more garden time, but somehow that hasn't happened, so next year I'll be planting with an eye towards low-maintenance, high-reward, especially for the warm weather crops. I am missing spending time in the garden as I have in previous years, but that's how it goes for us non-FIREd peeps.

Yesterday I dug up the parsnips and just a fraction of the horseradish. I will hopefully dig up more of it before the ground freezes, and will also plant about 200 garlic cloves. Otherwise, I am calling it a wrap for 2020.

Trifle

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #748 on: November 15, 2020, 10:05:33 AM »
Nice update @horsepoor!  I love parsnips. 

My cold-tolerant crops are still going in the garden here.  It wasn't a great fall for cabbage and broccoli (cabbage worms) but everything else did really well -- kale, carrots, lettuce, spinach are all still chugging along.  We've had one freeze so far this fall, but it didn't bother them.  The freeze finished off the peas and the basella (Malabar spinach).  Sad to see them go.  By the way -- I discovered that basella freezes really, really well.  It's an excellent vegetable -- definitely growing it again next year. 

I'm spending time on fertilizing, cover-cropping, and mulching.  I have about 40 garlics to plant, and then I'll be done for the year.  Maybe in 3-4 weeks. 

My bees made it through their first summer here, despite lots of drama.  One hive lost its queen and I successfully re-queened them, and the other hive swarmed twice despite having plenty of room.  Last month we had some serious robbing attacks -- I had to close them both up for a couple days as an emergency measure -- but luckily both hives pulled through.  With all the difficulties both hives faced, I let them keep all their honey and did not harvest any this year.  Next year, knock on wood, they can start sharing with me.  :)

Rosy

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #749 on: November 16, 2020, 12:00:52 PM »


Brand new day - brand new life. The colors were really intense.
The wings of this Monarch fluttered in the breeze as it was drying off.

STORM ETA
Well, ETA wreaked havoc in our new garden area but life goes on. Just as I was tearing up, my eyes caught sight of this beauty.
Deep breath.
He was just resting on palm debris from the storm. We got sustained high wind while it was still a cat one hurricane and then got drenched.

@horsepoor - love parsnips too - I'm actually growing some for the first time this year.
If it makes you feel any better - the gardening ambition is waning a bit:), between the relentless heat and one full day of storm and another day of torrential rain, I haven't got much done or so it seems.

In reality, the seeds are sprouting, the projects are coming along, all but one garden bed has been 'done', the container veggie garden aka 'potager' is close to done, and other than one leaning papaya tree the storm damage was remedied in a couple of days.
That wraps up the truly time-consuming and most labor-intensive parts of the garden.
Next year will be so much easier if all goes to plan.

PARTY CENTRAL
Next week, it is onward to the 'party central' area of the garden. That entails only a bit of weeding and general clean-up. Nothing compared to the rest of the garden. Lots of trimming, maybe a new flowerpot, fertilizing the azaleas, Lily of the Nile and the palms.
Doing that once or twice a year is about as low maintenance as you can get - two-three days max unless there is a project and there is always a project:).
This year it is the fountain that requires some TLC incl. painting.

Even if we can't party during the pandemic, we always use our gazebo a lot for dining or a brew or a cocktail or for Sunday Brunch in the garden from the end of November all the way into late spring, early summer.
The tough part of gardening is nearing the end - soon it will be time to celebrate and enjoy.
Maybe I'll finally get a chance to make that birdbath or fountain.

@Trifele - I had no idea bees could get into that much trouble:).
I'm intrigued about keeping bees, we have honeybees everywhere, the basils in particular are always buzzing with honeybees and some new metallic (hard shell?) green bees that fly in formation and what looks to be a metallic green bodied fly or maybe it is a type of bee as well.
Since I planted an edible hibiscus (Florida Cranberry Hibiscus) I now have a hibiscus bee - that thing is big and fuzzy-pelty in golden beige. Who knew there was such a thing?