Garden...

[Irish Exit]

No idea what I will be into yet come spring. I will probably do the usual suspects and let the walking onions and greenhouse be my new things this time around the sun. Two hurricanes and 180% of our average annual rainfall have left me with plenty of non-growing things to do. Might start working some out at my 100 acre woods since guy who rents one side of the road said he might not have time to farm it this year.

 

[ThatOwlWoman]

I will give a try when it gets cold again. Been right warm this week. I was waiting for it to cure some before I started fooling with it.

If you ever want to share some of that ginger (to plant) I'll pay for postage. Do you think it would grow up here in a cooler climate?

 

[ThatOwlWoman]

No idea what I will be into yet come spring. I will probably do the usual suspects and let the walking onions and greenhouse be my new things this time around the sun. Two hurricanes and 180% of our average annual rainfall have left me with plenty of non-growing things to do. Might start working some out at my 100 acre woods since guy who rents one side of the road said he might not have time to farm it this year.

Maybe harvest some timber for firewood to use or sell? Did you get your greenhouse built, or is that a summer project?

I've given up on bell peppers; even in the hoop house they were unspectacular. So far the plans are for the walking and regular onions (planted last fall), garlic (ditto), tomatoes (will start from seed this year to MAKE SURE to get the variety I want *swears at nursery who switched tags*), wax and black beans, peas, zucchini, the annual herbs, and now that it's legal here.... that other herb as well. We have a neighbor living with prostate cancer; the CBD oil and the chaga (on one of our birch trees) really helps him out.

 

[Irish Exit]

Maybe harvest some timber for firewood to use or sell? Did you get your greenhouse built, or is that a summer project?

I've given up on bell peppers; even in the hoop house they were unspectacular. So far the plans are for the walking and regular onions (planted last fall), garlic (ditto), tomatoes (will start from seed this year to MAKE SURE to get the variety I want *swears at nursery who switched tags*), wax and black beans, peas, zucchini, the annual herbs, and now that it's legal here.... that other herb as well. We have a neighbor living with prostate cancer; the CBD oil and the chaga (on one of our birch trees) really helps him out.

I could have the 100 acre woods timbered (It is really more about 50 acres of woodland and the rest fields in various stages, but I refuse to on just principal. It is divided by a road and I have rented one side to a guy who farmed it and the other side to an equestrian group. I plan to eventually move there one day but the house needs to be replaced. Right now, new construction isn't a real good return on investment and it is not ideally situated for our current work commutes. I am also waiting to bank the money to do what I want to do with it and tackle the construction all at once. Right now, it just needs some TLC maintenance like reworking some of the of roads, bushhogging etc.

 

[Irish Exit]

If you ever want to share some of that ginger (to plant) I'll pay for postage. Do you think it would grow up here in a cooler climate?

You can just buy it in the supermarket veg section. It is the same stuff. I bought mine at Lidl. Just soak it a day before you plant it to get any growth inhibitor they put on it off. I don't know about your area and your situation as far as outdoors, but some people bring it in in the winter and use it as a house plant from what I have read. I planted mine in containers in March and it took a long while for it to appear above ground. By containers I mean 42 pound cat liter buckets with drain holes drilled in the bottoms. Kept it sheltered but outside until frost date passed and then let it do its thing. I didn't bring it indoors but sheltered it outside from early frost on a porch and let it die back naturally. I have too much crap to bring in in winter as is which is part of the reason I am in the process of building a green house. I really hate plants inside because they are a lot of work when you don't have great lighting conditions for them and they are ever growing. People just give me crap as fast as I can give it away.

 

[leaningright]

‘Tis the season ... for starting the garden stuff. Planting tomato seeds this week. Will be putting out cabbage and onion sets in about three weeks. It is beginning.

I saw Mrs. Owl say something about seed catalogues above...yes, a “mountain” of them is an apt description. I have save seed from heirloom plants this year and with any luck I’ll not have to buy any seeds. The only non-heirloom seeds I use are straight neck yellow squash. I’m not a fan of the crook necked variety and they’re the only true heirlooms I can find.

 

[ThatOwlWoman]

I could have the 100 acre woods timbered (It is really more about 50 acres of woodland and the rest fields in various stages, but I refuse to on just principal. It is divided by a road and I have rented one side to a guy who farmed it and the other side to an equestrian group. I plan to eventually move there one day but the house needs to be replaced. Right now, new construction isn't a real good return on investment and it is not ideally situated for our current work commutes. I am also waiting to bank the money to do what I want to do with it and tackle the construction all at once. Right now, it just needs some TLC maintenance like reworking some of the of roads, bushhogging etc.

I bet it's beautiful. Maybe just keep it wild, with some gentle forestry management. There's so few places left in the civilized world like that.

 

[ThatOwlWoman]

You can just buy it in the supermarket veg section. It is the same stuff. I bought mine at Lidl. Just soak it a day before you plant it to get any growth inhibitor they put on it off. I don't know about your area and your situation as far as outdoors, but some people bring it in in the winter and use it as a house plant from what I have read. I planted mine in containers in March and it took a long while for it to appear above ground. By containers I mean 42 pound cat liter buckets with drain holes drilled in the bottoms. Kept it sheltered but outside until frost date passed and then let it do its thing. I didn't bring it indoors but sheltered it outside from early frost on a porch and let it die back naturally. I have too much crap to bring in in winter as is which is part of the reason I am in the process of building a green house. I really hate plants inside because they are a lot of work when you don't have great lighting conditions for them and they are ever growing. People just give me crap as fast as I can give it away.

The only ones I bring inside here are the two rosemary bushes. I'll give that store ginger a shot. Always like having something green growing in the windows this time of year, when outside is brown and white and devoid of much color. Thanks for the tip!

 

[ThatOwlWoman]

‘Tis the season ... for starting the garden stuff. Planting tomato seeds this week. Will be putting out cabbage and onion sets in about three weeks. It is beginning.

I saw Mrs. Owl say something about seed catalogues above...yes, a “mountain” of them is an apt description. I have save seed from heirloom plants this year and with any luck I’ll not have to buy any seeds. The only non-heirloom seeds I use are straight neck yellow squash. I’m not a fan of the crook necked variety and they’re the only true heirlooms I can find.

Already with the cabbage? We won't even have leaves on the trees here till the end of May or early June! Have you ever purchased from Native Seeds?

https://shop.nativeseeds.org/collections/squash-pumpkins-zucchini

 

[leaningright]

No, I’ve never bought any seeds from that company. I’ll have to check them out.

 

[Irish Exit]

The only ones I bring inside here are the two rosemary bushes. I'll give that store ginger a shot. Always like having something green growing in the windows this time of year, when outside is brown and white and devoid of much color. Thanks for the tip!

My rosemary stays outside in the ground and does well but I am in 7B. I have far too many funeral plants and dead people plants and am too guilty to toss them. I have scaled back on them by about half in the last year or so. I found two churches to take the billion peace lilies I had.

 

[Irish Exit]

I bet it's beautiful. Maybe just keep it wild, with some gentle forestry management. There's so few places left in the civilized world like that.

It is mostly just country as country can be. I don't bushhog the whole thing at once. I just push the tree lines back to where they are supposed to be by whacking down the honeysuckle, blackberries and such a stretch at a time. I do some every now and then to give the critters that use the margins time to migrate to other margins.

 

[ThatOwlWoman]

My rosemary stays outside in the ground and does well but I am in 7B. I have far too many funeral plants and dead people plants and am too guilty to toss them. I have scaled back on them by about half in the last year or so. I found two churches to take the billion peace lilies I had.

"Dead people plants" -- lol. I had a Mother-in-Law's tongue (Sansevieria) that my dad gave me when I had my oldest son. He will be 44 in March. I ended up giving it to my youngest daughter who loves plants but who has a brownish thumb. Who knows how old that plant was when I got it?

 

[Althea]

Maybe harvest some timber for firewood to use or sell? Did you get your greenhouse built, or is that a summer project?

I've given up on bell peppers; even in the hoop house they were unspectacular. So far the plans are for the walking and regular onions (planted last fall), garlic (ditto), tomatoes (will start from seed this year to MAKE SURE to get the variety I want *swears at nursery who switched tags*), wax and black beans, peas, zucchini, the annual herbs, and now that it's legal here.... that other herb as well. We have a neighbor living with prostate cancer; the CBD oil and the chaga (on one of our birch trees) really helps him out.

The only problem with bell peppers, is the fifty days from fruit set that you have to wait for them to turn color! If you have good growing medium, you shouldn't have any problem getting softball sized peppers.

 

[Irish Exit]

"Dead people plants" -- lol. I had a Mother-in-Law's tongue (Sansevieria) that my dad gave me when I had my oldest son. He will be 44 in March. I ended up giving it to my youngest daughter who loves plants but who has a brownish thumb. Who knows how old that plant was when I got it?

That is one of my two-fer's--a dead person's funeral plant. Really a 3-fer. It came in a pot a now dead relative sent my now dead father when one of my brother's died. I have also managed to keep a single begonia alive from a thing his first girlfriend sent when he died as well that was a combination of live and cut flowers. That begonia has some sad looking days but still hangs on. We call sansevieria Snake's Tongue though. I just managed to create new ones from segmenting leaves. It was more an experiment. How I ended up with way too many plants was the same way--thinking I needed to have spares in case the original one died. The Peace lilies, however, were something I was flooded with. They are the standard funeral live plant in this area. Those and

Arboricola. I have had plenty of them as well.​

 

[ThatOwlWoman]

The only problem with bell peppers, is the fifty days from fruit set that you have to wait for them to turn color! If you have good growing medium, you shouldn't have any problem getting softball sized peppers.


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Nice. I guess it is just not that hot here for them -- even though it will be in the 80s sometimes in the hoop house in the summer. Each plant gets its own large (20-gal) pot with fresh potting mix, is fertilized and water regularly. I get tiny little peppers not a lot bigger than pingpong balls. Suggestions??

 

[ThatOwlWoman]

That is one of my two-fer's--a dead person's funeral plant. Really a 3-fer. It came in a pot a now dead relative sent my now dead father when one of my brother's died. I have also managed to keep a single begonia alive from a thing his first girlfriend sent when he died as well that was a combination of live and cut flowers. That begonia has some sad looking days but still hangs on. We call sansevieria Snake's Tongue though. I just managed to create new ones from segmenting leaves. It was more an experiment. How I ended up with way too many plants was the same way--thinking I needed to have spares in case the original one died. The Peace lilies, however, were something I was flooded with. They are the standard funeral live plant in this area. Those and

Arboricola. I have had plenty of them as well.​

Ah yes, the old "guess I better make cuttings just in case...." thing. lol Yeah, the sansevieria is aka snake plant or snake's tongue here too.

Last late summer I collected fireweed seeds. Planted them here and there down in our future wildflower meadow; will be interesting to see if they come up. One of the grocery stores was selling those Osage orange balls ("hedge apples") last fall too. A weird thing to have in a store! I bought one and planted it too. Supposedly the tree can survive this climate; guess we'll see. It has one of the hardest woods of all native trees. Farmers and ranchers used to plant it as breaks between fields, and used the wood for fence posts. Some of those fence posts from 100+ years ago still stand in farm country in the Midwest. There was a row of Osage orange lining the block by where we lived in STL. Used to be amused when the city came along to trim them. Work came to a standstill while they had to send back to the shed for new saw blades! And in other odd plant news, Jade sent me some prickly berries from a vine that grows where he lives. I was never able to get them to germinate.

 

[Irish Exit]

Ah yes, the old "guess I better make cuttings just in case...." thing. lol Yeah, the sansevieria is aka snake plant or snake's tongue here too.

Last late summer I collected fireweed seeds. Planted them here and there down in our future wildflower meadow; will be interesting to see if they come up. One of the grocery stores was selling those Osage orange balls ("hedge apples") last fall too. A weird thing to have in a store! I bought one and planted it too. Supposedly the tree can survive this climate; guess we'll see. It has one of the hardest woods of all native trees. Farmers and ranchers used to plant it as breaks between fields, and used the wood for fence posts. Some of those fence posts from 100+ years ago still stand in farm country in the Midwest. There was a row of Osage orange lining the block by where we lived in STL. Used to be amused when the city came along to trim them. Work came to a standstill while they had to send back to the shed for new saw blades! And in other odd plant news, Jade sent me some prickly berries from a vine that grows where he lives. I was never able to get them to germinate.

I just got two new plants today.....grumble grumble. Someone rooted some broken off christmas cactus that I had to pot up and someone gave me a european cypress tree already potted they had placed on a grave for the holidays. It is a never ending battle. I at least found out you can root xmas cactus in water. I never even tried that way. I always just stick the broken segments into dirt. It would be nice if people passed along something we could eat.

 

[Althea]

That is one of my two-fer's--a dead person's funeral plant. Really a 3-fer. It came in a pot a now dead relative sent my now dead father when one of my brother's died. I have also managed to keep a single begonia alive from a thing his first girlfriend sent when he died as well that was a combination of live and cut flowers. That begonia has some sad looking days but still hangs on. We call sansevieria Snake's Tongue though. I just managed to create new ones from segmenting leaves. It was more an experiment. How I ended up with way too many plants was the same way--thinking I needed to have spares in case the original one died. The Peace lilies, however, were something I was flooded with. They are the standard funeral live plant in this area. Those and

Arboricola. I have had plenty of them as well.​

It's funny how horticulture fanatics are so strange. In 1960, my folks bought our summer home to get us out of the city for the summers. That's where my dad learned to garden. We transplanted mint from our summer home, to our year round home when we moved out of the city in '66. I now have that mint in my gardens up here, long after both my parents have passed. Sure...I could get mint from anywhere, but it won't be 'our' mint. Same for the trees we planted in the landscaping at the new home...I took cuttings and started my own. And rocks...when dad passed and we were clearing out the house, my greedy sister was grabbing jewelry, and I was in the yard grabbing the unique rocks my dad and I would bring home after every fishing trip.

Weird bunch....

 

[Althea]

I just got two new plants today.....grumble grumble. Someone rooted some broken off christmas cactus that I had to pot up and someone gave me a european cypress tree already potted they had placed on a grave for the holidays. It is a never ending battle. I at least found out you can root xmas cactus in water. I never even tried that way. I always just stick the broken segments into dirt. It would be nice if people passed along something we could eat.

Indeed. I'm more of a food gardener than a houseplant guy. BUT...I'm with my woman for almost 16 years. Her mother has been giving me plants that she nearly killed since the first month that I started dating her daughter. My first project was a Xmas cactus that was begging to be put to sleep. Then came an Aloe.

I'll post pix of the Xmas cactus. The thing is huge. Same for the Aloe. It's already been re potted several times, and is now creating its own family.