jimmie ray Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 Finally got the garden all turned over, and all the vegetable plants in. We do mostly tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant, as the conditions seem the best for producing these. I tried adding egg shells to the soil this year - they're supposed to provide calcium, and prevent bad spots on the tomatoes. Anyone else have any gardening tips? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PennyLane Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 You can test your soil by picking up on the soil tester kits at your local hardware store to see what nutrients that your soil may need during the growing season. Another hint is to put down newspapers or you can go to your hardware store and pick up the roll of commercial weed barrier on top of the soil before planting to keep the weeds down in the garden. This year, no garden since I have to many deer, rabbits, etc. that eat everything in my garden, including Jalapeno peppers. I am going to plant some herbs in pots, maybe the deer won't eat them. Garden is very therapeutic, good for the soul. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirchzep27 Posted May 22, 2009 Share Posted May 22, 2009 i don't know, i think its better planting later these days, cause the springs are so lazy. the cold nights arent so good for plants, ofcourse it will suddenly by summer in june though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juliet Posted May 22, 2009 Share Posted May 22, 2009 Hello: Thank-you for starting this thread, Jimmie Ray... I feel a little less distraught than this morning when I posted in the Canada thread Although I do not have a garden, I think I shall work on brightening up my balcony with plants of all sorts and colours..... Juliet xo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzldoc Posted May 22, 2009 Share Posted May 22, 2009 You can test your soil by picking up on the soil tester kits at your local hardware store to see what nutrients that your soil may need during the growing season. Another hint is to put down newspapers or you can go to your hardware store and pick up the roll of commercial weed barrier on top of the soil before planting to keep the weeds down in the garden. This year, no garden since I have to many deer, rabbits, etc. that eat everything in my garden, including Jalapeno peppers. I am going to plant some herbs in pots, maybe the deer won't eat them. Garden is very therapeutic, good for the soul. There are many types of deer repellent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Misty Posted May 22, 2009 Share Posted May 22, 2009 just so happens that i planted my window boxes today...found beautiful trailing purple Lobella, white mini Petunias and accented the centers of each box with red Pentas. very happy with the way they turned out...colorful, romantic and sort Victorian looking. tomrrow i will tackle the planters on the front landing..... ah, the joys of gardening. i would probably enjoy it more if i didn't have to fight off my 3 year old as she tries to pick off the blooms!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmie ray Posted May 23, 2009 Author Share Posted May 23, 2009 ah, the joys of gardening. i would probably enjoy it more if i didn't have to fight off my 3 year old as she tries to pick off the blooms!!! Yeah, we have a dog now, and it makes it almost impossible to get anything done outside. Her nose has to be in everything, especially when there's digging involved! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PennyLane Posted May 23, 2009 Share Posted May 23, 2009 There are many types of deer repellent. Well..not in my neighborhood. It's a hunters dream when the 9 point buck comes around. Normally, I have anywhere from 6 to 12 deer during the day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmie ray Posted May 23, 2009 Author Share Posted May 23, 2009 Well..not in my neighborhood. It's a hunters dream when the 9 point buck comes around. Normally, I have anywhere from 6 to 12 deer during the day. The lake community where my mother lives, in Virginia, is debating whether to allow hunters onto the residents' property to reduce the deer population. Sounds like a very dangerous idea, but they are multiplying rapidly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PennyLane Posted May 23, 2009 Share Posted May 23, 2009 The lake community where my mother lives, in Virginia, is debating whether to allow hunters onto the residents' property to reduce the deer population. Sounds like a very dangerous idea, but they are multiplying rapidly. For the past few years, some of the females are showing up with twin fawns. The females show up and drop off their fawns for a while in our yard. We are on 2.5 acres but have neighbors. I don't think our residents would like someone coming in and shooting the deer to reduce the population. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzldoc Posted May 24, 2009 Share Posted May 24, 2009 Well..not in my neighborhood. It's a hunters dream when the 9 point buck comes around. Normally, I have anywhere from 6 to 12 deer during the day. Haha I did say many types of repellent, since you're not in the country you might want to try one of those motion detector sprinklers. A friend of mine uses one for his garden and he says he hasn't had any problems with wild life in his garden. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmie ray Posted May 24, 2009 Author Share Posted May 24, 2009 Haha I did say many types of repellent, since you're not in the country you might want to try one of those motion detector sprinklers. A friend of mine uses one for his garden and he says he hasn't had any problems with wild life in his garden. That sounds like a good idea - I guess you have remember to turn it off each time you go in that area, and then back on again? I planted over 100 bulbs around my mom's yard - the boxes said deer don't eat these varieties, but only a few daffodiles were left alone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juliet Posted May 25, 2009 Share Posted May 25, 2009 There are many types of deer repellent. Dz: I don't have any deer just a cute wittle bunny rabbit, chipmunk, doves, skunk and..nosy neighbours!!!!! Juliet PS I was reading up on gardens..here's the latest..use natural fertilizer (that's manure if you ask me) and it has to have a WOW EFFECT.. the garden that is ...not the fertilizer!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmie ray Posted May 26, 2009 Author Share Posted May 26, 2009 PS I was reading up on gardens..here's the latest..use natural fertilizer (that's manure if you ask me) and it has to have a WOW EFFECT.. the garden that is ...not the fertilizer!!!! There's a horse stable nearby that puts their manure out for anyone who wants to take it, and it does go fast. I know it's very recommended, but never used it - I can't picture it not attracting flies, and our patio is close to the garden. I only use mulched up leaves from all the trees in the fall, then turn it over whenever I can in the winter. I know someone mentioned doing soil tests and adjusting the nutrients, but our tomatoes seem to do very well in the acidy soil. People always comment on the extreme difference in taste of a home grown tomato versus a store bought one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PennyLane Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 People always comment on the extreme difference in taste of a home grown tomato versus a store bought one? That is correct. Home grown tomatoes are picked when they are ready compared to the store bought tomatoes. Tomatoes are not picked ripped when they are shipped from the farms to the stores since tomatoes are fragile and they have that chemicals on their skin to keep them fresh. In the winter, I will only buy store bought tomatoes if they smell like a tomato fresh off the vine. I do pick up the tomatoes and smell them until I find the right ones. I can tomatoes for the winter season. Nothing like home made spaghetti sauce from home grown tomatoes. Yum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzldoc Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 That is correct. Home grown tomatoes are picked when they are ready compared to the store bought tomatoes. Tomatoes are not picked ripped when they are shipped from the farms to the stores since tomatoes are fragile and they have that chemicals on their skin to keep them fresh. In the winter, I will only buy store bought tomatoes if they smell like a tomato fresh off the vine. I do pick up the tomatoes and smell them until I find the right ones. I can tomatoes for the winter season. Nothing like home made spaghetti sauce from home grown tomatoes. Yum. LOL brings back memories, when I was a kid I worked at the tomato sheds in S.C. what an experience! but yes they ship as green and hard as they come and ripen on the store shelves like bananas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PennyLane Posted May 26, 2009 Share Posted May 26, 2009 LOL brings back memories, when I was a kid I worked at the tomato sheds in S.C. what an experience! but yes they ship as green and hard as they come and ripen on the store shelves like bananas. Doesn't sound like fun working in tomato sheds when you were a kid. I wonder what a "REAL" banana tastes like from a banana tree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmie ray Posted May 27, 2009 Author Share Posted May 27, 2009 Doesn't sound like fun working in tomato sheds when you were a kid. I wonder what a "REAL" banana tastes like from a banana tree. I used to unload banana trucks after school. Most of the boxes were full of green ones, but sometimes we would get ripe ones. The owner used to watch over us and bitch and cry about not bruising them - but we were still responsible to get a whole tractor trailer unloaded, weighed, and stacked in a few hours. There were freaky looking spiders in some boxes, and rats under the pallets. At least I knew who and where the rats were, as opposed to jobs later in life! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dancin'Days Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 The lake community where my mother lives, in Virginia, is debating whether to allow hunters onto the residents' property to reduce the deer population. Sounds like a very dangerous idea, but they are multiplying rapidly. The deer or the hunters? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmie ray Posted May 27, 2009 Author Share Posted May 27, 2009 The deer or the hunters? Hunting is big down there, but usually more locals who have been there for generations who go into undeveloped areas to do their thing. They want to let the hunters from other areas go into what's basically a retirement community of people not familiar with hunting, like it's a shooting arcade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PennyLane Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 At least I knew who and where the rats were, as opposed to jobs later in life! Rather have the rats than snakes any day! Referring to the animals and not people! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juliet Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 Here's a website I found when reading about gardens http://www.rbg.ca/ Juliet PS I found a beautiful patio pot of petunias; red, fushia, two shades of purple (some all one colour, some with a white border)..just beautiful...and definitely with a "WOW" effect... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dzldoc Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 Doesn't sound like fun working in tomato sheds when you were a kid. I wonder what a "REAL" banana tastes like from a banana tree. I was around 13-14 yo and we worked there in the summer when out of school. We were paid about .10 or .15 above minimum wage and had breaks. Wasn't so much hard as it was enduring because once the conveyor started rolling the tomatos out it was non stop! til break. The people who had it rough were the field workers out all morning in the sun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PennyLane Posted May 27, 2009 Share Posted May 27, 2009 I was around 13-14 yo and we worked there in the summer when out of school. We were paid about .10 or .15 above minimum wage and had breaks. Wasn't so much hard as it was enduring because once the conveyor started rolling the tomatos out it was non stop! til break. The people who had it rough were the field workers out all morning in the sun! You sound like me Dzldoc! I started working at a very young age babysitting at .50 per hour for a 5 day old and 2 year old toddler. Then a real job when I was 15.8 years old in a dime store and paying taxes to Uncle Sam. Won't see any Social Security but too young to have that kind of responsibilities. I remember helping my uncle on his farm - not a fun job helping with lifting the baled hay and feeding the animals. Didn't get paid, but I won't trade the world for it. It was a great experience working with one of my favorite uncles and aunts. We had such a great time together. Even though they are not together, I still remember the great times we had together and my Aunt is still a remarkable woman. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juliet Posted June 4, 2009 Share Posted June 4, 2009 There's a horse stable nearby that puts their manure out for anyone who wants to take it, and it does go fast. I know it's very recommended, but never used it - I can't picture it not attracting flies, and our patio is close to the garden. I only use mulched up leaves from all the trees in the fall, then turn it over whenever I can in the winter. I know someone mentioned doing soil tests and adjusting the nutrients, but our tomatoes seem to do very well in the acidy soil. People always comment on the extreme difference in taste of a home grown tomato versus a store bought one? Hi: Yes I agree the manure would probably attract flies plus the smell would not be very pleasant if your garden was close to your patio.... I assume there are many natural fertilizer alternatives at your local garden centre... Juliet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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