48740
From: Sue/Seattle, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Shout out to gardeners
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I belong to several facebook sites for gardeners but I wanted to check in on you guys. I lost a few plants with the erratic winter weather but am back on track now. it's mostly all about fruiting things right now. I replaced almost all of my strawberries with bare root and they are thriving. My fruit trees are in various stages.Cherry trees dropped most blossoms while some apple trees are waiting to get some. Fingers crossed for blueberry which was a bust last year I also have raspberries. I wont talk this time about veggies since its so early. So what's up with you and please include where you are located. My biggest beef with some of the sites I read as people neglect to say where they are located which makes a huge difference |
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[48751] [48754] [48760] [48761] [48758] [48759] [48755] [48757] [48747] [48746] [48741]
48751
From: Redhart, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Shout out to gardeners
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in the southern sierras, the spring wildflower blooms are about 3 weeks behind this year, but it has finally started. I'm at 4300 ft up (so altitude plays a part). The plums and apricots have finished blooming, and the pears and cherries are in bloom now. The mustard seed wildflowers are way behind, but I'm sort of glad because my dog is allergic to them...a short repreive for her. The poppies and scotch broom have finally started to bloom (usually end of march they start)...the lupines and blue bonnets are slow to catch up. Can't wait until they do...air brushed hillsides of yellow, orange, blue and purple is what I wait for each spring. I lost a rose bush over the winter. She was old, and I suspect it was gophers rather than weather. The deciduous black and blue oaks are just starting to leaf bud out. I have given up on vegetables (too much wildlife..you have to build vegie garden in a plant prison to protect them lol), but my herb garden is doing very well...chives, spearmint, parsley, lavendar and oregano are all coming back to life nicely. Up here, we dont usually plant warm weather flowers/herbs/vegies until mother's day. We can still get a late snow until then .But today, it's glorious. |
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[48754] [48760] [48761] [48758] [48759] [48755] [48757]
48754
From: Chuckles, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Shout out to gardeners
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When I lived on 8 acres up in the hills above Kenwood, CA years ago, it was always a battle with wildlife trying to get in our fenced garden along with cats using the soil to do their thing. Eventually we lost the battle and threw in the towel. We even had a otter come all the way from the Sacramento River supposedly, and up the Sonoma Creek to out pond and wiped out all the cat fish with a barge full of cat fish heads. Here up in the Eastern Sierra at about 5000 feet elevation, our first day to plant warm weather veggies and petunias is June 1st. Your elevation isn't too far off from my area except we're at a further latitude. And the way to tell if latitude plays a big part in crop harvest is with fruit tree harvest. California cherries are always first to hit the markets, then Oregon, and finally Washington. And if you want to check to see if your cherries on your cherry tree is infested with cherry maggots, take a handful of cherries in put them in a sealed plastic bag and put them out in the sun for the day depending on how hot it is outside. If the cherries have maggots, you'll see them on the outside of the cherries. Can't tell you how many times I've found cherry maggots from people's backyard cherry trees as they had no idea. |
48760
From: Redhart, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Shout out to gardeners
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Yeah, we have also thrown in the towel for vegetables. Sometimes they let me have a little fruit from the fruit trees, but you really have to be on top of your game to do that. The fruit will be "almost "ripe and the tree loaded, so I'll go down the next day to pick...and apparently the wildlife watches too..they'll be gone in one day. I've had some success with netting the trees that improved my chances. With some trees, I just net the top of the trunks just below the branches (keeps the ground squirrels off the trunks). Would be nice if they at least left a thank you note. I grow many of my herbs in hanging baskets now. That has worked very well. Some herbs the wildlife just don't like..I plant a lot of those lol (Lavendar, Rosemary and oregano fall into that category). I used those in the border beds around the house. Basil, Parsley and Thyme have to go in the baskets, though. I have one planter with garlic. It's in a container planter on the back patio. The only reason the garlic survives is because that is also the dog yard and they run guard duty for me (with a net over the top to keep the overnight bunnies out). Yeah, Chuckles...trying to grow in the Sierras can be a full time project. My neighbor invested, I don't know how much money, in a large vegetable container section where they put down hardware mesh under (keeps gophers, moles out) small gage fencing all around and nets on top. Had to cost them a small fortune. We decided it was easier to go to the store and just buy those items. And, it's not just vegetables. If you want to raise poultry, you seriously have to have a massively fortified coop and yard on all sides. We have ever predator in California...bears, mountain lions, bobcats, coyotes, weasels, etc. All that being said, I would not trade living in wildlife central for a few tomatoes or chickens. We enjoy our wildlife so much we can forgo some of the other luxuries like vegie gardens. |
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[48761]
48761
From: Chuckles, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Shout out to gardeners
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That would be nice if they left a thank you note. Lol! So many variables come into play with home gardening and with farmers too. |
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48758
From: Sue/Seattle, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Shout out to gardeners
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Cherry maggots wiped out my crop last year so I’m on the defense. Screw organic I’m spraying. I’m not liking the idea and will try traps but I think thats futile |
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[48759]
48759
From: Chuckles, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Shout out to gardeners
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Haven't had any issues myself with fruit flies since planting 15 years ago, but I do spray in late February all roses and fruit trees with Neem Oil which really helps with aphids. I was going to purchase a Rainier Cherry tree last week, but decided not to as the tree wasn't a drarf like my black gold cherry tree which is easier in draping over netting for the birds. What a hassle it is having fruit trees, but worth it. Oh, forgot to mention the bears, never ends! |
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48755
From: ryan, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Shout out to gardeners
| i think those are called protein... |
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[48757]
48757
From: Chuckles, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Shout out to gardeners
| Yes, have at it! |
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48747
From: Chuckles, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Shout out to gardeners
URL: https://www.fast-growing-trees.com/products/flame-thrower-redbud-tree
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June 1st is the day when zucchini, tomatoes, peppers and such can be planted outside. Potatoes and onions were planted a month ago. Waiting for Lowes to get their spring parking lot of trees and shrubs. I was only able to get the last two new Flame Thrower trees and need three more. They're one of the most colorful trees I've come across. What is so special about the leaves, is that the colors of the leaves isn't just a fall thing, the leaves have multi colors all summer long into fall. The new growth has purple leaves adding to the orange, red, and yellow. |
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48746
From: karen, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Shout out to gardeners
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it was a bad couple of years ... i am north of you so 3 degrees colder here .. I lost all three of my blueberry plants ... lost my bay leaf bush this year .. even lost my favorite plant (gunnera) this year... just a little tiny stem .. never happened .. the only thing i can think of is that short freeze we had .. perhaps it just shocked them too much .. because the nights are still so cold, I started my tomatoes in the house this year instead of the greenhouse .. they are doing good .. still afraid to put them in the greenhouse.. not putting my fushias out for awhile .. worried they are not going to let us water this year as we havent had much rain .. Its been great gardening weather .. not too hot or cold and no rain .. got lots done .. love hearing the gardening stories .. |
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48741
From: ryan, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Shout out to gardeners
| norcal coast...trasplanted about 10 6 packs of tomatoes, peppers and cukes into larger pots today in the greenhouse...still thinking it's too early to put stuff like that out in the garden...have squash, flowers and some other seeds sprouting...i do have beans and wheat planted in the garden...and onions and shallots |
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