Garden Time Coming

Gardening and Household tips. Good food. The Lighter side...

Moderator: Super Moderators

User avatar
LeslieV
Pirate
Posts: 167
Joined: 06-21-2012 07:52 PM
Location: Ease of the Rockies

Post by LeslieV » 06-23-2014 09:44 AM

Got a whole bunch of them and started hanging last evening in the trees, which are few around here, and off other things so they dangle and catch the light.

I have solar lights in the garden and walk ways so the CD's should catch some light there and cause that flash the deer hate.

I see my apple trees are really full this year so I need to take care to get a harvest and not Bambi.

Cherry Kelly
Pirate
Posts: 12852
Joined: 07-29-2000 02:00 AM
Contact:

Post by Cherry Kelly » 06-24-2014 09:10 AM

Leslie -- hope they work as good for you as they have here and for other people with similar situations!!

User avatar
LeslieV
Pirate
Posts: 167
Joined: 06-21-2012 07:52 PM
Location: Ease of the Rockies

Post by LeslieV » 06-24-2014 10:02 AM

They should work and along with the flashy streamers I think I will have Bambi a little nervous for a while. I have seen those red blink lights for sale but at near $20 each too expensive. Since I can build things I may build a couple of them to put out as I have a few small solar cells to use to recharge the batteries. They are suppose to work keeping all types of critters away.

A series of storms went by yesterday but all I got was a little trace of rain, not enough to wet the garden. I did see a land spout tornado start up just a few miles south of the house. It went back up before hitting the ground but farther east the storms got worse with hail, rain and tornadoes. I am a weather spotter so called that in then the NWS sounded the alarm on the weather radio.

We're to have a repeat today so I hope all I get is a good rain.

Cherry Kelly
Pirate
Posts: 12852
Joined: 07-29-2000 02:00 AM
Contact:

Post by Cherry Kelly » 06-29-2014 10:48 AM

Sat - got just under 2" of rain. Now the wild thing was we were out putting some more black paper along the outside edges of where we planted the pepper plants that had been inside over the winter. Had a couple of drips of rain - nothing much. Was putting on the last board (to hold down the paper) and WOOSH! The rain poured down. Mad dash to the house and got wet of course!

Now I've had rain drip a few drops before. Usually just a few drops that increase just a little at a time. NOT this time. Rather different experience for sure.

Garden looking good for the most part. Do hope it continues to grow and produce.

User avatar
Fan
Lady with a
Posts: 5306
Joined: 05-09-2011 02:18 PM
Contact:

Post by Fan » 06-29-2014 10:56 AM

been insanely hot here, have to water potted plants twice a day... and myself considerably more.

Tomatoes are looking happy though :)
The heartbreaking necessity of lying about reality and the heartbreaking impossibility of lying about it.

― Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle

User avatar
LeslieV
Pirate
Posts: 167
Joined: 06-21-2012 07:52 PM
Location: Ease of the Rockies

Post by LeslieV » 06-29-2014 02:09 PM

In for a cool lunch break as it is noon sun time or 1PM MST and the heat is coming on fast now. It is 86 here with a breeze that is just sucking the moisture out. I agree Fan, the potted ones need it a lot and us even more.

I'm putting up supports for more hoop covers that will hold shade material this July into August then I can put plastic over for a fall growing extender before harvest and then only what will be grown in the greenhouse and in the house for winter.

Rain barrels empty and only 0.06 inches of rain this week so heavy watering tonight as it will be hot the next few days and no rain to speak of.

It is best to water in the evening in this semi-desert as it gives the water a chance to soak in and any leaves that get wet will dry fast in low humidity.

Bobbi Snow
Pirate
Posts: 2366
Joined: 01-20-2008 01:57 PM

Post by Bobbi Snow » 06-29-2014 02:48 PM

LeslieV, there are some plants (roses, for example) that should be watered as soon as the sun no longer reaches them, because they need to have heat to dry out the leaves and roots before the temperatures go down. This prevents root rot and lowers the remaining water particles on the leaves that attract predator bugs. I don't know if this pertains to edibles... My gardner made me aware of this a couple of years ago, and I haven't had aphids since then.
ImageIf you're still breathing, it's not too late!

User avatar
LeslieV
Pirate
Posts: 167
Joined: 06-21-2012 07:52 PM
Location: Ease of the Rockies

Post by LeslieV » 06-29-2014 03:01 PM

I see you are at low altitudes there at LAX so that would be true as it was for me when I was at 400-feet ASL back in PA.

Here I am near 7,000 feet and things are different due to the dry and rapid evaporation. Even the extension advises evening watering because morning will just loose most of it to evaporation very quick in the summer. It heats up pretty fast with a moderate cool down and normally evening breezes down slope from the higher elevations.

When they tell you to plant in hills we plant in dips here to keep the moisture and gather any water that falls. So not quite reverse but different enough that low land techniques do not work well up here in nose-bleed area.

Even folks in Denver do gardening a little different although not as bad as the difference between your altitude and mine but enough that it matters.

It is a process of learning to work with nature where you are at. My techniques up here would fail where you are at as my learned low land techniques failed up here. At this altitude the sun and UV is very intense so even sun loving plants need some shade.

Going to put on lots of long loose clothing and head out for a little more work in the sun. It's 1PM sun time and some clouds are starting to move in.

Bobbi Snow
Pirate
Posts: 2366
Joined: 01-20-2008 01:57 PM

Post by Bobbi Snow » 06-30-2014 01:28 AM

Oh, yeah... I wouldn't know what to do at 7K feet. I'd probably need an oxygen tank!:D But it's good to know that the higher we go, the more some normal things change.
ImageIf you're still breathing, it's not too late!

Cherry Kelly
Pirate
Posts: 12852
Joined: 07-29-2000 02:00 AM
Contact:

Post by Cherry Kelly » 06-30-2014 10:10 AM

Location certainly does make a large difference in how things grow.

YES creating a heat shield does make a difference for plants in certain areas as well. As noted earlier - I use a double layer of window screen material for the delicate plants. Tall posts (fencing tall) work well - and at an angle with one side taller.

If you don't have a watering system or even if you do - nighttime has worked the best just about everywhere.

As noted I do use weed water paper as that also has helped keep moisture where needed and definitely keeps weed problems down. Still get a few, but not the wheelbarrow loads as in the past.

Cherry Kelly
Pirate
Posts: 12852
Joined: 07-29-2000 02:00 AM
Contact:

Post by Cherry Kelly » 07-06-2014 10:23 AM

picking green beans, cleaning, snapping and prepping to vacuum seal and freeze! Of course eating some too :)

Do enjoy it when the garden work starts producing!

User avatar
LeslieV
Pirate
Posts: 167
Joined: 06-21-2012 07:52 PM
Location: Ease of the Rockies

Post by LeslieV » 07-06-2014 10:31 AM

Summer squash coming in now so got the first couple off this AM. Won't pack these as they will be in a salad but from the looks of the plants I'll be busy by the end of the week.

Tomatoes coming in on some of the plants and others will be later this summer so spread out across the summer is just fine with me.

Peas and beans are just starting to think about producing as are the peppers. I didn't plant corn this year, time just got away from me.

It's been hot in the 90's past couple days and will until Wednesday so work in the morning and evening for the garden and Monday is back to work.

Cherry Kelly
Pirate
Posts: 12852
Joined: 07-29-2000 02:00 AM
Contact:

Post by Cherry Kelly » 07-09-2014 11:31 AM

YES - working in the garden -- is about an every day - checking type thing.

Storm/wind on Monday night into Tues - no hail, but did get some heavy winds. FEW pepper plants that are producing heavily got bent - nothing broken - just need some more dirt around bottom that either washed away or - well - got them back up - two with little props until I can get some of the excess picked. Some will be put on paper to finish ripening, but the big bells are just right for having stuffed peppers! :)

TWO of the early girl tomatoes in metal stakes also were bent over - back upright with stakes added to help keep the baskets up. Did have to bring three green tomatoes inside that had fallen off - two Roma and one early girl. Did lose one corn stalk - well kinda It needs a "bandaid" -- think it was a micro-burst! They did say strange high winds up to 80mph but not sure where the different hits were reported.

LOT of downed trees in the metro - and something like 14000 without power for several hours yesterday.

Out to pick peppers!

Cherry Kelly
Pirate
Posts: 12852
Joined: 07-29-2000 02:00 AM
Contact:

Post by Cherry Kelly » 07-23-2014 08:39 AM

picking sweet corn and the first ripening tomatoes. Good eating corn!! ya..

When tomatoes turn pink I bring them in to finish ripening and have this years first batch ... :)

Peppers doing good - have had some bells and mild peppers as well as jalapeno and SanteFe to have with meals. Another mild pepper - double delight is doing its thing and has added to a lot of other foods.

User avatar
LeslieV
Pirate
Posts: 167
Joined: 06-21-2012 07:52 PM
Location: Ease of the Rockies

Post by LeslieV » 07-24-2014 02:43 PM

Didn't plant any corn this year as we have been pretty dry the past years and of course we get tons of rain from the early monsoon and corn would have grown very well. Next year I guess I will try again.

Picking peas, tomatoes and the usual salad veggies. Onions and potato patches looking good.

Getting some summer squash but just discovered squash bugs and eggs on the leaves and stems. Squished quite a few and a couple 'daddy-long-leg' spiders came around so I think they are interested in eating some so I will let them and check this evening. Got to control the buggers or I will get nothing. Bugs that is not spiders so no harmful spray at all since I want predator bugs to eat the squash bugs and eggs I don't get.

Planting the fall crops now of beets, broccoli, radish, lettuce, spinach, and a few others. Should get some before the first frost but am building hoops over the beds so I can extend the season on these fall crops.

Too soon it will be clean up the garden and concentrate on the greenhouse for production over winter. I need to do a little more work on the insulation to snug it up more as I am sure we will see minus 20 again this winter.

Post Reply

Return to “Garden & Galley”