The Garden Thread

[woodworkingboy]

Che, thanks for the offer. I seem to remember that seeds was one thing on the customs restrictions list, have to smuggle them in inside the instant coffee.

 

[sotc]

I would imagine now is as good a time as any to smuggle into Japan!

 

[woodworkingboy]

What do you have in mind, Willie? Right up front, I won't take the fall for you. Japanese jails aren't very friendly places, and you have to march around.

 

[sotc]

Maybe some rope...

 

[woodworkingboy]

Rope.... Actually not a bad idea, since there is a special import tax levied on synthetic rope.

 

[sotc]

I know....

 

[Al Smith]

With all this rain it's still too wet to plant much of anything other than grass seed .That is doing very well though .As compaired to most years we are about 2 weeks behind .

 

[Che]

my tomatoes are doing well.....but the damned rabbits have eaten my strawberries (!) and about 1/4 of the little bean seedlings. But it's too wet to really get out there to do much about it.

 

[Al Smith]

You need a watch cat for your garden .

 

[MasterBlaster]

Orrrrrrrr a wire/chicken cloth fence.

 

[Al Smith]

Usually the rabbits don't bother my little garden but it's a raised bed .Perhaps too high to hop up on .

Now the damned coons can be a nuisance as they are practicularly fond of ripe tomatos .The SOB's take a bite out of each one . Maybe I need a hound .

 

[Cobleskill]

I never had a problem with coons in tomatoes, rodents, yes. Sweet corn, on the other hand, coons are a terrible pest. A good electric fence will discourage them.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Squirrels and tomatoes here. Just like that Al. Bite out of each one. Eventually they will run up the tree with one after they have wiped out every other ripe one Lead poisoning works..Just takes time and patience.
Something I have not much of during the summer months.

 

[Che]

This strawberry patch is just starting, they did eat some of the leaves, but I'm just in it for the runners this time around. The beans...'nother story. I was going to plant the second batch today anyway, guess I'll plant more than I was going to. IF it dries up a bit, that it. (I think it will)

Sweet corn is just a pleasant memory here....wayyyyy too many coons to plant it anymore.

 

[stig]

Why not just fence your gardens?

And put netting over it.

That'll keep everything out, except bees and other necessary small pollinators.

We have to fence here, to keep the everloving roe deer out.

 

[Che]

When I'm serious about the strawberries (next year), I will put netting over them.

I am a bit 'gun shy' though. I remember when my kids were very small (and I was very new to all this) I had left the netting out to the side of the strawberry bed. I was picking it up to put away and I found a snake had been caught up in it. The netting was cutting into its mouth. Both kids helped hold the mess and I carefully cut the netting away and let the snake slither away (probably to die somewhere.) I remember being pretty proud that who ever had to hold the netting right at its head wasn't at all bothered by it, I think it was my daughter.

 

[Labour of Love]

I had to buy birdnetting for my raspberries and red currants. Between the robins and the chipmunks, I likely got less than half what should have been there. It didn't arrive in time for last year, but this year I'm ready.

 

[Al Smith]

I spouted some cucumbers only last week . Low and behold they broke the surface today in the peat pots .For those who don't know if you use peat pots you just plant pot and all you don't disturb the roots when transplanting .

Burpees burpless ,kind of a play on words .

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Why not just fence your gardens?

And put netting over it.

That'll keep everything out, except bees and other necessary small pollinators.

We have to fence here, to keep the everloving roe deer out.

Lead poisoning is more fun..

 

[Paul B]

Strawberries, mine are rocking and I picked up 2 pots of alpine strawberry the other day, they are small but ever so tasty compared to the big marketed varieties. FWIW I went to a small fruits talk at the university a few weeks back, one of the other attendants was the fellow who bred the Hood variety, as in invented the variety, he looked about 100 years old but spry nonetheless,

 

[Labour of Love]

I spouted some cucumbers only last week . Low and behold they broke the surface today in the peat pots .For those who don't know if you use peat pots you just plant pot and all you don't disturb the roots when transplanting .

Burpees burpless ,kind of a play on words .

Be sure and break up the peat pot with your hands - enough to tear the pot in many places, but not enough to disturb any roots.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Some shitake mushroom plugs arrived yesterday. I cut some oak logs to plug and see what we get next year. Rob is going to grow some fungus for the kitchen Probably going to try a giant type, oyster and straw as well. Maybe some portabello down the road.

 

[Paul B]

Cool, my pops in law grew a kit last year that I had bought him, oyster mushroom if I remember right, turned a couple good crops.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

I guess the yield is supposed to be rather good. 5-10 lbs per log. We'll dehydrate what we can't utilize fresh. Gonna be a lot of stir fries this summer. I hope the bok choy does well I will be using up a lot of squash in my stir fries like I do every year. Would be nice to expand on that

 

[Paul B]

Whatabout some baby corn, I saw seeds for them last year on a specialty rack but didnt try growing them.