2018 gardening thread

[Agent_Z]

I was cleaning out a patch of brush and trees and I found some pomegranate that survived the drought we had 5 or 6 years ago. I thought they were all dead, so this was a surprise. --- Unfortunately, the trunks weren't strong enough to even hold themselves up as they had been leaning on all of the trees that had grown up around them, so I wrapped them in some nylon rope and I'm now giving them 50 gallons of water every other day out of my well in hopes they'll thicken up and grow together.



The roses are nice this year as well.



We found this swarm of bees today. It wasn't very big, and unfortunately I don't have a box to try to coax them into.

 

[gearjammer]

I was cleaning out a patch of brush and trees and I found some pomegranate that survived the drought we had 5 or 6 years ago. I thought they were all dead, so this was a surprise. --- Unfortunately, the trunks weren't strong enough to even hold themselves up as they had been leaning on all of the trees that had grown up around them, so I wrapped them in some nylon rope and I'm now giving them 50 gallons of water every other day out of my well in hopes they'll thicken up and grow together.

View attachment 44597

The roses are nice this year as well.

View attachment 44598

We found this swarm of bees today. It wasn't very big, and unfortunately I don't have a box to try to coax them into.

View attachment 44599

just get a box and put under the swarm and shake em into it they are very docile when they are swarming if you don't have a hive call a l0cal beekeeper they will appreciate a swarm

 

[Agent_Z]

just get a box and put under the swarm and shake em into it they are very docile when they are swarming if you don't have a hive call a l0cal beekeeper they will appreciate a swarm

That's funny you say that. I went to the gas station to get a drink and there was an advertisement on the bulletin board by the door for two local beekeepers. If the swarm is still around tomorrow I'm going to give them a call.

 

[Injun]

I went to the Washington State University extension yesterday. They had a plant sale and I wanted to get a volunteer tree that I pulled out with the weeds identified. They think it's a crabapple. That's worth saving.

While I was there, I got some information about that garlic some of us were fortunate enough to get from Duck. Turns out, it's a two to three year crop when planted from seeds ("bulbils," actually, and they're clones of the parent plant). So if you plant them now, you won't harvest them until the end of next year's season, unlike clove sets, which you harvest at the end of the first full season. Cool thing about this is the variety of garlic he sent us is genetically identical to the strain his neighbor started in the early 1960s.

And I bought an Oregon Grape start.

So.. Last year's garlic. Stalks are about an inch thick.


and the horseradish is taking off.

 

[GAnthony]

well went to wally's world emporium...

got 3 begonia hanging potted plants, one other hanging flower (something). one tomato, one cubanelle pepper, one eggplant, one basil, one parsley

something like $65 spent today

next week, i may buy the geraniums, (from the green hose i favor going to) and that's it...VERY SMALL veggie garden this year.

the green house i favor, does not sell veggie plants in single pots like, Lowes, Home Depot and wally's emporium does.... you gotta buy a flat of veggies, for about $17. or about $6 for say 6 tomato plants, or eggplants, etc,etc.

 

[dave350]

I like the rocks around the horseradish @Injun, very nice. Does that type garlic have a unique flavor?

 

[Injun]

I like the rocks around the horseradish @Injun, very nice. Does that type garlic have a unique flavor?

The rocks cover the black pot that keeps the horseradish contained.

Yes, the garlic has a different flavor than what you get in the store. I'm not sure if that's like the difference between homegrown tomatoes and commercially produced tomatoes, but it definitely tastes different. Very yummy. It's some kind of porcelain garlic strain, so that might be a factor as well.

 

[Agent_Z]

The rocks cover the black pot that keeps the horseradish contained.

Yes, the garlic has a different flavor than what you get in the store. I'm not sure if that's like the difference between homegrown tomatoes and commercially produced tomatoes, but it definitely tastes different. Very yummy. It's some kind of porcelain garlic strain, so that might be a factor as well.

We have "wild garlic" growing EVERYWHERE out here. The stuff has taken over. Like yours, but darker, and the bulbs resemble chives or onions... But the flavor is garlic'ish.. I've never known what they actually are.

All I know is mosquitoes hate the stuff, and it can be mixed in with candles that work better than citronella.

 

[Agent_Z]

Our wild plums are coming in as well.

 

[gearjammer]

it frosted here this morning

 

[tommyh]

Dave,usually taters and onions in Late Feb early March
Sat I saw a guy with 4 rows of onions and some taters up and doing well

 

[dave350]

I watched a you tube on harvesting garlic. Looks I have a little ways to go. My leaves are turning brown but only a little. Also looks like I’ll need to dry them in the basement after I harvest.

The Spanish guys came and got my last two chickens on Saturday. Felt weird going out to the coop and getting the food and water out. I’m gonna miss having chickens but I’m not having rats around and I have neighbors a couple houses down on each side that either have chickens or throw bird seed out to feed the birds. That draws rats in so. Done. We had an infestation late last year and they were getting up near the house. I got rid of them. Then one popped up a month ago. Got him. Then another one came. That was enough.

 

[gearjammer]

tractor supply some rat execution pharmaceutical products IE. rat poison for you rednecks that will decimate them in very short order, my coop sets on bricks so I just throw a big chunk under the coop, twice we had a couple rats try to set up house under it but that has been a long while ago, I think their cousions took the hint.

 

[dave350]

tractor supply some rat execution pharmaceutical products IE. rat poison for you rednecks that will decimate them in very short order, my coop sets on bricks so I just throw a big chunk under the coop, twice we had a couple rats try to set up house under it but that has been a long while ago, I think their cousions took the hint.

I used a combination of Victor slap traps, pellet gun, and poison. I have to be careful with poison because of the dog.

When we were over run I got two with poison, about 8-9 by shooting them and the rest with traps. I think I killed like 15 rats in three days, all them slightly smaller than a squirrel. Found one baby that had been poisoned. He was laying on the front porch. I still have some poison out front where the dog doesn’t roam.

 

[Agent_Z]

When I was little we used to dig a pit next to the chicken coop entrance, about a foot deep, foot wide. Ours had to go up a ramp, so we did this at the foot of the ramp. Just cut a hole big enough for a rat to get in out of some plywood and cover the pit. Bait it with a poison of your choosing. Always worked fine as long as you don't have chicks running around that can fall in a small hole.

Sometimes we got lucky and the rat would consider taking up residence, so they would die in the pit. --- If you want to be inhumane, use antifreeze soaked food scraps. They won't make it out of the hole.

 

[GAnthony]

more rain and a chill...i took in the potted vegetable plants for the night, keeping them in the hall until the temps and sun come out. it's an everyday thing here in the early spring.

 

[tommyh]

I use
Havoc to kill mice and rats

 

[Blood]

Comfry.
Suppose to make excellent organic fertilizer when soaked in a 'tea bag' and diluted for application.
I haven't made any yet because when I bought the crowns year before last they fell into a fish tank and spent the winter submerged in water/ice.
Only one survived and it was stunted all last year.

I hear that stinging nettle makes excellent organic fertilizer as well.

 

[Injun]

I saw a video of three terriers of the breed formerly known as Jack Russell ratting a barn. Those little guys killed almost 40 rats in under five minutes...grab, shake, drop, grab, shake, drop... It was impressive.

PETA would probably whine about it.

 

[GAnthony]

I saw a video of three terriers of the breed formerly known as Jack Russell ratting a barn. Those little guys killed almost 40 rats in under five minutes...grab, shake, drop, grab, shake, drop... It was impressive.

PETA would probably whine about it.

i had to look that up, the jack russell terrier..they still are known as jack russells.....?