tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884216770926932676.post1788960275561602950..comments2024-03-24T11:10:13.186-04:00Comments on The Gardening Me: A (not so) brief garden update....Margarethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15949946977793864054noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884216770926932676.post-30472314428915306892016-05-24T15:35:31.022-04:002016-05-24T15:35:31.022-04:00I REALLY hope the bales work out - it would be a f...I REALLY hope the bales work out - it would be a fantastic way to grow space hogs like squash as you can place the bales anywhere and just let the vines sprawl. But you are right - I've heard that they do suck back the water which I suppose makes sense as they are exposed on 5/6 sides. I'll be hooking up a soaker hose for them, so we shall see how that goes.<br /><br />Wow - 4' tall? I think my "tall" fava variety grew that tall but the EPV's only got to about 2'. I have a feeling you're right - they probably love your cool winter weather and just keep going and going. I have no idea if my supports will be ok, but they "look" like they will be ok - famous last words, right?<br /><br />You know, periwinkle is an invasive here too BUT when I mentioned that to Helen from Toronto Gardens in an "argh...now I'm going to have to rip it all out" sort of way, she told me not to worry since my patch was located in between my house and our brick walkway. Around here, if periwinkle is contained in this way, it doesn't spread...No need to tell me twice when it comes to NOT having to do a lot of hard, tedious work :)Margarethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15949946977793864054noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884216770926932676.post-4018727535572104302016-05-24T11:32:26.256-04:002016-05-24T11:32:26.256-04:00You have been super busy in the garden! I'm re...You have been super busy in the garden! I'm really curious to see how your straw bale garden works out. I've thought about trying it but it seems like they would take a lot of watering which would be a challenge in our rainless summer and autumn. <br /><br />I've got a problem similar to yours, my favas need to be finished by the end of the week so I can move the trellis that I used to support them over to the tomato/pepper bed. The Extra Precoce Violettos are right on time, I just harvested the last of them yesterday and cut the plants down. But the Robin Hoods are just hitting their peak and may not be finished in time for the move this coming weekend. BTW, my EPV favas get to be about 4 feet tall, perhaps that's because they grow all winter long here, but I find that they need some sturdy support.<br /><br />The tulips are beautiful. I love them but don't bother to try to grow them anymore, they are basically annuals here since it doesn't get cold enough to get them to bloom a second year. Periwinkle, on the other hand, is a pernicious weed here, I dig and pull at it constantly and can't get rid of it, even when it doesn't get any water in a drought year!Michellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07812702328134261533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884216770926932676.post-48077653377213965462016-05-24T06:34:03.760-04:002016-05-24T06:34:03.760-04:00Thanks Phuong! I technically should be planting o...Thanks Phuong! I technically should be planting out the tomatoes/peppers this week, but with the unpredictability of the weather and the cold spell that ended only a few days ago, I decided to wait until now to start hardening them off - if all goes well, they should be in the ground by next week.Margarethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15949946977793864054noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884216770926932676.post-47925033287354042482016-05-23T23:56:46.926-04:002016-05-23T23:56:46.926-04:00You've got tons of lovely Baby Choy plants, ma...You've got tons of lovely Baby Choy plants, maybe they'll reach their full potential in just a couple weeks. When do you normally plant your tomatoes and peppers? <br /><br />And I can't get over how big bunching onions get. And it looks like there's lots of peas and fava beans in your future. So great!Phuonghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07658691564062044986noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884216770926932676.post-84921586722772321232016-05-23T18:36:33.916-04:002016-05-23T18:36:33.916-04:00Oh - so funny, Sue! It is difficult, especially n...Oh - so funny, Sue! It is difficult, especially now as some of them are ferning, but others are still coming up. I keep thinking, well, I've let most of them go, what difference would picking one little spear make. But then I talk myself out of it :)<br /><br />That is very interesting about hilling potatoes - it's good to know the origin of a practice as sometimes the reason for doing it that way no longer exists!<br /><br />I hope you are enjoying this gorgeous weather - today it was actually a bit too hot for my taste!Margarethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15949946977793864054noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884216770926932676.post-43783797634023873042016-05-23T18:35:35.374-04:002016-05-23T18:35:35.374-04:00I've never used bloodmeal before, so even thou...I've never used bloodmeal before, so even though I was "warned", the extent of the smell still surprised me.<br /><br />I'm encouraged to hear that not hilling potatoes has worked out well for you - it's definitely much easier then hilling so I hope that I have similar success. And this dryness is horrible - a few patches of our grass are already getting "crunchy" which is something that I don't expect until July!Margarethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15949946977793864054noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884216770926932676.post-2476760185618202782016-05-23T18:34:23.491-04:002016-05-23T18:34:23.491-04:00Straw bale gardening can get expensive, especially...Straw bale gardening can get expensive, especially organically as you have to add a lot more and the fertilizer also costs more, so it's a double whammy! My potatoes are probably about 6" deep - I would have planted them deeper if I could, but just didn't have the soil to add to the bed at the time.Margarethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15949946977793864054noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884216770926932676.post-86570991329774754002016-05-23T18:30:46.043-04:002016-05-23T18:30:46.043-04:00Thanks David! I just put up a trellis for them th...Thanks David! I just put up a trellis for them this morning. Since it's such a small spot - only 2' in length - I don't have remesh that is narrow enough, so I'm trying cotton twine. Hopefully that works out better than when I tried the jute!Margarethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15949946977793864054noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884216770926932676.post-7322287030550757322016-05-23T15:14:19.539-04:002016-05-23T15:14:19.539-04:00I don't know how you resist those asparagus. H...I don't know how you resist those asparagus. Heck, I'm a somewhat honest person and I'm tempted to raid your garden. Good thing we're not neighbors!<br /><br />As for hilling, I just read the other day about the origins of that.<br />Seems the settlers couldn't DIG that prairie, so they chopped out big chunks, turned them over, and planted on those "hills". That's the origin of that. Interesting.<br />I have always buried my potatoes--filling up the hole as they grow....and then adding straw when they reach the level of the rest of the bed.<br />Love love love those tulips!<br />Have a great weekSuehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10122524042294993949noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884216770926932676.post-53318518792232336642016-05-23T09:38:57.018-04:002016-05-23T09:38:57.018-04:00I do use blood meal here and there but the smell i...I do use blood meal here and there but the smell is terrible and I try to avoid being around the plants for a few days once I've applied it. I tend not to use anything other than soaking with water to condition my bales - this year I'm even lazier as I plan to just plop some soil on top of the hay, plant the seedling in the soil and the bale will condition as the season goes on.<br /><br />And I'm with you on the potatoes. I just dig a big hole, place the potato then fill the hole halfway. Once the plants start to show, I fill the rest of the hole and that's pretty much it.<br /><br />Your gardens all look wonderful which is quite a feat as our weather has been so dry lately, hasn't it?Susiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10354350096358468967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884216770926932676.post-77388293719454345982016-05-23T09:34:00.157-04:002016-05-23T09:34:00.157-04:00Hi Margaret, I thought about trying straw bale ga...Hi Margaret, I thought about trying straw bale gardening but decided it was too much work and expense. LOL I didn't plant potatoes this year but when I did I think I planted them 4 inches deep and still had to hill them. How deep did you plant yours this year? Nancy Cozy Thyme Cottagehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03933769393226611441noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884216770926932676.post-63258049075868600452016-05-23T09:04:06.947-04:002016-05-23T09:04:06.947-04:00The garden is looking great. You are starting to s...The garden is looking great. You are starting to see a lot of progress. Are you planning a trellis for the Golden Sweet peas? Those get at least 2 meters tall.David Veltenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07710293718143454000noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884216770926932676.post-49582609501015298302016-05-22T14:49:35.657-04:002016-05-22T14:49:35.657-04:00The smell is a killer, that's for sure! It...The smell is a killer, that's for sure! It's obviously the bloodmeal that's causing it, so people that use synthetic fertilizers won't have this issue but I think it's worth it to go organic. Fingers crossed that *all* the great squash I'll harvest from the bales will be worth the initial stench ;)Margarethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15949946977793864054noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884216770926932676.post-7168677369487316922016-05-22T14:47:07.983-04:002016-05-22T14:47:07.983-04:00And when it comes to hilling potatoes, that's ...And when it comes to hilling potatoes, that's what the consensus seemed to be when folks commented on Mark's post - a lot of work for seemingly little reward.<br /><br />We do have quite a lot that blooms throughout the season, but I often get so focused on giving all the veg details I forget to slip in ornamentals - I'll have to do a better job of that!Margarethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15949946977793864054noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884216770926932676.post-17248170512552684742016-05-22T13:58:25.376-04:002016-05-22T13:58:25.376-04:00I enjoyed your garden update. I am not sure I coul...I enjoyed your garden update. I am not sure I could resist picking the asparagus. It looks amazing. Straw bale gardening intrigues me and I will be following along for updates. I hope the smell goes away quickly as the bales cool down. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01129119492962711399noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2884216770926932676.post-81142848879381141582016-05-22T13:38:13.696-04:002016-05-22T13:38:13.696-04:00Everything looks to be doing really well and it...Everything looks to be doing really well and it's nice to see the flowers on your plot as well as the veggies this time. I'm always amazed how onion seedlings actually grow in to onions, they're finer than a blade of grass when they start off. I planted my potatoes in the same way as you're doing when I grew them in the ground, much easier than hilling up, it saves a lot of work, and I couldn't see a difference in what was harvested.Johttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17436932004631816039noreply@blogger.com