Ask me anything you want to know about Gardening

originally posted by: TheAlleghenyGentleman
a reply to: JAGStorm

awww your advice was to hire advice.

That makes me sad.

Gotcha. Lost cause.

burn it down.

on it. When the police ask I will just say Jagstorm on ats said

BURN IT DOWN

Please don't. I run a few apple trees, very old sorts. They are on a north slope so not the best sun conditions but I still get a couple metric tons for making juice. So before you come with fire, please share a photo of your tree. Saying pruning is needed is one thing but you need to know what you do. There's a principle behind pruning fruit trees (not only though) and it's called the juice scale.

If you want, post photos: one from far so the whole tree is visible, one close up from the bark and please dig up the ground a few meters from it at least a foot deep and make a photo of the earth. An oldster who owned it before me showed me how to prune and what to look for.

a reply to: ThatDamnDuckAgain

I agree with thatduck

There are many options far better than fire.

Prune
craft
Or if it's really gone sell the wood to a carpenter.

Fruit trees are a very valuable asset in agriculture.

originally posted by: Macenroe82
a reply to: JAGStorm

I have a prickly pear cactus sharing a 1.2 ft planter with hens and chicks (succulents)

My cactus turned purplish on some of its arms, but my succulents look phenomenal.
What is the best watering schedule for them? Can they all be watered at the same time?

I’m currently watering them about once every week to week and a half.
Do I need to water more often?
Or even less in the winter?

Are you sure the purple parts are not the 'fruits'? They form after the flowers, and are the 'pears' of the prickly pear. They are edible, but watch out for the spines!

We should have a sub forum for stuff like this, great info here. Thanks for posting.

I plan on growing herbs and spices next year but also want to have large swathes of crab grass front yard turn into a pollinator garden. Aside from tilling the dirt, which has alot of clay in it. What else can I do in the winter months to prepare the areas?

originally posted by: StratosFear
We should have a sub forum for stuff like this, great info here. Thanks for posting.

I plan on growing herbs and spices next year but also want to have large swathes of crab grass front yard turn into a pollinator garden. Aside from tilling the dirt, which has alot of clay in it. What else can I do in the winter months to prepare the areas?

I actually don’t recommend tilling the dirt. It is just such a bad practice and what you’ll end up with is significantly more weeds. What I do recommend is to smother them. Use cardboard, soil and mulch and cover the area. It should be ready to go next spring. I’ve been using this method for a long time. Even if you do have to take up some soil, I would still use cardboard or newspaper (not landscape fabric please!) and smother it.

a reply to: GlobalGold

Are you sure the purple parts are not the 'fruits'? They form after the flowers, and are the 'pears' of the prickly pear. They are edible, but watch out for the spines!

All the PP I’ve seen have a purple/reddish tinge to the edges, with and without fruit. It may be where the fruits eventually grows.
I stopped growing them as I swear I would get pricked every single time. I stick with the soft succulents.

a reply to: JAGStorm

I totally agree concerning tilling, but for clay ridden soil I would make an exception.

Also, if you start a garden on so far unproductive soil, tilling is necessary unless you go the 3-year route where you let your crops do the work.
lots of good info can be found in the permaculture philosophy...

a reply to: JAGStorm

Grandparents and my dad would put an old leather shoe in the garden. (Tomato's, peppers, cukes)...

Something about tanic(?) acid being good for the soil.

New to you? Peace!😎✌️

a reply to: GlobalGold

Hey,
No, the cactus in it entirety had purple streaks going through it.

originally posted by: mysterioustranger
a reply to: JAGStorm

Grandparents and my dad would put an old leather shoe in the garden. (Tomato's, peppers, cukes)...

Something about tanic(?) acid being good for the soil.

New to you? Peace!😎✌️

Haven't heard about a shoe, I know my gma buried fish bones all the time. I know that grandparents would bury/compost just about everything.
Old rags, clothing, old rugs. They went into the compost because everything was natural and biodegradable back then.
When I say they were ready to be composted they were really ready, back then people used thing until they were literally falling apart. I'm guessing the same could be said about old leather, it was natural and would decompose. I wouldn't trust any shoes these days, most are plastic.

a reply to: JAGStorm



Ummm…in my geodesic dome greenhouse…what’s the proper feed flow/rate of the nutrient bath in my vertical hydroponic units…?

Also…at which parts per million do I adjust the nutrients in the dispenser tanks…?


You asked me to ask…




YouSir

a reply to: ThatDamnDuckAgain

I promise I won’t. Been a stressful few days. Just typing burn it down is a stress reliever. The apple trees are still beautiful and I would never destroy something like that. I was being maybe too sardonic.

Have you seen Akira Kurosawa’s dreams? The second story is about the boy and the peach orchard. I feel that way towards nature. I always have.

When the apples come back in, if there is spring thread. A thread that is “blossoming”, I will post pictures of the apples and the tree to see what can actually be done. 🍎 🍏

a reply to: TheAlleghenyGentleman
(For our region and temperature) it's too late for pruning so it would make sense in Spring before they blossom.

I love it when they blossom. The trees I own are far away from any public road. At that time when they blossom honey bees and bumble bees fill the air. It's like a big symphony of buzzing, very soothing to just stroll through.

Lot's of work in Spring though, it's two weekends I need for clearing out the thornes. The earth there is very clayish, brown and sticky. The apples do not get big they were for juicing and fermenting. I / we(helpers) pick up the good ones with nets and the hunters can pick up what they want for setting up bore/hog attractions.

a reply to: TheAlleghenyGentleman

Have you seen Akira Kurosawa’s dreams? The second story is about the boy and the peach orchard. I feel that way towards nature. I always have.

Been forever since I heard about that movie… All I remember is a snowy scene… hmm might have to rewatch it

a reply to: YouSir

uhmmm that's not gardening, that's rocket science

originally posted by: JAGStorm

originally posted by: olaru12
I'm only allowed to grow 8 cannabis plants. What strain is the best for a large harvest to maximize my efforts?
And is Foxfarm all it's cracked up to be? And is worm castings, molasses and fish emulsion a good tea recipe as opposed to a compost tea?

S&F for a subject near and dear to my heart. My GF only grows asparagus for sale at the local farmers market on her 1/2 acre she only allows me a very limited space.

I’ve never grown cannabis. Wisconsin used to be one of the worlds producers of hemp. It still grows in some ditches, very similar.

This sounds crazy, but I think some of these plants do better with less “fussing”.

Hemp and the highly hybridized genetic strains of cannabis are quite different; but you are spot on about the "fussing" aspect of cannabis horticulture. I have loved many plants to death with over watering and to many nutrients. Now just a dilute worm casting tea seems to be the answer to all my previous problems.

originally posted by: olaru12
Hemp and the highly hybridized genetic strains of cannabis are quite different; but you are spot on about the "fussing" aspect of cannabis horticulture. I have loved many plants to death with over watering and to many nutrients. Now just a dilute worm tea seems to be the answer to all my previous problems.

Try a bucket of water and a few fire/sting nettle leaves. A gallon and two gloves should be enough, stems are okay too. Leave it for a week at a cold dark place but airy space, watch for mold.. It's stinky but the bacteria in the soil will love it. I dilute it though and start slow, each batch is a bit different.

It's great for all gardening purposes and the carrots seem to like it too

It could provide a bit of alternation to your worm tea, these are great too.

originally posted by: infiniteMeow
I think if you are using garden for food an appropriate question is what plants stop cats from using the freshly dug ground as a toilet?

oh well it didn't say you would answer. its OK I googled the plants bit and may or may not have used an air rifle. this made another question. if I bury a pet will it affect dhalias negatively?

originally posted by: infiniteMeow

originally posted by: infiniteMeow
I think if you are using garden for food an appropriate question is what plants stop cats from using the freshly dug ground as a toilet?

oh well it didn't say you would answer. its OK I googled the plants bit and may or may not have used an air rifle. this made another question. if I bury a pet will it affect dhalias negatively?

Cat like softer “litter” You can stop the good feeling to them by placing things in it to disrupt the smooth litter like beds.
Add sticks until your crop grows, add stones, garden decor. I find this kind of deterrent is better than smells.

Same for rabbits. We have a serious rabbit problem here. The sprays are absolutely useless. The plants they don’t like are absolutely useless.

As a last resort plant catnip in your neighbors yard LOL

a reply to: JAGStorm

As a last resort plant catnip in your neighbors yard LOL

😂🤣😂🤭🤗

Some people’s last resort is other people’s source of abundant amusement.