Posted by David Hare-Scott on August 6, 2011, 11:50 pm
We have had a week of temperatures up to 24C, it is cooler today with
overcast and drizzle but not really cold.
Most of the deciduous plants are budding, I had to hurry and finish pruning
the roses before the rain. Now all I need is a nice frost in the last week
of August to knock off the buds.
Tell me why is it that people who like roses want you to grow them but never
volunteer to prune them? I consented to planting six (not a lot I know) a
couple of years ago. According to the vendor information they were nice
restrained cultivars that grow to 1.5m. Lies, all lies! The bloody things
grow 3m high or more and the trimmings from each one fill a small
wheelbarrow. I do so hate getting caught up and impaled by rose thorns.
I still have tangelos, lemons and cumquats on the trees. The broad beans
are flowering well and covered in bees but no fruit set yet. I am trying a
spring planting of peas this year to try to avoid the
too-cold-to-flower-and-fruit blues.
I will be sowing my seed trays for all the transplantable summer crops this
week. We went to the local nursery to pick up a couple of packets of seeds
that I was missing and found they had no okra. Bless his little cotton
socks the owner dipped into his personal stash of saved seeds and gave me
some. Who said the days of customer service were over.
For those who care there are quite a few new shots of the garden, floods,
frosts and animals in our imitation winter.
http://s1086.photobucket.com/albums/j444/HareScott/
David
Posted by songbird on August 7, 2011, 11:36 am
David Hare-Scott wrote:
> We have had a week of temperatures up to 24C, it is cooler today with
> overcast and drizzle but not really cold.
> Most of the deciduous plants are budding, I had to hurry and finish pruning
> the roses before the rain. Now all I need is a nice frost in the last week
> of August to knock off the buds.
> Tell me why is it that people who like roses want you to grow them but never
> volunteer to prune them? I consented to planting six (not a lot I know) a
> couple of years ago. According to the vendor information they were nice
> restrained cultivars that grow to 1.5m. Lies, all lies! The bloody things
> grow 3m high or more and the trimmings from each one fill a small
> wheelbarrow. I do so hate getting caught up and impaled by rose thorns.
i used to consider it a sacrifice to beauty.
now i much prefer to not have them and since
the soil is so wrong for them in most of the
yard/gardens here i don't want to spend the
money or time on them again.
> I still have tangelos, lemons and cumquats on the trees. The broad beans
> are flowering well and covered in bees but no fruit set yet. I am trying a
> spring planting of peas this year to try to avoid the
> too-cold-to-flower-and-fruit blues.
i was going to go out today and turn
under the bolting lettuces and stick in
some peas hoping to get some pods before
the frosts come. i'm not sure it will
work out, but they would mainly be for
adding extra nitrogen to the soil as a
cover crop than anything. very humid
today, and i've been on the go for many
days so today is likely going to be a
day of reading and not much else.
> I will be sowing my seed trays for all the transplantable summer crops this
> week. We went to the local nursery to pick up a couple of packets of seeds
> that I was missing and found they had no okra. Bless his little cotton
> socks the owner dipped into his personal stash of saved seeds and gave me
> some. Who said the days of customer service were over.
:) how long are okra seeds viable?
> For those who care there are quite a few new shots of the garden, floods,
> frosts and animals in our imitation winter.
> http://s1086.photobucket.com/albums/j444/HareScott/
:) thanks.
songbird
Posted by David Hare-Scott on August 7, 2011, 11:54 pm
songbird wrote:
> David Hare-Scott wrote:
>> We have had a week of temperatures up to 24C, it is cooler today
>> with overcast and drizzle but not really cold.
>>
>> Most of the deciduous plants are budding, I had to hurry and finish
>> pruning the roses before the rain. Now all I need is a nice frost
>> in the last week of August to knock off the buds.
>>
>> Tell me why is it that people who like roses want you to grow them
>> but never volunteer to prune them? I consented to planting six (not
>> a lot I know) a couple of years ago. According to the vendor
>> information they were nice restrained cultivars that grow to 1.5m.
>> Lies, all lies! The bloody things grow 3m high or more and the
>> trimmings from each one fill a small wheelbarrow. I do so hate
>> getting caught up and impaled by rose thorns.
> i used to consider it a sacrifice to beauty.
> now i much prefer to not have them and since
> the soil is so wrong for them in most of the
> yard/gardens here i don't want to spend the
> money or time on them again.
I can't use that excuse as clearly my soil is right for them... Maybe I can
discover some new improved fertiliser that will kill them.
>> I still have tangelos, lemons and cumquats on the trees. The broad
>> beans are flowering well and covered in bees but no fruit set yet.
>> I am trying a spring planting of peas this year to try to avoid the
>> too-cold-to-flower-and-fruit blues.
> i was going to go out today and turn
> under the bolting lettuces and stick in
> some peas hoping to get some pods before
> the frosts come.
How long have you got til first frost?
i'm not sure it will
> work out, but they would mainly be for
> adding extra nitrogen to the soil as a
> cover crop than anything. very humid
> today, and i've been on the go for many
> days so today is likely going to be a
> day of reading and not much else.
>> I will be sowing my seed trays for all the transplantable summer
>> crops this week. We went to the local nursery to pick up a couple
>> of packets of seeds that I was missing and found they had no okra.
>> Bless his little cotton socks the owner dipped into his personal
>> stash of saved seeds and gave me some. Who said the days of
>> customer service were over.
> :) how long are okra seeds viable?
I am not sure, I think these were from last season so they ought to be OK.
I will reveal the result in a month or so.
>> For those who care there are quite a few new shots of the garden,
>> floods, frosts and animals in our imitation winter.
>>
>> http://s1086.photobucket.com/albums/j444/HareScott/
> :) thanks.
> songbird
D
Posted by songbird on August 8, 2011, 1:13 am
David Hare-Scott wrote:
> songbird wrote:
>> David Hare-Scott wrote:
>>
>>> We have had a week of temperatures up to 24C, it is cooler today
>>> with overcast and drizzle but not really cold.
>>>
>>> Most of the deciduous plants are budding, I had to hurry and finish
>>> pruning the roses before the rain. Now all I need is a nice frost
>>> in the last week of August to knock off the buds.
>>>
>>> Tell me why is it that people who like roses want you to grow them
>>> but never volunteer to prune them? I consented to planting six (not
>>> a lot I know) a couple of years ago. According to the vendor
>>> information they were nice restrained cultivars that grow to 1.5m.
>>> Lies, all lies! The bloody things grow 3m high or more and the
>>> trimmings from each one fill a small wheelbarrow. I do so hate
>>> getting caught up and impaled by rose thorns.
>>
>> i used to consider it a sacrifice to beauty.
>> now i much prefer to not have them and since
>> the soil is so wrong for them in most of the
>> yard/gardens here i don't want to spend the
>> money or time on them again.
>>
> I can't use that excuse as clearly my soil is right for them... Maybe I can
> discover some new improved fertiliser that will kill them.
heh. :) some things we do for love.
p.s. i never trust vendors or catalogs much
these days. i try to get plants i really care
about from the guy i know who actually does
get it right.
>>> I still have tangelos, lemons and cumquats on the trees. The broad
>>> beans are flowering well and covered in bees but no fruit set yet.
>>> I am trying a spring planting of peas this year to try to avoid the
>>> too-cold-to-flower-and-fruit blues.
>>
>> i was going to go out today and turn
>> under the bolting lettuces and stick in
>> some peas hoping to get some pods before
>> the frosts come.
> How long have you got til first frost?
mid to late september, cutting it close
i think, but the cover will be good enough
anyways.
> i'm not sure it will
>> work out, but they would mainly be for
>> adding extra nitrogen to the soil as a
>> cover crop than anything. very humid
>> today, and i've been on the go for many
>> days so today is likely going to be a
>> day of reading and not much else.
>>
>>
>>> I will be sowing my seed trays for all the transplantable summer
>>> crops this week. We went to the local nursery to pick up a couple
>>> of packets of seeds that I was missing and found they had no okra.
>>> Bless his little cotton socks the owner dipped into his personal
>>> stash of saved seeds and gave me some. Who said the days of
>>> customer service were over.
>>
>> :) how long are okra seeds viable?
>>
> I am not sure, I think these were from last season so they ought to be OK.
> I will reveal the result in a month or so.
i'm aware of some left over okra seeds at a
hardware store and was curious if they would be
viable enough in the second year to make a
offer to take them off their hands... i'm sure
some would sprout next year, but if most of
them wouldn't then it wouldn't be worth it as
i can just wait and get newer seeds next spring.
my brother might have some direct experience
so i'll ask him too.
songbird
Posted by Nad R on August 8, 2011, 3:31 am
> David Hare-Scott wrote:
>>>
>>> i used to consider it a sacrifice to beauty.
>>> now i much prefer to not have them and since
>>> the soil is so wrong for them in most of the
>>> yard/gardens here i don't want to spend the
>>> money or time on them again.
I dislike roses also. One needs an arsenal of chemicals to keep them
looking nice. The clippings do not compost well, need special gloves, just
not worth the extra work. I much prefer peonies to roses.
>>> i was going to go out today and turn
>>> under the bolting lettuces and stick in
>>> some peas hoping to get some pods before
>>> the frosts come.
>>
>> How long have you got til first frost?
>
> mid to late september, cutting it close
> i think, but the cover will be good enough
> anyways.
This late in the season, I would plant pumpkins, they can handle a frost or
two.
Winter squash may also work out well. Or more leaf lettuce or spinach.
> i'm aware of some left over okra seeds at a
> hardware store and was curious if they would be
> viable enough in the second year to make a
> offer to take them off their hands... i'm sure
> some would sprout next year, but if most of
> them wouldn't then it wouldn't be worth it as
> i can just wait and get newer seeds next spring.
Of course he has left over okra seeds, okra does not typically grow well
here.
However...
I wish I had planted Okra this summer because it was so hot. Normally Okra
does not grow well in Michigan. The plant is stagnant when temperature
hangs around the 70's fahrenheit. Grows very well when the temperature hits
the 90's Fahrenheit. They are some northern varieties but still slow
growing. Takes about ten plants for just one meal because of the slow
growth during normal Michigan temps.
Last three days, the pickling Cucumbers are coming in and I have pickled
nine pints of Bread and Butter pickle slices and ten pints of dill pickle
spears. Frozen seven pounds of green beans. The rain is now coming and
going regularly and with the nice warm weather, looks like the corn and
tomatoes are starting to look real nice. Have no need for hand watering the
last three weeks.
For something new, I may try pickling the squash next week.
--
Enjoy Life... Nad R (Garden in zone 5a Michigan)
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> overcast and drizzle but not really cold.
> Most of the deciduous plants are budding, I had to hurry and finish pruning
> the roses before the rain. Now all I need is a nice frost in the last week
> of August to knock off the buds.
> Tell me why is it that people who like roses want you to grow them but never
> volunteer to prune them? I consented to planting six (not a lot I know) a
> couple of years ago. According to the vendor information they were nice
> restrained cultivars that grow to 1.5m. Lies, all lies! The bloody things
> grow 3m high or more and the trimmings from each one fill a small
> wheelbarrow. I do so hate getting caught up and impaled by rose thorns.