AZ Gardeners

[nminusyplusm]

Those wasps are a tad bit smaller than turkeys, aren't they? Scarier...to me anyways, but smaller.

Just a bit smaller, yep! So far they're way more interested in the caterpillars than they are in me but I do try to stay out of the way while they're working.

 

[cactusrota]

Ok, I'm jumping in here and subscribing even though I'm next door in New Mexico because of the similar conditions and challenges we face.

I battled a lot of caterpillars this year but I had help from the wasps that nest in my eaves and when they couldn't reach them all I sprayed with organic Monterey BT. It kept things under control.

I keep reading about BT but have yet to try it. I think this spring I'm gonna have to track some down...

 

[nminusyplusm]

I keep reading about BT but have yet to try it. I think this spring I'm gonna have to track some down...

It's good stuff, really works and I love that it's safe for pollinators.

 

[cactusrota]

So who's getting started on their Spring plantings? The stores all seem to have the cold weather stuff right now so I got some lettuce and broccoli, and a strawberry. And thought I'd try blackberry and raspberry again this year after my complete failure in the past. I also got some pomegranite seedlings from a friend, just need to figure out where to put them.
I've been experimenting and put some sugar peas and broccoli seeds in the garden over the winter to see what they'd do. It gets down into the lower 20's here in the dead of winter. Three of the peas germinated despite the freezing nights. One of them got eaten, but the other two are still there and picking up growth now that the nights are staying at or above 30. The broccoli seeds never did anything. I'm not giving up hope though. I tossed out some tomato seeds over the summer to see if they would do anything, and nothing happened for like two months, but as soon as the monsoons brought temps down 10 degrees they started sprouting. I had no idea until last summer that seeds have a maximum germination temp, too! haha!

 

[DesertChic]

I started a bunch of seeds back in November and December and have begun transplanting them....broccoli, cauliflower, and kale so far. My broccoli has taken to the transplanting pretty well, but only one of my cauliflower survived and the kale seems to prefer pots to garden. I'm waiting a bit long to transplant my tomato starts, allowing them to grow a little stronger. I'm trying two new varieties this year - Flamenco and Moonlight. I also need to set up one of my garden areas again and start seeding peas, beans and a variety of other seeds. The chickens will NOT be happy about me sectioning that part of the yard off again since it's become their favorite dust bathing area.

I also started growing a couple mulberry trees from seed. One of them is quite large after just two months and I hope to transplant it in the spring.

I still have a sweet potato plant I started from a sprig, but the Javelina got into it and ate most of the leaves. I'm trying to nurse it back to life but it's slow-going at best.

My chicken pasture is doing great - clover, alfalfa and oats.

 

[cactusrota]

I wish I had a good place to start seeds over the winter. I sectioned off a corner of covered/screened porch type area I have with clear plastic to put some things to protect over the winter. It kept the frost out, but not the freezing temps. All my smaller aloes, the dragonfruit plants I'd started, and a few other things froze and died. I'm not sure if my keylime is going to make it or not. We are planning on building a greenhouse and I intend to make it somewhat insulated to keep from getting too hot in the summer and protect from freezing in the winter. Eventually we'll get to that...
I'm so glad I got everything in the ground that I wanted to, though, because this rain we are having right now should really encourage them all. Plants always like rain water better than hose water....

 

[DesertChic]

I wish I had a good place to start seeds over the winter. I sectioned off a corner of covered/screened porch type area I have with clear plastic to put some things to protect over the winter. It kept the frost out, but not the freezing temps. All my smaller aloes, the dragonfruit plants I'd started, and a few other things froze and died. I'm not sure if my keylime is going to make it or not. We are planning on building a greenhouse and I intend to make it somewhat insulated to keep from getting too hot in the summer and protect from freezing in the winter. Eventually we'll get to that...
I'm so glad I got everything in the ground that I wanted to, though, because this rain we are having right now should really encourage them all. Plants always like rain water better than hose water....

Yep! Rainwater is soft with a lower ph and loaded with nutrients. It's like a 100% natural liquid fertilizer.