What did you do in the garden today?

[lazy gardener]

It's been raining here again today. I think it's been 17 days since the sun has been out. My tomatoes are getting yellow leaves, possibly from lack of sun. Could be the soil too. On a positive note, the rabbit hutch is almost finished! I hope to start a worm bin underneath it. Any thoughts or recommendations? I was thinking about putting a couple of plastic bins under the hutch to catch the waste, with appropriate holes drilled, etc. or just frame out out a bin with 2x12?

You might want to do a bit of research first. I think it will work to have a worm bin, but not sure if the urine would introduce too much nitrogen and make it too hot. You might need to temper things down a bit by adding extra hay or leaves. If there are any rabbit forums here, you may want to check to see if any one is using worms for rabbit poo, and see how it's working for them. If it does work, it'll be a fantastic solution.

 

[GardenNut]

You might want to do a bit of research first.  I think it will work to have a worm bin, but not sure if the urine would introduce too much nitrogen and make it too hot.  You might need to temper things down a bit by adding extra hay or leaves.  If there are any rabbit forums here, you may want to check to see if any one is using worms for rabbit poo, and see how it's working for them.  If it does work, it'll be a fantastic solution.

Yes, from what I've read on BYC and other sites, I'll need to add some carbon, such as straw, shredded paper etc. I'll try it, and if I fail, I've still learned something. Thanks for the input!

 

[MIRanger]

Would love some help. We planned some Beauregard Sweet Potatoes about 2 weeks ago and are really looking forward to the harvest. We have a concern about the leaves though. I can find nothing that says the leaf color we have, see picture, is normal. Or concern is that there is something we are doing wrong, which is probable as this is our first attempt at sweet potatoes. Thank you for any help.

 

[Ardj]

Maybe you have this kind of potatoes :

Sweet Caroline Bewitched Purple

The dusty to dark purple of Sweet Caroline Bewitched Purple was developed at North Carolina State University in Raleigh in 2006.
The leaves are notched, and while the plant does not produce flowers, it does grow sweet-flavored potatoes.
The Bewitched Purple grows in USDA plant hardiness zones 10 through 13. It prefers well-drained soil and partial to full sun.

Or it can be that the leaves, shortly after transplanting, turn purple and then follow with green growth afterwards.
This is the plants' natural reaction to more light than they can handle early on.
“Leaves going purple is in general, an indication of lack of phosphorus. Whether that's what's happening before you apply fertilizer
or there's simply limited ability for phosphorus uptake when the plants are stressed ."

 

[lazy gardener]

I was talking fruit trees with my Dad today. He's an UMO Ag major from WAY back in the day. He was talking about the old timer method of dwarfing trees by cutting a girdle around the tree when the bark is at the slip stage: basically girdle a 2" section of bark all the way around, slip it off, turn it upside down, and put it back into place, with a good coat of wax to keep it from drying out. He says that's how they used to dwarf apple trees. Any one ever heard of this method or used it? I may play with it if I am successful starting some seedling trees this season. That man is a power house of knowledge. And I'm realizing that I need to get his stuff written down before both he and I loose it.

 

[Bugseye]

Adventures in Gardening, Episode 327: The wind knocked over my plastic greenhouse; it was on the ground because of the deck being painted. Consequently, a lot of plants are going into the ground right away, some done and more to come.

 

[chickadoodles]

I was talking fruit trees with my Dad today. He's an UMO Ag major from WAY back in the day. He was talking about the old timer method of dwarfing trees by cutting a girdle around the tree when the bark is at the slip stage: basically girdle a 2" section of bark all the way around, slip it off, turn it upside down, and put it back into place, with a good coat of wax to keep it from drying out. He says that's how they used to dwarf apple trees. Any one ever heard of this method or used it? I may play with it if I am successful starting some seedling trees this season. That man is a power house of knowledge. And I'm realizing that I need to get his stuff written down before both he and I loose it.

I never heard of that. I believe it though. The old timers knew it all.

In fact a nurseryman I watched said to cut part way around the tree and then on the other side to make sure not to meet the first cut or the tree would die.
This was to force a tree to bloom and to make new growth.

My dad planted a willow tree in Calif. that he did not want to blow over. So he put a piece of pipe in the ground and only watered the tree from the pipe at the bottom of the roots. He said that every year or so he would add more pipe so the tap root would be nice and deep. That tree is still standing and my dad planted it back in 1939.

 

[jerryse]

I was talking fruit trees with my Dad today. He's an UMO Ag major from WAY back in the day. He was talking about the old timer method of dwarfing trees by cutting a girdle around the tree when the bark is at the slip stage: basically girdle a 2" section of bark all the way around, slip it off, turn it upside down, and put it back into place, with a good coat of wax to keep it from drying out. He says that's how they used to dwarf apple trees. Any one ever heard of this method or used it? I may play with it if I am successful starting some seedling trees this season. That man is a power house of knowledge. And I'm realizing that I need to get his stuff written down before both he and I loose it.

I have seen this referred to as bark inversion . It is said to force earlier fruiting age . I tried it this year on a young pear tree for this reason . It has healed . I have also read you can graft a scion upside down for earlier bearing and improve crotch angles . Making them less prone to splitting away from the tree .

 

[dan26552]

I have seen this referred to as bark inversion . It is said to force earlier fruiting age . I tried it this year on a young pear tree for this reason . It has healed . I have also read you can graft a scion upside down for earlier bearing and improve crotch angles . Making them less prone to splitting away from the tree .

Interesting

 

[dan26552]

http://www.dietoflife.com/this-is-what-happens-to-your-body-when-you-consume-okra/