What did you do in the garden today?

[jerryse]

I didn't realize that there were self pollinating strawberries! How handy! & the more I think about it, the better a mix of a few sound. Thanks guys for the info. I see the couple places I get seeds from online are already sold out so we'll see what I can actually find.

I believe all named cultivars are self pollinating .

 

[Elyrian1]

Oh how funny, I ended up at Goodwill yesterday too. Prices were all right, but not awesome. I think consignment shops and pawn shops are more reasonable lately.

My outside strawberries all claim to be self-pollinating, but I would routinely go around and work the flowers a bit to ensure fruit would set. If my indoor runner survives, and it is starting to look a bit more green, I plan to do the same with it.

 

[Sueby]

I believe all named cultivars are self pollinating .

I had to google it because it was new info to me - apparently they can & do self pollinate, but it's not always sufficient enough.

 

[TJAnonymous]

Went to Goodwill yesterday near our Home Depot. It's not one I really like to go to as it is a DUMP. You want to burn what you've been wearing after you've been in there. It's dirty, disorganized and just icky. The stuff inside is dirty, smelly, and usually broken and just shoved places. It is not in a good part of town, and I swear they don't care. (It is well known that Goodwill sorts and sends better items to better parts of town where they can get more money from them.) The other stores in town were over an hour away, and are HUGE, clean, and one is like going into a department store.
Anyway, I went in as I was looking for old baking sheets or trays to use under the seedlings, and I was in the neighborhood, so I figured I'd pop in. OMG the PRICES?!?!? I don't know if this across the board at Goodwill now, or if this shop is marked up to pocket $.

The cost of a plain, glass, Anchor hocking DIRTY 9x13 baking dish was $5.99. It's $5.97 at Walmart NEW!
Those 12x12 scrapbook paper holders that are plastic? JUST the LID was marked at 2.99, the other half was missing.
A simple plain plastic tray like from a cafeteria was 3.99!
Glass pie plate was 4.99

I couldn't believe it!
I ended up just getting some heavy aluminum tins at the grocery until I get to restaurant supply for some bakery trays.

We have 2 Goodwill stores in our little town of 35,000 people. One is old. The other is new. In the older store....which is much smaller and dirtier....small goods like toys, kitchen items, etc....are always dirty and priced like you are seeing. They price it like it was a new item rather than used, dirty, scratched, or otherwise garbage. The larger items such as furniture are priced pretty good. We've picked up some nice papasan chairs, shelves, card tables, etc...for dirt cheap. It's like whomever is pricing stuff has no idea what they are doing.

The newer Goodwill is ok. It is definitely cleaner and has a bigger selection. We've picked up some things there too like camping cots, stuff for Halloween, etc. Prices are reasonable but nothing to write home about.

Of course, you are doing a different type of seed tray....but what I ended up doing is going to the dollar store (where everything is $1). They have very cheap gardening stuff like planters, buckets, foam kneeling pad, cheap tools, etc. I just picked up what I needed from there and could re-use for gardening purposes. I raided the kitchen section too for stuff I could repurpose for the garden.

 

[TJAnonymous]

Not sure if anyone remembers, but I had ordered a bunch of trees last fall from Arbor Foundation. I just took a break at lunch and walked around checking them all since it is sunny & lovely outside today. So far, I've got a mixed bag.... The Sugar Maple, Hazelnut trees, and Pussy Willow are all budding. The Weeping Willow, Pecans, and Cypress haven't budded but their wood still feels flexible so I don't think they are dead. The Southern Live Oaks are clearly dead. I don't think they were ever alive.... Grrr.....

 

[TJAnonymous]

As for the fruit trees I planted last year, my Granny Smith Apple tree is doing very well. Lots of new leaves and buds. Fertilized it yesterday. The Red Haven Peach hasn't budded yet but its wood feels flexible so I don't think its dead. I will just keep an eye on it.

I bought 3 more fruit trees last weekend - a Pink Lady Apple tree, a french Plum, and a dwarf Peach. Planted the peach last night about 35 ft from the other peach tree. Both are self-pollinating but should support each other regardless.

The Catawba grapes that I planted last year aren't sprouting yet. I thought maybe it was dead because it LOOKS dead, but the wood seems flexible so I don't think it is.... I went to Home Depot AND Lowes looking for new Concord grapes since DH burned my down by accident last December. No grapes are even being offered yet at the stores so maybe it is still in dormancy for now.... This is my first time with grapes so I dont' know what to expect.

 

[WthrLady]

We have 2 Goodwill stores in our little town of 35,000 people. One is old. The other is new. In the older store....which is much smaller and dirtier....small goods like toys, kitchen items, etc....are always dirty and priced like you are seeing. They price it like it was a new item rather than used, dirty, scratched, or otherwise garbage. The larger items such as furniture are priced pretty good. We've picked up some nice papasan chairs, shelves, card tables, etc...for dirt cheap. It's like whomever is pricing stuff has no idea what they are doing.

The newer Goodwill is ok. It is definitely cleaner and has a bigger selection. We've picked up some things there too like camping cots, stuff for Halloween, etc. Prices are reasonable but nothing to write home about.

Of course, you are doing a different type of seed tray....but what I ended up doing is going to the dollar store (where everything is $1). They have very cheap gardening stuff like planters, buckets, foam kneeling pad, cheap tools, etc. I just picked up what I needed from there and could re-use for gardening purposes. I raided the kitchen section too for stuff I could repurpose for the garden.

Our dollar store is 45 minutes away. Shockingly there isn't one in the part of town that should really have one. I'll try there next week's trip to town.

 

[TJAnonymous]

I have a hibiscus tree that I brought indoors over the winter. I hung a grow lamp about 3 feet above it to supplement light during the winter. The plant shot up towards the light and now my 3 ft plant is nearly 5 ft tall.....lol. I thought about pruning it down because it looks awkward - tall and skinny. I'd rather it bush out again. But rather than waste the pruned sections, I thought about maybe dipping them in root hormone and trying to plant them. Has anyone done this?

 

[Fishychix]

I think I ruined my seedlings. I put them in the greenhouse and now they look brown and yucky. They aren't dry though, so Im not sure what happened.

 

[TJAnonymous]

I think I ruined my seedlings. I put them in the greenhouse and now they look brown and yucky. They aren't dry though, so Im not sure what happened.

Pictures?