What did you do in the garden today?

[chickengr]

Irises are in full bloom now
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My new plum tree is looking extremely pitiful. I have no idea what to do to save it. It started dying after I planted it in the duck pen. Even though they didn't bother it, I thought maybe there was a drainage problem because it started declining so I dug it up and moved it to a raised bed in the garden. Added some compost and covered it with mulch to help retain moisture. Hasn't helped. Still dying... I don't know what else to do....
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And lastly I have these little (bleep) all over my driveway for the past 2 weeks! I hate them and kill every one that I come across..... GRRRRRRR
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irises are beautiful!

you should prune your plum tree. if you leave too many branches it will die. let it develop roots first. ask me how I learned it, lol.

 

[BReeder!]

I too did not get to plant last few years and I feel I'm planting it all this year! Ha ha . I started a lot in house but tomatoes and peppers are disappointing to say the least. Cukes and squashed are doing great and almost warm enough to put outside to get sunshine now. I think next year might do some grow mats and lights. Is that what you did? I don't have good space at any south window but my tomatoes take forever! I also found most seed packets I had were too old. Does anyone else use grow lights? Curious. Signed covered in peat moss.

Yes, I set up grow lights. I have a 5-tier bakers rack and 48" LED grow lights. I initially had two lights hanging over each shelf. I rearranged the lights so there's three lights on two shelves and just two lights on a third. Next year I'll get four more lights so I can put a third one on the third shelf and three on the fourth shelf. My lights hang from chains and S hooks. This allows me to easily adjust the height of the lights as needed. Next year I hope to add some reflective material around the rack to improve light efficiency. The setup has worked well though so far.

 

[pennyJo1960]

I wonder might be too cool and wet here for praying mantis

 

[vall]

I had a box of seeds very little gemination. So I went crazy planting my butternut seeds saved from squashes last year thinking they wouldn't do great but NO everyone grew and I have 12 plants! Ha ha

You reminded me, last year I ran out of spaghetti squash seeds so I used some from the previous year's squash. Well.. I ended up with oddly shaped white spaghetti. Clearly it crossed with my white scallop squash and the result was not good

Butternut at least is moschata so it shouldn't cross with the other common squash!

 

[BReeder!]

I wonder might be too cool and wet here for praying mantis

I have praying mantis here in IL. I already seen I small one a few weeks ago. They like bushes and shrubs.

 

[pennyJo1960]

May be worth trying check see here if I can import them

 

[igorsMistress]

our forecast is similar. I am ready for triple digits but my garden is not!

I don’t like triple digits even a little bit lol. My garden might be ok for a while yet, depends on how hot it gets.

 

[igorsMistress]

Good afternoon gardeners. It sprinkled a bit, got extremely windy for a while and then we got some rain. Probably nothing measurable but it’s nice for a change.

 

[Happy hen lover]

SE Nebraska here. I use broad spectrum daylight LED shop lights in the sprouting shed.

SW Nebr here ! So pretty close to same zone. Thanks for info about lights I will try that next year

 

[oldhen2345]

Irises are in full bloom now
View attachment 2638831

My new plum tree is looking extremely pitiful. I have no idea what to do to save it. It started dying after I planted it in the duck pen. Even though they didn't bother it, I thought maybe there was a drainage problem because it started declining so I dug it up and moved it to a raised bed in the garden. Added some compost and covered it with mulch to help retain moisture. Hasn't helped. Still dying... I don't know what else to do....
View attachment 2638858

And lastly I have these little (bleep) all over my driveway for the past 2 weeks! I hate them and kill every one that I come across..... GRRRRRRR
View attachment 2638865

My neighbor has a Catalpa tree that hangs over the fence- just waiting for catalpa worms to show up to go fishing- or feed the hens.