What did you do in the garden today?

[OnlySympathy]

Well I got all the strawberry seeds planted. There was only around 20 and i didnt want to take out a grow light so I just decided to use one of these that I got a while back. If I get a 25% germination rate I will be happy.

 

[Rick589]

Pokeweed is aggressively invasive too. It spreads by both seed from the purple berries and rhizomes. They are easy to pull up when small but if you allow them to get big, it's next to impossible to pull them out. I missed clearing them out for ONE season and now it's a full on war. I've even sprayed the cut stalks with Glyphosate which is SUPPOSED to kill the root but it's still coming back.

Preach it brother!

 

[jxp]

Does anyone grow mahonia, aka, Oregon Grape? I'm wondering about getting a couple of bushes.

Some say the berries make good jam, others say it isn't worth the trouble. Honeybees love the flowers, and the bush flowers early in the season when there isn't much else in bloom.

I didn't grow any for a while now but when I did I got my starts in a mail exchange with a last who started 4 clippings for me in a glass of water on her windowsill. Perhaps someone would be willing to share a few trimmings with you. If you're into that.

 

[jerryse]

Pokeweed is aggressively invasive too. It spreads by both seed from the purple berries and rhizomes. They are easy to pull up when small but if you allow them to get big, it's next to impossible to pull them out. I missed clearing them out for ONE season and now it's a full on war. I've even sprayed the cut stalks with Glyphosate which is SUPPOSED to kill the root but it's still coming back.

Try Tordon or 2,4D straight. Caution both stay around awhile and will migrate with rain. Tordon will even have affect some plants next year.

 

[Sally PB]

Does anyone have a way to keep stink bugs off their tomatoes? Marigolds have done wonders for me... until this year.

I'm thinking of trying a garlic spray or lemongrass oil.

I fixed my blossom end rot... now I'm losing 1/2-2/3 of each tomato to sunscald and the damage from stink bugs.

 

[jxp]

Well I got all the strawberry seeds planted. There was only around 20 and i didnt want to take out a grow light so I just decided to use one of these that I got a while back. If I get a 25% germination rate I will be happy. View attachment 4199559

Are they the small wild strawberries that are so delicious? That's the only sort I'd be interested in growing from seeds. A lot of store bought varieties are hybrids so even if it was the tastiest strawberry you've ever had, the resulting berries ( if the seeds are even viable) probably won't be like the berry it can't from. Unless you just want to do it for an experiment, in which case - good luck to you! Let us know how it turns out.

 

[TJAnonymous]

Try Tordon or 2,4D straight. Caution both stay around awhile and will migrate with rain. Tordon will even have affect some plants next year.

Never heard of Tordon. I do have 2-4D though. I use it to spray the buttercup in the spring. I will have to try it on the pokeweed...

 

[TJAnonymous]

I went out to let the ducks in their pen and give everyone fresh, cold water with big 2-liter bottles of ice in the trough. They all love it... So refreshing when it's 115 degrees outside. I also let the hose run on the ground around the water trough area. The chickens love to stand in the running water and cool down. The ground stays wet overnight and then they dig down in the moist, cool dirt in the morning the next day. It's worked well to limit heat stress but I will be very happy when I can quit lugging 5-gallon buckets filled with frozen bottles. I end up putting out between 9-12 of them. Then I have to pick them all back up after dark and refill them so they can freeze overnight. Labor intensive...

Anyway, checked on the broody again. Somehow the new chick was outside of the dog crate. No IDEA how it got out. The closest I can guess is through the tiny gap where the lock slides shut for the door. It might be be a half inch to three quarters inch wide? I put the little Houdini back in with mama. She was trying to attack me through the cage. Now I am left wondering if the other chick got out too? Maybe one of the hens dragged it outside and a crow got it? I'm stumped...

 

[Nym]

I was thinking that too. It is supposed to rain later tomorrow and I don’t want it splitting anymore but I think waiting until it starts to rain will be the best option

Tomatoes usually spilt due to too much water.

 

[Nym]

Sunflowers in winter? We just had temps down to 6C / 30sF and now these heads have appeared.