So the took a few hours break today and I was able to spray sea magic on everything, build a trellis, and take a few pictures. My neck hurts too much to type. I'm not sure why but it does so this is mostly a picture update entry.
Showing posts with label bamboo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bamboo. Show all posts
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Rain Break for Pictures
No Rain...
Tiny squash with tiny blossom on crookneck yellow squash plants.
Bamboo trellis for cantaloupe plant that has double since planting on Thursday.
Carrots are finally booming, the lettuce seems to grow more if harvested and the onions are about 3 inches taller since last week.
The 5G bucket is fuller, the 8G bucket is fuller and the tomato has doubled in the last 4 days. See comparison below;
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Twine Wall
...Trellis...
Last night when I was looking through the Pinterest gardening section I came upon a pin about a twine ball trellis. It looked amazing and decorative but also sounded like it would really work. What you had to do was build a tall frame out of bamboo shoots or wood and wrap twine from the top to the bottom and back until you got to the other side of the frame. Then you put the tip of each bean plant in the loops made out of wrapping the twine and they would, eventually, grow up the twine in fancy little lines. Mike's dad had just advised me that the bean poles were too short so I took a screenshot and saved the directions.
This Afternoon...
I started building the frame, it was about 5 feet tall and then I leaned the frame against the wall and started wrapping the twine around it. When I got half way done the frame started warping. I held it between my toes on each foot to try to keep it straight and it worked but the second I let go it would lean heavily to one side or the other. Finally, I decided it was because the frame wasn't evenly put together. I started pushing and pulling, trying to get it even but that didn't work. I finally got so frustrated I ripped the whole thing apart and took the twine off. I sat down and started wrapping the twine back into a ball so that I could try again with a shorter frame. I used 4 bamboo shoots and made a new 3 foot frame. I wrapped the twine around and it was good. It leaned a little but not as much as the first. I took it outside, in the constant drizzle, and tried it out. It was too small. I knew it would be so I grabbed one of the worthless tepee trellises and brought that inside. I dried it off and started taking all of the poles off except for the 4 I needed for the frame. I untied each piece of twine and set it aside. As I was working through this I suddenly see an EARWIG. I abhor earwigs. They are so disgusting and they have pincers and they're extremely bad for veggie gardens. I didn't know what to do I didn't have anything on hand to smash it, not even a shoe. So I grabbed the closest book and SLAM. I smashed it. UGH! Then I put plastic kitchen gloves on. I was too scared to touch the trellis without them. I figured it had been hiding in the twine or in one of the holes in the shoot. So I continued and finally was down to 4 poles about 5 feet tall and 3 feet wide. I wrapped the twine, lifted it up, and it didn't lean. I had done it. It looked good too. I took it out and put it in place. It really adds something and I think that the beans will look all that much better when there growing individually up there piece of twine. It'll look decorative and we'll be able to see there progress easily.
Patch...
After that I went to check on Patch. The constant light drizzle has done everything really well and so has my thinning. I didn't realize how important thinning was until today. My radishes are like 3 times the size they were before, the carrots are sprouting real leaves like crazy, and the spinach is an inch taller. The inch doesn't seem like much but believe me it is... they've only grown 5 inches in more than a month so one inch in a few days is major. On a not so nice note the 7 strawberry plants in the 5G bucket don't have any flowers, not one. They are bushy and growing like crazy but they aren't blooming. I don't know if I need to thin them out a bit or if they are just going slower or what but the Topsy Turvy has flowers and the 8G bucket has a strawberry starting and several flowers. The 5G bucket doesn't even have the promise of a flower. All the new growth close to the crown looks like leaf growth, no buds. I hope they bloom soon because I would be disappointed if they just turned out to be greens and nothing more.
Last night when I was looking through the Pinterest gardening section I came upon a pin about a twine ball trellis. It looked amazing and decorative but also sounded like it would really work. What you had to do was build a tall frame out of bamboo shoots or wood and wrap twine from the top to the bottom and back until you got to the other side of the frame. Then you put the tip of each bean plant in the loops made out of wrapping the twine and they would, eventually, grow up the twine in fancy little lines. Mike's dad had just advised me that the bean poles were too short so I took a screenshot and saved the directions.
This Afternoon...
I started building the frame, it was about 5 feet tall and then I leaned the frame against the wall and started wrapping the twine around it. When I got half way done the frame started warping. I held it between my toes on each foot to try to keep it straight and it worked but the second I let go it would lean heavily to one side or the other. Finally, I decided it was because the frame wasn't evenly put together. I started pushing and pulling, trying to get it even but that didn't work. I finally got so frustrated I ripped the whole thing apart and took the twine off. I sat down and started wrapping the twine back into a ball so that I could try again with a shorter frame. I used 4 bamboo shoots and made a new 3 foot frame. I wrapped the twine around and it was good. It leaned a little but not as much as the first. I took it outside, in the constant drizzle, and tried it out. It was too small. I knew it would be so I grabbed one of the worthless tepee trellises and brought that inside. I dried it off and started taking all of the poles off except for the 4 I needed for the frame. I untied each piece of twine and set it aside. As I was working through this I suddenly see an EARWIG. I abhor earwigs. They are so disgusting and they have pincers and they're extremely bad for veggie gardens. I didn't know what to do I didn't have anything on hand to smash it, not even a shoe. So I grabbed the closest book and SLAM. I smashed it. UGH! Then I put plastic kitchen gloves on. I was too scared to touch the trellis without them. I figured it had been hiding in the twine or in one of the holes in the shoot. So I continued and finally was down to 4 poles about 5 feet tall and 3 feet wide. I wrapped the twine, lifted it up, and it didn't lean. I had done it. It looked good too. I took it out and put it in place. It really adds something and I think that the beans will look all that much better when there growing individually up there piece of twine. It'll look decorative and we'll be able to see there progress easily.
Patch...
After that I went to check on Patch. The constant light drizzle has done everything really well and so has my thinning. I didn't realize how important thinning was until today. My radishes are like 3 times the size they were before, the carrots are sprouting real leaves like crazy, and the spinach is an inch taller. The inch doesn't seem like much but believe me it is... they've only grown 5 inches in more than a month so one inch in a few days is major. On a not so nice note the 7 strawberry plants in the 5G bucket don't have any flowers, not one. They are bushy and growing like crazy but they aren't blooming. I don't know if I need to thin them out a bit or if they are just going slower or what but the Topsy Turvy has flowers and the 8G bucket has a strawberry starting and several flowers. The 5G bucket doesn't even have the promise of a flower. All the new growth close to the crown looks like leaf growth, no buds. I hope they bloom soon because I would be disappointed if they just turned out to be greens and nothing more.
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Wrong Day
Trellis...
So the plan was to finish making the tepee trellis today, which I did, but it didn't quite tepee. I made two straight trellises and the plan was to lean them up against each other like the ones from Home Depot. What I didn't realize was that I probably needed thicker longer bamboo and boxes that were directly across from each other with space in between the two beds. The two beds are slightly off to the side of each other and right up against one another too. So the tepee didn't quite work out. It also looked silly because it wasn't the length of the bed. Anyway, I'll have to think of something new, maybe I'll just use them as is separately. I don't know yet. I do know that they aren't very sturdy and that they just don't look great. I might even take one and put it in place for the peas and use the other as a trellis for the vines that grow randomly in Patch, as a little decor.
Patch Tree...
As you've probably seen in Patch I had a tree that looked pretty dead. It turns out it was and that I needed to rid my little garden of it because the vines were growing up in such a way that they could have invaded my bed. So I got rid of it. That was a grand disappointment. My once cute and symmetrical garden was off. I needed to move the Topsy for two reasons 1) to fill the void and 2) because it was so low the vines were getting close. I tried using my current shepherd hook and moving it around but that didn't help the height so I switched one for another. I took a very tall old shepherds hook from Potagar and put the wind chime that hung on it on mine. It actually looked nicer and I had a taller hook. The rust didn't matter because in the corner by the patio there was a 2 foot tall hook with a candle lantern that I'd moved into Patch and it had rust so it all matched very rustically ... Now all I had to do was get the hook in place and the Turvy on it. That was a big to do. It was so tall I needed a ladder. I tried getting it on the hook by myself but I feared for my life. I was so scared the ladder would topple and that I'd fall head first down the hill that my legs were shaking. On top of the Topsy being so heavy I couldn't really lift it without crushing everything. So I called Mike out. We tried and tried. Finally we got it on but had pulled the hook out some so it was no longer sturdy. I tried sledge hammering it back in but it still isn't sturdy. I was so frustrated I left it. I am just hoping I don't wake up to 15 smashed and mashed strawberry plants because it didn't hold. I also didn't quite deal with the symmetry issue. I got my mom a hibiscus tree (she keeps it here) that I'd forgotten about that I plan to place in the spot of the old tree. I won't plant it there I'll just place it there for looks. Hopefully that'll restore my Patch to its former beauty. It doesn't have the serene feeling anymore. It just feels a bit vacant. I am hoping once I add some tea lights to the lantern and the hibiscus it'll be even better, but as of tonight today was all wrong.
Note: I couldn't take pictures because it was so late when I got done, I was too frustrated, and it was too dark to really display what I'd done. I'll take some tomorrow and add them to the post along with the trellises and images of plant progress all around.
So the plan was to finish making the tepee trellis today, which I did, but it didn't quite tepee. I made two straight trellises and the plan was to lean them up against each other like the ones from Home Depot. What I didn't realize was that I probably needed thicker longer bamboo and boxes that were directly across from each other with space in between the two beds. The two beds are slightly off to the side of each other and right up against one another too. So the tepee didn't quite work out. It also looked silly because it wasn't the length of the bed. Anyway, I'll have to think of something new, maybe I'll just use them as is separately. I don't know yet. I do know that they aren't very sturdy and that they just don't look great. I might even take one and put it in place for the peas and use the other as a trellis for the vines that grow randomly in Patch, as a little decor.
Patch Tree...
As you've probably seen in Patch I had a tree that looked pretty dead. It turns out it was and that I needed to rid my little garden of it because the vines were growing up in such a way that they could have invaded my bed. So I got rid of it. That was a grand disappointment. My once cute and symmetrical garden was off. I needed to move the Topsy for two reasons 1) to fill the void and 2) because it was so low the vines were getting close. I tried using my current shepherd hook and moving it around but that didn't help the height so I switched one for another. I took a very tall old shepherds hook from Potagar and put the wind chime that hung on it on mine. It actually looked nicer and I had a taller hook. The rust didn't matter because in the corner by the patio there was a 2 foot tall hook with a candle lantern that I'd moved into Patch and it had rust so it all matched very rustically ... Now all I had to do was get the hook in place and the Turvy on it. That was a big to do. It was so tall I needed a ladder. I tried getting it on the hook by myself but I feared for my life. I was so scared the ladder would topple and that I'd fall head first down the hill that my legs were shaking. On top of the Topsy being so heavy I couldn't really lift it without crushing everything. So I called Mike out. We tried and tried. Finally we got it on but had pulled the hook out some so it was no longer sturdy. I tried sledge hammering it back in but it still isn't sturdy. I was so frustrated I left it. I am just hoping I don't wake up to 15 smashed and mashed strawberry plants because it didn't hold. I also didn't quite deal with the symmetry issue. I got my mom a hibiscus tree (she keeps it here) that I'd forgotten about that I plan to place in the spot of the old tree. I won't plant it there I'll just place it there for looks. Hopefully that'll restore my Patch to its former beauty. It doesn't have the serene feeling anymore. It just feels a bit vacant. I am hoping once I add some tea lights to the lantern and the hibiscus it'll be even better, but as of tonight today was all wrong.
Note: I couldn't take pictures because it was so late when I got done, I was too frustrated, and it was too dark to really display what I'd done. I'll take some tomorrow and add them to the post along with the trellises and images of plant progress all around.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Questions and Trellises
No Answers...
So I have been getting all of my "to do's" on Smart Gardener and to be honest they do provide a little drop down of info that explains each title task but sometimes they just give the wrong kind of info... or maybe I just haven't learned enough yet.
Currently one of my "to do's" is to translate the Lemon Balm. Now that seems weird to me because I started it indoors from seeds and yes I did start late so maybe the site is telling me to transplant according to when I was supposed to plan but I'm not sure. What would make it clear is if they said "transplant at 5" tall" or whatever the appropriate height would be. Question Number two... they are telling me to prep the soil for the sweet potatoes and I did start the slips about 2 months ago now but they aren't ready to go and it makes me nervous that I should already be prepping. I think I have time but does the soil really need to be amended with 8" of soil with a lot of time. Couldn't I amend the soil right before planting?
Issue number 3... it is already prepping me to harvest radishes and they aren't even 3 inches tall not really. So what is going on with my growth rate? Should I be worried considering that I planted when I was supposed to, thinned, and germinated on time. Should I be expecting not to harvest at all? This whole site is making me very nervous.
Home Depot...
On another note I was at home depot today and let me say, off topic, all the plants they had out were DEAD. So ugly, I don't know how they could sell them without discounting them highly. On the other hand, for the first time ever, I saw there trellises. I grabbed two of each type and set them up in triangles trying to mimic what I plan on doing between the squash and melon beds. It was very affirming to know that they were easily leaned up against each other to provide support. I took pictures to show Mike's mom because she would have final say on whether they'd want to buy them but when I got home I decided that I could build the same thing, in 2 pieces, out of Bamboo to match the tomato cage/stakes. I'm going to build a 4 foot square trellis that matches the one pictured below. I liked the tapered ones too but I think I'll have more luck with the squared one and I liked it better. I'll definitely post directions on how to mimic it when I do build it. IF it goes badly you'll know that too.
If you don't have the time to build a bamboo trellis the ones at home depot were very reasonably priced. I just want everything to match so I am going to take the extra step and attempt building. Buying may end up happening but we'll see.
AFAC Work Party Debacle
The reason I ended up at Home Depot looking at Trellises is because I went to the library for a garden work party for AFAC, or so I thought, it ended up I got the day wrong. I read the email on Weds. and it said "tomorrow" so obviously I thought that was today. What I didn't realize was that the email had been sent Tuesday. Luckily, when I emailed to ask about the "party" I didn't reply all. The gardens look beautiful and I should have taken pictures during my 30 minutes wait but I forgot. Everything looks amazing! I can't wait to work on it some more.
So I have been getting all of my "to do's" on Smart Gardener and to be honest they do provide a little drop down of info that explains each title task but sometimes they just give the wrong kind of info... or maybe I just haven't learned enough yet.
Currently one of my "to do's" is to translate the Lemon Balm. Now that seems weird to me because I started it indoors from seeds and yes I did start late so maybe the site is telling me to transplant according to when I was supposed to plan but I'm not sure. What would make it clear is if they said "transplant at 5" tall" or whatever the appropriate height would be. Question Number two... they are telling me to prep the soil for the sweet potatoes and I did start the slips about 2 months ago now but they aren't ready to go and it makes me nervous that I should already be prepping. I think I have time but does the soil really need to be amended with 8" of soil with a lot of time. Couldn't I amend the soil right before planting?
Issue number 3... it is already prepping me to harvest radishes and they aren't even 3 inches tall not really. So what is going on with my growth rate? Should I be worried considering that I planted when I was supposed to, thinned, and germinated on time. Should I be expecting not to harvest at all? This whole site is making me very nervous.
Home Depot...
On another note I was at home depot today and let me say, off topic, all the plants they had out were DEAD. So ugly, I don't know how they could sell them without discounting them highly. On the other hand, for the first time ever, I saw there trellises. I grabbed two of each type and set them up in triangles trying to mimic what I plan on doing between the squash and melon beds. It was very affirming to know that they were easily leaned up against each other to provide support. I took pictures to show Mike's mom because she would have final say on whether they'd want to buy them but when I got home I decided that I could build the same thing, in 2 pieces, out of Bamboo to match the tomato cage/stakes. I'm going to build a 4 foot square trellis that matches the one pictured below. I liked the tapered ones too but I think I'll have more luck with the squared one and I liked it better. I'll definitely post directions on how to mimic it when I do build it. IF it goes badly you'll know that too.
If you don't have the time to build a bamboo trellis the ones at home depot were very reasonably priced. I just want everything to match so I am going to take the extra step and attempt building. Buying may end up happening but we'll see.
AFAC Work Party Debacle
The reason I ended up at Home Depot looking at Trellises is because I went to the library for a garden work party for AFAC, or so I thought, it ended up I got the day wrong. I read the email on Weds. and it said "tomorrow" so obviously I thought that was today. What I didn't realize was that the email had been sent Tuesday. Luckily, when I emailed to ask about the "party" I didn't reply all. The gardens look beautiful and I should have taken pictures during my 30 minutes wait but I forgot. Everything looks amazing! I can't wait to work on it some more.
Trellis I plan on copying in bamboo, 4'.
Another option, I didn't like the color for the garden and it seemed too small.
Loved this but I thought it would be more difficult to recreate and it was less steady leaned up against one another.
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Madness Depot
Home Depot...
Today, I didn't do that much garden work period. The bulk of what I did was for Potagar Schoultz. I watered everything that needed watering in Patch Market. At around one this afternoon Mr. S. and I went to Home Depot to get the plants we needed for the garden. We got there and it was madness. There were tons of people buying up all the plants. Most of the vegetables were gone and it was hard to maneuver our way through the garden center. We ended up getting a lot of what we needed by luck. We found vegetables and fruits people and picked up and put back down in different places. Luckily, we were able to do self check-out because everything we were getting was small and had a bar code. Mr. S. pushed the cart ahead to self check out while I got 2 more bags of Perlite. I tried to catch up with him but this horrendous old lady thought I was trying to cut in front of her on the way to the line and kept blocking me off. Finally, I was able to step in front of her and she tried to smash into me on my way passed with her cart. Sunday is a horrible day to go to Home Depot but we got cantaloupe, lemon balm, summer squash, spinach, mesclun mix, zucchini, and a few others I can't remember. Mike's dad picked up some tomato cages because he couldn't find bamboo and of course the Perlite.
Once we got home and unloaded I went to Ayers (the local hardware store) to pick up a few more plants. I got there and could immediately see that things were pretty sparse there too. Even though things were sparse I got a tomatoberry plant, patty pan squash, Chili peppers, and cucumbers in the plant section. I ended up grabbing a packet of bamboo for the trellis and a plant spray bottle. When I got home I unloaded and let Mr. S. know what I'd picked up. I told him that we should return all 6 of the cages he'd bought at Home Depot and use the bamboo. The bamboo was $4 a pack and each cage was $8.00. The savings is worth the return trip.
Later...
I planted the remaining strawberry plants in another container and put them in Patch and built two tomato stakes out of bamboo and rubber bands. I entered the plants we'd gotten into Smart Gardener and made the actual final plan and noticed that the lemon balm seeds I'd planted had germinated. It took them eleven days. I guess I was able to get some seeds in and they germinated faster because they were soaked. Even though they were hard to handle and I wasn't completely sure I had gotten the seeds into the cups it was worth it.
Tiny Lemon Balm seedling. (top right)
DIY bamboo stakes for the peas and tomatoes.
Seascape strawberry container.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)