AMA I'm a former farmer and Master Gardener

↑ Rubber Ducky

Tue, Apr 21 2015, 9:39 am

Regarding blueberries: Mandskima is in Israel and will need a low chill variety (she's growing lemons!). In the USA rabbit-eye types are grown in the southern states, but for the most part the southern US has much higher humidity than Israel, so I have no idea what varieties would thrive there.

↑ MagentaYenta ↓

Tue, Apr 21 2015, 3:25 pm

Rubber Ducky wrote:

Thanks Rubber Ducky, I was rushing when posting this a.m. and never took the time too look for the location. Ergo any gardening advice I may have had for an Israeli poster is out the window Sad

Folks get intrigued about planting exotics for their areas, yes you can accomplish this sometimes. Your best bet for gardening is growing plants suitable to your climate zone, or native plants. I live in an area that is inhospitable for pomegranates and avocados, yet looking from my seat right now I can see a 25 yo avocado and a pomegranate of the same age. Both suffer a bit from frosts and cold but set a good quantity of fine quality fruit. Those trees tell me it's all possible if you want to put in the effort. And then there is the coffee tree in my living room...

amother

Seagreen ↓

Tue, Apr 21 2015, 3:40 pm

Please please please help me. I moved into my house 5 years ago. I have a really nice area in the front of my house that I could potentially plant flowers, shrubs etc. but somehow some wild onions or garlic have taken over the whole area. I looked up how to get rid of them but have not been successful so far. It's so frustrating. They are very ugly and u can actually smell the odor of onions when passing by.

Any advice?????

↑ MagentaYenta ↓

Tue, Apr 21 2015, 3:50 pm

amother wrote:

Almost all climate zones have their wild onions. Some are pernicious. The only way I've had success in getting rid of them is to dig them out and up. Don't worry about losing soil. Let that area stay unplanted through a spring, summer and fall season, treating with salt and vinegar if you see any sprouts. Over winter use fire place ashes or if you use charcoal use BBQ ash. I understand that they will submit to herbicides like Round up or Cross bow but I would never use that stuff.

sky ↓

Tue, Apr 21 2015, 4:41 pm

We have one patch of area where we do our gardening (basics like tomatoes, cucumber, zucchini, eggplant). In general we are lousy gardners and yield a really lousy croup, but we enjoy it and our kids enjoy it.
Is it possible to plant in the same area year after year and the soil should be able to handle it? (our soil is a mixture of sand and clay to start with, we do use top soil, but it is still horrible).
Our favorite plant is cherry tomatoes. Any advice on that.

↑ MagentaYenta ↓

Tue, Apr 21 2015, 4:54 pm

sky wrote:

I'll give you some advice on making dirt. At the end of your season remove all plant debris. Dig the soil down to two feet, it's hard work with the clay but break it up. Your soil needs humus, plant material, not just to lighten and feed it but to bring in worms and other beneficial microbes. Once the soil is turned, and the clumps are broken, start pit composting over the winter in that particular plot. Add some steer manure. Dig in your veggie peelings, coffee grinds, tea bags, no dairy, oils or animal protein. Start at one end of the plot until the whole plot has been filled with compost and do it all over again. As your winter starts to break into spring, cover it with black plastic to warm it, and make the worms and microbes happy. Plant as you normally do in the spring and please let me know your results.

Now cherry tomatoes aren't meant to be grown in that soil, they are typically hybrids. They like potting soil. There are heirloom cherries that would do ok in your soil. Your current soil is like that of parts of Italy, an organic San Marzano tomato would probably produce well with sufficient water. Next year will be different, start looking now for some heirloom cherry tomato seeds. Kick it up a notch Very Happy

↑ MagentaYenta ↓

Wed, Apr 22 2015, 3:14 pm

sky wrote:

Thanks a lot. I would love to try that this coming winter. Many years I have grand plans of saving all my peelings and composting. Hopefully this year I'll actually do it. It sounds doable.

I produce an enormous amount of veg scraps. I keep a 4qt bin on my sink and fill it up. During growing season I use a large composter. At the end of the season I turn the contents of the composter into a bed and then pit compost through the winter. It keeps the weeds out of my veggie beds and replenishes nutrients.

↑ MagentaYenta ↓

Wed, Apr 22 2015, 5:12 pm

Patio gardening is easy to do and you can get it all at Lowes or Home Despot. Patio tomatoes and peppers do well. So do greens like lettuces. There are a number of very good varieties of patio veg at your local garden centers. This is a case where the garden center will give you a good tried and true selection. There are bush squash and melons as well. Buy a good quality potting soil. Mix 1 part composted steer manure to 4 parts soil for each container. Make sure that you have a nice layer of pebbles (buy a bag) in the bottom for drainage. Before you put the pebbles in cover the holes with waxed paper (it keeps them from falling out of large pots). I prefer plastic pots for patio gardening since they hold moisture better.

Please check back at the end of the season and let me know how well you did.

amother

Blonde ↓

Thu, Apr 23 2015, 5:44 pm

The previous owners of our house planted peonies under the front bay window, and all spring we have ants, ants, ants! I love the flowers but the bugs drive me insane. Is it possible to uproot the bushes and move them farther from the house? If yes, when would be the best time to do this and how should I go about it?

↑ MagentaYenta ↓

Thu, Apr 23 2015, 5:52 pm

amother wrote:

September is usually the best time for this. Trim down the dead material and dig the crowns. Give some room (6" around) when digging. When transplanting cover the crowns with 2" of good soil. If they need dividing now is the time. With a good knife you can divide the crown into sections containing at least 5 growth points. Remember peonies will need 6 hours of sun daily to bloom.

Or, just use diatomaceous earth around the base of the plant and leave them in place.

amother

↑ Blonde

Thu, Apr 23 2015, 6:01 pm

MagentaYenta wrote:

Thanks!

2 questions :

1. Does this mean I can split the 5 bushes into more when I transplant? How far apart should I plant the pieces?

2. As far as the diatomaceous earth, I thought the flowers don't open without the ants?

↑ MagentaYenta ↓

Thu, Apr 23 2015, 6:48 pm

amother wrote:

Ants need the peonies, peonies don't need the ants. Greenhouse grown peonies are cut when the buds begin to open, and open on the way and at the florists. I cut my peonies when the buds are starting to open. I rinse them under the faucet and put them in a vase to open naturally.

I'm thinking your peonies are old enough to be divided. Peonies that aren't divided do not produce as many blossoms. Every 5 years is a good benchmark. I would plant every 24 inches if you do not stake the blossoms. If you stake the blossoms you can cut that to 18".

ETA: you can cut budded peony blossoms and store them in the fridge for up to a month (in water with the buds covered with a plastic bag). Be sure there are no ethylene producing fruits in the fridge). When you are ready for flowers for that special event. Take them out, put some warm water in a vase, remove the baggie and wait 24-48 hours.

↑ FranticFrummie ↓

Sun, Apr 26 2015, 8:45 pm

I have the touch of death when it comes to indoor plants.

I was given a potted camellia for Mother's Day, and it's on it's last leaves. I'm not even sure it can be saved at this point, but I'd like to try to transplant it outside. Can I do that in Seattle? If so, how much sun does it need?