We're in the New Year, thinking bright thoughts for it, making lists and resolutions. Let us hope for beautiful and fruitful gardens. Perhaps time to scrap some things we tried before that didn't work out, or make adjustments to same, of course expand on things that were working.
What are some of your ideas to expand? amend? keep as it worked? scrap?
I had so much trouble with slugs and snails eating my fall seedlings and having to replant them, that my fall garden is now my New Year garden. I have been throwing snail bait and eggshells around it every two weeks and picking off any snails I still come by. I am still finding African snails on my seedling bench despite this but I planted extra seedlings, maybe too much now and I am putting them out larger than I would like too, but at least they are still there a couple of weeks later. Some of the smaller ones I planted out earlier have disappeared.
I am going to try something newer. Bell peppers basically will give me 3-8 peppers and then expire usually still in the one gallon pot. I am going to try to start them earlier. Hot peppers can wait until the night temps hit at least 68. I am going to try a some different varieties of sweets and since I usually have better production from the non-bell type sweet peppers, I'm going to do more of that.
I am going to propagate more of the Meyer lemons from cuttings. Apparently they are fairly resistant to the tristiza virus that is prevalent here so they could last more than 5 years. Basically all citrus trees in Hawaii have the virus, but citrus grafted onto resistant stock will last maybe 20-25 years before the virus kills it. There is no cure and it is nearly impossible to prevent. The disease is spread by aphids. Since it does take years for the disease to kill the tree, they can be very productive. In fact, for a period of time a tree will actually be more productive as the tree tries to reproduce before the production and quality of the fruit decline and the bark peels off the tree. We just have to replace the tree before it drops.
https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/PD-77.pdf
I also want to reestablish the lavender in my front yard. I have tried a couple of locations that did not work, but eventually, I will find the sweet spot. I had a large one there before, but I have a gardenia and a hibiscus in that spot now.
I am going to try something newer. Bell peppers basically will give me 3-8 peppers and then expire usually still in the one gallon pot. I am going to try to start them earlier. Hot peppers can wait until the night temps hit at least 68. I am going to try a some different varieties of sweets and since I usually have better production from the non-bell type sweet peppers, I'm going to do more of that.
I am going to propagate more of the Meyer lemons from cuttings. Apparently they are fairly resistant to the tristiza virus that is prevalent here so they could last more than 5 years. Basically all citrus trees in Hawaii have the virus, but citrus grafted onto resistant stock will last maybe 20-25 years before the virus kills it. There is no cure and it is nearly impossible to prevent. The disease is spread by aphids. Since it does take years for the disease to kill the tree, they can be very productive. In fact, for a period of time a tree will actually be more productive as the tree tries to reproduce before the production and quality of the fruit decline and the bark peels off the tree. We just have to replace the tree before it drops.
https://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/PD-77.pdf
I also want to reestablish the lavender in my front yard. I have tried a couple of locations that did not work, but eventually, I will find the sweet spot. I had a large one there before, but I have a gardenia and a hibiscus in that spot now.
Happy New Year, Everyone!
During the 2014 season, I complained on HG about having kept saved seed too long and about forgetting to save new seed in 2013
. Avoiding that just requires me improving my record keeping - long and short term. (AppleStar kindly sent me seeds for a variety I really wanted to give another trial in 2014 
.)
Long term, how about if I just write the date I collect the seed on the packet? Shoot.
A kind of vague resolution is not to slack up on performance. I'd rather do less and have less in the garden than be overwhelmed by tasks not done! I started to really look at things last year and try to see if I have started to cut too many corners. It won't be fun to look at the garden late in the season and be disappointed ... I'm planning on being kind to myself ... and avoid that.
Steve
During the 2014 season, I complained on HG about having kept saved seed too long and about forgetting to save new seed in 2013
. Avoiding that just requires me improving my record keeping - long and short term. (AppleStar kindly sent me seeds for a variety I really wanted to give another trial in 2014 .)Long term, how about if I just write the date I collect the seed on the packet? Shoot.
A kind of vague resolution is not to slack up on performance. I'd rather do less and have less in the garden than be overwhelmed by tasks not done! I started to really look at things last year and try to see if I have started to cut too many corners. It won't be fun to look at the garden late in the season and be disappointed ... I'm planning on being kind to myself ... and avoid that
.Steve
I have so many plans that I would have to write a short story here. Some of the things I will focus on are; working on my health, art and music more this year. I am still doing construction on out buildings. I will keep working on fire suppression thinning, and road building. I have more landscaping to do as well.
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Countryladiesgardens
- Green Thumb
- Posts: 309
- Joined: Mon Apr 07, 2014 11:05 am
- Location: Canada Zone 7
- Contact: Website
Happy 2015! This year we look forward to a bigger vegetable garden with new varieties of hot peppers, maybe some new things in our garden like Okra, and new kinds of squash!What are some of your ideas to expand? amend? keep as it worked? scrap?
We also want to try out some new kinds of flowers. It was a great first year for gardening for me last year and now that I have a bit of practice I want to try some new annuals. It has been fun so far with seed exchanging and still going with that so if you are wanting to do an exchange please msg me!
As for herbs we will see what over winters. All of our herbs last year over wintered fine even though we had a spell of freezing rain! I hope that all our mint survives as it was sure nice last Spring to have refreshing lemonades with mints and borage! We will be planting more borage again! It is so pretty as well as it is also a great beneficial for pollinators!
Hoping everyone has a healthy New Year!
Ah, realistic and do-able. My goals may slip off the chart, again.
I have more sun (ish) space now with a couple of trees gone. As it's winter not sure, and days after days of cloudy rainy really hard to tell! In the area where the elm was taken out I plan to put in at least one perhaps 2 beds. These a morph above inground. No fancy sides or heavy build up of dirt. There will be sun, and some break mid-day from other trees, a good thing here. I can easily reach with the garden hose, but in general want easy, mostly perennials. I can get some of the milkweeds in there and a few other pollinator magnets. I had been thinking one bed would do fine, but as we do, keep penciling in more options. I may try some swiss chard (don't tell the slugs, ugh). Also I may try a few basils (last season got the downy mildew cooties). I'll be looking at native shrubs and perhaps put one in that area (pollinator and bird friendly).
There will be some shifts in the containers, especially with the tree gone. I really can't handle more herbs to harvest. Well could, but picking/bundling is labor intensive and my back isn't getting any younger. Sigh.
More on the existing and neglected beds later.
I have more sun (ish) space now with a couple of trees gone. As it's winter not sure, and days after days of cloudy rainy really hard to tell! In the area where the elm was taken out I plan to put in at least one perhaps 2 beds. These a morph above inground. No fancy sides or heavy build up of dirt. There will be sun, and some break mid-day from other trees, a good thing here. I can easily reach with the garden hose, but in general want easy, mostly perennials. I can get some of the milkweeds in there and a few other pollinator magnets. I had been thinking one bed would do fine, but as we do, keep penciling in more options. I may try some swiss chard (don't tell the slugs, ugh). Also I may try a few basils (last season got the downy mildew cooties). I'll be looking at native shrubs and perhaps put one in that area (pollinator and bird friendly).
There will be some shifts in the containers, especially with the tree gone. I really can't handle more herbs to harvest. Well could, but picking/bundling is labor intensive and my back isn't getting any younger. Sigh.
More on the existing and neglected beds later.
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Countryladiesgardens
- Green Thumb
- Posts: 309
- Joined: Mon Apr 07, 2014 11:05 am
- Location: Canada Zone 7
- Contact: Website
Hi Susan! Sounds like you will be having fun! I have a quick update about the flowers! I just received some seeds in the mail, all Perennials! Looks like I will be doing mostly those! Any helpful tips on how to get them sprouting for Spring? I have heard of winter sowing but we are planning on doing our gardens this spring.
Thanks!
Thanks!