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2020 gardening thread

coskigirl

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I bemoan having to container garden but in situations like this one it is beneficial. Nearly everything is safe and warm inside. What isn’t Inside is covered by a moving blanket and tarp and pots surrounded by other insulators. all of the tiny tomatoes and blossoms are why I decided to make the effort with the tomato monster.

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David Chaus

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I’ve missed this thread.

It’s the middle of the Great Fall Plant Migration. Tropical and non-hardy plants get moved indoors as the first near-freezing overnight temperatures are expected this weekend. Things will get shuffled around indoors once we get everything in.

Staging area out on the patio.
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Staging area in the kitchen to let plants dry before moving them...somewhere.
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A crowded corner.
CFEDC574-6E8B-4BA8-8EF1-B5CA769172B4.jpeg


My congas are temporarily plant stands.
BAD92CD4-CDAC-422D-9206-35054F34B333.jpeg


My work area upstairs will soon be covered with plants. I will be expected to file away paperwork to clear the desk for plants.
FA22A17C-4631-44D1-80D8-277301ABEFA3.jpeg
 
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coskigirl

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Due to the fires the strength of the sun hasn’t managed to ripen many tomatoes. I harvested everything today and put them in a paper bag with hopes of some ripening. it just isn’t feasible to pull them inside for the freeze and snow coming with the doggo in the mix. Herbs are drying in the dehydrator. So long 2020 garden.
 

neonorchid

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Due to the fires the strength of the sun hasn’t managed to ripen many tomatoes. I harvested everything today and put them in a paper bag with hopes of some ripening. it just isn’t feasible to pull them inside for the freeze and snow coming with the doggo in the mix. Herbs are drying in the dehydrator. So long 2020 garden.
Put a ripe banana in the bag with your tomatoes. Apple's work too.
 

socalgal

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I’ve missed this thread.

It’s the middle of the Great Fall Plant Migration. Tropical and non-hardy plants get moved indoors as the first near-freezing overnight temperatures are expected this weekend. Things will get shuffled around indoors once we get everything in.

Staging area out on the patio.
View attachment 112959

Staging area in the kitchen to let plants dry before moving them...somewhere. View attachment 112960

A crowded corner. View attachment 112961

My congas are temporarily plant stands. View attachment 112962

My work area upstairs will soon be covered with plants. I will be expected to file away paperwork to clear the desk for plants.
View attachment 112963
That's amazing! I love the invasion of greenery into the house.
 

LiquidFeet

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Oak leaves are starting to fall. 40+ mature oaks line my yard and garden. It takes them a month to drop.
661090AE-7D24-4550-B6BD-5D4F7B38EAFE.jpg

Here's my current solution. I've just moved up to a modern mower that will grind and pick up leaves. Big improvement from the last two lawn mowers which were ancient. Those minced leaves will greatly improve the compost piles. I'll enjoy spreading that "black gold" in the spring.
fullsizeoutput_f8d.jpeg

And then there are the acorns to deal with. So many acorns all across the front. The lawn mower won't pick them up, a leaf blower won't move them. They are narrow enough for the tines of my rakes to miss them. I do end up repeatedly raking until I can get them bunched up into multiple piles, then lean over and pick them up by hand. That's a job I don't look forward to.
fullsizeoutput_f1c.jpeg

The hostas are turning. I no longer fight the deer; if they want to munch, it's OK.
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Crumpling hostas, falling leaves, most everything looking more dead than alive - plant joy is fading. But tons of trees have not yet started to turn. So many more leaves to go. By Thanksgiving they should all be down. I will need to get them up before it starts snowing, or many things will go wrong come spring. Last fall I did not finish raking the leaves. I learned my lesson. This fall I will get them up, one way or another.
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The hostas in the big garden on the back hill need to have their leaves cut off and disposed of in order to discourage voles setting up house in there and eating hosta roots through the winter. I have a Japanese garden knife that does a good job at this. It's another task I don't look forward to.
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Fall is my least favorite time in the garden. So much work, and no reward until spring. "Least favorite" is an understatement.
 
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Uncle-A

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Oak leaves are starting to fall. 40+ mature oaks line my yard and garden. It takes them a month to drop.
View attachment 113017
Here's my current solution. I've just moved up to a modern mower that will grind and pick up leaves. Big improvement from the last two lawn mowers which were ancient. Those minced leaves will greatly improve the compost piles. I'll enjoy spreading that "black gold" in the spring.
View attachment 113012
And then there are the acorns to deal with. So many acorns all across the front. The lawn mower won't pick them up, a leaf blower won't move them. They are narrow enough for the tines of my rakes to miss them. I do end up repeatedly raking until I can get them bunched up into multiple piles, then lean over and pick them up by hand. That's a job I don't look forward to.
View attachment 113018
The hostas are turning. I no longer fight the deer; if they want to munch, it's OK.
View attachment 113014
Crumpling hostas, falling leaves, most everything looking more dead than alive - plant joy is fading. But tons of trees have not yet started to turn. So many more leaves to go. By Thanksgiving they should all be down. I will need to get them up before it starts snowing, or many things will go wrong come spring. Last fall I did not finish raking the leaves. I learned my lesson. This fall I will.
View attachment 113015
The hostas in the big garden on the hill out back need to have their leaves cut off and disposed of in order to discourage voles setting up house in there and eating hosta roots through the winter. I have a Japanese garden knife that does a good job at this. It's another task I don't look forward to.
View attachment 113016
Fall is my least favorite time in the garden. So much work, and no reward until spring. "Least favorite" is an understatement.
I thought that Oaks don't drop the leaves, they get knocked off by wind, rain, or snow. The remaining Oak leaves get pushed off in the spring by the following years growth.
 

LiquidFeet

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I thought that Oaks don't drop the leaves, they get knocked off by wind, rain, or snow. The remaining Oak leaves get pushed off in the spring by the following years growth.

The oaks here in my part of New England, as far as I know, drop all their leaves. The ones surrounding my property (several different species of oak) are definitely bare through the winter. Around here it's the American Beech that holds onto its leaves. I am looking more closely at beeches right now because I've discovered some do drop their leaves - I see them on the trails I walk and run. Maybe there are two or three types of beech, only some of which hold on to their leaves.

So I just looked up this business about oaks. I found some info here: (https://www.gardenguides.com/info_8376489_species-oaks-retain-dead-leaves.html). What it says does not match what I've noticed, but this winter I'll be sure to look more closely. Marcescence means the tree holds onto dead leaves through the winter.

All oak trees may display foliage marcescence, even species that are known to fully drop leaves when the tree is mature. Seedling and young oak trees may awkwardly and irregularly hold onto leaves into winter, but with maturity, they manage to drop leaves in late fall. An example is the swamp white oak (Quercus bicolor). Moreover, within any oak tree, marcescent leaves may occur on inner, lower branches. Persistent dead leaves may always be seen on the wind or snow-shielded parts of oak trees, even those species that normally drop all their leaves by winter's start.
  • Scientists do not fully understand why some oak trees fail to drop their leaves in fall.
  • Seedling and young oak trees may awkwardly and irregularly hold onto leaves into winter, but with maturity, they manage to drop leaves in late fall.
 
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David Chaus

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Here’s a few maples that haven’t dropped their leaves yet (or are just starting to).

This one is just in front of the house, so I see this from the kitchen and dining room.
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A different view of the same maple on the left, with a smaller one in the background.
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The previous pics were all taken Saturday; this is the same maple as in the first picture on Tuesday mornIng, getting more red every day.
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LiquidFeet

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@David Chaus, your red maples are stunning.
Here's my only red maple. A dwarf. It wants to grow over into the driveway. So I have to keep it pruned small. Those leaves took about four days to turn red, then it snowed. When the snow melted, they were brown. My little bit of red didn't last long here this fall.
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Here's what I'm facing now out there. I must start raking at some point. But all the leaves are
not yet down, so I just think I'll wait a little bit. This is the driveway.
BC708597-430A-49CE-A165-7C3C8563D358.jpg

The driveway is somewhere here. There are stick piles along its sides that I have to do something with, or my crusty plow guy will fuss. He doesn't like to plow leafy snow or snow-covered sticks.
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David Chaus

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@David Chaus, your red maples are stunning.
Here's my only red maple. A dwarf. It wants to grow over into the driveway. So I have to keep it pruned small. Those leaves took about four days to turn red, then it snowed. When the snow melted, they were brown. My little bit of red didn't last long here this fall.
View attachment 113979
Here's what I'm facing now out there. I must start raking at some point. But all the leaves are
not yet down, so I just think I'll wait a little bit. This is the driveway. View attachment 113980
The driveway is somewhere here. There are stick piles along its sides that I have to do something with, or my crusty plow guy will fuss. He doesn't like to plow leafy snow or snow-covered sticks.
View attachment 113981
With all those leaves you could do this. You do need a dog if you don't have one.
 

LiquidFeet

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My perennials have all gone underground to hibernate. There are some hardy ground covers that will try to stay green all winter but they can't be seen since those oak leaves are on the ground.
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The oaks are mostly done dropping.
B9EE3EAB-7BAC-45B5-88CE-0FC8B717E087.jpeg

But no piles yet. And a few deciduous trees are taking their time shedding all their leaves.
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I missed seeing the larch in its brief yellow phase. That's it on the far left below. Maybe it didn't turn yellow. Maybe this is as yellow as it gets. I've seen glowing larches before elsewhere and hoped to see this one this year in its glory. Oh well.
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And there's the the driveway. I don't want to rake it until all the leaves are down. But if I wait, snow may fall and then it's impossible to rake. There are maples to go, and a couple of choke cherries. Suburban dilemma. I don't like gardening at this point in the season.
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