2020 gardening thread

[David Chaus]

Some pics as things change a bit. Here‘s a rhododendron next to wisteria.

As the grass has been growing like crazy with rain every few days, I am sculpting out some grass features rather than try to mow everything down.

Hostas spreading out, with some new growth on a Douglas Fir.

New growth on a weeping spruce.

 

[LiquidFeet]

@David Chaus, your garden is lovely. Looks like a lot of good work went into creating it. The creative mowing looks like a lot of fun. Show us that mower!

 

[SSSdave]

Looked at my 4 skis up against the wall in one of my upstairs bedrooms and how I've been tripping over some ski clothing that needs to be stored in the closet where my summer backpacking gear needs to be pulled out. But that can wait a bit. Well you mountain gardeners I'm motivating myself to drive the 350 or so miles to redwoods where nature's green gardens are incredible. In the mean time, here is another from my recent San Jose Municipal Rose Garden work:

Rainfall the last 30 days shows 110% to 150% of normal about the northwest coast region while everywhere else in California variously dry. Parks up there have now partially opened, even campgrounds a bit in state and national parks. This is of course rhododenron bloom season in the big trees. Hard to believe it has been 5 years. What a great place to revitalize for a week with cool foggy mornings on unworldly tree trails then afternoons after breezes pick up with bare feet in warm blacks sands of the Redwood Creek outlet beach while eating sweet beach strawberries and colorful beach flowers like verbena all about in wind smoothed sands above tide level. At least that park is so far away that even on a Memorial Day like this next weekend, it will be quiet like in another world. Although I have an urge to get up into the Sierra, reality is the summer is long, am in no hurry. I have full mid summer plans ready for either Emigrant or Bishop Pass. Let others feed mosquitoes.

 

[Monique]

Here's another question. I've set my tomato drips to frequent, small amounts of water. Four times a day, actually. The idea was to lessen the amount of runoff from the beds ... But this is too much, right? Bad for the root systems? Something?

 

[David Chaus]

@LiquidFeet ask and you shall receive.
It’s a John Deere X300 Tractor. I usually have the grass bag assembly removed and have the mulching insert and blades on. In this pic I have a cart attached as we transplanted a vine maple that had been in a pot, had roots shooting out of the cracks in the pot and had very firmly rooted itself in the ground. As a mower it’s got a pretty good turning radius, though not as good as a model with rear wheels that also turn, or the zero-turn mowers, but those require a pretty even lawn and ours is pretty bumpy (having been horse pasture in the past). Regardless, definitely much more heavy-duty and better built than the versions of Deere riding mowers that they sell at Lowe‘s and Home Depot.
I almost forgot to mention, there‘s some black bamboo in the background behind me. It’s putting out new shoots that are a few inches tall, within the next two weeks they’ll be over my head.

 

[David Chaus]

BTW here’s some new growth on a blue spruce, it’s a smaller form of a Rocky Mountain blue spruce. It had been neglected and shaded by 3 clusters of hazelnuts that I cut down this spring, so the new growth this year is greater and more intense that I have seen before. I’ve got some tall miscanthus (ornamental grasses) that we planted nearby so when those are taller I’ll take a better pic of the scene.

 

[socalgal]

Looked at my 4 skis up against the wall in one of my upstairs bedrooms and how I've been tripping over some ski clothing that needs to be stored in the closet where my summer backpacking gear needs to be pulled out. But that can wait a bit. Well you mountain gardeners I'm motivating myself to drive the 350 or so miles to redwoods where nature's green gardens are incredible. In the mean time, here is another from my recent San Jose Municipal Rose Garden work:

View attachment 103155

Rainfall the last 30 days shows 110% to 150% of normal about the northwest coast region while everywhere else in California variously dry. Parks up there have now partially opened, even campgrounds a bit in state and national parks. This is of course rhododenron bloom season in the big trees. Hard to believe it has been 5 years. What a great place to revitalize for a week with cool foggy mornings on unworldly tree trails then afternoons after breezes pick up with bare feet in warm blacks sands of the Redwood Creek outlet beach while eating sweet beach strawberries and colorful beach flowers like verbena all about in wind smoothed sands above tide level. At least that park is so far away that even on a Memorial Day like this next weekend, it will be quiet like in another world. Although I have an urge to get up into the Sierra, reality is the summer is long, am in no hurry. I have full mid summer plans ready for either Emigrant or Bishop Pass. Let others feed mosquitoes.

That's your best picture yet! Absolutely gorgeous roses. I would put that up on a wall in a heartbeat!

 

[BC.]

@LiquidFeet ask and you shall receive.
It’s a John Deere X300 Tractor. I usually have the grass bag assembly removed and have the mulching insert and blades on. In this pic I have a cart attached as we transplanted a vine maple that had been in a pot, had roots shooting out of the cracks in the pot and had very firmly rooted itself in the ground. As a mower it’s got a pretty good turning radius, though not as good as a model with rear wheels that also turn, or the zero-turn mowers, but those require a pretty even lawn and ours is pretty bumpy (having been horse pasture in the past). Regardless, definitely much more heavy-duty and better built than the versions of Deere riding mowers that they sell at Lowe‘s and Home Depot.
I almost forgot to mention, there‘s some black bamboo in the background behind me. It’s putting out new shoots that are a few inches tall, within the next two weeks they’ll be over my head.
View attachment 103156

Have the same tractor....feel the same. It has been a very good purchase.

 

[luliski]

Here's another question. I've set my tomato drips to frequent, small amounts of water. Four times a day, actually. The idea was to lessen the amount of runoff from the beds ... But this is too much, right? Bad for the root systems? Something?

I've always read that tomatoes do well with deep watering, which I took to mean less frequent, but longer, watering. Mine aren't looking that great though.

 

[LiquidFeet]

@Monique, most plant roots need at least a day's worth of dryness to get some air. I don't grow edibles, so have no idea about tomatoes. I'd suggest reading up on whether it's possible to "drown" or "overwater" tomatoes.
The reason many plants need deep watering (probably followed by a dry spell) is that the roots will seek wet soil. They will grow deeper if there's water down low. Shallow roots that grow when only the top soil gets wet dry out faster than deep ones.

 

[Jenny]

Bought this (among a lot of other stuff) yesterday. First time I've tried a lettuce bowl planter. Should eliminate the rotting lettuce in the fridge bisque, anyway, but will probably introduce some other issue I’m not yet aware of - likely to do with watering it, though.

 

[chilehed]

The great plantsman Michael Dirr said "a garden without viburnums is like life without music or art". That may be true, but a garden without daphnes is like music without Mozart.

 

[chilehed]

I have tried to kill this rose bush.

Glyphosate. It gets a bad rap, but it's nothing like the lawyers would have us believe.

 

[chilehed]

Below is more pachysandra defining an area in full shade, under tall oaks.

Beautiful!

 

[Monique]

@Monique, most plant roots need at least a day's worth of dryness to get some air. I don't grow edibles, so have no idea about tomatoes. I'd suggest reading up on whether it's possible to "drown" or "overwater" tomatoes.
The reason many plants need deep watering (probably followed by a dry spell) is that the roots will seek wet soil. They will grow deeper if there's water down low. Shallow roots that grow when only the top soil gets wet dry out faster than deep ones.

Hm. My understanding has been that if there soil is allowed to dry fully, the fruit will crack. Then Google showed me some articles suggesting watering every 2-3 days. In my experience, they would dry out and die with that kind of treatment. But I suspect it all has more to do with soil drainage than anything else.

 

[chilehed]

Hm. My understanding has been that if there soil is allowed to dry fully, the fruit will crack. Then Google showed me some articles suggesting watering every 2-3 days. In my experience, they would dry out and die with that kind of treatment. But I suspect it all has more to do with soil drainage than anything else.

I agree. Too sloppy and they get root rot, too dry and they crack after a good rain. This year I've put mine on a big hugelkultur pile with a lot of mulch, hopefully it'll do the trick.

And I always get the tallest ones I can find, clip the leaves off the bottom eight inches and bury the stripped section so it'll push lots of roots.

 

[Monique]

And I always get the tallest ones I can find, clip the leaves off the bottom eight inches and bury the stripped section so it'll push lots of roots.

I forgot to do this part this year. We shall see how it goes.

 

[BC.]

Here are the areas I’m trying to get more/ground cover in.......(transplanting Vinca/Pachysandra from my dad’s property)

Need more Vinca (creeping myrtle) to fill in this area that separates yard from woods.....


and lots more for this area.....lol


And....I started transplanting Pachysandra to fill in this bed at the front of my property...

 

[LiquidFeet]

@BC. that's beautiful.

 

[BC.]

@BC. that's beautiful.

Thank you...appreciate that...

I have all these “border beds” that we have built over the years to separate our yard/woods......but I struggle with what to put in them.....so I keep just putting mulch in them......but I really want them filled with the stuff you guys are posting in this thread.....you guys have incredible gardens....

Hopefully this thread keeps going....to get ideas for what to put in all these over mulched beds...lol