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Reminds me: in high school a buddy's mom wanted him to pick up some pickle seeds at the store.  He asked her, "You mean cucumber seeds?" 
"No, I don't want cucumbers, I want pickles."

I put down a pallet of Palmetto St. Augustine yesterday in the backyard to fill in the gaps were my existing St. Augustine hasn't spread to yet.  Almost all of what we laid down is in full or partial shade throughout the day.  I watered it right after we finished yesterday and then ran my sprinklers again last night.  Is watering it once a day good enough or should I do it twice a day.  The grass stood back up overnight so it looks like it's doing ok so far.  The other St. Augustine in the backyard does well if I run my sprinklers every 3 days.

I put down a pallet of Palmetto St. Augustine yesterday in the backyard to fill in the gaps were my existing St. Augustine hasn't spread to yet.  Almost all of what we laid down is in full or partial shade throughout the day.  I watered it right after we finished yesterday and then ran my sprinklers again last night.  Is watering it once a day good enough or should I do it twice a day.  The grass stood back up overnight so it looks like it's doing ok so far.  The other St. Augustine in the backyard does well if I run my sprinklers every 3 days.
If you go with deep watering, then once a day is good.

@Eugene11yes, that's an artichoke. 

Canna worms are making the holes. I use rose food with a systemic insecticide mixed in. I've heard neem also works,  cannot verify.

1 hour ago, cactusflinthead said:

@Eugene11yes, that's an artichoke. 

Canna worms are making the holes. I use rose food with a systemic insecticide mixed in. I've heard neem also works,  cannot verify.

Perfect. Thanks. Looks like they only affect that plant which I now know is canna. Oregon is completely different then anything I knew in Austin. 

 

We we cut the one artichoke. Now to see what to make with it. Pretty crazy that it voulenteers and re grows. We have done. Nothing to it as far as maintaining because we are still learning what we have around here. 

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Pretty tasty. Just baked it with some olive oil and Parmesan. First “grown” and cooked artichoke.


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Can anyone identify this grass/weed?  My buddy seeded his yard a few month ago with Princess 77 but now has a patch of this stuff that is pushing out the 77.  Can anyone ID and/or suggest how to get rid of it?

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I have that in my yard in places.  It's usually one of the first things that pops up in spots that I've used Round Up on.  Maybe Texas Panicum?

Edited by kevwun

@cactusflinthead  Here is my sole surviving lace cactus.  I'm getting worried about the bottom tuning dark but it should have pretty good drainage there.  Also I've wondered if the branch might be rooted at some point.  Thoughts?

20180604_183347_zps8d2feqd4.jpg

I would be forced to take drastic measures. You aren't going to like this.

Cut off the main stalk and let it callous for a day or so. Treat it like a cutting. I have seen it too many times. Keep it in a clay pot. It might mean supplemental water when the summer hits but they are less likely to rot. 

I can offer you some of the pears from this year's crop. Fat with seeds.

I'll have more in a bit.

 

That's a damn shame

Edited by cactusflinthead

2 hours ago, cactusflinthead said:

Crabgrass 

Quinclorac is the first salvo. I have been reluctant to use it in the vicinity of the rootzone of other plants like trees and shrubs and I have reservations about using it on tif varieties. However....a test spot would be worthit 

37 minutes ago, cactusflinthead said:

I would be forced to take drastic measures. You aren't going to like this.

Cut off the main stalk and let it callous for a day or so. Treat it like a cutting. I have seen it too many times. Keep it in a clay pot. It might mean supplemental water when the summer hits but they are less likely to rot. 

I can offer you some of the pears from this year's crop. Fat with seeds.

I'll have more in a bit.

 

That's a damn shame

That's what I thought.  I need to do something before I lose my last one.  I think you saw the picture from 3 years ago when there were about 6 of them.  

To form the callus it needs to be not in the soil, right?

Should I separate the branch at the same time? If so I think I would cut the main trunk above the branch.

Edited by TexasEd

It looks like it starts getting mushy right at the branch. I'm torn between trying to grow roots out of the natural node of the branch and making a clean cut.

I would definitely put some rooting hormone dust when I stick it in the dirt. Rootone was the brand name. Many of the root stimulator jug blends will throw in the root hormones in addition to the phosphorus heavier fert.

Typically I make a clean cut some distance beyond the sign of disease. How far depends on a number of variables not least of which is how much plant i have to work with. I don't want any brown areas left in the cutting. It has to be as clean as i can get it. Then let it sit out in the open air. It should form a callous layer of cells to wall off the moisture loss. That's also where it is most prepared to grow new roots. The hormones are the cellular program to override other concerns and make roots.

Some stuff it is a matter of hours and you can stick them. Others need to bake longer. I'd cut it one day and stick it the next. 

20 hours ago, cactusflinthead said:

It looks like it starts getting mushy right at the branch. I'm torn between trying to grow roots out of the natural node of the branch and making a clean cut.

I would definitely put some rooting hormone dust when I stick it in the dirt. Rootone was the brand name. Many of the root stimulator jug blends will throw in the root hormones in addition to the phosphorus heavier fert.

Typically I make a clean cut some distance beyond the sign of disease. How far depends on a number of variables not least of which is how much plant i have to work with. I don't want any brown areas left in the cutting. It has to be as clean as i can get it. Then let it sit out in the open air. It should form a callous layer of cells to wall off the moisture loss. That's also where it is most prepared to grow new roots. The hormones are the cellular program to override other concerns and make roots.

Some stuff it is a matter of hours and you can stick them. Others need to bake longer. I'd cut it one day and stick it the next. 

It's Done

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I'll see if the middle bit will callus and root.

I built what I thought was an impenetrable fortress around my garden.  I was wrong.  Mapaches got in over the weekend and raided my maters.  It's a damn shame.  I saw one out in the yard half eaten.  Another dozen or so with little bites taken out of them, then discarded on the ground.  Any suggestions on how to keep them from scaling a 6' hog panel fence?  Other than camping out with a .22?

b78e0a79eca2afdbf2fe481997cbc183.heic
The pruning seems to be working, tonight’s haul.


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Those tiny green dots are the seeds that finally germinated a year after being sown. The second one is the biggest so far. That's the pears that the lace cactus makes. And Farmer Ape Pokes Recalcitrant Seed With A Stick

Whiskey
tango
foxtrot
 

What would be the symptoms of having my garden soil too acidic?  I have a cheap meter that says it is around 3-4 ph.  My tomatoes, cucumbers and squash all grew and set like crazy early in the year but starting about a month ago my tomatoes leaves started curling and dying like they didn't have enough water, of which they definitely had plenty.  The squash and cukes are unaffected and producing really well.  The tomatoes look like they do in late August when they have given up.  I have tried shielded them from the blast furnace sun with some loose burlap but it isn't helping.  It's weird.  They went from being my best early-season crop ever to tits up in a few weeks.

3-4 is really acidic for a soil. Straight vinegar is a 3. 

I suspect spider mites,but would need some more information. Mine were completely destroyed by those little mfers.

Could also be a lack of calcium with the tomatoes as well.

Edited by thunderlounge

Garden is really lacking for some reason this year. Getting a few tomatoes and a couple of cucumbers. Not a single squash or zucchini yet. Even the peppers aren't coming on. I had to replant everything after a frost night in April so could be a late start? Giving plenty of water and fertilizer. The corn got stressed and tasseled early so we'll see how it does. Melons are vining out okay. Just going to keep on keeping on and as long as everything stays green I'm hoping production will follow. 6926003fc716ab6f37d2a9b311bc4fa5.jpg162e6ba4962d11ab4b47d07ccfd0b7eb.jpg891af99f0a497587c467ff5cab203456.jpg

On 6/9/2018 at 10:16 AM, cactusflinthead said:

3-4 is really acidic for a soil. Straight vinegar is a 3. 

I suspect spider mites,but would need some more information. Mine were completely destroyed by those little mfers.

Yeah I don't trust the cheap meter I have. I used some "organic"  compost from a different place this year and suspect that has something to do with it.   No spider mites or the usual pest suspects of any kind that I see.  Weird.

929d89cb8d2e7b97dad19ce06b9cadf0.heic 10 jars of pickles and counting


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Pickling cucumbers. Made some Dill and Bread & Butter pickles with them1162996334bc04d925d84ee2443b5afe.jpg4ac1e491720a1c647bd5278ce8005c53.jpg0ece16e14c0ebe7e2e1af0dca3030773.jpg4e2fbeb8aeccdf01d3ede448a335ff67.jpg9f406c14edc9f3a7087db95f642aaba5.jpg81eb904ed4ffcd3691fa948201b2afae.jpg6a0c190b1d63c413de2d8544f9d0ebf6.jpg

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You are killing it with the cucumbers. Still only getting a few here.
However, I did harvest my first ears of corn. Had to cut off some worm damage and some kernels didn't form, which was expected if you read my previous posts. Still happy with them. Will cook them up later this week.521e77fb907d6d35d0c4d2ce7337fd2c.jpg

Raccoons got my corn. War is taking placeb259d9d19bbe76dab18cebe5804e38da.jpg

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I'll go ape shit on some coons if they start that. They may screw me out of corn from the feeders on my hunting land, but no way on the homestead.
I'll go ape shit on some coons if they start that. They may screw me out of corn from the feeders on my hunting land, but no way on the homestead.
I set 5 traps. Caught 2. This is out in the country.

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1 hour ago, Errestaurants said:

This is out in the country.

Then you know what to do. 

23 hours ago, Both Tacos said:

For those looking for a planting/harvest calendar set by their location, here is a link to the Farmer's Almanac calendar plan. https://www.almanac.com/gardening/planting-calendar

Set you location to print off a calendar and you can put in your email address to set up reminders on when to plant. 

Nice. Thanks

 

Anyone have an experience with shade cloth?  I'm hoping I can keep the sun from beating down on my garden during the summer.  I bought a 30% shade cloth.  Just curious if I should leave it up for the duration of the summer or try to alternate days.

IMG_2314.jpg

I like the cut of your jib

I'd leave it up full time.

My tomatoes that are shaded are going wild, well over 6'. Those that don't get any shade are looking kinda beat up, thin, losing leaves on the bottom and maybe 4'. I water frequently so water or lack thereof is never an issue. Same plants from same vendor too, so I'm comparing apples to apples.

@4th and 5That's been my experience, too.  The sun just eventually beats them up.  I've tried to plant things strategically.

@DonnyKerabatsos I didn't think about the bugs.  Coons and birds have been my biggest issue this year.  I guess you're damned if you do and damned if you don't.  I did make this retractable, so I can pull it back in less than five minutes.  Worth a shot, I suppose.

8 hours ago, Spaulding Smails said:

Anyone have an experience with shade cloth?  I'm hoping I can keep the sun from beating down on my garden during the summer.  I bought a 30% shade cloth.  Just curious if I should leave it up for the duration of the summer or try to alternate days.

IMG_2314.jpg

I'm behind on getting my shade cloth up. Usually comes out first of July, but with the current temps, I should have had it out at least a week ago and I'll leave it up through August at minimum.  I look to keep it up until the nightly temps get back down into the 70's, especially over the tomatoes.

Edited by Both Tacos

Humph. Just as a side note we are expecting a high of 75° tomorrow. 

 

I wish my garden looked as nice and full as yours. Several factors I suppose. We got a later start. Probably later then should have been for the area. And this is our first time so not sure we have the soil composition right and watering schedule right. I’ll post pictures tomorrow of the water system we put in last weekend. One of those Home Depot micro sprinkler specials. 

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Whelp, I just ripped out most of my beds. Still have a few tomatoes, some wild stuff (chenopodium, curly dock, etc.) and some volunteers all over the place (squash, melons, etc... pretty much anything the chickens pooped out seeds for).

But I'm pretty much done with this plot of land.  We'll be listing the house some time this fall, and heading for cooler climes, somewhere free of aggy, and where I don't yet know how to garden. I'm hoping on next year's thread I'll have plenty of pictures of starting a new microfarm from scratch.

Went out of town for 3 days on business and came back to a sizeable harvest.2b6ee760bcf9bc948047a1df21b31c5b.jpg69bd748a31411b10f05be30cd5986522.jpg

Anyone used atrazine to kill Bahia grass in St. Augustine?  Sounds like it is my best bet on the googles.  The Bahia is going nuts in my front yard this year.  Wish I would have done something about it last year when I first noticed it.

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