"Doug Kanter" wrote in news:hk37g.205$ snipped-for-privacy@news01.roc.ny:
exactly!:) then there are the peculiar microclimates on a property. i live in NH, mostly zone 5b... but i have zone 3 pockets & i have one neat little zone 7 pocket. microclimates are very interesting things. they're also a PITA in some cases. lee
It takes a few years to figure out a piece of property, but it can be very interesting.
We live in Lancaster County, pa. I don't think anyone is gonna seek us out. N.H? Oh, now I am really homesick. My hubby and I would visit his friend's cabin on Lake Winnipesaukee years ago.
He is a loose dog? You mean he likes to take advantage of a Newbie? Shame on you Doug. I can take it.
To get back to gardening, we do want to plant some big tomatoes and understand that marigolds keep the bugs away or is that just a wive's tale? Having fond memories of my dad's garden is keeping the memory alive.
Now is it okay to talk about that stuff or am I just rambling???? Bette
Marigolds seem to keep nematodes away, but they're not much of an issue with tomatoes. And, forget the moon.
Had to google to understand menatodes. Something to do with fungi, but not keeping the bugs away. Do you use a chemical bug spray for your veggies? If so would it be a dry or spray on. How do you keep out the critters other than using a fence. I heard dry blood does the trick, but when it rains, it is washed away. Bette
Hi Doug, I live on Willowen drive in Rochester NY (hope that is specific enough for you)
What excellent advice can you give me about tomatoes?
I grew up in one of the cold parts of Pensylvania -- northwestern Susquahanna County.
Tomatoes were not planted until Memorial Day. Usually that was late enough to not get frost, but I could still find snow in the deep pine woods until mid-June.
-matt
Go to
I live in zone 5 and I start my seeds indoors, under lights, then move the trays outside to acclimate the seedlings about a week or 10 days before my chosen planting date, which is around Memorial day.
Every year I plant one tomato seedling early (I did it today), protecting it with what are called walls of water, a ring of plastic pouches that, when filled with water, form a teepee over the plant and protect it from freezing. I then pamper this plant. Meanwhile, the rest of the seedlings are planted on Memorial day and not pampered at all. Guess which produce the earliest and most abundant fruits? I don't know why I keep trying to get earlier fruit from this pampered plant; it never happens.
I would suggest you use the next few weeks to improve the soil > Hi, I am new and just joined your nice group. I was told not to plant
"Bette" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@g10g2000cwb.googlegroups.com:
nematodes are worm-like critters. some eat roots & some are beneficial. here's more than you probably want to know:
not at all. i keep the veggies organic. no chemicals.
first, do you have critters & what kind? rabbits, deer, red squirrels, chipmunks, chickens? different animals need different controls. a 3-4 foot chicken wire fence with about a foot buried & angled outward will stop most rabbits, but none of the other animals i listed above. deer would require an 8' fence or a 6' double fence setup. my chickens can go over a
6' chainlink fence, so i'll probably put a motion activated sprinkler in the garden to keep them away (they *love* tomatoes & peppers). dried blood doesn't seem to work well on keeping things out (or not for long anyway), but it's good for the plants. marigolds & basil are both good companion plants for tomatoes. lee
Bette,
We can understand your wanting to not give people your exact address but it would not hurt to at least give the county or area of the state that you live in.
And it has nothing to do with feelings. We can't help you if you won't supply us with SOME information that will allow us to give you accurate information.
Thanks Barb. We are in zone 4, according to the farming - Lancaster guide of planting. We have a neighbor who plants them in pots then when the frost is not a threat, they put them in the ground. Bette
You're part of that Lake Ontario shoreline heat bubble that floats over Rochester not does not extend into the Finger Lakes. You should be safely in zone 6A... when other things in nature are going to plan, that is.
I used to confidently put out many of my plants in late May when I lived in that region, until one year when we got eight inches of snow dumped on us at that time. That was in 1989. The cold wasn't the problem that day. It was the weight of the snow that did the damage.
When we lived on the Lake Erie shoreline (zone 5), we didn't really dare put anything out until June. And when we lived in the Southern Tier (Jamestown, near the PA-NY border, zone 4), it was for sure that nothing went into the ground before mid-June. Late spring frosts were a bastard in that region.
Meanwhile, these days in Salt Lake City, zone 6B, my plants have been out under row covers and W.O.W for weeks now.
Thanks ALL for your help. Improving our soil is almost too funny. In that this was once a farming area but sold out to some contractor to build homes. The soil is black and rich, yet I notice most everyone takes impeccable care of their front lawns; landscaped to perfection.
Finally we have the dandelions under control. Twice Chem Lawn came. The first time it poured right after he placed the first application on an acre of those impossible yellow weeds. Washing it all away, he came back yesterday and did the same things. Within hours the stems turned over. The man who mows our lawn also mentioned we have tons of chickweed and named some other stuff that is growling, preventing a lush lawn. So little by little it will look nice.
No, we're not that competitive where our lawn must be the best on the street just nice. Bette
"Bette" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@i39g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:
my lawn has a lot of moss. i like moss. you don't have to mow it ;) however, it also shows i really need to lime my soil, as moss prefers acidic soil... the mossy pasture will get limed first though. the livestock doesn't eat moss.
ew, Chem Lawn? that's really unhealthy for your enviroment. seriously, it sets you up for a continuous need for chemicals to maintain your lawn by killing all the worms & bacteria that makes up a healthy soil. dandelions like good dirt. i don't treat them because they have deep tap roots that help breakup a hardpan level (happens if the land was mechanically plowed frequently) & my tortoises really like to eat them ;) don't rely on ChemLawn to tell you what your lawn needs. they're in the business to keep selling you chemical treatments you don't really need. talk to your local county extention agent. they offer free & appropriate advice on lawn & garden care.
i know you said you were retired... in my experience places like ChemLawn often try to take advantage of those of us who are older by pitching that thier chemical treatments will make life "easier". it's not true. also, if you decide to place any flower beds in your front yard, those chemicals they spray on the lawn will do nasty things to your flowers (or if they spray upwind of your veggie garden, the wind drift will do bad things to the veggies) lee
Yes I know and wonders for my allergies.
Thanks for your wisdom and advice. Wow you know SO much. Bette
Only lunatics use chemicals on their vegetable gardens. These products have never been, and never will be proven safe, because they cannot be tested in a scientifically valid fashion, like medicines.
Thanks for your insight. We would only use chemicals to help our lawn. Cannot recall what my dad did. So how do you protect your veggies from bugs? Bette
Where is your excellent advice on tomatoes, Doug? Wasn't I specific enough with my location?
187 Willowen Dr Rochester, NY 14609-3233Call me if you want.
(585) 467-3339
***** Ha
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