The Gardening Thread

Gunman · Post by **Gunman** » Sun Apr 17, 2011 2:12 am

Could someone please moderate this thread. I'd like it to be for gardening purposes only, not Prosper's daycare center for people with chromosome damage.

SenisterDenister · Post by **SenisterDenister** » Sun Apr 17, 2011 2:21 am

Never dealt with herbs and whatnot, always been a rather, for a lack of a better word, pragmatic gardener limiting myself to fruits and vegetables over herbs and spices. Things like lettuce, okra, cucumbers, squash, tomatoes, and jalapenos.

Gunman · Post by **Gunman** » Sun Apr 17, 2011 2:52 am

I am thinking about creating a compost in my garden and grow pumpkins on it. I might even get away with planting them directly into the ground, as the valley I live in is known for its fertile soil. (Lockyer Valley - where the QLD floods ravaged lol)

I tried tomatoes but birds ate them and I raged. How does one grow cucumbers? Never looked into it. Similar to pumpkins?

SenisterDenister · Post by **SenisterDenister** » Sun Apr 17, 2011 5:53 am

Cucumbers grow on a vine so you just have to look out for small critters and things getting a hold of them. Other than that they're pretty easy to grow.

Gunman · Post by **Gunman** » Sun Apr 17, 2011 8:52 am

I might give it a shot at some stage. Any more advice?

Post by **Dogmeatlives** » Sun Apr 17, 2011 5:49 pm

Gunman wrote:Does the grape get enough sun? Also did you check if the soil is suitable?

It is getting proper sun now. It was too cold to keep it outside when I first got it and it suffered. I haven't checked if the soil is suitable. It's a mixture of potting mix, dirt, and pete moss. Not sure what the pH is.

Also I just got a blueberry bush. It has like four tiny leaves so its not a bush yet. I used the same mixture as with the grape, but also added soil acidifier. Here's hoping they grow.

They are both in large pots. Can't grow them in the ground as the development I live in uses pesticides on the grass once a year, and I don't trust the deer around here.

SenisterDenister · Post by **SenisterDenister** » Sun Apr 17, 2011 7:00 pm

Gunman wrote:I might give it a shot at some stage. Any more advice?

Keep the soil ph balanced, like around a 7 if you're really picky. They're also better off in sunlight in humid conditions, which is why they do so well here in the American south. Best for pickling, or just slicing and soaking them in vinegar with tomato slices and chives as a light snack.

If you like to fry things, I think okra or squash would be more up your alley.

Megatron · Post by **Megatron** » Sun Apr 17, 2011 11:09 pm

you can get a soil ph kit for like a lousy buck at a mom and pop store OKAy

blueberry bush might take a year or two to get to a decent height if they are anything like gooseberry bushes

you could build a little bed then just shove some stuff over it? i dont know what your level or expertisÃ© is but pretty much get a shitload of bricks and build a box about 3 feet high. put sandy dirt in the bottom for drainage then fill the rest with compost. theres a lot of different types of compost but generally think about what the plants natural habitat is and try and make the soil like that. so chilis grow in south america and shit, so the soil is going to be pretty sandy so it drains well. while something like roses or the finest herbs are usually pretty hungry.

anyway if youve built your bed you can either cover the whole thing in a sheet of plastic or glass to protect it from pests and birds as well as creating a litttle climate inside the thing, you shouldnt need to water it too much as the condensation will keep cycling, dig? when the plants get a little bigger you could put bamboo stakes every foot or so and hang some kind of net over it? butterfly netting is good for doing this kind of shit.

not mine but, whatever.

its good to make a compost heap i guess, i like chucking all the crap from the weed into it. dont put in bread or meat as youll get rats. if you put your egg shells to one side you can crush them up and spread them around your plants to keep away slugs. the idea of a compost heap is for it to be enclosed as the warmth from bacteroids breaks all the crap down, then you just give it a stab and flip with a fork once a fortnight.

generally just talk to people at the garden centre and talk to old people because thats all old people do before sliding into their grave most of the time. ? if youre putting something into the ground from a pot make sure both plant and hole are moist. you can make a ORGANIC whoa pesaticide from garlic, chili and something else but i never bothered with that.

i dunno dude just, sea of green n that

POOPERSCOOPER · Post by **POOPERSCOOPER** » Wed Aug 17, 2011 3:03 am

Megatron or any of you guys have any experience with Bonsai plants? I'm looking into getting one of those beginner Bonsai trees as they always looked pretty cool but it has to be the karate type. How hard is it to take care of it and stuff?

I'm thinking of something like this http://www.bonsaiboy.com/catalog/bonsai-starter.html as it's already grown a few years and now I just have to wire it and control it. What are your guys' thoughts?

Post by **Retlaw83** » Wed Aug 17, 2011 3:39 am

My only experience is with bonsai kittens.

rad resistance · Post by **rad resistance** » Wed Aug 17, 2011 5:04 am

I have a few potted plants most notably a 5 year old peace lilly and some orchads, wish I could grow some bud though.

Pooper growing Bonzai is time consuming and takes awhile for the plant to grow into a certain shape. It's like having a pet.

VasikkA · Post by **VasikkA** » Wed Aug 17, 2011 12:00 pm

POOPERSCOOPER wrote:Megatron or any of you guys have any experience with Bonsai plants? I'm looking into getting one of those beginner Bonsai trees as they always looked pretty cool but it has to be the karate type. How hard is it to take care of it and stuff?

I'm thinking of something like this http://www.bonsaiboy.com/catalog/bonsai-starter.html as it's already grown a few years and now I just have to wire it and control it. What are your guys' thoughts?

Don't overfeed it and you should be fine.

Megatron · Post by **Megatron** » Wed Aug 17, 2011 2:18 pm

bonsai trees grow really slowly, think it has a meditateive aspect or some junk for a miniature garden where you comb sand and chit. I imagine for most plants that grow that slow you would only need to water it every other day, the main thing about bonsai is cutting it into a shape that looks treelike IIRRCC.

most of my plants have done pretty well this year but ive sort of lost interest as I dont know if Ill be living here next year so don't want to start a big gardenin project if I have to leave in July lolol