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Re: Gardening
Pepper, finally I have time to sit an write. Let me start with my landlords's backyard, since I don't own it I'm not allowed to make changes as I would like so I decided this year to do my gardening of veggies in pots. He needs to put down some good top soil and do a lot of clearing before I plant in the yard again. However, all the roses are doing wonderful and there's tiger lillies everywhere. The bulbs I planted last year are also growing but the soil is intolerable to veggies. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]
Indoors, I have a solerium (that's what Grandma2 called it) where I have my tropical plants, this year I added coleus and a rubber tree. I split those in half, since so much was in each pot, making 2 pots each of those, beautiful!! I also added a small tree wich is called China Lady.
Outside on my fire escape, dwl:
Last year when I went to JA, I bought several paks of callaloo seed, so I have callaloo galore. Planted them in several large pots and it's now about 6 inches tall and growing fast, yummy, cyaan wait!! [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] I also have tomatoe plants, tagged by the nursery as patio tomatoes, there are about 8 or 9 tomatoes now, from the size of a 50 cent to about a tennis ball size.
Along with that, I have a half dozen scotch bonnet plants, just now budding, and 2 bird pepper plants with peppers on them, a pot of basil, a pot of rosemary, a pot of peppermint and spearmint and a pot of thyme. Everything looks great. I water every other day, unless it rains.
I do have problems with critters, first the squirrels, who wanted to dig up my pots when I wasn't looking and then I had a visit from 2 racoons who fought me back when I tried chasing them away. I had my landlord to cut back all the trees and bushes away from the fire escape so they had no where to climb from and that partially eliminated the problem. I'm not sure which critter got up there still, but one came and tried digging up one pot so I was advised to rub the edges of the pots with Vicks and I think that's working, seems the Vicks repels them. People, believe me, mi rub di Vicks pan di edges till mi weak, dwl. Anyone have any other ideas on how to keep them away, mek mi knoh, please. I'm protecting mi callaloo lak mi a protek mi pickney, LOL.
sistagirl, this is for you. What I did was buy some large pots. Then I got 2 types of potting soil, one light and one heavy type, and mixed the 2, filled the pots halfway and soaked the soil. Any plants I bought, I bought in small containers and transplanted them. Soak the soil in those and use a knife to separate from the edges, hold the plant close to the root, turn upside down and it slides out easily, dirt and all. I then set that down in the new pot with the new soil, and finish surrounding that with more new soil. This way the roots are not disturbed and the plant won't go into shock. Water it good, set it in the proper light. (The little tab that comes with the plants will tell you what the proper lighting is)
After that, you water when necessary and watch it grow. You can tell when the plant needs watering by pushing your finger about 2 inches into the soil and if it's dry to that point, water the plant. My veggies I water every other day, house plants about once a week, maybe more depending on how dry they feel. Make sure the pots drain properly and set something under the pots for the excess water to drain into.
I also bought the ting called Miracle-Gro, a blue powder that you mix one tbsp. to a gallon of water, mix and water the plants and veggies with it about once a month, that replaces the vitamins and minerals the soil doesn't have naturally. Remember potted plant soil loses its vitamins and minerals being in pots so it has to be nourished. I don't use fertilizer so this is a good replacement.
Well, this is it fi now. sistagirl, try start with a few plants then add on as you grow. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
Pepper, finally I have time to sit an write. Let me start with my landlords's backyard, since I don't own it I'm not allowed to make changes as I would like so I decided this year to do my gardening of veggies in pots. He needs to put down some good top soil and do a lot of clearing before I plant in the yard again. However, all the roses are doing wonderful and there's tiger lillies everywhere. The bulbs I planted last year are also growing but the soil is intolerable to veggies. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]
Indoors, I have a solerium (that's what Grandma2 called it) where I have my tropical plants, this year I added coleus and a rubber tree. I split those in half, since so much was in each pot, making 2 pots each of those, beautiful!! I also added a small tree wich is called China Lady.
Outside on my fire escape, dwl:
Last year when I went to JA, I bought several paks of callaloo seed, so I have callaloo galore. Planted them in several large pots and it's now about 6 inches tall and growing fast, yummy, cyaan wait!! [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] I also have tomatoe plants, tagged by the nursery as patio tomatoes, there are about 8 or 9 tomatoes now, from the size of a 50 cent to about a tennis ball size.
Along with that, I have a half dozen scotch bonnet plants, just now budding, and 2 bird pepper plants with peppers on them, a pot of basil, a pot of rosemary, a pot of peppermint and spearmint and a pot of thyme. Everything looks great. I water every other day, unless it rains.
I do have problems with critters, first the squirrels, who wanted to dig up my pots when I wasn't looking and then I had a visit from 2 racoons who fought me back when I tried chasing them away. I had my landlord to cut back all the trees and bushes away from the fire escape so they had no where to climb from and that partially eliminated the problem. I'm not sure which critter got up there still, but one came and tried digging up one pot so I was advised to rub the edges of the pots with Vicks and I think that's working, seems the Vicks repels them. People, believe me, mi rub di Vicks pan di edges till mi weak, dwl. Anyone have any other ideas on how to keep them away, mek mi knoh, please. I'm protecting mi callaloo lak mi a protek mi pickney, LOL.
sistagirl, this is for you. What I did was buy some large pots. Then I got 2 types of potting soil, one light and one heavy type, and mixed the 2, filled the pots halfway and soaked the soil. Any plants I bought, I bought in small containers and transplanted them. Soak the soil in those and use a knife to separate from the edges, hold the plant close to the root, turn upside down and it slides out easily, dirt and all. I then set that down in the new pot with the new soil, and finish surrounding that with more new soil. This way the roots are not disturbed and the plant won't go into shock. Water it good, set it in the proper light. (The little tab that comes with the plants will tell you what the proper lighting is)
After that, you water when necessary and watch it grow. You can tell when the plant needs watering by pushing your finger about 2 inches into the soil and if it's dry to that point, water the plant. My veggies I water every other day, house plants about once a week, maybe more depending on how dry they feel. Make sure the pots drain properly and set something under the pots for the excess water to drain into.
I also bought the ting called Miracle-Gro, a blue powder that you mix one tbsp. to a gallon of water, mix and water the plants and veggies with it about once a month, that replaces the vitamins and minerals the soil doesn't have naturally. Remember potted plant soil loses its vitamins and minerals being in pots so it has to be nourished. I don't use fertilizer so this is a good replacement.
Well, this is it fi now. sistagirl, try start with a few plants then add on as you grow. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
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