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I feel your pain. The local community has won several garden awards for their blooms and every year they plant 30,000 tulip bulbs and once spent they encourage people to come and dig them up. I dug about 250 bulbs up and planted them and the following spring my yard was thriving with tulips just starting to pop their heads up. The next day - gone - the deer struck. After all that effort, every last one with the exception of one lone yellow tulip was the breakfast of the wild. So disheartening.
Oh my gosh, what a bummer! I had the tulips in one of my front yard beds, and I have NEVER seen deer in my front yard in 11 years here. I HAVE seen them in my back yard (and lots of other wildlife) fairly frequently (my yard backs up on conservation land -- no neighbors, no close streets), so I will have to make some barriers for when I plant veggies! More things to plan!
Feels like I post here everyday, can't believe these weeks fly by like this.
6.37 inches of rain for the month of April and yesterday I had a heavy thunderstorm with lightning while 53°. Ground so saturated I'm glad I hilled my Onions and Potatoes
Check this out. I tested putting a hot pepper plant outside back in early April! 5 weeks before I normally do.
Compare these with the ones that have been kept inside.
No comparison. Planting outside too soon might not kill the plant but it wont grow
REMINDER... PLANT PETUNIAS IN JANUARY! These plants test your patience for sure, slow to grow
I planted the seeds March 12th
That's an Eggplant on the left.
I could transplant these Brussel Sprouts but the rain everyday is annoying
Tomatoes
4 O Clocks growing nicely, I don't want to pot up again but they are requiring more water now. I'm glad I chopped the tops off in March
I love the smell of Lilacs
I will try to start hardening off all plants starting this week but this is my forecast... Gonna be tough and annoying
We've had higher rain amounts than average in Charlotte NC too. Relative 20 minutes away says his total was over 12" in April and average is around 3," I haven't asked husband what our total is (he's in charge of manual rain gauge).
Locals here (we arrived 3 years ago) say that the wacky spring of cold then hot then rainy hurt iris blooming. We went to local iris show which still had lots of lovely blooms. Mine however only bloomed about 20%. Onward to next year!
Your lilac is beautiful! I don't see any here so guess they need more winter than Charlotte provides to be happy.
I put some potted sweet peppers into garden yesterday, bought as 2" at garden center.
This year my seed starting is flowers and herbs, trying to grow dahlias from tubers.
Gardening is lifelong learning experience isn't it.
We've had higher rain amounts than average in Charlotte NC too. Relative 20 minutes away says his total was over 12" in April and average is around 3," I haven't asked husband what our total is (he's in charge of manual rain gauge).
This year my seed starting is flowers and herbs, trying to grow dahlias from tubers.
Gardening is lifelong learning experience isn't it.
Thats a lot of H20!
Its my 2nd year with Dahlias, super excited they are growing from the tubers. I was scared to split them though.
Yes, its always an experience. Speaking of which... 4 Oclocks looking like they need to escape from the cup home. I have no room to pot up inside
And so we begin... In 10 days they'll be ready for the outdoors
Might as well do the Tomatoes too. Some lower leaves turning yellow, its not a water thing.
I like using clear plastic cups, so that's your answer on root balls.
Looking forward to the sunny weather arriving on Thursday, I'll finally start being able to move more stuff out of the basement and into the greenhouse them (and especially on Saturday once the sun is joined by warmth). It's about time...
Thats a lot of H20!
Its my 2nd year with Dahlias, super excited they are growing from the tubers. I was scared to split them though.
Yes, its always an experience.
I just split 2 of last years dahlia survivors, (last year my my first year) some tubers are showing buds.
Not scared to split these because they were not that special, from Home Depot last year.
Majority didn't even come up last year, voles may have eaten some, some tubers came from inexperienced growers and possibly the tubers were not viable.
This years dahlia tubers arrived from big, reputable dahlia seller.
1/3 of the newbies are showing green in their little pots already, BIG improvement over last year.
Am thinking about putting them in BIG pots for vole protection.
Good luck with your dahlias. Looking forward to photos of them!
Last edited by twinkletwinkle22; 05-02-2023 at 01:45 PM..
I like using clear plastic cups, so that's your answer on root balls.
Looking forward to the sunny weather arriving on Thursday, I'll finally start being able to move more stuff out of the basement and into the greenhouse them (and especially on Saturday once the sun is joined by warmth). It's about time...
Good thinking on the clear cups, haha. I have like 150+ red cups, even though they were only 5 cents each I hate to switch. Would be cool seeing the roots though.
Quote:
Originally Posted by twinkletwinkle22
I just split 2 of last years dahlia survivors, (last year my my first year) some tubers are showing buds.
Not scared to split these because they were not that special, from Home Depot last year.
Majority didn't even come up last year, voles may have eaten some, some tubers came from inexperienced growers and possibly the tubers were not viable.
This years dahlia tubers arrived from big, reputable dahlia seller.
1/3 of the newbies are showing green in their little pots already, BIG improvement over last year.
Am thinking about putting them in BIG pots for vole protection.
Good luck with your dahlias. Looking forward to photos of them!
I scrolled up can't believe I didn't add those pics.
How did you store them? I learned my lesson that just vermiculite and peat moss doesn't work. Some were totally dried out. Some were still good and plump.
So a few I kept inside in the warmth and under the grow lights, they are now are outside until I find a spot for them. Mystery Day in the trays. Not sure in the pots yet. I'll know when they bloom since I only had4 different varieties last year
A couple I put in pots outside and its obvious they needed warmth. Just started germinating
I scrolled up can't believe I didn't add those pics.
How did you store them? I learned my lesson that just vermiculite and peat moss doesn't work. Some were totally dried out. Some were still good and plump.
Wow you've got lots of green leaves on your dahlias. I am not using any lights indoors on anything so my new tubers have been outdoors in pots for about a week and 1/3 of them showing green tips.
Only dug 2 clumps up from last years efforts and kept them in garage, no vermiculite, in a cardboard box.
This year looks better for dahlia growing, fingers crossed that better tubers and vole protection works. I didn't order expensive tubers, just pretty colors, waiting to see if these survive.
Wow you've got lots of green leaves on your dahlias. I am not using any lights indoors on anything so my new tubers have been outdoors in pots for about a week and 1/3 of them showing green tips..
I was impressed how fast they sprouted and grew inside. I'll have to remember for next year I can start them in mid April instead of end of March.
With the historic snows falling past 2 days west of me, its hard to think that growing season will be good but as I know, Summer hits quick and lasts long. We don't have Springs anymore here. Winter lasts into April and now May this year. Nuts. My Soil temp down to 52°
Quote:
Originally Posted by twinkletwinkle22
Only dug 2 clumps up from last years efforts and kept them in garage, no vermiculite, in a cardboard box.
.
Interesting. No soil? No Newspapers? Everyone has different ways and some seem to work..
Quote:
Originally Posted by twinkletwinkle22
I didn't order expensive tubers, just pretty colors, waiting to see if these survive.
Me either, I bought 3 varieties that were 75% off last year.
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