Posted by (Chip) on November 26, 2009

wow what a deal! we have been looking for black berry plant where did you get a deal like that?...Chip

Posted by (mangoman) on November 26, 2009

Hi Chip, yes sadly I do not have room for them all. :( I’m willing to sell you a few as of now and maybe more later (we are talking to a friend about planting on their land). The blackberries are thornless by the way. Now wouldn’t it be nice if they were seedless! Oh well you can only get so good.

Eric

Posted by (Chip) on November 26, 2009

Thank you that will make Diane and I very happy. black berry’s are in my wife’s over all plan for our garden oh ya there is a master plan and she has been working at it for years she is a genius at schedule’s to start seed’s and making thing fit in our garden. My E mail add is chip.fulp@yahoo.com , e mail me and we can make arrangements ‘Chip”

Posted by (mangoman) on November 26, 2009

I know how you feel chip! I can’t wait to move to a few acres! It’s gonna be blackberries and mangoes forever! I read a birthday card yesterday that I absolutely loved! It said “I’ve got no where to go and all day to get there”. I wish I could have that kind of experience with my yard!

Eric

Posted by (Janna) on November 26, 2009

Good deals, my friends! Keep the photos coming and…Happy Thanksgiving!

Posted by (Susan Gillespie) on November 26, 2009

I’m loving the pink petunias, Penny. And who can find fault with that great price.

Great haul Eric. You are one great shopper. I love the tip about going early to these stores. Do the trucks usually come in the middle of the night and they restock before morning? I’ve found that a lot of the restocking happens on Thursdays before the weekend rush. What does farmer Rick say about restocking days? Do his trucks go out every day of the week, locally, or only certain days?

Posted by (Chip) on November 26, 2009

I have been working on making room in the garden for the last week. I officially now have no grass what so ever in my yard and am moving a fully mature bougainvillea from a spot that will open up a lot of prime space. this has not been easy,  I also am putting layers of compost in the area I have recently have removed of grass/wildflowers/weeds I even had to move a fire bush onto my neighbors yard and that makes some more room I started all of this for my avocado tree I got at the plant auction it is living in a large pot and needs to go in the ground we did an inventory of every thing we have growing in the garden and the numbers even surprised us “Chip”

Posted by (Chip) on November 26, 2009

I needed to move the bougainvillea any way I made the mistake of putting it to close to the garden. They sure do take up a lot of room and moving it with all of those thorns just not fun at all! It will all be worth it for the space that will open up…“Chip”

Posted by (Susan Gillespie) on November 26, 2009

What is the root system like on a bougainvillea, Chip? Is it like a tree stump? Those thorns can be deadly. I just had a huge honeysuckle cut down that got too big for it’s spot. The roots left behind are really large. They were too close to the fence to safely remove so now I am sawing and chipping away at it to get it out myself. Those leftover stumps are already getting green on them. Grrr. I better work faster, huh?

Posted by (Susan Gillespie) on November 27, 2009

i have that magazine. I will look at it again. I called the extension service because I heard about rock salt (was that in the magazine?) and the guy there told me rock salt could work but it could harm anything planted near it. I didn’t want to lose my carolina jessamine so I didn’t do it. He also said I would still have to dig it up anyway so I figured why bother with the rock salt.

Posted by (Chip) on November 27, 2009

the root system is quite established on this bougainvillea I root pruned it first and that helps Susan Shells has a product and I think the name is root be gone , not 100% sure on the name I seen it while looking for some thing else. I have never used it myself but it just may be what you are looking for. It has to be easier than trying to dig it all up. “chip”

Posted by (Susan Gillespie) on November 27, 2009

Thanks Chip. I bought something recommended by the guys at Ace called Stump Out, but I’m not too sure I got the right thing. And I threw away the receipt, dang it.

Posted by (Chip) on November 29, 2009

My garden is loving life right now. It turned cold with out freezing, I could not have asked for better conditions for my veggies it is in the Goldie locks zone “just right” we normally do not have any hard freeze’s or frost until January last year was different and I am thinking this will be another hard winter. I am working on way’s to protect my garden without it being to much of a hassle we always get a hard wind out of the north first then the freeze so something wind proof is a must I am thinking something like a cold frame they use up north but I am open to suggestions how is everyone planing to cope with the cold?....“Chip”

Posted by (Susan Gillespie) on November 29, 2009

The Goldilocks zone——I love that, Chip. very clever.

As for those dreaded freezes—-there is a product at Home Depot , or online if you prefer, called the Planket to put around bushes and plants. There is even a long one to cover a row of something. I’ve put them on my Christmas wish list.
Here is a link http://www.theplanket.com/index.htm

Other folks I’ve talked to use the sheet or blanket method with Christmas lights underneath for extra warmth. But if you have a lot of things to cover it becomes this huge project with strings of lights all over.

Posted by (Chip) on November 30, 2009

I have checked and the planket is not recommended for food crops most of what I have will be just fine in the cold just not a freeze both the strawberry’s and the blueberries need the cold to fruit anything below 32 is bad on the blueberries and can kill the strawberries collards love freezes they lose that sharp taste after a good freeze. We ate very well out of our garden this Thanksgiving and barely put a dent in our garden. It looks like the caning class will pay of for us and just before Halloween big lots had ball canning glasses on clearance so I got case’s on sale and stocked up…“Chip”

Posted by (Susan Gillespie) on November 30, 2009

The watering idea is a great one Penny. I couldn’t cover everything either. Cover the most tender ones and take your chances with the rest. Is the winter forecast looking to be as bad as last year’s horrible freezes? I better start more cuttings myself.

I remember that jatropha. What did you do——cut it to the ground? It looked bad and now it’s back. What a trooper.

I didn’t realize the planket wouldn’t be good for food items, Chip. I’ll remember that. Thanks.

Posted by (Chip) on November 30, 2009

while harvesting for thanksgiving we did an inventory of our garden just so you can understand what I am up against and trying to protect.  125 strawberry’s,36 Brussels sprouts,36 cauliflower,9 cabbage,12 Chinese snow pea’s, 120 + English pea’s{some still coming up}600 white/red onion sets 4 bell pepper’s,3 hot peppers 3 black beauty eggplants,4 flowering cabbage,  tomato’s, 5 Gregor’s altar,4 big boys 1 giant Belgium,1 big zebra,1 purple Russian,1 old Ivory,1 black plum 300+ carrots keep losing count on that and last but not least 16 nostrums two in pots just for Penny! and still there are some seeds just coming up.and I just know I am forgeting something.. .“Chip”

Posted by (Susan Gillespie) on November 30, 2009

Holy Moly, Chip and Diane. That sounds like a full time job to me. But what a satisfying thing to achieve. I bet it is beautiful.

Posted by (mangoman) on November 30, 2009

You make us all drool Chip! That garden of yours must be HUGE! I woke up this morning with half my papaya tree’s leaves gone and many of the fruits with cuts. I think a racoon/squiral may have been on the roof and used the papaya tree as an a escape method. UGH! I’m SO mad! I sure hope it doesn’t kill the papayas. I think the papays may now have ringspot. Another problem, another day….

Eric

Posted by (mangoman) on November 30, 2009

Chip, if you can pick up some plants for penny that would be great! I’ve got 6 plants set aside for you and penny. Penny, I think you said you wanted 2 so I guess that leaves you with 4 Chip. Is that going to be ok? I’ll call you sometime in the next day or so and we can figure this out.

Eric

Posted by (Chip) on December 01, 2009

our garden area is actually quite small 26ftx42ft Diane found this book “the square foot gardener” we have applied the technique’s learned in the book and have changed a few thing’s to suit our needs. I think a better title would be “the shoe horn gardener” the biggest lesson learned companion planting this I have found to be important for gardening in general. The best book I have found for this “Garden companions” some time’s if you have a plant that just is not doing as well as it should look up its companion if any, some don’t and put them together.And if you are going to put them in real close they have got to get along…..“Chip”

Posted by (Janna) on December 01, 2009

Eric, I hope your papayas make it! If anyone can save them, I know YOU can.

Chip, I am AMAZED at how much you have growing!

You FODs continue to motivate me - I’d much rather be gardening than working right now….