We had a 2014 gardening thread and another planting trees thread. Figured it would be better just to have a general thread to share knowledge about all things yards.
I've learned stuff about growing things here in the desert from people all around the country. Post pictures and share your knowledge! [Reply]
Originally Posted by GloryDayz:
Let's hope you're right and the instructions were wrong.
Wasn't saying right or wrong, I just know I was too early last year. Thought about doing it today but I mowed short to get rid of the dead grass and get the sunlight to the base and managed to hit the sewer cover. Picking up new blades tomorrow and hopefully didn't bend the spindle shaft. [Reply]
Originally Posted by Buzz:
Wasn't saying right or wrong, I just know I was too early last year. Thought about doing it today but I mowed short to get rid of the dead grass and get the sunlight to the base and managed to hit the sewer cover. Picking up new blades tomorrow and hopefully didn't bend the spindle shaft.
Oh, i'm not mad at you, I'm pissed that a fucking AC unit costs a billion fucking dollars! As far as I'm concerned, with the way I hate heat (I pray I never see another day over ~78 in my life!!!), I don't give a shit if my lawn looks like a live in the fucking desert because the AC assholes are going to charge me a price that eliminates me getting a sprinkler system!
Yeah, fuck "hot", and Scotland rocks compared to sandy places! [Reply]
Originally Posted by Buzz:
Crab grass and anything else.
Use a product call Dimention. Its a great preemege for annual grasses....foxtails, crabgrass. It also has the added benefit of being a decent post emerge control on crabgrass and foxtail .That means you can miss that perfect window you are looking for most years. The variable that impacts germination is soil temperature. Crabgrass and foxtails will start germination at low 60 degree soil temps at 1 inch depth and get really going at low 70's.
May have to go to a place like Grasspad where they have employees who actually know things you need to know. [Reply]
Anyone know anything about grapes? My grapevine is thriving now. I didn't grow it like suggested though by creating one large trunk up to about 4 feet before splitting off into 2 separate branches. I instead split the vine into 2 branches from the ground. Not sure if it will matter?
These have recently appeared and look like grape clusters. My only question is why are there so many clusters together and does anyone know if I thin them out? I can't imagine how heavy that would be if all those clusters formed into fruit!
Off topic, you ever think of getting rid of that pool fence. I hate them and removing it really opens up your back yard. Unless kids are imminent, of course. However, the thought of all that fencing covered in grape vines sounds pretty cool. Turn that space into The Wine Grotto. [Reply]
Good links. These are the Flame or the Thompson variety which are supposed to grow well here. I can't remember which but I think they are similar. I learned how to prune the canes and did that this winter. What those links still don't answer is pruning the bundles or leaving them? Looks like some say not to let the plant set fruit in the second year. I might go ahead and leave two good looking bundles on each side and see what happens.
I don't have much of a green thumb, which is why this has been so fun. I never tried to grow even so much as a single plant until 3 years ago when we bought this house. We paid someone to do a backyard renovation as there was nothing back there but a pool. We planted stuff that is fairly easy to take care of but does require some knowledge and care. Since then I've added other stuff that requires quite a bit more knowledge/work but it's fun learning.
I hate that pool fence with all my heart. It's hideous, ugly and definitely segments the yard. And of all colors, why did they choose white?!?!
But kids might be on the horizon so it stays for now, or I would totally remove it. But I had an ah-ha moment this past fall when I realized after 1 year on the wall by my small garden, that the grapevine had already outgrown that space (who knew grapevines grew so fast?!). So I figured I'd give a shot to transplanting it which I read isn't easy. It surely wasn't. But I figured if anything this pool fence could be good for, besides an eye sore, would be to trellis a vine across it. And since grapevines produce such beautiful leaves, I figured it would actually look nice against the white pool fence (great choice in color!). [Reply]
Flame and Thompson are both table grapes (seedless and thin-skinned), have you looked into any wine grapes? There are so many varieties of grapes you could have quite a little vinyard. Of course there are the concord grapes that are used in grape jelly. [Reply]
Originally Posted by KS Smitty:
Flame and Thompson are both table grapes (seedless and thin-skinned), have you looked into any wine grapes? There are so many varieties of grapes you could have quite a little vinyard. Of course there are the concord grapes that are used in grape jelly.
Thanks for the suggestion but I wanted table grapes. Also, only certain types will grow in the desert heat of Phoenix.
There's so much bourbon and beer to go around that I rarely make time for wine, so that's out.
But the neat thing about grapes is you can grow them vertically so easily, that placing them across arbors or fences can be relatively easy. [Reply]
Anyone tried making container gardens on a backyard wooden fence? Thinking about something similar to those windowsill planters, but longer to span the width of my fence posts, and potentially of different depths to account for the needs of different sorts of plants. I figured it would work well for things like lettuces, peppers, and shallow root veggies, but wondered about something for tomatoes or even asparagus.
I am guessing soil drying could be a problem and was thinking about getting a rain barrel in place and some drip irrigation from it, but I'm a little worried I might be heading down a path wrought with frustration and little in the way of success. [Reply]
Originally Posted by allen_kcCard:
Anyone tried making container gardens on a backyard wooden fence? Thinking about something similar to those windowsill planters, but longer to span the width of my fence posts, and potentially of different depths to account for the needs of different sorts of plants. I figured it would work well for things like lettuces, peppers, and shallow root veggies, but wondered about something for tomatoes or even asparagus.
I am guessing soil drying could be a problem and was thinking about getting a rain barrel in place and some drip irrigation from it, but I'm a little worried I might be heading down a path wrought with frustration and little in the way of success.
I grew tomatoes in range buckets for several years. That's pretty easy. But I live in the great American desert so watering everyday was going to happen whatever way I chose to do it. [Reply]
Got a patio installed last week. Going to go the green thumb route instead of sod. spent $200+ over the last couple of days getting dirt and seed and such. Hopefully all will be well in 3 weeks.
Originally Posted by wutamess:
Got a patio installed last week. Going to go the green thumb route instead of sod. spent $200+ over the last couple of days getting dirt and seed and such. Hopefully all will be well in 3 weeks.
What's that made out of? Is that the color because I really like it! [Reply]
