2023 Mid-Atlantic Garden, Lawn, and Other Green Stuff Thread

[mattie g]

21 hours ago, frd said:

What is the best clover killer @CAPE?  Thanks. 

Rabbits

[mattie g]

The vegetable garden is as healthy looking as I've had at this point. Already lots of small cherry tomatoes popping, with one Pomodoro Squisito forming and others close behind (and lots of flowers on my other plants). Jalapenos haven't minded the realtively cooler conditions at all. Garlic looks super healthy, lettuce and mache have gone bonkers (cooler weather definitely helps), and I should be finally harvesting broccoli in a week or two.

I've probably watered an average of once every four days over the last month. I'd prefer not to have to water, but with a garden my size its not terribly difficult or time-consuming; plus, I try to recycle as much water as I can (pond cleaning, kids playing, etc.) so that I don't feel it's being wasted.

[frd]

3 hours ago, mattie g said:

Rabbits

I have plenty of rabblits, they must be on strike. Or, they were paid off by the Clover OG   

[Hank Scorpio]

Anyone else dealing with a severe Japanese beetle outbreak? My yard was suddenly full of them over the weekend, with enough flying around to completely fill one of those beetle bags in 12ish hours. 

They're totally wrecking my poor birch tree

[aldie 22]

50 minutes ago, Hank Scorpio said:

Anyone else dealing with a severe Japanese beetle outbreak? My yard was suddenly full of them over the weekend, with enough flying around to completely fill one of those beetle bags in 12ish hours. 

They're totally wrecking my poor birch tree

Yeah noticed yesterday them flying around...they are taking a liking to my crape myrtle. It has been quite awhile since i've seen them this active around here.

[mdhokie]

On 6/4/2023 at 10:46 AM, frd said:

What is the best clover killer @CAPE?  Thanks. 

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ortho-WeedClear-Lawn-Weed-Killer-Concentrate-North-32-oz/532746720

I used this and it worked really well. Normally I try and limit what I spray in the yard but the clover and chickweed went crazy this year.

I add a surfactant to a 2 gal pump sprayer from harbor freight and spot treat. Its a chore over a half acre but limits the amount of chemical I put down. Took two treatments about 3 weeks apart to knock 95% of it out. 

[frd]

On 6/26/2023 at 7:37 AM, Hank Scorpio said:

Anyone else dealing with a severe Japanese beetle outbreak? My yard was suddenly full of them over the weekend, with enough flying around to completely fill one of those beetle bags in 12ish hours. 

They're totally wrecking my poor birch tree

Very bad right now . Luckily crate Myrtle did not bloom yet.  

[nw baltimore wx]

I’ve apparently adopted a deer. Does anyone have anything that they use effectively to keep them from eating the tops of tomato plants? Other than a gun, I mean. Does the hot pepper stuff work?

[WxUSAF]

We get deer and rabbit repellent and it works pretty well.

[CAPE]

5 hours ago, nw baltimore wx said:

I’ve apparently adopted a deer. Does anyone have anything that they use effectively to keep them from eating the tops of tomato plants? Other than a gun, I mean. Does the hot pepper stuff work?

Irish Spring. How any human can stand it is beyond me, but deer don't seem to like it. Put part of a bar(or a whole one) in a stocking and hang above whatever plant you want to protect using a Shepard's hook. Saved my roses a few times.

[North Balti Zen]

Um. Irish spring rules.

[mattie g]

Just harvested 14 healthy heads of garlic. A few were separating already, so I'll use those first, but the rest are in really good shape (two heads were massive)! Far cry from last year, when I only harvested a couple runty heads, with the rest basically having rotted in the ground.

Seed garlic was local, organic Music garlic heads bought from Wegman's in the fall.

No Irish Spring needed.

[BlizzardNole]

On 6/26/2023 at 7:37 AM, Hank Scorpio said:

Anyone else dealing with a severe Japanese beetle outbreak? My yard was suddenly full of them over the weekend, with enough flying around to completely fill one of those beetle bags in 12ish hours. 

They're totally wrecking my poor birch tree

They must have big years every so often at different spots.  We had a massive infestation about 10 or so years ago that was so bad you could hear them munching on stuff and they actually killed a number of 10-20 foot cherry trees in our neighborhood.  I never saw them like that again including this year.  We are probably due soon.

[Eskimo Joe]

Late to the game, but added another Liatris and 2 Black Eyed Susans to the front garden. Planted about 150 Tiger Paw Aster seeds and rowed in a huge patch of Zinneas. 

[Hank Scorpio]

7 hours ago, BlizzardNole said:

They must have big years every so often at different spots.  We had a massive infestation about 10 or so years ago that was so bad you could hear them munching on stuff and they actually killed a number of 10-20 foot cherry trees in our neighborhood.  I never saw them like that again including this year.  We are probably due soon.

Yeah, that seems to be the case here too. This is the third summer I've been in this house and the first time I'm seeing them in such huge numbers. 

I also did some research and can't believe I didn't realize sooner that they lay eggs in the soil. I'll be spreading some grub killer in my yard over the next day or two and then treating plants directly going forward. The bags do a great job at pulling the beetles in, but maybe too great a job... pretty sure I'm pulling them in from all my neighbors yards too. Annnnnd, they smell awful once they get into high concentrations, so I'm gonna toss them in the trash. 

[Eskimo Joe]

Last night's rain was perfect to mitigate transplant shock. More perennials go in this weekend. I'm thinking bubble gum pink coneflowers and dahlias.

[mappy]

Y’all need to post more pictures of your gardens, so those of us who suck at it (cough me cough), can enjoy your hard work. 

[BlizzardNole]

Part of one bed with lantana (still small), tropical milkweed, sunpatiens and vinca

Another bed with more of the same -- I garden for butterflies and hummingbirds

[dailylurker]

I'm growing many herbs and vegetables as usual. This year we have a new plant in the garden. We have 4 (both have cards) beautiful cannabis plants. One is about 7 foot tall and 5 feet wide. I have 2 that are 4 weeks into flower and are holding up great to the humidity and rain. No mold. I was curious if anyone else is taking advantage of the new law? 

 

 

[dailylurker]

9 hours ago, mappy said:

Y’all need to post more pictures of your gardens, so those of us who suck at it (cough me cough), can enjoy your hard work. 

I'll try to figure it out. I have some impressive tomatoes and huge cannabis plants lol. 

[Scuddz]

On 7/4/2023 at 10:56 AM, mappy said:

Y’all need to post more pictures of your gardens, so those of us who suck at it (cough me cough), can enjoy your hard work. 

Came back from Vacation to some monstrous zuchini

[mappy]

32 minutes ago, Scuddz said:

Came back from Vacation to some monstrous zuchini

Nice haul!

[mattie g]

2 hours ago, Scuddz said:

Came back from Vacation to some monstrous zuchini

Nice harvest!

And those beds look like they get a TON of sun! Is that a community garden?

[Scuddz]

1 minute ago, mattie g said:

Nice harvest!

And those beds look like they get a TON of sun! Is that a community garden?

Yes, our neighborhood has 16 plots in the middle of a giant field so full sun. We've had ours for the last 4 yrs.

[mattie g]

3 minutes ago, Scuddz said:

Yes, our neighborhood has 16 plots in the middle of a giant field so full sun. We've had ours for the last 4 yrs.

That's awesome.

I've been thinking about how I might be able to organize a community garden under the overhead power lines that run along one side of our neighborhood, but the issue would be access to water. I love the idea in theory, but if it didn't rain regularly and enough, then it probably wouldn't work so well!

[Amorphous Iodine]

On 6/26/2023 at 7:37 AM, Hank Scorpio said:

Anyone else dealing with a severe Japanese beetle outbreak? My yard was suddenly full of them over the weekend, with enough flying around to completely fill one of those beetle bags in 12ish hours. 

They're totally wrecking my poor birch tree

I’ve have had infestations in the past.  I’ve used BeetleJUS! and crab shell.  Either one or both of them helped or I just got lucky.  Crab shell supposedly increases one’s soil population of chitin-eating bacteria.  Beetle grubs can’t create an exoskeleton if all their chitin gets eaten.  Keep grass tall/thick.  Mama beetles like to lay their eggs where there isn’t much cover.  It helps if your neighbors like to scalp their lawns.

[Hank Scorpio]

On 7/7/2023 at 4:03 PM, Amorphous Iodine said:

I’ve have had infestations in the past.  I’ve used BeetleJUS! and crab shell.  Either one or both of them helped or I just got lucky.  Crab shell supposedly increases one’s soil population of chitin-eating bacteria.  Beetle grubs can’t create an exoskeleton if all their chitin gets eaten.  Keep grass tall/thick.  Mama beetles like to lay their eggs where there isn’t much cover.  It helps if your neighbors like to scalp their lawns.

Ohhhh crab shell, interesting! Thank you for the tip. Logically it makes sense and is similar to the suggestion I read to use milky spore as a way to get rid of the grubs.

Between voles and now Japanese beetle grubs, I've got quite the challenge on my hands it seems! Who knew growing plain old grass was so difficult haha

[FXW176]

Ok, now this is cool. They’ve gone camo on me:

[FXW176]

They’ve enlisted friends…

[CAPE]

It's time to start the incremental reseeding/overseeding process. More grass has survived than usual, so it won't be a near complete do over. Normally clover takes over as the grass withers away, but it has not done so this year. The key might be getting 10" of rain in July lol. Normal rainfall never made a difference.