Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with gardening

What to get for the man who has a green thumb/happy feet?

lackutrol — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 19:37:43 -0800

Gift ideas for a person with different interests than me: gardening and dancing... Person in question is my Dad (don't worry, we usually exchange presents after Christmas). He's not a big reader but spends a huge amount of time on his garden (flowers mostly) and likes to go dancing with his girlfriend (I am under the impression they do a bunch of different kinds of dance). He's in his 60s. I am kind of clueless on both areas of interest. He lives in the Seattle area, if that makes any difference.

Where can I buy heirloom seeds in Gainesville, FL?

space_cookie — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:19:16 -0800

Gardening Filter: Where can I buy heirloom fruit and vegetable seeds in Gainesville FL? I'm visiting the folks in Gainesville Fl. My dad is an avid gardener and prides himself on giving home-grown produce to his friends and neighbors. I would love to give him seeds for unusual varieties of fruits and vegetables.

He was diagnosed with lung cancer earlier this year. While his prognosis sucks, he is doing very well right now - he still has a very active life and still loves to play in the dirt. Obviously (or not) the gift has a lot of symbolic value and I want to get it right.

Is there a place in town where I can go to find non-GMO, non-hybrid, strange and yummy seeds for his garden? Bonus points if this place is staffed by folks who know what they are doing - since I clearly don't.

If there isn't a place in Gainesville, is there an online retailer that you would recommend? I'm kind of overwhelmed by the options out there.

Thanks So Much!

I ♥ cukes.

halogen — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 15:36:48 -0800

Seattle indoor gardening: are there any reasons why I shouldn't grow cucumbers in my bedroom this winter? I just moved to an apartment with a large-ish balcony, and can't wait to acquire some planters with herbs and vegetables. However, considering that winter hasn't even started yet, they wouldn't get much of a survival chance outside.

My bedroom has floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall windows that face West. No-one spends time there during the day. The temperature is usually at 65°F/18°C during the day and overnight and 69°F/20°F in the evening when we are home. I've been thinking of picking up a couple of Earthboxes and then planting Persian cucumber seeds in them (as well as some herbs). Then, in the spring, I would presumably be setting the planters outside on the balcony and growing, well, whatever.

Potential problems that I can picture are raised humidity in the bedroom (which should be fine, my skin could certainly benefit from it) and the plants being too cold.

Have you attempted anything like this? Could I count on a harvest in a couple of months?

Hydroponic/Soil combo growing

boby — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 05:12:33 -0800

Is there any method to combine hydroponic gardening with conventional soil gardening? I've been a soil gardener all my life but wanted to try hydroponics. I want to use a DWC system.
It seems pretty easy compared with other methods.
I'm thinking that having one half the plants roots in soil and the other half receiving nutrients from the hydroponic solution might be better.

How do I grow an olive tree from the fruit of another?

DakotaPaul — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 22:31:18 -0800

Is it easy to grow an olive tree from the fruit of my current tree? I have a pendolino olive tree that's about three feet high, and it produced about a dozen olives that appear to be pretty ripe. Can I get another tree out of these, and if so, what's the best way to do it? Is it a simple as dropping them in some dirt and letting them do their thing?

What are and how do I obtain miniature cacti?

artifarce — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 12:11:00 -0800

Are miniature cacti just younger plants or do they have their own name or classification? Awhile ago I saw some tiny (~1 in. apiece) cacti for sale in a big box garden/home supply store, but am not having luck finding them online (getting a lot of hits for dollhouse miniatures, etc). I would like to buy some but know neither the right terminology to use, nor where I'd buy them. I've already browsed several online cacti stores w/o success. Thanks for your help tracking this down!

Can my Garlic be saved?

drezdn — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 09:01:03 -0800

I planted several garlic bulbs a month ago, expecting frost, but the weather has warmed up and now they've sprouted. Can my garlic bulbs be saved? Is there anything I can do to keep them around until spring? Covering them with dirt? Or should I just accept that I learned a lesson and move on?

Help me start a landscaping business!

Sentus — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:59:42 -0800

I am thinking about starting a landscaping business. I don't really have direct experience in the field. Looking for resources. Hello there,
I am in my mid twenties, moved to a midsized city in Texas about two months ago. As you probably know, our economic condition is not the best these days, which made looking for a good steady job pretty frustrating. To sustain myself I did a bunch of small gigs including small landscaping projects (Through craigslist mostly).

I am thinking about starting my own little landscaping business.

I volunteered in various organic farms for about two years; Have a modest knowledge about edible crops, organic growing methods, love and know my plants. I enjoy working outside, using my body, planting stuff,.

My selling point will be organic/sustainable landscaping.
* Trying to use native plants that require less water. Demand less upkeep and just thrive once established.
* Using organic methods, good soils, heavy mulching, sound irrigation techniques, maybe vermiculture in the future (earthworms castings).
* Showing people the beauty and functionality of edible perennials.
* Down the line get into Permaculture design, and just using Permaculture principles in people's yards.

I don't have a truck or heavy duty tools YET. So I'll have to start out doing smaller projects/rent truck on special occasions (to haul bulk soil/mulch).

Is any one here works/owns a landscaping operation? Any insights? Words of wisdom? Pros and Cons? Warnings?

Any good books on Landscape design? I know there are dozens if not hundreds, do you have any specific recommendations?

Any good software available? With design, plants for climate zones?

What would be cheap and effective marketing channels?

Thank you and have a great day,

Why shouldn't I put small plants in bigger containers?

tumbleweedjack — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 13:50:37 -0800

I've read that it's a bad idea to plant small plants into larger pots (the idea being that they will grow into the large pot). Instead, you're supposed to keep the plant in the smallest appropriate container and move up as it grows. Why? What will happen if I just start a plant in a container that's bigger than it needs?

Teach Me To Grow Things!

battlebison — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:33:58 -0800

I want to grow some plants indoors. I don't know anything about gardening. Could any of you green thumbs out there give me a working knowledge of terminology and the basics to success? I have some south-facing window ledge space that gets lots of light. I think it would be perfect for growing plants. My knowledge of plants is just about as close to nothing as it could possibly be.

What are the basics of gardening: What pots should I use? What plants? What soil? How much attention and care does each type of plant need? Where do I buy seeds? If someone could point me to some good resources, I'd be very grateful (the "beginner's" stuff I've googled seems either too advanced or more instructional than informative).

Or if some plant-knowledged mefites could even just throw out some bits of plant knowledge, that would be great too. I'd love to know the why behind gardening, more than the "here's what to do..."

If it matters: I'm thinking that growing herbs or hot peppers or something would be a good use of this space.

Indoor vines on a trellis

machaus — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:33:37 -0800

Looking for a recommendation for an indoor climbing vine. We built a trellis for a large window in our house (eastern exposure, strong morning sun) and successfully grew Hoya vines. However, we've battled mealy bugs over and over and have given up. What's a hearty, fast growing vine that:

1.Won't try to attach itself to drywall.
2.Is a climbing vine and won't need to be tied off.
3.Is pest resistant.

???

A little help identifying succulents?

BuddhaInABucket — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:26:44 -0800

I need help identifying a few succulent plants and some general advice for my new hobby of raising succulents. I need to identify this plant which I'm not even sure is a succulent, this plant that I suspect is a euphorbia of some kind but I'd love to know the species, and in this picture, I'm guessing on the left that's a sempervivum arachnoideum of some sort, but it doesn't look like the ones I've seen. On the right is clearly some kind of sedum, but I dunno which.

Any other advice for the budding succulent collector? Fortunately I've managed only to kill a couple things before realizing how much I've been overwatering them.

Going native with Seattle plants: R U doing it wrong?

Cool Papa Bell — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 10:10:38 -0800

Seattle gardening and native plants: How hard should I be trying to stay native? If not native, what's good for this climate? Hi there ... I have a large-ish swath of yard that I'd like to re-plant, and I've been focusing on native plants with mixed success. How hard should I be trying in my efforts to "go native?" If not native, what plants are good for this environment? Maybe some that are not native, but not invasive, either?

For example, sedum is being used by local "green" projects, but the ones most commonly used are native to Europe and are considered "naturalized" to North America.

Stipulations: I've already been to Molbak's and have raided their native plant section.

What can I grow in Zone 8?

unlucky.lisp — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 06:49:01 -0800

Gardening Filter: What can I grow in the Florida panhandle? I'm from NC, and have thus far been able to grow whatever I wanted. Now I'm moving to Crestview, FL (near Pensacola), and I have no idea what I can successfully grow.

Most people there don't plant much in the way of flower gardens for fear that it will get destroyed in a hurricane, but I just can't like like that! *melodramatic sob*

The soil is VERY sandy, full of burrs, and beyond that... it never gets below about 50 there in the winter. (Zone 8a/b, I think)

Can I still grow bulbs as perennials since they won't really have that period of cold weather? Can I grow anything as a perennial other than the few hot weather plants I know (hibiscus, etc)? Can I grow my precious peonies and lilacs?

Do I need to settle on raised beds for veggies or just seriously amend the soil?

thanks!

Best way to move my avocado plants long distance?

illenion — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 07:06:56 -0800

How should I prepare my avocado plants for moving across country? I have three avocado plants that I raised from pits and have sentimental value for me, and I would like to bring them with me when I move across country, coast-to-coast, at the end of this year. We will be driving a car full of stuff, and estimate the trip will take a week. How can I best prepare them for this trip? They are currently about 2 feet tall each, not including the pot/root ball, and here's a picture. Should I wrap them carefully in wet burlap and then plastic, and check on them regularly to keep them moist? Space is limited in the car, so I am considering either taking just a cutting from the tops of them, or pruning them back to just stem, preserving some of the lower leaf nodes. Does anyone know if avocados take either of these methods well?

How to garden in basement over winter?

idyllhands — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 17:14:00 -0800

How do I build a basement vegetable garden in winter? I have gardened over spring/summer/fall outdoors. I need advice on what lights to buy, what vegetables can grow over winter, how to pollinate, etc. Also, can I use heat lamps to help with the warmth loving vegetables, or is that too energy inefficient?

Plastic temporary body jewelry needed soon

jet_silver — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 08:35:21 -0800

Temporary body jewelry for MRI not found because of advances in gardening equipment. Help. I'm having an MRI on Tuesday to confirm diagnosis of a labral tear in my shoulder. My nipple rings have to come out for it, I believe - they are 10 ga 316LVM CBBs - and I'm looking for plastic temporaries. In the past I'd have used .100" weed whacker cord for this but all the modern weed whacker cord is not cylindrical - it has sharp edges, by design, and that makes it unappealing. Four piercing places nearby (Silicon Valley / Santa Cruz CA) claim they have no plastic jewelry in this gauge.

My favorite place for raw materials stock, McMaster-Carr. The only plastic rod they list in .100" diameter is carbon fiber which doesn't sound too appealing either.

Nipple piercings, even old ones, have a reputation for closing up abruptly, so I am not sure that doing without will work. These piercings are old (1991) and if I am wrong about this then please correct me.

Please help with ideas.

What is this kudzu-like plant in my Toronto neighbourhood?

winston — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 20:04:16 -0800

What is this kudzu-like vine that grows in my neighbourhood in Toronto? It behaves very much like kudzu not only in the way it quickly takes over and chokes out other plants but it also spreads by runners and rhizomes, and produces seed pods only for a short time in the fall. The photo linked above shows both the flowers and the seed pods, but these are usually not present.

The main difference between this plant and (what I've read about) kudzu is that this plant has nettles that sting. Well, that and the fact that it thrives in Toronto.

Help my tree make it through the winter

drezdn — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 13:21:41 -0800

How can I help a tree that I'm growing in a container make it through the winter? I have a maple tree that I've raised from a seedling to a foot in height in a big plastic container (think cat litter bucket). I want it to make it through the unforgiving Wisconsin winter without killing it. With other plants, it looks like I could either insulate the container and leave it outside, or maybe put it in my garage.

If I were to move it to the garage, when should I do it? (After the leaves drop?)

If I were to leave it outside, how should I insulate the container?

Books about Gardening (but not the How To kind)

gwint — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 13:52:09 -0800

Looking for interesting books related to gardening/growing food other than the usual How To manuals. To put it another way, what would be on your syllabus for a course called something like "Gardening Books: Science, History and Literature"? Examples of stuff I have in mind (but have already read): Michael Pollan, Botany for Gardeners, and Letters from an American Farmer.

If supermarkets did not exist, I would have starved myself by now.

backseatpilot — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 13:13:24 -0800

I am a failure as a gardener and a human being. What the hell did I do wrong with the vegetable patch? This was our first season trying a "real" garden (in fact, the first season I've had a back yard to do anything with). We built a raised bed, 4'x8', filled it with top soil from Home Depot, started some seeds indoors, and planted them about April-ish. And then again mid-May after everything died.

Whatever hasn't been killed off is so puny as to be worthless. All of our neighbors have nice big tomatoes growing; nothing of ours has produced any fruit whatsoever. A rundown of our attempts:

-Lettuce. None of them grew larger than half an inch off the ground, and then they all died.
-Basil. Same thing. Only a couple pairs of leaves, followed by death.
-Roma tomatoes. Grew about three or four pairs of leaves, then all the leaves fell off.
-Hot and bell peppers. Leaves all fell off. One specimen was left indoors for very long, got big and bushy, put it outside and then all the leaves fell off.
-Beefsteak-style tomatoes. These were starters, they've grown to be about 5 feet tall, but no fruit.
-Zucchini. I thought these were supposed to be vines; each of them is only about six inches long. One flowered, then all the flowers fell off and it died. Two others withered and died. The other ones are not growing.
-Cucumbers. Very, very small. Maybe three pairs of leaves, and an inch high. These have all flowered, but no fruit. They're not growing any larger.
-Mint. Didn't even bother sprouting.
-Parsley. They still only have two or three leaves, with very thin and flimsy stems.

So, we have literally zero yield for our efforts so far and it looks like we won't get a thing for the rest of the season. With the exception of the beefsteak tomatoes, everything was started from seed according to the instructions on the packages.

It's fairly shady in the back yard, and we just bought bags of generic top soil to fill the bed (it was pretty clumpy and had a bunch of sticks). I didn't do anything to the soil - just dumped it in, raked a little bit, and planted seedlings when I thought they were big enough. Also, being in New England, we had about a six week stretch of rain and low temperatures.

Obviously, I need some help. I could really use some very basic "For Dummies"-style advice as far as a) fixing the garden for the rest of the season, or b) prepping it for next season so it's not such a failure. I could also use some trouble-shooting to identify what went wrong this year. Some thoughts I had:
-Transplanted seedlings to early/too young
-Not enough light
-Not enough nutrients in the soil
-Too much/too little water

We also managed to kill a jade and an ivy plant that were in pots indoors (seriously, how is it possible to kill ivy?!), so we're really not doing too well with this.

And if anyone in the Boston area wants to come over and show me what I'm doing wrong, drop me a line.

I want grass without the fuss

reenum — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 13:31:31 -0800

I'm thinking of replacing my lawn with artificial grass or some other thing that doesn't require constant upkeep. I'd like to hear your experiences with such horticultural matters. I hate mowing my lawn. Always have and always will.

So, I'm thinking of having Astroturf or some other artificial grass installed. I've also been researching ground covering, which appears to be the growing of ivy or some other plant that will cover the sod, but not require mowing.

Has anyone here replaced their grass lawn with either of these alternatives. Anything I need to watch out for? How often do I need to replace artificial grass or ground covering?

All opinions and suggestions are welcome. Thanks!

Don't bogart the pot(s)!

applemeat — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:29:45 -0800

Can anyone identify this plant? I keep a flower/vegetable container garden out on my condo porch here in Chicago, Illinois. This year, our garden's been plagued with this uninvited species. These very fast-growing invaders seem slightly plump and "fleshy"--(perhaps a succulent?)--but I don't know if they flower because I pick them out before they get much bigger than this. Their seeds may have fallen or blown into my soil from nearby gardens (or bird feeders). Can anyone identify this plant?

Email me about my lawn!

underwater — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 09:27:22 -0800

Can I get notification of amount of rainfall? I am an absent-minded gardener and I would like to get email notification when the rainfall for my area has been below a certain amount so I know when to water my lawn.

I know I can look it up manually on a regular basis, either online or with a raingauge, but I know I'll forget without an email. (No suggestions for improving my memory or using a calendar, please)

I'm concerned about wasting water or watering too much, so that's why I don't just schedule it for every Sat or whatever.

Are there any services (preferably free) that would email me to let me know that I should water my lawn? I live in north Texas, BTW.

Please help me keep my plants alive!

pdb — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 21:00:01 -0800

Please help my new plants not die in the heat! Our long-planned and took-longer-than-it-should garden project finally wrapped up on Saturday with me planting a boatload of trees and plants - a whole lot of false spirea, a crape myrtle, a Japanese maple, a bunch of sedum, coral bells, and some dwarf heavenly bamboo. It's going to look fabulous when it starts to mature.

The problem is that we will be living in a blast furnace for the rest of the week - it was 101 degrees here in Portland today, and it's supposed to be 102 or so through Wednesday and high 90's through Friday and into the weekend.

How much do I water my brand new plants so that they don't wither and die? I am currently watering them twice a day, for about 5 minutes at a stretch - I water until there's puddles under the two trees and until there's pools of water scattered around the rest of the garden. Is this enough? I was pondering adding a third watering of about the same duration, at least until the worst of the heat passes, but as terrified as I am of under-watering them I'm equally mortified that I will over-water.

I really, really don't want all these plants to die, because I don't want to have to replace them. Is my watering sufficient?