gardening

They are growing very nicely. So are the tomatoes. That is all.

150+ pounds so far (that I need to get put in the freezer) and probably another 100 still in the tree.

Went with a variety of coneflowers for color and a few white puff asters to hopefully grow into filler. Picked them both because they’re supposed to do well in hot weather. A lot of things just melt in the southern heat, especially lately.

Also planted a couple little viney bois, we’ll see how they do

https://nitter.net/CCEYates/status/1696891290388967476

I think I'm going to cut a swale in my yard. My septic tank will run chlorinated water out to it, so it'll be pretty wet. Anyone had success planting something like this? I saw some swale specific seeds online, but wondering about personal experience.

Some people leave it low and have water run up to a berm which they'll plant the other side of. Supposed to be nice for watering plants, but I don't think it'll work here.

Also want to try to plant some ditches to prevent erosion. They're real steep and generally have standing water at the bottom. I think I'll have to go with grown plants for that. I can't really imagine I'll be able to keep seeds in there without running off.

I had a volunteer potato in my garden this year so I just let it do its thing (Completely overshadowing all of my corn but oh well). It flowered and now suddenly there are... berries??? I've literally never seen these before, what are these?

Step one: buy some wheatgrass seeds (also known as berries). You can find them at pet stores but health-focused grocers will probably sell them two.

Step two: get a pot with a drainage hole and some potting soil that drains well. If you want you can just grab some dirt from outside (as long as it's not very clay based) and use whatever pot you have on hand, but better drainage will help prevent over watering

Obviously you should have some sort of drip catch on the bottom on the pot if this grass is growing indoors

Step three: put the soil in the pot and don't pack it down at all. Lay a heavy amount of seed on the top layer, and then cover the seed with a paper towel. Use a dedicated water bottle with a mister and keep the paper towel lightly moist.

4: Cover your pot with a little towel or whatever you want. The idea is to keep the seeds in the dark while they germinate. Within a few days you should see the seeds sprouting, at which point you remove the paper towel and whatever you are using to block light and continue to mist, but now directly on the seeds. At this point you need to either leave the seeds somewhere with plenty of direct sunlight, or you need to buy a little USB growlight to keep them happy.

Do not even think of watering until these sprouts reach 5-6 inches of height, just mist them (more heavily over time if you need) to prevent over watering. If it's above 80f where you live you want them inside. 90f and above will kill them outright.

5: Within a week you should have some very aggressively growing wheatgrass. If you are using a growlight... Congratulations! You can now touch grass right at your desk. Take that you smarmy bastards. NO I WILL NOT LOG OUT, YES I AM TOUCHING GRASS.

6: After about two weeks of growth you may find the grass beginning to look less happy. This probably means that your soil doesn't have enough nutrients. Luckily there's this awesome fertilizer called PISS. That's right, just dilute your piss at a 10:1 ratio with water and you'll be giving all the nitrogen those bad boys need (feed them piss maybe once every two weeks, or dilute 20:1 and give it with every watering). Any fertilizer with a heavy nitrogen amount will do well, and generally anything sold for a lawn that's got most of its nutrition base in nitrogen will be great. Fish emulsion works well too, but will not smell good so yeah... Keep in mind.

There you go, now you can touch grass right at the comfort of your desk. Logging off is for smucks. Also, your indoor cat will thank you.

Love the color change

Apparently if it's from the bird feed then it's probably hemp, but what a surprise, lol. I just started looking into CBD so I wonder if I can do anything with it.

cross-posted from: https://lemm.ee/post/2645503

Does this count for gardening?
Landlords bad, plants good!

TL;DR: apparently the management at my apartment complex considers plants to be "Seasonal decoration." Here's the email chain:

My landlord: You are in violation of your lease with the condition of your patio/deck area. The only thing allowed on your porch is patio furniture. Correct the issues shown in the attachment ASAP! If you have any questions please contact the property Manager M-F 9 am – 5 pm.

Thank You from our office staff and maintenance team! [Attached photo: My balcony seen from below, showing my one plant.]

Me: I've just re-read my lease agreement and could not find the clause you are referring to. The closest thing I could find is this, from the Community Rules Addendum, Use of Unit and Common Areas:

"3. It is the Tenant’s responsibility to keep balconies and patios in a clean and orderly condition. Storing of cartons, garbage, boxes, appliances, or other visually objectionable items on the patio or balcony is prohibited. Clotheslines or clothes hanging over balconies are not permitted. Hanging clothes and towels out to dry or use of the patio or balcony as a general storage area is not permitted. Seasonal and holiday decorations are not allowed without prior written permission from Landlord. If allowed, seasonal and holiday decorations must be reasonable, must not interfere with or disturb other tenants’ quiet enjoyment of the Community, and must be promptly removed within a reasonable time after the holiday, not to exceed 14 days or as otherwise directed by Landlord. Grilling or barbecuing is not permitted on balconies or patios."

It does NOT say "The only thing allowed on your porch is patio furniture," nor does it make any mention of prohibiting plants. If you are referring to another clause, please let me know.

My landlord: While there is no direct mention of potted plants, they fall under the category of seasonal and holiday decoration.

Potted plants are considered seasonal items not currently permitted by the property manager. If you would like to, you may stop by our leasing office during the week to speak with the property manager regarding the use of unit and common areas.

Me: Plants are not "seasonal and holiday decoration." They are plants. They do not get put away for the winter, they do not celebrate a holiday, they just sit there. All year long. If potted plants are not permitted, then the lease agreement needs to be rewritten to reflect that. The lease which I signed does not prohibit potted plants.

My landlord: If you have any comments or concerns regarding use of unit common areas, please stop by our leasing office to speak directly with our property manager.

Me: If you have any further concerns, please contact me via email. Otherwise, I consider this matter resolved.

Thank you for your understanding

(That last email was sent after closing time. I guess I'll find out tomorrow how that goes over.)

These flashy fuckers are 1.5 meters tall and have these beautiful bright orange flowers on them. The species is "Lilium Lancifolium" or "tiger lilies". The previous owner of our house planted tons of them around the yard and now each year they come back.

I would clone it except I fucking hate Virginia creeper

Butterflies are more important than fresh parsley. Got some clones going so I'll have enough for everyone next year.

Anyone ever try a cayenne in water spray bottle solution for this, any tips?

nice story about someone growing flowers in a community as a business

This little guy is always chilling with my bananas.

There's also some hornets that keep the slugs/caterpillars at bay but they're less cute.

"I remember finding in the high mountains of Catamarca (Argentina) a highly anthocyanin-containing species at over 3500 m altitude, which combined high winter frost resistance with an excellent aroma of its fruits and which seemed quite capable of being adapted as a cultivated plant." (Bruecher 1977).

This species was Passiflora umbilicata. It comes from the Andes of Argentina, Bolivia, and Paraguay. It can be found at altitudes from 1600 m to 3700 m and survives frost and also the cool climate in some areas of Central Europe. This species grows very well in the southwest of England unprotected in the open ground.

The fruit of Passiflora umbilicata is round, between 4 and 7 cm in diameter, with a yellow, leathery shell at full ripeness. It's is tasty. The species, like most Passiflora, is not self-compatible and requires cross-pollination. The plant is very easy to care for and can bloom from May to October. It prefers a cooler climate, but also withstands temperatures up to 40 °C and blooms both in sunny and semi-shaded locations.

• 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝘀𝗼 𝗿𝗮𝗿𝗲...

The main problem of this species is that cuttings root very poorly and slowly. That's one of the reasons why it's so rare in cultivation.

• 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘆 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁

P. umbilicata is very interesting for breeding hardy passion fruit. It has a certain winter hardiness and possibly there are still genotypes in Argentina that are significantly hardier than the plants so far distributed in Europe.

• 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝘆𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗱𝘀

What makes this species particularly interesting, however, is the fact that the species crosses relatively easily with other species to create hybrids. There are now numerous hybrids. Some of the species involved are: P. actinia, P. antioquiensis, P. cincinnata, P. edulis, P. garckei, P. incarnata, P. racemosa, P. tarminiana, P. tripartita var. mollissima, P. tucumanensis, P. sidifolia and P. sprucei.

Interestingly, some of these hybrids are very fertile. An example of a promising hybrid for hardy passion fruit is Passiflora ‘Jutta’ by Henk Wouters. This cross between P. tucumanensis and P. umbilicata tolerates at least up to -8 °C. It is a fast-growing plant that flowers abundantly and sometimes forms two flowers per leaf. This variety forms fertile pollen and easily produces fruits. P. ‘Jutta’ bears full and delicious fruits, which become ripe in 45 days.

• 𝗔𝘀 𝗮 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲

P. umbilicata can pollinate most species of the supersection Tacsonia and be used as a bridge species:

Various properties such as tolerance for extremely cool weather and self-fertility could be combined from the supersection Tacsonia with strong root formation, good fruit qualities and frost hardiness of species of the subgenus Passiflora.

(Photo credit: Andres Krzisnik)

I rescued her from an ashtray 3 years ago and she's become so beautiful. but I have no idea what she is. please help :)

I noticed this moss growing on the bark chips in this potted plant I bought about a month back. It's an indoor plant and gets indirect light.

I'd like to keep the moss if it's a good moss.

Plant is a zygocactus (Schlumbergera truncata acc the tag)