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Anyone into gardening here?
- Thread starter shanekingsley
- Start date
We bought a 5 in 1 pear tree for a reasonable price from Loblaws a week or so back. Hopefully it does well. My experience with these grafted trees is that occasionally not all the grafts take as well as each other. Got a few curling leaves which bothers me a bit as that’s usually a sign of under watering but it’s being soaked every few days.
GateKeeper
Well-known member
So I planted a Fig tree last year and it did well even got a couple small figs from it, then winter came, leaves fell off, all went dormant, and I think the Fig tree died….not sure why….my buddy who gave me the tree also had 2, purple and white, and both of his appear to have died, mine I planted in the ground, his stayed in pots and were in his shed over the winter, but it appears all 3 perished, anyone have any ideas as to why this happened?
We keep ours in a container and bring it in for the winter. They don’t seem to do well outside over the winter.
Agreed. Get the botanical name for the specific variety planted. Then do a check to see what hardiness zone it is tolerant to. Many plants that are on the edge of a hardiness zone will survive in a sheltered area, but if it's an exposed site they will suffer. Here's an article that might give you some other ideas of how to keep them alive: Overwintering Fig Trees
Microclimates on your property can also play a factor. As an example, each year I did up a bunch of Echinacea plants and give them to my Mom in the spring. She plants them and the following year they comes back, but very weak, with few flowers and in 2-3 years they might do nothing. She has a neighbour who lives 5 minute walk from her who plants the same plants from my garden and they thrive on her property. She has different levels of light and wind exposure which allow her plants to thrive while my Mom's don't.
GateKeeper
Well-known member
The fig trees given were from an established fig tree, which has been thriving for the past 20 years or so, so it’s used to our climate.
I can’t believe a tree from Toronto, would not survive or thrive now that it’s in Mississauga…but what do I know…maybe..
It is just strange all 3 have died, my one in the garden and the other 2 in the original pots, just left over the winter in the shed, did not make it either
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I can’t believe a tree from Toronto, would not survive or thrive now that it’s in Mississauga…but what do I know…maybe..
It is just strange all 3 have died, my one in the garden and the other 2 in the original pots, just left over the winter in the shed, did not make it either
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Thinner bark on the seedlings? Might just be a case of mass protecting from cold/frost.
Very interesting.
Oakville had a similar situation with the White Oak Tree on Bronte just north of the QEW in 2010.
A women made a $150k donation to save the tree. Instead of cutting it down, they were able to design the road around the tree.
White oak tree offically part of town’s heritage
OAKVILLE BEAVER - Oakville’s Town council simultaneously made history and preserved history Monday night, designating the Bronte Road white oak tree as Oakville’s first stand-alone heritage tree.
www.insidehalton.com
Do you have Jamaican neighbours?
Mad Mike
Well-known member
Same happened to me. Last year there was 1, we called her Maverick. She grew to 12’ and kicked a bunch of foot long colas.
This year 7 popped up. I’ll take a pic tomorrow, but one has a trunk on her like a bulldogs neck.
i figure a few buds got pollinated, I did get about 150 seeds off that plant.
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Dragon’s Den
If I get the wood and mortar stuff done around the house I'm thinking of a lawn massacre. Somewhere I think I saw pictures of Shane's lawn free property and while I would still keep a patch of grass I'm thinking of the upkeep of a huge amount of non-lawn. On the plus side the bees need all the help they can get. The raccoons and skunks that dig up my lawn for grubs can go to hell and get baked ones.
I'm not out to win prizes but I tend to go to extremes. If I want a lawn I want acres of it like the British estates, not the carpet sized crap we have.
I have lots of questions. Do I go random with wildflowers or neat rows? Annuals and the other kind? Veggies that look and taste nice? The Mrs threw some sprouting potatoes in the garbage the other day and I thought, hmmm if I dug a shallow hole and buried them I couldn't lose. I'd either get more potatoes or richer soil.
We do get rabbits.
I'm not out to win prizes but I tend to go to extremes. If I want a lawn I want acres of it like the British estates, not the carpet sized crap we have.
I have lots of questions. Do I go random with wildflowers or neat rows? Annuals and the other kind? Veggies that look and taste nice? The Mrs threw some sprouting potatoes in the garbage the other day and I thought, hmmm if I dug a shallow hole and buried them I couldn't lose. I'd either get more potatoes or richer soil.
We do get rabbits.
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I have a crab apple tree and it normally produces enough fruit for my jelly giveaways. A couple of years ago we had a spring temperature fluctuation and Pinky went of strike only giving me a dozen apples. Last year was a bumper crop. I had so much juice I ended up freezing it.
May 28 this year we set a new low temperature record and had snow. Pinky said f%&*% and I saw about a dozen blossoms which means no fruit.
In both of the bad years the same species near a friends place a few miles west of me had lots of blossoms and I help myself when the fruit comes. Those trees are close to a major road and it is possible that air currents from traffic keep the temperatures from hitting the same lows as in my back yard.
Vineyards use windmills or helicopters to do the same thing to save crops from ground frost.
We get lots of rabbits, skunks, countless types of birds, have a family of raccoons living under our deck and recently a pair of red foxes - now less rabbits too. With all the flowering plants, there are no shortage of pollinators visiting.
Our front yard requires less time spent on it than neighbours yards who have good looking lawns. The key for me is to spend my time wisely in the spring. A thin layer of fresh mulch retains all the moisture and keeps weeding to a minimum. Knowing the tendencies of plants makes sure they require minimal attention, fill up the space properly and have 4 seasons of interest. The more full the desired plants get, the less weeding is required. Paying attention to the microclimates across the property allows me to plant the right plant in the right place. Lot's of native flowering plants to balance out and support the veggies, Annuals go in pots only, except for the marigolds around the veggie beds.
I started with full grass in both front and rear. Used a sod cutter to strip it, then turned it all upside down and placed cardboard on it to minimize grass resurgence. Then added 4" of high quality triple mix from Petrie's out in Milton and planted. Then watered it all in very well and used hemlock mulch to seal it in.
Both are still a work in progress and my wife wants me to go less wild and slowly make things look more structured.
I should also add that I clearly enjoy doing it. It's a hobby and also gets me moving, breathing fresh air and playing in nature. So I really do it for the benefits it provides me physically and mentally as well as for all the others who enjoy it, from neighbours to animals. If the rabbits eat all me kale, no big deal, there's plenty of other plants for me to enjoy and lot's to share.
Front Yard:
Back Yard:
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We have been adding flowerbeds/veggie beds and raised beds at the end of the garden over the years. The amount of grass has diminished and I think the garden looks better for it. Making the beds wasn’t too bad. I have an electric rototiller and so we remove the sod and reuse it if we can, then rototill to size, lay down weed barrier (the fabric kind from Costco is great and you get tons for the price), cut holes in the weed barrier and plant through them, make sure you leave a reasonable amount of room for spreading perennials. Add a healthy layer of mulch on top. Add a border..we use the heavy recycled rubber borders you can get from most Home Depots etc. They hold up well to strimming. If you want to get fancy you can install permanent sprinklers too since you already worked the soil. We also added 12v lighting throughout as laying the cable is easiest when the soil has been worked.
Green Meenie
Well-known member
Had a peony for 2.5 years and never a flower. This year, it has finally bloomed. Beautiful flower 
Had only 1 bloom last year on the poppy plant, This year; lots!
Had only 1 bloom last year on the poppy plant, This year; lots!
Had a peony for 2.5 years and never a flower. This year, it has finally bloomed. Beautiful flower
View attachment 49262
Had only 1 bloom last year on the poppy plant, This year; lots!View attachment 49263
poppies are quite interesting…
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10 Types of Poppy Flowers & Growing Tips
The world of poppy flowers runs the gamut, from those that are tricky to grow to those that are easy—sometimes, far too easy.
and…
Massive Poppy Bust: Why Home-Grown Opium Is Rare
Despite a massive opioid-addiction epidemic, few people try to grow opium in the United States.
Eat enough polish poppy seed cake and you will test positive for narcotics!
Green Meenie
Well-known member
We have an Iceland poppy plant as well but it hasn't bloomed yet. Had one last year and apparently rabbits like them ... a lotpoppies are quite interesting…
10 Types of Poppy Flowers & Growing Tips
The world of poppy flowers runs the gamut, from those that are tricky to grow to those that are easy—sometimes, far too easy.www.thespruce.com
and…
Massive Poppy Bust: Why Home-Grown Opium Is Rare
Despite a massive opioid-addiction epidemic, few people try to grow opium in the United States.www.livescience.com
Eat enough polish poppy seed cake and you will test positive for narcotics!
This year we planted them in a spot where the rabbits can't get at them so we'll see.
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