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First Ever SE++ Gardening Thread

Wise_aWise_a Registered User regular
edited April 2007 in Social Entropy++
Partially because everybody has been complaining about the same old threads being done over and over again, and also because I am interested in this topic I give you: Gardening. Any kind of growing plants is fine. Here's my story (bear with me, I hit the submit button early by accident):

I moved into a really nice house right on a lake in NJ after I got out of college. As last spring came, I decided I would try some gardening. The soil where I live is really rich, so I figured it wouldn't be too hard. I rototilled the soil and planted a bunch of things that I would use (herbs, lettuce, a couple watermelons for the hell of it, and some hot peppers). Everything grew great, until the animals found it.

So then I decided to erect (haha) a fence, which was about 3 feet high. This was a pretty feeble attempt, and it didn't really do anything. However, once fall came I still had two big pepper plants that I wanted to keep, so I transplanted them into pots and brought them inside. They lived through the winter, and one of them had a dried up pepper on it that had been there for months. I picked it the other day, and inside was about 50 dry pepper seeds. I planted them, and now I have new pepper plants coming up.

What are your experiences with gardening? Anybody got any tips?

I'm thinking about starting a rooftop garden this year, that way the groundhogs, deer, and rabbits can't eat all my vegetables. Except for the flying deer, but there's really nothing you can do about them.

Wise_a on
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Posts

  • SilmarilSilmaril Mr Ha Ha Hapless. Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    I have brown fingers.


    Wait, that sounded all wrong.

    Silmaril on
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  • AshcroftAshcroft LOL The PayloadRegistered User regular
    edited March 2007
    I'm a big fan of uphill gardening.

    Ashcroft on
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  • bsjezzbsjezz Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    until what...?

    the only plant that has survived really well on my balcony is the chilli plant. Which is just as well, because it's the most important one

    bsjezz on
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  • DruhimDruhim Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited March 2007
    The only gardening I do is raising my cape sundew and south american butterwort on my windowsill. Carniverous plants are cool but make sure you know what conditions they need before you buy one.

    Druhim on
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  • EtchEtch Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    I thought that said buttwort

    Etch on
  • Wise_aWise_a Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    Druhim wrote: »
    The only gardening I do is raising my cape sundew and south american butterwort on my windowsill. Carniverous plants are cool but make sure you know what conditions they need before you buy one.
    Do you have to feed them, or do they just naturally catch the insects that they need? I think thats really cool, I tried to focus a little more on vegetables and stuff I could eat, so I would feel like my gardening had a purpose and I wasnt just a HUMUNGOUS FAG.

    Wise_a on
  • PataPata Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    My family used to do gardening.

    Then we moved to Arizona where nothing grows.

    Pata on
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  • Wise_aWise_a Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    Pata wrote: »
    My family used to do gardening.

    Then we moved to Arizona where nothing grows.

    Yeah, it probably takes more water than its worth. Are you even allowed to water your garden / plants in Arizona? I thought they had strict laws on that stuff due to water shortages.

    Also, there is one good thing about being in a hot dry climate - you can grow citrus trees, like lemons and limes and stuff. As long as you water them enough (which might not be possible), they'll love it there. Plus, you can always use lemons and limes.

    Wise_a on
  • WeaverWeaver Who are you? What do you want?Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    I just bought a plant for my desk yesterday. I don't knwo what kind of plant it is, I saw it at a shop on the way to work and snagged it, it is the same type of plant that they had in Leon.

    Weaver on
  • DruhimDruhim Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited March 2007
    Wise_a wrote: »
    Druhim wrote: »
    The only gardening I do is raising my cape sundew and south american butterwort on my windowsill. Carniverous plants are cool but make sure you know what conditions they need before you buy one.
    Do you have to feed them, or do they just naturally catch the insects that they need? I think thats really cool, I tried to focus a little more on vegetables and stuff I could eat, so I would feel like my gardening had a purpose and I wasnt just a HUMUNGOUS FAG.

    I'll occasionaly catch a fruit fly and feed one but they seem to do just fine on their own. Mainly they just need to be watered regularly because they need waterlogged soil to thrive and it's best to use distilled water as the minerals in tap or even regular bottled water can damage or kill them. I don't have room for a garden anywhere, I live in a studio so only what I can grow on my windowsill that faces west.

    Druhim on
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  • Wise_aWise_a Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    I got a bamboo plant on my desk at work, cuz its a piece of cake to take care of. Just make sure the bowl is always full of water.

    Plants at work is awesome.

    Wise_a on
  • Wise_aWise_a Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    Druhim wrote: »
    Wise_a wrote: »
    Druhim wrote: »
    The only gardening I do is raising my cape sundew and south american butterwort on my windowsill. Carniverous plants are cool but make sure you know what conditions they need before you buy one.
    Do you have to feed them, or do they just naturally catch the insects that they need? I think thats really cool, I tried to focus a little more on vegetables and stuff I could eat, so I would feel like my gardening had a purpose and I wasnt just a HUMUNGOUS FAG.

    I'll occasionaly catch a fruit fly and feed one but they seem to do just fine on their own. Mainly they just need to be watered regularly because they need waterlogged soil to thrive and it's best to use distilled water as the minerals in tap or even regular bottled water can damage or kill them. I don't have room for a garden anywhere, I live in a studio so only what I can grow on my windowsill that faces west.

    Thats cool. You could probably get window planters that hang off the window and put in tomatoes or something like that.

    Wise_a on
  • AximAxim Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    sooo high

    Axim on
  • DruhimDruhim Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited March 2007
    Wise_a wrote: »
    Druhim wrote: »
    Wise_a wrote: »
    Druhim wrote: »
    The only gardening I do is raising my cape sundew and south american butterwort on my windowsill. Carniverous plants are cool but make sure you know what conditions they need before you buy one.
    Do you have to feed them, or do they just naturally catch the insects that they need? I think thats really cool, I tried to focus a little more on vegetables and stuff I could eat, so I would feel like my gardening had a purpose and I wasnt just a HUMUNGOUS FAG.

    I'll occasionaly catch a fruit fly and feed one but they seem to do just fine on their own. Mainly they just need to be watered regularly because they need waterlogged soil to thrive and it's best to use distilled water as the minerals in tap or even regular bottled water can damage or kill them. I don't have room for a garden anywhere, I live in a studio so only what I can grow on my windowsill that faces west.

    Thats cool. You could probably get window planters that hang off the window and put in tomatoes or something like that.

    Tomatoes wouldn't work with the limited exposure and relatively cool weather we get in Seattle. You can grow tomatoes here but it needs to be a plot that gets exposure to the sun throughout the day I would imagine.

    Druhim on
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  • WeaverWeaver Who are you? What do you want?Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    I should grow potatoes in my back yard and distill my own spirits.

    Weaver on
  • Wise_aWise_a Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    Weaver wrote: »
    I should grow potatoes in my back yard and distill my own spirits.

    This is a pretty awesome idea. I was thinking about getting some grape vines and letting them grow wild and making my own wine.

    Wise_a on
  • WeaverWeaver Who are you? What do you want?Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    Wise_a wrote: »
    Weaver wrote: »
    I should grow potatoes in my back yard and distill my own spirits.

    This is a pretty awesome idea. I was thinking about getting some grape vines and letting them grow wild and making my own wine.

    I wanted to do that but grapes won't grow very well in this part of Washington. If I was out east it'd be easy.

    Also Druhim want to get Indian food today?

    Weaver on
  • TyrantCowTyrantCow Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    how did you get the plants to grow in a bathtub?! is my light big enough?!

    TyrantCow on
  • DruhimDruhim Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited March 2007
    Weaver wrote: »
    Wise_a wrote: »
    Weaver wrote: »
    I should grow potatoes in my back yard and distill my own spirits.

    This is a pretty awesome idea. I was thinking about getting some grape vines and letting them grow wild and making my own wine.

    I wanted to do that but grapes won't grow very well in this part of Washington. If I was out east it'd be easy.

    Also Druhim want to get Indian food today?

    No monies. Next week?

    Druhim on
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  • WeaverWeaver Who are you? What do you want?Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    right-o

    Weaver on
  • CerriusCerrius Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    They were talking about growing wine grapes and making homemade wine on NPR yesterday. 12 grape vines can produce 5 gallons of wine if you do everything right. Each vine gets its own pot to grow in. Stuff like this keeps the dream alive.

    t Wise_a: there are alot of repellants you can purchase to keep critters out of your garden, from sprays to shotguns. I'd say a plastic Coyote or a pet dog that won't dig your garden up would be enough to keep even the deer out.

    Cerrius on
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  • StarfuckStarfuck Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited March 2007
    my friends front yard was always blocked by cars and the garage and we would always smoke pot out there and throw the seeds anywhere and one day we were out there toking away and saw a little pot plant growing in his front yard. a friend tried to salvage it because he has a green thumb, but alas, it did not survive

    i was thinking of making a little greenhouse to grow herbs like basil and thyme just for funit's the green in me that has the interest

    Starfuck on
    jackfaces
    "If you're going to play tiddly winks, play it with man hole covers."
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  • DruhimDruhim Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited March 2007
    I have a friend that's been making his own rhubarb, blackberry, and currant wine for several decades. He regularly enters his wines in the Puyallup fair. They're pretty good.

    Druhim on
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  • Sir Red of the MantiSir Red of the Manti Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    What kind of conditions would be appropriate for some of the stupidly hot peppers out there? I've been tempted to grow some of the harder to find stuff for sauces and such, but I thought they took some effort to set up the correct environment for them.

    Sir Red of the Manti on
  • GABBO GABBO GABBOGABBO GABBO GABBO Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    Axim wrote: »
    sooo high

    Not even 2 pages before someone did it.

    GABBO GABBO GABBO on
  • CerriusCerrius Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    Lots of sunlight and water. Warm weather helps too. Try and find a greenhouse start of whatever pepper you're after, give it some fertilizer then water it every other day or every day, depending on how hot it is.

    Cerrius on
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  • J. GrantJ. Grant Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited March 2007
    Lots of sunlight and water. Warm weather helps too. Try and find a greenhouse start of whatever pepper you're after, give it some fertilizer then water it every other day or every day, depending on how hot it is.

    I accidentally grew bells last year.

    Was doing a mini-compost experiment in an old but very large planter in the backyard. Apparently, being the dunderfuck that I am, a bell pepper core got in the mix.

    Bam! Bells all over the place.

    I let them grow until they started to get an orange sheen, and good gawd, they were delicious. So this year I have two planters of bells and one of anaheims. My biggest hope is they'll cross-pollinate. If last year is any indication, you don't really have to do a goddamn thing to get good bells in the South. I poured water on them, and that's about it.

    We also have grapes, tomatoes, peas and canteloupes growing. My biggest fear is the heat will destroy the peas at some point, so I dunno what to do there. The canteloupes are doing much better now that I found the giant fucking rogue snail who was eating the shoots and pitched his sorry ass over the fence. On top of all that, we have pumpkins and a new raspberry bush that my daughter and I just planted last weekend.

    Did I mention my love for this thread? Because it rocks.

    J. Grant on
  • CalliusCallius Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    I wish I had a yard suitable for planting shit.

    My yard is filled with glass shards and has less than an inch of topsoil.

    Callius on
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  • GABBO GABBO GABBOGABBO GABBO GABBO Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    Callius wrote: »
    I wish I had a yard suitable for planting shit.

    My yard is filled with glass shards and has less than an inch of topsoil.


    I have a porch overlooking a busy street.

    GABBO GABBO GABBO on
  • WeretacoWeretaco Cubicle Gangster Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    My parents just bought some grow lights because they want to grow some sort of veggies in our basement. I'm looking forward to the cops busting in searching for the grow op.

    Weretaco on
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  • lostwordslostwords Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    I did a science experiment back in elementary school about how talking to plants and treating them like friends helped them grow. I think I ripped it off a Madelaine L'Engle book. It was kinda lame, all talking to the plant about my day, pretending it was all into what I was saying, while all bitter and seething inside. Kinda like most relationships I've ever been in, really.

    lostwords on
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  • CalliusCallius Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    Manifest wrote: »
    I have a porch overlooking a busy street.
    I have a fire escape overlooking an alley.

    It's... uh, exciting.

    Callius on
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  • TyrantCowTyrantCow Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    Healthy soil does not tend to just "materialize"
    Remove the glass, put the yoke on the oxen. Perchance you will till the soil and all will be well.

    TyrantCow on
  • CalliusCallius Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    lostwords wrote: »
    I did a science experiment back in elementary school about how talking to plants and treating them like friends helped them grow. I think I ripped it off a Madelaine L'Engle book. It was kinda lame, all talking to the plant about my day, pretending it was all into what I was saying, while all bitter and seething inside. Kinda like most relationships I've ever been in, really.
    You said you liked being treated like a little bitch.

    I WAS DOING WHAT I THOUGHT WAS BEST FOR US!

    Callius on
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  • lostwordslostwords Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    Plant some dragon teeth and all. I wish I could plant cow teeth and have a full cow come the morning.

    lostwords on
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  • lostwordslostwords Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    Callius wrote: »
    lostwords wrote: »
    I did a science experiment back in elementary school about how talking to plants and treating them like friends helped them grow. I think I ripped it off a Madelaine L'Engle book. It was kinda lame, all talking to the plant about my day, pretending it was all into what I was saying, while all bitter and seething inside. Kinda like most relationships I've ever been in, really.
    You said you liked being treated like a little bitch.

    I WAS DOING WHAT I THOUGHT WAS BEST FOR US!

    US??! It was always about your needs and your wang. Sinner.

    lostwords on
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  • WeaverWeaver Who are you? What do you want?Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    It's starting to warm up here so I'll need to start buying new topsoil & such soon. I think one of the bushes in our front yard is dead so that will be a bitch to pull up, and not sure what I want to put where it is yet. Also I think rachel is going to redo the flower bed.

    Weaver on
  • Wise_aWise_a Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    I actually have a good setup now for growing some Riesling vines. They grow well in colder climates (NJ), and I'm right by a lake which always provides for a nice breeze to keep things cool. I think I'll buy a couple of vines, and set them up in their own pots in my sunroom which gets a full day of sun, and see what I get. It'll be a fun (and possibly delicious) experiment.

    To the washington guys - you could always grow pinot noir or gamay or something thats known to grow well in Washington. They are used to cooler climates, and as long as you don't have anything blocking the sun (when its actually out) they should do just fine. Washington is getting well known for its world class pinot noirs.

    Wise_a on
  • CalliusCallius Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    lostwords wrote: »
    US??! It was always about your needs and your wang. Sinner.
    Well, yeah... I am more important than you.

    Callius on
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  • lostwordslostwords Registered User regular
    edited March 2007
    Callius wrote: »
    lostwords wrote: »
    US??! It was always about your needs and your wang. Sinner.
    Well, yeah... I am more important than you.

    :cry: Just once, I would like to be the dom. I'd even let you choose the safe word.

    lostwords on
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