SC Botanical Garden near Clemson will be having a plant sale this Saturday, 9am-1pm. I am really tempted to check out their carnivorous/bog plant selection, but the 4 hour drive is a bit much...

4/5/2016 9:29:19 PM

Anyone have any experience with the Miracle Gro Organic Choice potting mix? I bought some today to put my pepper plants in containers and afterwards saw that it has horrible reviews online. Everyone was saying that theirs was infested with Fungus Gnats.

[Edited on April 10, 2016 at 7:43 PM. Reason : .]

4/10/2016 7:42:44 PM

did you already use it when you read the reviews?


If you didn't use it yet, but want to, here is some information on sterilizing potting mix. http://www.colostate.edu/Dept/CoopExt/4dmg/Soil/sterile.htm


If you already used it and don't want to repot, here are some IPM ideas for controlling fungus gnats. I think the nematodes and 'mosquito bits' are of particular interest. http://www.planetnatural.com/pest-problem-solver/houseplant-pests/fungus-gnat-control/


Honestly, the are more of a problem indoors than outdoors. I had a couple of plants with them inside this winter, and my ceiling had to be scrubbed in the room they were in (bathroom).

4/11/2016 10:56:22 AM

Yes I had already used it. Luckily they are outdoors. Will check this afternoon to see if I have any gnats flying around.

4/11/2016 11:10:51 AM

yeah fungus gnats are a bitch indoors or in a greenhouse. i'd imagine it's not as a big of a problem outside. but they really need to be treated early, before they are adults.

[Edited on April 11, 2016 at 11:56 AM. Reason : h]

4/11/2016 11:55:10 AM

Anyone have experience with turning regular garden soil into potting soil? What all did you add?

Found termites in some of my 7-12 gallon pots so I need a lot of potting soil (adding some 20 gallons too), and it seems like buying a couple yards of 50/50 soil/compost mix from my local garden center and adding stuff to it would be cheapest ($35/yard versus $120/yard for bagged).

Also any recommendations for tomatoes best suited to grow in 10-20 gallon containers?

4/17/2016 9:12:39 PM

Created two roughly quarter-circle planting beds at the intersection of the sidewalk and the walkway to our front door this weekend. One is done, the other is cleared/dug up but waiting until I buy more border material tomorrow. They're fairly small (4-5' on each side) but I think they'll look good. Just doing assorted perennial/annual flowers, along with some calla lily bulbs (apparently since they flower in summer, you can plant the bulbs until the end of April).

4/18/2016 3:16:03 AM

I think I'm finally going to transfer my tomatoes from the pots to the ground.

4/18/2016 12:56:25 PM

Finally moving into a house May 1st with a yard and sun after two years of apartment living and no space for gardening. Feel like I need to re-learn everything... no idea what I should be planting right now (though I'm pretty sure I'll have to go with young transplants, and could just go straight for warmer veggies?). Also, this is a nice house rental... will need to be doing container gardens probably. I've always TILLED DAT EARTH in the past, so will need to learn some pro-tips for container gardening.

4/18/2016 1:47:53 PM

I'm interviewing with a job that might bring me back to Raleigh. Anyone know of any apartments that have enough space for me to put my plants outside, or should I look at renting a small house with a yard?

4/19/2016 9:59:42 PM

Anyone have ideas for DIY tomato cages? Want something > 5 feet

Thinking fence/remesh + rebar ATM but looking for something better...

4/20/2016 12:16:58 AM

Do you guys have any suggestions for garden/potting mixes around here that might not be obvious? I've bought from Lowes/Home Depot, but wondered if it would be cheaper to buy from someone locally?

4/25/2016 10:17:12 PM

I got two yards of great 50% compost 50% soil mix from my nearby garden center (Norwood). Was $25/yard + $25 delivery, while bagged potting mix from Lowe's is more like $90/yard, and way crappier soil. Used the same stuff in my raised beds last year, and they claim it's just fine for containers too...looks light/airey enough for the job.

4/25/2016 11:03:32 PM

In general, I've found if you can find another provider other than Lowes/HD, it will probably be cheaper from there, especially for stuff in the garden area. Soil, mulch, plants, stones etc can all be found cheaper. Your local garden center is a good place to start.

4/26/2016 12:25:43 AM

our last frost date passed last week. so I got some maters and peppers and stuff and put them in my containers. then the weatherman was like 'psych! it's getting down to 2°C 3 days in a row. so now they are all in some pathetic tent. I hope I didn't waste my money

5/9/2016 2:39:13 PM

Put a lamp in the middle of that tent

5/9/2016 2:46:33 PM

I may, but unfortunately I don't have a nice utility light or anything. I left the tent on so it gets some residual heat for tonight.

5/9/2016 2:48:31 PM

All you need is a 60-100 watt bulb. But with that temp you will probably be ok with just a tarp.

5/9/2016 10:10:57 PM

I stuck a shitty lamp in there. no time to check it this AM. toes crossed.

5/10/2016 11:57:44 AM

Hopefully an incandescent bulb

5/10/2016 12:47:37 PM

I got all my raspberry and blackberry bushes planted yesterday only to come home today for lunch only to find 2 of them dug up and laying in the middle of the yard

I'm gonna kill that damn dog.

5/10/2016 3:43:19 PM

My gardens so far:

6/1/2016 9:01:13 AM

got my first zucchini last week. squash isn't far behind either.

6/1/2016 1:05:10 PM

Quote :

"I got all my raspberry and blackberry bushes planted yesterday only to come home today for lunch only to find 2 of them dug up and laying in the middle of the yard"

so tough

We planted a blackberry bush and something (I guess birds?) is eating the ones that are starting to ripen. Any suggestions on how to minimize that? Some sort of netting?

6/1/2016 1:09:32 PM

wow, panthersny, your garden looks great! I like how the tomato bed has seemingly enlarged itself without official approval I am curious... will you be monitoring your produce purchases as things mature? I'm interested in how self-sufficient your setup might be vs your inputs.

6/10/2016 12:59:44 PM

Green Jay, We are keeping track somewhat. We just donated a lot of lettuce and pakchoy this weekend to our foodbank (minus what we kept and gave to friends) as it was about to all bolt. I need to take some more pictures as the last 2 weeks have seen a nice spike in productivity.

6/13/2016 6:59:00 AM

goddamn blight!

7/5/2016 1:57:16 PM

^ Problems with that on my tomatoes this year.

7/6/2016 10:27:25 AM

After all this hot rain my tomato plants got hit with Septoria Leaf Spot pretty bad. Any idea on how to stop?

7/6/2016 11:24:09 AM

found some chilli pepper seeds in my freezer that were dated 2011 (or something like that). planted on a whim, but didn't expect anything. and while the germination rate wasn't great, it was pretty solid. and they're doing pretty well now. pleasantly surprised.

7/6/2016 6:15:43 PM

^^you must have seen this link by now... but it's pretty solid.

http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/help-for-the-home-gardener/advice-tips-resources/pests-and-problems/diseases/fungal-spots/septoria-leaf-spot-of-tomato.aspx

tldr; some of the article is directed towards multi-year strategies. To save these particular plants, remove the leaves that are showing signs of the fungus. Apply a fungicide and treat any pots or stakes as well. keep the leaves dry as much as you can. move pots apart or thin the plants by removing the worst-off ones so that they get more air. keep applying fungicide.


^cool. what variety? I'm not sure if you meant that you planted them early in the season or fairly lately. If your seedlings aren't flowering yet, you better plant them in containers so that you can protect them late in the season.


My garden is finally doing some stuff. I've harvested 4 small tomatoes, a green pepper, most of my crop of bok choy. I got some artichokes on a whim, which aren't doing squat, and tomatillos and incaberries, which seem to be doing pretty darn well in containers, compared to in soil last year. This year has been very dry and my tomatoes have had the pot dry out and fall over several times. it's created some damage that I haven't been able to discern from other diseases as of yet, but I bet I've got Fusarium again, because I can't avoid keeping my plants in the same area it has occurred before.





[Edited on July 7, 2016 at 5:09 PM. Reason : fuck it]

7/7/2016 5:03:06 PM

Quote :

"^cool. what variety? I'm not sure if you meant that you planted them early in the season or fairly lately. If your seedlings aren't flowering yet, you better plant them in containers so that you can protect them late in the season."

i believe they were cayennes. and i started the seeds indoors and planted them a while back. they've got a few peppers a couple inches long now. just happened to see this thread near the top and remembered that i meant to share post that a while back, haha.

as far as the rest of the garden goes...zucchini, squash, and cucumbers have been producing quite well. haven't gotten an cherry tomatoes or peppers yet, but am getting pretty close. okra is just beginning to come off for me.

[Edited on July 7, 2016 at 6:07 PM. Reason : c]

7/7/2016 6:05:49 PM

gettin' some stuff now... that's 7 lbs of tomatoes

7/28/2016 9:39:30 PM

I got compost from that place like 10 years ago. Was a lot cheaper than mulchmasters and whatever, but there were chunks of garbage bags in it and stuff, so be prepared to do some sorting. you just drive in with your truck, they load you, you pay by weight.

8/25/2016 5:19:43 PM

thanks, didn't see the 2016 thread.

8/30/2016 3:28:26 PM

i got cayenne peppers out the wazoo...gimme some ideas on what to do with them please thanks

8/30/2016 4:50:58 PM

Pepper Jelly

Dry, then crush for flakes or pulverize into powder

8/31/2016 7:57:48 AM

^yeah, definitely wanna try that.

8/31/2016 2:00:49 PM

Gonna plant my cool weather plants soon (collards, lettuces and kale)

8/31/2016 2:29:32 PM

1) Any recommendations for a full-sun, drought-tolerant, year-round ground covering?

2) Any recommendations on where to shop for landscape borders/stone (preferably in east Wake). The big box store selections don't thrill me. I need something that is stackable to accommodate raised beds/elevation changes.

9/6/2016 8:49:32 AM

junipers are a very easy ground cover that are low maintenance and evergreen. they take the full sun and are pretty cheap. there's tons of varieties out there...but for a true ground cover you can't go wrong with Blue Rug Juniper, Procumbens Nana Juniper, or Andorra Juniper.

verbena is not evergreen, but it's also a very easy (and flowering) ground cover that loves the full sun and is a perennial.

9/6/2016 10:26:56 AM

Where can I get various types of fruit/nut tree saplings suited for the Raleigh area?

9/6/2016 1:48:58 PM

the farmer's market is maybe the best place to try...not sure of prices up there, though. i wouldn't be too surprised if stuff was a bit overprice there...but i could certainly be wrong. i think McLamb Nursery has a booth up there and may carry it. they have quality stuff.

feel free to PM me...my family's business is a nursery so we can always try to locate stuff for you. [buy an ad, i know]

[Edited on September 6, 2016 at 2:15 PM. Reason : f]

9/6/2016 2:14:32 PM

^where yall's nursery at?

9/6/2016 2:27:14 PM

johnston county. about 25-30 minutes from State's campus.

9/6/2016 2:39:58 PM

^What's the name? I live out your way.

9/7/2016 9:44:37 AM

Smith's Nursery. Around McGee's Crossroads community

9/7/2016 11:38:40 AM

just picked what I suspect will be the final harvest from my garden. another 7-8 lbs of tomatoes and a few peppers and groundcherries. some tiny peppers are growing, but I doubt they will make it before frost.

9/14/2016 3:20:12 PM