I “do computers” for a living too, and I’ve been trying my hand at gardening for years.
I’ve killed more green things than I care to remember. But, it’s sort of starting to click for me. I do a lot of container planting, particularly trees and shrubs. Some succulents.
It seems like a pastime that should yield to the scientific mind, but it doesn’t. You can’t break it down into rules for each plant because that way lies madness. Things grow. Their requirements change based on their current status, the weather conditions, their locations, their soils, whether they’re in containers.
It’s rewarding, but it’s a hobby where there’s simply no substitute for experience. Get crappy or no tomatoes for a couple years. Keep them in the sunniest spot you know, and some year from now, you’ll have it figured out.
Also, for fertilizer, Trunk recommends
Worm castings because they’re awesome and have a cool name.
And
Urine. I don’t know what part is fact and what part is fiction, but I know I like peeing in my watering can when my wife isn’t looking. And, that guy in The Worlds Fastest Indian does it.
The average warm day is much higher, and a cool day won’t matter. Plant them today and get the seeds started growing. The seeds can go into the outside soil for both, so long as it’s not really bad soil. You can cover the seeds with the potting soil if you like, you don’t need to. Really bad soil being almost pure sand or clay, and you can’t even manage sand burrs in the yard.
SlickRoenick,
I have killed hundreds of plants, some in a professional capacity. So really don’t feel bad! My mate likes to bring up the time that we took a tour of a famous botanical garden… I was pointing out all of the exotic plants that I had cared for (I worked in a greenhouse) and their names and characteristics. Someone asked me to identify a certain plant, and I replied that I had no idea what it was, but I had killed it before. True.
A little tomato murder pales in comparison.
It wasn’t a failure, it was an experiment with unexpected results.
Tomatoes are cheap and plentiful, you can always buy more.
Quite well as far as i can tell. Tomorrow i will take a picture of them. They are definately doing better outside than in the house. Still no fruit though, i feel like i should have added some Miracle Gro to speed things up. I’m not as patient as i thought with plants.
Back in March, I planted a whole bunch of cheap gladiola bulbs. They sprouted! They grew! It took them forever to flower.
I went to California for a week and a half, and my housemates never watered them. Some of them were a bit on the floppy side before, but now all my glads are having erectile dysfunction.
Generally, I water them once a day in the morning, because this is Texas and the same latitude as Hell, apparently. They are in full sun for at least eight hours a day. They are probably around three feet to three and a half feet in height, but many of them are completely prostrate.
I don’t even attempt glads anymore. I pulled them out last summer and put something else in. They are extremely sensitive to no water, and the flowers will have brown edges if they wilted once. You can tie a stick to the flower stalk if wilted and then water the plant. this way it will rehydrate as a straight stalk.
They look great. I’d expect them to start growing fast in the next couple weeks. They use a lot of water and nutrients, so I would use your liquid plant food once every couple weeks. You can also use a more diluted dose more often.
Are there four clumps in the second picture or only four plants? You may need to remove some with a scissors if those are clumps. They look like multiple ones are coming up at almost the same location. A few cut off at the base will help in the long run. You should plant individual plants no closer than four inches apart, and four to six plants in a hill. You’ll have to compromise because you don’t want to move them now. Thin those clumps to only three plants in each clump. Use the scissors.
Next year when you plant the vines, put them in a couple hills about 6 to 10 feet apart, The vines should grow toward each other and overlap. Plant twice the number of seeds in a hill that you want, and thin out keeping the best at the size you have now.
Yep, each clump has about 6 individual plants (seeds). I’m just wondering why i should snip them down? Is it b/c they fight for root space or something?
The tomato plant shriveled into string after the 2nd day. I thought he would make it b/c after the first day he was standing strong, what a disappointment he turned out to be.
Root competition and the vines all coming up right against each other can choke off all the plants. You’ll have smaller plants, than if they have the proper space. They will be more likely to get disease or pests when stressed by over crowding. Do what you like of coarse. It’s your garden not mine.
I have an update for everyone! Those things are growing like WHOA :eek: and i’m much indebted to those who gave me the advice. The largest is almost the size of a regulation bowling ball. I found, thru a jungle of big leaves and vines over a dozen smaller ones growing also.
I have another question about the watermelon plants too. Several locations along the vines there are these smaller, skinny corkscrew tendrils that grab everything and don’t let go easily. They are lighter in color and grab grass, mulch, other vines, everything! What are they and what do they do?
Share pictures! I’ve grown watermelon for years, and have only one sorry cannonball in the middle of 5 vines. Show me up.
The corkscrews are tendrils, and they are the vine’s method of getting a leg up on the competition. Tendrils allow the heavy vine to “float” above any leaf litter or competing vegetation and capture the most sunlight possible. Keeping thick, juicy leaves above the wet ground also prevents rot.
Plus, if you go outside and very carefully insert your pinky inside one of the tendrils, your melon vine will gently squeeze back.
(Okay, not really, but since you have babied your new plants, some sort of response would be rewarding, right?)
I know i want to another garden next year, but i need to consider things better. I didn’t know watermelons grow like weeds once they get going. And the location needs to be better since they are on the east side of the house they only get about 5 hours of sun during morning time. Perhaps it would be better too if i plant everything on more-level ground?
The plants look good. Don’t worry about the ground being level, they don’t care. You can make a ring of soil about 6 inches high, and a foot around the plants. Fill it with water, if watering is a problem.
) Will you be ready for a garden next year?