douplicate entry...

I have been looking for something and didn't think of my most valuable resource. @Gita mentioned fertilizing roses as the forsythia blooms.
There is a whole paper on when to do different gardening chores based on when the forsythia blooms. The forsythia blooms when the ground temps are right not by the amount of light.

For anybody who is interested, I'm trying to journal my daily yardening activities in my blog now that I'm retired. I got off to a good start last week, spoiled by the warm temperatures, but it isn't as easy or pleasant getting out there when it is cold. I didn't even try with the really gusty winds on Thursday. I did try for a little bit yesterday but still way too cold for me and I gave up. I went for my early morning walk in the woods this morning, still cold...

https://garden.org/blogs/view/...

nice blog!
Even blogging when you can't garden, is garden blog ging

aspenhill said:For anybody who is interested, I'm trying to journal my daily yardening activities in my blog now that I'm retired. I got off to a good start last week, spoiled by the warm temperatures, but it isn't as easy or pleasant getting out there when it is cold. I didn't even try with the really gusty winds on Thursday. I did try for a little bit yesterday but still way too cold for me and I gave up. I went for my early morning walk in the woods this morning, still cold...

https://garden.org/blogs/view/...

Read parts of your garden journal just now. Good stuff. I'm briefer.
I think you might want to consider metal plant stakes with dymo labels. They last way longer. Use the plastic labels inside. And they will last years too. More expensive to start, but worth it overall.

I have labels made from vinyl blind slats and clear plastic Avery laser labels that are close to 10 years old and still just as readable. Terri and I both have found that metal stakes of all types snag hoses, rakes, etc, are crushed/permanently bent by traffic, and unless color coated, visually intrusive. I have have hundreds of zinc plated markers with 12" double wires if anyone is interested.

I like the zinc markers (with Avery clear laser labels), but they do get trampled and yanked out a lot more than I thought they would... on the fence now about whether they are worth the effort & expense. I have been trying to stay with burying white vinyl blind slat markers with new plants -- I leave a tiny bit peeking out and then after it survives one or two winters I put in the metal marker. (I got tired of excitedly marking all my new plants and losing half of them the first year LOL. Now they have to "earn" their fancy labels.) The buried markers are useful because they definitely stay with the plant, and when I dig to move or divide something, I can find the information even if the above-ground tag has gone missing.

I really like David's idea about using hunter green colored vinyl blind slats for markers!

Here is what one looks like. I now use a punch to make holes in the lower end. Soil becomes indurated in the gaps and helps anchor the markers.

Indurated= our vocabulary word for the day

Sorry - in soil science, and geology in general, a term usage referring to the natural processes where particles become compacted together over time, forming a hardened, more or less solid continuum from loose, un-consolidated material.

Don't be sorry, David. That meaning is generally what I intuited- or maybe that one last brain cell from Soils 101 in about 1979 actually fired up.
When you know one word that means exactly what you want to say

Gita gave me some labels that she cut out of vinyl blinds, and they have been working great. Very durable with writings from permanent markers from Jill. The only problem is that I am not in a habit of using them...

Aldi Heads Up...


I have a number of these (ok, 7 or 8). I use them for staging, growing, etc. Right now, I have two of them set up in my bedroom with lights for my orchids and Christmas cactus.

They''re easy to put together and last quite a while. I have two sets that are outside for their 3rd season now. The covers didn't survive the freezing temps last year. but shelves are holding up nicely. During the growing season, I have three of them together in the shade for things like hosta and fern staging. It makes a nice 'wall'. The others are in the sun for things that require more light.

I for one find it very stimulating when David stirs my grey matter.

greenthumb99 said:Sorry - in soil science, and geology in general, a term usage referring to the natural processes where particles become compacted together over time, forming a hardened
, more or less solid continuum from loose, un-consolidated material.

Sort of what happens when using a weed fabric

RickM, I saw those in the Aldi ad, glad to know that they are worth the price, I think I will pick up one or two.

Here's a set of 3 that I had set up last year. Two are still standing and the third was moved inside to hold stuff.


Each shelf holds 2 flats. If the pic above, you'll see it holding a dozen gallon pots per shelf. If I take them out of the trays, I can probably get 14 gallon-sized pots on a shelf.

I intuited it, too. YAY!!!
Did you ever do the "It Pays to Increase Your Word Power" in the Reader's Digest? I was in 7th grade when I got in to doing that. I enjoyed trying to figure out the correct meaning.

Those structures look great for growing and organizing plants

I was hooked on that too Jan. It's one of the things I miss about having cut many of our subscriptions. We just weren't getting everything read since the advent of the net.

Slowly very slowly I am getting back in the gardening swing. Went out a week or so ago and cleaning up the Lamppost bed it is full of bulbs. Then few days ago wacked back one of the BB. Then earlier today did some winter weeding. Small jobs but very satisfying