☼ajtgirl☼: We had a problem with bamboo and were able to get rid of it using a product called woody weed killer. Don't know if you have that in the states but it sure takes the hard work out of getting rid of bamboo.

skipinnz:

We have some brush killer we could use but I am reluctant
Is your woody weed killer safe for the water table and surrounding plants?
It doesn't really matter in this case because we had to stomp all over the peonies and creeping phlox and bulbs to get this stuff out.
I have to replant the entire area anyway but how long would it take for a weed killer to kill the weed and still allow new plantings to survive.  I know I didn't get it all

☼ajtgirl☼:I'm not sure on the chemicals in it but it, causes the roots to rot. We cleared the area and i think replanted a couple of months later.
I'll have a hunt around and find out who makes it and what it's active ingredients are

ajtgirl, just looked it up on the net and it's still active in the soil for 6 months. So guess it's not what you're after sorry.

Has anyone ever heard about this 'perfect tomato trick'?

To grow near perfect tomatoes you place powdered milk in the hole prior to dropping in the tomato plant. If you grow them with seeds, wait until the tomatoes begin to appear and then push a stick around the plant to create a few holes and then drop powdered milk into the holes. I have been told that something in the powdered milk (the calcium I am assuming) helps the skin of the tomato to grow nearly perfect (also grows redder!?!?).

I don't know if this is true, and can't find much help about it elsewhere, hoping one of you can help.

Thanks!

Phil (rednaz23)

rednaz23: LIME.....that is the secret ingredient here.....the proliferate in great numbers after being "zapped" with lime :)

never heard of powdered milk tho ?????

☼ajtgirl☼: I've got some bamboo growing in water,anything special do they need?

rednaz23: Now thats one i never heard of except feeding pumpkins milk.

has arrived at last here in CNY.We hit 70 yesterday and 75 today.Just about all the white is gone yippie.Yard sure is muddy tho.

Foxy Lady:
Are you talking about those cute little lucky bamboo house plants?
They don't need much at all
A little food now and then and lots of water
What I was talking about earlier was some variety of woody bamboo which is prolific and spreads better than any screen I have ever seen.  But you can't plant it near buildings.  You'll have big trouble.

Rednaz23: There may be something in powdered milk which affects the ph or the potassium or the nitrogen in the soil
I don't think calcium would help tomatoes. They're not bones!  LOL

It's an interesting idea
I'll check it out

☼ajtgirl☼: Yes the houseplants is what i meant.

is here my daffys are opened and trees are budding.

is here LOLOL and everything is growing perfectly HAHAHAHA.....

got tomatoes - 4 types...capsicums - 2 types zucchini, sweetpotatoes, herbs coming out my ears LOL, am planting silver beet, cukes and have bananas and muscat grapes coming on nicely :)

BerniceC: Wow thats great,we can't even till here yet.Its too wet yet to do anything until the end of May.

finally hit CentralNY our temps have climbed into the low 80's.We got our garden tilled ,compost added and ready to plant.Our nights are still cool so just beans,peas we'll put in now.Tomatoes,Zuccs and etc around the end of May.

Foxy Lady: I planted 2 tomato plants this year. Hopefully, the weather wont be a bad here in Texas as last year.

LOL, it feels like summer hit North Texas!

Eriisa: I can't wait to go out in the garden and pick fresh veggies.

Foxy Lady: I am picking tomatoes, capsicum and as much herbs as you wish LOL

yesterday had the biggest feed of MUSCAT grapes...this is the best crop I have ever had...have zucchini with heaps of flowers on just hope the bees do their job and fertilize them. Have bananas just about ready to pick and my paw paw trees are bearing a small amount of fruit and hopefully that will change.

Bernice: You make my mouth water for fresh tomatoes.My grapevines are just starting to bud.My blueberry bush is doing better this year so far ,it really picked up.Usually the birds get my grapes tho.

A flower garden on your PC Screen:

http://www.procreo.jp/labo/flower_garden.swf

Just click where you want a flower - or hold down the mouse button and move your mouse. It kept me amused for about 15 seconds!

coan.net: it is even better if you hold down your mouse and drag it around....you get a wonderful garden :)

coan.net: Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhh thats kewl and NO weeds.

our temps have dropped to 49F.Whats with the weather?

Foxy Lady: It has gone chilly here too, but i dont care i go on holiday on Tuesday

Oceans Apart: We had to turn the heat back on.Have fun on your trip.

Foxy Lady: That is exactly what i have jsut gone and done, dont know about you, but i really feel the cold.

Oceans Apart: and here I am turning the aircon on and fans going everywhere...ROFL

Bernice:

Oceans Apart: hehehe

check this out....Im growing 4 kinds....

Father Tom
Green Zebra
Tigerella and Tommy Toe....and no the tigerella dont look like Tigger hahahaha

http://www.tomato.com.au/pages/varieties.html

I have just put in 2xsingle plants of a really big tomatoe...they arent on that web page :(

Bernice: Well when it warms up we'll be doing some planting.I love the Roma's and the cherry tomatoes are good size for Laci.

finally were getting some warm days.We plan on putting in our plants this weekend which is about right for my area.Anybody else doing any gardening this week-end?

Foxy Lady: I have had such an abundance of rosella fruit that I advertised them for $8 per kilo = 2.2lbs and in the last 3 days have made just under $200....I have a lady down the garden now picking the last of the fruit and I have about 200 rosella plants growning which I will sell for $2.50 each. I also have about 30-40 pawpaw (papaya) plants which Im selling....also for $2.50 each.

Im putting the money earned from my little venture into a money box for Bear my dog...that will pay for his grooming and vetinary injections etc... LOLOL

well all rosellas have gone and also she picked up 2 paw paw plants...total of $20... Im feeling like a primary producer hahahaha...that is what we call gardeners (in bulk quantities) over here hahahaha

Today went and bought myself an upright freezer for downstairs....I have so much fruit and similar to freeze like mango and bananas that it is worth it to buy a freezer. The freezer I have is called a chest freezer and with noshelves or dividers etc everything gets all mixed up....so a new one is here ...or will be tomorrow.....LOL

Bernice: how do you preserve your bananas?

just freeze them. (in their skins)...they are only good for cooking once frozen as they go a bit mushy....but great for muffins or banana cake :)

edited to add "skins"

Bernice: thanks :) baked goods with bananas are yummmmmmie 

Bernice: Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm you could use the money to bid on the laptop.

Foxy Lady: hahahaha....I wouldnt take the glory away from ------- HAHAHAHA....I hope he gets stuck with it LOLOL

Bernice: My sister lives in Florida and has the glory of picking fresh fruit like babanas,oranges lemons and limes.She also has pecan trees that she sends me for baking.Not the trees just the pecans.Mangos are another fav.of mine from there.

Foxy Lady: when I loaded up my new freezer yesterday I didnt realize that I also had 10 trays of mangos, which I had sliced the cheeks off and frozen them...
A nice way of eating them is as follows.

take a square of puff pastry and lay a mango cheek on it and place on a tray and bake at 200degC until pastry is all puffy....about 15-20 minutes...serve with fresh whipped cream or ice cream or even both ROFLMBO......

Bernice: ooo that sounds good!

ok, I think I remember reading about this a couple of years ago and I'm just too dang lazy to try and look back.

My roses have the leaves getting big black splotches and turning yellow and then all falling off. At one point, one bush has NO leaves left, although they do seem to be growing back.

Any easy solutions or home remedies for them?

Eriisa: keep the water away from the leaves.....sounds like black spot to me...pick all the diseased leaves off and burn them or take them away from your garden.....DO NOT leave them lying around.

Bernice: Oh that sounds so good.

Well our temps went from in the 80's and 90's to a cool 60's.Right now its 42 F thanks to Barry coming up the coast.We covered our plants just in case.
ajtgirl how are your temps running?

I managed to cut the grass today, it was like a jungle out there! I have some beautiful roses out.

3-4 days ago it was 30-34 degC here (about 90degF) and the weather was beautiful....now in the last few days we have had some much needed rain and yesterday it never got above 20degC (70degF)...im freezing my fingers off LOL

Bernice: OMG what I wouldnt do for 70F every day.. We have had 70 once in the last month.. Its been a cool start to summer here this year

Rose: that is cold for us...we dont get down too far in the winter and if it does it only lasts for a couple days....the sun is out today but the winds are cutting and darn cold :(
Im freezing my butt here LOLOL