It's August and time for the 'toothpick' technique
nandina
17 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (47)
little_dani
17 years agowilderness1989
17 years agoRelated Discussions
Need Germination Tips for Okla. August
Comments (5)Ilene, It can be very hard to get good seed germination in hot and dry weather, and windy weather just compounds the problems. Before I put anything in a raised bed, whether it is seed being sown directly into the soil or seedlings being transplanted, I water first with a soaker hose to get the soil good and moist down to a depth of about 6". Then I plant, then I water again. Like Carol, I have found soaker hoses to be very effective at keeping young seeds/seedlings moist. In the hot weather, you do have to water twice a day and maybe water lightly 3 or 4 times a day if it is very windy to keep the soil moist enough to induce seed germination. I often use old sheets to shade my seedlings from about noon on for their first few days because a full day of sun can be hard on them. It helps, but sometimes they wilt anyway especially when it is very hot and very windy. I pre-soak and pre-sprout when I can and that helps too. If the first soaking was a deep soaking, all you have to do after that is keep the area around the seed moist so the seed will germinate. When tiny seed are in the ground, I use a soaker hose with tiny holes or a watering can or a watering wand that emits a very fine mist so I don't wash the seeds away or wash them too deeply into the soil to sprout. Some things I cover with boards or heavy cardboard to keep the soil moist too. This is especially helpful with tiny seeds like carrot seeds. If soil is hard and compacted despite being moist, I'd make a furrow, plant the seeds in the furrow and lay a thin layer of compost over the seeds instead of using garden soil. Compost doesn't crust over and get hard like some soils do so the seeds can break through the surface more easily. Because our August temps tend to be in the upper 90s to low 100s during the time I am trying to put in a fall garden, I tend to pre-soak, pre-sprout or start seeds inside in cups instead of direct sowing and that improves my germination rates. If I sow the seeds inside in paper cups, I move the flat outside the very minute most of the seeds have sprouted. I figure the sooner they get used to full sun, the better. I will try to let them spend the first couple of days in a location sheltered from wind and I move them to shade if they are starting to look wilty. Seedllings sown in cups go into the ground around 1-2 weeks of age since they grow so rapidly (if well-watered) in the hot weather. The only exception is cold-season crops like broccoli, cabbage, etc. I start them inside and keep them inside until they are 4-6 weeks old, then harden them off and transplant them in Sept.'s cooler weather. I want those particular crops larger when they go into the ground so they'll take off running and grow and produce quickly. Getting seeds sprouted and transplants into the ground successfully is the hardest part of fall gardening. Once it all is in the ground and growing, the fall garden is usually a breeze with lots less disease and insect issues. Like Dorothy said, all we have to do from that point on is hope the weather cooperates. Dawn...See MoreIs August a good time to take cuttings?
Comments (9)Taking cuttings is somewhat depended on the need/looks of a plant and the objectives of the gardener, and the success of propagation is also somewhat related to the cycle of time to prune a plant. There are different pruning cycles for different plants. For example, I take large cuttings from Butterfly Bush, roses, and Gardenia mostly in early and late Spring when they have to be pruned. However, more cuttings can also be taken as needed or in the late summer and fall again for roses. It has been written that rooting roses is easy, but I have had little success propagating roses (multiple tries at different times with different varieties) and only had a few successes from cuttings taken from fall pruning. Gardenias shouldn't be pruned after July (I pruned veitchii only immediately after blooming and don't prune them by late May - June) when they w'd be growing shoots and buds for the following spring....See MoreAugust Redwork Class - Lesson One
Comments (21)Hi Yvonne, I'm not sure I follow exactly, but you can carry the thread over to where you want to be, just take it down behind the piece and then bring it up on the other wing and start sewing at the beginning of the line, coming out right next to where the wing meets the butterfly's body. The sewing doesn't have to be one continous line throughout the piece. You will probably need to carry over to stitch on the antenae. This is where the layer of batting really helps, as it will hide your carryover threads. If you are doing a larger piece, rather than carrying over, you can just finish the thread and knot/tuck under and start sewing in a different place. Let me know how you do! --Amy...See MoreIt's intro time!
Comments (27)Hello Everyone Yall's homes and furbabies are soo wonderful it is soo nice to meet you all. My name is RaNae I'll be 42 this year and live with my wonderful DH Doug we have been together since 1983- cosmically we were spose to be together- both born in same small town hospital 3 years apart- same ob, same lady signed our birth certificates- he grew up there we moved away by about 40 minutes when I was 3 months old....Jump to August 1, 1983 we both started working at Aeolian American (the last handmade piano factory in the US that closed in 85) in the small town where I grew up- He was in structural maitenance of the factory and machines I worked on the pianos- one day while I was working I saw him greasing a drill near my station and I thought to myself- gosh he's kinda cute- he has amazing eyes- shoot what a smile- I can see myself going out with him- heck I can see myself married to him... that was in OCT we met Christmas Eve Day that year 1983 I was 18 he had just turned 22 We started dating the folowing March of 84 and have been together ever since- LOVE at First sight does happen- he is sooo wonderful and honorable and committed- he helped care for my dying Father in our home for over a year when we were just 25 and 28 I have helped him through a Total Hip Replacement due to a childhood virus and manage our home and keep him on schedule. We have 2 wonderful furbabies- always have furbabies in the house lol. A year ago today we closed on our new house in Texas- because of my dh's transfer luckily our old house sold in 3 days(in a slowww OK market)and we were in our new home 31 days later- we had been on scouting trips previously thank God and our home although it is new construction- met our criterias of location, building practices- i.e. windows flashed- huricane straps- floor plan and smaller size and smaller lot and $$. Idealy we'd like to be in a condo in down town Fort Worth- Great City or in a true Cottage down there but this is great too. My hobbies include- crochet (made my first afghan at 5yo what a sight it was lol), cross stitch, just getting into needlepoint, painting, trash to treasure, I like mosaic although I have only done 1 so far, drawing, my sewing is improving- self taught by eye don't know how to work a pattern but my friend Jay Bird is gonna teach me that, and I enjoy making lamp shades and changing lamp shades and enhancing lamp shades lol. I'd die if I couldn't express myself creatively. I am a novice cottage gardner also. I have a cosmetology license and have worked retail and in different capacities in the dog world- i.e. kennels and groom shops. I love and collect sheep btw and hope to have a hobby flock in retirement. We have also been to Hawaii 3 times and love the Water- we used to live in Lower Alabama Daphne/Mobile area and would move back there or to Hawaii in a heart beat if my DH could work there. We also love back home the beautiful Finger Lakes Region of Upstate NY. Shoot I"ve had too much coffee and am rambling- imagine if we were in person you would'nt get a word in edge wise LOL RaNae...See Morephyl345
17 years agomollymaples
17 years agonandina
17 years agoangelady777 (Angela) - Zone 6
15 years agodavemichigan
15 years agoontheteam
14 years agostuckinthedirt
13 years agoCarol love_the_yard (Zone 9A Jacksonville, FL)
10 years agopippi21
10 years agodhd47
9 years agolittle_dani
8 years agoVohn
8 years agogardener365
6 years agohans4710
6 years agogardener365
6 years agonandina
6 years agogardener365
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agoerasmus_gw
6 years agoerasmus_gw
6 years agoalbert_135 39.17°N 119.76°W 4695ft.
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agonandina
6 years agoerasmus_gw
6 years agopoaky1
6 years agopoaky1
6 years agogardener365
6 years agokamereone
6 years agogardener365
6 years agogardener365
6 years agoNHBabs z4b-5a NH
6 years agosam_md
6 years agoNHBabs z4b-5a NH
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agosam_md
6 years agoerasmus_gw
6 years agogardener365
3 years agogardener365
3 years agogardener365
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agokathy Schurdevin
last yearforever_a_newbie_VA8
last year
Related Stories
BASEMENTSDesign Workshop: Is It Time to Let Basements Become Extinct?
Costly and often unnecessary, basements may become obsolete — if they aren’t already. Here are responses to every reason to keep them around
Full StoryARCHITECTUREDesign Workshop: Kinetic Architecture
Industrial techniques achieve the sublime in these 5 examples of mechanical walls that move
Full StoryPLANTING IDEASWant a More Colorful, Natural Garden? Try a Perennial Meadow
Spend less time tending and more time taking in the sights by improving on Victorian and prairie garden designs
Full StoryGARDENING GUIDESTidy Up Sprawling Native Shrubs With These Pruning Tips
Sound horticultural pruning methods work for native and nonnative plants alike
Full StoryEDIBLE GARDENSHow to Grow 10 Favorite Fruit Trees at Home
Plant a mini orchard in fall, winter or early spring to enjoy fresh-off-the-tree fruit the following year
Full StoryPRODUCT PICKSGuest Picks: Colorful Patterned Area Rugs for All Tastes
From subtly sophisticated to downright swirltastic, these area rugs will please the eye while cushioning the feet
Full StoryHOUZZ TOURSMy Houzz: Arts and Crafts Inspires a Midcentury Home
Antiques and modern touches combine seamlessly in a personalized remodel for a Dallas couple
Full StoryGARDENING GUIDESGarden Myths to Debunk as You Dig This Fall and Rest Over Winter
Termites hate wood mulch, don’t amend soil for trees, avoid gravel in planters — and more nuggets of garden wisdom
Full StoryHOUSEKEEPINGTo-Dos: Your July Home Checklist
Get your safety and housekeeping ducks in a row so you can splash into carefree summer fun
Full StoryMOVING5 Risks in Buying a Short-Sale Home — and How to Handle Them
Don’t let the lure of a great deal blind you to the hidden costs and issues in snagging a short-sale property
Full StorySponsored
More Discussions
Carol love_the_yard (Zone 9A Jacksonville, FL)