midnightpoet

Hey everyone...any gardeners here?

My mom and I have started trying to grow parsley, scallions, rosemary, and oregano...

the parsley, rosemary, and oregano were all plants we bought and transplanted, the scallions we're trying to grow from seeds.

It's been a week and a half since we got everything planted. The scallions haven't come through yet...the package says 7-14 days, so I'm not too worried until saturday to see if they come out.

The parsley is dying...

The rosemary and oregano have had no change...

can anyone give me tips?

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I'm no expert but, speaking from experience, the parsley is either too dry, too wet or the roots are compacked into the shape of the pot that they came from. If it's not a watering problem, lift it out of the soil ... if the roots still hold the pot shape, loosen them so they can get into the soil around them.
Rosemary is quite tough and, provided the roots don't need loosening, it will grow ... just give it time.

Baldur

ok here we go one by one

Parsley is a biennial and at best will last 2 years, for this reason I usually seed them myself directly in the garden each Spring. Never having bought them already started I can only speculate, but they are sensitive to transplanting. If they don't pull through (and it could just be trauma from transplanting) try seeds. All you really need to do is scuff up the surface of the soil with a rake and scatter the seeds on top. Keep them moist and you'll see sprouts in about 2 weeks. Generally I buy a couple packets of seeds and plant the first packet in 6" wide row. After those have sprouted I take the other packet and sprinkle them in the sparse areas between the first seeds. Then it grows into a nice dense row.
Knowing that last year's parsley will bolt and send out seed stalks this summer I seeded more plants in between again this year.

Rosemary is not a very hardy plant and in New England it needs extra pampering. It needs a Mediterranean climate. That being said it's going to sit there unchanging until you start getting very warm sunny days. Then you'll see a sudden geowth spurt.
There are varieties that are slightly more hardy than others and with protection might live through a winter in southern New England (mine survived 1 winter) but up in New Hampshire it's just not going to live outdoors year-round. When the weather starts getting close to frost you will need to pot up the Rosemary and bring her inside.

Scallions will take a couple weeks to sprout, don't worry about them.
They are rather tough.

Oregano hates me. I plant it every year and it never survives the winter.
I have friends who are not gardeners who have it overgrowing their yards like kudzu vine but as for Baldur it doesn't work for me.
Like Rosemary it loves warm sunny weather, but it should be quite hardy and make it through the winter easily. It's probably still quite cool up where you are, give it all time.

Dragon

I actually have a question too. My father has a very green thumb, my mother has a very black thumb, I fell somewhere in between.
I was recently given a pot of Basil, just barely sprouted and I really want to keep it alive. I'm planning on keeping them in the house (as I live in a condo and have no garden). So far they're about 1.5" tall, I've been keeping them covered with Saranwrap to keep the moisture in and the cats out. I'm unsure of how often I should be watering, if they should be kept moist or what. Any tips?

Baldur

I would be afraid that the basil might rot from that much humidity Dragon.
Most plants benefit from the soil drying out at least briefly between watering

midnightpoet

wow, baldur! thanks for the great info!!

Dragon

I'm considering how to put a bit of a cage around them to keep the cats out. At the moment the Saranwrap is just sort of laying over the top, not sealed so they do get some air but perhaps I should pull it back on the side more.

lilalee

I have a question about roses. I have two knock-out rose bushes, and last year the Japanese Beatles got to them. I did use a powder, that kind of worked, but would rather not use a chemical. Someone told me to bury banana peels around the bushes, and also lay peels around the bushes. Has anyone tried this, or know of another simple solution?

midnightpoet

My scallions have sprouted!!!!

Parsley's still not doing well...

Rosemary & Oregano, no change.

But the scallions are growing quite nicely now, and I'm very excited.

matthew

My grandma used to do that lilalee... Don't know if it works, but grandma's didn't do things because they don't work...

ZeroMerc

i have also heard of using hedge apples to ward off little critters

Baldur

Banana peels make an excellent fertilizer for rosebushes, which require potassium but I'd never heard of them being used for Japanese Beetles.
Japanese Beetles are the adult form of lawn grubs. If you solve the lawn grub problem thje beetle problem is reduced.
I tend to drown them. Keep a bucket or can half filled with water to which you've added a couple drops of dish detergent nearby .
Brush the beetles into the water whenever you see them. The dish detergent reduces the surface tension of the water and the beetles will be unable to swim or float. They will drown.
When the bucket o' carnage gets gross just dump it out , (making sure you are not releasing live critters first) there are no toxic chemicals in it to harm the soil

Baldur

-j

lilalee

Well I have heard of using dish soap on the lawn and plants. But, I did not know the adult beetle was the adult form of the grub. A friend told me about the banana peel, but also read the beetles lay larva in the dirt around the bush. I'll try anything! Roses are fairly new to me. We have four walnut trees in the back, but they spit everywhere, and the acid causes stunting on most plants Thank you Baldur!

Baldur

the banana peels will certainly not hurt the roses so try it

Baldur

read this lilalee

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_beetles

lilalee

Interesting! I'll look further on the internet, instead of these old books I have. You have been helpful! And I thank you. I was shocked, really finding out, they are grubs!

matthew

Nice to know that I have something in common with a japanese beetle...

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I heard something on Radio Baldur today ... it was about the local fauna unravelling the duct tape on the transmitting antenna. I have a similar problem but I don't know how to fix it. The local fauna are tearing the choir liners in my hanging baskets to shreds, in order to line their nests. Does anyone have any tips on how to keep them away from the baskets (without harming the little creatures)?

Qsilv

Offer them an easier supply, wrapped around the OUTSIDE of the baskets.
Yeah you'll have to keep replenishing it all season.
Yeah it's like paying 'protection money'... lol