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Posted: Feb/06/2006 3:06 AM PST
Hi gardeners, I'm really an elementary music teacher, but I have recently become interested in gardening in my itty-bitty yard (three feet by nine feet, half in the shade) in the outskirts of Tokyo. The yard has in it a persimmon tree (bears huge amounts), a loquat, a kumquat, a plum, a "karin" (oriental fruit which is inedible by itself but makes into a good cough medicine in honey), a small cherry tree. I'm interested in finding out what kind of vegetables I can grow (probably in containers on my veranda to get sun) and bushy fruits. I got to this site by searching for currants. I have also recently purchased two bonsai trees: a flowering plum (just now in bloom!) and a crabapple. Also just planted four very tiny blueberry bushes (well, sprigs). Our climate here is pretty much like the Pacific Northwest in the winter and very hot (around 90-95 F) and humid (99%) in the summer. We have a coolish rainy season from the beginning of June to mid-July. So what zone am I in? I will come back here as often as possible and read with great interest! cantate7, the new sprout on the block |
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Posted: Feb/06/2006 12:49 PM PST
A very warm welcome to you! When I think of Japan, the first thing I think of are of beautiful gardens. I can help with the blueberry bushes, and can offer some suggestions on the vegetables. I'm not really sure on the zone though.... See you around soon. Sass |
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Posted: Feb/06/2006 1:00 PM PST
Sorry I can't help but welcome to GG. I'm sure someone will come along soon with lots of advice. |
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Posted: Feb/06/2006 2:13 PM PST
Welcome to GG cantate 7....glad you found us and hope you pop in as often as possible - this is a great site for gardening information and other friendly gardeners from all over the world. If you click on the above tab "Garden Links" you will find 6 links for Bonsai Gardening. I am sure someone will have a zone map for your area of the world. |
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Posted: Feb/06/2006 3:59 PM PST
Welcome to GG Cantate. |
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Posted: Feb/06/2006 4:10 PM PST
Welcome to the Garden Guides site. We all love getting our hands dirty in the soil, messing about with plants and joking around. Insanity isn't a prerequisite for joining this site, but it sure helps. Sit down, relax and enjoy! |
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Posted: Feb/07/2006 2:25 AM PST
Hi all, Thanks for the welcome. Yes, I'm a little bit crazy just like anybody else out there (my other Yahoo groups will attest to that!) Today it's snowing, so my blossoming bonsai is inside. About blueberries, I have just planted 4 plants of two different types. One is a stalk about 18" tall and the others are only about 6". I've read that I should mulch with pine needles, but would other evergreens work? (Not, "would you work".) What do you use to mulch? More than anything else in my yard I have tons of persimmon leaves, but I have a feeling they would be too alkaline. Thanks, Cantate7 |
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Posted: Feb/07/2006 12:37 PM PST
Lucky me, I have my bushes just outside the stand of Pine trees in the yard. They like an acidic soil. I have used other types of evergreens, mostly from the waste of the hedges when they get trimmed, but since they soil around them is already acidic,I don't know how effective it is. You can also use shredded oak leaves, keep you bushes well mulch to retain water, but do not keep your bushesstanding in water, 1 to 2 inches of water a week at most, make sure the ground is fairly dry before you water again. Most bushes produce best in their 3rd-5th years. Hope this helps some. Sass |
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Posted: Feb/13/2006 4:05 PM PST
Welcome cantate7-----I think you'll find this site very informative and lots of fun. Don't think I can be of any help to you but there are plenty here that will. I'll be waiting to hear how your "evdevors" turn out. I'm a big fan of bonsai trees myself but have never been able to keep one alive. Perehaps you can help me out there!  Anyway---welcome---and enjoy! |
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Posted: Feb/13/2006 4:57 PM PST
Hi there Cantate7, I'll be dipped if I can find anything on growing zones for Japan. However, I know the growth zones for the US are based on minimum temperatures in the winter so I wonder if you couldn't take a temperature vs zone chart and figure out what zone you are in. If so here's a chart for the US. http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/ushzmap.html< /u> Of course minimum winter temps are just the beginning, you have to take into account rainfall, humidity, heat index and all of that good stuff too. Of course you could do like me and just dive in where angels fear to tread lol! Dora/Garden Goddess |
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