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gardening stress relief

Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2023 12:55 am
by Anonymous FT Member
Anybody doing some gardening yet?

In my area it is time to graft apples and pears. Anybody do that?
I'd love to find a somewhat hardy citrus that could possibly withstand Ohio temperatures in a microclimate area.
There are so many plants I'd like to try. Anyway I find gardening and getting outdoors is great stress relief and helps me connect to nature but also helps me spiritually and my relationship with God. I've been enjoying videos of agricultural practices in Pakistan and also recreation. It's so neat. I can't understand the language but it feels as if I'm there with them. I'd love to visit, but sadly I don't think this is a good time to travel.

Re: gardening stress relief

Posted: Mon Mar 13, 2023 4:01 pm
by Martin6469
I find that getting outdoors and jogging is great stress relief. Muscle action releases an anti-anxiety hormone into the bloodstream. My usual jogging course around an athletic field could get a little boring, but the trees slowly changing over the year and the ever-changing clouds are always interesting. And keeping my wind up allows my wife to enjoy effortless banging. :D

Re: gardening stress relief

Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2023 8:15 am
by dg_moore
Any time my wife asks me to work in the yard my anxiety and blood pressure go up. I hate yard work with a burning passion, and now that I near 80 my ability to do heavy work is rapidly diminishing.

Re: gardening stress relief

Posted: Thu Mar 23, 2023 9:15 am
by Old Guy
I love to garden too. I was raised in a family that always grew vegetables in the summer. One aunt & uncle had a garden that was near a half-acre, plus they had fruit trees. Grandma had fruit trees and we had a huge grape vine in our yard.
We normally grow a garden every year, but this year we won't. I always set it up, till the ground, plant the starters, fence it off. Wife is the one who maintains it, but she is having a knee replacement this summer.
I'll just stay happy tending to the two apple trees that are now 6 years old and we have gotten just two apples so far. Year one an ice storm took them down to the ground, year two a late cold snap killed buds, year three ants ate the apples as soon as they grew, year four was the cicada invasion and they laid eggs in every apple, last year the apples still looked like cicada infested and the neighborhood squirrels ate them. I'd like a cherry tree but there isn't room for two more trees in our yard. As far as a citrus tree, I don't think there are any that would survive Ohio temps.

Re: gardening stress relief

Posted: Sat Mar 25, 2023 7:05 pm
by Anonymous FT Member
Old Guy wrote:I love to garden too. I was raised in a family that always grew vegetables in the summer. One aunt & uncle had a garden that was near a half-acre, plus they had fruit trees. Grandma had fruit trees and we had a huge grape vine in our yard.
We normally grow a garden every year, but this year we won't. I always set it up, till the ground, plant the starters, fence it off. Wife is the one who maintains it, but she is having a knee replacement this summer.
I'll just stay happy tending to the two apple trees that are now 6 years old and we have gotten just two apples so far. Year one an ice storm took them down to the ground, year two a late cold snap killed buds, year three ants ate the apples as soon as they grew, year four was the cicada invasion and they laid eggs in every apple, last year the apples still looked like cicada infested and the neighborhood squirrels ate them. I'd like a cherry tree but there isn't room for two more trees in our yard. As far as a citrus tree, I don't think there are any that would survive Ohio temps.


There are oftentimes local workshops about apple trees, grafting and caring for them. You could probably also find good advice on youtube. After everything that has happened to your trees, they could probably use some proper pruning. There's something people are calling a 'Prague Chimera' that is some kind of citrus that is allegedly hardy to zone 7 maybe 6b. I don't know much about it, but it definitely sounds like one to try in a colder climate. I just don't know where to get one. I'd also like to try growing euphrates poplar trees.