The Garden Thread

[I40Bandit]

1 hour ago, Omega said:

Wow, can you send me some seeds for those hollow points?

 

24 minutes ago, Ronald_55 said:

Are those heirloom hollow points?

Wouldn't that be nice? Winchester SXT's and Speer LE Gold Dot's, fresh every morning. My Dillon 550B is about as close as I can get to a bush that produces them.

[xsubsailor]

And when exposed to extreme heat they turn into these beautiful little flowers 

 

[I40Bandit]

A little update on those cukes and the trellis. If you do something like I did, put it on the south side of the bed if you can. Because there was another bed in close proximity on the south side of my cukes I had to go north with it (don't want to shade the other bed if the cukes go that far). The plants, of course, will grow towards the sun. Meaning they will tend to lean south. I have to train them (pull 'em back carefully) to the trellis (extra time out there every few days). Had I been able to go the other way they would simply fall on the trellis when they reach too high (unsupported). Otherwise it's working out well.

[peejman]

Our garden is kinda meh so far.

The yellow squash just rolled over and died before making any fruit.

The zucchini made some fruit before the stink bugs got it.

The rabbits ate the okra to the ground.

Cucumbers are hanging on, but definitely not thriving.

Tomatoes are ok, got a few with black spot and the birds keep pecking holes in them. 

That giant volunteer vine turned out to be a white pumpkin. Got 2 gourds and the vine appears to be dying. Maybe I'll get a summer pumpkin pie. 

[bersaguy]

6 hours ago, peejman said:

Our garden is kinda meh so far.

The yellow squash just rolled over and died before making any fruit.

The zucchini made some fruit before the stink bugs got it.

The rabbits ate the okra to the ground.

Cucumbers are hanging on, but definitely not thriving.

Tomatoes are ok, got a few with black spot and the birds keep pecking holes in them. 

That giant volunteer vine turned out to be a white pumpkin. Got 2 gourds and the vine appears to be dying. Maybe I'll get a summer pumpkin pie. 

I know several folks that have gardens doing about what yours is doing and these guys normally have great gardens. They say that the weather is so screwed up that you don't know whether to water or not water. The weather people will call for rain and it does not rain and when they don't call for rain and they water, it wil rain a flood on their gardens. A couple of them are looking at investing in large round type green houses for next year to put their gardens in and that way they will be more in control of what the weather does on their gardens. They said it is either feast or famon with them this year. Oh yea, I heard it was 96 degrees in Alaska yesterday and news media here showed a moose that figured out how to stay cool. It was laying under a shade tree in someones front yard and the people had sprinkler type hoses spraying their yard and the moose was laying right where the sprinklers would spray water on it.

Hope this works:

https://nypost.com/video/moose-beats-the-heat-with-homeowners-sprinkler/

 

[owejia]

Who in their right mind waters their yard? Just creates more useless work for themselves or have to  pay for some one to cut the grass. Tomatoes, cukes thriving, bell peppers coming on. Grass took over my okra and purple hull pea patch, will have to bush hog it down. Blue berries ripening now, squirrels will get my peaches as soon as they start to get ripe. Have found the local farmers market to be more efficient for sweet corn than growing it myself. 

[Jamie Jackson]

Looking Great @I40Bandit! Thanks for the photos! Solid tips as well!

I had to cut my darn crazy cukes down! I worked a 3 day stretch of 12 hrs (read 13-14 hrs) shifts and over that essentially 4 day period they covered my 16 foot panel and tried to choke out my tomato plants! Viscous little bastids!   er big, growing madly bastids!  I'd rather have tomatoes than cukes anyway, at least until I plagiarize Bandit's trellis idea. 

We just got back from 4 days in deepest, hottest and most humid South MS... 99 to 101 degrees with 91% humidity and essentially no cell and absolutely no internet service...so it was nice of everyone to wait until I returned to post to the garden thread LOL

Well, in my absence the birds have thoroughly enjoyed about a dozen of my nice ripe tomatoes. But the plants are producing nicely and the peppers are really doing well. I have a whole day off tomorrow so I'll be canning more peppers and enjoying another tomato sandwich. Those tomato sandwiches are my favorite  "thing" about summer gardens.

 

@peejman...Rabbits love gardens even more than we do. They especially love tender young okra and tender young green beans... hence the prison camp-like fencing of my garden! Been there and done that and I hate it for you Sir!

[gregintenn]

We picked our sweet corn last night, before the coons ate all of it. We're putting it up now. BUNCH of friggin' corn!

I've killed 4 coons, one possum, and lost count of the crows, but haven't put a dent in them. I hate coons.

Maybe one day I'll have enough foresight to not plant it all the same day.

 

[gregintenn]

25 quarts and 2 dozen on the cob. That’ll do us for a year or two.

[peejman]

2 hours ago, gregintenn said:

25 quarts and 2 dozen on the cob. That’ll do us for a year or two.

6 gallons of corn in a jar. Yep, I'd say that'll do.   

[gregintenn]

On 7/13/2019 at 7:59 PM, peejman said:

6 gallons of corn in a jar. Yep, I'd say that'll do.   

Since we currently don't own a still, it was blanched, bagged, and frozen. I'm told that canned sweet corn isn't very good.

[Ronald_55]

40 minutes ago, gregintenn said:

Since we currently don't own a still, it was blanched, bagged, and frozen. I'm told that canned sweet corn isn't very good.

You could pickle it like my Father-in-laws family. Of course, then it is not worth eating though. Lol

[Jamie Jackson]

Damn birds! Man! They sure love ripe tomatoes! 

But...I finally put up some netting and foiled their nefarious plot! At least for now.

We've canned approximately 20 quarts (equivalent) of peppers... some in pints (sliced) and some in 1/2 pints (sliced), the quarts were whole. I've shared several quarts with friends so far. The peppers are still producing well, so I think I may just freeze and vac seal them. 

 

[Ronald_55]

Wife is gonna make a roast so I dug a few hills. Not bad for tossing some sprouting new potatoes in the ground and watering them a few times. Still got 5 hills out there. Hard to see size, but the largest are about twice thee size if a ping pong ball. 

Anyone ever dug the whole plant, carefully harvested and replanted to get a second harvest? Gonna try to see if anything happens. Nothing lost trying.

 

[ReeferMac]

I've been having a lot of luck with taters in my garden since moving here. Get 3 crops per year by staggering the planting. Last one I plant in the fall and just leave in the ground until I need them (dig them up a little at a time over the winter). By spring that section is all turned over and ready to be tilled and planted in the spring, LOL!

Have had best luck with fingerlings and red potatoes. Like you, it started with some in the bottom of the box that sprouted in the pantry....

[MacGyver]

We've got tomatoes coming out of our ears over here.  Usually, with 5 of us, we stay out in front of them.  But, with some big projects around the house and traveling some - we're behind the curve.  We've got a lot of tomatoes to eat.

[Jamie Jackson]

We need pictures people!

Especially of the taters ReeferMac.

 

We're loaded with tomatoes too Mac. I'm not complaining,  I promise. 

The dining room table is covered with them,  we're eating them daily,  and have about 30 quarts vac sealed and in the freezer. 

And they're still producing. 

Life is good!

[ReeferMac]

This was the harvest from an area about 10x15? The bucket is actually mostly fingerlings, just the red's were at the end of the row, lol, so they ended up on top.

 

- K

[Jamie Jackson]

Nice looking potatoes K.! Well done Sir.

OK... I think we have enough tomatoes put up. I've peeled, quartered, bagged and vac sealed right at 50 quarts. I think we're good for this year.

I cut down all but one plant and will probably cut it down next week. I think I'll plant some red kidney beans, for eating, as well as the nitrogen pods for the soil.

Our peppers won't quit producing, but the missus wants me to let them go to red and can a few quarts of them then.

With limited space I have to rotate what I plant. So we'll see what next week brings. Decisions, decisions... 

[peejman]

That's sounds like a great yield to me. I froze 3 more gallon bags of tomatoes tonite, which makes about 7 total. Not bad, but not great. I'd wanted to can some but they're not coming in fast enough. 

[Jamie Jackson]

6 hours ago, peejman said:

That's sounds like a great yield to me. I froze 3 more gallon bags of tomatoes tonite, which makes about 7 total. Not bad, but not great. I'd wanted to can some but they're not coming in fast enough. 

I was very fortunate to have a good yield, indeed. It sounds like you are doing pretty darn well too my friend.

In past years I have frozen and then when I'd accumulated enough, I'd thaw and can the tomatoes. But I would pressure rather than waterbath can them. The pressure canning pretty much annihilates the tomato's structure, but it makes a great tomato sauce for cooking.

I've done the "freeze now"- "can later" thing with several veggies, such as okra (for making an okra & tomatoes mixture) and green beans, etc. With limited garden space, and therefore limited production yield, it's what works best for me.

I hope to put in another bed next week on my days off. Time management is a challenge LOL

[Jamie Jackson]

I finally got another bed built and planted some Butternut Squash. It's a relatively deep 4'x4' bed. I'll run some taller lattice setup on it next spring for cukes...Thanks to @I40Bandit for the idea!

My red kidney beans are also starting to sprout. They are from a bag of dried red kidney beans I purchased from Ingles in 2012 according to the food storage bucket I took them from. I know I've mentioned it before, but the germination rate from food source dried beans is quite remarkable...and you probably have some sitting in your pantry anyway folks... 

The 2 lonely bell pepper plants are really starting to produce since I removed the tomato plants.

And the peppers just won't quit... 

ETA...gonna plant some Harlequin carrots in the "herb box" today. 

Edited August 11, 2019 by Jamie Jackson

[Jamie Jackson]

Looks like the Red kidney beans are doing well. Day 5 since planting and about 80% have sprouted so far...and the day is still young. 

[Jessica]

On 5/1/2012 at 7:48 AM, peejman said:

A place to discuss what you grow, how you grow it, and what you do with it. I'm thinking mostly veggies, but this can include most anything.

I am an amateur gardener. I have a very small garden at home (3x10') and have grown the usual veggies. This year, my employer decided to let those interested plant a garden in the unused lot behind the building. Not knowing if anything will grow there, I've planted the easy stuff (tomatoes, cucumbers, okra...) and I'm trying broccoli, spinach , and peas at home. I also did lettuce, but only got 2 tiny seedlings that didn't last a week. Too hot I think. I'd like to try watermelon and cantaloupe.

One problem area I've had for several years is what I believe to be tomato blight. My plants grow fine and just when they're starting to make small tomatoes, they wilt and die. Anyone got suggestions on how to prevent that?

I've never really done much in the way of storing extra produce, I usually just give it away. I've read that some veggies can be blanched and frozen (green beans, peas, okra..). I've got a vacuum sealer, so I'm gonna give that a try this year. My wife expressed some interest in canning. I helped my parents can stuff when I was a kid, but haven't done it in at least 20 years. I've got two hungry boys to feed so I hope to save all I can.

On this topic, my 4 yr old and I built a compost barrel over the weekend. I did the requisite googling and decided on the elevated X-brace design ,mostly because it looked easy to build and use. The whole thing cost me about $30. I got the plastic 55 gal barrel free from work. We use various chemicals and I managed to snag an empty one that didn't have anything particularly nasty in it. I did rinse it out very thoroughly. I used two 8' and one 10' 2x4 (treated) for the frame and the axle is 2" PVC. It took me and my helper about 3 hours.

https://expertplantman.com/yellow-wildflowers/

[ReeferMac]

Planted ginseng and ramps all over the woods this winter... prarie-plant seeds are germinating, first batch of taters should go in the ground after breakfast!

Who's getting started for Kung Flu quarantines in 2020?

Edited March 1, 2020 by ReeferMac