2021 gardens

[LPS]

I have never done that in the fall Dotch.  But our green peppers do great in the Earth Box on the deck.  The plants are just full of peppers.  We just harvested them last week.  We also had some grape tomatoes that did great in buckets on the deck.  I made a bench to set all of this on so the dogs don't eat them all. 

[Dotch]

I'll have to see how ambitious I am Barry. Still have plenty of stuff to harvest yet without planting more. And if I don't, I'll have seed to start a planter box or an early garden planting next spring. I did finally pull the pin on the string beans. I'd threatened to yank them all out earlier but hadn't found enough daylight hours to do it. Barely did tonite. Started pulling them just before sunset & realized there were still a lot of edible looking string beans on the plants yet. Grabbed a gallon container and picked the beans off before they went over the fence. Filled the thing up and some of the results are featured on tonite's "What's on the Grill Folks" thread. Man they were good! Best of all, there were enough to give Auntie Mar Mar a bag tomorrow when she & Gregory go for a ride to the orchard in the Studebaker. 

[LPS]

Our first attempt at pole beans didn't go great.  We got some but they seemed to get flimsy as they got bigger.  It was so darn hot for awhile.  Maybe they needed more water.  Will try them again next year. 

[deadeye]

The just refused to quit so I finally pulled the plug on the tomatoes. After pulling the cages and vines I picked up some that looked nice so that's probably the end for the year. Fried green tomatoes anyone. 

[Bobberineyes]

I did the same today DE, talking rain so might as well yank everything while it's dry. I've done everything I can with the peppers this year here even gave a bunch away. Thinking on freezing some to make more sauce yet, I'd sure like to dry some out but our dehydrator takes forever.  What else can one do ?

[roony]

I froze the peppers we need to make salsa, we froze tomatoes when we had too many throughout the season. I have a dozen or so tomatoes ripening inside. Gardening is pretty much done except for a bit more cleanup.

[KEN W]

I have pulled all my tomatoes and peppers. We had temps in the 20's the last 3 mornings. Supposed to rain all day tomorrow. So I also tilled everything today.

All done except for pruning and burying grapevines. Also have to prune back my fall raspberries and cover my strawberries once the ground freezes.

Been a good garden year. Lots of everything. And lasted until just a few days ago. Only problem this year was the hoards of Hornets. I killed hundreds of them in my traps. They still did a lot of damage.

[Dotch]

Gotta assess what kind of frost injury the snap peas might've sustained while I was gone. Guessing that they're fine & I can harvest another bunch. Gave some to our Canadian friends who were tickled to get them. Some of the winter radishes are probably ready to pull. Might have to wait until after the rain for that.   

[Dotch]

Snap peas apparently didn't like the 26 degree low when I was gone. Found a few but think the vines can go over the fence to the woollies. Sampled a couple red meat or watermelon radishes. Crisp & tasty, think I'll work on harvesting them this week.

[mike89]

never seen that kind before...  looks good!! 

[glenn57]

never seen that kind before...  looks good!!

me either..............and ya never see them seeds in the seed racks at the big box store???????//

[Dotch]

Actually I got some of the seed at FF. Some of it was carryover seed I had on hand. Some might have come from Jung's.

[glenn57]

Actually I got some of the seed at FF. Some of it was carryover seed I had on hand. Some might have come from Jung's.

havent ordered anything from Jungs in a long time.......i might have to try them. is that like a later in year type thing to plant?????????

on another note...since my brother was back in town i talked him into ordering some of them lucky tiger tomato seeds!!!!!!!!

[Dotch]

Ya, think I planted them the 1st week in August. Might work well behind a string bean, lettuce or pea planting. I had to tear up a small hunk of sod to make room for them. These aren't as large as some years. They didn't get much rainfall until late August & they weren't thinned properly in places. A buddy gave me some about 10 years ago and I was hooked. Hadn't grown any for a few years with the garden changeover so it's nice to have some again. No stool softener needed. Almost pulled a Joe Biden coming from the barn this a.m.! 

[Dotch]

Think I'll call it a season in the garden. Hauled 75 buttercup squash into the garage last week. Dug all the winter radishes and pulled the last fall planted spring-type radishes yesterday. Had to dig the winter radishes as they developed quite a taproot and were well anchored. Will need to be more prudent about thinning them as there were areas of row that were too thick. Was getting towards dark so didn't get a good read on the salad greens other than they looked wilted after being frozen perhaps too much. The snow and ice in them might've been a clue. Sheep won't mind. Think I'll punt on the salad green planter project for now. Weather needs to show me something before investing much time in it. Still have a few tomatoes worth eating but better do it soon. They won't last forever.

Not done until they're cleaned up and put away.
   

[KEN W]

We had 6 inches of snow over the weekend. Garden is in winter mode. Covered the strawberries. Next spring is in sight. Garden catalogs are starting to show up.

[mike89]

that's some darn good eats there Dotch!!!   

[glenn57]

We had 6 inches of snow over the weekend. Garden is in winter mode. Covered the strawberries. Next spring is in sight. Garden catalogs are starting to show up.

not sure how many calalogs i'll be getting as i havent ordered anything in a long while from them.

but if i do, i;ll be questioning doth about some of  those radish varieties..........

my garden has been in winter mode for a good 6 weeks. just mulched a pile of maple leaves in there last week!!!!!!!!

[Dotch]

that's some darn good eats there Dotch!!!   

Thanks mikey. My back feels it after standing on the concrete washing them up. The nicer, larger ones are down deeper in the pails. There are 20+ lbs. of radishes there. 

Would still like to run the chitspreader across the garden yet this fall. Prolly won't be able to get it worked in tho.  It can wait till spring unless the weather provides an opportunity. Have some aged stuff that would spread nice & evenly.

[KEN W]

Catalogs starting to show up.....have received 6 so far.

I ordered 5 Boyne summer bearing red Raspberry plants, 5 Anne Fall bearing yellow Raspberry plants and 50 everbearing Ogallala Strawberry plants this morning. I want to make sure they aren't out of stock.

[glenn57]

  we haven't received any mail in 4 days!!🤔 Think it might be all the toxic stuff Dotch sends me!!

[Dotch]

Am envious Ken but remember how much work they were growing up. Well worth it tho especially with whipped cream from our Jersey milk cow. Same cow that destroyed Dad's grape arbor. God he was pissed! I need to source a Honeygold apple tree & am probably dreaming but would love to find a Patten greening. Heirloom tree but located some in WI a few years back. Ultimate pie,  sauce & crisp apple. Might add another pear while I'm at it altho roony has all the good pears 🍐. 

Froze the last squash I plan on freezing yesterday. There are 10 qt. bags stuffed full so that ought hold  the 2 of us. Nuked a bag of string beans last nite I froze back in late Sept. Needed a veggie to go with some shrimp & rice pilaf. Very tasty!

Christmas is coming my little blue friend...

[KEN W]

Raspberries are easy to take care of. You just have to know what to do with them. Strawberries on the other hand are much tougher. Again....just know what to do with them. Gardening and fishing are my main activities during the summer. Keeps me occupied and having something to do. 

[KEN W]

Ordered all my garden seeds yesterday. Good thing to. Some companies were out of some I wanted. Had to look at other companies.

[glenn57]

we got a catalog the other day from Gurneys but was in my granddaughters name. 

[Dotch]

Gee glenn,  sounds like you should have all kinds of help this next year then. 

Garden plot here will eat up a little more pasture & double to 40' x 120' in size next year. The sheep more than get that back opening up the windbreak for them. The tomatoes will move to the main garden. Want to incorporate onions, melons, gourds and Indian corn back into the equation. Vine crops take a lot of real estate. Think we can cut back on the cukes & squash a tad. They were sure beautiful tho and the squash I didn't freeze are still keeping well. Keep getting jars of pickles from nice folks who got cukes from us too. Like having the fall snap peas & winter radishes in the mix. Works well after string beans and can plant late crop string beans where the early crop peas & salad green were. Had a few squash vine borers appear last year so we'll have to deal harshly with them before we get too carried away.     

[roony]

Did ya get the juniper seeds i sent you?

[glenn57]

Ye all she did was raid it. she is engaged now and living in sin, so they kinda have there own garden. They do however occasionally raid my full canning ingredients.

I gave 4 qts of my pickled green tomatoes the past week to the kids.

[LPS]

Dotch I didn't "like" your post cuz it looked like way too much on anyone's plate...   You need 2 hired men.

[glenn57]

Dotch I didn't "like" your post cuz it looked like way too much on anyone's plate...   You need 2 hired men.

maybe 2 less gin bottles per week!!!!!!!!!!!