2023 Gardens

[glenn57]

no pickling, all roasted or grilled!!!!    never had it pickled...

why the jars then??. I confused??

fresh cut bottoms, in 2 or 3 inches of fresh water to keep them fresh!!!!   keeps very good in the fridge!!!

[glenn57]

Got my mater plants neutered this morning!!

[Steve-o]

I'll bite...  What does that mean?

[glenn57]

I clipped off the low to the ground branches on the plants. From what I have read it's supposed to help prevent blight and help the plant itself concentrate on the tomato.

We shall see.

[Steve-o]

This technique might not be for everyone, but my brother-in-law's wife pinches off ALL the non fruit-bearing green branches once the tomatoes start.  She says that way she is able to hold the plants up with a single stake and all the fruit matures at the same time for canning.  I may have the story mixed up, but that's what she does and it works for her.  She cans an $#!T ton of tomatoes and wants to be done with it in one swoop.

[Dotch]

Got the electric fence moved so the vine crops I planted are away from the sheep. Were several hills starting to come up so wouldn't have been too happy if they'd chewed them off. The seedlings are bitter tasting, full of cucurbitacin, etc., so odds are they probably wouldn't have messed with them for a while. However, never trust any species of livestock to do what you expect them to. Tough to keep ahead of the heat watering the tomatoes but looks like I'm winning as of this morning. The cooler weather forecast should help them adapt more readily without so much stress. Peppers look unfazed, loving the heat, loving the dry.

[HD]

I've been picking quite a few radishes....

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[mike89]

great eats!!! 

[KEN W]

Picked my first veggie of the year. A nice head of Romaine Lettuce.

[glenn57]

this heat has really affected my spinach and lettuce. normally i'm giving it away by the bread bags full. i've had 3 salads with meals so far. spinach is seeding out already.  i cut it all down hopefully it will regrow but not holding my breath. lack of rain aint helping either. thinking i'll be pulling it by the weekend if things dont progress!!!!

[Dotch]

Thundering down the home stretch on the first planting. Put a couple rows of carrots in last nite along with a couple hills of Turk's turban squash. I hate to admit it but glenn's right about Livingston seed getting chintzy on seed per packet. There were 4 seeds in one packet and 2 in the other one! Finished up with 8 rows of Indian corn after stuffing gopher bait down the hole I'd seen a striped gopher frequenting the other day. Will plant 6 - 8 rows of decorative sunflowers for pollinators and the birds then wait until July 4th. Will put in the 2nd planting of string beans then. The 1st planting is starting to emerge. Amazing the power they can generate using the buddy system to lift the crust off being planted in rows. Have pumpkins in all 8 hills and 7 out of 8 on the squash so far. Gourds are a little pokey but they're in the drier part of the garden so they may need some additional watering. Plenty of moisture down below yet.   

[glenn57]

yep the Livingston seeds are a little tight with there seed packets.........but so far satisfied with the results......especially the kalarabi!!!!!

i'll buy him again depending on end results!!!!!!!

[Dotch]

I suspect with the higher freight, labor, & other costs, management did the same thing as some of the packaged stuff in the grocery store. I have some partially used packages from years past and there's more leftover in some of them than there was in the new packets...

[glenn57]

I suspect with the higher freight, labor, & other costs, management did the same thing as some of the packaged stuff in the grocery store. I have some partially used packages from years past and there's more leftover in some of them than there was in the new packets...

yea i dindt buy any other brand seeds so not sure if they changed!!!!!!

[LPS]

The wife got a bundle of chives so she vac packed it in small bags.  Must have 20 of them.  Now we need to figure out what to do with it?   I said we could put it on baked spuds or on cottage cheese.  LOL  That's all I got.

[HD]

Have any of you guys noticed cracked radishes more than normal? This year, for me seems odd.... they ain't very big, but a lot of them are cracked.

[glenn57]

Have any of you guys noticed cracked radishes more than normal? This year, for me seems odd.... they ain't very big, but a lot of them are cracked.

I've had a few but not many, as I understand it comes from growing to fast?? I had mine pulled last week. I go through them 3 times 3rd time they get pulled. Last bunch got some zippity do daw to them!!😂

Just pulled my lettuce and spinach.

[LPS]

Look at this huge harvest.  Good tasting too.  Some heat but very good ones. Not like last year when the were way too hot.

[KEN W]

I pulled all of mine today also. They are pretty good this year. Also have 4 heads of Romain Lettuce ready to eat. Picked my first Kohlrabi and ate it today.

Peeled my last onion today from last years garden. Lasted 10 months 

[LPS]

I have red onions in nylons hanging in the basement yet.  Some are still good and some are vaporized and only the skins.   This program is coming to an end soon.   

[Dotch]

Still vegetable spaghetti in my garage from last fall that appear edible. A few casualties but not many. One hill of those is enough. When planting from seed, one is never sure if they'll grow so I always plant two hills. Never fails, they both grow. Fixed them this year. Wife bought a transplant so one it is! 

[Steve-o]

Yeah, funny the way it is with gardens...  I you plant two seeds and they both germinate, you just don't have the heart to pluck the extra plant.   

[KEN W]

Do all squash keep that long? Or only Veg. Spag. Squash. You have a heated garage?

[Dotch]

No, the buttercup, Mooregold, and Heart of Gold squash we've had are only good for about 3 months then start to lose that fresh flavor. Look OK but don't taste quite right. Sheep don't care. Vegetable spaghetti has no flavor & seems to be the exception to the rule. We've also had some butternut squash someone gave us that kept longer too. And yes, we have floor heat in the attached garage. Also has a humidistat with an exhaust fan to keep it dry when the vehicles come in full of snow & ice. Keep it at about 50 degrees all winter. Could keep it cooler but with a water faucet out there, not going to risk it.

Ya Steve-O, it's hard to destroy crops or animals that you just know are going to cause trouble if you keep them around. Part of the instinctive caring, nurturing nature many of us have. And being slow learners...

[KEN W]

Yes.....that's been my experience with those also. Just never tried to keep Spaghetti Squash.

[roony]

Mother effing deer wiped out my greeny beanies overnight. Not too late to replant I guess. 140 acres of peas around me. Why can't they pick on them?

[mike89]

Mother effing deer wiped out my greeny beanies overnight. Not too late to replant I guess. 140 acres of peas around me. Why can't they pick on them?

yikes!!!  time for time out for some deer!!! 

[Dotch]

That sucks. My first planting has come up erratically. Not as proficient at watering as Mother Nature I guess. Same thing happened last year. 1st planting filled in eventually. Second planting came up more evenly because it rained.

Vine crops here are on the move. Squash, pumpkins & gourds in every hill now. Squash and pumpkins are deep, dark green and doubling in size every few days. Cukes are in the small garden. 4 out of the 6 hills are up. Tomatoes are finally getting going decently. Put one Sunsugar tomato in along with a dwarf Champion & 4 more Celebrity's. One of the first planted didn't make it & another one is suspect. Some of the decorative sunflowers are coming up. Wife is looking forward to them flowering. Sweet corn looks nice. Have to plant the 2nd planting one of these days. The well guys trampled on the cannas in places yesterday but they're fairly resilient. They were back upright this morning again. Some rain would be nice someday. One downside to having the well working again: Now I gotta water!     

 

[KEN W]

Get some Deer Repellent spray. It imitates Coyote Urine. I have had to use it around my sweet corn when it gets close to ready to eat to keep the deer away. It works.

[Dotch]

Seeing a few 4-lined plant bugs messing with my cucumber seedlings. Sprayed them with some deadly agrotoxins. The sugar beet farmers have been having a helluva time with them in areas this spring.

Moss rose & flowering purslane have been loving the hot dry weather.

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