Posted on 08/10/2012 8:41:20 AM PDT by JustaDumbBlonde
Good morning, FRiends and fellow gardeners! We finally have power again, some dog-gone big and vicious storms ran over us last night here in NE Louisiana. If anybody figures out how to get a solar system to work at night without spending $100k on batteries, please let me know!! lol
Received anywhere between 2.5" and 5" of rain, depending on the field. The 2.5" we registered here at the house can't possibly be right ... the rain was blowing so sideways that I don't think half of it got in the gauge. It was sorely needed and I am thankful for every drop. There are branches and limbs down all over the homestead. It is a mess and will take a day or two to clean up. All of the beehives came through fine. Those bees really glue everything together well with propolis.
We are going to start picking scarlet cowpeas tomorrow or Sunday. They are loaded and beautiful. Also preparing to plant (and try) a late summer crop of sweet corn. We have a few rows at the edge of a cotton field that didn't get planted for some reason, but the rows are devoid of grass and weeds, under a pivot, and the cotton will be kept pest-free, so that should help with the corn. With as much seed as we have, hard to go wrong with a try.
Got a couple of articles that might interest y'all: The first is something I came across about drought and tasty fruits/veggies. Rightly_dividing and I actually discussed this a couple of weeks ago. Here is the link:
US Produce May Pack More Punch
Here is a link to an article posted on FR yesterday about Scott's Miracle Gro donating to the Romney campaign. I realize that there are some members of our group that don't like Scott's, but our ping list is 532 people, not all of whom are 'anti'. So, for what it is worth:
Scotts Miracle-Gro goes out on a limb with political donation
My heart goes out to those of you that are still in the grips of the heat and drought. My husband and I know just how that is and how helpless and hopeless you can feel when the heat won't relent and the air takes your breath away when you go outdoors. It is my hope and prayer that you get a break in the weather very soon.
The Weekly Gardening Thread is a weekly gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you.
This thread is non-political, although you will find that most here are conservative folks. No matter what, you won’t be flamed and the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked.
It is impossible to hijack the Weekly Gardening Thread ... there is no telling where it will go and that is part of the fun and interest. Jump in and join us!
Thanks for the info. Sounds like and interesting and healthy way to save garden produce and money.
Trick for dehydrating tomatoes.
Core then first then Freeze them and then let them thaw at room temperature or do it in the microwave.
Thawing will make the water portion freed up.. Reduces dehydrating time by half. It is messy though.
I slice the semi frozen ones with my dehydrator tray over the sink..
Thanks. Great advice. I’ll have to work on freeing up the freezer space for that this weekend.
I’ve dehydrated the frozen sweet corn you get in the freezer aisle before. That’s a yummy snack!
I pickle mine using instructions in the Ball Blue Book.
Great posts... Thank you!
Bad week here.
Monday at the Doc I was given the news that the cancer is back. Then I go home and take a wander through my garden. Some !#$%#$#$@#$%#$% stole my one and only cantaloupe! Grrrrrrrrrrrr!
I’m impresses and congrats!
Bad week indeed my FRiend. Our Prayers are with you...
Additional humble Prayers from here...
I discovered freezing first by accident... Couldn’t keep up with the tomato production and had to go somewhere with them before they went bad.
Love my Excaliber.
Prayers for you.
We got almost one inch of rain a few days back. Then, miserable heat. Tonight we are getting a break in the heat, but there is not enough moisture in the air to get any rain.
Watermelons, tomatoes and one tiny patch of heirloom corn is still hanging in there. I have the tomatoes shaded and a few green ones again, but the squirrels will probably get them.
Hubby is now deciding he would rather have a cistern than a storage shed he was hoping to build.
Have a great weekend. God Bless.
I stumbled across this & thought of you.
http://funnydoom.com/surprise-under-the-roof/
I bet it made some beekeeper happy.
Prayers up.
We had a bad week. Last Saturday, a couple dogs jumped our fence and killed several chickens and ducks. After chasing the mutts down and calling the police on their owners, I spent the remainder of the day processing the birds. We ended up with 6 gallons of chicken broth, and we roasted the ducks.
The hoophouse is just about finished for the season, and we’ve germinated seeds for the second crop of the year.
You said, “Made the mistake of getting long day onions once, won’t do that again down here.”
Please tell this newbie, what is a long day onion, and why is it a mistake? Thanks!
Thought you might like to see this one, amom!
“My poor blighty tomatoes are still hanging on. Need to spray their bleach concoction this evening if I can. I’ve gotten about 50+ gallons of tomatoes *more* than I’d have gotten if I hadn’t sprayed.”
Would you be willing to share your bleach concoction recipe, and how do you know when to use it...and how much??? and on what? Sorry for my woeful ignorance. Thanks!
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