Posted on 09/04/2015 12:31:29 PM PDT by greeneyes
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. Planting, Harvest to Table(recipes)preserving, good living - there is no telling where it will go and... that is part of the fun and interest. Jump in and join us!
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We are harvesting a few tomatoes and bell peppers. One of the lemons is finally beginning to turn yellow. Patio clean up is on top of my list for the weekend. We are reviewing options for a lean - to style green house/back porch for the patio. Computer is very sluggish so if I suddenly disappear, you'll know the computer quit, or got so slow, I had to give it a break.
Hope all is well with you and yours. Prayers up for Johnny and Arrowhead. Have a great weekend. God Bless.
Pinging the list.
Leaves are starting to change color here in the Colorado Rockies. Trying to sand and seal my deck before it has six months of snow sitting on it.
Yes, it’s that time of the year - finishing up the harvest and getting ready for winter. We need to get a new basement door installed, patios cleaned up, and maybe get a green house set up on our lower patio where we can go directly into it from the house.
It’s been hot as blue blazes here in Southern Wisconsin. Cooling off next week, so I can get more canning and Salsa making done!
The garden this season was really spotty, but I have fall crops of lettuces, spinach and peas in. Tomato production wasn’t as good as usual; off to a cool, wet Spring - but they’re ALL ripening at ONCE right now! Grrrrr!
Sweet peppers? Fuggedabouddit!
I planted Red Gold and Purple Viking potatoes which turned out great, so I’m pleased with that.
This time NEXT year I’ll be landscaping and gardening at my ‘new to me’ farm next county over. Going from 1.2 acres to 160!! Wa-Hoo! Beau will retire at the end of 2016, and then we’ll be farming full time. If we’re going to starve, we want to do it on our own terms, dammit! :)
(Hay, feed/seed corn and soybeans. Cash crop of Burley Tobacco if I have my way!)
Oh, and I am gaining a WONDERFUL, slightly used, Farmer Husband in the process; a mere technicality, LOL! :)
Hi all, things are winding down in my garden. Picked and steamed and froze 3 bags of green beans today. Picked even more dill seed heads. I hope to make some dill seeded rye.
Also picked tomatoes and second growth broccoli. My ancho peppers are just coming in and waiting on my long Chinese green beans. They have taken over everything, even climbing on a rose bush. I have gotten 15 spaghetti squash so far off one plant. Ate one and have given 10 away. Still 4 or 5 more down there and am looking at 4 just picked in the kitchen. I got way more than I needed. May hit up the farmers market tomorrow for some pears to can. Our pantry could use some fruit. Hope everyone has a happy and healthy Labor Day!
Wow - that will be a big change. We have our 22 acres about 10 miles away, but no longer plan to build a house.
I’d like to sell off 10 acres, and use the proceeds to buy the lots behind us - about 3 acres. On the 10 acres we keep, I’d like to plant native plants like paw paws etc. Things that are edible, as well as some fast growing trees for firewood.
Mostly I just want to have some good organic stuff to eat and preserve for winter. Not so interested in producing for sale, although, we might start some seeds, and sell plants to others at prices cheaper than Walmart and catalogs if we need some extra money.
Sounds like a pretty good crop considering it’s not been the greatest year for many of us.
Sounds like a plan, Stan!
In the past I’ve sold Heirloom Tomatoes and herb plants at market. Both were great sellers! I may do a local Farmer’s Market in the future.
We’re aiming to be as self-sufficient as we can, which means raising a lot of our own food, and raising meat critters. I cannot WAIT to have laying hens again. I’ve missed that SO much!
A milk cow is also in our future. :)
It’s been our best garden ever. And no coincidence I spent more time in it than ever. The leaf crops are pretty much all done. Had great romaine lettuce 4 kinds of radishes lots of yummy cilantro, basil, dill, chard (which is still going). Have given up on beets, they just don’t do well for me. Also waiting on carrots and have not dug my potatoes yet. It was a volunteer patch. I just can’t seem to get rid of them for good. Also lots of nice peppers, banana, shishito and now ancho. I am just so grateful I have felt good and strong enough to get the work done this summer that needed to be done. This week the last of the firewood came up and got stacked in the shed. Signal to start my fall chores list.
We will do the same - self sufficient as much as possible. Good clean nutritious food. Later on, we might be able to get some chickens and a goat or rabbits.
Living in a subdivision has its limits. We currently get our meat and eggs from a local farmer. Sometimes raw milk and cream for yogurt.
So as long as that’s available and affordable, we’ll do that and skip the early morning milking and feeding. LOL
My only stuff that really turned out was volunteer stuff. I’m saving those seeds for next year.
I’m due for a surgery in Oct. - should be an outpatient type procedure. They say I will feel 10 years younger - I hope so.
Then I’ll feel more like doing more in the garden, and maybe get some headway made on cleaning out and organizing closets this winter.
Prayers the surgery will go well. I’ve been doing good on cleaning out things. Every now and then I get in a sh!tcanning mood :) The older I get the less stuff I need.
Very dry here in the lower Hudson Valley. No decent rain in two weeks. Put up 25 quarts of tomatoes so far and have made 3 gallons of sour pickles.
Does anyone have any experience with black knot disease in plums?
I love beets pickled, in salad or in soups.
I had to give up on them too. Mine never got much bigger than a golf ball. :)
We’re losing some leaves and some are turning colour now. Still, our little tomatoes are growing bigger every day, especially with our still very warm nights. Last night it was in the high 60s/low 70s, which is great.
That seems like a very wise strategy.
I hope your surgery goes well.
You mentioned volunteers.
The best one in mine is sweet 100 cherry tomatoes.
I planted some almost ten years ago and they’ve been coming back every year since.
Please keep us updated as the time approaches. I know that we will all be praying for you, greeneyes.
Heirloom maters, done!!
Hybrid maters are struggling but alive.
Butter beans seem to be taking a breather.
Cucumbers are rocking along.
Alabama Red okra is rocking, rocking, rocking..!
Anyone have a beyond the ordinary recipe for Kosher dills?
The Ball brand kosher dill mix is EXCEPTIONAL..!! but I’d like to have something cheaper.. (yeah, I’m that way.. ha!)
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