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Greetings to those who do constant battle with bugs, weather, and critters. Somehow, we do manage to get a few tasty returns, and sometimes bountiful.

My cuke plant is about done for - two weeks ago it was looking healthy and grand. It did yield a case of kosker dills and some slicing cukes and refrigerator pickles. That's a lot from one plant in a 6 inch pot.

Not sure what disease or bug hit it. Haven't seen any beetles, but something ate a few holes. Many of the leaves developed yellowish spots, and others simply wilted. There's a few cukes left that may mature, so I'll keep watering it a while longer before I take it to the burn pile.

I have a batch of cukes, zukes, and several batches of potatoes waiting for processing, and they have been waiting several days.

I need to do some research on side dressing for corn, but went ahead and gave a dose of Miracle Grow all purpose for veggies in the water this AM. Have a few more Yukon Gold to dig up.

I have a plateful of really red Cherry tomatoes to go on salad, and 3 orange beefsteaks wrapped in napkins and waiting to ripen on the shelf. Next year, I am going to focus on Cherry tomatoes and Romas in buckets.

Weather was really nice today-yesterday was typical August heat and humidity. This weekend is looking like rain on Saturday and Sunday.

We got an upgrade to our DSL - now have 10mbps. It has helped the computers, and for the first 2 days, helped the Netflix streaming from our TV. However, I fell asleep, and the system signed off(per usual Blu Ray and TV do that).

Now when I punch the Netflix button on the Blu Ray Remote, it just goes to nowhere. The panel shows it has gone to the network, but the TV screen is blank instead of showing that it is accessing and authenticating etc.

So I have been doing searches on the problem, reading the manual, and I don't really understand 1/10th of what I read. I think if there was someone who knew how to do all of this electronic stuff, they could make a good living coming to people's homes and fixing stuff like this.

Hope everyone is doing well. Prayers up for all. Have a great weekend. God Bless.

I have some errands to run a bit later, so can't stay long today, but I'll check back in sometime before next Friday.

1 posted on 08/26/2016 3:57:46 PM PDT by greeneyes
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To: greeneyes

The lilies are mostly done. And the hibiscus that survived the winter is wonderful. But the only two that did survive were white. So I bought a magenta one today and got it planted.

Still no ripe orange tomatoes.


2 posted on 08/26/2016 4:00:20 PM PDT by Battle Axe (Repent: for the coming of the Lord is soon.)
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To: greeneyes

Top Ten! Is it Friday, already? :)


3 posted on 08/26/2016 4:01:57 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust Post-Apocalyptic skill set...)
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To: greeneyes; Diana in Wisconsin; gardengirl; girlangler; SunkenCiv; HungarianGypsy; Gabz; ...

Pinging the List.


4 posted on 08/26/2016 4:03:09 PM PDT by greeneyes
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To: greeneyes

A general question:

If I buy remaining “2016” seeds on clearance, vacuum-seal them, and store them in the freezer, how good is their germination rate likely to be next spring?


9 posted on 08/26/2016 4:20:04 PM PDT by DuncanWaring (The Lord uses the good ones; the bad ones use the Lord.)
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To: greeneyes

I got a tomato!

ONE.

Tomato.

(((Oh Well, I have lots of herbs)))


10 posted on 08/26/2016 4:21:30 PM PDT by left that other site (You shall know the Truth, and The Truth Shall Set You Free.)
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To: greeneyes

Getting ready to plant some garlic, if that is, I can keep the garden from being driven over by every vehicle in the immediate vicinity.

We shall see. . .


16 posted on 08/26/2016 4:41:09 PM PDT by txnativegop (Tired of liberals, even a few in my own family.)
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To: greeneyes
Hi friends! Nice weather here in west Michigan. Our garden was late in getting planted and we only planted about half what we usually do. All because of my knee replacement. But I am doing well now, just in time to have done 3 pickings of green beans without falling over. The plants and yields are so good I think I'll plant them later next year too. Getting less cukes thankfully, still lots of peppers and tomatoes. So many cherry tomatoes.
I have been making a lot of fresh salsa to have with chips. Chopped vidalia or sweet onion, chopped cilantro (ours) and tomatoes (usually the cherries) with the seeds squeezed out and the flesh chopped. All 3 in equal parts then I add a little salt and some chopped pickled jalapenos (canned from last year) and a teaspoon of the juice. Have had 3 volunteer cantalopes and 4 more yet to pick. Have never grown them before, they came up as volunteers from seeds in the compost and I let them go because I had not planted the whole garden. Also have 3 volunteer tomatoes that are not cherries thankfully. Wish I could get some more zucchini, have only had 2 off 2 giant plants.
Hubby is doing well too for those who know. Had his 3 month checkup Wednesday and is still cancer free. WooHoo! I am manic right now to redo our birdbath. We always have lots of hummingbirds but I saw a youtube and said I am building one of those. Just go to youtube and type in "hummingbird fountain". Amazing. I want to get it set up while they are still around. They will fly through the hose while I am watering but this is way better. Going to use our existing birdbath pedestal and hook up to fresh water from the hose, no pump or electric like the video. simple. We get lots of insect eating birds to our birdbath anyway they will love the new one. Blessings to all!
18 posted on 08/26/2016 5:20:14 PM PDT by MomwithHope (Missing you /johnny (JRandomFreeper).)
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To: greeneyes

I goofed and bought a pack of San Marzano tomato seeds from 2011. I started them indoors and almost all germinated. Mr. Sg transplanted them in the garden and we’re still getting a good yield. Planted too many cantaloupes and we’ve had more than enough for ourselves, friends and neighbors. Zukes are done. Lots of jalapenos and sweet banana peppers. Sugar snap peas don’t seem to like this climate, but we had three batches that were delicious. We actually got five eggplants this year, only to discover that Mr. Sg doesn’t like them. Marigolds came up; nasturtiums didn’t. We’ve been very blessed this year.


21 posted on 08/26/2016 6:30:35 PM PDT by Silentgypsy
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To: greeneyes
A friend invited us up to pick all we wanted of his Gravenstein Apples early this week and Lady Bender is cooking them down for apple sauce. We brought home about 12 gallons …

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30 posted on 08/26/2016 7:46:39 PM PDT by tubebender
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To: greeneyes; All
We went to the County Fair on Wednesday and I took a few photos…

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33 posted on 08/26/2016 7:59:04 PM PDT by tubebender
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To: greeneyes

Only a few russets left to die completely & be dug; the German Butterballs are starting to wind down..

Still a few onions that haven’t fallen over and given up the ghost.

Beans are still producing; 5 more pints on the stove as I type; that makes 28 pints plain, and 8 dilled. The shelling beans are finally loading up & beginning to mature.

Tomatoes are finally coming into their own, except the Rutgers; it only has finally set 3 or 4 little ones so far.

A few days ago, I tilled in another couple of swaths of chicken & rabbit manure/litter. Today, I planted the bag of onion sets I had saved from this Spring, to over-Winter. Soon, I’ll get around to putting in the garlic there, too.

Acorn Squash vines are loaded, and the cocozelle are still producing, as are the cukes.

Chard has finally gotten a cooling incentive to grow, as has some volunteer lettuce and a Napa type cabbage.

Apple crop will be very disappointing, but at least we’ll get wild plums this coming week.


34 posted on 08/26/2016 8:41:45 PM PDT by ApplegateRanch (Love me, love my guns!�)
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To: greeneyes

I probably have 54 green pepper plants WAY too close to one another. And another 54 or so growing off organic seeds. Weather could easily hold for late October or November harvest.

Midwest finally got to mid-80’s and peppers are beginning to sprout. Got a free Basil plant at the grocery store to replace another (they upgraded me no charge to a potted one which was very nice - Sprout’s). Already dried another harvest of Sweet Basil and the new Basil plant. Crushed and put into shakers.

Tomatoes looking good - about 17-21 growing out there — several good sized. Sweet Snacking Pepper has a few - 2 good-sized and a baby.

Carrots are going to be JAM-PACKED - too many seeds - well we’ll see in about 8 weeks what I got - at least I split them between 2 pretty large and deep pots.

Even my Better Boy has finally, finally, FINALLY started to put out 1 tomato -— he does not like the heat to produce. The plant is strong - heat-resistant there, at least.


42 posted on 08/27/2016 12:00:56 AM PDT by SaveFerris (Be a blessing to a stranger today for some have entertained angels unaware)
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To: greeneyes

We had a mostly rain-free week here in Central Missouri. First one in quite awhile. I can actually see the bottom of my pond. If it stays dry for another week I’ll be able to get in there and remove some dirt.

The broccoli that I seeded last weekend is starting to come up. This is the first time I’ve tried it as a fall crop. Hopefully I planted in time to get a crop. I used two varieties that mature around 60 days, and two that mature around 90 days. So we will see.

After work yesterday I tore down the trellis mesh the cukes were growing on. I’ll get that all cleaned up and pull the posts later today. The broccoli, when it’s big enough to transplant, is going in where the cukes were growing. The Roma tomatoes are pretty much done. Hope to get some of those pulled and hauled off this weekend. Nephew and I cleaned up a bushel or so of them yesterday to make one last batch of tomato sauce and juice.

Mrs. Augie picked the first batch of okra yesterday and we fried some of that up to go with our BLTs for supper. I need to harvest basil and hang it up to dry for later use. Butternut squash is getting close to ready. Green beans are going nuts. Second planting sweet corn is starting to tassel.

Grass needs to be mowed again. Ugh...


44 posted on 08/27/2016 7:10:08 AM PDT by Augie
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To: greeneyes

HELP, my strawberry plants are under attack by mushrooms or toad stools coming up and killing off my plants! We’ve had to much rain. Even the grass is seeing them.

Moles killed off my 300 plant in ground bed last year, so this is a new one in big plastic swimming pools on tables off the ground. Can’t put down poison for the moles as our dogs have free run of the back yard. This year they’ve gone back to the farm field behind us.


45 posted on 08/27/2016 7:12:01 AM PDT by GailA (If politicians won't keep their promises to the Military, they won't keep them to you!)
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To: greeneyes

We’ve harvested only one tomato to date. It’s been too cold here at night.


46 posted on 08/27/2016 7:17:02 AM PDT by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: greeneyes

I have a question for the avid gardeners. Has anyone seen a worm like the ones in this story about a McDonald’s in Kentucky? Two different customers claimed to find worms in their burgers, at two different McDonald’s restaurants.

Here’s one of the threads. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3463542/posts?page=21 .

Here’s a link to a local story about it, with pictures and video. http://www.wpsdlocal6.com/story/32844922/worms-found-in-burgers-at-two-local-mcdonalds .

There are countless FReepers claiming this is a hoax, because the worms could not have survived being frozen and then cooked. I don’t think anyone claimed they were cooked inside the meat. Only that they fell out of the sandwiches.

Have any of you gardeners seen a worm like this on your lettuce? What are the chances of these worms being in the lettuce, and winding up on the burger?


50 posted on 08/27/2016 4:18:40 PM PDT by BykrBayb (Lung cancer free since 11/9/07. Colon cancer free since 7/7/15. PTL ~ Þ)
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To: greeneyes

The tomato seeds were supposed to produce patio sized plants. Only 2 1/2 feet tall. The seeds must not have gotten the message because they have grown of almost 6 feet! They keep falling over in the too small planter. Many branches have broken and I think I’m done with those two plants. I still have three tomato plants which are of the size stated on the seed packet. They are loaded with green fruit of various sizes and I’m still hoping for red tomatoes before the growing season is over. That will be when it gets cold enough for frost. All the herbs are doing well, the caladiums have been outstanding and the other flowers have bloomed well. Roses are flowering again. I’m very happy how things have turned out this summer.


56 posted on 08/28/2016 4:43:42 AM PDT by tob2 ("so much to do, so little desire to do it." anon.)
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To: greeneyes
All you peeps growing stuff! Very inspiring for someone who never planted a thing, ever. (House plants not included, and they were already started by someone else)

First, I will say - too much wine, and now I type.

I'm just now (in my life) attempting to play around with seeds, mostly to see how the hydroponic setup works rather than actually growing something. One day I see the only thing sprouting is garlic in the fridge, and doing so with a vengeance in a short time, so I broke up the garlic sections and stuck them into the 5.5 acid dirt. I have 6 or 8 sprouts (I forget how many) blasting to the sky. Every day that I go out to feed the feral barn cats, the garlic must be .5" taller than the day before. Exciting!

All were planted at the same time. The other two double-bucket systems are doing (almost) nothing. One with Hollyhock seeds (weeks gone by, no sprout), and the other with carrot seeds (weeks gone by, finally on 8-28-16 tiny little hair-like sprouts! Are those carrots?) Poor timing, bad seeds,...? Anyway, the fridge garlic is growing quite well; I will watch those tiny little (carrot?) hair-like sprouts with great interest. With clean dirt, they can only be the carrot seeds I planted weeks ago. Whatever they are, it's Something!

I read about 'bolting' with garlic and onions - what does this mean?

My elevation is around 6000' in zone 5a (?) a tiny little unreadable finger of narrowness in NM zone map just 12 miles east of ABQ, so small I can't see my own self on the map.

Regardless of what 'bolt' means, I am enjoying the sight of growth of new leaves each day taller! If it grows garlic one day, is it good to put into spaghetti? ;-)

I love the pictures of your gardens!

57 posted on 08/28/2016 7:27:37 PM PDT by pigsmith
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To: daniel1212

This is the thread for gardening questions.


60 posted on 08/31/2016 7:48:28 PM PDT by metmom (...fixing our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith...)
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