Posted on 07/13/2012 8:35:18 AM PDT by JustaDumbBlonde
Good morning and happy Friday (the 13th) to all of my FRiends and fellow gardeners! My special thanks go to Ellendra for posting the thread while I took a week to go to the mountains. I was hoping to find relief from the heat, only to find that it was in the 90's in SE Montana, not much cooler than here in Louisiana.
I began the long process of becoming a fly fisherman, and I am hooked, so to speak. Just what I needed ... another hobby to compete for my limited time!
Today is the first time I've seen the sun since Monday ... the rain followed me all the way from Kansas City, and it has stayed around. Thank goodness! It is my sincere hope that y'all are receiving some beneficial rainfall.
Before leaving on the trip, I spent 4 days making fig preserves ... the Italian White Fig tree was covered in a bumper crop, unlike anything I've ever seen. I also got all of my wild plum juice turned into beautiful jelly, and harvested another 5-gallon bucket of honey from the beeyard.
So ... what's going on with you???
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.
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Have you tried a spray containing neem oil on your tomatoes? It is an organic spray that acts as an insecticide, fungicide and miticide. It works wonders for me. You can also mix some liquid calcium in every 2-3 weeks to assist in holding blooms and prevent blossom end rot.
I still have to haul water to the far end of my donkey pasture, and I bought one of these H2O to go bags, which has helped immensely. I have a small 40 gallon water trough out there and it takes 2 trips to fill it, but I don't have to do it often since that is really a backup source for their water. I have an old cast iron tub with a float switch closer to the house and run about 300 feet of hose out to that.
I'll dig around for a photo I may have taken previously. It would be really embarrassing to post a current photo, as some kind of bugs ferociously attacked the grapevines while I was in Montana. But, one way or another, I will get one posted soon. :)
If I drive out there, can we go fishing???? Pretty please!
WOW! Your garden sounds fabulous! There isn’t any melon better than Ambrosia ... my husband’s favorite. Hopefully the heat won’t be too much for the corn to pollinate. I’ve got to get an acre or so of late corn planted. Didn’t get much of the previous plantings canned or frozen as I was in the middle of other things.
Those daily updates on the charter boat site are very cool. Wish I could go!
How's the corn?
I do love those roads; we live on the edge of the Hills, and drive through them all the time. As long as I’m holding the steering wheel, it isn’t a problem.
I would love to try the peppers and I'll send you a stamped envelope or exchange some other seeds ... I have 2 rubbermaid containers of various seeds and maybe something you've been wanting to try.
Don't know if you like melons, but I have successfully grown both cantaloupe and sugar baby watermelons on trellis.
You are most welcome!
Holy cow ... that sounds so good! I have to travel to Sam's pretty soon and will pick up a couple of big bags of onions to try that. Maybe sprinkle them with a little Tony's seasoning before I start the Excalibur.
Dried pineapple is one of my favs. That and jerky. We can't keep jerky around in a SHTF stash ... we always end up eating it. It is tough to get my granddaughters to eat their meat, yet they will devour 1/2 lb. of deer jerky in an afternoon!
I got an email today from Burpee that said it is time to order garlic for fall planting. Depending on your zone, they will ship it when it needs to be planted. They also report that it sells out very quickly, so if anyone is interested, now is the time to order.
I’ve been a passenger on those roads, and carry lots of Dramamine; otherwise, I do the driving.
Corn is doing great, but takes a lot of water; we’ve had less than 3” of rain since the first of June, and not much in May. Normally this would be our time for thunderstorms, but they are tracking around us. Don’t miss the hail, but need the water.
it’s 99 already today; 103 yesterday; 95-105 on tap for the next several days. Peas are pretty much shot, but the squash & beans love it.
The non vidalia onions aren’t sweet enough for our taste to just eat plain after they’re dried. YMMV. I’m going to have to separate mine and label them.
HOWEVER, they make an excellent ‘natural’ substitute for the french’s onion thingies that go on green bean casserole. Just dehydrate them until they’re really really crispy. cheap. with one ingredient everyone can pronounce!
We’re planning on using them to make french onion soup this winter. and put in the crock pot with soups and stews. and add to hamburger patties. and put on salads. and and and.
Ditto. I want COMPLETE control of the car on those roads...'pig-tail' bridges..? Geez...(there was one in Tennessee, believe it or not.)
Our Sam’s Club has either Vidalia or 1015’s as the sweet onion choice. I particularly love the 1015’s. Thanks again for mentioning this. I had dried some green onions before, but never thought of what you’ve done.
Compared to what you accomplish in a day’s time, I’ve done very litte. My, you have a lot of energy.
I saw a hoop house, it looked like they used pvc for the hoops, then used clear, corregated resein panels instead of plastic. I’m thinkig of a hoop house for the community garden, rather than a “green house”, for the first few years. I’m thinking of a hoop house where some of our 6’5” farmers can walk in comfortably. Hubby is the new Rotary president, and guess who will be helping with the garden’s beginning??? I received a book of the White House vegetable garden. It is a 12 month garden. Both children and adults are involved in it. It is interesting because many gardens from around the country are mentioned in it. It has a lot of interesting ideas. I’m passing it around to our City Manager, school and the Boys and Girls club. I have my eye on another piece of land, vacant, that would make another great spot for a community garden. But that is for the future. We now have another piece of land next to our community garden, cleared and ready to be plowed etc.
Does anyone know how best to preserve eggplant?
I’ve looked at cooking it in a sauce.
Steaming in the microwave & then freezing.
Breaded and frozen for frying.
Last year I canned it in one of those Italian tomatoes things.
That Excaliber looks wonderful.
If the flowers appear the first year, of the ghost pepper, you pinch them off, so the stems become stronger?
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