Posted on 09/20/2013 12:16:53 PM PDT by greeneyes
Yes, I got the hose and connections. I had kept using the massive leaking one until this past Wednesday when rain started.
I always have food stored so I’m okay. I hope the truckers make a difference. Bless the truck drivers who keep us alive.
Since you are getting rain, maybe my friends in Bandera are getting rain. Will have to email her. I send her the gardening thread link every week so she can read it.
Wishing everyone the best. Hoping everyone is successful in their efforts to beat back FEDZILLA. Don’t hold your breath.
Prayers Up for the salvation and restoration of America.
We are FINALLY getting some runoff rain in central Texas. Over 5” at home and 8”+ in the hill country. All that will end up in Lake Travis which is over 60 feet below full.
Thanks for sharing the pictures. Looking good-no doubt about it.
Good news at last. Thank the lord, and harvest any produce you get.
Johnny says he is going to start a fall garden inside. Greeneyes, you say you are maybe starting seeds for a fall garden. Isn’t this fall now? I would say the plants I have outside now are fall garden plants - is that not right? I mean it’s September - isn’t that fall?
I think there is a conspiracy to give me wrong information so as to confuse me. It must be an insidious plot - let me get my tin foil hat so you can’t get in my brain.
I don’t get your garden lingo - what months are in the fall garden season?
You are in the hill country, aren’t you? Some places near Fredericksburg or Kerville had over 8” during the past few hours. We are over 5” and still raining.
I haven’t even started the fall garden. This rain will give me a chance to get something into the ground later this week.
Well, I know that on my Fanick's Calendar that seeds planted July 1st and into November are considered part of Fall Garden Crops..
Hope you get to feeling better soon.
I think I said fall and winter garden. Officially fall begins September 22-based on position of earth with respect to sun.
From a practical standpoint, any crop I plant now that matures in 30 days is a fall plant. I plant lettuce, carrots, onions, garlic, snap beans, wheat, and rye in the fall. Some matures during the fall, some during the winter, and some in the spring. I call this my fall and/or winter garden.
Sometimes we get a small frost, and can actually grow stuff until December with a little help from row covers on various cold nights. Sometimes it’s colder, and we get less fall and more winter. Some stuff continues to grow until you get down to freezing temps. Tomatoes don’t they need 50 degrees at night.
States to the south of Missouri, usually can grow stuff much longer into the “fall” and “winter” than we can. All is relative with respect to planting season, but technically fall hasn’t started yet.LOL
/johnny
I can assure you, haiving gone out every 5-10 minutes to check my rain gauge, I am slightly less than a half inch here in Kerrville.
If the rain is following the same track as yesterday, it is west of Kerrville, and east of Fredericksburg by a few miles.
Went dove hunting near Stonewall yesterday. Few doves, and not much rain there either. There was a nice shower between Kerrville and Fredericksburg.
Things winding down here in west Michigan. Still getting some tomatoes, peppers, herbs, have not dug carrots or potatoes yet. Been busy canning tomatoes, will fill a dozen or so jars with salsa tomorrow. I get a little jealous when I read some of you in warmer climates having fall gardens. As I get older each winter gets a little harder.
I know, I was thinking the same thing. Just didn’t even feel like messing with it until we got some rain. Lots of stuff that I usually have planted already, I probably won’t mess with.
I’ll do a small patch of lettuce, carrots, and garlic-if it ever gets delivered and some stuff for spring green soil enhancement maybe-whatever spirit moves me.LOL
For anyone interested, here's the U of Utah Extension sheet, with pictures, for it: http://thoth.library.utah.edu:1701/primo_library/libweb/action/dlDisplay.do?vid=MWDL&afterPDS=true&docId=digcoll_usl_2249150
The Serendipity* corn harvested for us is in the pressure canner as I write. Just started to put out steam, so in 10 minutes I can button it up, and let it start building pressure. The rest of it is being allowed to field-dry for the chickens.
The Painted Hill corn is finished, seed saved, and the rest stored. Golden Bantam is still drying on the stalks for the chickens.
Beans (except the limas) are finished, as are the cukes; but still getting zukes & pattypan squash. Winter squash & pumpkins are ready yet, though some of the Buttercups are nearly so. Been harvesting German Giant radish seed; should have enough to do some sprouting for salads, as well as to plant next year. The potatoes still haven't died, but they are beginning to lay down, and lose the bright green, so it won't be too much longer.
Was finally able to till under the oilseed sunflowers, as well as the rest of that plot yesterday, so it can get the winter rye sowed. The Grey Stripes will get harvested PDQ.
Made our annual run to the dump "Waste Management Transfer Station" on Wednesday. While there, paid $10 & brought home a screen/storm door combo. Had to reverse the hinges, but it's now on the chicken coop, replacing the “temporary” screen door I put up 3 years ago; I had to cover it with black plastic in the winter. Now I can just raise or lower a large glass panel.
The chickens have been in heaven, eating all the garden trim & windfall fruits; but quit laying to molt, and haven't restarted yet.
LOVING the new Excalibur! We're getting nearly as much onto one tray as our old, round, Waring holds on all 6; and the temp control & no constant rotating of the trays is a Godsend. In addition to drying fruit & veggies for storage, we've been using it to speed up drying of the seeds, grains, corn, & beans that we could never put in the small one.
As soon as hunting season arrives, it will be getting used for some venison jerky & a bit for hard-dried venison for “chipped beef”. * Serendipity is the first "triple sweet" corn.
"TripleSweet corn actually contains TWO kernel types, selected and reselected to create an ear that is 75% sugary-enhanced and 25% supersweet. Ideal for home gardens, it needs no isolation from other corn, and has great staying power on the stalk.>
Hello Everyone!
It’s been quite eventful here! Some rain for past couple of days.
Went to State Fair and learned some things which I found to be vastly important.
I had seen some really scary looking critters crawling all over my cucumbers munching down. I thought they might be thrips, because of some things I had read. But I wasn’t sure. I started killing these as much and fast as I could. I had a little nudge, possibly from one of my garden angels to take a picture of these beasts and ask our county extension guy what they are. So I did.
I had not planned to do this, but when I got to the Fair, I had my camera with me. I saw an extension agent running a booth in the ag area, and realized I could ask her what this horrible beast is. I was distraught to learn that I had been a lady bug murderer. These little critters were the good guys munching down on the aphids which had been the real culprits interfering with the already prolific cucumber production.
I am so glad to know what these guys are now because I had had NO IDEA! Never had seen them before! I really thinned down the herd, but did not manage (thank God) to kill them all.
http://www.ladybuglady.com/ladybugweb9.htm#
[scroll down a bit on the page to see the relevant pictures]
We also saw the people who have developed a product called “Garden Anywhere Boxes.” Darlin’ and I were both mightily impressed! They have several kits, and seem like they are quite reasonably priced. Probably are similar to others which have been discussed on these threads, but we got to see these in action and broken down and got to visit with the guy who developed them to make this particular configuration work. They are out of Newalla, OK.
Larry Pierce
http://www.gardenanywhere.net
Harvest has picked up a bit. I’ve been getting some BLACK TURTLE BEANS which I’ve been allowing to dry and collecting into a jar. I had thought with some of my difficulties with them at the start of the season that they would not like it here, but that hasn’t been the case. It isn’t a big amount, but I did not expect it to be. I was trying different varieties to see what kinds like our soil, etc. This is the bean varity that have made it the best. GREAT WHITE NORTHERNERS have also eeked in some representation, but I know that the black turtles can grow well here. The SNOW PEAS are actually making a comeback after I found the caterpillars which had been destroying them. They are flowering and have produced a few pods here and there which I’ve put immediately into soups.
I’ve absolutely been bowled over by the OKRA! Our four little plants have turned into a veritable forest, and we have a LARGE mess of them building up in the fridge, even with me giving away a couple of double handfuls!
We harvested three of the SUNFLOWER heads which were huge and quite heavily laden. Also was harvesting some late smallish TOMATOES - about 3 so far, but several are green on the vine yet.
We were tickled to have the EGYPTIAN WALKING ONION order arrive today! Darlin and I plan to do some dirt prep before planting them, but I am so stoked!
We did some minimal fertilization of our PECAN trees last spring, and it seemed to do some good. The ones we have picked to test are heavy and fat. We are excited about that and glad we learned that pecans need zinc sulphate in addition to the other nutrients required in conventional fertilizers.
We learned about a special class being held in January and February in our state called “Master Gardener’s Boot Camp,” which was described to us as a general overview of the state’s perennials, annuals, trees, landscaping, soil, bugs, etc. We are seriously considering participating in that but will have to see how our schedules shake out.
So there you have it, hope everyone else is doing well!
Wow. Great harvesting news. Serendipity, I am likeing the sounds of no need to isolate. Might have to try it. I love sweet corn of all kinds.
Glad to hear about your snow peas and okra. Sounds as though your snow peas are happy and thriving. Our okra just sat for the longest time, and finally the growth hormone, or whatever it was kicked in and they have been growing and producing like crazy! Hope that happens to yours as well!
We should be in peak harvest time for Super Bowl Sunday salsa-making.
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