Posted on 07/25/2020 5:39:18 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
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.
If you have specific question about a plant/problem you are having, please remember to state the Growing Zone where you are located.
This thread is non-political respite. No matter what, you wont be flamed, and the only dumb question is the one that isnt asked.
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What is the variety of your tomatoes?
EASY recipe for ‘roasted’ veggies .... don’t water your garden & with temps in the upper 90’s for 2 weeks & heat index around 100, your veggies will roast nicely on the vine. All that’s missing is a sprinkle of salt, maybe a spritz of olive oil!
The grass has returned to “crunchy” status ... we had a few light showers last week (3 nights, total of all 3 less than 1/4”) that vanquished the ‘crunchy’ for a while, but it’s back.
We have a Pet Cemetery on the edge of the pasture. Only the ‘Champion’ hunting dogs get buried there, along with Beau’s deceased wife’s cremated horse (Shy-Anne) and every cat (dozens!) that she ever owned.
Ugh! Not sure why Mother Nature can’t give us all some rain, 8pm-Midnight, 1 inch on, say, Thursdays. :)
We’ve had too much rain, but not enough to complain of flooding. I prefer a dry year over a wet one. Less mowing, which I’m working on, today! ;)
Ghost cat...............
I went out at 7 pm & mowed two fields last night (grass isn’t growing, but the weeds grow no matter what!) .... looked like a dust storm in the Sahara. Two bladed mower deck is bad, but 3 blades really kick up the dust - looks like the ‘wash’ from a helicopter. My eyes, despite washing out with saline, were still gritty this morning (& I wear glasses, too).
Celebrity
IGA is the first grocery store in Canada to sell veggies from its own roof.
More than 30 kinds of organic produce are grown on the 25,000-square-foot roof-top farm, including heirloom tomatoes, lettuce, eggplant, radish, kale and basil.
Required by the Montreal borough of Saint Laurent to install a green roof to offset carbon emissions, store co-owner Richard Duchemin decided to make the project profitable by growing plants he could sell in the produce section downstairs.
People are very interested in buying local, he told The Montreal Gazette. Theres nothing more local than this.
Thats great news considering produce is often shipped hundreds or thousands of miles, losing up to half its nutritional value by the time they hit the store shelf.
The garden is irrigated with water collected from the stores dehumidification system, which would otherwise have been discarded, and the roof has become a habitat for birds and insects.
The green roof also reduces the stores electricity consumption by providing an extra layer of insulation.
LOL! He doesn’t look too happy, even for being a ghost!
Yikes! Stay cool! We just got through our super-duper hot spell. Still in the low 80’s but much less humid.
Verrry nice!
Forty Easy Ways to Use Up Fresh Basil:
Lime Basil Pie?
Basil and Heirloom Tomato Toss?
Caprese Salad Kabobs?
Yes, Please! :)
Got some questions on pressure canning corn.
Id like to pressure can half pints but can find NO info on that online anywhere.
Also, for pressure canning everything says that above 1,000 feet to do 15 pounds but I think the book I have says that up to 1,500 feet is fine at ten.
I add a little extra time, but although Ive been doing everything at 10 # for about 1,200 feet, Ive never had a problem.
Thoughts?
I don’t know the answer really-I either freeze corn or dehydrate it. In general I use the Ball Blue Book of Canning and IIRC, it has the adjustments to make for altitudes. For sure the directions that come with your canner should have that also.
If it was me, I’d try a batch using the directions for a pint, but using the half pint jars and see how it turns out.
I looked up the manual online and on page 23 it says for elevations of 1,000 - 2,000 feet to use the pressure guide for the below 1,000 feet, but then elsewhere, it says to use 15# above 1,000 feet. That makes it very confusing.
https://www.allamerican-chefsdesign.com/admin/FileUploads/Product_49.pdf
The location Im at is 1,250 feet above sea level. However, Ive always done my meat at 10# and never had a problem. If I lived at anything over much higher, Id probably have gone with the 2,000 foot guidelines.
I want to save the freezer space for stuff that does not can well.
Decisions, decisions.....
I’ll be making pesto for the third time this season.
Yum!
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