Posted on 10/15/2022 5:49:00 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.
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“What did this growing season teach each of you?”
That’s going to be a thread of it’s own in the future, once everyone here is finally hanging it up for the season and the new seed catalogs arrive and we get ‘inspired’ all over again!
As for me, I had a good growing season, too. I learned where NOT to plant extra pole beans - I planted them on a climbing structure that, once filled with beans, was too TALL for me to even pick! Dumb. I’m only 5’ tall and after taking a nasty spill last year, no longer trust myself to use the ladder without a spotter!
But if you can’t laugh at yourself... :)
I should write a book, ‘Vertical Gardening for Shorties.’ LOL!
Brussel sprouts rock!
Cannot grow them here.
I've only seen them once, in another part of my yard. It was fairly large, and as far as I could tell, its fur was solid brown, no stripes or markings. The mounds I see are pretty large as well.
Many thanks for the links! Best, AFB-XYZ
Pretty much the same thing Texas as here in Kansas, heat is a killer.
In Early September I put cabbage and Brussel sprounts in low tunnels to protect them from cabbage loopers and diggy squirrels. That worked until we got a 99 degree day about 2 weeks ago and I did not get them out of the low tunnel in time.
I removed the covers and put them under Mosquito netting that would allow the Sprouts to get tall, but the damage was done to 3 of the Brussel sprouts. I think 4 out of 8 will survive, but none of them will get full size.
The cabbage is doing pretty well so I pulled off the netting today. (Have only seen 1 looper moth in the last week and let them get some sun.) I will cover them up tomorrow night since we will get a freeze Monday and Tuesday. (And will pick the remaining green tomatoes and a bunch of basil.)
Hi Diana and any other FReepers reading this thread. Have you noticed a shortage lately of available heirloom seeds? We’re having trouble locating some good artichoke seeds. Any suggestions for online suppliers that aren’t Amazon-based? Thanks in advance.
Bakers Creek and Seed Savers Exchange would be two favorite sources for Heirloom seeds. Jungs would also have them, but do not hesitate to look at the others! HOpe this helps!
Seeds, Fruit Trees, Gardening Supplies, And Equipment - Internet Resources
Gave the lettuce and cabbage and leeks a deep watering and covered them up with the low tunnels.
Except for a few small tomatoes on the 3 Burpees long store tomato plants, picked all the remaining green tomatoes. I will wrap the Long Stores with gardening fabric and see if it warms up enough to continue growing them.
Emptied the hoses and the drip irrigation. Will secure them for winter tomorrow. Will water with a hose from here on.
Gave the lettuce and cabbage and leeks a deep watering and covered them up with the low tunnels.
Except for a few small tomatoes on the 3 Burpees long store tomato plants, picked all the remaining green tomatoes. I will wrap the Long Stores with gardening fabric and see if it warms up enough to continue growing them.
Emptied the hoses and the drip irrigation. Will secure them for winter tomorrow. Will water with a hose from here on.
Thanks much.
Pumpkin Gratin
JACQUES PEPIN The only way I ate pumpkin as a child was in a savory gratin, so the first time I had it in the United States — sweet, in a pie — I thought it was a mistake. I’ve come to love pumpkin pie and I still enjoy pumpkin in the gratin of my youth. The combination of Swiss cheese, eggs, and cream comes together into something like a smooth and creamy soufflé, capturing the flavors of fall. Canned pumpkin speeds things up.
4 servings
1 can (15.5 ounces) 100% pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
3 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup grated Swiss cheese
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spoon the pumpkin puree into a food processor and add the eggs, cream, cheese, salt, and pepper. Process for 10 to 15 seconds to combine.
Coat a 6-cup gratin dish with the butter. Fill the dish with the pumpkin mixture. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until set and lightly browned on top. Serve.
Ellendra? Any more heirloom seed houses you’d recommend to TKD?
Yum! Was planning on doing ‘The Great Pumpkin’ thread for the week of 29 Oct - 4 November. GMTA! :)
Will do a re-post of this recipe, for sure. You cannot go wrong with Jacques!
Snowing in parts of WI this morning. We’ll be back to the 50’s & 60’s by Thursday. Looking forward to that. High of 39 today, gray and windy. I gathered up all of my porch Mums and got them and decor pumpkins under blankets. Will do the same, tonight.
If my still-GORGEOUS hanging baskets survive in the (unheated) greenhouse, I’ll be able to enjoy them for at least another week before they become compost. :(
Salad greens in the unheated greenhouse are loving this. I also covered the four 5-gallon nursery pots planted with spinach and other greens that are outside.
Glad you liked it.
Butter Bean Canapés
A cheap Pepin youstarter using cans at the supermarket. The bean mixture also makes a great first-course salad or meat accompaniment. If made up to 3 hours ahead, the bread will, for the better, soak up the juices from the beans.
Mix 15.5 oz can drained butter beans (large white beans), tablespoon Dijon, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, 3 tablespoons chopped onion, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or chives, teaspoon chopped garlic, 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Cut twelve 1/3-inch-thick slices from a baguette. Mound the bean mixture on the bread slices. Serve.
Makes about 3 dozen
I make a bean mix like that to put on salads, either a small one as a side or a large one as the meal.
Good stuff!
A great cook you are.
I've been chipping away at the project list trying to get the place ready for winter. I've finished about half of the fall tree pruning and I'm hoping to have the rest done by the end of the week. Made a big dent in cleaning up the clutter in the bomb room at Pops' house to make space for winter produce storage. Made a few repairs yesterday to the fence around the riding arena. Ordered a twin-screw load of manufactured sand, which I'm hoping will arrive today, to refresh the footing along the rail.
I'm mostly finished putting up peppers from the garden. I ran ~15lbs through the smoker over the weekend. I still need to grind them, but they're plenty dehydrated so there's no rush on that. Mrs. Augie stuffed a dozen of the Big Chilis with a cheesy taco meat mix and wrapped them in bacon yesterday evening. I tossed them on the smoker long enough to cook the bacon nice and crispy and ho-lee cow were they good. There were way more than we could use so I took the excess (two large paper grocery bags full to the brim) to the office last week and put them on the break room table.
Got my garlic in the ground on Saturday (150-ish cloves) and gave it a nice blanket of composted horse poo. It's been a few years since the garden received a fresh layer of compost so I went back over it yesterday and filled in the space between the rows. The tomatoes are still hanging on, but if the weather guessers are right they will all be dead by morning. Nighttime low temps in the mid 20s are predicted for the next two nights. I'll use the old run the sprinkler all night trick to try to save the sweet corn.
Since I was already working on board fence and had all my tools out it seemed like a good time to work on planter boxes in the greenhouse. I ran out of daylight before I finished, but it won't take much to complete. I'm hoping to grow some salad greens in there during the winter.
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