Weekly Gardening Thread – 2010 Vol. 18 June 4

Free Republic | 06-04-2010 | Red_Devil 232

[JustaDumbBlonde]

Yep, I can confirm that turnip has gone to seed.

[winodog]

Should I pull it up and plant something else?
I dont know what “gone to seed means” other then the buds sprouting can be saved for seeds.

[ApplegateRanch]

Snowed in mid-may; 2” cloudburst plus 1/2-3/4” sized hail Monday before Memorial Day weekend, so everything planted late, and not all in yet.

An early, unexpected, freeze in late September broke the irrigation pump; the new one should be here next week. Meanwhile, it is a bunch of gallon jugs & a 5 gallon ‘gas’ can to fill & haul to the garden to hand water.

We have planted a butternut tree; two hazelnut saplings, a peach tree; and added a second Carmine Jewel bush sweet cherry, since the one put in last year did so well.

Also added some new fencing & gates to keep cattle out of where we want to do some serious planting next year.

Can't be all work and no play, however; tomorrow is a day off with friends to do the Crazy Horse Memorial 25th annual (and our first) Volksmarch. It is a 10K hike (round trip) up the mountain, to the arm in front of the face.

For scale, the head is 80' tall,; the heads at Mount Rushmore are 60'.

[Red_Devil 232]

Wow! Is the memorial completed?

[ApplegateRanch]

Nowhere near complete! Right now they are blocking out the horse's head. It is to be totally 'in the round'.

Here's a picture of a large scale model, on the deck at the visitor's center, of what it is to look like when finished.

I would have replied sooner, but after I posted, I went out to clean and pluck Monday's dinner: fresh Cornish game hen, to be stuffed with wild rice. One down; eleven to go.

Did I ever mention that I hate pin feathers? LOL

[JustaDumbBlonde]

I dont know what “gone to seed means” other then the buds sprouting can be saved for seeds.

I apologize for being vague. Basically, the plant has served its purpose in life once it has produced seed. Of course, this doesn't apply to trees and berry bushes, but with a garden plant that is pretty much it.

Many garden plants will continue fruiting so long as you keep it picked, because you are not allowing it to accomplish its mission. If you stop picking the squash or beans, the plant will stop producing shortly.

Corn is another good example ... once it has produced an ear, the plant dies.

[ApplegateRanch]

About the only thing that works for absolute certain on squirrels is an ounce or so of #6 shot. At least you can have squirrel stew. ;-)

Or, you MIGHT try this:

To keep squirrels from eating your plants, sprinkle your plants with cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper doesn't hurt the plant and the squirrels won't come near it.

[Red_Devil 232]

Stunning! Is there a forcasted completion date? Looks like it will be many years.

[ApplegateRanch]

Google “square foot gardening”

Bountiful Gardens is a good source/resource. They don't just sell, they have a demonstration farm; and they also do grassroots village farming projects in 3rd world countries

This is in Willits, CA; about 100 miles from Tubebender, though I have no idea if he has ever even heard of them, let alone has visited them.

I do get their catalogs, and have been very happy with what I have bought from them.

Their catalog gives expected yields for both novices and experienced 'square foot' growing; how much each pkt or other quantity will plant, in both square foot & feet of traditional row; and much more information for each variety, including the seed source.

They also offer books, workshops, and internships if one is interested.

[ApplegateRanch]

Many moons. Much many moons, Kemo Sabe!

[Lera]

Eggplant seeds are easy to start but they like warmth.
I start them in those expanding peet pellet pots on the window sill. I take a soda water bottle and cut it in half put the peet pellet in the bottom half and let it soak , plant the seed and put the top of the water bottle on it like a cloache (lid on it too) and put it in a south facing window sill . After a few days I remove the top cap but leave the top of the bottle on until the seed sprouts.
My house is kept at 78 and they start fine with the sun hitting the window.

[tubebender]

Bountiful Gardens... There is a flash from the past. Organic Gardening, Mother Earth News and the Victory Garden series praised Bountiful Gardens. Was it John Jeavons work? Here is another great company in Willets Got Drip? I have been to their warehouse to pickup a couple of orders...

[tubebender]

15 years ago this week my wife and I drove our new Buick Riviera through the upper midwest to visit FRiends in Aberdeen SD and we toured the Crazy Horse site and Mount Rushmore on the return plus a stop in Sturgis and Wall Drugs. Took #90 west and spent 6 hours at the battle of the Little Big Horn. There had been a grass fire and the archeologist were having a wet dream experience. We’re still driving the Riviera but a replacement will be here next Wednesday...

[ApplegateRanch]

Celery...

Golden Self-Blanching Celery: http://www.bountifulgardens.org/prodinfo.asp?number=VCE%2D3090

Leaf celery, cutting: http://www.bountifulgardens.org/prodinfo.asp?number=VCE%2D3100

EA Special Strain Celery: http://www.bountifulgardens.org/prodinfo.asp?number=VCE%2D3080

They have other celery/celery-like veggies also.

Or, here: http://www.reimerseeds.com/search.aspx?keyword=celery many varieties to choose from.

Or, here: CELERY * ENGLISH RED * HEIRLOOM SEEDS 2010 http://www.cherrygal.com/celeryenglishredheirloomseeds2010-p-9953.html She has another one, too.

I haven’t bought from Reimer, but I have from CherryGal.

[ApplegateRanch]

Yeah, Jeavons is somewhere in their mix. They do have some interesting concepts that seem to work for the, and at least they put their spades where their mouths are.

I do not do double digging; around here it would take too much dynamite. LOL

[tubebender]

All of our veggie beds have been double dug at least once and a few twice. All of our beds are hand spaded every spring. Gave the big tiller to our Pastor as a partial payment for a key to the Gates...

[tubebender]

You got my curiosity going so I did a search and found lots on John Jeavons. I was so interested in his concepts that we visited the Bio-Intensive gardens at UC Santa Cruz on a visit to my sister living down there. Here are a couple of links...

UC Santa Cruz

JJ

[ApplegateRanch]

Black’s Point?!?

You HAD to be a masochist! Why didn’t you go through Callistoga, get a drink of water; then to Napa, Fairfield, then Stockton & hit 99? Get to Madiera/Merced/Livingston just in time for dinner at Foster Farms. I forget just exactly which one of those (then) bergs, but right on 99, on the east side of the highway.

Stop at the Union Hotel in Oxidental for dinner on your way home.

You can see how I travel: never mind where we’re going, or who we’re visiting; where do I eat along the way?

Even when I bicycled, I never got more than 5 miles/milkshake.

I once picked up my girl friend in Concord, and told her dad I’d have her home at a ‘decent hour’. We drove to Merced for dinner, then back to Vallejo for (underage!) drinks & dancing, before hitting a late night restaurant back in Concord for an early breakfast, before getting her home before her dad got home from work around 3 A.M. I know about masochism!

[ApplegateRanch]

15 years ago, on Easter, I was driving the pickup through light snow, 5 miles off pavement, down into the canyon to first lay eyes on this property. I had arrived the night before from Medford, Oregon, alone, armed with a video camera to take pictures to show the wife when I got back.

We bought it.

Later that year, we sold that truck, and got a year-old used 95 Ford 1 ton 4X4 diesel, which we still have.

[tubebender]

Is the Diesel a flatbed?. Speaking of diesel, a guy who works for my son traded some car work for a cord of firewood, then he saw a ad on Craig’s list for a dead mid 80s Mercedes diesel sedan which he traded the cord of wood and $250 for. He spent a few evenings getting the MB to run (this was his 3rd one) and parked it next to 101 and sold it for $3,000 in “stinky” $20 bills. Apparently those engines run well on french fry oil?