Posted on 06/24/2011 5:15:19 AM PDT by Red_Devil 232
Good morning gardeners. Well this past week brought a respite from the sunny hot weather here in Mississippi. We received two days of beneficial rains, which helped to revive my garden. Watching the radar it looked like a good portion of south-central Texas from San Antonio to the northeast corner received some rain also. I hope it was helpful to our gardeners over that way. My winter squash are growing like mad and my hot and sweet peppers are doing great. What is left of my tomatoes seem to have revived a bit during these rainy and cloudy days. I really hope that what ever weather you have had improved a bit for you and your gardens this past week.
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I know, that girl can accomplish more in a day than I can in 2 weeks. As my great-nephew said once time, “she must be a whizbang”. I really covet their garden. lol.
BTW... I should add that you took some great photos of the new machine.
Thanks Mr. Bender! I finally got the camera back from my wife’s sister a few months ago it is just a small inexpensive Kodak EasyShare Z1285.
Shindaiwa One, Shindaiwa Red Armor or ECHO Power Blend 2-Stroke Oils can be used in all of our 2-cycle air-cooled equipment ever made. You may also use these oils in any other brand of 2-cycle air cooled equipment, but it should always be mixed at the 50:1 ratio whether or not it was a 32:1 or 16:1 etc. machine. There is no need to have more than 1 tank of fuel for your 2-cycle equipment any more! I wish I had know this info before.
I just noticed that the 3rd picture down was originally posted up side down and now it is right side up! Strange.
Is that one of those red furry creatures in the background of that bottom photo? What are your little fig trees doing? I looked at mine yesterday and they are covered with little green figs. One of the trees that is a different variety already had some that were ripe, but the birds were feasting on those. I am happy to share. The birds are also doing quite a number on my Thompson seedless grapes that are almost ready. I’m a little more concerned about those, as this is the first year that they have produced.
The one fig tree I received from gardengirl a couple of years ago has figs all over it! We ate a couple that were big and very ripe a few days ago. I just weed whacked around it this morning and noticed a few more had over ripened and had ants all over them. These are good sized figs 1 and 1/2 times the size of a golf ball. I need to check this fig tree more often. I would like to propagate this one. If you have any info I would like to know how!
For my application, I'm going to use plain suncloth over the top portion, and chicken wire along the sides and ends. I feel that a little shade during the hottest part of the day, and protection from deer and rabbits will be a winning formula.
The pipe is standard 1 3/8 toprail fence pipe available at Lowe's, Home Depot, or any home inprovement store. Your redwood stumps sound like a good option for bending the pipe. Just make sure you use an extension when bending the last 3-4ft.
If forgot to mention The fig tree has a great aroma, kinda sweet but pungent, nice when mowing or trimming around it. Also my Balwin Pear tree is loaded with pears! The lower limbs are bowed down and almost touching the ground!
I had a rechargable weed wacker that I used for several years. I really liked it, but eventually the battery gave up the ghost, and I went back to using an elelctric one till we moved. Here we don’t need one; with a jungle canopy overhead and the Texas drought, no yardwork is necessary.
Tube Bender is my middle name... or is it my last name... or maybe my first name... now I’ve confused myself
Wait until your fig trees are huge and the figs that fall on the ground underneath ferment. It’s probably just me, but I love that aroma also ... like fig wine would be. Wonder if the whip cracker at Mrs. Bender’s house has ever had a bottle of Chateau le Fig.
The flowers are BEAUTIFUL and will bring in pollinators. I’ve had Borage in the garden for years - planted it ONCE 15 years ago, LOL! I freeze the flowers in ice cubes for summer drinks - really pretty! The very young leaves are tender and taste like cucumber. Eat one! But get them before they develop their prickles. You can eat the blossoms, too.
If and when I can harvest a good quantity of figs I will have to try make a fig wine.
I will have to learn what all the terms mean.
I will name it
Cassiller del Diablo Rojo
Chop figs . Place in large, finely woven nylon straining bag, tie top, and put in primary fermentation vessel. Stir in all other ingredients except yeast. Check S.G. (should be 1.085 to 1.100; if not, add up to 1/2 cup more sugar, stirring very well before re-checking S.G.). Cover with cloth. Add yeast after 24 hours and stir daily, pressing pulp lightly to aid extraction of juices. When liquor reaches 1.040 (3 to 5 days), hang bag over bowl to drain, lightly pressing to aid extraction (do NOT force or you will cloud the liquor). While pulp drains, siphon liquor off sediments into secondary. Add drained liquid and discard pulp. Fit airlock to secondary. Ferment to dryness (S.G. 1.000 or lower -- in about 3 weeks). Rack into clean secondary, top up to 1 gallon and reattach airlock. Rack again in 2 months. Rack again and bottle when clear. This is a good dry wine. If you want it sweeter, add 1/2 tsp stabilizer per gallon after last racking (but before bottling), then add 1/4 lb dissolved sugar per gallon. Bottle. This wine can be drank young (after 3 months in bottle), but will improve immensely with age.
LOL, I like the name! I haven’t checked the specific gravity of liquid since I kept saltwater aquariums. Would imagine that a fermentation vessel would be the same as that for pickles, which is a stoneware crock. Interesting.
Boll Weevils???
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