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Weekly Gardening Thread – 2011 (Vol. 40) October 14
Free Republic
| 10-14-2011
| Red_Devil 232
Posted on 10/14/2011 5:20:03 AM PDT by Red_Devil 232
Good morning gardeners. The October weather here in East Central Mississippi has been nothing but amazing this past week. We have had a few rainy days that have helped keep my compost pile moist as I am still working on building it up. It is satisfying to see the steam rise from it when I give it a turn on these cool mornings.
If you are a gardener or you are just starting out and are in need of advice or just encouragement please feel free to join in and enjoy the friendly discussion. Our Freeper community is full of gardeners, each with varying interests and skill levels from Master Gardener to novice.
I hope all your Summer gardens did well this year and your Fall gardens prosper.
TOPICS: Agriculture; Food; Gardening; Hobbies
KEYWORDS: garden; gardening; recipes; weekly
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To: Mrs. Don-o
21
posted on
10/14/2011 8:26:04 AM PDT
by
Red_Devil 232
(VietVet - USMC All Ready On The Right? All Ready On The Left? All Ready On The Firing Line!)
To: greeneyes
Thanks for the info. I live in Tn - zone 6 - I have enough plastic to give it a second layer if needs be. So be it - I will erect it in the garden.
22
posted on
10/14/2011 8:47:59 AM PDT
by
30Moves
To: 30Moves
OK. I live in Missouri zone 5. Let me know how your plastic works out. I did not use plastic, because I did not want to have to monitor temps during periods of unseasonably warm weather etc. Plus I already had row covers.
I used a row cover which lets in sun and rain. As the temps got colder, I covered with straw and then with a Styrofoam egg crate mattress during the colder weather.
Once the snow melts and temps improved, I could just roll back the mattress. I also lined the planted area with black milk jugs full of water to give off heat.
Keep me posted on how your project works out.
23
posted on
10/14/2011 9:19:36 AM PDT
by
greeneyes
(Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
To: Arrowhead1952
The garden and lawn sure liked the rain we got last weekend. We had about 2.75" but need a lot more to catch up.San Antonio's west side received a whopping 4.5 inches. The northwest side enjoyed 5 inches. The airport area had to limp along with a measly 3 inches. Usually, the north and east parts of the county get all the good stuff and we're left wondering why we're left out.
I collected 75 gallons of rain water. Now, I'm down to about 25 gallons and there is no rain in the near term forecast.
I probably wasted ten gallons trying to keep alive a bell pepper stem broken by storm winds. But, the thing was loaded with buds and young peppers, so I stuck it in the ground and have kept it saturated, supposing it might root like a cutting. It is definitely drooping, but still green with some kind of promise. How could I not try just to see what happens? :-)
R.
24
posted on
10/14/2011 9:53:44 AM PDT
by
Racehorse
(Always preach the Gospel . . . . Use words if necessary.)
To: Racehorse
My sister and BIL live on 1560 N and they had just over 5”. The creek was over the road on Sunday morning. I need to buy some rain barrels. Our neighbor has two and they both overflowed.
25
posted on
10/14/2011 10:14:53 AM PDT
by
Arrowhead1952
(Dear God, thanks for the rain, but please let it rain more in Texas. Amen.)
To: Red_Devil 232
The garden is dead; long live the garden!
Salvaged the last tomatoes, japaleno (LOL) peppers, and pattypans yesterday.
Just need to mulch the strawberries, and gather in the squashkins; then do the Fall tilling.
If it hadn't been for a decent Indian Summer, we wouldn't have gotten any heirloom tomatoes; they didn't produce until after the first frost.
We did get a half decent apple harvest this year; next year, weather willing, should be better as the tress get yet another late Winter rejuvenation pruning & Sp fertilization.
The plots of winter wheat are looking good. Oddly, the two meticulously planted (6” rows 4-6” seed spacing) 4’ X 25’ plots sprouted somewhat (50-60%) poorly; the three 8-10’ X 20-25’ that were hand broadcast, then lightly tilled in are doing much better.
All of the plots got the same amendments tilled in before planting, and the two row-planted are next to two of the broadcast plots; the other broadcast plot is in a different area, but got the same treatment.
Anyone have any ideas about apricots that bloom about 6-8 weeks before the bees are active?
26
posted on
10/14/2011 11:03:23 AM PDT
by
ApplegateRanch
("Public service" does NOT mean servicing the people, like a bull among heifers.)
To: Red_Devil 232
My best crop this season has been basil. Picking lots for drying and making pesto.
27
posted on
10/14/2011 12:44:46 PM PDT
by
tob2
To: Free Vulcan
Lettuce seedlings almost ready for transplanting. When it gets much cooler, can start the spinach.
28
posted on
10/14/2011 12:48:57 PM PDT
by
tob2
To: Red_Devil 232
My husband has been trying to grow the old variety of Virginia Beauty apples for years but with no success. This year he had his first apple. I say that in the singular since there was only one on the tree. LOL!
To: Red_Devil 232
Growing Season #2 is upon us, and it's doing well!
This is from the outside of the hoophouse
It's a little difficult to see due to the angle of the sun, so I'll post a pic from inside:
We have cabbage, lettuce, tomato, onion, watermelon, pumpkin, pole beans, and more peppers. The trees are apple trees from Medina. They'll go in the ground as soon as they go dormant for the season.
The Thai peppers are still producing:
As is the Tabasco "tree". Believe it or not, but this one is 5 years old. It will freeze back in the winter, and return every spring.
The Papaya has it's first fruit of the season. I thought the freeze last February killed it.
Now, for all of y'all who can read plants, I have several store propogated tomato plants that look like this:
I've added Epsom salts, super triple phosphate, and chelated iron to the manure and high pH soil with little results. Am I missing something?
30
posted on
10/14/2011 2:04:30 PM PDT
by
Sarajevo
(Is it true that cannibals don't eat clowns because they taste funny?)
To: Sarajevo
Have never seen tomato plants with leaves like those pictured!
Great looking hoop house - looks like your efforts have paid off - the plants look very healthy!
31
posted on
10/14/2011 6:08:28 PM PDT
by
Red_Devil 232
(VietVet - USMC All Ready On The Right? All Ready On The Left? All Ready On The Firing Line!)
To: Sarajevo
Nice work there FRiend...
32
posted on
10/14/2011 7:07:44 PM PDT
by
tubebender
(She was only a whiskey maker, but I loved her still.)
To: Red_Devil 232
33
posted on
10/15/2011 6:53:03 AM PDT
by
satan69
(garden)
To: satan69
34
posted on
10/15/2011 8:01:13 AM PDT
by
satan69
(garden)
To: satan69
35
posted on
10/15/2011 10:27:57 AM PDT
by
tubebender
(She was only a whiskey maker, but I loved her still.)
To: satan69
OMG! You all are growing mango there! I am envious!
I notice that your soil looks real sandy but your plants appear healthy. Do you use any amendments such as manure?
36
posted on
10/15/2011 12:29:25 PM PDT
by
Sarajevo
(Is it true that cannibals don't eat clowns because they taste funny?)
To: Sarajevo
Yes, That area had cows and sheep on it for 25 years. The best soil to be cursed with is sandy, At least it drains. I also have to put lime on it 2 or 3 times a season as the rains wash it all away and the tomatoes get blossom end rot. It’s worth all the extra work as we get 2 seasons in South FL! In the summer it’s just to hot. If you like black eyed peas you can get 3 seasons but the fungus goes nuts in the rainy season...
37
posted on
10/15/2011 12:40:47 PM PDT
by
satan69
(garden)
To: Red_Devil 232
I apologize profusely for the delay in getting back with you on the candied jalapenos! The farm is picking cotton or, as usual, wrenching with a little cotton picking thrown in.
The sweet and spicy syrup is easy. Dissolve 2 pounds of sugar in each quart of vinegar. Make a spice bag by tying a handful of pickling spice into a piece of cheesecloth. Bring the syrup to a boil and throw in the pickling spice. Boil for one minute, remove from heat, cover and allow to cool. For more spicy flavor, leave the lid on your pot put it aside overnight.
After washing thoroughly, remove the stem and blossom ends from your peppers, and slice the peppers.
Bring your syrup to a boil and add the sliced peppers, stir long enough for the peppers to heat through, but do not "cook" them.
Pack the heated peppers into clean canning jars and top them off with boiling hot syrup. Remove air bubbles and leave 1/2" headspace in jars. Put your lids and bands in place and place in a hot water bath canner for 10 minutes.
You will get this:
On these jars, I used apple cider vinegar instead of white vinegar, so the syrup is a bit darker and a little sweeter. I also add a few red pepper flakes and extra black peppercorns to my pickling spice, for a little zing in the syrup. If you are using a hot variety of jalapenos, you may want to tone the syrup down instead.
If you have any syrup left over, you can put it in a jar and use it as pepper sauce on peas, etc., or you can seal it in a jar with the water bath canner and save it for your next batch of peppers.
Enjoy!
38
posted on
10/15/2011 12:56:18 PM PDT
by
JustaDumbBlonde
(Don't wish doom on your enemies. Plan it.)
To: satan69
You are so right about the drainage. Here, in the Texas Hill Country, we have high pH caliche based soil. That causes all kinds of problems because the plants can't take up the needed nutrients. I've been dumping tons (and I mean tons) of manure on the ground in raised beds or working it into the soil so I can have decent soil to plant in. The ancient sea bed in this area is almost an impermeable surface.
We've got 2 seasons also, but the seasons are temperamental. This year, we had a freeze, so I had a small crop of peaches and mulberry. If we don't have a freeze, I harvest Japanese Loquat.
The current drought also causes all kinds of growing problems. We mist our plants to keep the air temps below 90 degrees, but the irrigation water is high pH with a lot of dissolved calcium which accumulates on the leaves. I haven't found a good way to filter and lower water pH before it gets to the spray heads yet.
I use a lot of epsom salts (Magnesium sulfate) to combat blossom end rot in my garden. It's real cheap at the drugstore.
39
posted on
10/15/2011 12:56:18 PM PDT
by
Sarajevo
(Is it true that cannibals don't eat clowns because they taste funny?)
To: tubebender
Mr. JADB in one of the cotton fields:
40
posted on
10/15/2011 12:58:59 PM PDT
by
JustaDumbBlonde
(Don't wish doom on your enemies. Plan it.)
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