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WEEKLY GARDEN THREAD VOLUME 25 JUNE 21, 2013
Free Republic | June 21, 2013 | greeneyes

Posted on 06/21/2013 12:40:17 PM PDT by greeneyes

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To: greeneyes

” Blackberries must be trying to recover from the drought or something, they are very small this year and not ripening very well. We are just letting the birds have them. “

I’m glad to know that! We have a LOT of berries, but they are small, and as you say, not ripening to the darker color.

My squashes showed their first blooms today (male!)


181 posted on 06/23/2013 9:28:43 PM PDT by TEXOKIE (We must surrender only to our Holy God and never to the evil that has befallen us.)
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To: Just mythoughts

Are you close to Springfield, Missouri?


182 posted on 06/23/2013 10:18:48 PM PDT by greeneyes (Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
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To: Silentgypsy

LOL. It would be nice to have something that would scare them, maybe even get them wet, but I wouldn’t want to really hurt them really really bad.

I also don’t have the money to spend a lot right now, but home security system is on my list of things for hubby to research.


183 posted on 06/23/2013 10:21:43 PM PDT by greeneyes (Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
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To: MissMagnolia

YaHoo. Good for you and the little zuke. Hubby found two little summer squash that were conjoined, so he picked them, and I added them to my stir fry veggies yesterday.


184 posted on 06/23/2013 10:23:16 PM PDT by greeneyes (Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
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To: tillacum

The police never come into our neighborhood. I am sure they would be polite, but double over in laughter when I left. They wouldn’t even come out or do anything when we had a prowler enter the house a few years back.


185 posted on 06/23/2013 10:25:06 PM PDT by greeneyes (Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
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To: tillacum

Most of the stuff I dry is really dry, and then I grind it into a powder. Put a dessicant package or wrap some rice in a cloth and use a bread twist tie to secure the cloth around the rice. Usually put this in the bottom of the container.

Sometimes, I also put an oxygen absorber on top and then seal the bag or a mason type jar.

When I freeze tomatoes, I am lazy about it. Cut off the stem ends chop them up and put into zip bags. When they are frozen, then I vaccum out the air. These I use for stews or chili.

I haven’t dehydrated a lot of stuff, since I was using mostly the freezer. Last year I started using the pressure cooker, but I didn’t have enough tomatoes to really can them, so I bought several cases of diced, stewed, and whole tomatoes when they were on sale.

I always thought it would be good to have tomato powder, that way you could make a quick paste or sauce by adding the spices, and just enough water to get the consistency you want. It might not work, but if it did, you wouldn’t have to cook tomatoes all day to reduce it and make pasta sauce or ketchup, and it would take up less storage space.


186 posted on 06/23/2013 10:36:11 PM PDT by greeneyes (Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
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To: tillacum

I don’t really want to hurt them, just make it annoying enough that they quit.


187 posted on 06/23/2013 10:36:56 PM PDT by greeneyes (Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
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To: TEXOKIE

Well, of course, I am not sure about it, but it is a theory. Last year we had a bunch of really great berries, and I had made several cobblers, and canned 7 pints by mid June.

This year it’s just pitiful.


188 posted on 06/23/2013 10:38:41 PM PDT by greeneyes (Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
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To: greeneyes

You could stud the front yard with zucchini-loaded Claymores. Zucchini shrapnel is just messy and sticky, depending upon the maturity of your ammo. It won’t hurt them.


189 posted on 06/24/2013 7:31:41 AM PDT by Silentgypsy
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To: Red_Devil 232

Yay for your puppies and MS gun law, and prayers up for your trip!


190 posted on 06/24/2013 7:39:49 AM PDT by Silentgypsy
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To: greeneyes
Squash bugs are hammering my zucchini and I'm killing a tomato plant. How do you kill tomatoes. Plenty of water and fertilizer along with extra minerals, only one of the four is looking bad.

Well this is my first year to ever garden, trial and error.
191 posted on 06/24/2013 7:48:16 AM PDT by ForAmerica (Texas Conservative Christian *born again believer in Jesus Christ* Black Man!)
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To: greeneyes; All

Has anyone here tried the roll of “organic” paper weed-block available at Lowes? It’s like the landscape fabric, but paper instead of fabric or spun material. I’ll have to go look at the label to see who makes it.

I laid it down in my tomato patch yesterday because I don’t trust myself to weed faithfully.

It was easier than using newspaper, and covers the same area for about the same cost if you can’t get free newspapers. 15$, 75 sq. feet.


192 posted on 06/24/2013 7:49:19 AM PDT by Ladysforest
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To: antceecee

Great story! I love to hear about cleverness defeating treachery!


193 posted on 06/24/2013 7:52:15 AM PDT by Silentgypsy
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To: greeneyes

To anyone, especially MO area. I planted a dwarf peach tree 6 years ago. Never has done. Its always something.

Either leaves start to turn red/pink and look like flesh that has been burned, or last years my damn chickens flew up and were knocking down all the fruit.

This year everything was going well until last week. Now all the fruit, although small, is rotting on the tree. Shriveling up too.

Is it even possible to not have to spray a fruit tree with everything under the sun to get fruit?


194 posted on 06/24/2013 7:54:30 AM PDT by roofgoat
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To: greeneyes

“Pitiful.” LOL! That seems to be the word. I’ve been excited about the many berries, but they just seem to stay red and never go to the deep color of a ripe one...or the birds are getting them. I’m just tickled that we have producing bushes, and I won’t worry about them at this point.


195 posted on 06/24/2013 9:23:45 AM PDT by TEXOKIE (We must surrender only to our Holy God and never to the evil that has befallen us.)
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To: Silentgypsy; All
While we were packing up yesterday Mrs. RD asked Semper if he was packed. A few moments later he found my soft sided travel case and settled in for a nap. Yup He was packed and ready to go! LOL

 photo SemperPacked2_zpsb2978513.jpg He settled in for a nap!

 photo SemperPacked1_zpse2c0a469.jpg

196 posted on 06/24/2013 10:43:20 AM PDT by Red_Devil 232 (VietVet - USMC All Ready On The Right? All Ready On The Left? All Ready On The Firing Line!)
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To: Red_Devil 232

Lady Bender came home from a 4 day R&R with our daughter and the first thing she did was wash the clothes I was saving for her, and in less than a hour she was out in the garden picking 1 & 1/2 gallons of raspberries before coming in and cleaning the house. I was watching the Nascar race...


197 posted on 06/24/2013 1:30:01 PM PDT by tubebender (Evening news is where they begin with "Good Evening," and then proceed to tell you why it isn't.)
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To: Red_Devil 232

Holycow! Can you say, “Adorable”?!

Did you see the doggie ping about the Keeshond puppy freaking out over a dandelion? I bet you and Mrs. RD would get a kick out of it!


198 posted on 06/24/2013 4:06:14 PM PDT by Silentgypsy
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To: greeneyes

Have you dried squash? I’m such a scatterbrain, when it comes to preserving food. I just freeze everything. What would happen if the electricity goes out/??? nobama is working on it. Right now I’m just using a borrowed dehydrator, am thinking of getting one a little more pricy with instructions. This one doesn’t have any, even on the computer.


199 posted on 06/24/2013 6:47:07 PM PDT by tillacum
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To: greeneyes

When the summer squash aee coming in, I pick the smallest ones. I use then in scrambled eggs, green onions, and whatever veggie was left over from the night before. I love scrambled egg/squash. Sometimes our scrambled, squash/green onions and leftovers last for a couple of breakfasts.


200 posted on 06/24/2013 6:52:24 PM PDT by tillacum
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