Posted on 05/16/2014 12:31:49 PM PDT by greeneyes
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. This thread is non-political, although you will find that most here are conservative folks.
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Does chard taste like beet greens? I know they’re very closely related, but I haven’t tasted chard yet.
My favorite way to eat beet greens is to chop it fine and mix it in with spaghetti sauce. Or, chop fine, heat it up just enough to wilt, and add to a cream soup or cover it in gravy.
(”Cover it in gravy” is a great way to eat most green leafy things, in my opinion. I’m not much of a green-leafies person.)
The grape tomato I’m dehybridizing doesn’t seem to mind shade as much as other tomatoes. It doesn’t especially like it, but it still grows and produces in shade. After I get a bit further in the dehybridizing, I’ll have to send you some seeds.
Poor kitties :(
My kitty was dumped at my grandfather’s farm, but she had the sense to know that people were her best bet. She saw me and climbed in my coat :)
All, I can say about the taste of chard is that it tasted bitter, and icky, and I chewed it up and spit it out...so, on the nuances or similarities to other stuff..Well, it tasted like something you spit out.
I thought that at Bouchon I had some veloute of Swiss Chard. I didn't really like it, but I ate it since it was 90 bucks for my meal. At home, I have the luxury of spitting it out.
I think I am going to try it stir fried, or as a replacement for the spinach in Jap Chai. I have some sweet potato noodles, so I think it will work.
Moved the cukes and one variety of Chinese cabbage outside to the mini greenhouse. I found an extension cord long enough that I don’t have an exposed connection; robbed the outlet timer from the chickens, and put a 60W clamp lamp inside, set for ‘dusk to dawn’. Company doesn’t know when they’ll have the cover back in stock for the 10 X 10.
3 nights ago, the sky unexpectedly cleared and so it dropped to the 26-28 range, about 5-7*F lower than predicted: more nipped asparagus stems. :-(
I’ll have to replant the other variety of Chinese cabbage & the mesclun mix, as they didn’t germinate at all. Some of the tomatoes didn’t germinate, either, though most (and some of each) did come up; they’re just starting to get their first true leaves.
Sometime late this week, my second doe should start pulling hair for her nest. And speaking of nests, Mrs. Robin unwittingly showed me her nest location in our open-fronted barn. 3 eggs for sure; maybe more.
You have seen those advertisements for Miracle Grow potting soil well they’re true. My son and I bought some tomato plants at home depot. Some were planted in Miracle Grow and some were planted in Scott’s, John Deere, and grocery store potting soil. The Miracle Grow plants were enormous, lush. and green. The ones planted in the cheaper soil looked pathetic. Went out this morning and bought more Miracle grow and plan to transplant.
Grape tomatos are the appetizers of the garden...they never make it inside to the table. :)
Takes a few weeks before you’ll notice a root system, Frankly one has already gone to seed but the roots tell me to cut off the growth and get it into the ground. Will let you know if I’m successful. Also trying celery but nothing thus far.
Picking aspargus here in west Michigan. Have no plants in the ground yet but should be able to plant this week finally!! Last night was I think our last cold night - 35. We have been busy building a new woodshed in the meantime and cutting up next years wood. Next Saturday - splitting time. Will be putting in some plants this week, and a few flowers, mostly peppers and broccoli.
Darned armadillo dug through the entire row where I had my okra....3 times.Ever try lining a garden box with 1/4" galvanized chicken wire to keep them out?
I’ll be planting some stuff this next week. We had a couple of frosty nights last week. It got the cukes, the blueberries, and the black berries.
Hubby covered the tomatoes, but he thought the other stuff would be ok. Some was and some was not.
That’s good to know. Miracle grow has just gone up in ranking.LOL
Glad you were able to work out that simple light bulb solution. We are hoping that our frost last week is the last one. I have delayed the few transplants I have till next week due to the chilly weather here.
I had a bunch of seeds that did not sprout indoors at all. I am suspecting the jiffy mix even though I mixed it with some potting mix.
Just got in some espoma from ordering it on line. So I’ll give some a go with that, but the rest I’m just going to plant outdoors.
Glad things are going well for you. Hope Diana is doing well. We had frost too. Hoping that is it for the chilly weather.
I think a lot of people are turning to gardening to help with their grocery bill.
You are welcome.
Yes we are very proud. The college is in a small town in North West Mo. They were called the North Eastern Mo. University.
They changed the name to Truman State, and began a focused effort to get the smartest and best students they could, and provide good scholarships for them. They have gained quite a reputation as an exclusive school since then.
They do all they can for students who make good grades and have demonstrated that they have a good work ethic. Some are calling the school the “Harvard” of the midwest. Their students are the best ambassadors for the school.
They have such a good experience there that they are always advising other students to go to Truman State.
That’s a lot of stuff. I don’t have much out yet, and lots of the stuff I tried to start didn’t work out even though I mixed the Jiffy stuff in with some nice organic planting mix.
The one exception was the peanuts. All but 1 of about 15 plants produced seedlings. The next batch, I’ll just plant straight out in the soil.
Grand Daughter. LOL Thanks.
Yes we were out on the road when the radio announced that a tornado was spotted along 36 and hit just south of Shelbina.
We were at Macon and the storm passed over us from the west to the east. It rained so hard we could not have seen the road if not for the white lines.
We pulled over at the McDonalds in Macon so that we would not catch up to the storm which was just moving at 30 mph. When we got to Shelbina for the night everything looked to be in good shape there.
That’s a really nice little Inn there. One of the cleanest places we’ve ever seen. Nothing fancy, but it had a refrigerator and Microwave and free continental breakfast.
Nice looking crop.
It has certainly been a weird spring here. Last year was cold and wet, but we didn’t have the extremes we’ve had this year.
I am sure to get some more stuff in the next week when the weather is better.
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