WEEKLY GARDEN THREAD AUGUST 25, 2017

freerepublic | August 25, 2017 | greeenyes

[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. No matter what, you won’t be flamed and the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked.

It is impossible to hijack the Weekly Gardening Thread. Planting, Harvest to Table(recipes)preserving, good living - there is no telling where it will go and... that is part of the fun and interest. Jump in and join us!

NOTE: This is a once a week ping list. We do post to the thread during the week. Links to related articles and discussions which might be of interest are welcomed, so feel free to post them at any time.

[Red Badger]

Celery ends? Does it root if you just bury it?..................

[Augie]

It was another gorgeous weather week here in Central Missouri. Getting things done so I can leave on vacation with a clear conscience.

I dug up two more rows of potatoes yesterday. Two more to go. Green beans and tomatoes still producing like crazy. Mrs. Augie started a batch of fermented pickles yesterday. Still getting peaches from one tree. Mrs. Augie picked a few pears on Saturday. They're ready so we'll get the rest this week.

This Friday is opening day of dove season. Pops came over and shredded part of the sunflower field last week. I went back there with the Kubota and cut about half of what he shredded, and blew the duff off to one side so I could get through it without balling up the tiller. The blinds are set up and the birds are flying. Looking forward to some fun back there over the weekend.

I got a bunch more dirt moved out of the pond, but at a cost. Was working in there Thursday evening and got the back blade bound up. The upper part of the hitch folded up, the bottom of the blade rotated forward and put a ripper tooth into both of Nanner's rear tires. I got the blade loose and the tractor out Friday morning and called the tire shop. Tire guy was able to get them both patched up and so far they're holding. It's going to take a bit of work to get the blade back in service.

The cut is getting bigger. After wrecking the blade I discovered that the tiller, while not providing the same amount of rear ballast, is even more effective at loosening up the ground where I want to remove soil on the flat. I've got the depth that I need, but I have to pay attention to the slope in there so the water runs to the trash pump when it rains.

[MomwithHope]

Greetings from west Michigan. I think my pictures will post now. Some are over 2 weeks old. My workaround on photobucket is shut down now. So I went over to tinypic.

Have been so busy dehydrating, canning, and freezing.Lots of tomatoes have picked and processed over a bushel (not all at one time) and there is still probably a bushel out here still green. The San Marzanos I have put into sauce and salsa but I also have dehydrated 28 racks worth. I spoon out the centers on the halves, put in a bowl, toss generously with lie oil and then add salt, pepper, granulated garlic, basil and oregano. hey taste so sweet and savory at the same time. One of the San Marzano plants which I started from last year's seed had over 60 tomatoes on it, they are all heavily laden. Not a single tomato worm this year!

Well tinypic is not working for me :(. I set up an account and uploaded 6 pictures but when I click on them it to get the html it says the page is unavailable. Frustrating! Will try again later.

[greeneyes]

Ditto here too. Usually the kids go back to school and it’s almost unbearable heat. Not this year. Feels more like fall for sure.

[greeneyes]

I don’t know about just burying it. I put it in about 1/4 to 1/2” of water in a colored dish till the leaves grow out of the middle about 2” tall, then just plant it and cover up the root, but leave the leaves exposed.

[SaveFerris]

Weird. I have one long planter that I put Sweet Snacking Pepper, Jalapeno Pepper, Serrano Pepper and regular Bell Pepper in.

Pulled some the last few days. They look like little barrels with cracks (spots like cracks) - kinda resembles a tiny watermelon.

They were dark green. AFTER I pulled them, they are turning BRIGHT RED on the table. I thought they were jalapeno. Now I’m not sure what they are.

Got one good Sweet Snacking Pepper. Pulled him at green - he is now BRIGHT ORANGE.

Sqash is all over - my aluminum foil-type baking pans were a bust. They were cheap. Some radishes growing in them, though. Little six-legged (I think) bugs were crawling all over the one squash out there. Must have been over a dozen of those little guys.

I think I would up with at least 3 dead tomato corn worms being eaten up. All the beetles abandoned the Sweet Basil plant a couple weeks ago. Maybe they moved. I’ll only get a few leaves on this 4th harvest of that plant.

My cherry tomatoes are just popping. that plant must have 40-50 going on it now. Some of those are just getting started though.

[SaveFerris]

As I figured, they are Jalapeno - this is exactly what they are doing:

[SaveFerris]

These are like the Marconi Peppers outta one small tub - the last four I picked haven't gone red yet

[tubebender]

Someone else had a problem with Tiny pic last week...

[MomwithHope]

I love that picture of your Dad!

[Augie]

Pops loves doing that kind of stuff.

He’s retired from farming now, but any excuse to get on a tractor is good enough to suit him.

He spends a lot of time during the summers mowing pasture ground for the neighbors.

[Augie]

Well tinypic is not working for me :(. I set up an account and uploaded 6 pictures but when I click on them it to get the html it says the page is unavailable. Frustrating! Will try again later

TinyPic is busted right now. Has been for awhile now. TubeBender suggested flikr. It's a bit more of a nuisance to operate than TinyPic, but once you get the hang of it's alright.

[CatDancer]

I’m in southern MO and growing tomatoes in containers, Tasti-Lee and Bella Rosa - both were doing great. This last week I had a bad invasion of tomato hornworms. They eat the leaves to bare stalks and eat holes in the green tomatoes, too. Besides eating an eggplant plant and seriously damaging one of my great, prolific Italian pepper plants. Anyway, I cut squares of cheesecloth that I have for sprouting in winter, and made little bags to bag up each good tomato on the plants, tying them with a baggie tie. It’s worked; the hornworms can’t get to them in their bags and the ones left are ripening to red just fine, bagged in cheesecloth.

Got the idea from remembering when I had to net my peach tree in Texas decades ago to keep the birds from destroying the peaches. So it works to “net” tomatoes, too.

[MomwithHope]

Ok thanks I’ll try it.

[MomwithHope]

That picture would look nice in a rustic frame.

[greeneyes]

Thanks for the pics. That’s going to be really nice when it’s finished. We are enjoying fresh tomatoes - it was a long wait!

I put some tomato wedges on the dehydrator, sprinkled with a pinch of sea salt. When they were finished - WOW. I think I’ve found my new favorite snack to replace potato chips. LOL

[greeneyes]

We only had one hornworm this year, but he totally destroyed my cherry tomato plant and started on a pepper before we caught him.

This is my first year dehydrating tomatoes. I just sprinkled some salt on wedges. I put some in a jar with olive oil(per one of my books on vintage storing) but most I just put into a jar as is for snacking - they aren’t lasting long.

How do you go about rehydrating/using the tomatoes? How long do they last for you?

[greeneyes]

I think that green Jalepeno Pepper will turn red as it ripens just like green bell peppers do.

I kept a basil plant going in a pot for 5 years. Brought it into the house during the winter. Harvested it and kept it trimmed up - pot was only about 6-8 inches and not very tall.

I dumped it because it was looking pretty awful, and was root bound and I didn’t want to use a bigger pot. I grew it from seed, and it supplied all the basil I needed for all those years plus I had fresh basil available when I needed it.

[greeneyes]

I wonder if that would work for grapes?

[SaveFerris]

Bright Orange Sweet Snacking Pepper will be roasted with some chicken strips and Wing Sauce, Lord willing, this weekend.

Neighbor and I are planning. Hope to roast corn on the cob again. Maybe it will catch on fire again. Oh well, the hose and a bucket of water for dunking will be on station. Good stuff last time.

I've got a green Beefsteak tomato in a sealed bucket with some other tomatoes, a cherry tomato, green/red jalapeno, trying to keep the ethlene gas sealed inside to ripen him. He got about as big as he could on the vine. We'll see what a week or so does in there.