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WEEKLY GARDEN THREAD JUNE 29, 2018
freerepublic | JUNE 29, 2018 | greeneyes

Posted on 06/29/2018 6:57:26 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. 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 any time-and don't have to be about gardening.


TOPICS: Gardening
KEYWORDS: agriculture; food; gardening; hobby
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Greetings from Mo. Really sunny today. Coolness break is over, but triple digit heat wave is gone. Temps in the high 80s and nights in 70s. Rain for several days-including last night.

I've spent a lot of time sweeping up mud dropping off of hubby's boots. The humidity is really bad, so as we have worked outside, we have to take frequent time to escape back to the air conditioning.

We've been getting 15 gallons of water from the air conditioner this week. The volunteer squash that came up next to the compost bin is larger than any we've ever grown. It has taken over the paved pathway and part of the adjacent raised bed.

The volunteer tomato is blooming and has a few tiny fruits setting-it appears to be one of the grape type tomato plants.

Wheat has been harvested-birds and squirrels got more than half. So much for waiting till the heads turn down - next year will have to do something different.

The patio project using pavers is nearly finished. Hubby estimated a couple of days before he has the raised beds put back together - going to plant some little giant corn and maybe some lettuce etc. in the shady spot.

Next project is a storage shed at the end of the patio to put patio table, chairs, and rakes etc. in out of the weather.

I had planned to plant some triticale, but hubby put all of his project supplies and bags of mortar mixes etc. in the bed that I was going to use for that. So I didn't get that planted.

I just processed 14 pints of dill green beans, and a batch of regular green beans - quarts. Hubby says we have carrots ready for something. First year we've ever had a crop-not sure what is the best way to process them, so I'll be reading my ball book of preserving food to see what I want to tackle.

The canning process has actually been pretty good this year, since we had the cooler weather spell.

Hope you are all doing well. Prayers up for all. Have a great weekend. God Bless.

1 posted on 06/29/2018 6:57:26 PM PDT by greeneyes
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To: greeneyes; Diana in Wisconsin; gardengirl; girlangler; SunkenCiv; HungarianGypsy; Gabz; ...

Pinging the list.


2 posted on 06/29/2018 7:01:16 PM PDT by greeneyes
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To: greeneyes

Ball has a new book that has a lot more and different recipes too.

That’s on my Santa list for this Christmas.

Along with an electric water bath canner I can put on my porch and not steam up my kitchen in July/August.


3 posted on 06/29/2018 7:03:47 PM PDT by Black Agnes
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To: greeneyes

Love this!


4 posted on 06/29/2018 7:06:02 PM PDT by madameguinot
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To: Black Agnes

We’re overrun with tomatoes.
Giving away a half dozen every two or three days—can’t eat em fast enough.
Huge number of Marconi peppers and cucumbers.

I think we’ll start seeds a bit later in 2019...


5 posted on 06/29/2018 7:07:24 PM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks (Baseball players, gangsters and musicians are remembered. But journalists are forgotten.)
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To: greeneyes

On Monday night it got down to 37F overnight. Whew, no frost damage here in the cold Colorado Rockies. Everything looks OK, but tomatoes and beans are slow due, I think, to cold temps at night.


6 posted on 06/29/2018 7:08:25 PM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of ascenery and wildlife, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: Black Agnes

I bought ball’s most recent book last year for hubby, so that he would quit borrowing and losing mine. LOL I actually don’t like the way it’s organized and it takes up way too much space on the book shelf. I do like additional recipes.

I’ve been thinking about getting a gas BBQ grill to use, but your comment made me stop and think about those portable electric burners that I’ve seen advertised - we have several outdoor electric outlets that I could use to do that. So thanks for helping me think that through.


7 posted on 06/29/2018 7:12:19 PM PDT by greeneyes
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To: madameguinot

Glad to hear it.


8 posted on 06/29/2018 7:13:08 PM PDT by greeneyes
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To: Eric in the Ozarks

We don’t have any tomatoes yet, except for the ones from the farmer’s market.


9 posted on 06/29/2018 7:13:44 PM PDT by greeneyes
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To: MtnClimber

Most likely. You need temps of around 50 degrees at night for tomatoes to continue to grow and mature. You may need to do something about getting some warmth somehow.


10 posted on 06/29/2018 7:16:24 PM PDT by greeneyes
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To: Eric in the Ozarks

Get a dehydrator and make tomato powder.

https://thesurvivalmom.com/10-uses-tomato-powder/

https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/2017/09/tomato-powder/

I leave the seeds in mine for the dehydrator part and sift them out once I’ve ground the dried maters up.

It’s REALLY good sprinkled on the top of a roast in the crockpot. Makes its own tomato gravy.


11 posted on 06/29/2018 7:27:34 PM PDT by Black Agnes
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To: greeneyes

I tried to heat my water bath on one of those double eye hotplates from Walmart but no dice. Just didn’t have the mojo to do that.

I’ve been trying to think of ways to get cooking outdoors while it’s 96F here.


12 posted on 06/29/2018 7:29:00 PM PDT by Black Agnes
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To: Black Agnes

I bet a rocket stove would do it, but you would need to protect the base of the canner from smoky build up, you’d also have to feed the fire.

So I wonder if a gas grill would work? I know some have extra burners for cooking stuff. Since we are all electric, I have been thinking about getting a gas BBQ just for a backup cooking source, but also something to use for canning outdoors in the summer heat.


13 posted on 06/29/2018 7:46:53 PM PDT by greeneyes
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To: greeneyes; Diana in Wisconsin; gardengirl; girlangler; SunkenCiv; HungarianGypsy; Gabz

I have two holes in the ground near my 5 blueberry bushes. Probably one or more rats. Do you have any advice?


14 posted on 06/29/2018 8:35:19 PM PDT by killermosquito (Buffalo, Detroit (and eventually France) is what you get when liberalism runs its course.)
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To: Black Agnes

I put mirrors on an old satellite dish and it reaches 600+ degrees in about a minute. I’m looking for a 10 inch cast iron pipe to put food in for cooking.


15 posted on 06/29/2018 8:39:47 PM PDT by killermosquito (Buffalo, Detroit (and eventually France) is what you get when liberalism runs its course.)
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To: killermosquito

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/rid-rats-organically-vegetable-garden-90062.html

http://www.countrylife.co.uk/out-and-about/sporting-country-pursuits/top-tips-on-how-to-get-rid-of-rats-30445

A couple of links with articles. I got some sort of poison that I used for voles - it came in a cone shaped box. I don’t remember the name. I think hubby bought it at wall mart.


16 posted on 06/29/2018 9:00:49 PM PDT by greeneyes
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To: greeneyes; All
A couple of great photos from Greeneyes garden. She will explain them to you…

0627181756-00

0627181753-00

17 posted on 06/29/2018 9:26:12 PM PDT by tubebender
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To: greeneyes

Hubby is going to fire up a propane burner he’s got to do the water bath canning.

What I like about the electric waterbath is you can use it for soup/stew and as a steamer too.

We’ll see if I still think I need it this fall when I’m done with canning.


18 posted on 06/29/2018 9:28:10 PM PDT by Black Agnes
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To: killermosquito

Wowsers.

I’ve seen plans for a solar cooker floating around the net somewhere. That’s on my to do list actually. Another way to heat food that doesn’t involve a fight with my A/C in the summer.


19 posted on 06/29/2018 9:29:24 PM PDT by Black Agnes
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To: greeneyes
What I saw on my vacation: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ajBLkApnjrE Mormon Crickets. 😵
20 posted on 06/29/2018 9:39:53 PM PDT by Califreak (Take Me Back To Constantinople)
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