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.
You lucky duck! I’m literally turning green with envy.
Ok, maybe not green but thinking about it.
I have had no experience with neem oil. I use homemade pepper spray. I take an onion and several garlic cloves and put them in a qt. jar, and fill it up with boiling hot water, add some cayenne pepper. Let sit for 24 hrs or at least overnight, and strain. Then add a drop of Dishwashing liquid, and a few drops of olive oil.
Put it into a spray bottle and it kills bugs within seconds, if sprayed directly on them. Don’t spray the plants when the bees are likely to be out. Nothing harmful, if the produce is sprayed too.
It is probably just for the contract growers. I have been there for a regular tour, but didn’t get to see the behind the door stuff. I thought their vegetarian meal was very tasty.
LOL. You are so bad!! (in a very good way) LOL
Thanks Tube bender. This picture was taken late last fall right after it was put up. Lots of junk to be cleaned up.
We got it all looking good, and then came the latest project-adding a patio extension-now it’s very cluttered again. That’s the way hubby works.
My Granny taught me to pick up and keep order as I worked. So I try to not look at anything till it’s finished, or I get an overwhelming urge to put things up instead of having them all over the surrounding area. LOL
Lovely! A great use of space!
So glad you got to see all of that! Make sure you take the trip to see the Seed Savers Exchange Farm in Decorah, IA sometime, too. Also awesome!
I’m so glad there are seed-obsessed people in this world! :)
“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.”
A rocket stove is the best emergency stove as it will burn hot using just twigs and it burns so hot there is little residue left.
However, if not talking emergency situation, being able to replace propane bottles, for cooking and canning outside, a gas grill with large propane bottles will work just fine.
I also have an outdoor oven that works just like your inside oven and it can use large propane bottles, too.
I also have an outdoor fireplace which takes wood, charcoal.
Here in MA coastal zone 7a, storms gave us a good soaking rain this last week, an answered prayer, with around 90 degree heat for a week after that, with little chance of rain predicted. I was able to save about 200 gallons from off the roof, as described last week. Which is not illegal here, thank God. The fish oil caps that were in the mix of old vitamins i mixed in the water serves to keep mosquitoes from breeding, though i cover the barrels.
The toms from Home Depot were about 6'' high when planted in mid-May, and are planted in the front facing South, and did not grow fast since the temps were cool (avg., about 60), but have since taken off in the last 2 weeks.
Note that as said, the garden here is densely populated - like the city is!
The toms and the butternut squash along the West side are also growing well, thanks be to God.
And the wall garden in my neighbors back yard, most of which was planted later, is also starting to flourish well.
Glory to God for it all!
Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it: thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of water: thou preparest them corn, when thou hast so provided for it. Thou waterest the ridges thereof abundantly: thou settlest the furrows thereof: thou makest it soft with showers: thou blessest the springing thereof. Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; and thy paths drop fatness. (Psalms 65:9-11)
I want an outdoor kitchen for use in emergency and non emergency situations. I do have various devices for alternative cooking in emergency situations.
Rocket Stove, Charcoal grill, Coleman Stove, sterno stove, generator that has plugins for using many things including electric skillet etc. I used to have a propane BBQ grill-didn’t really like it.
I’d like to have a wood fired oven and smoker as part of the outdoor kitchen. The heat has not been too bad this year so far, so I’ve been canning stuff.
In the past, I have sometimes used the freezer and then later canned or dehydrated stuff during the winter months.
We had our first Purple Cherokee BLTs of the season over the weekend. The Better Boys are also getting ripe, which makes Pops happy as those are his favorites. The Brandywines are loaded with whoppers, but none of them are ready to pick.
Got the garlic out a week ago yesterday. Another bumper crop in spite of not being planted until mid-December.
re: outdoor canning...
I use propane burners. I have one banjo cooker and one jet cooker. The banjo cooker is ~40k BTU and is perfect for the cookpot when doing salsa and stuff like that.
The jet cooker is ~100k BTU - I use that one for the water bath pot or pressure canner. It will boil water in no time.
Thanks! I’ll cut/paste this and forward to hubby. He uses something like that (waving my hands, i have no real clue here) for frying turkeys. He’s just not sure about how long it will take to maintain pressures/etc. It’s not something he’s done before.
Sounds yummy at your house. What time is supper?
Ok, that’s beautiful and clever use of land at the same time.
The jet burner is really overkill for running the pressure canner. I have to turn it way down once pressure is achieved. If I had two banjo cookers I’d use one of them on the canner instead of using the jet cooker.
If your hubs has a turkey fryer he has a burner that will work great for canning.
NICE Garlic!!! What is the variety?
I’m not sure of the variety. Ten years ago I bought three bulbs at the local hippie food store and stuck them in the dirt. Been saving some back and replanting it every year since then. It’s adapted very well to the growing conditions in my garden.
“sterno stove”
I have several Sterno stoves, can use these in the house or outside. I used them every time a hurricane took out power. I bought “Daily Chef Safe Heat” cans at Sams instead of Sterno canned heat as it is cheaper.
I calculated how long a “Daily Chef Safe Heat” can would burn, and how long I would need it to burn for a meal. Then I bought enough cans to last - a year.
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