No set 'theme' for today - busy canning! When I get caught up, we'll get back to more 'educational aspects' of gardening. :)
No set 'theme' for today - busy canning! When I get caught up, we'll get back to more 'educational aspects' of gardening. :)
Reincarnated tomatoes is a phenomenon that I thought I’d never live to see. My Sis, the “gardener sibling” of the family, had said to not give up. Looks like she’s right.
Oklahoma’s hellish summer killed just about everything for just about everyone. My in-ground tomato plants were attacked first by the heat, then by gophers, then by blister beetles. But for some reason, I never got around to pulling them up and saying “the hell with it”. Glad now that I didn’t.
A few weeks ago, when temps finally began to be reasonable, I saw some new vegetation where the dry, crunchy leaves join the main stem. Left them alone, and now I have full-sized plants with a bunch of new blossoms.
Same thing with a couple of bell pepper plants, as well as a few green bean seeds I’d stuck in the ground as an experiment. :-)
I know this thread is non political, but with all the Democrats campaigning, I think I found a use for the rotten tomatoes!
😉
Our guavas drop before ripening. One day they are green, the next day yellow and on the ground found by the squirrels before we get up.
God know what my electrical bill is going to be this month!
We are also under strict water restriction still - but, according to my Water Department, we can still hand water.
There was much-needed rain last night, you would have thought gold coins were falling from the sky after speaking to my neighbors.
I've been in "save" mode for my garden, but I do have some nice pomegranates coming in:
This is a volunteer that came from my neighbors tree, it produces wonderful fruit.
This plumeria seems to love the heat. It's on the outside of my fence, the only one, and I worry that it will be stolen - there is a whole rash of plumeria thefts going on in my neighborhood - dug up right out of the ground!
Good Morning! :-)
Nice of you Diana to keep this going. I frequently read, but seldom post. Still something is happening this year. Something new to our garden.
Growth of our garden in most respects have been double the average harvest. We are now just finishing up the canning, but drying and storage continues.
So many tomatoes that the wife started drying them. They are wonderful dried and added to salads. crunchy indeed.
I can’t help but feel that all of these harvests may be very much needed sooner rather than later. Otherwise why would God grant such a thing?
I am wondering, since we definitely have more than bumper crops this year;
How others are fairing this season since harvest is nearly complete. And what locations may be nominal or failing as well. They may help us in preparing for next year.
Will be watching.
[learn how to dry potatoes and tomatoes]
DAndrew / harpolemond
I am all canned out.
I like canning but have reached the point of looking at the remaining tomatoes in the garden and thinking….. UGH….. Who can I give them to?
I have canned over 30 quarts of sauce and a bunch of half pints of stewed tomatoes.
I am working on ways to be self-sufficient as far as food supply is concerned. This could be a piece of the puzzle - ‘easier’ than meat chickens, IMO. My niece raises meat chickens so I have a very good idea of what it takes. Butchering rabbits is a lot easier.
If raising bun-buns (I had pet rabbits as a teenager) is offensive to you, don’t click - no bad pics, but the topic might bother you.
Podcast, blog post & transcript:
Everything You Need to Know About Raising Rabbits for Meat
https://melissaknorris.com/podcast/raising-rabbits-for-meat/
CLICK ON A RED APPLE OR THE BLUE SKY! YOUR CHOICE!
It was another week of ‘feels like October’ here in Central Missouri. Got a nice rain shower Saturday night.
Haven’t done much of anything in the garden except for pick tomatoes and water the baby cabbage plants.
With a lull in the canning activities I’ve put on my landscaper hat and gotten back to work on the pond dam. Over the past week I’ve placed around half of the limestone cobble that I purchased last spring on the water side of the dam and started to bring up topsoil to begin what hopefully will be the final finish grade on the back side of the dam.
Spent most of the weekend getting the camper cleaned up and packed for the racetrack. Did some straightening up in the bomb room so I had space to put away a couple cases of canning. I’ll top-dress the sweet corn after we get home on Sunday, then it’s drop the camper, repack the truck, and head out for two weeks in sunny Florida.
There's a link to the actual FDA page. I don't know who'd be willing to register, but FYI...
LOL - I just got an email from the place where I bought seeds earlier this year. The message header was:
“Darling, you look RADISHING!”
They’re trying to get people to buy radish seeds for planting now. I already have mine (not from them) & will be planting as soon as I can pull up some dead stuff & re-work the dirt! They will have to be inside the fencing .... deer just love radishes (turnips, too). I did buy ‘Dazzling Blue Kale’ seeds from them & will be trying that when I plant the radish seeds - it’s a lacinato type (not a curly fan). My dad is on a kale kick - mom is always looking for some in the store.
If you’re curious:
https://www.superseeds.com/products/dazzling-blue-kale-50-60-days-organic
Have you ever canned slightly underripe tomatoes?
I have a bunch ripened and a few that are borderline. We’re going to be out of town for a week and they won’t keep.
Another question……
What would be a good way to protect butternut squash while we are out of town?
The lows later in the week are forecast to be about 42, but last night, for example, it was forecast to be 45 but hit 40. Too close for comfort. So I’m not sure I trust we won’t get a frost.
If I lightly cover the squashes with straw, would that protect them from a frost without causing them to rot?
I think there are some I could harvest now. They look about right but I have not tested them for picking yet.