Scarebarrow...
Posted on 08/01/2024 6:19:57 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
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Good Morning! :-)
My tomatoes are still doing pretty well, and I’ve got more Sugar Baby watermelons than you could shake a stick at. The neighbors’ kids are looking forward to the harvest, which I hope won’t be too long from now.
One thing I’ve started to see is one or two little black caterpillar-type things on top of the soil in one of my containers. They’re about 1-1/2 inches long in all, and segmented. Anyone have any ideas?
Scarebarrow...
Second week of August - highs in the upper 70s this weekend then back to the mid 80s. I’ll take it.
Heading to the hardware store to pick up a piece of steel flatbar to use as a lever for curving the final 2-3 foot of wiggle wire track as I screw it to the arches. Hip boards won’t take too long and screwing track on those will be quick. Should be no problem getting plastic put on today or first thing tomorrow.
Tomorrow yard cleanup and 3-4 water trips to fill the tanks. Need to buy a few more IBC tanks. That and gutters for the tunnel to fill tanks with rainwater. Will need gutter screens since I have trees and lots of them.
Next weekend I should be able to wrap the tunnel sides in cattle panels to exclude the goats. I’ve mostly got a strip down the middle where I killed off the grass with black plastic so I can start planting Fall/Winter things. I might start grabbing corrugated cardboard from work and do a few layers of that topped with compost to make sure the grass doesn’t come back. The city’s recycling truck is down so I’ll get some brownie points for getting rid of cardboard for a little while.
All my garlic is in and cured.
Most of my onions are, too.
I’m working on canning up tomato sauce from my wonderful crop. I finally started getting a problem with blight, but the plants are far enough along in tomato production that I got a fairly good crop.
My bucket carrots and tomatoes are doing VERY well.
Love it! Great story. Would love to visit that Usinger deli!
I can’t wait to try them, all. It was a tough decision, with SO many great choices.
Patience, patience :-)
Thanks, again for the suggestion.
SIL has red jalapeños- going to check them out as pepper jelly prospects. My niece has green ones - gave her instructions on cleaning/holding any she lets go red in ACV until we can get enough for some batches ... she loves the stuff.
Love it!
Glad someone is having success! I expect a turn-around next week as far as ripening tomatoes goes. It was 51 degrees when I got up today! August 10th! Come on, Man! LOL!
Starting flats of lettuces and spinach this weekend. With the puppies still loose, I will be strictly greenhouse-growing them. They are experts at dismantling baskets and planters and today stole TWO bags of potting soils and spread the dirt and the shredded bags all over the lawn.
Who has more fun than us, Hey? Yeah, Mommy said a few ‘bad words’ cleaning up that mess! I moved as much as I could UP to higher shelving in the greenhouse. Also made Beau SWEAR last night that I get, at minimum, a 5 year BREAK until the next large litter like this. Grrrrr!
It’s just divine chaos Dinaa.
Speaking of tomatoes I figured I should post my gazpacho recipe. I make this twice a season. Best eaten pretty fresh.
GAZPACHO
-4 cups tomato juice or canned V8 original
-3 lbs tomatoes, diced
-1 cuke, peeled and diced
-1 green pepper, diced
-1 red pepper, diced
-6 green onions, chopped, tops and all
-1 onion approx.. 2” dia. sweet onion works best
-4 tablespoons good olive oil
-4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
-2 tablespoons Worchester sauce
-2 tablespoon soy sauce
-salt pepper to taste
-1 big head of garlic, peeled and crushed
Let sit in the fridge for 4 hours min. before eating.
I’ve thrown in other stuff too like chopped zucchini, carrots, celery, as long as everything is chopped so it will go on a soup spoon. Great served with a slice of crusty bread and a slice of fresh mozzarella on top.
forgot about the soup, always add shishito peppers too, cleaned and chopped.
Car is at the dealership getting fixed. My new 16 qt. pressure cooker has arrived at Menards. Planted 5 determinate tomato plants that might produce in 50-60 days. (Early October) If not, no big loss. Going out in a bit to plant some Groninger Brussel Sprout and Durgesh and Amazing Califlower seedlings. These have not worked out well given that White Looper butterflies do a regular patrol over the garden. I will set out some row coverings and use as long as possible.
Early butternut bush squash--growing on at trellis rather than the ground--starting to set fruit in this fairly cool stretch of summer. Zucchini producing lots of male blossoms. Some zucchini actually threatening to grow! Flowers on the Okra. Several Bushels of Picus Tomatoes havested. Ripe ones have been canned. (About 13 jars total so far. My mother would can 40 or 50 jars, but my father had a substantial garden. I have a small 20 x 25 postage stamp.) We are consuming 1 or 2 large heirloom tomatoes a day. (With some given to neighbors!) Pineapple, Annanas Noir, Old German, Mortgage Lifter, Black Crimean, and Hillbilly varieties. Mrs. Pete's enjoys tomatoes that slice and look like cuts of Fillet Mignon!
So, off to the Garden.
Sounds great!
I’ve been revising my V-8 Recipe and I think it’s ready to share. :)
Diana’s V-8 Juice Recipe
8 cups chopped tomatoes (Combination of red paste and any color slicers)
1 chopped sweet Onion
2 -3 large stalks celery with leaves, chopped
2 grated carrots or 1/2 bag shredded carrots
2 chopped green peppers
1-2 seeded and chopped Jalapeno Pepper, depending upon size
1 Tbsp. chopped garlic
1 can drained, sliced beets
6 cups water
1 large peeled, chopped cucumber or two small, depending upon size
4 Tbsp. Sugar
4 beef boullion cubes
1 tsp. ground pepper
2 tsp. salt
Combine all in heavy pot, bring to a boil, then cover slightly vented, and cook until all veggies are soft - 30-45 minutes. Use immersion blender to blend, then put through Foley Food mill to strain. Return liquid to pot.
Add:
2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
2 Tbsp. Worchestershire Sauce
1-2 Tbsp. prepared Horseradish (if desired!)
1 small can Tomato Paste (Add if the juice is too thin. This happens sometimes when you have NO Paste tomatoes in the recipe)
Blend again, heat through. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking adding additional sugar, salt, pepper, lemon juice, Worchestershire sauce or horseradish.
Meanwhile prepare canning jars and lids. Fill with hot V-8 juice and water bath process for 35 minutes when water hits a boil.
Makes about 6 quarts, give or take.
And guess what? We HAD a Pressure Canner that I didn't know we had. Presto Brand. It paid to look in all the closets and under the bed before heading to Menard's, LOL!
My tomatoes are S-L-O-W to ripen because our nighttime temps have been way too cool. 50 degrees! Tomatoes REFUSE to ripen in temps like that. Heat again next week, so I hope that helps. First Packer Pre-Game of the season comes on in a few. Looking forward to seeing Love!
We’ve managed to dodge them all so far this season! We even had a Tornado on the ground in FEBRUARY this year - never has happened before.
So cute! :)
I had to go to Walmart for packing tape today (& Joanne’s the other day). Does it bother anyone else that all the stores have their Halloween stuff out before Labor Day?? When I was growing up (back in the really ‘good’ old days), you did not see a single Christmas decoration until the day after Thanksgiving. I find ‘rushing’ the seasons months in advance really irritates me ... guess I’m getting old & cranky.
Actually, I’m sweaty & cranky - trying to put new wheels on our hand cart (very tall, heavy duty - I love it). It had pneumatic tires that were dry rotten & no longer holding air. One wheel actually fell off while trying to use it. I bought 2 flat-free tires at Harbor Freight yesterday & I’m working on getting them on. Wheel #2 has been the issue. The ‘clip’ (push washer, whatever you call it) was rusted on. Lots of WD40, screw drivers, hammer, & locking pliers required ... finally got the darn thing off. It’s still rather humid in the aftermath of Debby which means the garage is stuffy, even with the doors open ... I literally had sweat running into my eyes! I had to come in for a break & to mop off (had grease on my hands so couldn’t touch anything - no paper towels in the garage).
Got inside and mom’s vacuum wasn’t working. She vacuumed up some rug fringe & the vacuum quit working. She changed the bag thinking that would help (LOL). Then she couldn’t find the retractable plug (was looking in the wrong place). I found the plug, put it in the receptacle, pressed the “reset” button and the vacuum is now working again.
Back to the garage to put the tires on the hand cart - it looks like I do not have to change out the bearing - should be the right size. I did have to change out the tire bearings when I replaced the tires (to flat-free again) on my utility cart at the new house. That was an experience, but I figured it out. I just watched a video where the bearings had to be changed out ... I’m proud of the guy ... he did exactly what I did! LOL :-)
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