Vegetable Gardening

[badger]

Artificial insemination (http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showpost.php?p=448481&postcount=201) for squash. ;)

The one from your compost is as likely to be an inedible gourd (the result of something hybridized either intentionally by the grower or randomly in the garden) as anything you want to save, but it could be fun to just let it grow and find out.

I would believe this if I've not seen it with my own eyes, but I don't think insemination would do anything, as the zucchini doesn't seem to come out of the flowers so much as it seems pre-determined which ones will fruit. It's hard for me to explain, but I know that no amount of artificial insemination will produce a fruit on the blooms that are just long stalks. The ones that have fruited already has a little zucchini growing with the bud on top. Again, hard to explain...

[OakLeaf]

Whether a flower is male or female is "pre-determined." Typically a plant will have many more male flowers than female, but if you're not getting any female flowers, I don't know what might be causing that.

Female flowers:

http://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic/tyk/2007/images/femalesquashbud.jpg

http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/rd/how-to-raise-your-own-zucchini-crop0.jpg

Male flower:

http://green-change.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/male-zucchini-flower-top.jpg

Female and male flowers side-by-side:

http://blogs.icta.net/plover/files/2009/08/zucchini-blossom-male-femalecsu-23jul04-lah-033s.jpg

http://www.varmintal.com/male-female.jpg

[GLC1968]

We accidentally turned our backs for just one second...and the next thing you know, my H is picking a 15 lb zucchini that looks more like a skinny watermelon! :eek:

Tonight we'll be shredding until the cows come home (or the goats). We have zucchini coming out our wazoo! Our freezer will be busting at the gills!

We are wildly successful with our chosen cuke variety this year as well. Yesterday when I was searching for our lettuce and spinach seeds to re-sow for fall, I discovered that both the crazy over-producing zucchini variety and the super successful (so far) cuke variety - were from seeds both bought at our local nursery (in their OP section). It certainly points to the concept that buying local seed means that you'll get local hardy/adapted plants! I have three bean varieties that are also local and so far, they are doing extremely well, too.

[NoNo]

I'm going to have to study those pictures. I was wondering which was the female versus male. We eat the flowers (after dipping them in batter and frying them:D), but you can only pick one of them or the zucchini won't grow. I can't recall if it's the female or male, I'd have to ask my mom's uncle, but it's been killing me to look at all those flowers and think of the yummy treats I'm missing out on.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

From ripping up the lawn on June 25th:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2438/3660602347_3523186cd0.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2483/3661400666_38107f449e.jpg



To this morning, August 10th:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2566/3808788387_83c1e33616.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2555/3809602916_ef14f7c5d8.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2465/3809602080_7c907062cd.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2584/3808785877_ab46673698.jpg

[OakLeaf]

:D:D w00t!

(she types as the zucchini pancakes fry in the background...)

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

:D:D w00t!

(she types as the zucchini pancakes fry in the background...)

You are too funny! :D

Thanks!

[smilingcat]

Lisa's garden is so pretty. The close up shots of the seedlings... Speckled greens, carrots all look so yummy and pretty.

This year we are not growing any spuds. Last few years we've grown purple fingerlings, red potato, yellow fingerling (arrggghh can't remember the name...) it was buttery in taste.

Well my cukes have been wiped out with the mildew. I don't think we have enough potassium in the soil. do have new seedlings. So tomorrow I will test the soil again for NPK.

Did I post this?? I went to a grocery store for Eureka/Lisbon lemon. I'm out of Meyers lemon for the season. Lemon is needed to make a tomato jam. And I nearly keeled over at the price. Then saw the price of sad looking tomato and nearly had a heart attack. OMG!!! I didn't want to see the price of any other groceries. I'm afraid to see. Next one might kill me :eek:

Made some refridgerator pickles. so--so. Needs more dill and more garlic. tomato jam is interesting but I want to make it bit more tart and spicy. Green tomato jam (yes the fruit is ripe and green). :D

[OakLeaf]

I've had excellent results with Mildew Cure (http://www.johnnyseeds.com/catalog/product.aspx?scommand=search&search=mildew%2bcure&item=9835&category=292&subcategory=319). It pretty much eradicates powdery mildew on all my cucurbits. It's OMRI listed, but the downside is that it's based on cottonseed oil (30%) which is not organically grown, therefore grown with extremely toxic chemicals; it also contains garlic oil (23%) and clove oil (30%) for which the oil base isn't listed on the label, but Johnny's catalog suggests it's corn oil, which again, is not organic and therefore extremely likely to be GMO.

The Mildew Cure label lists sodium bicarbonate as an inert ingredient; but after I bought it three years ago (it works really well and goes a long way!) I've seen lots of recipes for mildew control using baking soda and hort oil only, and studies confirming that it's effective. Typical recipes call for 3-4 tsp of baking soda and 2-2.5 tbsp of horticultural oil (any lightweight vegetable oil - corn or safflower e.g.) in a gallon of water. Sometimes they'll add 1/2 tsp of dish soap as a surfactant as well.

[NoNo]

:D:D w00t!

(she types as the zucchini pancakes fry in the background...)

Last night I tried a new zucchini recipe and it was fantastic! Zucchini chips:D

Heat oven to 425. Cut zucchini into 1/4" slices. Dip in egg whites and bread with a mixture of bread crumbs and grated cheese. Put on a rack and place in the oven for 20-30 min, until brown and crispy. So tasty!

[smilingcat]

I've had excellent results with Mildew Cure (http://www.johnnyseeds.com/catalog/product.aspx?scommand=search&search=mildew%2bcure&item=9835&category=292&subcategory=319). It pretty much eradicates powdery mildew on all my cucurbits. It's OMRI listed, but the downside is that it's based on cottonseed oil (30%) which is not organically grown, therefore grown with extremely toxic chemicals; it also contains garlic oil (23%) and clove oil (30%) for which the oil base isn't listed on the label, but Johnny's catalog suggests it's corn oil, which again, is not organic and therefore extremely likely to be GMO.

The Mildew Cure label lists sodium bicarbonate as an inert ingredient; but after I bought it three years ago (it works really well and goes a long way!) I've seen lots of recipes for mildew control using baking soda and hort oil only, and studies confirming that it's effective. Typical recipes call for 3-4 tsp of baking soda and 2-2.5 tbsp of horticultural oil (any lightweight vegetable oil - corn or safflower e.g.) in a gallon of water. Sometimes they'll add 1/2 tsp of dish soap as a surfactant as well.

I've read similar concotion at an organic gardening web site. My concern is that where I live so close to the ocean and arid climate, any addition of sodium to the soil is not a good thing. sodium bicarb isn't all that different than potassium bicarb so I'm thinking maybe its the Na+ or K+ that's killing the mildew.

What's really interesting is that mildew is only affecting just small portion of my garden while the rest are healthy green. Sooo how can a strain of plant is free on one area and overwhelmed in another area.

Anyway, I'm going to be testing for NPK in the bad area and also in the good part. Maybe this will tell.

Oh potassium carb can be had at a local ceramic store under potash. Sodium carb is listed as soda ash. The difference between carb and bicarb in this application is their solubility I think. It's not the carb or bicarb that is killing the mildew.

anyway if you know more I would love to hear from you. I just the problem to be resolved.

smilingcat

[GLC1968]

Massive plum picking going on here. Big red ones - delicious eating...but there are just too many to eat before they go bad.

Does anyone have an tried and true plum recipes they'd like to share? I did a search and picked out some good ones..but I figured I'd ask here, too.

Our tree is heavily laden and was *almost* ripe when we just got our first rain of the summer. Now - the fruit is splitting so it must be picked and used STAT. :eek:

[shootingstar]

Massive plum picking going on here. Big red ones - delicious eating...but there are just too many to eat before they go bad.

Does anyone have an tried and true plum recipes they'd like to share? I did a search and picked out some good ones..but I figured I'd ask here, too.

Our tree is heavily laden and was *almost* ripe when we just got our first rain of the summer. Now - the fruit is splitting so it must be picked and used STAT. :eek:

Sounds so gooood!! Cooking Light magazine has a good website which includes some plum recipes. You could do what I did the other day:

Plum focaccia/pizza- I make the dough from scratch. But since you're rooting around in your garden bounty these days :p, do this:
See my photo of a focaccia/pizza with yellow plums and blueberries:
http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=32162&highlight=blueberry
1) Use premade pizze dough.
2) Stretch /roll it out on a generously oiled large cookie sheet(s).
3) Embed large slices of pitted plums all over surface of dough. Use half plum sizes. Your plums are so ripe they are juicy.
4) Sprinkle with: grated ginger root, cinnamon, cardamon/ground cloves and crushed aniseed.
5) Drizzle honey all over as a sweetener.
6) You can embed fresh blueberries at the same time, you embed plum slices into dough.
7) Bake in 450 degree F oven or higher. Takes only maximum of approx. 20 min. to bake or less.
8) Eat while still warm/nearly hot.

Slices also keep in airtight container for 2-3 days. Or you can freeze for a month or so.

______________________________________________

Bring a bowl of fresh ripe plums to workplace. You will be surprised how much people appreciate this over donuts! Especially when people are more health conscious. In my last workplace, another woman in our dept. had a plum tree. She brought in over 30 yellow ripe plums. They were snatched up by employees from the common kitchen.

[GLC1968]

Thanks, shootingstar - that's a great idea! I can even use the 5-minute bread dough for the dough without losing too much 'harvest' time! Excellent!

Yeah, I'm definitely going to bring some in to work. I just don't feel right bringing in the split ones, so there will be lots that I'll need to use up myself at home.

My dinning room table is covered with zucchini, tomatoes, cukes and now plums and soon to be apples! If the fridge weren't filled with eggs and goats milk, I'd not feel so pressured to use everything up immediately!

Bounty's a b1tch, ain't it? ;):p

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

GLC- can you cut the plums into big chunks and just load them into zipper freezer bags and freeze them? Then you could use them in all kinds of ways later on.

[shootingstar]

Sprinkling with a bit of finely grately lemon rind all over the plum focaccia/pizza about half way during baking, is a lovely touch too. :)

[GLC1968]

GLC- can you cut the plums into big chunks and just load them into zipper freezer bags and freeze them? Then you could use them in all kinds of ways later on.

Yep, this is on the agenda for tonight. We will be cutting up plums and tomatoes to freeze for when I have more time for processing, oh and shredding more baseball bat zucchini too. :rolleyes:

And I'm a bit scared as the blackberries are ripening already and it looks like another bumper crop. Eeeek! :eek:

[smilingcat]

Yep, this is on the agenda for tonight. We will be cutting up plums and tomatoes to freeze for when I have more time for processing, oh and shredding more baseball bat zucchini too. :rolleyes:

And I'm a bit scared as the blackberries are ripening already and it looks like another bumper crop. Eeeek! :eek:

congratulation on your bounty.

[Jolt]

Yep, this is on the agenda for tonight. We will be cutting up plums and tomatoes to freeze for when I have more time for processing, oh and shredding more baseball bat zucchini too. :rolleyes:

And I'm a bit scared as the blackberries are ripening already and it looks like another bumper crop. Eeeek! :eek:

Sounds good! As for the plums, you could probably can them--cut in half with the pits removed. I'll be doing that with pears pretty soon...

[GLC1968]

congratulation on your bounty.

Thank you! :D


Sounds good! As for the plums, you could probably can them--cut in half with the pits removed. I'll be doing that with pears pretty soon...

Yep, we'll definitely be doing some canning. I just don't have time at the moment and they need to be picked NOW. Actually, maybe I can do a load or two this weekend?

I knew the end of the summer was going to be harvest-overwhelming, but reality is worse than I imagined! Luckily, goats and chickens love overripe/spoiling fruits and veggies - so nothing truly goes to waste....

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I knew the end of the summer was going to be harvest-overwhelming, but reality is worse than I imagined! Luckily, goats and chickens love overripe/spoiling fruits and veggies - so nothing truly goes to waste....

And don't forget the compost pile (gasp!!) :eek: But nothing really goes to waste there either.

[Jolt]

Well, the pear canning is going to start sooner than I had anticipated. My roommate and I picked a huge basketful of pears off one of the trees today and there's probably another basket's worth ripening on that tree. Then there's another tree that is also loaded (the ones on that tree aren't ready yet). Looks like there will be some work happening tomorrow! We also just got a bunch of beets and beet greens ready to go in the freezer.

[tulip]

That reminds me of a funny thing. My father has pear trees that are very old (the house was built in 1878, but they aren't that old). The trees produce some decent pears, but my father doesn't do anything to or with them. His dog, however, loves pears and eats all that fall on the ground, which is alot this time of year. The dog also eats the tomatoes off the vine. I've never heard of a dog that does that.

[GLC1968]

That reminds me of a funny thing. My father has pear trees that are very old (the house was built in 1878, but they aren't that old). The trees produce some decent pears, but my father doesn't do anything to or with them. His dog, however, loves pears and eats all that fall on the ground, which is alot this time of year. The dog also eats the tomatoes off the vine. I've never heard of a dog that does that.

Then you haven't met our dogs!

One of ours loves the fallen pears and apples. He also picks blackberries off the vine to eat. The other one would be a menace in the garden if she had free access. When we lived in NC - she would steal the fruits as they ripened. She ate all our strawberries! She'd pick them without disturbing the plant and we had no idea why we weren't getting any fruit until we caught her in the act one day. She also ate all of our watermelons & canteloupe - when they were only about 3-5 inches long... She also loves beans and tomatoes. AND, she LOVES zucchini - but she won't pick those. She just begs me for the ends when I'm prepping them.

Honestly, our dogs would be perfectly happy to be vegetarians as long as they could still have their goats milk. :p This is also why our dogs are confined to our immediate back yard unless we are with them. They would be more damaging than deer!

[tulip]

I transplanted my leeks today! The first of the Winter Garden is in. I've been growing leeks in pots from seed all summer. They are still skinny, but about a foot tall. They will be happy to be in the garden now, and I expect they will grow thicker pretty quickly.

When I lived in France, I loved that nearly everyone had leeks growing in their gardens in the winter--big, fat leeks. Plus, I love leek soup. I'll post some photos after they fatten up just a little bit.

I did not start my collard and kale seeds in time, so I'll have to buy the plants this year. I am getting a greenhouse this fall, so by next year, I hope to start all my plants from seed.

[OakLeaf]

Oooh, leeks!

I've never had much luck with onions - my soil is clayey even after years of building up more and more organic matter. It will drain enough for most vegetables when I dig out beds - but it drains very poorly if I don't dig beds, and in any case apparently not well enough for onions. Leeks probably do best in sandy soil too, eh?

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I transplanted my leeks today! The first of the Winter Garden is in. I've been growing leeks in pots from seed all summer. They are still skinny, but about a foot tall. They will be happy to be in the garden now, and I expect they will grow thicker pretty quickly.

When I lived in France, I loved that nearly everyone had leeks growing in their gardens in the winter--big, fat leeks. Plus, I love leek soup. I'll post some photos after they fatten up just a little bit.

I did not start my collard and kale seeds in time, so I'll have to buy the plants this year. I am getting a greenhouse this fall, so by next year, I hope to start all my plants from seed.


I have leeks growing from seed too in my new garden- but they are still like thin threads and about 3" tall. :p
I can't wait to hear about your greenhouse soon!

Today I started pulling out the tall bitter bolted lettuce from my old little garden (remember when I planted it?)...clearing some bare ground here and there. Once the tomatoes are done, I can pull those out too, hoe the area again and fertilize it, and plant some new spinach and lettuce seed along the shed wall there where it can be protected from frost with draped clear plastic this fall perhaps. Might as well get another batch of stuff from the spot.

[tulip]

My strawberries are producing again, but so far a critter has been taking them before I can get them!

In addition to the leeks, I will plant these for the winter garden next weekend:
spinach (seeds)
lettuce (seeds)
collards (plants)
kale (plants)
peas (seeds)
garlic (cloves)

--what am I missing--? I don't like cabbage or cauliflower, but I do like broccoli, so maybe I'll try some for the fall.

As for the greenhouse, I don't think it will be a true greenhouse this year, but rather a tower of shelves covered with thick clear plastic. I've seen some that have either 4 or 5 shelves. Hopefully that will work well enough, and then next year (after my real house is finally finished) I can invest in a true greenhouse, say 6'x6' with a door and a louvered window and such (like GLC's!) Whatever it is, I will certainly let you know and post photos.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

In addition to the leeks, I will plant these for the winter garden next weekend:
spinach (seeds)
lettuce (seeds)
collards (plants)
kale (plants)
peas (seeds)
garlic (cloves)

--what am I missing--? I don't like cabbage or cauliflower, but I do like broccoli, so maybe I'll try some for the fall. That's funny- to grow collards in there in the Fall- not something I could do here! :D I used to grow collards in Puerto Rico long ago....and pigeon pea (gandules) bushes.

How about radishes?- they like the cool. And maybe beets? Swiss chard likes cool too and can survive mild frosts.


As for the greenhouse, I don't think it will be a true greenhouse this year, but rather a tower of shelves covered with thick clear plastic. I've seen some that have either 4 or 5 shelves. Hopefully that will work well enough, and then next year (after my real house is finally finished) I can invest in a true greenhouse, say 6'x6' with a door and a louvered window and such (like GLC's!) Whatever it is, I will certainly let you know and post photos.

Yes, I hear you about a makeshift greenhouse! We spent so much on the new garden this summer, that this Fall I will be draping/rigging up some clear plastic tarp as makeshift cold frames to continue harvesting lettuce and spinach etc after the first frosts. Of course we get MUCH colder here in NY than where you are- plus lots of DEEP snow and ice too, so my tarps will be a bit different I suppose, sturdy and slanted to hopefully shed heavy snow.

Fall seems along ways off today at 90f degrees out. :cool: But I know it's just around the corner!

[Photoflygirl]

I will plant lettuce, maybe try some leeks. But will probably plant next month. We are having a cool spell right now, it tends to get warm again in the first of September. We'll see what happens!

Oh, and we have a new stinging insect in the garden. Bit two of our friends as we were touring the garden last Saturday. Fairly big, skinny and black, he attacks swiftly then is gone. His venom stings like when you feel the liquid from a shot going under your skin. I scraped my skin to remove any stinger that might be there. Just a hurtful little beggar!

[badger]

I'm pretty sure I read in this thread somewhere about treating mould on the plants? I had forgotten that this happened last year and never got to harvest more than one zucchini. Never clued in that it might be some sort of mould - all white-ish on the leaves and withering the more affected ones. It's now widely affecting my zucchini, snap pea, beans, and some tomatoes.

Could someone who posted a natural remedy for mould post it again, please? I think it's too late for me now, but it would be good to know how to deal with it. thanks!!

[Photoflygirl]

We have located a yellow jacket nest underneath one of our organic raised beds. Does anyone know of a natural remedy to kill them? Or, should I use the pesticide and not plant there for a few years? Or, does it not matter because the roots don't go deep enough to matter? I lined the bottom of each bed with chicken wire so chipmunks couldn't burrow into the beds and eat stuff. :) any suggestions would be appreciated.

[smilingcat]

Its called powdery mildew.

Seriously affected leaves must be cut off and thrown away carefully so that the dust does not go flying around.

If you live in an area where it rains a lot and the soil can tolerate sodium, then you can mix some sodium bicarb out of your kitchen in water then mist the affected area. Better solution is potassium carbonate, (potash).

You can also use sulphur powder on the leaves. Don't buy the sulphur pellets for acidifying the soil. Powdered sulphur will be referred as organic fungacide. Any half way self-respecting gardener would know what it is.

Another thing you need to do is feed the soil with high potassium fertilizer. You could also feed some potash.

Last item, when watering the plants, try avoid getting the leaves wet or watering late in the evening.

hope this helps.

[badger]

thanks, smilingcat. Two of the things I often do/did was to water at night and get the leaves wet...

I'll try the baking soda route, though I do believe it's too late for my plants. Even with no mildew I think it's getting too cool now. I shall remember for next year and fertilize it properly. They all started out so beautifully, it's such a shame to see them go downhill like that.

[OakLeaf]

The Mildew Cure I posted the link to earlier, works really really well on powdery mildew on squash. It's what I bought it for originally. There's baking soda in it, also garlic and some other things. Squash grow so vigorously that I've never lost a plant that I've treated.

Hoping my plants can hang in there until I get back into town - they needed sprayed before we left on Thursday, but it was pouring down rain -

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

A GOOD garden day- for dinner we had the very FIRST modest harvest from our big new veggie garden...three different kinds of lettuce for our salad: green and purple romaine, loose leaf, and butterhead. Oh, and also a few lovely young beet leaves. Then from the 'old little garden' (which is losing steam fast now) I got some tomatoes and my very first bunch of scallions I have ever grown. Then I had plenty of fresh alfalfa sprouts on hand that I grew in a jar in my kitchen.

So for dinner we had beautiful big salad platters with lettuces, tomato slices, sprouts, scallions, and some garlic-herb creamy goat cheese (the one thing i bought). It was fabulous and so exciting. :p :p

[Eden]

Not having a garden, I went out and did a little urban foraging the other day. The blackberries here are superb and plentiful this year (I've heard it was a good year for berries in general in the Pacific Northwest). I picked probably 25 or so cups of big, beautiful tasty berries. There are so many that I didn't even have to get all scratched up to get them - I just worked my way around the edge of the bushes and picked only the ones easy to reach - and I could still be choosy about only getting the best berries. I've made a "slump" and some freezer jam so far. I need to use them up though, they'll only last a few days in the fridge.

[badger]

The Mildew Cure I posted the link to earlier, works really really well on powdery mildew on squash. It's what I bought it for originally. There's baking soda in it, also garlic and some other things. Squash grow so vigorously that I've never lost a plant that I've treated.

Hoping my plants can hang in there until I get back into town - they needed sprayed before we left on Thursday, but it was pouring down rain -

I was referring to that link, and for whatever reason I can't find it (and yeah, a bit too lazy...). Could I bother you to post it again?

thanks muchly!

[OakLeaf]

Right here.

http://www.johnnyseeds.com/catalog/product.aspx?scommand=search&search=mildew%2bcure&item=9835&category=292&subcategory=319

[GLC1968]

We've been harvesting zucchini, tomatoes, cukes, plums and apples, like crazy. I've also got some gorgeous watermelons developing and we are picking about a half-quart of strawberries every week still.

Oh, and get this! I just harvested a beautiful acorn squash from our compost heap! We decided to let the plant that grew out of the side of the compost pile keep going. It's now spreading across the lawn and I harvested the first squash off it last night. We will cook it up tonight and see if it's worth waiting for the remaining squash that is developing. Totally free food!

So far, our only disappointment this year has been the beans. The asparagus beans are icky, the two kinds of Kentucky beans didn't do well at all (one bush, one pole). Only the cross breed bean that a guy at work gave me is doing anything at all... Eh...maybe next year.

Lastly, our corn is unbelievable! Some of the varieties are about 8 ft tall! All of the stalks have ears developing nicely, too. Unfortunately, I didn't think about cross-pollination, so I planted 4 types too close together. I may have a ton of dent corn in the making! :eek:

[badger]

Right here.

http://www.johnnyseeds.com/catalog/product.aspx?scommand=search&search=mildew%2bcure&item=9835&category=292&subcategory=319

"cannot be shipped to Canada"...

I'll book mark it for next year. My female zucchini buds are turning yellow after about a week (it's green zucchini), and two of the smaller plants are basically dead now, so I'll just have to keep this in mind for next year. Live and learn!

[OakLeaf]

Aw, bummer. Hope you get it under control.

We had our first sweet corn tonight. Mmmmmmmm. I've read that you have a window of about 90 minutes between picking sweet corn and when you have to cook it, before the sugars start turning into starch. All I know is, it sure was sweet.

[withm]

Last night I went out to cut some parsley for my dinner. I had 4 big healthy plants the other day. It was gone! I was blaming the neighbors but that didn't make sense.

I looked a little closer and found the culprit. There were 4 of these guys chomping away, fat and happy....

After a lot of research online I found out they were parsley worms - and they turn into beautiful swallowtail butterflies.

No more parsley. Sigh.

[NoNo]

On Sunday, I went peach picking. I have 30lbs sitting in my fridge, awaiting their jammie fate:D I still have a few zucchini that I'm figuring out what to do with. Went to a friend's last night for dinner and we exchanged goods. I got a bunch of Roma and grape tomatoes from their garden, they got some peaches and eggs from my aunt's chickens. I wish we could go back to the bartering system:rolleyes:

[withm]

I canned 13 pints of spiced peaches, 6 pints of brandied peaches, and 4 of pears with white wine. I'm about out of pint jars, but have lots of 1/2 pints still. If I could still get some cherries, I'd love to do some cherry preserves.

[Jolt]

I just picked a lot of cherry tomatoes, broccoli and green beans from the garden this morning. When picking the green beans, I found bugs everywhere! They're sort of rust colored with black spots, looking somewhat like ladybugs but I caught one eating one of the beans. I also saw some prickly-looking yellow larvae on the leaves--ick! So, I went online to try and find out what these bugs were and found out they are Mexican bean beetles. I sprayed the plants with this hot-pepper concoction that we use to repel bugs from some of the other plants and we'll see if that helps. Maybe I'll go out later with some gloves and a container of soapy water and pick off as many of the bugs as I can find. Here's a link to info about the bugs in case anyone else is dealing with these guys: http://www.uri.edu/ce/factsheets/sheets/mexbeanbeetle.html

[NoNo]

This is what we canned the other night. 6 half pints and one pint of peach jam, 6 pints of spiced peaches (my goodness that syrup was delicious!), and 4 pints of sliced peaches. There are a few more of each coming. I plan on going pear and raspberry picking, and then it's tomato and apple time!:cool:

[OakLeaf]

Canned 20 pints of cut-up tomatoes, and working on sauce.

Need a chest freezer.

[NoNo]

Went back to my aunt's last night, as I was told there were blueberries to pick. Took a walk around the garden to see what else I could pick, and was shocked to see the stringbeans were still growing! I'd harvested quite a few about a month back and I thought they were done, but I was happilly mistaken. Also, the zucchini had totally rebounded from whatever was affecting it a few weeks ago, and the leaves looked healthy, flowers were blooming, and we picked four more. Grabbed a few cucumbers, some eggplant, a few peppers, and lots of cherry tomatoes:
http://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs203.snc1/7034_1204889972587_1538774168_30551593_3774494_n.jpg

Then I took a trip to the blueberry bush. I cannot believe how many blueberries we've picked off this single bush so far, and last night was no exception!
http://photos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs223.snc1/7034_1204891372622_1538774168_30551596_156101_n.jpg

Those bowls quickly became these:
http://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs223.snc1/7034_1204938533801_1538774168_30551627_3841159_n.jpg

This weekend I'm going raspberry and pear picking, and we'll be doing some more canning on Sunday:D

[spokewench]

Everyone's harvest is looking great! I went to Utah - Kanab, Bryce Canyon, Escalante, Torrey and then back home through Mexican Hat on the motorcycle this long weekend. It was great fun and absolutely beautiful.

I saw some wonderful gardens up in Utah as well! I was drooling over their corn, squash, dinner plate dahlias, etc., etc.

Well, we drove down from Byrce Canyon to Escalante and I know Escalante to be in a "banana belt" good growing area and thought I would be able to find a peach at a roadside stand. I could not find a roadside stand, but Hubby and I stopped at a little park in town off the main road to rest and have a snack; across the road was another wonderful garden. The owners had a bunch of llamas also. It was a wonderful sight! The owners were out and about in their garden and pretty soon the lady walked across the street with a box she took out of her car. She had just been at the farmers market trying to sell veges and fruits and the box was full of ripe peaches! She gave us some for free and that was my lucky day! What a sweet woman.

[smilingcat]

was at a local "organic" grocery store of sort. Walked by a refridgerated section and on the shelves were all these sprouts.

a light bulb goes off in my head !!!

Hey, those sprouts... They've sprouted duh!!! and they were cheaper than seed packets and to boot, they've all sprouted duh!! ...

So bought a pkg of sugar snap peas for less than a buck. scattered them peas all over one cleared area and scattered some compost over the top and some uncomposted dead stalks and leaves from my veggie plants for cover.

voila.. Most of them have already shot through the compost cover and I can see all the green shoots poking their head through the ground cover. very very cool!!! If I'm lucky, I'll have a whole lot of sugar snap peas. :D :D :D

Sugar snap pea I think is a nitrogen fixer so it should help the soil too.

oh gotta can more tomatoes... make jalapeno pepper jellies... dry some serrano chilli and grind tem up substitute for cayenne pepper...

soetimes life is good. ;)

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

It will be frosts in 4 weeks here.

But I've kept up with sprouting alfalfa in jars in my kitchen...every 5 days or so I start another jar going, and I have a continuous supply of nice fresh sprouts for salads and sandwiches... :p Each large jar only needs two tablespoons of seed, costing me maybe 25 cents?
This will be great this winter when the snow is flying... jars full of bright green, sparkling on the windowsill.... :)

[OakLeaf]

Picked the rest of the sweet corn yesterday. I really didn't intend to put any of it by, but wound up planting more than we could eat, so I froze 3-1/2 pints.

I'll do another batch of tomato sauce some time this week. My plants hung in there, barely, from the bacterial speck, but they didn't produce nearly as much as they would've if I'd kept them healthy, and the main crop's just about done. I've still got volunteer tomatoes coming on though.

I'm sure glad that chest freezer fit in the back of my Prius. :D

[OakLeaf]

Nine six-ounce portions of pesto, plus what we ate tonight. I burned out my basil receptors picking, washing and prepping the leaves, and couldn't even taste what I ate tonight. :rolleyes: Oh well.

Even in Florida, the reminder of lush summer will be so welcome come February. There's just nothing like pesto to bring summer into your home!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Here's my blog update on how my garden is coming along:
http://strumelia.blogspot.com/2009/09/lots-of-lettuce.html

[tulip]

veggie-wise, I only got two cherry tomatoes from my garden this weekend, but there's alot of basil still to be picked and a two green tomatoes on the big vine.

But the big news is that I harvested 8 wheelbarrowsful (yes, 8!) of finished, sifted compost from my compost pile today! It was alot of work, but a good workout and well worth the effort.

I put two wheelbarrowsful (from now on referred to as WBF because typing that out is a pain) in my winter collards raised bed, two WBF as mulch in two new flowerbeds on either side of the door to my cottage (I have a small cottage in my backyard that will be my office this time next year, but now it's just used as storage). I planted hollyhocks, shasta daisies, and coreopsis that I have been growing from seed all summer. I have alot more of them too! And the last 4 WBF are in the "finished compost" section of my three-part compost system that I made of shipping pallets. I'll be able to use that as needed.

I have four huge oak trees, so most of that compost comes from last years leaves. Just in time for this year's leaves, which will begin to fall in a few weeks. This year I'm renting a leaf shredder!

[Trek420]

Ok all you farmers. :cool: It's hardly a vegetable garden but .... I've found that chard, kale, leafy greens will survive and thrive in planters in my dark, sunless patio.

[OakLeaf]

Yum, kale!

The leaves on my red Russian kale keep getting bigger, but they're still tender and delicious. The one plant that overwintered from last year, and didn't bolt, the leaves are nearly two feet across, and still so tender.

Hope it does as well in containers as it's doing in my garden!

[Trek420]

I have very little sun. You see the patio door in the background? On the other side is another group of condos, neighbors walls to either side. So there's sun from maybe oh 10am-2pm :p

Remembering that greens could bolt with a lot of sun I picked up some starts at a local farm market and whadya know. They are surviving if not thriving.

[spokewench]

Here's my harvest from last night. Eggplant, bell peppers, cucumbers, zucchini,tomatoes. Can't wait for that Eggplant parmesan this weekend! It is getting cold at night; have to really watch the garden from now on. I will try to get all the green tomatoes off before it freezes!

[deeaimond]

I don't have any edible vegetables but I have a monster tomato plant that just started growing out of one of my pots. It has now completely overtaken the original pot owner, this Jasmine plant...

I mixed some worm castings into the soil... I think that is the big factor, coz before i did that it was growing pretty slowly. It grew all the bits above the metal stick's hook in just one week.

Also featured are some ginger and tumeric plants i have just potted about 2 weeks ago. seem to have taken root pretty well. turmeric is top right of the aloe and sole ginger shoot is bottom right.

anyone got ideas whats the next step to this tomato plant. does anyone have an idea if it will bear fruit? i mean, do i need to have two plants for pollination or something?



10090

10091

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[OakLeaf]

Tomatoes are self-pollinating. You're good with one plant. Might want to stake or cage it though, because it'll start falling over when the fruit gets heavy.

I had no idea you could grow ginger in pots! How cool is that.

I made five more pints of tomato sauce last night. How is it that all those tomatoes cook down into such a tiny amount of sauce??

[NoNo]

I spent all day yesterday cooking down 25lbs of tomatoes into 8 quarts of sauce. Almost doesn't seem worth the effort, but I'm sure I'll feel otherwise some winter night when I'm exhausted and don't want to cook. Also picked a boatload of massive stringbeans from the garden. The further they're getting from the ground, the larger they're getting. Broccoli is making a tiny comeback, eggplant is just about done, tomatoes are definitely done, still a few zucchini here and there, and the peppers are going strong. Oh, and the blueberry bush is still flourishing:rolleyes:

[spokewench]

This week may be the end of the season for us. Looks like it will likely freeze on Wednesday night.

Only 37 tonight and tomorrow.

[GLC1968]

We have been totally neglecting our garden for the past 3 weeks. We've been watering...but that's about it. So yesterday we had a couple of extra hands, so we had a good harvest... This was what we ended up with (leaving a ton of blackberries & grapes behind!):

http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/uu34/GLC1968/veggieharvest2.jpg

http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/uu34/GLC1968/veggieharvest1.jpg

The massive zucchini's you see are actually going to be goat treats. The acorn squash was our bonus compost plant - so we have no idea if it'll taste ok but we plan to try it tonight!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Great harvest pix, GLC! :p

I just got home from a firend's house where I picked a big batch of her pickling cucumbers and left her a big bag of fresh lettuce and scallions in exchange.
Going to make my first bread and butter pickles this week!

Deeaimond- tomato looks good- loosen those ties around the stalk so the stem can keep growing without getting choked. Looks like it could benifit from a bit more sun if you have it. Worm castings are good for it! :)

[jillm]

I found this recipe for Bloody Mary mix and thought some of you might have surplus tomatoes. I added extra tabasco and horseradish to give it some bite. Haven't had any as a bloody mary, but as just veggie juice it's really tasty!

http://www.recipezaar.com/Aunt-Iones-Bloody-Mary-Mix-Canning-187969

Enjoy!

[spokewench]

Great harvest GLC - If I did not water for 3 weeks; no way would we have anything of any value! that is the life when you live at 7,000 feet in Arizona!

I'm lucky if things do okay if I don't water for 3 days!

[tulip]

Wow, GLC! Just Wow!

[GLC1968]

Spoke - water was the one thing we did do! We can't go without watering here in the summer or everything would die in about 3 days, too. Winter it rains, summer...not so much! :)

[smilingcat]

Wow GLC! Great harvest!!

Those concord grape looks yummy. Our acorn squash was a bonus too... from a compost pile. Ours are much smaller than yours. Still good eats.

Oh and the pumpkins... Are they sugar variety? looks yummy.

[GLC1968]

Wow GLC! Great harvest!!

Those concord grape looks yummy. Our acorn squash was a bonus too... from a compost pile. Ours are much smaller than yours. Still good eats.

Oh and the pumpkins... Are they sugar variety? looks yummy.

Yep, New England sugar pie pumpkins - they did wonderfully! We've already harvested 8 from three vines and there are still another 5 or so out there growing/ripening! I haven't eaten one yet, but hopefully soon. :)

Our grapes are small this year, but super tasty. We also have another huge wave of tomatoes on the way and since it's supposed to be in the 90's this week, we hope they'll ripen on the vine.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

A generous friend let me pick a whole slew of pickling cucumbers from her garden. I gave her some of my lettuce and scallions. I also had a bag of beautiful striped pink Chioggia beets we had gotten from the local organic farmer's market as a thank-you for us playing music there. So I decided to pickle them all today.

I made 16 pints of sweet bread and butter pickle slices. I had enough beets for four pints of pickled beets. The Chioggia beets are pink and white striped on the inside, not the usual dark inky red. They look so pretty in the jars, with a soft golden pink glow.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2579/3946253444_379034ba67.jpg
After canning and processing the 20 pints of pickles and pickled beets, I had about 3 cups of pickling brine leftover. I hard boiled 12 small fresh eggs and packed them six to a jar into two clean pint jars, then filled with pickling brine. Those I won't bother to process, I'll just put them in the fridge to mellow and eat pickled eggs over the next few weeks. :) A good way to use up the leftover brine!

[deeaimond]

Ladies,

if i cage the tomato, does that mean I get some mesh and put it around the plant? Do I still need to continue to give it a stake? or can I just leave it with this current stake?

I'm thinking caging will be better becoz the plant is out on the corridor and I'll never see fruit if leave it open to those 2 legged predators.

Thanks for the advice!!

Cheers,
D

[tulip]

I finally planted my winter garden today! I planted one whole bed of mustard greens, two types of collards (Vates and Georgia) to see which does better, one whole bed of kale, and finally planted an herb garden with flat and curly parsley, cilantro, two types of thyme, garlic chives, and Greek oregano. Oh, and a few Swiss chards, too. This is in addition to the leeks that I planted a few months ago and that are doing quite well. I still need to plant some lettuce in the bed that will also be under a cold frame come the cold weather.

In preparing the herb garden, I had to dig up the last of my potato plants and in doing so, unearthed a few more delicious red potatoes. Now my herb garden shares space with my strawberries, so it's all perennial, more or less (not the cilantro, but everything else).

My summer garden suffered from my absence because of alot of traveling, but I'm not planning so many trips over the winter, so it's quite likely that my winter garden will be much more productive than my summer garden. In addition, it will benefit from the wonderful compost that from last falls leaves. I did not have that last fall since I have only been in this house for one year.

Pics tomorrow. It got dark on me today.

[papaver]

What Tulip, no brussels sprouts??? ;)

Hey I planted Butternut Squash this summer (they are very rare overhere). When are they ready to 'harvest'?

[OakLeaf]

Ladies,

if i cage the tomato, does that mean I get some mesh and put it around the plant? Do I still need to continue to give it a stake? or can I just leave it with this current stake?

I'm thinking caging will be better becoz the plant is out on the corridor and I'll never see fruit if leave it open to those 2 legged predators.

Thanks for the advice!!

Cheers,
D

A "tomato cage" is like a three-dimensional trellis. In the USA you can buy them pre-made from wood or wire at hardware stores and garden centers, or make your own from welded wire fence or stakes plus wire. It won't keep anyone/anything out of your tomatoes, it'll just support individual branches better than a stake - especially if your plant is an indeterminate variety (one that will keep growing taller throughout its life rather than stopping at a certain size).

For the pests, two-legged or otherwise, maybe you could put the whole thing inside a big locked dog crate or playpen???

[OakLeaf]

Hey I planted Butternut Squash this summer (they are very rare overhere). When are they ready to 'harvest'?

When the stem looks dry.

Any that you plan to keep over the winter (longer than a couple of weeks after harvest), after you pick them, wash them and let them cure in the sun for a couple of days.

You may want to use a lopper or even a little saw to harvest any squash you won't be using right away, so as not to risk damaging the shell of the fruit. Those stems are very hard when the squash is ripe!

I have a couple that are probably ready right now... eat some next week probably. Yummmmmm.

[papaver]

Thanks Oakleaf!

[tulip]

Next year I'll build a new bed for Brussels sprouts, that's a great idea! They are so funny-looking in the garden. But now I don't have enough room, sadly.

[papaver]

Next year I'll build a new bed for Brussels sprouts, that's a great idea! They are so funny-looking in the garden. But now I don't have enough room, sadly.

Brussels sprouts are at their best after a couple of nights of frost. Yum!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I finally planted my winter garden today! I planted one whole bed of mustard greens, two types of collards (Vates and Georgia) to see which does better, one whole bed of kale, and finally planted an herb garden with flat and curly parsley, cilantro, two types of thyme, garlic chives, and Greek oregano. Oh, and a few Swiss chards, too. This is in addition to the leeks that I planted a few months ago and that are doing quite well. I still need to plant some lettuce in the bed that will also be under a cold frame come the cold weather.

Wow, you have such a LONG season down there! Just planting your winter garden now?? I'm envious! ;)

[deeaimond]

When the stem looks dry.

Any that you plan to keep over the winter (longer than a couple of weeks after harvest), after you pick them, wash them and let them cure in the sun for a couple of days.

You may want to use a lopper or even a little saw to harvest any squash you won't be using right away, so as not to risk damaging the shell of the fruit. Those stems are very hard when the squash is ripe!

I have a couple that are probably ready right now... eat some next week probably. Yummmmmm.


oooh... there are three yellow flowers on my plant now. Well, in general tomatoes do not survive our wet humid tropical climate so I'm really stumped for advice around here. However, its in a pot and so i can control the water etc.

which reminds me, Lisa, it gets plenty of light, the pictures were taken at night in the dark... is that why you thought they needed more sunshine?:p

It's right in the middle of my corridor and mine is the block nearest the grocery store, so.... the entire neighbourhood walks past. so i think it won't survive the two legged pest...people are just not very nice.

I'll google for a picture of a tomato cage and i think i need to build one soon...
then maybe get my dad to add on a full size cage temporarily. They at least need to fight a wire cage if they wanna damage my poor tomatoes...

thanks for the helpful advice!! :)

[tulip]

Wow, you have such a LONG season down there! Just planting your winter garden now?? I'm envious! ;)

I did it about a month later than is ideal, but it'll still work. I bought plants; next year I will be more organized and do everything from seed :rolleyes:. I'll plant lettuce this week in the cold frame and I expect to have lettuce all winter long (under glass). I did plant my leeks from seed way back in the spring and coaxed them along in pots in the shade all summer and then planted them in the garden in August. They are growing very well.

I still have tomatoes on the vine and lots of basil, but the zucchini and cucumbers succumbed to wilt and my watermelons succumbed to neglect. I dug up the remainder of my potatoes for the herbs, and had a wonderful tortilla espanola with those potatoes for dinner last night. I love eating what I grow!

[papaver]

No land to have a veggie garden? That's no excuse!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSFJPqzJp8M

:p

[tulip]

That is wonderful, Papaver! Where do you find these things??

[papaver]

That is wonderful, Papaver! Where do you find these things??

http://zestyperspective.blogspot.com/

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

My husband and I spent the day doing apple sauce...it pretty much took the whole day at a pleasant leisurely pace.
After breakfast, we bought a bushel of Paula Red apples at a local orchard that uses very little spraying compared to others. Cost more, of course. :rolleyes:

Anyway, DH peeled the apples on our old peeling/coring countertop crank machine. then he made pot after pot of apple sauce and I filled the pint jars and processed batch after batch of them in pint canning jars.
In the the end we wound up with 35 pints of wonderful chunky apple sauce- it didn't even need any sugar at all, it was so good...just a touch of cinnamon. :p

They'll be going down in the basement next to my 16 pints of sweet pickles.
Later this week I want to make another 20 pints or so of organic pickled beets....I adore pickled beets. :)

It was fun working together with my husband today side by side on our little apple sauce 'assembly line'....him churning out the sauce, me canning it. A great way to spend a rainy autumn Sunday.

[Grog]

Hey Lisa, can you smell the apple butter simmering in my kitchen? I'll unplug it at 5 a.m. tomorrow before going to work. I'm following your instructions. :)

[OakLeaf]

Waaaaah, I'm so jealous. A late frost took out all my apples. :( The flowers had even been pollinated - I saw plenty of bees - but I guess it was just too soon for frost-resistant fruits to have formed. All my neighbors have plenty of apples, but my tree is a later variety plus my hilltop is cooler.

I still have two quarts of last year's applesauce (one wild raspberry, one cinnamon) and I'm hoarding them, now.

[NoNo]

I made applesauce on Friday:) Didn't have quite the output you did, though. After taking a few apples out to make a crisp, the rest of the bushel I bought only made 7 pints. Perhaps I'll buy another bushel and make another batch. My aunt's boyfriend said he made green tomato pickles. I've never heard of them, but he says they're delicious, so I'm looking forward to trying them.

[tulip]

Okay, I am SO going to do some canning this fall. What's a good one to start with? I haven't canned since I was a kid, helping my stepmother. We did it the big, hot, messy way full bath way. Now I understand that steam canning is easier, but not good for acidic things like pickles.

I don't have enough of my own home-grown produce to can, but I can certainly buy a bushel of apples.

I do have a slow cooker (for apple butter?). Thoughts and resources are appreciated!

[Jolt]

Okay, I am SO going to do some canning this fall. What's a good one to start with? I haven't canned since I was a kid, helping my stepmother. We did it the big, hot, messy way full bath way. Now I understand that steam canning is easier, but not good for acidic things like pickles.

I don't have enough of my own home-grown produce to can, but I can certainly buy a bushel of apples.

I do have a slow cooker (for apple butter?). Thoughts and resources are appreciated!

I would suggest you get the Ball Blue Book of canning/preserving--it has lots of recipes as well as general instructions for canning. For acidic foods (pickles, fruits etc.) you do need to use the boiling water bath. Making a mess is unavoidable when you're canning ;).

[GLC1968]

Waaaaah, I'm so jealous. A late frost took out all my apples. :( The flowers had even been pollinated - I saw plenty of bees - but I guess it was just too soon for frost-resistant fruits to have formed. All my neighbors have plenty of apples, but my tree is a later variety plus my hilltop is cooler.


This hurt us, too. The only apples we got this year was from the one early tree and one branch on a later tree (a branch that is somewhat protected by it's odd location!). Such a huge difference from last year! No applesauce for us this year.... Our pear harvest was minuscule as well - only the earliest ones made it!

We are making due with masses of blackberries, grapes and pumpkins! ;)


Okay, I am SO going to do some canning this fall. What's a good one to start with? I haven't canned since I was a kid, helping my stepmother. We did it the big, hot, messy way full bath way. Now I understand that steam canning is easier, but not good for acidic things like pickles.

I don't have enough of my own home-grown produce to can, but I can certainly buy a bushel of apples.

I do have a slow cooker (for apple butter?). Thoughts and resources are appreciated!

Tulip - go here: http://pickyourown.org/allaboutcanning.htm

Sooo much good information and inspiration for canning!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I made applesauce on Friday:) Didn't have quite the output you did, though. After taking a few apples out to make a crisp, the rest of the bushel I bought only made 7 pints. Perhaps I'll buy another bushel and make another batch.

7 pints? Surely you must be thinking of peck baskets, not bushels? A bushel is a huge boxful, and our bushel of apples made 35 pints of apple sauce.

Here is our apple sauce from yesterday:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2457/3963438796_517e1626b5.jpg

[sunlightbrite]

OMG that looks yummy! I'm so jealous! I have to learn how to make applesauce one day. We can go through applesauce like crazy

[NoNo]

7 pints? Surely you must be thinking of peck baskets, not bushels? A bushel is a huge boxful, and our bushel of apples made 35 pints of apple sauce.

Here is our apple sauce from yesterday:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2457/3963438796_517e1626b5.jpg

That must be it. Mmmmm....35 pints. Of course, I'd need to buy more jars for that:p

[smilingcat]

Been meaning to post a pic. this is about a week ago.

The little green peppers in the bowl are Japanese pepper "shishito".
The dark green ball is an 8-ball zucchini.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Smilingcat, what a pretty photo!


I rigged up a plastic A-shaped tarp thingy over my long lettuce bed to ward off the first few frosts. Hopefully the winds won't make a mess of it. Crossing fingers. :cool:

Going to make organic pickled beets tomorrow, and lots of them. I bought about 55 organic beets from our local farming family.

[shootingstar]

What flavour are those Japanese peppers, smilingcat?

Bleeckerstgirl, guess you try to make the precious applesauce "stretch" in terms of lasting a long time? :) My partner buys a dz. apples from market and makes applesauce..he's the applesauce freak. Whatever he makes lasts only a wk. or less. For his daily breakfast yogurt...even on top of steamed brusssel sprouts (a traditional German way of serving sprouts).

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Bleeckerstgirl, guess you try to make the precious applesauce "stretch" in terms of lasting a long time? :) My partner buys a dz. apples from market and makes applesauce..he's the applesauce freak. Whatever he makes lasts only a wk. or less. For his daily breakfast yogurt...even on top of steamed brusssel sprouts (a traditional German way of serving sprouts).

Yes, fresh apple sauce is great! (like your partner makes)

We are canning many jars so we can both give as Xmas presents and also have some last throughout the winter. Even canned in jars, our chunky apple sauce made from orchard fresh local apples is so much better than what we buy canned from the supermarket the rest of the year. The apples are best in the Fall, for sure.
Two years ago we made several gallons as well, plus apple butter...but stored it in the freezer in pint containers instead of canning it. Since we don't have a dedicated storage freezer, it took up way too much of the freezer in our kitchen refrigerator. The jars are better for us- we can just stack them on shelves in the basement. :) They get used up within a few months.

[shootingstar]

Yes, fresh apple sauce is great! (like your partner makes)

We are canning many jars so we can both give as Xmas presents and also have some last throughout the winter. Even canned in jars, our chunky apple sauce made from orchard fresh local apples is so much better than what we buy canned from the supermarket the rest of the year. The apples are best in the Fall, for sure.
Two years ago we made several gallons as well, plus apple butter....

Mmmmm apple butter. And healthy stuff ..at least the stuff I buy from Mennonite area in Kitchener-Waterloo area (100 kms. west of Toronto) since it has no sugar. I actually find apple butter a rare commodity in stores here on the Northwest coast.

Xmas presents sounds like an excellent idea.
It wouldn't work here at home...he eats it up. :) He decided to make his own after calculating cost of unsweetened applesauce from the grocery store. He piles in grated ginger root, nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamon and anise, sometimes all or some of these spices. It works and does taste great. Does it regular that it's down to a fine proficient art...seems to chop up the apples and have this large pot of hot spicy applesauce done under 1 hr.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3428/3990028511_8b78a4deda.jpg
I pulled my first young carrots from the new garden today, along with some turnips, parsley, and scallions. They all went into a big crockpot of vegetable soup for tonight. Added to the chicken broth were some local friends' broccoli, kale, tomatoes, celery, and red cabbage. Some store bought onions , red pepper, and garlic too. I ground some black pepper to top it off and started it simmering....

[smilingcat]

Wow.. Carrots look delicious. And the scallions look really good.

Soup.... yumm... My partner and I were commenting the other night that our food definitely tastes better. Only produce we buy right now are avocados, onions, potato and occasional bunch of scallions. And oh stone fruit.


We think we have a racoon problem in our garden :mad: :mad: one of our flowers were dug up and newly planted tulip bulbs were scattererd every where. Couldn't make out the foot print but the animal is too heavy to be a cat and too small for a big dog and too heavy for a small dog.

My neighbor found two full sized racoons in his attic the other day. AND WE LIVE IN A CITY!! We've been told that the racoons live in the storm drain during the non-rain season.
Time to borrow a racoon trap. :( I really don't want to deal with racoons. They are vicious. I also don't want them to mess with our dogs. Dogs wouldn't have a chance.

smilingcat

[tulip]

I finally got around to planting my garlic today! Something's been munching on the kale, and I found out what it was...green worms that are the exact same color as the kale. I picked them all off, and I'll keep doing that every time I water. I think my collards and kale and mustard would benefit from some fish emulsion, so I'm off to Southern States tomorrow to pick some up. That always makes plants happy.

I mulched the leeks and watered everything. We have not had a frost yet, and I've got a few more weeks before I'll put the scavenged storm windows on the raised bed boxes at night. I still have tomatoes ripening, although at a slower pace than before. I'll also have a big load of basil for pesto. I'll harvest that before the frost.

[OakLeaf]

Great carrots BSG! I've got some pretty nice ones this year too. Hope I remember the variety, so I can get some more seed next year.

Smilingcat, bummer about your flowers :( I don't know if raccoons dig randomly like that though, they're usually after something (usually a beehive). Someone's been tearing the heck out of our lawn in the last week or so - I'm pretty sure it's skunks. They do that, hunting worms and grubs.

Raccoons sure can be destructive when they find something they want, though. But the good part of them being smart is that, once you've found something effective to deter them, they'll learn and quit trying. Once I had an electric fence on my garden, they stopped trying, even when I let the grass grow up too high and ground the fence out. Same thing with my bird feeder pole - I greased it for about two weeks and the 'coons don't even try to climb it any more.

I've still got some basil that survived the frost since it was so well sheltered by weeds. :rolleyes: Maybe make another batch of pesto, maybe we have enough already - not sure.

[GLC1968]

I finally got around to planting my garlic today! Something's been munching on the kale, and I found out what it was...green worms that are the exact same color as the kale. I picked them all off, and I'll keep doing that every time I water. I think my collards and kale and mustard would benefit from some fish emulsion, so I'm off to Southern States tomorrow to pick some up. That always makes plants happy.

I mulched the leeks and watered everything. We have not had a frost yet, and I've got a few more weeks before I'll put the scavenged storm windows on the raised bed boxes at night. I still have tomatoes ripening, although at a slower pace than before. I'll also have a big load of basil for pesto. I'll harvest that before the frost.

Green worms - kill them now or they'll turn into cabbage moths and you'll never get rid of them!

If you blanch your kale, the worms fall off and die (and turn yellow so they are easy to see). I had to do that to quite a bit of ours before I dehydrated it. It's even worse when they get in the broccoli because they have lots of tiny little places to hide!

[Photoflygirl]

We harvested about 15 one gallon bags of basil leaves over the last week. We gave several bags away and froze the rest after pulsing with olive oil in the food processor. The temps are down into the high 30's this weekend, so the basil bush is finally dying out. We were in Italy for two weeks so no one picked the flowers off. I picked the rest of the tomatoes and squash from our garden. Have to forget about the lovely swiss chard and broccoli that are out in the bed the yellow jackets are underneath. :(

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Have to forget about the lovely swiss chard and broccoli that are out in the bed the yellow jackets are underneath. :(

You might get lucky- swiss chard can supposedly withstand some light frosts, and by that time the yellow jackets may have gone into dormancy in the cold. :) Keep an eye on the situation, you may well get the chance to harvest your chard.

[deeaimond]

Hey Lisa, just saw those carrots, indeed beautiful.

So yeah my tomato plant has had loads of flowers but no fruit. I think its the lack of direct sunlight... but that i can't help. We only get direct sun on the plants for half the year. next time i will start growing in January so when the sun comes over it'll be ready.

but i still feel kinda sad coz its really tall and looks gorgeous.

D

oh and i will try to get some heirloom seeds when i'm in the US in dec. here we have like... one kind of tomato in the markets.. and thats about it. small, mealy and quite tasteless

[tulip]

If you don't have direct sun, you'll probably have better luck growing things that don't require it. Lettuces, in particular, will grow in a bit of shade. If you have lots of shade, you might do better with ornamentals that do well in the shade, of which there are many.

[deeaimond]

Hi Tulip,

well my situation is this, i live in a ground floor apartment, so I have some green space in front of my apartment, but its public space. So we can grow potted plants but not directly in the soil. We also cannot fence up any area.
Its tall apartment blocks, so we get sun on the 'garden' for half the year then the sun moves to the other block. Also, there are two really big trees growing right on the perimeter of my 'garden'. But because they're state property we can't cut them. So they're blocking alot of the sunlight as well. But half the year there is some direct sun. so i might try to time tomatoes for that next year.

the public has itchy fingers and things get taken, including leaves torn off plants (I have some huge pots of pandanus leaves, and they're used here in making desserts so people always tear leaves off to use. without permission if i might add). I've also had small potted orchids get carried off... Mostly we just let the greenery be, we being my mum and me and the rest of the family. if they die, they die. if they thrive, great. Most are local plants. Snails are a big problem. They eat all the succulents and are everywhere. So lettuces are out, no space and snails. The tomato plant existed coz it just grew. I tried to give it what i could, but then now the sun's gone so... i guess i'll just let it grow.

I started a herb garden a few years back, but then i moved to college and only came back once a week or so, and it got infested and no one could keep up with the treatments. And my neighbour recently told me she came back one day and saw some of the plants had been yanked out of the soil... but these were non-local herbs like basil, rosemary and dill. The local herbs do great, kaffir lime leaves, pandanus, local aloe.

so i guess my garden should just stay... au naturel. and let nature be nature.

just add worm castings when i can i guess. which reminds me... i think its time to feed my worms... oh and the banana plant is bearing 2 small fruit...

I guess to have a vegetable garden one needs to plan carefully and be aware of the conditions on the plot throughout the year.

this thread is great for information! thanks everyone!! I'm still gonna keep reading it and look at everyone elses bounty!

[OakLeaf]

If I'd been more diligent about thinning, I might not have got these lovebirds:

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_3vDkQwuSTy0/St5nIZJSxfI/AAAAAAAAAK4/MUl5iMMf1wo/s144/carrotlove.jpg

[deeaimond]

If I'd been more diligent about thinning, I might not have got these lovebirds:

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_3vDkQwuSTy0/St5nIZJSxfI/AAAAAAAAAK4/MUl5iMMf1wo/s144/carrotlove.jpg

aww!! they're so cute!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Things are winding down for sure here in New York state.
days in the 40's and low 50's, nights in the 30's or so.

I weeded and hoed up my old little side vegetable garden so that it would be easy to turn it into our raspberry patch in the Spring.

As for the big veggie garden, there are still some patches of carrots, turnips, scallions, and some lettuces all hanging in there. And a few radishes. the lettuces are getting a bit strong tasting and the ones that have bolted I have pulled out. But some are still going ok, the little mesclun especially, and some dark red frilly leaf lettuce. I am still leaving the little patch of bok choy because they have yellow flowers which my honey bees seem to be really loving right now. :) I'm surprised the bok choy hasn't succumbed to the frosts already- we've had a few!

Next day in the 50's I will pull out all the little beets and hoe those spots. It's so much easier hoeing the fluffy dry autumn earth now rather than the icy heavy wet Spring soil.

I have to sit down and order the blueberry and raspberry bushes soon. I hear you should order early to get the selection you want held for you.

[smilingcat]

Watermellon vine finally gave up so brought in the watermellon. Looks yummy. It cracked open when I was cutting.

I think I would like to try the orange kind next year and this yellow tasted shweeeettt. Bit small but that's okay.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Nice looking watermelon!
Of course here we are going into winter...only some hardy things left from the veggie garden- a few turnips, scallions, some mesclun, a few small beets...and LOTS of lovely little carrots! I pulled a nice large bunch for my daughter today and still have plenty left. The early frosts don't bother them much since they are underground. Carrots are a winner.

[bambu101]

+1 on the carrots. This was the first year I tried growing them, as I always thought they were these tiny, finicky little things that were hard to get started outdoors-wrong! I grew an heirloom variety called Purple Dragon, and they have a lovely outer purple layer and deep orange inside. They are small, and got to be about 3 inches long. But they are very sweet.

I still have some in the ground, and have been pulling them up every few days. They will last until the ground freezes (or I eat them all).

[OakLeaf]

I always thought they were these tiny, finicky little things that were hard to get started outdoors-wrong!

I've had years where my carrots did very poorly just because they take so long to germinate. There's only so much watering you can do if you're in a drought.

And it took four or five years of pulling successively smaller rocks out of my plot before the soil was clean enough to grow carrots. :) Remembering just how long it took to build the soil, is a big reason why I'm hesitating to move my patch out of the shade of that cherry tree that's grown so tall...

All I've got left now is carrots and kale and parsley. And plenty in the freezer and jars. :)

[smilingcat]

Carrots and Parsnips will be sweeter in the cold. And same with spinach in a cold frame. As long as it doesn't freeze, spinach will be much sweeter in the winter time. We are adding more spinach and adding sorrel again. And yes we do have parsnips and carrots growing. Also we have turnips.

today my partner decided that she can no longer wait for her beets.

[tulip]

Here are some photos of my garden from today (March 17, 2010).

Veggies that somehow managed to overwinter despite our three rather large snowstorms and very cold winter are mustard greens, collards, Swiss chard, leeks, garlic, and some volunteer onions from last year's patch.

My herbs and strawberries have pulled through nicely.

Today I planted lettuce, more collards, kale, spinach seeds, and mesclun mix (seeds). Tomorrow I'll plant potatoes (Red Pontiac and Yukon Gold) in separate wire bins with compost. I need to plant peas and broccoli, but I'm running out of room! I may have to build a few more beds this year.

And carrots!! Where am I going to plant carrots? Need more room...

It's Spring!!

[kmehrzad]

Tulip, you've got quite a garden going there - it's very nice. What's even better is the reward you get in the summer when the harvest comes in.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Definitely no winter veggie survivors here!
But I've got my seeds ready!:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9fPBEJTqGzw/S3VllowFfVI/AAAAAAAACrc/im83wphnPb4/s400/seeds-2010.jpg

[badger]

my kale has shrugged off the copious amounts of aphids late fall and amazingly still growing all spindly. I should chop off the top to see if they'll grower bigger leaves?? my brussel sprouts are starting to bloom now, too.

Any suggestions whether I should let them bloom and harvest the seeds?? Are the little kale leaves and the spindly stem edible? (may sound silly, but never know!)

[tulip]

If you need the space for something else now, then take them out. Otherwise, you might consider letting them bloom. Brassica flowers attract beneficial wasps. If the variety you planted is open pollinated, you can use the seeds. But if it's a hybrid, you'll need to buy new seeds or plants.

Lisa, you must be chomping at the bit to start your big garden! I've decided to forgo the seed starting process this year, except for direct seeded crops.:rolleyes: Instead I will buy seedlings from the local community garden organization. They have a greenhhouse and every spring sell a nice variety of plants, inclding heirlooms that hard to find elsewhere.

[NoNo]

ACK! You have things planted already?!:eek: We still have to get our seeds and had plans to expand the garden, but now I feel like we're way behind. Time to kick things into high gear, if I can find time away from making soap.:rolleyes: At least I have my farm delivery service to hold me over.....

[copperlegend]

I have peas soaking for the day, and they'll be planted as soon as I get home from work tonight. I still have some major garden cleanup in the veggie beds, including some very persistant dead brussels sprouts. I took tomorrow off to have a 3 day weekend to clean up the flower beds, and start my seeds.

Ah, gardening is such good therapy!

[GLC1968]

Tulip - your garden looks great!

I just noticed this morning that our accidentally over-wintered brussels sprouts are growing again. I might let them flower and save the seeds. I also have some overwintered onions and parsnips to harvest.

We started a lot of things in the basement in January. They are now in the greenhouse and doing really well. I think I'll be planting the brassica's in the garden this weekend (as well as starting my peas, swiss chard and spinach).

This picture was from one month ago - the plants are much bigger now!
http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/uu34/GLC1968/seedlingssmall.jpg

[tulip]

I love starting seeds, and I had planned to get a greenhouse of some sort the year...but my new roof became a bigger priority with all of our snow, so no greenhouse for a while.

Since the local community garden is not selling seedlings yet, I got my lettuce, collards, kale, and broccoli from Southern States (a farm co-op). I planted the rest today, but I had to rearrange the overwintered mustard greens. I also ended up giving 9 collards and 9 kales to my neighbors, who were rototilling their garden today. I had nowhere to put them. I'll build another bed and plant the potatoes in their wire bins tomorrow. Maybe. It gets busy fast.

[GLC1968]

Careful with the kale! We had only 6 plants last year and we were overwhelmed with kale! We are *still* eating it (dried & frozen in soups) from last year! This year, I'm only planting 3 plants and that should be plenty.

I forgot to add that some of our seed potatoes arrived yesterday, so we'll also be planting those this weekend. AND, I'm going to build a cold frame type contraption to try sweet potatoes this year (they are hard to grow here due to short 'hot' season). :)

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I think I'll start planting spinach next week.
Except for tomato plants, I grow everything from direct seeding out in the garden. I just can't deal with making trays full of tiny pots and providing them with light for weeks in the basement before planting. And no plans for a greenhouse yet....too many expensive house repairs this year.
Most everything i direct seeded last year did pretty well, so that's my method for now. :)

What else besides peas and spinach can you direct sow in the cold Spring ground?


Yesterday we put up the nesting boxes for our native bee pollinators, the blue orchard mason bees:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2728/4443954184_a36509b42b.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4072/4443953496_1087288f4b.jpg

[tulip]

What else besides peas and spinach can you direct sow in the cold Spring ground?



radishes, carrots, arugula, some lettuces, mache and all sorts of good greens, kale etc (although I buy plants because it gets warm here pretty quickly), cilantro, parsley (soak seeds first), beets/chard, onion starts, shallots...

I'm sure there are others but those are the ones I can think of right off the bat. I like those mason bee houses. Better than having them drilling in the deck (or are those carpenter bees?)

[GLC1968]

radishes, carrots, arugula, some lettuces, mache and all sorts of good greens, kale etc (although I buy plants because it gets warm here pretty quickly), cilantro, parsley (soak seeds first), beets/chard, onion starts, shallots...

I'm sure there are others but those are the ones I can think of right off the bat. I like those mason bee houses. Better than having them drilling in the deck (or are those carpenter bees?)

Swiss chard, too!

Here we are also planting seed potatoes, onion starts and strawberries but it might be too early for that in NY.

Lisa - love the mason bee houses! We haven't put any up, but we have mason bees galore so I'm not sure we need to. They LOVE our early cherry and plum blossoms. :)

Today we bought two more apple trees, one pear tree and one cherry tree...time to pull out the shovel. ;)

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I like those mason bee houses. Better than having them drilling in the deck (or are those carpenter bees?)

Yes, you are thinking of carpenter bees. ;)
Mason bees do not drill into wood. They nest in crevices that already exist, they don't create tunnels. They like to nest in rocky stone walls or crumbling masonry, or in rotting logs- in the abandoned tunnels left over from tunneling beetles. They seal their nest cavities with little plugs of mud gathered from muddy ditches or damp clay earth.
Carpenter bees will drill their way into old wood on houses, but not the harmless little mason bee. :)

Thanks for the list of cold weather direct seeders... I will try the radishes, carrots, kale, beets, and Swiss chard- all of which I have seeds for. AFTER next week's predicted nighttime temperature dip into the 'teens. That'll probably be our last hard freeze.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Tonight is the last night of a fluke cold snap- the last night that will have temps in the teens. Forecast is much better from now on.

I've started direct seeding of some of the cool loving veggies...
spinach, kale, lettuces, some carrots, beets, scallions. Gotta run out and buy some radish and bok choy seeds- forgot to order them.
Due to you guys' comments last Fall, I now am planting both White Russian kale and Winter Red Russian kale for the first time. I got some very interesting new lettuces to try, too, along with my favorites (black-seeded Simpson, speckled Troutback, and mixed color butterhead).
Just planting one or two small 3' rows of each thing right now, will be doing succession planting this time around even more than i did last year. I'm tightening up the space between each row too- now only leaving 3" between rows instead of 4" or 5".
It's such a huge luxury to have my big new vegetable garden space this year! :D

Meanwhile, I'm still sprouting jars of alfalfa sprouts in the kitchen on a constant basis ever since December- it's been so nice to have absolutely fresh cool crunchy green sprout sandwiches all winter! Probably the biggest bargain out there, nutrition-wise, is growing your own sprouts. I keep two jars rotating at different stages of growth.

[copperlegend]

How do you do the sprouts? My boyfriend casually mentioned (blatant hint, perhaps?) that when he was growing up, his mom always had a jar of sprouts going, and he misses fresh sprouts in his sandwiches.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

How do you do the sprouts? My boyfriend casually mentioned (blatant hint, perhaps?) that when he was growing up, his mom always had a jar of sprouts going, and he misses fresh sprouts in his sandwiches.

I have two of these jars:
http://www.amazon.com/Quart-Glass-Sprouter-Sprouting-Strainer/dp/B000N8FGLC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=miscellaneous&qid=1269727928&sr=8-3
They work well for me and I always keep the two going at different stages.
Once they are 'done' and you take them out of the jar, loosen them up a bit in a big bowl of cold water and rinse a little to rinse off the extra seed hulls. The rest of the hulls you just eat up anyway in the sprouts. One rounded tablespoon of alfalfa seeds fills the whole quart jar jam packed with sprouts. Easy to put in too many seeds, so I had to learn to hold back! ;)

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Well, I've been planting little rows of seeds out in the freshly hoed vegetable garden, mostly the cool loving type vegetables.
Various interesting lettuces, scallions, leeks, swiss chard, kohlrabi, kale, bok choy, carrots.

Today we deep-dug the future blueberry and raspberry patches, and mixed in soil amendments to increase the acidity. Glad that's done.
Afterwards, I hoed and planted a small section of leek seeds just for fun. :)

[ummbnb]

My husband is the king of the garden and has tons of things started both inside and out. I do OK in the garden but he's a sahd so he has a lot more time and energy to dive into it all. I do like to weed, very zen LOL!, and I enjoy the fruits of his labor :D

[short cut sally]

DH is moving my garden spot to a better location, closer to the water hydrant and it will be bigger. I started buying seeds this week. I've got more to buy. I'll do direct sow when the weather permits, I usually have good luck with that. I've let my co-workers know that the garden's gonna be bigger so they can be the recipients of any items that I can't process right away. I'm getting excited.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Sally, new gardens are just SO exciting!
How sweet that your husband is doing that for you!

I am seeing tiny little baby lettuces and kale and spinach sprouts just coming up through the soil now. So thrilling to see the teeny greenlings pushing up in rows. :p

[spokewench]

You people are so lucky. I should be planting, but my garden just came out of the deep, deep snow freeze a week ago. I just can't get out and work it yet, cause I still would have to walk through a foot or so of snow to get there. Just can't get myself out there yet; plus it is really quite cold at night 20's still.

spoke

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Updates from everyone?

I planted some seed too early and it didn't come up, so I have had to replant it again. On the other hand, some didn't mind the cold at all, especially the kale, spinach, radishes, and black-seeded simpson lettuce. Another week and we'll be able to have 'baby salads'. :D

[malkin]

We have made a cat garden for our geriatric Tiger T Cat. Wheat grass, flat leaf parsley (we share) and Walker's Low Catmint. A pair of sunflowers are trying to survive in the center of the grass.

He needed an intervention and a 12 step program after an encounter with Cat Nip so we don't ever have that evil stuff here anymore. The Walker's Low seems to please and calm him without psychotic bursts of agression, and it will have nice purple flowers later.

Growing on the balcony rail are columbine, lavendar, violas, mint, tarragon, basil, sage, and comfrey.

[GLC1968]

We have tons growing! I just did some slug hunting last weekend too (copper around the boxes, beer traps inside them) cause the little jerks were doing a number on our cauliflower plants!

We've got broccoli, cauliflower and kale coming along nicely. Our tomatoes and peppers are doing well in the greenhouse (well, we did lose one type of pepper so we are reseeding those). We've got all our melon seeds started in the basement. The garlic looks fantastic. I harvested all the leftover onions from last year as they bolted and we've been eating them. I need to dice and freeze the rest or they'll spoil before we get through them all.

I've got three types of peas coming up and two types of onion starts planted and looking good. And our strawberries are coming to life again nicely. We also got our sweet potatoe slips a couple of days ago, so those will go in this weekend (along with the other potatoes).

Lastly, the chard, lettuce and spinach are all looking really good. I need to plant more this weekend (particularly spinach).

Oh we also put in 6 trees in the orchard (2 apple, 2 pear, 1 peach, 1 nectarine) and we have a fig and a tea tree bush to plant this weekend. We also need to expand our raspberries and our blueberries...you know...because I like being in over my head. :rolleyes:

[tulip]

I have several salads from my garden, and lots of herbs for every meal. The strawberries are turning pink, and I hope I get to them before the critters. I'll try to post some pictures soon. It's pretty. I'm trying several different heirloom tomatoes that I haven't tried before.

I've mostly been focusing on the perennials in my front yard, though.

[bambu101]

I have radishes and peas coming up, and planted carrots and collard greens last weekend. My poor garden is all confused- last Wednesday we had a dusting of snow on the ground, and by Sunday it was close to 90 degrees!

I am going to try Sugar Baby watermelons and an heirloom variety of canteloupes this year that I got from Baker Creek Heirloom seeds. It's always fun to try something new every year!

[OakLeaf]

As always being a snowbird I get a late start, but I have my perennial herbs, most of my red Russian kale overwintered (yay!) and I cut a good bunch of volunteer baby mustard greens before tilling them and all the weeds under.

Got the soil prep done before it rained... now I have to wait for my plot to dry out enough to dig beds and plant!

[OakLeaf]

As I do every year while constructing my dug beds :rolleyes: I wonder about building permanent raised beds....

Here's the issue I have though: My sweet corn patch is a different size and shape from my pole bean patch, which is a different size and shape from my basil and cilantro rows, my greens rows, my tomato and pepper rows, etc., etc. Squashes need lots of room to splay out; with carrots, I need to be able to get close in to weed them.

Those of you with raised beds, how do you manage your crop rotation?

[spokewench]

As I do every year while constructing my dug beds :rolleyes: I wonder about building permanent raised beds....

Here's the issue I have though: My sweet corn patch is a different size and shape from my pole bean patch, which is a different size and shape from my basil and cilantro rows, my greens rows, my tomato and pepper rows, etc., etc. Squashes need lots of room to splay out; with carrots, I need to be able to get close in to weed them.

Those of you with raised beds, how do you manage your crop rotation?


It is difficult to deal with crop rotation with raised beds. I have raised beds with limited area, they are approximately 4 feet wide and 6 feet long and I have three of them. It does limit you. I do not plant sweet corn for two reasons; one is I really don't have the room for it; and the other is that my growing season is too short and I never get developed ears so I gave up!

I tend to plant closer together than I would plant if I had a great big garden out in the yard that was unlimited in size. and I mix things up quite a bit; companion planting type style. However, I do try to put the tomatoes and eggplants, and beans in a different bed every year to try to rotate in order to keep wilt, etc. from setting in. So far, I have done okay to keep wilt, etc. from setting in. My biggest challenge and all the garden books think this should not be a problem; but I have an infestation of earwigs that like to eat my small seedlings (they love chard) and eat holes in my salad stuff, etc. I am going to try the rolled up wet newspaper to trap this again this year and hope for the best.

I will planting seeds this weekend; and a few plants. We had snow last weekend and some really cold nights still, so I have been lazy this year; I'm also travelling a bit this year; so it is always a challenge to keep the garden watered while I am away.

[skhill]

I'm so psyched-- the beans I planted last Friday are poking up!!! No big news, except that we had about 7.5 inches of rain over the weekend. I was afraid that the seed I'd planted had washed away into my neighbor's garden. Still waiting on the sweet corn, but there's still time.

Today, I put in some more tomatoes and corn, summer squash, and pole beans. All of it's in the new bed, in my side yard. Great sun, and away from the dog!

[bambu101]

Thought I would ask for some more recent, middle-of-summer updates.

Here in New England, it has been very hot and humid, and dry up until a few days ago. My beans, melons, cucumbers, collards, carrots, tomatoes, etc were hanging in there, but were looking a bit crispy. The snap peas and radishes are done.

We had rain 2 days ago, and I went out for a quick check this morning to see how things were looking. I was amazed at how fast things have grown in just a few days! The mustard greens in pots grew about 5 inches, and the cukes and melons have blossoms. The heirloom tomatoes I started from seed in late May might actually produce some tomatoes! Very exciting!:D

And how are things in your little patch of earth?

[skhill]

After a dry and extremely hot 2 weeks, the garden was looking a bit crunchy. But thanks to the miracle of a wet weekend, everything's looking up!! Right now, I'm getting lots of green beans-- the bush beans are tapering off, but the pole beans are ramping up. Still have some swiss chard going. Lots of ripe cherry tomatoes, the romas are just starting to ripen, and a couple different varieties of slicing tomatoes are showing signs of pink. And I'm planning on eating my first zucchini tonight (many more to follow), maybe with the first bell pepper.

Herbs: my cats are loving the fresh catnip, and I have basil for me. The cilantro didn't make it, tho...

Yet to come: the sweet corn's looking a lot better after the rain (but I never get much). Pumpkin and butternut squash are looking promising. And I planted some more stuff recently, looking towards the fall (beets, carrots, cabbage).

One of these years the garden will take over the yard!

[smilingcat]

Southern California and you would think we would have perfect weather. Well, we live by the coast, can see the ocean. With it, we get marine layer/fog and the cold.

It's been cloudy, foggy and its very humid in the morning and on some days, sun would come out. It's been like that since April. Three days ago, we were wearing our jackets out at 3:00pm. you would think you were living in pacific northwest.

The marine layer has caused powdery mildew to go crazy and managed to destroy half of my cucumber, more than half of my tomato, and all of my zucchini and squash. The upside for us is that our growing season goes well into November and December. We already have replacement seedlings going so hopefully we can salvage our season.

Even with the poor weather, we managed to pickle full years worth of bread and butter pickle of zucchini. have had home made tomato sauce for our pasta...tomato and cucmber salad... Okra a total loss, bell pepper nada. tomatillo is growing crazy don't know why... Jalepeno, serrano, shishito are fairing okay 2 varieties of eggplants are managed to avoid the mildew... only one mellon plant survived the "June gloom".

no canned tomato yet.

Corn got a late start so they are only waist high.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

My vegetable garden has been hugely successful this year-

Here's a pic from June 1st (http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_9fPBEJTqGzw/TAVL-0vm-kI/AAAAAAAAC4A/EULGj_mDnp8/s1600/june2010garden+view.jpg).

And here is from the end of June:

One view, (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9fPBEJTqGzw/TCfi6B4YLdI/AAAAAAAAC7I/TIewfM3kMc0/s1600/June27-2010_2.jpg)

and the other side (http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9fPBEJTqGzw/TCfi5u1H1II/AAAAAAAAC7A/vNHu-ereV-M/s1600/June27-2010_1.jpg)

We have been drowning in lettuces and salad greens of all kinds for the past 6 weeks, with no end in sight. (i am heavy into succession planting)
Lots of baby cukes and string beans, and lots of green tomatoes.
Everything except the tomatoes is direct-seeded right into the garden.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9fPBEJTqGzw/TCfi5Cb0zGI/AAAAAAAAC6w/go6KJ64gPU8/s400/KohlrabiLettuceCounter.jpg

[GLC1968]

Lisa - your garden is beautiful! Is that borage there in the front of one of those photos? Do you eat it or is it just there for insect protection and visual interest?

I have a bunch of photos on my camera, but I'm missing my cable so I can't download them. Our garden is growing like gangbusters. Both the boxes and the row garden area...it's unreal! We are so pleased at the success we've had with things that we failed at last year. I've harvested so much broccoli that I haven't had to buy it in months and I eat a lot of broccoli! The peas and kale are still going nuts and while the first planting of spinach did really well, I need to get more in the ground. We've had a cold wet spring, but it suits my tastes just fine as the spring veggies are my favorites anyway. ;)

We did fail miserably at growing sweet potatoes once again. Maybe I'll just have to accept that three strikes and I'm out? Oy. I think it's too cold here.

[tulip]

Lisa, your garden takes my breath away! How beautiful!

GLC, sweet potatoes like it hot hot hot! I can't imagine they'll do much in the PNW. I did have luck growing them in Maryland a few years ago. Get a new cable already! We want to see pics of your Eden!

I've expanded my garden this year. I'll take some photos and post them.

Oak, from your May question:

I rotate my raised beds just by rotating them. I have 7 beds that are roughly 6'x3', and one long one that is 13'x3'. I just plant different things in each bed. I have two wire bins for potatoes, and those rotate around year-to-year. No corn; not worth it for me when there's a corn field 2 miles away with a farm stand. The only thing that I don't rotate is my herb garden, which is a half-circle. It's new, so it's kindof bare this year, but I'll post a picture soon.

[GLC1968]

GLC, sweet potatoes like it hot hot hot! I can't imagine they'll do much in the PNW.

I know...but I was hopeful. It does get hot here, particularly in the valley I live in, but the nights are ALWAYS cool and our season is very short. I tried a potato variety that supposedly does well in this region this year and got NOTHING. I'm annoyed. I think I might contact the growers where I bought the slips as they are also local and might have some hints for me. I *might* give it one more shot.

I can't wait to see your herb garden! I'm really procrastinating on mine. I've got a few annual herbs in with my regular garden, but I haven't even started my perennial garden yet. I have decided on two locations so all I need to do now is make it happen. You know...in all that free time... :rolleyes:

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Is that borage there in the front of one of those photos? Do you eat it or is it just there for insect protection and visual interest?

It's for my honeybees (and any other bees who want to share). I have several flowers for bees in the veggie garden.

We need pix of your gardens! Did the rose bushes at ends of beds work well for you? How are your animals doing?



Lisa, your garden takes my breath away! How beautiful!

Thanks! I remember when you gave me that advice about utilizing the space in my old small garden better, and planting closer together. I've been following that advice successfully ever since, and it works well for me. :p
But my biggest tactic that works is successive planting of just one or two 3' rows with seed frequently, and yanking out the older stuff somewhat ruthlessly and composting it.
Seeds are fairly cheap, and life's to short to eat bitter bolting lettuce! :D

More kohlrabi!! lol

[spokewench]

Oh, I'm so jealous - I'm lucky if I get that much growth in a season let alone one month!

I spent two days in New Hampshire prior to my niece's wedding doing landscaping in 97 degree 100% humidity. I love the growing back there; but I just don't want to deal with the winters and the inability to get away from them; so I will stay in Flag at 7,000 feet!

But, I really would love the gardening . . .

I was away for a week; so I am behind in my weeding; I will try to get a picture of my little tiny garden this weekend so you can see what is up!

spoke

[GLC1968]

OK, here goes:

This is our row garden taken on July4.
http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/uu34/GLC1968/rowgardenjuly4.jpg

We have a very late summer this year, so a lot of things are just now getting going. Here we have tomatoes, two types of corn, winter squash, summer squash, melons, beans and garlic in the back. Potatoes hadn't yet been planted (they go where the black plastic is and I'll also be doing fall broccoli where the garlic is after we harvest (next week!).

This is our squarefoot gardening section also taken on July4.
http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/uu34/GLC1968/boxesjuly4.jpg
Kale, carrots, radishes, parsnips, beets, peppers, tomatoes, cukes, peas, cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprouts, lettuce, chard, spinach, potatoes, strawberries, and onions.

This is the section of row garden that was covered with black plastic - it's now our newly planted second potato patch (the first is in the boxes - we are experimenting to see where they do better):
http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/uu34/GLC1968/potatoesjuly11.jpg

This is our 7 new blueberry bushes and our drip system. Someday we'll get a real harvest from these but not this year...
http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/uu34/GLC1968/blueberriesjuly4.jpg

Red plums - should be ripe in a couple of weeks:
http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/uu34/GLC1968/plumsjuly4.jpg


And for good measure - here are a couple of other things that we are 'growing' ;)

The bees 'hanging out on the front porch' on a hot day last week:
http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/uu34/GLC1968/beesonfrontporch.jpg
The taller hive is just MASSIVE and filling with honey like crazy!

A pregnant Skylark (due end of August):
http://i631.photobucket.com/albums/uu34/GLC1968/pregnantskylarkjuly11.jpg

[Veronica]

Yippee! GLC garden pics!

Almost as good as a blog entry....

Did you know Nov. 17 is Homemade Bread Day? I thought of you as I was prepping my writing prompt for that day. :)

Veronica

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Great to get these updates from everyone! :)


GLC- my two hives are doing very well too! But mine are mostly just building up their population their first year now....i doubt there'll be any excess honey for me this year.
My new blueberry bushes are just babies too.

[tulip]

It's been a very hot summer, with several weeks over 100F. Some of my plants did not like that a bit--I still have yet to see one zucchini! Others just hunkered down and waited it out. Now that's it's cooler, things have picked up again.

I created several new beds this summer. The herb half-moon bed will be fabulous next year, when the lavender and rosemary fill in the border and I get additional herbs in. Right now there's alot of basil, zinnias, and cosmos to fill in.

The sunflowers are kindof all over, but I like them that way. And the melons, squash, and pumpkins have taken over, too.

[tulip]

39 Hollyhocks for my perennial gardens in the front, side, and back.

Lots of leeks for the winter potager.

[badger]

I'm so jealous of all your gardens!! I can't wait to have a proper vegetable garden, but for now I have to make do with pots on my patio.

"garden"
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v400/nvwolf/CIMG2294.jpg
my haul today:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v400/nvwolf/CIMG2293.jpg

Question I have, which may very well have been asked/answered earlier but I can't go through 27 pages: how do you keep some veg/herbs from "bolting"? I was trying to keep the cilantro and swiss chard from bolting, but no go. It was a futile endeavor so I just let them go.

And incidentally, does anyone know what this tree is? I'm thinking it's part of a hazel family, but I've yet to see it anywhere for me to actually identify it. It flowers bell-shaped purple flowers and bear seeded pods:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v400/nvwolf/CIMG2296.jpg

sorry for the bright background:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v400/nvwolf/CIMG2297.jpg

[tulip]

What a beautiful garden, Badger! Cilantro bolts when it gets the least bit hot, but the seeds are Coriander and you can collect them and use them in cooking. Or you can use them to replant cilantro for the cooler months. Plant them now.

I've never had Swiss chard bot. It seems to last all winter and summer here.

[jobob]

Wow, great stuff, everyone!

Lee planted a couple of large pots, one with heirloom tomatoes and the other with grape tomatoes. They did great, and we've been enjoying the harvest over the last couple of weeks.

More ambitious plans are now in the offing. :cool:

PS - how's Skylark doing, GLC?

[GLC1968]

You guys...our garden is a disaster! Things are so over-grown that it's scary! We've been good about watering this summer (we now have a good drip system installed) but we've been terrible about maintenance or harvesting and it shows! I'm almost afraid to close my eyes at night for fear that it takes over while we are sleeping!! :eek:

I did manage to harvest a bunch of tomatoes and beans and summer squash last night. And I beat back the strawberries which are desparately attempting to take over other boxes! The winter squash is doing unbelieveably well (it's climbing up the corn, now!). One corn variety is GORGEOUS and I cannot wait to harvest some (it went in late this year). The potatoes are doing well, the garlic was fan-freaking-tastic (I'll have to post pictures of our haul!) and we are now picking plums, apples, tomatoes and blackberries daily. We will have a bumper crop of carrots too. Oh...but no zucchini! I have no idea why...but the same variety that innundated us last year is producing very, very little this year. Odd.

Jo - Skylark is good. She's 'due' in a week, and her udder is already filling out, so it won't be long now. We have plans to install the baby monitor in the goat shed either tonight or tomorrow (a powerful wireless one) so that we can keep tabs on her at night. As much as we aren't ready to have to milk twice daily, I am looking forward to having goat babies AND fresh raw milk again. :D

[tulip]

Badger, that looks like a Royal Paulownia tree to me (Paulownia tomentosa), also known as an Empress Tree. It originated in China. It grows fast and has pretty flowers. It's considered invasive because those seed pods drop seeds that sprout prolifically. The tree also sprouts right back when cut down. Down here, in the SE US, it's considered a weed tree. But up north, it doesn't grow so fast. It will provide shade, so that might affect your garden plans.

[badger]

Badger, that looks like a Royal Paulownia tree to me (Paulownia tomentosa), also known as an Empress Tree. It originated in China. It grows fast and has pretty flowers. It's considered invasive because those seed pods drop seeds that sprout prolifically. The tree also sprouts right back when cut down. Down here, in the SE US, it's considered a weed tree. But up north, it doesn't grow so fast. It will provide shade, so that might affect your garden plans.

thanks Tulip! I believe you found its name!! who knew it was a weed tree - one seed did drop into a nearby pot 3 years ago and now I have a smaller one in the corner of the garden. I transferred it into the raised bed last fall and it quickly withered up and dropped its leaves - I thought I killed it. But it came back this year and grew about a foot!

I'm not concerned about the tree getting too big as it's got the "bonsai effect" going on, it hasn't grown any bigger since I moved in 10 years ago. Now, as for the smaller one in the corner, THAT might get big as it's got a whole lot more room for its roots to grow. I wonder if I should dig it up now before it gets too big?

[spokewench]

So, here I go, I will try to attach my garden pictures!

This is my garden on August 28th. My flower patch is starting to bloom - I'm so excited! There are sunflowers, zinnias, cosmos, four oclocks, dahlias, marigolds. A little crowded given the rain we got; I started all these from seeds. I'm just so pleased with that this year.

Everything else just grew way too fast and big this year with the rain, but who's complaining, not me. Here are the first 5 pictures.

[spokewench]

Here are the rest of the pictures

[spokewench]

I posted my garden pictures finally and I'm so sad that no one commented:(

[Catrin]

I posted my garden pictures finally and I'm so sad that no one commented:(

I didn't see this come up when you posted your pictures...but the sunflowers are lovely! Also love your patio, it would be great to have something like that - thanks for posting the pictures!

[spokewench]

I didn't see this come up when you posted your pictures...but the sunflowers are lovely! Also love your patio, it would be great to have something like that - thanks for posting the pictures!

Thanks for looking! I'm very proud of the flowers since everyone of them was started from seed this year! Actually, that is my next door neighbor's deck, but I have a similar one on my house - actually I think it is nicer, of course!;)

[PamNY]

Your photos are beautiful! I don't follow this thread since I'm not a gardener, so I didn't see your photos earlier.

You should be proud of those flowers. Do your sunflower seeds attract a lot of birds?

[smilingcat]

I posted my garden pictures finally and I'm so sad that no one commented:(

Because I'm very jealous. You have a beautiful garden and a beautiful back yard. Wish mine was like that.

Still wondering how you managed to get four photos to go side by side in your post. Maybe something isn't happy with my Linux system.

[GLC1968]

Spoke - it's beautiful! So lush and goregous! I'm very jealous of your sunflowers. We live in a valley, get full sun all summer and yet we cannot seem to get those things to grow in our yard. It's depressing!

And I think I see a summer squash that needs picking! :p

[badger]

I'd love to live in a place like that, plenty of trees and a big yard. *sigh* Very nice place you have there!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

So nice to see everyone's gardens- they all look great. :D

I am continually ripping out old weary lettuce and bolted cilantro and rusty leaved things, throwing it in the compost bins, and planting new seed so we can have fresh things this Fall.
I actually have not stopped sowing seed all year. Good thing I ordered lots of seed for this year! As a result, we've been eating LOTS of good stuff for months now.
Many beautiful lettuces, also tomatoes, cucumbers, scallions, radishes, spinach, green beans, beets, swiss chard, kale, kohlrabi, carrots....all at various times and in various combinations. I have not had such a harvest that I canned or frozen anything though. Except bags of wild blackberries I picked last month. I gave away many armloads of beautiful lettuce all summer. A packet of lettuce seed is such a bargain!
I've made a few miscalculations, but mostly it's been good.

If i can manage to keep the cold loving greens like kale and chard and cabbage coming til December, then we'll be eating from the garden all the way from April to December- 8 or 9 months' worth.
Through mid winter I grow a constant small supply of fresh sprouts in the kitchen and living room in jars...I think of the windowsills full of glass jars as my 'cold frame'. :cool:
Here is a photo from a couple weeks ago- mounds of string beans in the middle, kale on the right, and anise hyssop (for the bees) blooming in front. Chard and carrots behind the kale. The garden is naturally a bit overgrown and jumbled at this point, though I've been merciless at hacking out the old tough stuff.
It's been quite a gardening year!
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_9fPBEJTqGzw/THW8mGViyZI/AAAAAAAAC9I/ktNdQBXTcgI/s1600/garden-hyssop.jpg

[spokewench]

Lisa, it is lovely!:D

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Just picked these beautiful French Breakfast radishes, and i cooked the green tops and had them for breakfast, broth and all...YUM!
I love Fall.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_9fPBEJTqGzw/TKNepE2qN_I/AAAAAAAADDE/KcEIyxSg2f8/s1600/radishes-green-tops-1.jpg

[spokewench]

We are going to freeze any night now; so I got my tomatoes and last harvest into the house. Wow, what a year! I've never seen this many tomatoes in Flagstaff ever! One bowl is full of little pear (yellow) tomatoes, a bunch of celebrity tomatoes, some yellow tomatoes (don't remember what kind).

[badger]

aaah!! so jealous!!

my growing season this year was a total bust. None of the tomatoes ripened on the vine, no zucchini, just little nubs that fell off, and carrots never got any bigger than a baby size. I had great luck with beans and snow peas, but they kind of had a boom then busted really quickly. All in all it was quite disappointing this year.

[Owlie]

I'm so jealous. I have nothing put potted herbs on the windowsill--save the mint, not quite enough to do anything with.

My parents' potted garden (herbs and a pepper plant, mostly) hasn't done well this year at all, as they haven't gotten much in the way of rain this summer.

[OakLeaf]

Now that we've FINALLY had some rain, I'm starting to get a few peppers and lima beans.

If the frost will only hold off...

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

my growing season this year was a total bust. None of the tomatoes ripened on the vine, no zucchini, just little nubs that fell off, and carrots never got any bigger than a baby size. I had great luck with beans and snow peas, but they kind of had a boom then busted really quickly. All in all it was quite disappointing this year.

Hmm...sounds like maybe a pollination issue. Poor pollination will produce stunted fruit or small fruit that doesn't grow beyond baby stage, then shrivels.
Are there many bees where you are?

[OakLeaf]

Aren't tomatoes (and peppers) self-pollinating?

With squash, yeah, I'd agree (and they're so easy to hand-pollinate, I'll often do that regardless).

[badger]

Hmm...sounds like maybe a pollination issue. Poor pollination will produce stunted fruit or small fruit that doesn't grow beyond baby stage, then shrivels.
Are there many bees where you are?


yes! my garden actually attracts quite a number of honeybees and bumblebees, even though I'm in a very urban area.

My guess is things didn't thrive this year because while we had clear weather, it was quite cool in temperature. We never got "hot" weather, just "warm". And all my gardening is done in pots where space is an issue and I hadn't had the heart to space out some of the tomatoes and carrots. So I think it's a combination of cool weather and lack of space that produced not-so-stellar harvest. And I lose a lot of sun past mid-August due to hi-rises near me.

I'm thinking of joining a community garden for next year, some of the crops there are so big and beautiful!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Hmm, then I can't figure out your problem Badger- sorry. :(


News in my vegetable gardening life:

This was my first complete year with my new large vegetable garden.
Everything but the tomatoes I grew from directly seeding in the ground, and I had quite a lot of surplus veggies of various kinds all summer. Mostly lettuce, but other stuff as well. Right now I have surplus scallions, kale, lettuce, and some extra cherry tomatoes...but all through the summer I was giving away literally bags full of lettuce, chard, cucumbers, etc.

Well it suddenly dawned on my last month that pretty much all the friends I was giving extra veggies and greens to all summer could afford to buy their own vegetables. A light bulb went off in my head and I realized I probably should be giving this surplus to people who were in trouble. (like, duh) Many people are jobless and are really having a hard time nowadays.

So I found out info about my town's Silent Food Pantry, and I've started bringing bags of fresh lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and kale. The bags disappeared, and I brought more. There was always canned beans and rice, macaroni&cheese mix etc there,...but there seemed a need for more fresh produce.

I saw what a good thing all these dozen or so volunteers in my town were doing, so I decided to volunteer to work at the pantry too, a few hours each month.
So simply because of my vegetable garden, I'm now working a shift at the food pantry once a week and finding the best use for my extra home grown produce. It feels good.

I also found this cool site:
http://www.ampleharvest.org/about.php
It's a national registry where food pantries and home gardeners can find each other. Pantries can list themselves, and vegetable gardeners can go there and punch in their zip code to find out where their nearest needy food pantry is- so that home gardeners have a place to bring their surplus harvest where it will really be appreciated.

If you have extra produce from your garden that you can't preserve or store, or if you know of a local food pantry that should register, please contact the site and help make the connection work. :)

[mudmucker]

This is my new project. I am making a passive root cellar for my vegetables. Well, all root cellars are passive but this one's in the basement. I don't have enough refrigerator space for some of this and I wanted to do this without electricity. This project is pretty fun and easy.

This link (http://picasaweb.google.com/103731528026043392922/MakingsOfARootCellar#) gives more description.

I already have an orchard rack where I can put in potatoes, winter squashes, onions, cabbages...and I will put standing wire shelves next to it. The shelves above will have my canned peaches, applesauce etc and the bottom 2 shelves will have wire baskets lined with jute. These bottom baskets will have carrots and beets in stored in sand.

Next to that, not in pictures yet, I am going to make apple storage. I am keeping the apples seperate because the ethylene gas that they give off will prematurely ripen other vegetables that are near them.

To make this all work and have cold air I am going to install pvc piping coming in from the outside. I will have one pipe that is high to pull warm air out. I'll have another pipe low to pull cold air in. All of that will provide a siphoning of air exchange. I'll also put ball valves in each of the pipes so I can close them down for those less than 32 degree days, and for better regulation.

Next is to line the framing with a vapor barrier. Then I'll be putting in 2 inch rigid foam insulation. Over that I'll put drywall. I will have to make the doors because it's not a standard size.

[badger]

that is awesome, Lisa!! I'm glad that food you grow has brought you closer with your community and its needs.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Thanks Badger. :)

Mudmucker- that's a very impressive root cellar you are constructing.
How cool is that? (pun intended, lol!)

[mudmucker]

I made a little more progress on my root cellar (see post #442). Haven't had too much time. Basically cut the rigid foam insulation, made the fruit/apple bin, put the vapor barrier on, and cut the drywall for the ceiling. Still a little more to do. See the link (http://picasaweb.google.com/103731528026043392922/MakingsOfARootCellar#) for better descriptions. Here's a few photos posted.

I also made 9 quarts of applesauce. I don't peel and cook my apples. I leave the skin to keep good nutrients as much as possible and just put everything in the blender uncooked and whip it up. You don't really distinguish the peels after that and the water bath. I used cider for the liquid in the blender.

[badger]

you guys are making me so jealous!! bountiful crops and root cellars! the apple sauce sounds and looks so yummy!

[GLC1968]

Mudmucker - I love the root cellar! I totally wanted to do something very similiar in one corner of our basement. Our problem is that it's rarely cold enough outside to make it work. Winter lows are typically only around 45F (sometimes it'll drop below freezing if we have a clear night).

I use our basement as it is (unfinished and unheated) and now that we've insulated all the heating ducts, the temps do remain very constant year round. It's only about 60F though - not quite cold enough for most produce. It is perfect wine temp though! ;)

[spokewench]

I love the root cellar! Wish I had a basement!

[badger]

does anyone know what this is? quick search online didn't yield anything worthwhile. I noticed this on a few carrots. It looks like warts, and they just look so nasty!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v400/nvwolf/CIMG2310.jpg

[mudmucker]

Well, I know this is a vegetable gardening thread ....is mead a vegetable? Chuckle :D But I am at least using local produce.

Here are some pictures of my latest batch of mead, 2 yrs old, vintage 2008. I took a wine thief to it this morning and wow, this is a nice batch. I stole a glass this evening because I was that excited about it. And whoo boy, alchohol content is nice :D. I threw a vanilla bean pod in the carboy and a couple of cloves for some subtle undertones. I'll bottle this soon. There is a local apiary in the next town over and I make all my mead with his honey. It might be high time to get some hives in my own yard. I'm going to try some cyser next as I haven't done one yet. Again, I'll use local apples/cider. There is a farm/orchard a mile from my house where I pick all my peaches and apples.

Root cellar continues. I made doors for it last weekend. I'll post more pictures when I have a little more done.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Very cool, Mudmucker. :D

Badger- I tried googling the carrot warts but no luck either. Gross!

[OakLeaf]

Badger - looks like nematode damage. I wouldn't worry about it if it isn't extensive. There are biological controls if your plot is really infested.

Mudmucker, how cool is that! Yummy! :)

I pulled in the last of my lima beans tonight. I covered the pepper plants just because it was less work to do that than to bring the row covers in :rolleyes: but I doubt I'll get much more out of them this year.

[badger]

Badger - looks like nematode damage. I wouldn't worry about it if it isn't extensive. There are biological controls if your plot is really infested.




OMG!! I just googled nematode (root knot) damage to carrots - I just ATE a handful of those carrots :eek: I was sure to not eat them raw so they were stir fried, but geez, had I read this earlier, I would've just chucked them out. I hope I won't get any parasites living inside me!! (please tell me it won't live inside me!!)

[OakLeaf]

No, no, no, they're completely harmless to humans! Don't throw out your carrots!

Really, unless they're doing major damage to your vegetables, it's nothing to worry about. There are literally billions of little critters that live in the soil, all in balance, some of them friendly to your plants and some unfriendly. When everything's healthy they keep each other in balance.

[smilingcat]

Just checked in this thread and wow Lisa, Spokewench, Tulip, Mudmaker, Badger all have really beautiful garden this year. Maybe next year in Oregon for me. I did manage to save handful of tomatoes, handful of cucmber and few other things.

And this year, rats moved into my neighbors bamboo stand and have been making nightly raids into my garden. So far they've eaten about half a dozen tomatoes...


Never did think of stir frying raddish tops. Is it slightly bitter? hot? Or is it like chard? or beet top? Have to try it next year.

nematode affected root veggie, we slice off the affected area and use the rest in our cooking. Most books tell you to throw it away... Well it's not marketable and will not store very well in a root cellar.

[badger]

No, no, no, they're completely harmless to humans! Don't throw out your carrots!

Really, unless they're doing major damage to your vegetables, it's nothing to worry about. There are literally billions of little critters that live in the soil, all in balance, some of them friendly to your plants and some unfriendly. When everything's healthy they keep each other in balance.


phew!! I couldn't really find anything online about the safety of consuming the affected carrots. I noticed them last year, too, but forgot about it until I pulled them out this year.

[bikegurl]

My parents have always gardened, and since I still live at home, I help a lot. I have never seen nematode damage, and that looks pretty gross! :(

I've heard of mead, but never tried any. It sounds interesting! *showing how ignorant I am* - is it similar to wine?:o I have been interested in getting bees for a while, but never got around to acutally getting any...:(

Three years ago we moved to the city after living in farming country for 12 years, so that has been a bit of a transition. Last year we were able to use some empty lots on the street behind our house for a garden, and this year we made it bigger.:D
We were able to eat most of our summer food out of it (like we used to:p) and also sell a lot. (We want to eventually be supported mainly by the garden)
Today, we planted garlic for next year's harvest. Garlic is my mom's specialty :)
Hopefully it does well! This is the first year (in the city) that the garlic got planted in the ground. We had it in raised beds the first two years, but the garlic didn't like it :(
I specialize in growing the peppers: hot, sweet, and frying peppers. :cool:
This year was AMAZING! It was also the first year I tried growing them in a hoop house. (it is very similar to a green house)

Enjoy your gardening! :D (well, actually, enjoy the break, since it is getting near winter..):p

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

OMG!! I just googled nematode (root knot) damage to carrots - I just ATE a handful of those carrots :eek: I was sure to not eat them raw so they were stir fried, but geez, had I read this earlier, I would've just chucked them out. I hope I won't get any parasites living inside me!! (please tell me it won't live inside me!!)
12171




And this year, rats moved into my neighbors bamboo stand and have been making nightly raids into my garden. So far they've eaten about half a dozen tomatoes...

I get a vole or mouse in my garden once in a while. I set out mousetraps tucked under the leaves so birds don't get in them, and whatever mouse or vole there is gets dispatched within 2 days or so. Peanut butter. I don't have the mousetraps out unless I see there is some rodent nibbling going on.
Try a rat trap placed under protective foliage.


Never did think of stir frying raddish tops. Is it slightly bitter? hot? Or is it like chard? or beet top? Have to try it next year.

No, not bitter or peppery- much like bok choy. :)

[mudmucker]

Life is good.

Bottled my mead. Drinking my mead. It's been getting in the low 20's where I am. Today November 12 - pulled the last 2 cabbages and grabbed some chard I still have going in the cold frame that I will eat tonight.

And of course, I had a great ride today.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Mudmucker- NICE! :D


I am still getting various stuff from the garden even though we've had several frosts already. Yesterday we had a fresh spinach/beetLeaf/crouton salad for dinner, with creamy potato and scallion soup.

My honeybees were going wild today, happy to have the sunny 50F weather to do their last chores of the Fall before hunkering down in the hives:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFNVRN1flA0

[tulip]

Some of my winter garden: Collards, leeks, carrots. I also have swiss chard, kale, and garlic (nothing to see yet). I have not put up my hoops yet for my winter salad greens bed. I'm behind on that task, but hopefully I'll have that ready this weekend so I can enjoy winter salads (arugula, winter lettuce, mache, frisee, mizuna, red chickory).

[spokewench]

I'm in mourning! My garden is totally frosted to the nubs! Got a long winter ahead of me before anything looks green again.

[OakLeaf]

Seriously? It hasn't been near cold enough for that in Ohio. Carrots are still in the ground, winter greens are flourishing (all volunteers from the mustard, rappini and kale that bolted so quickly in our hot, dry spring :cool:).

[spokewench]

Seriously? It hasn't been near cold enough for that in Ohio. Carrots are still in the ground, winter greens are flourishing (all volunteers from the mustard, rappini and kale that bolted so quickly in our hot, dry spring :cool:).

Yep, seriously, 7,000 feet altitude in the mountains makes a big difference in temperature.

[smilingcat]

Tulips' winter garden looks very appetizing. It's a good thing I'm not a snail in her garden...

And to Spokewench, you and I are just going to have to look forward to next year. My house in Troutdale (east of Portland) closed this past Monday... It's mine it's mine!!!

YIPPEEE!!!

I get to start my garden from scratch once again. not so cool.
but its bigger and full sun all day very cool.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Congratulations Smilingcat! We look forward to the progress reports of your new garden as it gets created. :)

[mudmucker]

Well, it's funny how life gets in the way of finishing things. Here's the latest on the root cellar, which has been extremely fun to make. It's so liberating being handy. I would have finished today except I needed a couple more pvc fittings and I wasn't going to make an hour round trip to get them.

I finished making the doors which wasn't a standard size at all, and finished insulating them. I began on the air exchanger and was able to easily pull out my basement window and replace one half with plywood and foam insulation. I took my trusty hole saw and made some nice clean holes for the piping to get through. I fit together the pipe on the outside, but I think I will cut them a little shorter. Although, they have to be high enough to be above the snowdrifts. Link (http://picasaweb.google.com/103731528026043392922/MakingsOfARootCellar#) to more narrative

[sundial]

Senate Bill 510, The Food Safety Modernization Act, the most dangerous bill for farmers and gardeners, passed. The House version passed earlier this year. :( Should this bill be signed into law, you will no longer be able to clean, store or sell seed, transport or sell home grown produce without prior FDA approval, you will be subjected to fines if you found in violation of the law, and puts all food and farms under Homeland Security. Your home garden will now be regulated by the government. Healthy, home grown, organic foods will no longer be available as the government will continue to introduce genetically modified produce. :mad: :mad:

For more information about this bill, please go to the following links:

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d111:S510:

http://www.urbanfarmhub.org/2010/05/food-safety-modernization-act-the-end-of-homegrown-produce/

[tulip]

The Tester-Hagan amendment protects farms with less than $500,000 income from the requirements. It appears that the Tester-Hagan Amendment is included in the bill that is coming up for a vote.

Mudrucker, that is quite a wonderful root cellar that you have built for yourself!

[OakLeaf]

Michael Pollan is strongly in favor (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/29/opinion/29schlosser.html?_r=1) (and confirms that the Tester amendment did pass).

That's good enough for me.

[tulip]

Good enough for me, too. The fact that the large agribusinesses were against the bill speaks volumes.

[crazycanuck]

I'd like to grow some veggies but as a non green thumb kinda person, i've come to this thread in the hope someone can guide me :)

What veggies grow well in pots and what types of pots should I use???

Tanks..

[mudmucker]

You want big pots, or those sizes that will accomodate the full grown vegetable. I like plastic because a) they're lighter and since they're above ground, less apt for moisture loss than clay (porous) pots. You can grow just about any vegetable in a pot, and many people do container gardening due to limited space. There are plants out there specifically bred for compact container gardening such as squashes, tomatoes, and cucumbers etc. There are many clever ways to grow vertically as well and that saves a lot of space. There are also self-watering pots out there. These are very pricy but if you are even somewhat handy you can make your own. Self-watering is very nice since containers will dry out quicker than regular gardens. Use a nice light soil or seed mix if you don't compost. You may want to feed since if exposed, the rain will leach out valuable nutrients. So now that I've thrown out a whole bunch of stuff, here are some useful links.

Go to Burpee or Johnnies Selected Seeds. Although the climate zones and seeds and such are for the US, these are the ones I know and will give a sense of direction for they types of things that can grow in containers well. Most seed company web sites give planting dates and such. Then, do a search for your country/area and find a comparable seed place to research the vegetable, how to grow it, what it needs, etc., see if there are varieties bred for compactness and more suitable for containers. Then buy local if you want. Go to a local greenhouse to get the plants if you don't want to start from seed.

http://www.burpee.com/
http://www.johnnyseeds.com/

Wait, here's an australian veggie site, you get the idea...

http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/factsheets/pots.htm

Look here for very clever ways to grow vertically, with or without pots:

http://www.gardeners.com/
http://www.motherearthnews.com/

And lastly, how to make your own self-watering container:
http://www.josho.com/gardening.htm
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/gardening/best-self-watering-solutions-for-container-gardens-054291
http://www.spillingbuckets.com/2009/05/self-watering-containers.html


If you want, buy a cheap set of castor wheels and put on the bottom so you can move it. These things will get heavy when wet and you'll never be able to move it.

[mudmucker]

Well, I've made some adjustments and pretty much finalized the main unit. I don't think I'm going to get to finishing the fruit bin part for a while now. My farm apples have been in the kitchen fridg, although not leaving much room for much else. I need to move on to a couple of other things. I want to expand my grow light shelves to accomodate more seed trays and I want to finish this in January. I also need to finish the insulation up in the attic. Because of this year's tax credit, I'm upping the R value up the attic. I tell you, in theory it's one of the easiest jobs to do, just put insulation in. But it's miserable - walking, crouching in all sorts of contorted positions, banging my head on the slanted roof with roofing nails sticking through, walking like a cat on the floor joists or across placed boards so as not to step wrong and land a foot through the ceiling below requiring drywall repair. I spend a couple hours up there and I come down feeling like I got hit by a truck!

After the grow light shelves I am going to build my own top bar beehive. I've decided to get bees for my mead. I'll post in the beekeeping thread on the construction, and my reasons for going for the less popular top bar beekeeping method.

Then after the beehive, I'm going to build a chicken coop once the snow clears in April. I've decided to take the plunge and get 3 hens. I have to make sure this is entirely predator proof.

Then after that I'm going to stop and relax and enjoy my summer and ride lots.

Here's the link to the complete root cellar process (http://picasaweb.google.com/103731528026043392922/MakingsOfARootCellar#) which gives a better explanation of things.

A couple of pictures:

Had to change out 2" pipe for 4". The 2" just wasn't sufficient and there was too much of a temperature differential. I couldn't get the root cellar down to temps I wanted. See above link for better explanation.

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_ghv7T6ztD3g/TQT_R897LQI/AAAAAAAABY4/sdEsH0DQs1A/s400/DSC02100.JPG

Intake pipe all the way to the floor to pull in cold air

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_ghv7T6ztD3g/TQT_TJuZtiI/AAAAAAAABZE/uVSny8lxB7U/s400/DSC02097.JPG

Exhaust pipe on ceiling to remove warm air.

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_ghv7T6ztD3g/TQUCfGxlWaI/AAAAAAAABZ0/TbcGcIWkRL0/s400/DSC02086.JPG

Final unit

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_ghv7T6ztD3g/TRKBZZ60FSI/AAAAAAAAB1U/U5WSgnSopMw/s400/DSC02124.JPG

[mudmucker]

As I said in the previous response is that you can grow just about any vegetable in a container. However what might be the driver for you over anything else is how much dedicated space you have. How many containers/pots can you fit into your space. If it is limited, then you need to think on how best to maximize the effort. For example, maybe it wouldn't make sense to grow eggplant or squash since you'd get few items for the space and amount of time the plant takes to grow in that space just doesn't make it efficient. So, things like tomatoes and cucumbers would be good because you get many, and they are typically prolific. String beans grown vertically (pole beans) would be good because you get many. Lettuce, chard and other greens are always good - they grow quickly and you can continue picking up to a point. On the other hand, maybe lettuce isn't so good if you have limited space because you might take all the time and energy to grow, but devour it in one meal because you don't have enough space to grow enough -that's not too efficient either. I don't really know what specific and compact varieties might be available for Australia climates and conditions either, that's why I say to try to hit a few in-country seed web sites. There may be a lot of diiferent things you guys got that we don't have here.

[crazycanuck]

Thanks for the info Mudmucker! I'll have a look at the ABC site & get some ideas. I also located & "borrowed" an Organic Gardener magazine from a cafe the other day and found some more info.

Ta!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

CC- are you planning to grow veggies in pots inside the house or outside on a patio?
Most (but not all) veggies need good sun.

[crazycanuck]

Lisa, they'll be outside where our boooteful sunshine can help the green stuff grow n be yummy!

Just wondering if anyone's used a raised garden bed??? I can't post a link at the moment but this is the website www.naturalyards.com.au.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Raised beds are great- especially if you have rocky or poor soil.

Also, think of just growing lettuces in window boxes full of good soil- like on a deck or patio. Cherry tomatoes do very well in large pots. they need lots of fertilizer. You might try radishes too- VERY easy to grow and don't need very deep soil. Be sure to grow some favorite herbs in pots too- and you can have 3 or 4 differnt herbs in one large pot. :)

[OakLeaf]

I use dug beds rather than constructed beds. I can amend the soil and till the whole garden at once in the spring rather than having to fool with individual beds. It's a lot of concentrated work each year before planting time, but lots less for the rest of the season.

I'm not sure raised beds are any help with rocky soil unless you truck in an entire load of fresh topsoil. If you take good care of you soil it will improve year by year, and pulling out rocks is one of the simpler things that you can do. It was the fourth year of my garden before I could really grow carrots. The first year I pulled out the 20 cm rocks ... the second, the 10 cm rocks ... the third, the 5 cm rocks ... after that, I could grow carrots. :cool:

My soil is very clayey, so I pretty much need raised beds for drainage.

I have a friend who's having very good results with lasagne gardening (http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/1999-04-01/Lasagna-Gardening.aspx). It seems to be a really great way to go with a small patch. I'd think it would be too much if you have more than a hundred square meters or so, though. She also grows all kinds of things indoors in pots in the winter, including baby carrots!

[mudmucker]

Raised beds? Yes.
Rocky thin soil? Yes.
Many rocks? Yes.
Truckloads of topsoil? No.
My own composted soil annually? Yes.

Here's my garden. (http://picasaweb.google.com/103731528026043392922/ColdFrame#)

By the way, a couple of months ago, I tried that butternut squash recipe off the Mother Earth News lasagne gardening. It is out of this world and one of my new favorite ways to use butternut squash. I modify it though. I don't cook my lasagne noodles anymore. Plus I don't bake in a oven, I use a crockpot. Plus I remove the white sauce part of it. So it goes like this:

Spoon in pureed squash (don't even season it) at bottom of crockpot. Place uncooked noodles on top. Just start layering squash, noodles, and cheese just like you would regular tomato sauce lasagne (As I said, no white sauce). Crockpot on high - it's ready in an hour and a half or two. Put it on low, a little longer. Comes out perfect every time, not runny, not dry. I really like the combination of sweet squash against the salty cheese.

[tulip]

I'm with mudrucker. I have very rocky soil and was not willing to injure my back by digging down. So I built raised beds, put down a thick layer of newspaper, and loaded them up with compost. I add about a wheelbarrow of sifted compost from my bins to a bed a month. Seems to work great.

I also make my lasagne in the crockpot, although a more traditional recipe with lots of spinach. That butternut way sounds delish, though.

I love your garden, mudrucker!

[skhill]

Ok, so it rained 2.3 inches yesterday. And it was 31 F when I stepped out into the garden at dawn today. But it's March, I'm jonesing for fresh veg, so I went ahead and planted a row of peas in the very cold mud. Maybe they'll come up, maybe not... If the rain holds off this weekend, I'm planning on cleaning up the garden and deciding what goes where this year. And planting some more too...

C'mon, spring, we're waiting!

[spokewench]

Lucky you! you can actually see the ground. I'd have to dig down through at least a foot of snow to find my beds right now. I've got a long wait for planting anything.

[spokewench]

Lisa, they'll be outside where our boooteful sunshine can help the green stuff grow n be yummy!

Just wondering if anyone's used a raised garden bed??? I can't post a link at the moment but this is the website www.naturalyards.com.au.

In this thread, go to my entries at 8/28/2010 and 10/7/2010. This shows my garden from this year. There are two raised beds there for my veges (and one for flowers this year). These beds are about 6 x 4 feet and I filled them with topsoil and manure to start and add manure/compost every year to help them out.

You can't tell from the picture, but the beds are about 12" deep. They are at the bottom of my yard so the yard washes down to the beds and you can hardly see the raised walls anymore!

If you look at my 10/7/2010 entry, this shows gardens and also the last harvest before our first hard frost. It froze hard that night so I had to get the produce off the vines! This was probably my best year ever since we had lots of rain this year!

spoke

[NbyNW]

This is what my raised beds look like today. Our high temp today is expected to be about -22℃/-8℉. Around here they say danger of frost lasts through Memorial Day.

I really need to get myself back to Seattle!

[badger]

mudmucker, I LOVE your garden!!!

I'm contemplating a raised bed this year on my concrete patio, but I'm afraid it's going to make a huge mess. I wonder if I'll be able to keep it for years, or if I'll have to take it apart annually at the end of the season? the best thing to do is to move to a house with a yard... *sigh* one day.

[tulip]

Two weeks ago, I planted plants of bok choi, lettuce, arugula, and kale (spring--I've already had kale and collards growing through the winter--and eating them). They are all doing very well, as are my overwintering leeks, which I have to trim and replant to (hopefully) keep them growing and prevent them from blossoming like last year.

I have to plant potatoes, peas, shallots, and onions this weekend, as well as start seeds for summer veggies. I'm a bit behind on that task.

The daffodils and crocus are blooming, and I expect to see some strawberry blossoms in a few weeks.

This year my challenge will be to use my beds wisely in terms of space. Last year I was not very efficient and I could have grown alot more if I had planned better for seasonal plantings.

I am very, very happy to live in a mild climate.

[celticgarden]

What I wouldn't do to see my garden like this again soon....
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24171959@N05/sets/72157626180964512/

Right now it's still covered in snow. Hoping to start soon (indoors) brassicas, lettuce etc.

Linda

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Finally the snow has melted off the veg garden. I'm amazed to see bunches of baby spinach still alive and green, and some of last year's carrots seem to be still fresh in the ground.... WTHeck???
Can't wait to plant some lettuce and spinach again! Lots of digging and hoeing ahead, but the ground is still mostly frozen yet. The 10 little blueberry bushes look alive too, with red leaf buds on their green stems. :)

[skhill]

I'm so excited-- so far, spinach, swiss chard, and peas are up, and the tomatoes I'm starting inside have just sprouted! I've also planted some lettuce and mustard greens, but it'll be a few more days for them...

Of course, we've got a cold snap coming, with lows down in the low 30's. At least we're spared the snow that so many places are seeing today...

[spokewench]

Yep, I was hoping to take some of my Wednesday off to work on cleaning up my garden beds. Not to be, though as we had 7-9 inches of snow on Monday. It is melting fast so maybe this weekend?

[GLC1968]

Yep, I was hoping to take some of my Wednesday off to work on cleaning up my garden beds. Not to be, though as we had 7-9 inches of snow on Monday. It is melting fast so maybe this weekend?

Hey - me too (but Friday)! I'm taking Friday off to do some prep work to put our house on the market and on my list was to either 'clean out all closets' or 'clean out garden, greenhouse & prep for planting'. Since it looks like we might have good weather, the garden chores are moving to the top of the priority list!

We also desparately need to spray our fruit trees but we haven't had a single dry day since we got the copper sulfate (months ago!). Maybe Friday??

[tulip]

...I'm taking Friday off to do some prep work to put our house on the market ...

???Put your house on the market?

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Yeah, like Tulip.... GLC- you are selling your homestead? :eek:

[GLC1968]

Wait - you mean I haven't b1tched about this here yet? ;) We've been running ragged trying to get everything done with pretty much only weekends on which to work!

Yes, we are looking to sell. The ultimate goal will be to continue with what we are doing but in a different location (still in the Portland area). We *may* have to take some time off from it though - depending on what we find or what we decide to 'create'. Basically, we hate our road, our house will need a *very* expensive new roof in the next 5 years, my commute is sucking up too much of my time, our basement will flood pretty severely without power (something we were lied to about!), and we'd like slightly more land (2-3 acres instead of just 1). I'd also like a smaller house, but that's kind of hard to find around here. In addition to shopping existing places, we are also going to investigate buying land and building, so we really don't know what the future will hold at this point.

I will seriously miss the fruit trees, the bison out back, the blackberry and loganberry bushes and our basement pantry - but all of these things can be rebuilt in the new place (except the bison!). I will not miss the flooding, the traffic, the accidents out front, the methlab next door (or whatever it is), chicken-hunting neighbor dogs or having to drive somewhere in order to go for a run!

Of course, it's not a great time to sell (though our area is doing better than the country overall), so it is possible that we will stay. If we cannot get enough from our house to cover the realtor fees (and the loan), then we won't sell. We have already accepted that we will be losing our entire down-payment but we hope to make it up on the new place.

[spokewench]

Well, the snow was melting really well yesterday - water was pouring off of everyone's roofs and I thought YES ! I will be able to play in the garden this weekend; AND t h e n - I woke up to more snow this morning! Yikes.

It wasn't much, but I want to work in my GARDEN! Stop snowing please!

[WindingRoad]

MMMMMMM some tomatoes would be soooooo good! My apartment complex has a community garden. I hope to plant some tomatoes whenever it stops snowing.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

GLC i didn't realize you had only one acre- your posts and pictures always seemed like it was a big farm/homestead!
I can understand why you'd want more room, espec if you dislike the road and your neighbors. We have about 1/3 acre and it's tough to deal with. We can't have chickens or goats,which I'd love...though i do have bees which are existing 'under the radar', behind the veg garden. At least i get to have a good sized veg garden! :)
Good luck on your house hunting.

[GLC1968]

And it was all a false alarm.... ;) We made the decision on Friday that we are going to stay in our current place. We are researching solid fencing to reduce road noise and we are saving our pennies for a new roof in the next few years. We will also rethink how we have both the goats and the chickens set up to maximize our current space a bit. It really is amazing what can be done with only an acre!

Ultimately, we decided to stay because we REALLY want to build our own place on the right piece of land. Being perfectly honest with ourselves, we can't really afford that right now without picking up much more debt than we'd like, so we are going to stay put for 5-10 years and continue to save (and research).

Sooo...what does this mean for vegetable gardening? Plenty! The beautiful front flower bed that we just finished? I was going to plant pansies for selling purposes but didn't get to it yet. Now it's going to be a healing and seasoning herb garden (perennials)!

And all the work we did to clean up the blackberries, raspberries, loganberries and marrionberries will now be for our own harvest instead of someone else's. Yay!

We spent the weekend destroying and rebuilding our kitchen (due to nothing but rain, rain, rain), so no progress was made on our garden boxes or row garden area yet. We are planning though - and sorting through our existing seeds! I can't wait to see things grow again!!