Garden thread
Replies
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Borrowed my neighbor's orchard ladder again and picked all the Asian pears and plums that were out of reach. There were six gallons of pears and there are still more on the tree.
One of the two-gallon buckets got emptied at a neighbor's house. Most of another one went to another neighbor. She had told me a week or so ago she wanted plums; never said anything about pears. Took some anyway; she was home and took eighteen of 'em.
Only got two gallons of plums. Still more on the tree. There are still four or five quarts of prunes left from last year so the focus will be processing the pears and figs. Any room left in the dehydrator after the pears are done might get prunes. They're Italian prune plums and are SO good. I made a care package for that neighbor. Other neighbor decided to pass on the plums.
The basket was a nice presentation. She knows there's more if she wants. She sent a text that her brother who just arrived for a visit loves 'em and had never had one before. Go figure.
OK. My break is over; time to process fruit.
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Also some Interlaken seedless green grapes.4 -
@mtaratoot what a great neighbor you are! Our neighborhood often has boxes of fruits or veggies for free at the bottom of people's driveways. Lots of fruit trees around me, and often different than mine! I love knowing that the stuff isn't going to waste. What a gorgeous harvest you have!!3
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girlwithcurls2 wrote: »@mtaratoot what a great neighbor you are! Our neighborhood often has boxes of fruits or veggies for free at the bottom of people's driveways. Lots of fruit trees around me, and often different than mine! I love knowing that the stuff isn't going to waste. What a gorgeous harvest you have!!
We have a great neighborhood. We share things from our gardens. A couple of us trade fermented cabbage back and forth. We share/trade garden starts. We share baked goods. We sometimes even hang out and just enjoy each other's company. Sometimes we even go paddling together.4 -
The Interlaken grapes I put in the dehydrator FINALLY dried enough to be called raisins. I was really surprised how sweet they were. They are sweeter than sugar. Today I took the day off work. Among other things, I decided to harvest a bunch of grapes and process them into the dehydrator.
I picked a two gallon bucket full pretty quickly. I took it around, as you guessed, no a neighbor. He took about a gallon and started putting them in HIS dehydrator. I came home and used the rest. I went out and quickly harvested another two gallons. They filled more dehydrator trays, although I did set aside some of the best looking bunches to eat fresh. I filled that bucket a third time. That got me about halfway down the grape vine trellis.
So I now have eight trays totally full of grapes. It will take over two days in the dehydrator before they are raisins. That means I don't have to process fruit for a couple days. But.... I also picked about a gallon of figs. There's no place for them to go! Oh well. I guess it's time to take another walk through the neighborhood.3 -
Rain is coming. Did some tidying up.
Went out and harvested another crahp tonne of San Marzano tomatoes. Spent a fair bit of time pruning up what's left of the tomato plants so they don't just rot in the rain. Took off a whole lot of leaves, especially down low. Anything shaded? Gone. Left things thin enough so it could get airflow and so the plants in the next bed over aren't in a humidifier.
I didn't harvest any fruit. The Interlaken grapes I put in the dehydrator on Friday are still grapes. Maybe they will be raisins by morning, or at least afternoon. I'd like to get another batch in, and I'd also like to dry some tomatoes. I probably could make a few trays with the last of the Asian pears, but they are so good fresh I don't want to stuff 'em all in the dehydrator. Not a bad problem to have.
Pulled the second to last batch of beets. The bed that currently has beets (not many) and tomatoes (not long for viability) will be turned into the garlic bed in the next few weeks. SO MANY tomatoes on the vines, I want them to get at least pink before I yank 'em. I might pickle some green ones, but if they have any ripeness at all, I can finish them inside. But there's already so many.
Like I said - not a bad problem to have.
Enjoying the crisp fall air. Paddled Waldo Lake yesterday. Always great. Guess what I took for lunch? Grapes, figs, and prunes.1 -
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nilhilreich1945 wrote: »a raised bed would benefit me from the groundhogs but garlic easily keeps them at bay.
trying to find a solution for these tiny white microscopic flies who chew holes.thru my.kale tho:/
going to add butternut squash next year
but this was a perfect year for kale.
Have you tried neem oil?
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The fall raspberries are looking good. Tasting good, too!
The patch of winter beets might actually grow big enough that I'll get to eat some. I've slowly moved up the planting date; I always fail. This year I planted a few rows each week for three weeks the first three weeks in July to help dial in my scheme for future years. I love beets.
The artichokes are leafing out again. Most likely they will die back over winter then sprout back in spring. Mmmmm.
The sugar snap peas are climbing along. Here's hoping I got them in early enough that they'll give me peas soon. If I had planted them any earlier, they would have scorched in the heat. Experiment in progress. There's some spinach plants nearby that made really tasty meals for some damn slugs.
Still a few tomatoes left. I've pruned out the leaves to increase air flow. In a week, I'll harvest whatever is left and bring the fruit in to ripen. I need to get my garlic in that bed!
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Looks like that dehydrator will be at least partially filled with figs.
We have a few rain-free days in the forecast. It is possible that this will not be the final harvest. The little green ones sure don't look as delicious as they would have if we hadn't had rain, but the rain is really filling the fruit out. I'll keep harvesting as long as I can. Sorry tomatoes; you may have to wait. Maybe I should do something I did years ago that is totally NOT approved by USDA. It's an easy way to can tomatoes. Essentially just take the tomatoes and cut 'em up and add some basil and other herbs and bake in the oven until they are.... awesome.
Get the jars sanitized and ready either by also baking or putting in boiling water. Fill the jars and put new lids on and let them seal. No processing. Again this is NOT APPROVED as a canning method by USDA. Use at your own risk.2 -
The Interlaken grapes I put in the dehydrator FINALLY dried enough to be called raisins. I was really surprised how sweet they were. They are sweeter than sugar. Today I took the day off work. Among other things, I decided to harvest a bunch of grapes and process them into the dehydrator.
I picked a two gallon bucket full pretty quickly. I took it around, as you guessed, no a neighbor. He took about a gallon and started putting them in HIS dehydrator. I came home and used the rest. I went out and quickly harvested another two gallons. They filled more dehydrator trays, although I did set aside some of the best looking bunches to eat fresh. I filled that bucket a third time. That got me about halfway down the grape vine trellis.
So I now have eight trays totally full of grapes. It will take over two days in the dehydrator before they are raisins. That means I don't have to process fruit for a couple days. But.... I also picked about a gallon of figs. There's no place for them to go! Oh well. I guess it's time to take another walk through the neighborhood.
I think you should retire and garden full time
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...The sugar snap peas are climbing along. Here's hoping I got them in early enough that they'll give me peas soon. If I had planted them any earlier, they would have scorched in the heat. Experiment in progress. There's some spinach plants nearby that made really tasty meals for some damn slugs.
I struggle with fall peas every year. (Spring are great.) There really isn't a window where I can plant them early enough in the summer where they won't get too hot and yet have enough growing time to produce before it gets too cold.
I'm in 6b and planted them August 1. We're starting to have nights in the upper 40s, which is inhibiting growth. Will be harvesting soon, but it is no where as abundant as I get in June/July.1 -
kshama2001 wrote: »...The sugar snap peas are climbing along. Here's hoping I got them in early enough that they'll give me peas soon. If I had planted them any earlier, they would have scorched in the heat. Experiment in progress. There's some spinach plants nearby that made really tasty meals for some damn slugs.
I struggle with fall peas every year. (Spring are great.) There really isn't a window where I can plant them early enough in the summer where they won't get too hot and yet have enough growing time to produce before it gets too cold.
I'm in 6b and planted them August 1. We're starting to have nights in the upper 40s, which is inhibiting growth. Will be harvesting soon, but it is no where as abundant as I get in June/July.
Total experiment on the peas. Same issue with hot temperatures when I'd like to plant versus early cool/wet. It also won't be good data to extrapolate to other beds; this particular bed has a microclimate. However; if they DO get big enough to flower, and we do have an Indian summer as we often do (do we need to find a better term for this; I don't intend to be offensive, but I don't know another name for it?), the actual peas should be BETTER than spring peas. So far no flowers, but the next few days are forecast to be pretty nice. I gotta go get me some chanterelles. I cleaned some lobster mushrooms today, and I was surprised how good condition they were in.3 -
kshama2001 wrote: »The Interlaken grapes I put in the dehydrator FINALLY dried enough to be called raisins. I was really surprised how sweet they were. They are sweeter than sugar. Today I took the day off work. Among other things, I decided to harvest a bunch of grapes and process them into the dehydrator.
I picked a two gallon bucket full pretty quickly. I took it around, as you guessed, no a neighbor. He took about a gallon and started putting them in HIS dehydrator. I came home and used the rest. I went out and quickly harvested another two gallons. They filled more dehydrator trays, although I did set aside some of the best looking bunches to eat fresh. I filled that bucket a third time. That got me about halfway down the grape vine trellis.
So I now have eight trays totally full of grapes. It will take over two days in the dehydrator before they are raisins. That means I don't have to process fruit for a couple days. But.... I also picked about a gallon of figs. There's no place for them to go! Oh well. I guess it's time to take another walk through the neighborhood.
I think you should retire and garden full time
When I retire in about 3.7 years, I will definitely enjoy more time in the garden. But NOT full time! I have other fun things on the agenda.3 -
Looks like that dehydrator will be at least partially filled with figs.
We have a few rain-free days in the forecast. It is possible that this will not be the final harvest. The little green ones sure don't look as delicious as they would have if we hadn't had rain, but the rain is really filling the fruit out. I'll keep harvesting as long as I can. Sorry tomatoes; you may have to wait. Maybe I should do something I did years ago that is totally NOT approved by USDA. It's an easy way to can tomatoes. Essentially just take the tomatoes and cut 'em up and add some basil and other herbs and bake in the oven until they are.... awesome.
Get the jars sanitized and ready either by also baking or putting in boiling water. Fill the jars and put new lids on and let them seal. No processing. Again this is NOT APPROVED as a canning method by USDA. Use at your own risk.
I use microwave to sterilize jars for canning. I think it's much quicker than baking and boiling and less hassle. I wash them and put as much as fits o my the microwave plate while they're still wet. Give them few minutes on high, check to see that they are all hot, give a little more time in small increments. Let the jars get really hot, then proceed to fill with whatever you are canning. I boil the lids to sterilize. Put the lid on, tighten, flip upside down, let cool. Flip right side up and done. So no usda processing either... I've been doing it for many years, never had a problem. It's probably worth mentioning that i can jams and chutney that was just cooked, so piping hot. That's why i feel it's safe without processing.1 -
@icemom011
No microwave in my house. I think the last time I owned one was between 20 and 25 years ago. The way I figure it with the baked tomatoes is that it comes out of the oven at 350 or 375 F. If the jars are clean, the hot tomatoes are well above the temperature of a boiling water bath. I think it might not be a bad idea to return the jars to the oven for a few minutes... Then put NEW lids in boiling water to sanitize, put on the rings, and like you said turn upside down to cool.
Don't try this at home. Totally not approved. There's even the consideration that tomatoes we grow today have a lot less acid than tomatoes did a century ago, so our canning methods are supposed to change. It would be really neat to get hold of a very large pressure canner. When pacific albacore is in season, it's very affordable. Home canned tuna is a real treat. There's some local canneries that make what's essentially home canned tuna. It costs $10 for a small jar. We can buy whole fish off the boat for $3 per pound plus a few bucks if we want them to butcher it.
I broke up my garlic bulbs to put in the garden in a day or two. I might cut down the remaining tomatoes out there, pull the last few beets, and prep the bed so I can just plant garlic this week or next.2 -
It's probably a few weeks early, but I went ahead and cut back all my peonies. We have had a few days of dry weather, and we have dry vegetation. Most years I'm out in the rain kneeling in the mud to get this done. I have no worries that I hurt the below ground tubers. In fact, if I did I don't mind. Every few years I dig some up to give away. They are pretty resilient. The flowers are awesome in the spring, but boy to they attract ants.
I just keep putting off yanking out the tomatoes because... they still have lots of fruit on them. I should just say, "Hey - time to be done with tomatoes" and get it done. Maybe tomorrow? The garlic should go in over the next few days, and there's rain in the forecast for Tuesday, so I'd like to get soil prep done before then as it will get too wet to dig.1 -
I just keep putting off yanking out the tomatoes because... they still have lots of fruit on them. I should just say, "Hey - time to be done with tomatoes" and get it done. Maybe tomorrow? The garlic should go in over the next few days, and there's rain in the forecast for Tuesday, so I'd like to get soil prep done before then as it will get too wet to dig.
What kind of soil does garlic like? My garlic is always disappointingly undersized.
I usually leave the toms alone until they completely stop fruiting and die off naturally. At the first frost threat, I pick all the unblemished greenies, wrap them in brown paper and store in a cool dark dry place. Last year, I had garden tomatoes well into December!
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I just keep putting off yanking out the tomatoes because... they still have lots of fruit on them. I should just say, "Hey - time to be done with tomatoes" and get it done. Maybe tomorrow? The garlic should go in over the next few days, and there's rain in the forecast for Tuesday, so I'd like to get soil prep done before then as it will get too wet to dig.
What kind of soil does garlic like? My garlic is always disappointingly undersized.
I usually leave the toms alone until they completely stop fruiting and die off naturally. At the first frost threat, I pick all the unblemished greenies, wrap them in brown paper and store in a cool dark dry place. Last year, I had garden tomatoes well into December!
My soil is great for almost anything. It was deposited here about10,000 years ago by the Missoula floods.
You have to be careful and plant only pathogen-free garlic. There is a disease called white rot that will destroy your garlic, and it has sclerotia that can survive in soil for... 15 years. Yikes!
It likes some nutrients early on. Water management is important.
Normally I just leave my tomatoes in the ground. I harvest fruit as they ripen up until we have a frost warning when I pull ALL the fruit. Anything that has any pink at all will ripen fully inside. I can pickle the green ones. I also normally just leave the roots in the ground. But I wanted this bed for garlic! It's about time to plant! We got some rain and then some dry days, so I went after it.
I pulled the last eight beets. I harvested all the tomatoes and sorted them. I turned the soil a couple times and it was really lovely. Nice and light but not muddy. Such good soil. Now I have a bed for the garlic. I'll let the bed rest a day or six and then plant the garlic. I pulled the cloves of the garlic apart yesterday. I have two soft neck garlics and one hard neck. Early Italian Purple, Late Italian, and Spanish Roja.
Here's the bed. The one lone plant left was a free basil start I had and just planted it in with the tomatoes. They are good companion plants, and they taste good together. It's obviously a Serrano version of basil since there are chiles growing on it. Never EVER trust free seedlings
The boards came from an old fence. They mark the paths.
I found four bulbs that I removed. I think they are paperwhites. They may have been inadvertent added to the garden, but I remember them blooming in the spring. They spread a lot. I'm thinking I might try to store them, give them cold treatment, and force them to bloom in December. Anybody know any tricks for that? I've tried before but never had success.
Here's some tips on growing garlic:
https://www.garlandnursery.com/handouts-and-care-guides/garlic-handout/
🧄 🧄 🧄 🧄 🧄 🧄 🧄 🧄 🧄 🧄 🧄2 -
@mtaratoot, I have forced bulbs, but it's a thing I always have to look up. Not difficult, but if you don't have the outdoor cold long enough (we usually do, and even in unheated garage is usually fine here), a fridge will work, but IMU the bulbs will suffer in flower production (and maybe generally, don't recall) in the presence of ethylene gas from ripening fruit, so caution on that.
True paperwhites (Tazetta Narcissus) don't technically need cold treatment, one reason they're so popular for forcing.
Truth in advertising: I've mostly purchased bulbs to force, layered them in pots, put in garage to temper the cold, and usually they get enough cold to have time to sprout & give away at Christmas. Depends on your degree-days, and which bulbs, though.1 -
Pure curiosity: Does anyone use the method of pulling tomato plants by the roots, hanging to let fruit ripen? I've never had a good spot for that, and none of the old farmers I knew did it, but I've read about it. Don't know whether the old farmers here didn't do it because it wasn't a great method, or it just wasn't culturally common here. (I've read it can be messy.)0
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The eggplant, which had dropped all its blossoms because 10C was too cold, is blooming again. It's near freezing overnight now. I'm super confused but rolling with it.
Tomato and zucchini are still producing. My zucchinis have been small since the plant got such a rough start, but they're tasty.
A bunch of beans dried out when I didn't react to a weather change fast enough, but they're still producing. Same thing with the raspberries, but they're done. Carrots and chard look good and I have tons of kale. But it looks like I'll only get two beets and some beet microgreens. I replanted them after only two came up, but by the time they sprouted they were too shaded and didn't really grow. Learning for next year I guess.1 -
@mtaratoot, I have forced bulbs, but it's a thing I always have to look up. Not difficult, but if you don't have the outdoor cold long enough (we usually do, and even in unheated garage is usually fine here), a fridge will work, but IMU the bulbs will suffer in flower production (and maybe generally, don't recall) in the presence of ethylene gas from ripening fruit, so caution on that.
True paperwhites (Tazetta Narcissus) don't technically need cold treatment, one reason they're so popular for forcing.
Truth in advertising: I've mostly purchased bulbs to force, layered them in pots, put in garage to temper the cold, and usually they get enough cold to have time to sprout & give away at Christmas. Depends on your degree-days, and which bulbs, though.
Yes, exactly. I've used the fruit-free dorm sized frig in our basement to chill bulbs.
https://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/blog/2017/11/21/forcing-bulbs-its-easier-than-you-think/
...You can keep bulbs cool in a refrigerator, but only if there is no fresh fruit stored inside. The ethylene gas released by fruit during its natural ripening process will interfere with flower development. Better to store bulbs in an extra refrigerator, if you happen to have one.2 -
kshama2001 wrote: »@mtaratoot, I have forced bulbs, but it's a thing I always have to look up. Not difficult, but if you don't have the outdoor cold long enough (we usually do, and even in unheated garage is usually fine here), a fridge will work, but IMU the bulbs will suffer in flower production (and maybe generally, don't recall) in the presence of ethylene gas from ripening fruit, so caution on that.
True paperwhites (Tazetta Narcissus) don't technically need cold treatment, one reason they're so popular for forcing.
Truth in advertising: I've mostly purchased bulbs to force, layered them in pots, put in garage to temper the cold, and usually they get enough cold to have time to sprout & give away at Christmas. Depends on your degree-days, and which bulbs, though.
Yes, exactly. I've used the fruit-free dorm sized frig in our basement to chill bulbs.
https://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/blog/2017/11/21/forcing-bulbs-its-easier-than-you-think/
...You can keep bulbs cool in a refrigerator, but only if there is no fresh fruit stored inside. The ethylene gas released by fruit during its natural ripening process will interfere with flower development. Better to store bulbs in an extra refrigerator, if you happen to have one.
I would not have thought about ethylene. That totally makes sense though. I had tried to force some hyacinth a few years ago. I had thinned out an area where I have them planted. Come November I tried to get 'em to grow. No luck. I usually just buy a few at the garden center. I might just put them in a paper sack and leave them out in the shed. Worst thing that could happen is I end up putting them in the green waste cart and have them composted. I don't want to set them free in the yard as they become pretty weedy. Or maybe there's another place I don't mind them spreading like weeds. Yeah. That's the ticket!
I have an area with way too many tulips, but I always forget to dig them up and thin them after they die back to the ground. I suppose I could try to move some now, but they should have roots already as well as tiny shoots just waiting to sit through winter and pop their little heads up in February and March.1 -
@kshama2001
Thanks for the link. It made me realize I won't have enough time to chill these bulbs to force in mid winter. That's OK. I'll just buy a half dozen hyacinth bulbs really soon. I'll go stick these things in the ground somewhere that they can be enjoyed. Maybe next spring after they die back I'll dig 'em up and stuff 'em in the fridge. I reckon if I put them in a paper sack and put that in a plastic bag or container it will keep the ethylene out. I'll have to remember to take them out and give them fresh air every couple weeks.
Like I need another hobby....2 -
@kshama2001
Thanks for the link. It made me realize I won't have enough time to chill these bulbs to force in mid winter. That's OK. I'll just buy a half dozen hyacinth bulbs really soon. I'll go stick these things in the ground somewhere that they can be enjoyed. Maybe next spring after they die back I'll dig 'em up and stuff 'em in the fridge. I reckon if I put them in a paper sack and put that in a plastic bag or container it will keep the ethylene out. I'll have to remember to take them out and give them fresh air every couple weeks.
Like I need another hobby....
Well, there's still time for LATE winter
Where do you live again? Feb and early March is still pretty miserable for us here in MA, but I think you are someplace somewhat warmer (?)0 -
kshama2001 wrote: »Well, there's still time for LATE winter
Where do you live again? Feb and early March is still pretty miserable for us here in MA, but I think you are someplace somewhat warmer (?)
By late winter we're already getting some things blossoming naturally. I cut sprigs of flowering cherry as early as late February to bring in and force. They're lovely.
I am in a mild climate of Pacific Northwest USA. Putting boots on and headed out to put cloves in the ground for next year's garlic!
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@kshama2001
Thanks for the link. It made me realize I won't have enough time to chill these bulbs to force in mid winter. That's OK. I'll just buy a half dozen hyacinth bulbs really soon. I'll go stick these things in the ground somewhere that they can be enjoyed. Maybe next spring after they die back I'll dig 'em up and stuff 'em in the fridge. I reckon if I put them in a paper sack and put that in a plastic bag or container it will keep the ethylene out. I'll have to remember to take them out and give them fresh air every couple weeks.
Like I need another hobby....
Repeating myself, but: The paperwhites, if that's truly what they are, should not need cold treatment. Most other stuff, yes, for varying times.
https://www.thespruce.com/how-to-force-paperwhite-narcissus-indoors-14022822 -
@kshama2001
Thanks for the link. It made me realize I won't have enough time to chill these bulbs to force in mid winter. That's OK. I'll just buy a half dozen hyacinth bulbs really soon. I'll go stick these things in the ground somewhere that they can be enjoyed. Maybe next spring after they die back I'll dig 'em up and stuff 'em in the fridge. I reckon if I put them in a paper sack and put that in a plastic bag or container it will keep the ethylene out. I'll have to remember to take them out and give them fresh air every couple weeks.
Like I need another hobby....
Repeating myself, but: The paperwhites, if that's truly what they are, should not need cold treatment. Most other stuff, yes, for varying times.
https://www.thespruce.com/how-to-force-paperwhite-narcissus-indoors-1402282
Already in the ground along a property boundary where I can just mow 'em if I get tired of 'em.
Also stuffed in four English lavender I've been meaning to get in the soil, a few rosemary plants that needed soil, and one of my Scarlet Bee Balms. I need to thin the other one or two, and I might give one of them away. I like having one in a huge pot on my deck. Hummingbirds LOVE 'em. Got ten rows of garlic planted. There was one extra head, so I made another tiny bed. That one might not do so well as that's not a very well drained spot. It was the only vacant place in the garden though.2
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