Author Topic: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020  (Read 61634 times)

MudPuppy

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #550 on: June 27, 2020, 12:29:22 PM »
here are two of my favorite use-up-zucchini recipes

Zucchini Gyros (we don't typically add the mushrooms, since my spouse is not a fan)

Cream of zucchini soup

Linea_Norway

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #551 on: June 27, 2020, 01:44:31 PM »
Now hive:  what do you do with garlic scapes? 

I have pickled them.  Tasty.

Very timely topic as I just cut off a few dozen of these literally an hour ago. But as someone who has never pickled - and I’m really not set up for it where I am - any other slam dunk ways to use it up? Worth freezing?

In other news...the produce avalanche has truly begun over here on the left coast. Wouldn’t know where to properly begin to illustrate this fact...but my sugar snap peas, which were once 9 feet tall are now 6ft as they collapsed on themselves from the weight of the pea mass - a bit of rain didn’t help nor my cutting of a few corners when I built their support structure. I worry that the remaking peas won’t get the proper nourishment now that the stalks/vines are so creased.

😐



Yet another learning moment for me in what seems to be a never ending series of learning moments.

I always bind sugar pees to sticks for support. That works well.

Indio

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #552 on: June 27, 2020, 07:52:45 PM »
@MudPuppy  That zucchini gyro recipe and sun dried tomato tatziki looks delectable. I'm overloaded, I mean blessed, with a lot of oregano so I'm definitely going to try that if and when the zucchini starts producing. My favorite way to preserve zucchini is to make it into relish. Fabulous way to add a little zip to winter salads.

I'd like the zucchini plants to be as prolific too. Tp prevent the usual attacks from vine borers, I've put the plants in different spots in the veg garden and seeded them at different times to sort of have a succession of zucchini. With 8 winter/summer squash plants, I'm going to try wrapping the base stems with recycled aluminum foil this year to see if that reduces the attack vector. I've also planted varieties that are disease and powdery mildew resistant.

My broccoli plants have already been attacked by cabbage moth and I didn't notice it in time. The plants are in pots which made it easy to move them next to the blueberry bushes under the mosquito netting for extra protection. Hopefully, that will work. The neem oil treatment for flea beetle stopped the pinprick holes they made in the tomato leaves but wasn't effective for the cabbage moth.

On a different but related topic, read a fascinating article about a Moroccan food forest that fed villagers for generations. I thought permaculture enthusiasts might be interested in it.
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/what-is-permaculture-food-forests



horsepoor

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #553 on: June 28, 2020, 09:43:14 AM »
Thanks @Indio I'll definitely give that a read!

We are also on the cusp of produce overload here.  Tons of collards and lettuce, snap peas, bulb fennel, carrots big enough to harvest, and zucchini starting to produce at a ridiculous rate.  I harvested some garlic and a few new red potatoes from a volunteer potato plant last night, and ate a handful of raspberries straight from the plants.

Peppers are kind of uneven - the green chiles are getting some good size to them.  My dog has been favoring laying right on top of some of the other pepper varieties, so they've been kind of stunted, but seem to be picking up a bit now.

The horseradish has gone nuts.  I'll be supplying everyone I know with horseradish this fall, then I'll need to figure out some way to contain it to a smaller section of the bed.

Tomatoes seem to be getting a late start.  Only a few varieties have fruit set, even though all the plants are really vigorous and bushy.  Hopefully in a few weeks we'll at least have salad tomatoes.

Trifle

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #554 on: June 28, 2020, 12:45:27 PM »
Great article @Indio!  Thanks

Raenia

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #555 on: June 28, 2020, 01:37:42 PM »
My tomato and bean plants are flowering like crazy, but not setting fruit - the flowers just dry up and fall off.  Really hoping it was just because of a dry week and I didn't water enough, and not a pollination issue, since it's a bit late to plant more flowers to bring in the pollinators :(  Hopefully I get at least a little produce from them.

Trifle

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #556 on: June 28, 2020, 02:14:10 PM »
I saw a new (to me) wasp yesterday and identified it as a Great Golden Digger Wasp.  They are big (the one I saw was more than 1.5 inches), solitary, mild mannered, and considered beneficial to the garden because they prey on pests and also pollinate.  What a beauty.  I watched her for a long time excavating a tunnel in the ground.   I read that they then drag their paralyzed prey in there (grasshoppers, crickets, etc) in there and lay an egg on it.  The young then hatch out and dine on the insect meal. 




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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #557 on: June 28, 2020, 04:39:08 PM »
I saw a new (to me) wasp yesterday and identified it as a Great Golden Digger Wasp.  They are big (the one I saw was more than 1.5 inches), solitary, mild mannered, and considered beneficial to the garden because they prey on pests and also pollinate.  What a beauty.  I watched her for a long time excavating a tunnel in the ground.   I read that they then drag their paralyzed prey in there (grasshoppers, crickets, etc) in there and lay an egg on it.  The young then hatch out and dine on the insect meal.

Oooh she is as pretty as a bronze birch borer and a lot less destructive.

Indio

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #558 on: June 28, 2020, 07:10:06 PM »
@Trifele
Haven't seen that pollinator before. How did you identify it? Is there a photo app that can detect it?
I come across so many insects that I'd like to identify.

Trifle

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #559 on: June 29, 2020, 04:19:49 AM »
@Indio -- plain Google got me there with this wasp, because she's unusually big and has distinctive orange legs and golden areas.  There are other insects and plants I haven't yet identified because they're more nondescript.   

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #560 on: June 29, 2020, 05:25:33 AM »
My favourite garden produce has to be shelling peas.  And I got picking last night.   Almost a 3L basket.  The best.

MonkeyJenga

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #561 on: June 29, 2020, 11:30:59 AM »
This is my first year gardening, so I'm doing a lot of experimenting to see what grows well here (tomatoes), what is a good ROI (peas), what gets destroyed by bugs (broccoli), and what is not worth the hours of shoveling endless dirt onto giant vines (potatoes).

Successes

* Tomatoes - We have 20-something plants, and even the ones in mostly shade are doing better than expected. Look at these beasts, two months apart:





* Peas and pole beans - Fresh snap peas are the best, and the pole beans are 8 or 9 feet tall. We had to extend our trellises to the roof.
* Potatoes - They have grown crazy high despite my active neglect and rough transplantation into shade. Hilling is a pain in the ass, especially when they're planted on a slope.




* Corn - at least so far, they're growing despite shady spots. (Shade is a common theme in this garden.)
* Kale - again, so far. Some plants are looking strong and avoided total destruction.
* Lettuce - I've been able to harvest enough for a few side salads. This is success relative to the rest of the greens.
* Our gardening group - Their generosity has made up for quite a few failed plants.
* Oregano - Oregano eeeeverywhere.
* Scallions - We've been able to harvest for a few meals, including chilaquiles yesterday:



Fails Learning Experiences

* Cabbage and broccoli: aphid central, I had to pull our biggest plant today. I've been meaning to spray neem for weeks, but I've either been too lazy or used the chance of rain to justify my laziness. This is Portland, there's always a chance of rain.
* Bush beans - none have sprouted. I was so excited about the orca beans, too... The bush beans that did sprout turned out to be a pole version, necessitating an emergency trellis operation.
* Peppers - Oh god. This overcast, rainy weather made them moldy and stunted. Out of maybe a dozen attempted plants, we currently have two baby peppers on one plant.
* Spinach - growing super slowly, one bolted, and another is brown and shriveled.
* Beet tops - I should've kept them in water, they died in the soil.
* Catgrass - The cats could care less.
* Oregano -  I didn't plant any oregano. Please someone come take our oregano.

?????

* Onions- we "harvested" three baby onions with gigantic tops that grew out of one grocery store onion bottom. It is... an underwhelming amount of onion considering how tall they got. 'm holding out hope for the Walla Wallas grown from sets.



* Garlic - planted these at the wrong time and didn't let them grow before a test harvest over the weekend.
* Celery - the stalks are thin, but they grew taller than I hoped for.
* Bok choy - produced slowly but reliably, and didn't get munched or infested. A few dry, hot days killed if off. The baby bok choy regrowing from a grocery store base got moldy.
* Squash/cucumber - some plants got munched to death, but some are starting to flower.

@Jon_Snow - same thing happened to our snap peas. We took too long to secure them to the trellis when they were tilting



and they fell over.



They're still alive, at least, and seem to be growing.

Raenia

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #562 on: June 29, 2020, 05:12:24 PM »
My coworker offered me two plants from her garden that she had too much of, and I gladly accepted!  Now I just have to figure out what to do with celery leaf and garlic chives...  Has anyone grown those before?

TomTX

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #563 on: June 29, 2020, 05:45:38 PM »
My coworker offered me two plants from her garden that she had too much of, and I gladly accepted!  Now I just have to figure out what to do with celery leaf and garlic chives...  Has anyone grown those before?

Garlic chives (presuming it's the same "garlic chives" is a bunchy perennial which acts as a groundcover here in Central Texas. I use scissors to harvest leaves whenever we want some.

Trifle

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #564 on: June 30, 2020, 03:46:24 AM »
Great post @MonkeyJenga!  That is an impressive first year garden.  One thing I've learned is that sometimes successes and fails can change year to year.  Last year I had aphids and cabbage worms out the yingyang, but this year not many.  (I'm attributing it to the insect balance between pest/predator getting better.)  So you never know -- broccoli may work for you if you plant it this fall, or next spring.  As for the potatoes, if you don't like hilling with dirt you could use straw or leaves.   

Raenia

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #565 on: June 30, 2020, 03:16:26 PM »
My coworker offered me two plants from her garden that she had too much of, and I gladly accepted!  Now I just have to figure out what to do with celery leaf and garlic chives...  Has anyone grown those before?

Garlic chives (presuming it's the same "garlic chives" is a bunchy perennial which acts as a groundcover here in Central Texas. I use scissors to harvest leaves whenever we want some.

How do you cook with them?  Any particular uses, or just substitute for regular chives?

MonkeyJenga

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #566 on: June 30, 2020, 10:11:54 PM »
Thanks @Trifele ! Thankfully there was a good setup already, since I moved in with my bf and inherited his yard. He hadn't done this much before, though, just tomatoes and corn and some failed broccoli. We're considering a hoop house so we can do greens over the winter and keep bugs out.

I wanted to hill the potatoes with dirt so more tubers would grow along the stems. We're probably at the point of having more potatoes than we can eat if everything produces, so I'll put less effort in if we try again next year.

horsepoor

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #567 on: June 30, 2020, 11:08:49 PM »
I quit hilling potatoes and still get a pretty good yield.  If I have extra straw, I might pile some around, but I'm pretty lazy about it. 

I've also discovered that leeks grow just fine without being planted into a trench that is slowly filled in, which is how I initially learned to grow them.

Lazy gardening FTW!

MonkeyJenga

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #568 on: June 30, 2020, 11:40:58 PM »
That's good to know about leeks! I got a bunch of free starts, and I was not thrilled about the maintenance.

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #569 on: July 02, 2020, 01:01:49 PM »
I picked the greens hard this morning as it is so hot and things were getting very mature.  I then donated the excess to our local food pantry.  0.55kg of delicious greens.

We have been eating beans, peas, basil, onions, garlic scapes and rhubarb in addition to the greens and radish.  Peas are like candy in my opinion.

Jon_Snow

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #570 on: July 03, 2020, 11:47:11 AM »
We have been eating beans, peas, basil, onions, garlic scapes and rhubarb in addition to the greens and radish.

Nice haul FL!

Peas are like candy in my opinion.

If peas are indeed garden candy then I am a veritable Willy Wonka these days.



The Great Pea Collapse of 2020 didn’t do much to stop this train after all.


TomTX

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #571 on: July 04, 2020, 05:47:29 AM »
My coworker offered me two plants from her garden that she had too much of, and I gladly accepted!  Now I just have to figure out what to do with celery leaf and garlic chives...  Has anyone grown those before?

Garlic chives (presuming it's the same "garlic chives" is a bunchy perennial which acts as a groundcover here in Central Texas. I use scissors to harvest leaves whenever we want some.

How do you cook with them?  Any particular uses, or just substitute for regular chives?

Usually just chopped and sprinkled on something like potatoes, sometimes added to soup/stew. The kid will just eat it straight out of the garden.

MudPuppy

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #572 on: July 04, 2020, 06:32:06 AM »
We have been eating beans, peas, basil, onions, garlic scapes and rhubarb in addition to the greens and radish.

Nice haul FL!

Peas are like candy in my opinion.

If peas are indeed garden candy then I am a veritable Willy Wonka these days.



The Great Pea Collapse of 2020 didn’t do much to stop this train after all.

Hail Wonka!

Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #573 on: July 04, 2020, 09:25:55 AM »
@Jon_Snow  Jealous of that pea crop - do you recall what variety this is?

Jon_Snow

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #574 on: July 04, 2020, 12:16:57 PM »
@Jon_Snow  Jealous of that pea crop - do you recall what variety this is?

Good question @Frugal Lizard. I’ll have a look at my little garden I.D. markers to be sure, but it’s either Sugar Lace II or Super Sugar Snap or some such thing. I’ll re-edit this post once I know for sure. Super Sugar Snap. 😊

I’ve been posting the vast majority of my garden stuff in my journal, but since I’m often here to read about others garden adventures and hopefully see some pictures.....and since I’m here now....

....here’s a tater harvest from yesterday...should have many dozens of such bounties right on into the fall.


Cooked up some of these last night and...oh my...just like pretty much everything else in one’s own garden, kicks the living crud out of store bought.
« Last Edit: July 04, 2020, 06:26:55 PM by Jon_Snow »

Trifle

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #575 on: July 04, 2020, 03:25:02 PM »
Love the pix @Jon_Snow !  Gorgeous peas and potatoes.  Totally agree that homegrown potatoes are super delicious -- so much better than store bought. 

horsepoor

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #576 on: July 04, 2020, 06:31:04 PM »
I harvested about half of my garlic today.  It's interesting - all the garlic in one bed has been about a week ahead of the garlic in another bed about 4' away.  So I'll let this dry and then get the rest from the other bed next week.  Also picked almost a quart of beautiful raspberries, lots of sugar snap peas, a nice cabbage, and easily the biggest broccoli I've ever grown.  I have another one just like it still out there in the garden.  I'm curious to see how bit it will get, since they don't seem quite near flowering yet.  I'm also super excited that the hollyhocks I started from seed are finally blooming.  I think they've been in the ground for 3-4 years, but largely neglected, so it probably took them longer to get to this stage.  AND, I spotted a few black cherry tomatoes that look like they'll be ripe in a few days. 

On the other hand, my Thai basil is just not growing.  I have purple and Genovese basil right near it that is growing really well, but the Thai is just tiny and sad looking.  I might need to try starting some more plants because Thai basil pesto is to die for and I really need to stock the freezer with a bunch of that stuff.










Jon_Snow

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #577 on: July 05, 2020, 05:22:36 PM »
Beautiful pics @horsepoor. And your garlic talk reminded me to go pull mine up.

And I’m a bit late in complimenting you on the garden pic you posted a while back. That kind of garden order appeals to me and one day it will be my horticultural reality. Currently, Nature is getting the upper hand on the degree of order I prefer. 🤷🏻‍♂️

horsepoor

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #578 on: July 05, 2020, 06:12:03 PM »
Thanks Jon, but I think it might be a function of environment.  We don't have enough moisture here to have much takeover, aside from the really weedy things.  And I do the raised beds with soaker hoses because of the need to get as much water to its target as possible.  Sunken beds would probably be even better, but I'm not a fan of stooping down that much.


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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #579 on: July 06, 2020, 10:18:21 AM »
Wow - lovely pictures. I will be ordering some of those super sugar snap peas next year.  They look so lovely.

I spent a good portion of the weekend in my gardens.  It is so stinking hot here.  We need rain so a lot of time is spent moving sprinklers around.

Out at my weedy field at the farm, everything that is close to the hose/sprinkler is doing well.  I am still on top of the weeds.
The black bean seeds I planted 11 days ago are up.  I planted them very close together as I was tired and hot and have been having really poor germination rates.  They all came up.  They are short rows but there are six of them.  Hopefully they are in soon enough to get a great crop.

Tomatoes are setting fruit, as are the squash and cukes.  Potatoes are up and so far - no potato bugs.  I had heard that planting them late reduced the insect pressure.  Perhaps the potato beetles need potato when they are out and about in the late spring - and because I was so late planting the potatoes, there were no potato leaves around?  If we get through another two weeks with no bugs - I am going to be thrilled.  Mind you I have no delicious potatoes as @Jon_Snow does. 
If all this grows - I am going to have way too much food.  WAY TOO MUCH.

Three tomato plants wilted in my city garden.  I cut back some of the growth around the base to get some air between them and the ground and got everything staked up and pruned.  Hopefully it was a watering issue not a soil fungal thing.  Tomatillos are setting fruit. 

Harvested a huge handful of beans and my next crop of peas - Grundy are ready.  I picked a number of the flowers on the older onions for a weird type of bouquet - and a variety of greens for a salad tonight.

The bok choi, kale, spinach, arugula and radish went from tiny to bolted before I really got much of any harvest, while the bok choi in the green house was fine.  The second planting of arugula in the shade of the orca bush beans is not bolting.  I planted some beet seeds in the shade of onions ie not much shade.  They are up and pretty good germination.  Very spotty germination of the carrots.  I am probably going to have to purchase beets for pickling and carrots for storage.  I just don't have enough space.

My neighbour who so graciously lets me garden at her house is agreeable to planting along row of strawberry plants along the edge of the garden.  We will have to protect them from the chickens, but I think it will be enough plants to produce a good crop.  I would be interested in what varieties are the best for the home gardener - taste is the most important consideration followed by yield.  I like to make a couple of batches of jam, so would prefer a traditional plant over everbearing , I think.

Rosy

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #580 on: July 06, 2020, 10:59:48 AM »
My coworker offered me two plants from her garden that she had too much of, and I gladly accepted!  Now I just have to figure out what to do with celery leaf and garlic chives...  Has anyone grown those before?

Garlic chives (presuming it's the same "garlic chives" is a bunchy perennial which acts as a groundcover here in Central Texas. I use scissors to harvest leaves whenever we want some.

How do you cook with them?  Any particular uses, or just substitute for regular chives?

Usually just chopped and sprinkled on something like potatoes, sometimes added to soup/stew. The kid will just eat it straight out of the garden.

The garlic chives are awesome in omelets and salads or sprinkled on top of chili and soups and tacos, fajitas or anything you would use regular chives for but would appreciate the extra potent garlic flavor.
Great in soups and stews of course, with pot roasts and of course in any salad.
If you have no basil to eat with your tomato/salad - celery leaves are a great substitute.

@Indio thanks for that awesome article link about the Moroccan Food Forest.

For me in Florida, gardening seasoning is over. Just harvesting herbs and peppers.
My basil had the most interesting visitors - a whole squadron flying in formation, metallic green bee looking insects, same size as a bee.
They came for two weeks or so and only visited this one particular basil plant. They could stand still in midair.
While they visited no bees came around.
As of yesterday, they are gone and my regular bees are back - odd.

Rosy

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #581 on: July 06, 2020, 11:09:11 AM »
Stunning @horsepoor! Love seeing the pictures. Those tomatoes look delicious.

Here's more subtropical zone 9B, should have fresh pineapple and starfruit soon. Banana is putting out the "flag leaf" signaling a new rack of fruit will soon form.



Oh,  that pineapple looks awesome.
I didn't know about the flag leaf for bananas - now I know what to look for. Mine still have some growing to do although I can't get over how thick they are becoming at the bottom.

My guava suddenly got all yellow leaves only a bit of green remaining, not sure what happened.

gaja

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #582 on: July 06, 2020, 11:28:29 AM »
Fun to see pictures from other gardens around the world!

We need some sort of weed trimmer, but the string trimmers never last. This weekend I tried a small handheld electric trimmer, but it was better at combing the weeds than cutting them. So today I went off and bought a small scythe instead.  I was wondering if it would be better to get a sickle, but the short scythe covers both needs.

Scything is just as much fun as I remember from my youth! If it wasn't for my hayfever, I would buy a full size scythe and convert the lawn into flowering grassland.

On the negative side, there was a bit of wind yesterday, and the sofa swing fell over my jostaberries. Luckily, it missed the newly planted fruit trees. And one of the glass panes on the green house broke.

Trifle

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #583 on: July 06, 2020, 12:11:43 PM »
For me in Florida, gardening seasoning is over. Just harvesting herbs and peppers.
My basil had the most interesting visitors - a whole squadron flying in formation, metallic green bee looking insects, same size as a bee.
They came for two weeks or so and only visited this one particular basil plant. They could stand still in midair.
While they visited no bees came around.
As of yesterday, they are gone and my regular bees are back - odd.

@Rosy -- was this your visitor?  If so, they are bees -- Agapostemon, a/k/a sweat bees.  I see them too sometimes.  They are so shockingly green, they don't look real:


Rosy

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #584 on: July 06, 2020, 03:19:06 PM »
I don't think so, they were entirely green. No striped bee body at all. It had two body parts both were metallic green, there was a very little bit of black near the eyes I think.
I only managed one rather poor shot. I'll see if I can upload it later.

Need2Save

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #585 on: July 11, 2020, 05:18:47 AM »
Hi! Thread lurker and very novice gardener here. I just wanted to say that I appreciate all your stories and photos that you've been posting. It's nice to see what other people are doing and I find the geographical differences fascinating.  Thank you for sharing your tips with others.  They are encouraging to others.

I do have a quick question. We have a lot of Cilantro right now and I can see it's about to get flowers on top so I want to harvest a lot of it and replant some for the fall.  We have been using it for tacos and salsa. Have efforts to freeze worked well for you? Do you recommend dry freezing or using the oil/cube method?

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #586 on: July 11, 2020, 08:38:09 AM »
Oil is the best way I’ve found for any herb. Consider pre makin things like chimchurri

Trifle

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #587 on: July 11, 2020, 08:51:35 AM »
Hi! Thread lurker and very novice gardener here. I just wanted to say that I appreciate all your stories and photos that you've been posting. It's nice to see what other people are doing and I find the geographical differences fascinating.  Thank you for sharing your tips with others.  They are encouraging to others.

Welcome @Need2Save

Roadrunner53

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #588 on: July 14, 2020, 10:29:46 AM »
I have been thinking about next spring and starting seeds this year. I don't really have the room inside the house but do have a deck. I also have some chrome carts that I use during the summer to put planter boxes on and right now have 4 boxes of basil, 2 boxes of lettuce, scallions, rosemary and a few experimental things like the bottom hunk of some store bought lettuce and one big root end of an onion.

Thinking about using my chrome cart which has about 5 shelves in April to start growing seeds. The only problem is that it is very cold in CT at nights and I can't figure out how to keep them warm. I can buy a plastic cover that will fit the cart and it has an opening in the front for easy access. It is clear in the front but not sure about the sides or back. I have read that some people put a container of boiling water on a shelf to keep some heat in the 'greenhouse'. I don't think boiling water would last too long in cold weather.

The plants I would be interested in would be peppers, basil, lettuce, herbs, impatiens, possibly green beans, marigolds. Maybe other things. Anyone know of a way to keep the plants from freezing? I have an electrical outlet on my deck but the Hub might frown upon heaters and such catching fire. I know people have innovative tricks for doing things and hoping someone will share.

This is what I am talking about. I have the shelf but would need to buy the cover: https://www.amazon.com/Formosa-Covers-Storage-Shelving-Through/dp/B08999BBGK/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=shelf+cover+30x14x62&qid=1594744102&sr=8-2


Frugal Lizard

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #589 on: July 14, 2020, 11:01:54 AM »
Some seed starting heat mats would keep them warm enough.  It really does depend on which plants you go with - peppers and basil are needing way more warmth than lettuce and beans.

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #590 on: July 14, 2020, 11:16:25 AM »
I have done the bring the stuff in and out thing before and it is a royal pain. This cart has wheels on it but I have a glass patio door and no way to roll the cart over the step.

I have seen three other suggestions:
1. place a pot of boiling water in the unit. I could put it on the bottoms shelf.
2. place milk jugs filled with water and during the day they will absorb the sun's heat and will keep the area warm at night. Painted black is supposed to absorb more heat
3. place a crockpot in the unit filled with water and keep it heated all night.

My Hub is paranoid about electrical stuff being used in a non conventional manner so he would hate the crockpot idea.

I was also thinking if I did the milk jug thing, I could have them in a Styrofoam cooler on the bottom shelf and that might keep the jugs warmer longer.

I was also wondering if I could make bags out of old jeans, fill them with rice (sewn shut) then warmed up in the microwave to keep the jugs warm all night long. So that set up would be the jugs in the Styrofoam cooler then rice bags tossed all around to insulate the jugs.

But, would even eight 1 gallon jugs keep this set up warm enough. I was thinking to maybe using rubbermaid totes like the ones that go under the bed for planters, then I could put the lid on at night (with some holes in the top) to keep the dirt heat in. Another container I considered was the ones you get for Christmas paper storage. I guess I should be concerned with the type of plastic, if it is the type you can store food in. Those Christmas paper ones I doubt the plastic would be for food. Probably not the under bed storage ones either.
 

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #591 on: July 15, 2020, 03:50:47 PM »
@Roadrunner53

Have you considered using the same concept as a cold frame? That traps in enough passive solar to keep the plants from freezing at night. If you put the rack next to the house or a stone wall that should also transfer ambient heat.

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #592 on: July 15, 2020, 05:15:07 PM »
Garden is doing great here!  We're definitely into the peak of summer, with the temperatures up and the heat-loving plants going wild.  I just harvested my kale seed (it took 2 months for the pods to fully dry). 

This week we're eating:

-The last cabbage
-Loads of cucumbers
-Green beans
-Blackberries
-Kale
-Chard
-Bulb/storage onions
-Sungold cherry tomatoes

By next week we'll have slicer tomatoes and peppers.  Yummm!!!

This week I'm starting some broccoli and cabbage seeds indoors for fall planting.  I'm also going to direct-seed fall plantings of carrots, turnips, broccoli, cabbage, kale, lettuce, and peas.  I've never tried peas in the fall but I'm going to give it a go. 

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #593 on: July 15, 2020, 05:39:56 PM »
Nice update, @Trifele

We are on the cusp of peak harvest season here.

Pole green beans tendrils are climbing all over the fencing and guide lines. The abundance of beans is just beginning and almost every meal includes backyard veg now or it is the star of the meal. This morning I ate about a half pound of roasted beans with sesame oil and soy sauce for breakfast. It was heavenly. The other uncooked beans from the same harvest, were put into a leftover jar of pickle juice to absorb pickle flavor. Lunch was a roasted zucchini. Dinner was sauteed tofu with green peppers and fajita seasoning. Yesterday, for lunch I made a turkey bacon half sandwich with avocado and homegrown cucumber and sliced cherry tomatoes. Taste buds are dancing in anticipation of every meal. The goal for this week is to make chamomile and honey flavored ice cream.

Cilantro bolted a few weeks ago so I added more seedlings to the herb bed yesterday. Once the tomatoes start ripening, I will need lots of fresh herbs including cilantro. Second seeding of kale has started to pop out of the earth. Broccoli is a bust this Summer but I've reseeded for Fall. Squirrels have eaten every stone fruit, apple and pear in the garden.

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #594 on: July 16, 2020, 03:16:27 AM »
The goal for this week is to make chamomile and honey flavored ice cream.

Wow, this sounds so delightful @Indio !

Roadrunner53

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #595 on: July 16, 2020, 04:32:28 AM »
@Roadrunner53

Have you considered using the same concept as a cold frame? That traps in enough passive solar to keep the plants from freezing at night. If you put the rack next to the house or a stone wall that should also transfer ambient heat.


Yes, my plan it to put the rack right near the sliding glass door next to the house. It gets pretty warm there during the day.

Painting the milk jugs black will definitely help them to get warmer. On cold days, I put a black board at the back of my shelf (inside the plastic) and it really captured the heat. To the point that I had to watch the temperature and remove it when it got above 60C.

Black board is a good idea. I was also thinking about lining 3 sides with cardboard. Maybe at night rigging up a blanket for the clear front draped over the top with velcro to hold it in place.

My hub, whom I thought would be horrified to put anything electric in it, suggested a mechanics under the hood type light and put a 40 watt light bulb in it. We have one in our garage but here is a picture of what I am talking about:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Southwire-Metal-Work-Light-with-Switch/21286769

Also thinking about using rubbermaid containers, #5 food grade, and placing the lids on the plants at night. Maybe putting some holes in the container tops.

On another note, here is a video from youtube of container gardening. This lady is so bubbly and cheerful. She brought a smile to my face and hope she brings one to you too. She has many, many video's.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-g61ZzWZ-Wg&t=2s

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #596 on: July 16, 2020, 04:45:48 PM »
Great updates @Trifele and @Indio. I’ve been away from my garden for several days, and in that time temperatures have finally started to get closer to seasonal normals, so I’m hoping to see some significant progress with my tomatoes. I suspect my peas will be on their last legs, but the beans should be picking up the slack now. Hope to see some nice cucumber and squash (esp. spaghtti) development as well.

I harvested about 40 pounds worth of harvest last week and distributed it among 4 grateful households, including my own. It feels great to help out during these challenging times, even in this small way.

One quick note....the carrot crop this year is by far the best I can remember - granted I’ve only been doing this for 6 years. As with many things that happen in the garden, I don’t understand the reason for it. 🤷‍♂️

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #597 on: July 17, 2020, 11:11:38 AM »
Note to self : plant garlic in a better drained bed.  Harvest it earlier.

Still have enough for the winter but I think I will buy some seed garlic for this fall.  I know it is not mustachian but I am concerned about some really mushy bulbs.  I am going to construct a special bed closer to the greenhouse this fall that is kind of raised up so that I can keep it all a little drier. 

I am also definitely growing orca beans next year.  They are the most delicious buttery packets of beany deliciousness ever.  I am torn between picking them at peak and eating them right now or just letting them mature on the plants for seed collection.  There are still some flowers on them...but decision time is quickly approaching.

I have way too many of the purple pole bean type.  They are collected seed from friends and gardening acquaintenances so I have no idea what type.  I do need to be a little more rigourous in my methods.  @RetiredAt63 can attest to my naming practices (yellow slicing tomato from Z. garden, sweet)

Any recommendations from the group on the beetle control front?  They are decimating my squash plants at the farm and then a very similar looking striped species is going nuts on the tomatillos.  I have been picking them off the tomatillos every morning but I only get the farm garden once a week. 

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #598 on: July 17, 2020, 02:13:13 PM »
Note to self : plant garlic in a better drained bed.  Harvest it earlier.

Still have enough for the winter but I think I will buy some seed garlic for this fall.  I know it is not mustachian but I am concerned about some really mushy bulbs.  I am going to construct a special bed closer to the greenhouse this fall that is kind of raised up so that I can keep it all a little drier. 

I am also definitely growing orca beans next year.  They are the most delicious buttery packets of beany deliciousness ever.  I am torn between picking them at peak and eating them right now or just letting them mature on the plants for seed collection.  There are still some flowers on them...but decision time is quickly approaching.

I have way too many of the purple pole bean type.  They are collected seed from friends and gardening acquaintenances so I have no idea what type.  I do need to be a little more rigourous in my methods.  @RetiredAt63 can attest to my naming practices (yellow slicing tomato from Z. garden, sweet)

Any recommendations from the group on the beetle control front?  They are decimating my squash plants at the farm and then a very similar looking striped species is going nuts on the tomatillos.  I have been picking them off the tomatillos every morning but I only get the farm garden once a week.

And it's catching.  I am growing a variety called "red baseball sized slicer from FL".

I'm growing 2 different wax pole beans.  They all just started climbing.  What do the purple ones taste like?

Orca beans - you eat them at the smelly bean stage, like limas?  Or snap beans?

Send bean seeds?

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Re: Planting and Growing Your Own - 2020
« Reply #599 on: July 18, 2020, 07:49:56 AM »
Been making good use so far of our harvest. We didn't plant many veggies this year, but we have been enjoying fresh cucumbers, zucchini, and cherry tomatoes. Only one larger tomato so far, but many green ones so we should have an abundance soon.  I also only have one green pepper so far. boo.

Sad to report that I found three horn worms on the tomatoes yesterday.  They completely ruined our tomatoes last year and we fought them for about six weeks straight before they finally stopped showing up and then we got tomatoes late for around here at the end of August, September, and early October. I thought we may have made it this summer without them so I was so bummed to find a few. I will have to be diligent to look for them every morning now.

I'm baking zucchini bread right now and also making zucchini meatloaf tonight. Both for the first time. :-)

Will be replanting some Cilantro probably next week to replace the first batch.