Thread: gardening /09

Well, the garden is still growing--slowly, but surely. Has been hot and humid here and thunderstorms everyday or two. Had over 6 inches of rain last week, and another inch the other night. Seems to be burning up one minute and almost flooded the next. We have good drainage in the gardens so it doesn't set on top, but it is still to muddy to get out and work in for a while after each rain.

Had quite a few turnips. Probably plant another patch of them in late August for fall harvest. Harvested part of the onions, getting them dry in this humidity is a real challenge. Been digging a few potatoes just for fresh eating.
We have been harvesting and canning green beans for the last few days.
Have lots of green tomatoes on the plants but they still have a long way to go to be ripe.
Everything seems to be growing well--especially the weeds (they are not slow growing). Bugs are being a big problem as well. Rabbits love to nibble on the little green plants. We put up an electric fence to keep them out of our edible soybeans (nothing else so far has worked). I have never seen them eat the field soybeans but they sure love our garden ones.

Happy Gardening! Thanks; Virginia

Harvested the first of the eggplants yesterday. They tasted really good. Been harvesting a cucumber here and there the last week or so; yesterday had half of a 5 gallon bucket full so it looks like it is pickle making time. Still waiting for the tomatoes to ripen. Everything else is growing; the winter squash is really taking off and going toward the neighbors corn field, going to have to move its vines and tell it to stay on our side of the fence. Happy Gardening! Thanks; Virginia

Been harvesting more of the onions as they are ready. Pulled up a two pound one, yesterday. It is 5 inches across and about 5 inches deep, round and blocky looking. Have several, bigger than a softball. Still have lots to go, but their plants haven't died back yet, so will leave them until they do. Usually try to harvest all of the onions by the last day of July, they seem to keep better for us that way. Last years kept until after planting time this year, hopefully, we will have as good of luck with them this time. Happy Gardening! Thanks; Virginia

In the past month my tomatos exploded. They have been sooo small and now the plants are trying to pass my windows. I am picking a few here and there for frying. They are compleatly coverd in flowers so whear I dident think I planted enough this year I may still be able to can sauce. Anyone have a good recipe for manara from scratch? I picked mullberrys for jelly and never made it. I need someone to can with so im less relunctant.
Pears are getting fat but have a long wait still. My neibour left me some cucombers oh happy me! Ill cut them and let them soak in some brine I have in the fridge. I cheat and use the old bread and butter juice. They tast wonderfull that way!!! My cabages are looking a bit peaked. I had somthing eating the heck out of everything this year. I did get green beans though. Hows everyone else doin?

It is HARVEST Time for lots of the garden now! Been picking cucumbers, zucchini, and yellow summer squash, egg plants, green beans and other goodies by the bushel fulls. Have way to much for our use so have been giving it away to anyone we can get to take it.
No tomatoes yet to speak of, the storms have really messed with them this year and the plants now look like they are tied together in knots--tomatoes are laying on the ground (once they touch the ground they rot.) The few we have had were really good tasting, unfortunately they will be about all we get this year. We wont go hungry without them though as we have plenty of canned tomatoes in storage from years past, just for this reason.
The storm we had last week knocked the sweet corn down, it is trying to stand back up; might have a good harvest of it, but it still has a ways to go. Looks like we might have to put an electric fence around it to keep the coons out--usually we plant pumpkins around the outside of it and crisscross inside of the block--seems to work, but didn't get that done this year.
The beans of different kinds seem to be doing good, and are loaded with pods.
Pulled all of the onions, have a lot--some are 2 1/2 pounds and some are small as a golf ball--they are good tasting and hopefully they will be keepers again this year.
Dug the row Yukon Gold potatoes and have about 400 pounds of them. Still have to dig the other three varieties. Have dug a 5 gallon bucket full of the red norlands, that is only a small area of the row though. Got rained out while digging them the other day.
Well, there is lots more to do and more to say that I can't think of right now, but got to go and get started--the canner is calling.
Happy Gardening! Thanks; Virginia

My MIL lives in Phoenix, AZ so it gets hot there early. I went away for a week and had someone else watch the tomatoes, but when I got back most of the plant was dead. So I decided to just let it go and try next year instead. Oh well.

Been harvesting between thunderstorms around here. The canner seems to be going all the time.
The coons destroyed about a fourth of the sweetcorn before we got them stopped! We put electric fence around the sweet corn but it didn't stop the coons, so we next added two radios turned on; again didn't work, so next we put up a 300 watt quartz shop light--that seemed to do the trick!! The last couple nights only the fence and the light have been on (thunderstorms and rain--so put the radios away). I think the light would work by itself, but will wait until after we get our harvest done first to try it out. Will try the light a night or two just to see it it works. Once we have what people want out of the sweetcorn we will let the coons have the rest.
Dug up the row of Norland potatoes (about 300 pounds) and half of the row of Kenabecs.
The beans are doing good still have a ways to go.
The winter squash is taking over -- it left the garden and is heading toward the house (some is anyway--some is in the neighbors corn field).
Happy Gardening!!!! Thanks; Virginia

Well, another year has come and gone. We did pretty good on the garden. We had hundreds of winter squash some small hand size some huge 60 to 100 pound size. We have been eating squash in some form or other for what seems to be everyday since the end of September. Have lots of potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, onions, garlic all stored in the basement along with the home canned garden veggies. We have plenty to eat, and we always have enough for others--all they have to do is come get it, or come and share an already prepared meal. There is always room for one more (or more) at our table. The gardens are put to bed for this year and we are looking forward to and planning for next years gardens. Have a great, safe and happy Holiday Season. Merry Christmas!! Thanks; Virginia