Great looking garden, I cut back to one variety of sweet corn this year and cut the corn patch in half. That will give us fresh corn for a couple of weeks and plenty for freezing. I tried to give away my surplus last year but ended up wasting most of it. I also cut back on potatoes, although they kept through the winter and spring I still dumped quite a few last week. The garden is still the same size and I planted more dried beans and winter squash. It's a balancing act that never seems to come out perfect.
What's Growing in the Garden
- Thread starter trc65
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I've seen someone else use the 4" corrugated pipe around there plants. Is that for watering or rabbit protection or both? I currently use the bucket method around peppers and tomatoes to keep rabbits out.
I'm guessing you mulched with grass clippings? after you tilled? Then you just weed as they pop through?
After last Fall's discussion about Shishito peppers, I ordered seeds and tried to start my own. Dismal results. Spindling plants. I did find plants at the local garden center and planted them, but they ended up dying. So I guess I'll try again next year.
Soaked the peas last night and replant today. Water everything later this afternoon. It is dry.
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- #1,283
Those are 6 inch drain pipes, and not for rabbits, but protection from wind (and cold nights) after transplanting. We don't have a rabbit problem, just deer depending on the crop. All the brassica crops have bird netting on them until they get larger to prevent the deer eating them.
Yes, lots of grass clippings. I don't till the whole garden, just an 19" band for each planted row. Between rows isn't tilled. Pre emergent herbicide is used on everything, then after emergence/transplanting nearly everything is mulched. I'll spot spray or pull weeds that come through the mulch.
Keeps weeds down, retains lots of moisture, but also helps with disease management keeping soil from splashing onto plants and keeping parts of plants from direct contact with the soil.
Yes, lots of grass clippings. I don't till the whole garden, just an 19" band for each planted row. Between rows isn't tilled. Pre emergent herbicide is used on everything, then after emergence/transplanting nearly everything is mulched. I'll spot spray or pull weeds that come through the mulch.
Keeps weeds down, retains lots of moisture, but also helps with disease management keeping soil from splashing onto plants and keeping parts of plants from direct contact with the soil.
It amazes me sometimes, well all the time really, that I have a hard time GIVING away food. Prime, picked, washed, food, and people won't take it because it's too much trouble to put a pot on the stove and boil some dang potatoes, or "we don't like greens", or how do you cook carrots? Purple Hull Peas? Forget it! They'd give up after shelling the first pea... Jeeze Louise!
We have started slicing everything onto parchment paper on a baking sheet, sprinkle some olive oil and Tony's on it and stick it in the 435 degree oven for 30 min. We do it with most everything. potatoes, turnips, beets, carrots, onions, green beans, etc...
Every once in a while #1 wife will do the old school boiled potatoes and green beans because it reminds her of her grandparents...
Alan
@Alan R McDaniel Jr
Wish you were close to me. I don't turn down free food. I'd can or freeze it. People have gotten sorry. They would take it if you canned it and then fixed supper for them later
Wish you were close to me. I don't turn down free food. I'd can or freeze it. People have gotten sorry. They would take it if you canned it and then fixed supper for them later
I've pretty much given up on trying to give away vegetables. We have a few friends, most of them older retired people like us that are glad to get some fresh veggies, however like us they can only use so much. I get so tired of the bleeding hearts crying about food insecure families, BS our state has a bottle return law requiring a $.05 bottle deposit, if I had no other source of income, I could pick up enough empties in a day to feed a family of 6 for a week. Hell, if I told the local warden that I needed meat and was willing to deal with poached and roadkill venison my freezer would be full in no time.
I started some sweet potato slips this year and finally got them planted in my tote raised bed. Late I know and I don't know if they'll make. Finally the second planting of peas are sprouting. Planted the last of the tomato plants I started. First year of starting my own and I got a late start. If they all produce, I'll have the same problem of having more tomatoes than I can use.
I never got any peas in the ground this year. Rains kept soil too wet to till and then other stuff happened and kinda knocked the wind out of me... Tomatoes are about played out along with everything else. Almost time to pull it all up and get to tilling ready for the fall garden. It's so dang hot and dry right now it's hard to keep anything alive.
Alan
Alan
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- #1,289
Cherries are getting close.
Seems early for Cherries. Guess it might depend on variety? Chuck
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- #1,291
Montmorency sour cherry. Probably a week or so early from normal. Usually figure around third week of June. Early spring and hot dry weather.
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- #1,292
Well, there is good news and bad news. Was away from home yesterday and today and when I went out tonight to check up on things, found the cherry tree almost completely stripped. The birds must have decided they needed the cherries more than I did. Picked what was left on the tree and had a scant pint of cherries total.
Didn't net the tree as I always thought that birds preferred sweet cherries and wouldn't bother sour cherries too much. Guess I've learned my lesson.
The good news is that the black raspberries are ripening nicely and picked a big handful tonight. The plants are loaded, and nothing bothers them too much. I will be watching them closely though...
Didn't net the tree as I always thought that birds preferred sweet cherries and wouldn't bother sour cherries too much. Guess I've learned my lesson.
The good news is that the black raspberries are ripening nicely and picked a big handful tonight. The plants are loaded, and nothing bothers them too much. I will be watching them closely though...
Starling hatch in many areas at cherry season. Not that there is a connection...
Black raspberries!! Can I come over?
To borrow the famous onomatopoeia from our most beloved curmudgeon - GRRRRR....... those spotted birds have been raiding my feeders to feed their fledglings.
Thank you, sir, for the new word learned this morning. Not that I will ever use it though!! HaHa (oh look I used an onomatopoeia)
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Come on over in about a week. Haven't checked the wild ones yet (they are going to be tiny this year), but have been watering the cultivated ones as much as I can. Should have a few gallons to put in the freezer this year.
Picked some just ripe blackberries off the side of the trail at lunch - a little puckery still! I was just hoping that no male dog had used the bush!
Devil’s claw (Proboscidea parviflora) Not really an edible plant (some eat the pods like okra) but not me - yet. I love these plants such a design. Grown from seed and I have 3 or so pods so far. When dry they split open as in the third photo. Seeds are dispersed as cattle, sheep pass and hooks of seed pods are snagged on legs and dragged through the pasture. (Sorry can’t seem to get rid of the double pic of seed pods)
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Wonder if these plants are eaten by animals. Chuck