What's Growing in the Garden

[Wildthings]

Here is the strawberry syrup recipe.

6 cup mashed strawberries (8-10cups fresh berries)
3 cups sugar
2 TBS lemon juice
1 TBS vanilla extract (HOME MADE)

Add all ingredients to a pot, bring to a boil, reduce heat and boil gently for 15 minutes. Syrup can be stored in the fridge for several months. I process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes, or you can freeze the syrup.

BTW, it sounds like a lot of lemon juice, but it is needed to balance the acidity/sweetness. You don't taste any lemon in the final product. Also seems like a lot of vanilla, but it only has a very subtle vanilla note in the final product.

Here you go...I fixed it for you!!

 

[trc65]

I just assumed that all WB members knew that the only vanilla worth using was Home Made. Thanks Greg! @woodtickgreg

 

[Sprung]

Didn't make any cherry syrup from cherries last year, made cherry pit syrup (just pits and sugar). Think it was @Sprung who shared that recipe. Our sour cherry tree should be in full production this year, so hopeful!

Yup, that was me. Great way to use something that is going to end up getting tossed out.

Made it through a couple more pages and saw the cherry syrup on page 8. The syrup I attempted to make was for pancakes not liquor. I drink my scotch neat or with a splash of water.

While we primarily use the cherry pit syrup in mixing drinks, we've used it on pancakes and the like as well - and it is delicious.

 

[Sprung]

We bought most of our seed already. Still have a few things left to order. We're adding a couple more raised beds this year, plus have someone who is letting us grow out at their garden. So we're expanding quite a bit this year on what we're growing. Got a bunch of new things we're trying this year since we'll have more space.

 

[trc65]

I've got to get veggies ordered yet, flowers I ordered right after Christmas. Thankfully, orders so far this year are being shipped in a timely manner and everything I've ordered so far seems to be in plentiful supply.

 

[Mike Hill]

Got bloom yet?

With all this technology that we pat ourselves on the back as to having - still can't even get the layout format correct across platforms every time. Everything the same except for time and date as the one above - but could not get correct this time. And yes, I've rotated it every which way in Photo - same sad result. Apple, Microsoft, Dell all involved - pathetic. And they want to go to autonomous driving cars! I'll use a walker instead - thank you!

But YES - I got bloom!

EDIT - Did the rotate in another program - worked that time. Go figure!!!

 

[djg]

I use the cherry syrup on ice cream and it is heaven!

Potatoes. Rotate every year, if you have space. They would be best after a crop or two of sweet corn. Most other crops grown in the garden are alternate hosts for various potato pests. If you don't have space to rotate, don't sweat it, it's not like you are trying to grow them commercially. What varieties of potato are you growing? Not every variety will do well in all soil types/ environment.

Several that I grow:. Superior, a round white early season variety (90 day). Good for boiling, potato salad, etc. Won't store very long. Only needs about 100#/acre nitrogen. Good on most soil types, but like all potatoes, the looser the soil the better.

Norland, very similar to Superior, but red skinned. Similar characteristics. Supior and Norland are the potatoes I start digging as soon as they are golf ball sized for "new potatoes".

Yukon Gold, very popular since they have yellow flesh, but they can have more problems in the garden. They are very susceptible to scab, and they go off shape in heavier soils. Need around 150# nitrogen/acre. Don't store very long. Longer season potato compared to Superior.

Pontiac, red skinned potato, longer season than Norland and larger yielding. Short storage season. 150# nitrogen.

Kennebec, full season (120 day)oblong white skinned. Good storage potato. Grow these to use all winter long. 175# nitrogen.

Always buy certified seed potatoes. Trying to save them from year to year only increases virus load in the potatoes. Don't ever use potatoes bought at the grocery store for planting. They all have sprout inhibitor sprayed on them, and even though they may grow, they will not produce a normal crop.

Tip:150 # nitrogen per acre equals 25 oz of 13-13-13 fertilizer per 20 ft of row.

I use a systemic insecticide at planting, followed by foliar sprays later in the season for leafhoppers. Colorado potato beetle and leafhoppers are going to do the most damage to potatoes.

For disease, I use Daconil (chlorothalonil) and start spraying when the potatoes start filling in between rows.

Most important with potatoes is getting enough nitrogen on them. I till in nitrogen before planting. You don't necessarily need to apply fungicide, but it can help in raising final yield. Consistent moisture (rain or watering) is also important.

Garlic. I plant anywhere from late October to mid November, just want them in the ground before it freezes. You can plant in the spring but will have much smaller yield. Hard neck varieties are the best in our area. Several of my favorite varieties are "Armenian", "Romanian", "Chesnok Red" and "Spanish Roja".

BTW, if you have a hard time finding potato seed, try Jung Seed in Wisconsin. They carry many varieties, and might even have some garlic cloves for sale in the spring. I bought my garlic from a producer out west several years ago, and plant the largest cloves I produce each year. Garlic can be planted from year to year with saved cloves.

The local farm store sells Yukon Gold and Pontiac Red which I plant in the same row every year. That row is loamier since I augment it every year with either straw or mulch. I've planted deep and shallow, some years mix in straw so it's easier for them to grow. I get healthy looking plants, but no or very small potatoes. I use 12-12-12 and top dress or place in the hole. Never had trouble growing cobblers when my Dad was around, but now I only plant a 25 foot row because I hate digging hard soil and getting no return.

 

[trc65]

Ok. Here's what I would try this year. Incorporate the 12-12-12 when you till before planting, use one quart (dry measure) on your 25 ft row. Don't use any straw or mulch tilled into the soil. It's ok to use it on top, but any tilled in will tie up all your nitrogen.

Plant the tubers about 4 inches deep. Within a week or two of them emerging. I till between rows and mound the soil up around the plants to create a flat top hill around the plants. At this time, you can mulch them if you want. I'll see if I can find a picture of the hill I form around them.

The key with potatoes is nitrogen. They are a strange plant and if they don't have the nitrogen early in the season they won't set tubers. On your (and my) soils, the nitrogen won't leach, so applying it all early is OK.

See if the farm store also carries some Norland (or Red Norland, or Dark Red Norland) potatoes and try a few hills. If you plant in April, you can be eating new potatoes by the end of June!

 

[Nature Man]

Ok. Here's what I would try this year. Incorporate the 12-12-12 when you till before planting, use one quart (dry measure) on your 25 ft row. Don't use any straw or mulch tilled into the soil. It's ok to use it on top, but any tilled in will tie up all your nitrogen.

Plant the tubers about 4 inches deep. Within a week or two of them emerging. I till between rows and mound the soil up around the plants to create a flat top hill around the plants. At this time, you can mulch them if you want. I'll see if I can find a picture of the hill I form around them.

The key with potatoes is nitrogen. They are a strange plant and if they don't have the nitrogen early in the season they won't set tubers. On your (and my) soils, the nitrogen won't leach, so applying it all early is OK.

See if the farm store also carries some Norland (or Red Norland, or Dark Red Norland) potatoes and try a few hills. If you plant in April, you can be eating new potatoes by the end of June!

Do you have any opinions on incorporating steer manure into the soil? Chuck

 

[trc65]

Manure is great for a garden, as long as it isn't fresh manure. Fresh manure can burn plants and may contain bacteria that could transfer to the veggies you are eating. I think the general recommendation is for around 20 to 30 pounds of composted manure per 100 sq ft.

Here is a guide on garden fertility for you Aggies.

Fertilizing a Garden - Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

If your plants aren’t growing well, fertilizing your garden may help. Learn when you should fertilize, how to test soil, and ways you can apply fertilizer.

agrilifeextension.tamu.edu

Most land grant Universities will have publications for their respective states on hundreds of different home horticulture topics. If you can't find one for your state, look for your closest neighboring state. In the Midwest, Ohio State, Wisconsin and Minnesota have the best publications.

BTW don't use manure when growing potatoes. It creates very heavy scab pressure and you will have UGLY tubers.

 

[djg]

Ok. Here's what I would try this year. Incorporate the 12-12-12 when you till before planting, use one quart (dry measure) on your 25 ft row. Don't use any straw or mulch tilled into the soil. It's ok to use it on top, but any tilled in will tie up all your nitrogen.

Plant the tubers about 4 inches deep. Within a week or two of them emerging. I till between rows and mound the soil up around the plants to create a flat top hill around the plants. At this time, you can mulch them if you want. I'll see if I can find a picture of the hill I form around them.

The key with potatoes is nitrogen. They are a strange plant and if they don't have the nitrogen early in the season they won't set tubers. On your (and my) soils, the nitrogen won't leach, so applying it all early is OK.

See if the farm store also carries some Norland (or Red Norland, or Dark Red Norland) potatoes and try a few hills. If you plant in April, you can be eating new potatoes by the end of June!

Thanks, I'll give it a try. I may even plant a few hills in fresh ground as a test. I get mine from Rural King, you may have one around you. They only have Reds, white and Yukon. But there is a Market Basket around. I may try there.

 

[trc65]

We have Farm King which I based out of Macomb. Don't have a close Rural King. Far King usually carries Kennebec, Pontiac, Yukon Gold and Norland. I usually mail order the Superior from Jung's.

 

[djg]

Any tricks for dealing with those damn beetles that love Summer Squash? I spray with Sevin but getting to all of the undersides is tricky. I thought Jerry Baker recommended planting the seeds in newspaper, but I could be wrong.

 

[Mike Hill]

Don't look at me - I gave up years ago. I did not want to be known as "The only person who could not grow gobs of zucchini!" Plus I had some beehives in the yard and could not spray much, especially not Sevin!

 

[djg]

Someone please refresh my memory. For LED grow lights, does the lumens matter and if so, how low can you go. I know you want one between 5000k and 6000k, with high being better. We covered that extensively before here, but I searched and could not find the subject. I apologize for bringing it up again, but I just couldn't remember.

Disregard, I found it.

 

[2feathers Creative Making]

Shop Lighting, and LED vs Fluorescent

I was looking at Ken's , aka @kweinert , thread on his shop and some discussion about lighting. Seems like one we can all relate to, but disappointingly scattered and marginal info out there. So...mine will perhaps add to the scatter, or not. I had to research this a bit recently for my own...

woodbarter.com

Disregard. He found it...

 

[trc65]

The lights I use growing my seedlings are all around 5000 lumen. On the grow rack I built, I use two led (or T8) fixtures to provide lighting for every 4 - 1020 flats (~46"x20" area). I use fixtures that have two rows of LEDs and a decent reflector.

When growing seedlings you want to set the lights to about 18 hours on and 6 hours off. You also want the lights as close to the plants as you can while still getting lateral coverage. I keep mine 6" or less from the plants. Another consideration is temperature. Cooler is better for growing seedlings once they have germinated. In my basement right now the temp is 60°. Once seeds have germinated, they get moved off heat mats and will grow at 60-65° temps. Warm temps without sunlight equal long spindly plants that you will not be happy with.

 

[trc65]

Any tricks for dealing with those damn beetles that love Summer Squash? I spray with Sevin but getting to all of the undersides is tricky. I thought Jerry Baker recommended planting the seeds in newspaper, but I could be wrong.

I use a systemic insecticide at planting to control them. However, there is nothing on the market available to the home gardener with a label for a systemic soil application. I buy the chemical imidicloprid and calculate my own rates for this application. There are commercially labeled products for this application, but are only available in large amounts (and cost).

Rather than Sevin, I'd suggest you try one of the synthetic pyrethroids. These are the chemicals labeled for lawn and garden with broad spectrum control. Most of the chemical names end in the suffix -"thrin".

Examples labeled for the garden include bifenthrin, permethrin, cypermethrin, cyfluthrin, deltamethrin, and many others. They are relatively safe chemicals but pay attention to warnings on the label as to use rate, pre-harvest interval, and other safety instructions.

 

[Sprung]

Last night my wife and I sat down and planned out what exactly we are going to plant this year and where in the garden we will be planting it. We're doubling our raised bed space and have someone who offered for us to plant in part of their garden space and we're really looking forward to growing a whole lot more of what we eat. Placed our final seed order for the handful of seeds we still needed to get. She figured out what flowers she wants to add to planting around the house and we picked up the last handful of seed packets she needs for that as well. The only thing we haven't done yet is figure out expansion of fruit growing - we'd like to extend the raspberry patch and we know someone who needs to thin out their patch, so we will probably get some from him to transplant.

 

[Mike Hill]

Ok, keep your fingers crossed for me. If this bloom unfolds - it will be the first time in 35 years this daffodil will have bloomed. Here's to hoping!