August Gardens: come inside and sit a spell.

[Faith-manor]

I just blanched and froze my first gallon bag of Amish paste tomatoes. They blanched is easily, and were just perfect fruits inside. I was giddy!

I have enough jalapeno, red chilis, and green bell pepper to make salsa. I just need to buy onion since I did not plant those.

Should I wear gloves for taking the seeds out of the chili peppers? I have never worked with them before.

The cucumbers are still going crazy. I have 15 this week, and will be selling some to the specialty meat market near here. I was there picking up some brats, and somehow a bunch of in line got to talking about gardens. The owner overheard me say I was overwhelmed with cukes, and she said she needed nine cukes tomorrow for some salads they are making to sell, and if I could provide them, she would be happy to pay me more than the supermarkets are getting because they want local grown, vine ripened, not imported because the flavor isn't as good. Ya'll, I am so proud of myself! These are my grown from seeds, transplants by my very own hand, and they are so prolific! I will also still have cucumbers to share with neighbors and to donate to the food pantry. I am not sure I am prouder of anything in my whole life, and that is saying so much because I was pretty damn impressed soothe myself when I mastered the Rachmaninoff 2nd piano concerto in college!!! 

If it was not raining, I would be out picking green beans. I already served fresh green beans last Monday to my family. DD, SIL, and Dgs are up from Bama visiting - we all went to a wedding yesterday, one that I provided the ceremony music for - and having enough green beans to feed my little clan at a meal, that I grew, was also a new and satisfying sensation.

Grape tomatoes are headed to the dehydrator, and we have eaten almost all of our carrots. The pea plants have finally given up. They really were not supposed to survive the heat of summer, but I have the a beautiful canopy of sticks and foliage to grow on - which meant hunting for the peas because they were hidden - and I think the shade during the heat really helped them last.

Scallions are still growing. Celery is maturing, but to me, the stalks do not look big enough yet so I think it will be September before they are ready. I also need to harvest basil again and start harvesting oregano for the dehydrator. 

I have been making post it notes containing my thoughts about the varieties I grew this year, and my plans for next year. I just found out that honorary daughter #1, who got married last night, has taken up gardening in her urban yard and wants a gardening book like mine. I am going to have my sons run to their bookstore to see if there is another, and then copy all of my post it notes and insert them, give it to her for Christmas with some sort of cool gardening thing like a beautiful basket for carrying her produce from the harden to the house, or a wide brim hat with a ribbon on it, very "Mary Jane Farm" style, something like that.

[Halftime Hope]

@Faith-manor I really need to start a gardening notebook/calendar/journal.  You referenced a having a book; do you use something made specifically for gardeners?

[Halftime Hope]

It's been quite hot here, but exactly normal for us at this time of year. (In fact, we're a smidge on the cooler side than normal.) I nearly gave myself heat exhaustion yesterday working in the shade, tilling a small bed of sticky clay by hand. This is the kind of stuff that becomes rock hard when exposed, but it was well, well hydrated, and I was mixing the top four inches of half-decomposed stuff I've been throwing on there into it. You can tell we've been amending the bed for awhile, because it's not nearly as bad as what is in other untouched areas. (I will regret moving, when we do, because my other beds are getting really nice after working on them for years. And surprisingly, there were big fat earthworms and tiny wiggly ones all through the clay!)

Yesterday I started all manner of seeds, and a first, a fast-maturing corn seed. I started a bazillion fall garden seedlings to transplant, because the rolly-polly  bugs are all about eating tender sprouts. I put neem oil on all my tomatoes because the tiny brown caterpillars are out in force, and unchecked, they will strip a plant just like the hornworms do. Finally, my okra may be getting close to blossoming. They are very late this year.

The last news is that the squirrels have been digging up everything in sight. (Hand tilling helped rid that one bed of their final un-dug acorns.) I got an ultrasonic pest repeller, because I want to plant potatoes in the same bed. Hopefully I can break their habit and grow things there. This morning I went to look, and a fire ant trail was going crazy right over one potato, but when I dug it up, they weren't anywhere near the potato. I sprinkled diatomaceous earth all over the bed for good measure, hoping to kill all the crunchy bugs, like some very small, long, black, shiny-shelled bugs that look like a cross between ants, centipedes (many segments), and scorpions--they have some kind of claw/pincher thing on the rear of the bug. Weird. I'm pretty sure those guys could decimate any plant they liked the taste of, given their armor.

So, it's been a busy, fun weekend.

 

 

Edited August 6, 2023 by Halftime Hope

[Ali in OR]

We have a lot of cherry tomatoes (sungold and sweet million) and cucumber. Our only roma tomato plant has blossom rot. Plenty of basil. Dh still pulls in kale a leaf or two at a time for his lunch salads. Not sure what else is out there.

[Faith-manor]

2 hours ago, Halftime Hope said:

@Faith-manor I really need to start a gardening notebook/calendar/journal.  You referenced a having a book; do you use something made specifically for gardeners?

My sons bought me this book for my birthday in April. It has been such a HUGE help. I have been making notes in the margins, and then putting post it notes on different pages listing other thoughts, varieties I tried, things I would do differently. I have also taped some charts into the back which show things like, "How many green bean plants do I need to grow for a family of four to eat fresh vs. how many for freezing or canning for winter?" Maybe one of my adult kids will be interested in gardening someday, and if I am gone, they can at least benefit from the trial and error I experienced.

My daughter desperately wants a similar resource for northern Alabama. But I don't know if anyone has written one. This particular book is written by an avid Michigan farmer and gardener.

[Faith-manor]

19 minutes ago, Ali in OR said:

We have a lot of cherry tomatoes (sungold and sweet million) and cucumber. Our only roma tomato plant has blossom rot. Plenty of basil. Dh still pulls in kale a leaf or two at a time for his lunch salads. Not sure what else is out there.

Will adding calcium to the soil stop the blossom rot?

[Faith-manor]

Halftime Hope, squirrels are absolutely dreadful, destructive horrible beasts whose existence, along with that of ground hogs, makes me question the very existence of the mere possibility of a benevolent deity! How the heck is anyone supposed to feed their family with those heathen rodents around?

[Rosie_0801]

6 hours ago, Faith-manor said:

Should I wear gloves for taking the seeds out of the chili peppers? I have never worked with them before.

Yes, though if you don't, the best thing I know for cleaning chilli off hands is witch hazel, so I suggest a bottle of that as back up.

[Faith-manor]

4 hours ago, Rosie_0801 said:

Yes, though if you don't, the best thing I know for cleaning chilli off hands is witch hazel, so I suggest a bottle of that as back up.

Thanks! I haven't worked with them before so I wasn't sure what to expect.

[Faith-manor]

I DID A THING!!!!

This is a picture of a huge amount of taco/enchilada sauce cooking. Four green peppers, eight jalapenos, four red chilis, and many lbs of Amish paste tomatoes all from my garden with garlic and one large candy onion purchased at the farm market because I didn't have room to grow those.

It has some zest. Mark thought my jalapenos seemed mild, so he told me to put one in there with the seeds. Ha ha ha! Now he thinks it has SOME HEAT! But the flavor is good and it isn't too much heat, a medium sauce instead of mild. I am letting a bit more water boil off before I pack the jars and cold bath them. I am not going to bother with the immersion blender, and we can just run each jar of sauce through the ninja before we use it. This way if one of the boys wants to use it as picante sauce, it hasn't been fully sauced.

Now to make wood cages for the tomato plants. They are just laying over on top of each other from the weight of all the fruit, and have mangled the metal cages.

[Sneezyone]

My peppers and eggplants are thriving even as I'm still fighting wilt with my tomatoes. The tomato plants that I put in the ground vs. my raised beds are also doing well. We have ancho, lemon jalapeno, Havasu, Cubanelle, snacking orange, tabasco, banana pepper, habanero and regular jalapeno. We love peppers so it's OK. I've harvested enough to give great gifts and have canned at least 12 pints too. This weekend I need to do another pint of tomatoes, pint of pickled peppers, and pint of caponata. I am harvesting lemongrass and using it to jar yellow curry soup base. One jar + one can of coconut cream + chicken/fish and veg is amazing. The kids approved of this. ALL of them. Shocking. I'm also gonna do some bread and butter squash this week b/c both the patty pan and ronde de nice are showing no signs of quit. My winter honeynut squash is thriving. So, so long tomatoes...sigh...I blame el Nino...and hello fall crops!

Edited August 8, 2023 by Sneezyone

[Faith-manor]

55 minutes ago, Sneezyone said:

My peppers and eggplants are thriving even as I'm still fighting wilt with my tomatoes. The tomato plants that I put in the ground vs. my raised beds are also doing well. We have ancho, lemon jalapeno, Havasu, Cubanelle, snacking orange, tabasco, banana pepper, habanero and regular jalapeno. We love peppers so it's OK. I've harvested enough to give great gifts and have canned at least 12 pints too. This weekend I need to do another pint of tomatoes, pint of pickled peppers, and pint of caponata. I am harvesting lemongrass and using it to jar yellow curry soup base. One jar + one can of coconut cream + chicken/fish and veg is amazing. The kids approved of this. ALL of them. Shocking. I'm also gonna do some bread and butter squash this week b/c both the patty pan and ronde de nice are showing no signs of quit. My winter honeynut squash is thriving. So, so long tomatoes...sigh...I blame el Nino...and hello fall crops!

Sneezy, I am in awe of your pepper collection! You are inspiring me try more next year. Can I ask what caponeta is?

All of the carrots are out now, so I think I am going to fertilize that bed with a small amount veggie food mixed with compost. It is supposed to rain Thursday which should get it breaking down nicely, and then on the weekend, plant radishes for fall harvest.

Mark helped me pick green beans about half an hour ago. We got a whole peck. But the best part was the neighbor lady who is fairly reclusive and never smiles was walking by the house, and I called out to ask her if she would like some cherry tomatoes and cucumbers. She actually smiled and said yes. I loaded her up, and she smiled very wide. I have never seen that. It made my day more than the taco/enchilada sauce. I know not to make much of it. It was a chance encounter, and not like we have a relationship. But I know where she lives, and I might drop produce on her front porch next week. No one knows what her story is but she is such a hermit a lot of the time that it makes me think there is some serious trauma there. Hopefully a little thing like fresh garden veggies will lift her spirits briefly.

This was the 24th and 25th cucumber I have given away in two weeks. I don't know if I should continue to be supportive of my cuke plants or begging the universe for them to wind down!!! 😂

[Rosie_0801]

2 minutes ago, Faith-manor said:

plant radishes for fall harvest.

Let one or two go to seed. I like the pods better than the root bulb. Small ones can be eaten fresh, sauted or whatever. Larger pods that are getting a bit tougher are just fine after sitting in a jar of vinegar for a few months. 

Maybe you know this already.

[Faith-manor]

24 minutes ago, Rosie_0801 said:

Let one or two go to seed. I like the pods better than the root bulb. Small ones can be eaten fresh, sauted or whatever. Larger pods that are getting a bit tougher are just fine after sitting in a jar of vinegar for a few months. 

Maybe you know this already.

Ha ha! Me know something about plants???? 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

Thanks, Rosie. I appreciate the advice.

[Sneezyone]

13 hours ago, Faith-manor said:

Sneezy, I am in awe of your pepper collection! You are inspiring me try more next year. Can I ask what caponeta is?

All of the carrots are out now, so I think I am going to fertilize that bed with a small amount veggie food mixed with compost. It is supposed to rain Thursday which should get it breaking down nicely, and then on the weekend, plant radishes for fall harvest.

Mark helped me pick green beans about half an hour ago. We got a whole peck. But the best part was the neighbor lady who is fairly reclusive and never smiles was walking by the house, and I called out to ask her if she would like some cherry tomatoes and cucumbers. She actually smiled and said yes. I loaded her up, and she smiled very wide. I have never seen that. It made my day more than the taco/enchilada sauce. I know not to make much of it. It was a chance encounter, and not like we have a relationship. But I know where she lives, and I might drop produce on her front porch next week. No one knows what her story is but she is such a hermit a lot of the time that it makes me think there is some serious trauma there. Hopefully a little thing like fresh garden veggies will lift her spirits briefly.

This was the 24th and 25th cucumber I have given away in two weeks. I don't know if I should continue to be supportive of my cuke plants or begging the universe for them to wind down!!! 😂

Sure, caponata is one of the ways I sneak more summer veg into my family’s diet. We use dates instead of raisins b/c we prefer the flavor, but this is my go to recipe:https://cookieandkate.com/caponata-recipe/ 

If you have some in the yard, lovage makes an EXCELLENT sub for celery in this recipe, a cross between fennel and celery in terms of flavor.😋

We usually have this with a side of lemony ricotta and sliced, toasted, garlic-rubbed baguette on movie nights (fresh crostini).

Edited August 9, 2023 by Sneezyone

[Faith-manor]

4 hours ago, Sneezyone said:

Sure, caponata is one of the ways I sneak more summer veg into my family’s diet. We use dates instead of raisins b/c we prefer the flavor, but this is my go to recipe:https://cookieandkate.com/caponata-recipe/ 

If you have some in the yard, lovage makes an EXCELLENT sub for celery in this recipe, a cross between fennel and celery in terms of flavor.😋

We usually have this with a side of lemony ricotta and sliced, toasted, garlic-rubbed baguette on movie nights (fresh crostini).

Thanks! I just looked at your link. I have eggplant, tomatoes, celery in my garden and olive and capers in the fridge, so I can make this. I think it would be nice with savory polenta for a light lunch or supper.

[MEmama]

This has been, hands down, the most pathetic growing season I’ve ever had, anywhere we’ve ever lived. In full transparency I didn’t plant much, but the few plants I have have barely produced at all. 
 

Typically I freeze over a years worth of peppers (and we eat a LOT of peppers), but this year my plants are barely 4 inches high and have only managed to create 3 measley tiny fruits. I’ve only harvested a handful of sungolds and I’ll be lucky to get many more.

It’s been so.wet here all summer, but it finally feels like late summer which is typical for now. 
 

This is my pitiful harvest last weekend, the only one I’ve had lol (except for raspberries, and it’s been too rainy for those to do well either. Usually I’m drowning in raspberries all summer and into fall). 

 

[Sneezyone]

1 hour ago, MEmama said:

This has been, hands down, the most pathetic growing season I’ve ever had, anywhere we’ve ever lived. In full transparency I didn’t plant much, but the few plants I have have barely produced at all. 
 

Typically I freeze over a years worth of peppers (and we eat a LOT of peppers), but this year my plants are barely 4 inches high and have only managed to create 3 measley tiny fruits. I’ve only harvested a handful of sungolds and I’ll be lucky to get many more.

It’s been so.wet here all summer, but it finally feels like late summer which is typical for now. 
 

This is my pitiful harvest last weekend, the only one I’ve had lol (except for raspberries, and it’s been too rainy for those to do well either. Usually I’m drowning in raspberries all summer and into fall). 

 

I'm blaming the rain too. I had a lot of split tomatoes that I had to give back to the earth. Now the wilt. I'm going to cover my beds with beneficial nematodes as they overwinter to see if I can do better next year. TBF - I planted quite a bit and still have a decent harvest. It's just not as much as usual.

[Faith-manor]

MEMama, I am so sorry! Weather stinks. We had drought, literally zero rain from May 7 - June 13. Now we get deluges. In one of my beds I was bailing it out like a boat. Good grief! I feel for farmers.

Sure would be nice if mother nature would cooperate.

[SHP]

BUGS! I went out to see flowers and the mosquitoes chased me back inside.

[Serenade]

Right now I'm harvesting eggplants, tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, chard, okra, onions, garlic, and the last of the summer squash.  Like Sneezy, I grow a large variety of peppers -- bell,, serrano, ancho, giant marconi, padron, 3 varieties of jalapeño, snacking peppers, cubanelle, banana peppers and a couple of varieties of chilis.  The peppers seem to be doing well this summer, but the tomatoes not so much.  I planted around 30 tomato plants, and you'd think I'd be inundated, but if it weren't for one single Early Girl that has produced 145 tomatoes so far this season, I really wouldn't have that many.  The weather had the biggest impact on the tomatoes, but now in the late season as the tomatoes are ripening, the squirrels are out in full force.  No matter how many we trap and eliminate, there is another one to take its place. It's so very discouraging.  Still, I have more than enough tomatoes to eat, so I can't complain too much.

I've made 3 jars of refrigerator pickles, and that'll probably be it for any cucumber overages. I think they're about done for, but I planted a small second crop so we'll see what happens with those.  I've also pickled okra and dilly beans. 😋

Last night's supper was almost completely from the garden.  We had cucumber and tomato salad alongside stuffed peppers in the chili relleno style.  Except for the meat and some of the spices, everything else was from the garden. 

[Serenade]

On 8/6/2023 at 1:24 PM, Halftime Hope said:

I got an ultrasonic pest repeller, because I want to plant potatoes in the same bed. Hopefully I can break their habit and grow things there.

 

 

An ultrasonic repeller has been largely successful at repelling deer in my front bed, but it has not stopped the squirrels at all. 😒

[wintermom]

My flowers and plants are doing fantastic! We've had so much rain, then lovely sunny days, that everything is doing well. I ate my first tomato yesterday morning. It seemed slightly watery - maybe we've had TOO much rain? Or perhaps my taste buds are off.

My one hops plant is 10 feet high and starting to show hops buds, while it's buddy that was planted at the same time is only 3 feet high. Two plants bought in the same pot, same growing conditions, same watering, very different growth. There are no signs of being eaten by insects, and both seem healthy. So weird.

Edited August 10, 2023 by wintermom

[Faith-manor]

11 hours ago, SHP said:

BUGS! I went out to see flowers and the mosquitoes chased me back inside.

Are you getting Jurassic World Dominion mosquitos? That is what we seem to have and somewhere in this world there is a paleontologist/geneticist/whackadoodle mastermind that we need to find and feed to his creation! 

[Lady Florida.]

I've got my fall vegetable garden started. We can start both warm and cool season crops and I planted the following seeds:

Warm season - Earliana tomato, yellow patio tomato, Rosella purple tomato, buran sweet pepper. I'm considering zucchini and/or bush cucumbers but I'll direct sow those next month if I do. Same with bush beans and sugar snap peas.

Cool season - Early Jersey Wakefield cabbage, Savoy cabbage, Utah celery. I'll wait a month or 6 or more to start broccoli. 

Herbs - Italian parsley, dill, hyssop (the latter will be transplanted to the raised bed to hopefully draw pollinators). 

The Everglades tomato plant I was gifted didn't survive. Another friend gave me one last week and I'm hoping I can keep this one alive.

[Lady Florida.]

Garden planners - I'm always on the hunt for the perfect garden planner but have yet to find it. I can find plenty of free printables online but the problem is I want to print ALL the pages of ALL the free planners I find. Then I get overwhelmed because I have too many pages and I end up abandoning it. I'm going to try to sit down and list what I actually need from a garden planner/journal.

[Lady Florida.]

The current state of my edible garden. I started a bunch of seeds yesterday but it's too hot for them to be outside. The two pots have rosemary and Everglades tomatoes. I repotted the tomatoes yesterday and will add support then move it outside. I gave away some basil and made pesto but it's still gone crazy. 

 

 

Edited August 11, 2023 by Lady Florida.

[popmom]

I’m getting very few tomatoes—which is to be expected because of the heat. We are having very normal temperatures—highs in the 90s and lows in the 70s. It rains nearly everyday which has been great. It’s been even enough that I don’t think I’ve had a single tomato to split! 
 

My okra are producing well—just enough for my family. I have just planted more. I’d like to can some to have for when my dd visits at Christmas.
 

I have a good size watermelon. I’ve never had any luck with watermelon, so that’s exciting. 
 

 

[Faith-manor]

1 hour ago, Lady Florida. said:

The current state of my edible garden. I started a bunch of seeds yesterday but it's too hot for them to be outside. The two pots have rosemary and Everglades tomatoes. I repotted the tomatoes yesterday and will add support then move it outside. I gave away some basil and made pesto but it's still gone crazy. 

 

 

Looks wonderful!

[Faith-manor]

We are having a lot of temps in the 70's with an occasional few hours that hit 80 or 81 but not high humidity.  Basically it is really nice outside, and I love it, but I feel really sad for so many of you because you are absolutely hammered with heat. Many hugs from me.

The Amish Paste are ripening, but we have had too much rain in the past week, and so they decided to absorb it all and split their skin. All of the ones with split skins have been brought inside to finish ripening so that they don't attract bugs or begin to rot. I found one split skin bad one on the vine. This out freaked me out causing a flurry of my freakiness to take over and compelling me to root around for all the split ones while cursing them for not being smart enough to know not to drink water when they don't need it like morons taking a tiktok water guzzlers challenge and frying their brains! Mark says that I now remind him of Crowley from Good Omens, "GROW BETTER!!!!!" 😂 

My 2nd sowing of carrots will be ready in two weeks along with the scallions. I am anxiously awaiting the celery, but I still think it will be Labor Day weekend before it is ready since the stalks still seem thin. I did harvest just a few of the leaves for some veggie broth I made, and those leaves were so fragrant.

Let me just say that I didn't know that gardening was a romantic gesture. 🙄🙄🙄 But apparently, when you come inside from harvesting tomatoes, celery leaves, basil, and oregano, you smell like food men like to eat, and the husband is suddenly all goofy. I think modern perfume companies have completely missed the boat. If they made women's fragrance called, "Marinara Sauce", women would be able to rule the earth!

[wintermom]

@Faith-manor That is very observant of you with the fragrances that attract men. The most I attract from being outside in my garden is mosquitoes and rashes from allergies. I'm clearly not planting the right stuff in my garden! 😅

[Faith-manor]

10 minutes ago, wintermom said:

@Faith-manor That is very observant of you with the fragrances that attract men. The most I attract from being outside in my garden is mosquitoes and rashes from allergies. I'm clearly not planting the right stuff in my garden! 😅

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[Rosie_0801]

Well, words of affirmation ain't my cauliflowers' love language.

Despite all the nice things I've said to them, they're about two inches in diameter and it looks like that's all I'm going to get. Two or three cauliflowerinies, caulifloweretties? Pathetiflowers?

*grump*

[Faith-manor]

47 minutes ago, Rosie_0801 said:

Well, words of affirmation ain't my cauliflowers' love language.

Despite all the nice things I've said to them, they're about two inches in diameter and it looks like that's all I'm going to get. Two or three cauliflowerinies, caulifloweretties? Pathetiflowers?

*grump*

Oh ugh! You need to discipline them. Maybe swat them with a rolled up newspaper! 😁

[Shelydon]

Our garden was done by June 15th.. It's been well over 100° for over a month. We will be able to start a winter garden in October. It's always so strange when we travel out of state in August and people are still being able to grow fruit and vegetables. 

[Halftime Hope]

People in Colorado where I'm visiting are enduring 90 degree highs, and I'm trying not to laugh--the chit chat at the grocery store and in the line for this or that is all about how beastly hot it is. I thought it would be rude to mention I'm enjoying the cooler weather since I'm from Hotter-than-hell. Someone in my household sent me the temp off my front porch this evening--109.8.  My friend in Phoenix reports weeks of 115.

For 10 years, I've grown tomatoes in a row of self-watering tubs (like large, homemade earthboxes). This is my first year to have them in raised beds, and I don't think I'll be able to have the tomato plants carry-over into a fall season without the self-watering tubs. Sigh.

I topped the tomatoes plants (the best new leaves) and I am rooting the cuttings; I'll plant those when the blast furnace subsides.

My corn is up, and if the squirrels would quite moving the sprouted potatoes, they might grow!  😄

Edited August 12, 2023 by Halftime Hope

[SHP]

On 8/10/2023 at 8:28 AM, Serenade said:

An ultrasonic repeller has been largely successful at repelling deer in my front bed, but it has not stopped the squirrels at all. 😒

Nothing will stop the squirrels. Came home tonight and caught one on the porch between planters. Do you know what it did? It stretched out and acted like *we* were the pests and disturbing it. 

I have done all the things. 

[SHP]

When we moved here many years ago one of the first things I did was pull a massive clematis that was eating the house. It has been mowed or weed wacked every year since. In the spirit of acceptance/defeat I spent all spring and summer patiently training it through lattice that I added to the fence.

Then it snapped at the base. I am unsure if I did it when I was tending a near by plant after a storm or if the storm did it. Either way, that was a huge disappointment. 

I pulled the dead vine from the lattice, it was over 15ft long!  That is a lot of growth for one year and I am wondering if it will return next year.

 

[Halftime Hope]

9 minutes ago, SHP said:

re. clematis 

I am wondering if it will return next year.

 

If it's anything like poison ivy or crepe myrtle, or hackberry seedlings, it will.

I have an acquaintance who has lived in a house for 40 years, cut down a crepe myrtle in the first year she lived there, and that thing is still sending up sprouts that have to be chopped down. I have one that is still sprouting after 14 years, after we dug deeply and pulled the entire stump, then followed that with a serious tilling, meticulously picking out all the roots. (We must have left one by accident; it's under five courses of retaining wall blocks. If I didn't want a beautiful sage in it's place, I'd salt the soil in that spot. What is one to do?!?

[Halftime Hope]

8 hours ago, Rosie_0801 said:

Well, words of affirmation ain't my cauliflowers' love language.

Despite all the nice things I've said to them, they're about two inches in diameter and it looks like that's all I'm going to get. Two or three cauliflowerinies, caulifloweretties? Pathetiflowers?

*grump*

oh, my. I feel your pain. I had patheti-coli last fall.

[Faith-manor]

7 hours ago, SHP said:

Nothing will stop the squirrels. Came home tonight and caught one on the porch between planters. Do you know what it did? It stretched out and acted like *we* were the pests and disturbing it. 

I have done all the things. 

The only thing I know that stops squirrels is them being on the wrong end of Mark's pellet gun or a watch dog tied out at the garden. It really is ridiculous those stupid creatures!

[Faith-manor]

On 8/12/2023 at 3:22 AM, Halftime Hope said:

If it's anything like poison ivy or crepe myrtle, or hackberry seedlings, it will.

I have an acquaintance who has lived in a house for 40 years, cut down a crepe myrtle in the first year she lived there, and that thing is still sending up sprouts that have to be chopped down. I have one that is still sprouting after 14 years, after we dug deeply and pulled the entire stump, then followed that with a serious tilling, meticulously picking out all the roots. (We must have left one by accident; it's under five courses of retaining wall blocks. If I didn't want a beautiful sage in it's place, I'd salt the soil in that spot. What is one to do?!?

We have an invasive coming from an abandoned lot behind us. It puts out runners which goes underneath the stone fence and comes up in the backyard. We have tried just about everything except Monsanto - and I have NO intention of spraying that - including going out when the soil is wet and flame throwing which is hypothetically supposed to burn the roots as they uptake water, but it keeps coming back. It is now moving into the main yard. I am at my wits end. We are going to burn it again this fall, and I am considering salting the whole area, just a total Roman scorched earth policy on Cathage kind of thing! I don't care if anything else grows there. I just want this to stop without spreading cancer chemicals here. 

 

Edited August 13, 2023 by Faith-manor

[Lady Florida.]

20 hours ago, popmom said:

We are having very normal temperatures—highs in the 90s and lows in the 70s.

We had the sixth hottest July on record and if these first few weeks of August are any indication it will be in the top then as well. We've had excessive heat warnings every day for over a month. I need to get outside and at least get my soil amended but it sooo hot. Evening is the best time but it's usually raining by then.

Our summer highs are usually in the 90s with lows in the 70s to low 80s. It's just that we've had higher 90s and higher lows.

[cjzimmer1]

Tomato blight has been a problem that has gotten progressively worse the last few years.  This year I put in some brand new raised beds and purchase 4 cubit yards of brand new clean soil.  I only put tomatoes in the new soil and but other things in the older beds.  Apparently the new beds were close enough to the old ones that it still spread. So all of my tomatoes are already struggling with a good dose of blight.  The bright side is that all the tomatoes that were set are starting to ripen and I'm picking a good amount finally.  I'll be starting the dehydrator in a couple of days to put these all away for winter.  Since I'm still using canned tomatoes from 2020, the only tomato products I have to put up this year are dehydrated slices and a few loads of spaghetti sauce.

Peppers are starting to come on strong.  I see tons of green ones and some of the thinner walled varieties are starting to turn colors.  I also have 3 cantaloupe that are close to harvesting and at least 3 more smaller ones developing.  At the end of the greenhouse season, we had some tiny watermelon plants that were too small to sell.  I planted one of them in a pot with a tomato cage (because I had run out of room every else) and even with it's less than ideal spot, it has two nice sized watermelon on it.  I've never grown melons before so I'm very excited with how well they are doing.  I've insisted that my sister plant honeydew melons next years since those are my favorite kinds and so much harder to find to purchase.  

Cucumber bugs spread disease to my plants and then cucumbers have pretty much wilted away now.  No more outdoor cucumbers this season.  I will started some indoors this weekend so hopefully they will start producing by the time the other fall veggies are shutting down.  Squash bugs invaded the zucchini yesterday so I was squashing and spraying away last night so hopefully that took care of them all.

As far as squirrels go, last fall I built a huge cage over the main portion of my garden.  But by the time I finished last fall, the garden was done and so I left the doors open.  The squirrels of course couldn't help but check out the garden.  This turned in to a lovely opportunity as they couldn't get out quickly and my dogs could finally take them out.  I think they killed 4 or 5.  We have only seen 1 squirrel in our yard this whole year and the bulk of my crops are protected from it.  It's been such a relief that after having over 90% of my tomatoes and peppers chewed on last year by critters, not a single thing has been chewed on this whole year!

[Faith-manor]

Cjzimmer, I am glad your dogs are taking care of those critters.

What gets me is that my county is heavily wooded. More than 50% of former agricultural land has gone fallow, returned to the wild in the last 40 years as farmers have gone out of business. There is ridiculous amount of habitat for the stupid rodents, and no lack of squirrel food. They aren't over populated either since we have a healthy fox population and several packs of wild wild dogs to say nothing of a large pack of coyotes. These rotten beasts are not hungry and can eat like kings without attacking gardens! So aggravating!!

I don't have them on our property thank goodness. Our neighbor has a lovely golden retriever that never met a human he didn't like nor a squirrel he did like. So we let him wander around the yard. He has cleaned the neighborhood out of squirrels.

[cjzimmer1]

5 minutes ago, Faith-manor said:

Cjzimmer, I am glad your dogs are taking care of those critters.

What gets me is that my county is heavily wooded. More than 50% of former agricultural land has gone fallow, returned to the wild in the last 40 years as farmers have gone out of business. There is ridiculous amount of habitat for the stupid rodents, and no lack of squirrel food. They aren't over populated either since we have a healthy fox population and several packs of wild wild dogs to say nothing of a large pack of coyotes. These rotten beasts are not hungry and can eat like kings without attacking gardens! So aggravating!!

I don't have them on our property thank goodness. Our neighbor has a lovely golden retriever that never met a human he didn't like nor a squirrel he did like. So we let him wander around the yard. He has cleaned the neighborhood out of squirrels.

For years I battled rabbits eating the garden even though there was plenty of nice tender clover and dandelions readily available to them. I would get so frustrated because there was so much else out there and much was easier to get to than my garden and yet they persisted with the garden.  I finally solved that with the fence and the dogs and by then our neighborhood was established enough that the squirrels moved in.  My dogs try with all their might but are not fast enough to catch the squirrels before they scamper up the tree and it was so frustrating to them.  When I built the cage last fall, I just kept laughing at myself because what I thought would keep the squirrels out, turned in to the world's most expensive giant squirrel catcher.  But finally my little 17 pounds dogs stood a chance.  My little girl was beside herself with them and finally she got her due, of course removing them from her was a whole different matter. 

I think every gardener needs a nice dog friend like that golden retriever.  It would help so much!

[SHP]

2 hours ago, Faith-manor said:

We have an invasive coming from an abandoned lot behind us. It puts out runners which goes underneath the stone fence and comes up in the backyard. We have tried just about everything except Monsanto - and I have NO intention of spraying that - including going out when the soil is wet and flame throwing which is hypothetically supposed to burn the roots as they uptake water, but it keeps coming back. It is now moving into the main yard. I am at my wits end. We are going to burn it again this fall, and I am considering salting the whole area, just a total Roman scorched earth policy on Carriage kind of thing! I don't care if anything else grows there. I just want this to stop without spreading cancer chemicals here. 

 

 

9 hours ago, Halftime Hope said:

If it's anything like poison ivy or crepe myrtle, or hackberry seedlings, it will.

I have an acquaintance who has lived in a house for 40 years, cut down a crepe myrtle in the first year she lived there, and that thing is still sending up sprouts that have to be chopped down. I have one that is still sprouting after 14 years, after we dug deeply and pulled the entire stump, then followed that with a serious tilling, meticulously picking out all the roots. (We must have left one by accident; it's under five courses of retaining wall blocks. If I didn't want a beautiful sage in it's place, I'd salt the soil in that spot. What is one to do?!?

What zone for the Crape Myrtle? The bushes die back to the ground here and a bad year will wipe them out. And the trees are hit or miss. Asking because I love them but they don't live this area. 

 

I live in the urban core with tree of heaven, bindweed, and other lovely agrrssive invasives. While trying the non chemical route is always the first step, in reality it is not always enough and using methods that are not scientifically sound only allows the plant to gain ground.

One spray is not always enough. I am on my 3rd year of bindweed war. Sprayed multiple times last year and again this year. I hope to plant next fall. 

Tree of heaven and other evils were erradicated over a year with weekly sprays of glyphosate. An established bush or vine, especially poison ivy, Hit the stump with Tordon. 

Some times there isn't a choice. 

[Faith-manor]

34 minutes ago, SHP said:

 

What zone for the Crape Myrtle? The bushes die back to the ground here and a bad year will wipe them out. And the trees are hit or miss. Asking because I love them but they don't live this area. 

 

I live in the urban core with tree of heaven, bindweed, and other lovely agrrssive invasives. While trying the non chemical route is always the first step, in reality it is not always enough and using methods that are not scientifically sound only allows the plant to gain ground.

One spray is not always enough. I am on my 3rd year of bindweed war. Sprayed multiple times last year and again this year. I hope to plant next fall. 

Tree of heaven and other evils were erradicated over a year with weekly sprays of glyphosate. An established bush or vine, especially poison ivy, Hit the stump with Tordon. 

Some times there isn't a choice. 

I get that. But we will not use glyphosphate. There are ethical issues here because everyone is on well water, and some of our neighbors have shallow wells that can't filter it. We also have numerous organic dairy farmers in the area, and over spray is a serious issue, with wind carrying it over. Two miles from here a farmer sprayed it on a day when it was windy because apparently he didn't give a crap. It destroyed the crops of a family growing a two acre organic garden for their family, and the mom was already fighting cancer which had been caused by chemical agents she was exposed to at work. The court threw out their lawsuit against that farmer. The spraying farmer offered them $500 for the loss of their organic vegetables and fruits. This was three years ago. Their well water still registers 97 times the EPA maximum ppm.

So I will continue to do battle with the invasive in other ways. And I am not committed to entirely erradicating it since it is all over the county and nearby state land. It will keep coming back. I just want to keep it under control and away from my raised beds, fruit trees, and berry bushes. So burning it and whatever is good enough.

[Faith-manor]

2 hours ago, cjzimmer1 said:

For years I battled rabbits eating the garden even though there was plenty of nice tender clover and dandelions readily available to them. I would get so frustrated because there was so much else out there and much was easier to get to than my garden and yet they persisted with the garden.  I finally solved that with the fence and the dogs and by then our neighborhood was established enough that the squirrels moved in.  My dogs try with all their might but are not fast enough to catch the squirrels before they scamper up the tree and it was so frustrating to them.  When I built the cage last fall, I just kept laughing at myself because what I thought would keep the squirrels out, turned in to the world's most expensive giant squirrel catcher.  But finally my little 17 pounds dogs stood a chance.  My little girl was beside herself with them and finally she got her due, of course removing them from her was a whole different matter. 

I think every gardener needs a nice dog friend like that golden retriever.  It would help so much!

Agreed. I have a cocker spaniel and all he has ever been interested in was birds. Sigh. Something about those goldens! Good dogs.

[SHP]

The rabbits are bold. I am waiting for one to come up and nuzzle me to pet it. When I was planted my irises one came over and started sniffing each of them. I told it those were my irises and it needed to leave them alone. It stared at me.

One evening I was explaining to the 3 rabbits that were in our that I was a preditors and it was prey and needed to stay out of the yard. It ignored me. 

 

I have a dog. She doesn't care. Our neighbors all have dogs. None care about the squirrels.