WEEKLY GARDEN THREAD VOLUME 32 AUGUST 7, 2013

Free Republic | August 7, 2013 | greeneyes

[greeneyes]

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2013/08/06/NYC-heThe Weekly Gardening Thread is a weekly gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you.

This thread is non-political, although you will find that most here are conservative folks. No matter what, you won’t be flamed and the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked.

It is impossible to hijack the Weekly Gardening Thread ... there is no telling where it will go and that is part of the fun and interest. Jump in and join us!

NOTE: This is a once a week ping list. We do post to the thread during the week. Links to related articles and discussions which might be of interest are welcomed, so feel free to post them at any time.

[TEXOKIE]

Wow! That’s even more impressive! :-D

[mlizzy]

Have you heard of this greeneyes?

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/08/10/mycorrhizae-plant-communication.aspx?e_cid=20130810_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130810

[ApplegateRanch]

We got 2.5 inches of rain Wednesday evening, over about a 4 hour period. August and Sept monthly averages are 1.4” each. People we know who where nearer the core of the storm got 4-5 inches, so that was a real unseasonable inundation, and pretty much welcome. Yes, there was minor flooding & road damage, but nothing serious, and it filled a lot of normally dry stock ponds. It should also keep the hay coming, as well as the hills green, & reduce the fire danger. High temps also dipped to a very unseasonable 68, but is now back into the 80’s. The reservoir where I fish is also nearly full, instead of looking like an oversized mud puddle that it has been this time of the year during the recent 7 year drought.

Been getting dry pods of Jacob’s Cattle beans the last few days; the plants are loaded with green & yellowing pods, as well as still putting out flowers. The Great Northern and White Greasy Cutshort beans are also loaded with both maturing green pods & flowers.

Also getting slicing cukes, as well as zukes, onions carrots, and apricots. We’ll pick the last of them today, then take care of them tonight. We’ll be picking apples and plums pretty soon; and hopefully we’ll get some of the pears this year. We’re so well stocked from last year that we’re leaving the chokecherries for the wildlife.

Pattypan are starting to put out squash, and the buttercups have a lot of developing fruits. So do the pumpkins.

We’ll have corn this coming week from the Painted Hill; we tried one ear earlier this week, and while good, it wasn’t quite ready. Most well be allowed to mature for dry corn; it makes a really good cornmeal, as well as good in stews & soups. The other corn is making good progress, so we’ll see. The okra is really struggling with the cooler temps this year.

Going to have to dust the potatoes today for both flea and potato beetles.

Oilseed sunflowers are in full bloom, but the Russians are just starting to open.

Thursday & Friday were ‘days off’, as we went to the Custer County fair both afternoons & evenings to see the exhibits, get free dinners, then watch events. Thursday was Barnyard Olympics, and last night, Ranch Rodeo.

[painter]

I will take whatever rain we can get from whomever wants to share.

There are people in south central Missouri who would gladly give you 15 inches of it if they could.

[Nepeta]

Do you know the name of the orange lily [in your depiction] that points downward?

Turk's cap lily

[TEXOKIE]

Thanks for the link! Darlin and I love Dr Mercola! I’ve heard of this but appreciate the link to a good source.

(reposting your link:)

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/08/10/mycorrhizae-plant-communication.aspx?e_cid=20130810_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20130810

[TEXOKIE]

WOW!! THanks for the update!

[Marcella]

I admire you so much. What a fine gardener you are.

[Black Agnes]

You’re welcome. I’m a dump cook. We sort of manage with what we end up with.

[Sarajevo]

But one day last week I found one decent sized peach that seemed close to being ripe-so I picked that peach. There were about a dozen smaller ones left still. Next day there was not a single peach on that tree or on the ground beneath.

I had the same thing happen. I think it was a squirrel.

[Sarajevo]

Well, a small weather front just passed through the area and the triple digit temps just took a nose dive. We're getting a brief respite from the heat. Unfortunately, we'll need a major tropical storm to refill the local lake bed and aquifer.

My garden has been pretty much lying fallow for the past couple weeks. Malabar spinach, green peppers, and Okra are still plugging along but the I cleaned out the rest after the plants dried up. I decided that it was better to build up the beds than to put in more veggies at the moment. We do have new tomato, jalapeno, and serrano's that are germinating.

We're really happy with the Malabar spinach. It grows and grows, and unlike the lettuce and cabbage, the chickens don't bother it. This is 3 plants growing over a piece of fencing.

While it's not gardening, we also raise poultry. We now have 40 chickens and 27 ducks (mallards, khaki campbell, muscovey, and runner). The young birds should start laying around October time-frame. There is nothing better than farm fresh eggs from open range birds.

[ApplegateRanch]

Ahh, uhm, not that good; I just plant a lot, so I’m sure we’ll get something...and I have a LOT of references & know how to search decently to solve problems...and I remember where to find it next time I forget what I should have done.

[ApplegateRanch]

Picked the last of our apricots today. Most of them went into a pot & got cooked down for sauce that I'll can later; but Mrs. AR saved the best ones for me to can. I put up 8 pints tonight, and of course they all sealed.

These are NOT 'orchard' apricots, but 'shelter belt' apricot trees, so they more closely resemble the wild types: smaller, less sweet, and somewhat drier, so I had to use a heavier syrup than usual for apricots to compensate; they do have a good flavor, though. We bought the seedlings about 12 years ago from the Farm Service Agency, through their Conservation Trees program. For one reason or another, they stayed in 5 gallon pots for 5 or 6 years before we could get them planted out.

They have a very short window between 'not ready', 'good', and 'bird food': they can go from sort of hard & dry to over ripe & turning brown in 24-48 hours, but they ripen over several days instead of all at once.

Some of the sauce, instead of getting canned, will be used tomorrow, along with left over juice & syrup from the cherries, and maybe with the addition of some of our fruit syrups, when Mrs. AR makes a "tuti-fruiti rabbit" for dinner...after which I'll be canning its littermates.

[this_ol_patriot]

We do Brandywine Pink too, tried some Cherokee Purple this year, ugliest best tasting ‘mater I ever had, ranks up there with the Brandywine Pink. It’s more acid and has a stronger tomato taste than the Brandywine Pink, I think the Brandywine Pink has a watermelon-like taste.

[mlizzy]

We do Brandywine Pink too, tried some Cherokee Purple this year, ugliest best tasting ‘mater I ever had, ranks up there with the Brandywine Pink. It’s more acid and has a stronger tomato taste than the Brandywine Pink, I think the Brandywine Pink has a watermelon-like taste.

Our other heirloom IS Cherokee Purple (I just ran out to double-check), and it indeed is rather unattractive, but wow, you're right, what a taste!

[this_ol_patriot]

Our other heirloom IS Cherokee Purple (I just ran out to double-check), and it indeed is rather unattractive, but wow, you're right, what a taste!

Well is that cool or what?

We planted some Jetstar too, not a bad standard tomato, but still doesn't compare with the heirlooms. Last year we did a Mr. Stripey, We did not like this one, too low acid and it was mushy with a very thin skin. We do not like yellow tomatoes at all.

We found a great cherry/olive tomato this year that grew great in pots it's called Grape Sweet Olive, this thing blows Sweet 100/Million and Right Bite right out of the water. It's sweet, I mean so sweet it tastes like a grape or cherry in sweetness with that tomato tang. It's determinate so it made about 100 tomatoes and then was done. It's a great snack.

[Ellendra]

when Mrs. AR makes a "tuti-fruiti rabbit" for dinner...

Could I get that recipe, please?

I had gotten permission to raise rabbits in the backyard, but today I found out dad lied. Again. After much arguing and sulking (he's good at the sulking part) we settled on getting me a new slingshot for the bigger rabbits outside (my old one vanished 10 years ago), and the vague promise that maybe, someday, if he decides he meant it this time, I might be allowed to build my rabbit pen. I wanted it today because my cat managed to bring a young rabbit to me uninjured. Good kitty!

One of the farmers near my land has a new building going up that look suspiciously like an apartment complex. I might be better off living there instead of at home while my house is being built.

Sorry, that turned into more of a rant than I expected.

[Melian]

I stuck a couple of plumeria cuttings in the ground this week to root. Trying to extend my summer!

[ApplegateRanch]

It was one of her famous Guess This Mess dishes.

It was basically rabbit pieces, coated with Panko crumbs with Old Bay seasoning and garlic powder added, fried low & slow.

She used cooked down apricot puree; some of our wild plums that I made into a plum sauce (Again, no recipe; sorry. I often look up several on the Net, then combine elements to suit our fancy.) last year; some chopped apple (first of this season) and left over juice & medium syrup left over from canning the cherries a couple weeks ago, mixed and partially cooked to blend flavors. The amounts were dictated by what was on hand, and combined by seat of the pants.

Once the rabbit was turned, and almost done, the fruit concoction was poured over it, and it was allowed to slowly simmer about a half hour.

Sorry we can’t be more specific. To paraphrase a carpenter who once told me about worrying I may ruin some expensive wood, “don’t worry about it; just go for it—it’s only food! As long as you take it easy, and use common cooking sense, it’ll come out fine.”

[Black Agnes]

I’m not sure I could kill and/or eat bunnies.

Hubby could and has. More for him I guess.

[greeneyes]

You impress easily FRiend?

[greeneyes]

NO. Thanks for the link. Very interesting.

[greeneyes]

All in All a very good week it sounds like. And garden doing so well over all.

[greeneyes]

Those look delicious. Backyard GOLD. LOL

[greeneyes]

I always try to extend the gardening time too. That’s why I have to grow some stuff in pots so that I can take them indoors.LOL

[ApplegateRanch]

Good thing they were picked all the apricots yesterday, because, while I was butchering today, we got pounded.

That's a 12" long dent in the VW hood from one of those monsters. Fortunately, there weren't too many of them; but a good fall of dime to quarter size.

Still not all that bad, everything considered; up at Custer, they had to bring out the snowplows to clear the roads; and a rare tornado hit between there, Hill City, & Mount Rushmore. Custer is 20 miles (35 by car) north of of us, and Hill City another 12; Mt Rushmore is 10 NE of Custer.

[greeneyes]

Did the storm blow that thing up on top of the VW? Is it a motor? That is some biiiiiggggg hail.

[ApplegateRanch]

That is one I picked up at the garden, and sat on the tiller to photograph, while checking for damage. It had had over a half hour of melting before I found it, and a few others like it. Lots of golf ball size were still scattered around.

The one that hit the VW was actually bigger, but shattered when it hit, as did some others; large pieces of them bounced 15-20 feet. I heard one of the first ones hit up the hill in the trees, well beyond the chicken house; and it sits a bit over 100 yards from the house. When some of those hit the metal roofs, it was an incredible noise.

The hail damage body shops will make a mint off of this one.

[Augie]

Tomatoes and crabgrass are thriving. Can’t keep up with the okra. Second planting sweetcorn in full tassle. Still have two rows of potatoes in the ground. Peppers are going crazy. Quite a contrast to last year!

[TEXOKIE]

LOL! probably!

[greeneyes]

No doubt they will make a mint.

[TEXOKIE]

“Brazos River is so low, the catfish have fleas”

ROFL!!!

[greeneyes]

Yes, thank the lord, and spread the compost!LOL

[greeneyes]

LOL.

[TEXOKIE]

What wonderful pictures! I had not heard of Malabar spinach. What can you tell me about that? It’s the stuff draped on top of the lattice, right?

[TEXOKIE]

WOW!

[TEXOKIE]

Just remember that in a pinch the crabgrass is edible!

[mlizzy]

Got my new used Panasonic DMC-TZ5 today. Thank you, thank you for sharing your camera info. I love it.

[mlizzy]

it's called Grape Sweet Olive...

Thank you for this tip! I'm going to have to start an old-fashioned three-ring binder up, because when spring comes along again, it's all but forgotten... :)

[Silentgypsy]

Congrats re: the successful defense of your garden! I know what you mean about the heat. I went out from noon to 1300 today to collect grass clippings for the garden and had to come in secondary to light-headedness. A few hours later went out for another hour to remove damaged leaves, inspect for tomato hornworms and squash bug eggs (found only one cluster today), and harvest a zucchini that sort of got away from me. Pulled a few weeds, cleaned up a little bit and then back into the A/C. Thank heaven for climate control!

[Silentgypsy]

Where on earth do you get the energy to keep gardening when your helpers subvert your effort? You must handcuff them to the fridge while you do your gardening lol!

[Silentgypsy]

Did you ever try putting waste cardboard between rows and plants to stop weeds from growing? We did that this year and it made maintaining the garden a lot easier. I also collected large plastic jugs all year, cleaned them, collected rainwater and dehumidifier output and filled the jugs with it, and weighed the cardboard down with them. After a while, the rain will mush the cardboard down so you don’t need the jugs any more, so you can water the plants with the water in the jugs.

[Silentgypsy]

What a beautiful garden! I didn’t know that you can plant blueberry bushes in containers.

[mojo114]

You looking for hail here it is!

[Silentgypsy]

Do you know how to distinguish flavanol-rich cocoa from flavanol-poor cocoa?

[Black Agnes]

We put layers of newspaper, sale papers, catalogs, cereal boxes, etc and then cover with 4-6” of hay. No slipping, sliding, sinking in the muck this way. It breaks down by time to till/plow next year and adds organic material.

Also helps with the water bill during dry spells as it doesn’t dry out quite as fast.

[Marcella]

“Do you know how to distinguish flavanol-rich cocoa from flavanol-poor cocoa?”

No, and I didn’t bother about it since it wasn’t the flavanol rich or poor that made the difference. The two groups had the same results. It is something else in the cocoa that improves the blood flow to the brain and improves memory.

[Silentgypsy]

Thanks! I love cocoa!

[Silentgypsy]

I think I read a post by you previously and started saving newsprint to put down in addition to the cardboard. Our neighbor gave us three bales of hay and it certainly does help retain moisture!

[Black Agnes]

I sent you frmail with a link to pics. I don’t know how to post them here just yet. That’s a project for another day.