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WEEKLY GARDENING THREAD VOLUME 27 JULY 4TH 2014
Free Republic | July 4, 2014 | greeneyes

Posted on 07/04/2014 12:43:46 PM PDT by greeneyes

The 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.


TOPICS: Gardening
KEYWORDS: agriculture; food; gardening; hobby
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To: greeneyes

I planted a little early, spun the wheel,

We may redo the back yard so doing a bucket or planter built-in w/ easy moving garden ya can eat makes sense. Ya see the price of veggies lately?

Berries have held steady pricewise but some fruit, no way. Fortunately we have a lot of smaller oriental markets locally that have decent produce at a good price.

Man must eat.

But going broke doing it

Is not a good option.


61 posted on 07/04/2014 2:58:11 PM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi - Revolution is a'brewin!!!)
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To: Aliska

Nice berries. Well, you do what you can, and that’s all you can do. I guess that’s why farmers I used to know had so many kids, so they had helpers.LOL


62 posted on 07/04/2014 3:00:43 PM PDT by greeneyes (Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
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To: greeneyes

I will definitely grow bush cukes from now on. I like getting a bunch of little once all at once and doing pickles and then letting them go for cukes. I was desperate for some fresh kosher dills so I got 2 packages with 4 perfect baby cukes in it each at the store. I had a coupon for a dollar off. I split them in half and put them up with garlic kosher salt a aplash of vinegar and my usual spices. In a week I’ll be feasting. I never can pickles, I like them crunchy.


63 posted on 07/04/2014 3:01:11 PM PDT by MomwithHope (Please support efforts in your state for an Article 5 convention.)
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To: trisham
I'm glad, too. It's more upbeat and something I have always loved, doesn't drag you down like constant disturbing news which can drag you down.

I meant to comment on the person who grows Fuji apples. They are one kind among many recommended for pies. My very favorite are and have always been Jonathan.

Anyway I bought some beautiful Fujis at the store, then didn't feel with messing with a 2 crust pie. My daughter left most of a box of red hots on the dr table for days so I make some cinnamon apples. I love them, never had them before, have bought more red hots and made some more. They cook down and I eat them pretty fast. But I noticed the Fujis don't get mushy after maybe 30 min cooking. The recipe said to cook uncovered which I do and stir occasionally.

I had a choice between some Braeburn and MI Jonagold. I chose the Jonagold and will do a pie with those.

Now I have this thing I want to make a key lime pie. They actually have bags of them at the store (we have a pretty good store overall). I will wait for my birthday and have it all planned out how I want to do it. Squeeze out the juice in a deodorized garlic press lol.

Have to zest quite a bit first. Then save some seeds and see if I can grow a few trees, might be happy in my sunroom in the winter.

64 posted on 07/04/2014 3:02:29 PM PDT by Aliska
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To: left that other site

I would have no problem deciding not to go, but that is just me. I like to be home when it rains, thunders, or gets stormy.


65 posted on 07/04/2014 3:03:29 PM PDT by greeneyes (Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
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To: miss marmelstein

Corn plants have rather shallow roots, and they make some seed especially for planters. Marcella got some from Burpees called deck corn.

It’s on my list to plant in July, since we planted the early variety and some heirloom corn this spring. The deck corn has a shorter growing season, so I am hoping to squeeze in an additional corn harvest this way.


66 posted on 07/04/2014 3:08:19 PM PDT by greeneyes (Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
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To: Aliska

I love pie, especially key lime pie. It’s a perfect combination of tart and sweet. My husband loves apple pie. :)


67 posted on 07/04/2014 3:10:10 PM PDT by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: greeneyes

Yes, I used to pick them for my grandmother, not realizing that with her arthritis that might have been too much for her where as she could do some potatoes, onions and ground cherries which self seeded. So many nice memories of things like that.


68 posted on 07/04/2014 3:10:20 PM PDT by Aliska
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To: greeneyes

Yeah... I’m still home. I took my boots off.


69 posted on 07/04/2014 3:11:05 PM PDT by left that other site (You shall know the Truth, and The Truth Shall Set You Free.)
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To: NormsRevenge

Yes. That was another motivation for gardening here. When spinach hit 3 bucks for a small package, and E coli recalls of spinach hit the news, that wasy it.

I planted a bunch of seeds of lettuce and spinach indoors, and starting growing my own. Peppers were also out of sight. So I started growing peppers, and of course there’s nothing like the taste of a home grown tomato especially compared to the taste of what passes for tomatoes at the grocery.

Now my goal is to get as independent of the grocery as I can, without using pesticides and canning/preserving stuff without weird sounding chemicals.


70 posted on 07/04/2014 3:13:15 PM PDT by greeneyes (Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
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To: MomwithHope

I canned some Kosher Dills last year, and they were crunchier than most of the pickles, but the zukes still had them beat.

I have to can dills for hubby, and he really doesn’t care whether they are crunchy or not.


71 posted on 07/04/2014 3:15:42 PM PDT by greeneyes (Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
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To: greeneyes

Thanks for the info!


72 posted on 07/04/2014 3:17:40 PM PDT by miss marmelstein (Richard Lives Yet!)
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To: Aliska

I have had good luck growing lemons on a tree indoors in front of a south west facing patio door, so the limes should do well too. Might take a while from seed before you get fruit.


73 posted on 07/04/2014 3:18:22 PM PDT by greeneyes (Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
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To: Aliska

Me too. Memories of days on the farm with my Granny, and making home made bread, churning butter, drinking raw milk, collecting eggs, helping milk the cows by hand. Those were the best days of my childhood.


74 posted on 07/04/2014 3:20:38 PM PDT by greeneyes (Moderation in defense of your country is NO virtue. Let Freedom Ring.)
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To: trisham
I made a key lime, just one, many years ago. It had Angostura bitters in it. I found a recipe like that but looks like I am going to have to cobble together several to get what I think I want, and go easy on the bitters. Wish I'd saved that recipe. The most common is in a graham cracker crust with condensed milk and lime juice, whipped cream or meringue. I don't mind the richness but I'm weary of condensed milk.

I love apple pie too. I just hate peeling and slicing the apples. And I don't do it like some on youtube. They waste a lot. I'm getting back to learning how to roll crusts and making great progress. For years, I used to take a 9X13 or 11X15? glass pan, had my own Jonadel apple tree which I finally lost do to a bigger tree branch in a storm.

How do you do your key lime? I won't buy any more Pillsbury refrigerated crust, don't like it, but they took the trans fats out of Crisco so I've lost the traditional flavor of that but never used butter for pie crust like so many do. I really miss the old bad-for-you Crisco. My sister brought me some farmer's lard. It is not satisfactory so I think I will deep fat fry with it.

The lard rolled out like a dream, no pre-refrigerating, made a perfect circle just like my mother-in-law's used to be. But the bottom was too thick, didn't cook, was a custard pie, and was yuck.

75 posted on 07/04/2014 3:26:33 PM PDT by Aliska
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To: greeneyes

Other than the blossom end I have no idea. Blossom end could be the dreaded rot. Calcium deficiency is indicated by that.


76 posted on 07/04/2014 3:33:41 PM PDT by Red_Devil 232 ((VietVet - USMC All Ready On The Right? All Ready On The Left? All Ready On The Firing Line!))
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To: Engraved-on-His-hands
I'll bet you have a great compost pile, with all that green matter. Here's a pic of our commercial pile - around 350 tons at peak - at the old, now-closed Family Farm:


77 posted on 07/04/2014 3:37:34 PM PDT by Carriage Hill ( Incoming fire always has the right of way.)
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To: Aliska

I’ve never made pie, but you’re right..all of the recipes that I’ve seen include sweetened, condensed milk.


78 posted on 07/04/2014 3:47:10 PM PDT by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: carriage_hill

I would love to have that pile on my place. My soil is all caliche. The only way I can grow is in raised beds.


79 posted on 07/04/2014 3:50:10 PM PDT by Sarajevo (Two cannibals are eating a clown. One says to the other: "Does this taste funny to you?")
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To: All
Just came up from the hoophouse. The tomato plants are just about finished, along with summer squash and zucchini. They were all started on 1 April, so it's about time to uproot them and start on round #2.
Peppers are still doing fine, as are the new cucumber plants.
The Malabar spinach is growing like a maniac and is a big hit at the local farmers market. It sure is invasive though, I'm finding plants sprouting up as far as 20ft away from where they were planted last year. It's a good thing that they are tasty!
My Roma and Cherry tomato's have all kinds of green clusters on the plants, but they don't seem to be ripening.
We have new beefsteak and Black Krim in pots, just waiting to go in the ground to replace the plants we'll uproot.

In other news, I've started on new raised beds on the west side of the house. They'll be 12ft x 3ft x12in high.I'll have to enclose the entire area to keep out the chickens and deer though.

80 posted on 07/04/2014 4:00:13 PM PDT by Sarajevo (Two cannibals are eating a clown. One says to the other: "Does this taste funny to you?")
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