WEEKLY GARDEN THREAD AUGUST 5, 2016

freerepublic | Aug. 5, 2016 | greeneyes

[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. Planting, Harvest to Table(recipes)preserving, good living - 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.

[Augie]

Mrs. Bender’s Zinnias are gorgeous.

Those are Mrs. Augie’s favorite flower.

[Jimmy Valentine]

Thanks! That may have been my problem. Patience is a wonderful virtue which I often fail at.

[Qiviut]

This year, I had a very small patch of bare ground in one of my raised beds between two tomato plants so I threw down two packages of zinnia seeds. One was a "cut & come again" mix & the other was for some larger, "shaggy" zinnias. My mom loves flowers and making 'arrangements' for folks in the church who are shut-ins. She cuts off the bottom half of the liter Pepsi (or whatever) bottles & makes the arrangements in those, then delivers. The zinnias I planted were for her to use once they bloomed. Since I just threw down the seeds, the zinnias are all too close together, but they're blooming so that's the important thing. Yesterday, she cut blooms for the first time & made two arrangements. It was so hot that we put the arrangements in a cooler with frozen "ice" blocks to keep them cool and from wilting while they were in the car - also kept them from tipping over. She loved having a "cut flower garden" so much (usually she just uses whatever is blooming around the yard) that I think we're going to make her a raised bed flower garden next year, just for this purpose.

Here is a picture of the zinnias in the garden and the two arrangements she made, plus pictures of two of the "shaggy" zinnias which really add some interest to the more 'regular' variety. My little patch is nothing like your flowers - very impressive! :-)

[tubebender]

Beautiful!!! I can’t wait for Mrs Bender to get home from Church so she can see these photos. She has to start her annuals from seed due to the very unusual climate area we live in with summer highs in the 60s. When the instructions on a seed packet says 18” tall hers will get 24 to 30” tall. Her Zinnias are compact and not for cutting . Thanks for sharing the photos...

[Ellendra]

I’ve been reading up on eating snails but haven’t gotten the courage up to do it yet. I could probably supply 1/2 the world with escargot at this point

Raise ducks, they love eating snails and slugs. Then eat the duck eggs :)

[ApplegateRanch]

Peas are gone; long live the peas!

Eating tomatoes, green beans, cocozelle, and cukes. Also canned 5 pints of plain green beans, and 3 of dilled so far; just getting going good. Also harvesting some of the onions & carrots.

Great Northerns and butterbeans are setting for dried beans later.

Need to plant Fall peas, more carrots, pretty soon; and a bit later, garlic, shallots, and onion sets to over-winter.

Wild plums should start ripening soon.

[Freedom56v2]

Help! I had a garden emergency

While watering, I my hose bent a squash vine...Not completely crushed, but I can see where it bent.

Anyone know if I could splint the vine with Popsicle sticks and painter tape to repair it?

Other ideas?

Please ignore post to older thread.

[tubebender]

Without seeing it makes it difficult to comment but you have nothing to lose so give it a try…

[Freedom56v2]

We’ll see...I did what I suggested and then anchored on a trellis...Hope it works

[Augie]

Well, it's raining again today, but yesterday was cool and nice so we got busy and did some canning.

Three gallons of home-made sauer kraut. After a six week ferment it looks nasty and smells worse, but it is absolutely delicious.

Spaghetti sauce. Half a bushel of Roma tomatoes and a bunch of other good stuff from the garden. The only ingredients that we didn't grow were the onions and the sea salt.

Pops came over and shredded the sunflower patch. Bird hunting season is just around the corner.

A nice flush of shaggy mane mushrooms in the horse pasture. These are really good for eating when they're small. I wish I'd noticed them a day earlier.

[tubebender]

You do know that if this was Face Book I would DELETE you!!!

[Freedom56v2]

FYI: Happy to report that using painter tape, Popsicle sticks and a trellis saved the squash vine that I had accidentally crushed :)

So, if you accidentally bend or step on a squash, cuke, or gourd vine, it likely can be repaired :)

[greeneyes]

That’s discouraging, I was thinking of using chicken wire, will have to rethink it.

[greeneyes]

I’d have to be starving.

[greeneyes]

Give us a hint what Bastardi says ok?

[greeneyes]

I have been canning like crazy and watering like crazy and weeding like crazy. First time my raised beds have ever had a big weed problem!

I’ll try to remember to dig up my zuke recipe and post it tomorrow.

[greeneyes]

We didn’t get any peaches this year. First year to have some, but the darned squirrels pulled them all off the trees and left them on the ground.

A mile away, daughter’s peach trees have branches that split, because they were laden with fruit. She never does anything to them. Her house was a cow pasture for at least 50 years.

I’m going to take a big container over there and see if there are any to salvage.

[greeneyes]

I think that’s a good idea. I like the stuffing for stuffed peppers, but I don’t like the texture of the peppers - too mushy.

[greeneyes]

What are you using to spray on the flea beetles?

[greeneyes]

My hands are sore from scrubbing the beets. They are becoming my least favorite thing to raise. I may try buying them from farmer’s market next year and see if they are any easier/prettier to deal with.