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Save A. I. Lazamataz
Posted on 05/08/2011 2:22:00 PM PDT by orsonwb
Unless you haven’t eaten in the past several months, or you already grow all of your own produce, you’ve probably noticed that food prices have been rising dramatically. According to the USDA, the average cost to the U.S. consumer of Lettuce is up 4.5%, and fresh Tomatoes are up 4.7% from the same time last year. The recently released U.S. Labor Department consumer price index survey reports that the price of grains such as corn, wheat and soybeans has roughly doubled since last summer...
(Excerpt) Read more at howdogardener.com ...
It was buying culinary herbs that got me started last year on my first vegetable patch ever. I was totally blown away when I tasted my home grown basil for the first time. Hooked now.
Agreed, it’s amazing. I was weeding yesterday and accidentally broke some new oregano and the smell, just incredible. We’re putting in a raised garden for the first time ourselves this year. We’ve always had tomato plants and herbs but never a dedicated garden. I’m frightened by my own excitement. :)
I’ve got three rows of collards, three rows of chard, and four rows of lettuces of various kinds... we’ve got more green leafies than any six families can eat. With regard to the chard and the collards, we need to start doing the blanche-and-freeze boogie.
“but if we don’t get rain soon here in East Texas most of my garden will die”
My family has struggled to keep gardens alive in south east Texas for 40 plus years. Every type of sprinkler set up we tried met with limited sucess-untill this year. I realize this sounds too simple, but we went out and bought a good quality (CLOTH) soaker hose. So far we have been nothing but hot dry and extremely windy-BUT we have the best looking garden i have ever seen so far.
I took two old hoses and drilled holes in them trying to make a soaker, I might have to just buy a real soaker. How often do you use yours and how long to you leave it on?
thanks
Store tomatoes should come with warning labels.
"Warning,these tomatoes might be hard and taste like cardboard."
My wife won't buy them.
We watered our entire garden with it about 2-1/2 weeks ago and we let it go untill the middles were nice and wet. Then we cultivated and hoed crabgrass. Now we are using it again and just giving the tops of the rows a good soaking. Right now we have corn, cream and blackeyed peas, tomatoes, potatoes, pinto beans, onions, squash, cukes, collards, broccli and brussell sprouts and okra. Everything is nice dark green in color. Looks really lush and healthy.
I would have added the raccoon to the menu. LOL
I’m with you on the needing rain. I’m hand watering the garden. The only part of the lawn grass that is alive is what gets the water from the washer drain so that leaves 95% of the gras dead.
Fresh strawberries were on sale today for $1/lb and fresh cauliflower for 99 cents/each so grabbed several for the freezer (no room!). They never did restock the 50 cent green beans and peas but I snagged the last 8 cans of corn so this may be the last of the cheap canned veggies.
HEB here has a new gimmick where they’re posting the price... after the coupon is applied. They got me a while back on their sausage by posting the lb price for package rather than the whole package price like every other sausage is labelled. Well, I saw the “after coupon price” on everything but the dog food so they messed me over on that, ggrrrrrrr. It’s bad enough when they claim to supposedly be conveniently out of stock on advertized specials but this sneaky shelf pricing is really underhanded and slimy. But when they’re the only store in town, they think they can get by with it. Not a happy customer.
I looked longingly at a pepper in the grocery store today but forced myself to pass it by. They’re just too expensive. At the beginning of the season I refused to buy expensive transplants so tried to start some from seed. The first batch didn’t germinate but the second try was the trick. I transplanted them out into the garden the other day so hopefully they’ll take hold and not burn up with this August-like temperatures.
Or spread fresh herbs out in the microwave and nuke until dry. Store them in baggies or old spice jars.
Freeze your excess lettuces too for soups and casseroles next winter.
Really? I’ve never thought to use preserved lettuce. Interesting. How do you use it?
Just like any other greens. Of course, it doesn’t give much flavor but adds bulk and texture to soups and casseroles. Just wilt it down and freeze it in maybe cup or so sized portions to dump into a dish at a later date. Hey, it beats throwing it out or letting it bolt when you’re tired of so much.
I just did a search for “lettuce soup” and found there’s lots. Surely there’s some neat ideas out there, huh.
I’ve never had any luck with herbs, what is the secret to growing them? I live in hot South East Texas.
Hmm. I might make and can (or freeze) the soup... awesome convenience food.
I have a hose that is 150 ft long on the side of my diveway for my vitex bushes. I deep water once a week and they are good to go in this drought weather. I also water my grapes with the same setup.
I deep water my tomato's once per week. They are in a mixture of Hill Country caliche and horse manure. The plants are 1 meter tall and full of green tomato's.
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