Posted on 06/26/2015 1:14:22 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. 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!
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We did have about a day and half break, which gave some time to pull weeds. Hubby was able to try out his new mower, so the jungle of tall grass/weeds is no longer in the front yard.
We have no produce at present other than fresh basil. Plenty of stuff in the works. You've heard about corn being knee high by the 4th of July? Well, forget about it! We have corn over 5 ft. tall, so looking forward to some good eats come harvest time.
Hope all is well with you and yours. Prayers up for Johnny and Arrowhead. Have a great weekend. God Bless.
Pinging the list.
I’ve managed to gain some this week.
Tied up two rows of tomato plants and got the weeds cleaned out of one row. In spite of the awful weather the tomatoes that haven’t drowned are doing well. I’ve already picked a half gallon or so grape tomatoes, and there are some supersteaks starting to ripen.
I finished with the peas. It takes a long time to shell enough peas to make three gallons, but I got it done.
Summer squash is coming along nicely. I picked five gallons of yellow straight neck and zucchini two days ago.
Most of the rain this week stayed north of I-70. I had the pond all pumped out and ready to resume the cleanout project. So of course we got hit by another monsoon last night. I know it will dry up eventually, but it is frustrating in the meantime.
I feel your pain! I heard the weather alerts on TV as they kept interrupting regular programming. We weren’t in the counties mentioned, but we still got plenty of rain.
July is nearly hear, and I will be very surprised if wet weather continues at this pace!
Having trouble with computer being very slow today. I hope it doesn’t flake out on me.
Hi to everyone! No garden this year (only the herbs remain), not even a trip to the nursery (stomps feets & pummels the air). The only good news is nothing died last Winter. I thought my Bi color Salvia was gone, but it’s halfway back to size. I guess it was trying to cheer me up (which worked)
Corn is looking good here, too, greeneyes. Can’t wait! (non nom nom)
What a year. DH was released from his Houston job in February, Mia & I drowned my keyboard (so using an external now or borrowing his), lots & lots of rain (didn’t have to add grass- YAY! because we couldn’t have)…beech, beech, beech. I need the beAch. Bad.
Nonetheless, we are very Blessed & grateful. Miss Mia has mostly lost the use of her front legs, too (we’re “bungee jumping” to walk) but she’s still with us & full of sass. Long as she’s healthy & full of sass, otherwise, I’ll keep totin her around.
God Bless all of you (& your growings, of course)
I’ve already finished with zucchini. Made batches of ratatouille and froze it, canned tomatoes, made 2 batches of tomato sauce and froze it. Vacuumed sealed and froze enough green beans to last till next summer and now I am waiting on the corn and peppers. Hope they are ready by the end of July because I have to go out of town to be there when my newest grandson is born. All in all looks like a real productive year.
I’ve pulled over 100 Krims (maters). Some are 1+ pounders. My Roma green beans are weighted (did I make up that word??) to the ground with beans (saving them for my buddy’s kids (5 & 6 yo) to pull tomorrow). Shishito peppers are going to town as is my two okra varieties (Burgandy and Bama Red - that Alabama Red okra is an excellent variety I planted for the first time this year - got my seeds from a Missouri seed house).
Fordhooks and Butter beans are popping with flowers and tiny fruit.
Didn’t get excited about cukes this year until a couple weeks ago when I got into some Kosher dills I made last year. Man, they are awesome. I rooted through my seed boxes and found a salad/pickling variety (hybrid) I purchased last year for harvest season 2014. Soaked them in a paper towel for a couple days and 95% of them germinated.. Yes, I’m stoked about making more Kosher dills later this year.. repeat - I do *really* like the Ball brand Kosher dill mix.. It’s got a real punch of flavor (unlike the watery, refrigerated grocery store brands of Kosher dills nor full of food color and boring taste (yawn) like the same of the shelf variety).
BTW - non-pickling varieties of cukes make *wonderful* pickles. In my case I’m talking about the Persian variety.
It’s a very thin/soft skinned cuke about 5 inches max..
We’ve had “needed” rain here in Atlanta but still hand/soaker-hose watering..
Hamburgers, Krim salad with feta cheese, marinated artichokes, black olives, and cukes on the menu this evening..
BYOB. Supper served 7PM (EST) sharp!
:-)
In Western NY , expecting more rain with highs(?) of 63 for Saturday , and high of 64 for Sunday, all accompanied by rain.
Weatherman says we can expect 1"- 3 " inches of rain with most of it going along the NY/Pa. border all weekend.
Joe Bastardi (@weatherbell.com) accurately called it two weeks ago, and called it 'a return to spring' for the NorthEast.
If the cool temps linger , I may have to fire up the furnace, again, and its almost July !!
Dang !
(#1) CONGRADULATIONS on the Krims !! , sounds good and meaty 'matoes for feasting !
(#2) What is the difference between 'butter beans' and baby Limas ?
(#3) What variety of 'Persian Cukes'? Do you know where the seeds can be gotten prior to the fall season ?
Thanks ..!
Thanks for the update. Keep me posted on your situation, and let us know when the corn is ready, so I can live vicariously till ours is ready.
So does DH have another job now?
Sounds like a very productive year indeed. I haven’t even got to process anything besides spinach and basil. So I have lots of work ahead of me.
Hope the schedule works out for you to harvest and process your peppers and corn, before the little one’s arrival.
All - my computer is giving me fits it’s slower than molasses, and I’m getting a wowser headache, so I’ll be signing off to take some meds and be back later.
Maybe by the time my headache quits, the internet/computer issue will be “fixed”. I’m thinking it’s overloaded servers here or something.
I’ll do it.
Not yet. He’s been sub teaching & has one decision he’s waiting on (he had a second interview yesterday) & a couple more coming up. He could get deployed by a different company, already offered, but it’s in Colorado & it’s 6 days a week, 12 hours a day. He may take it until school starts. I swear he’s got to be on all the Cat rosters by now. He wants to stay in Bodily Injury & off roofs if at all possible.
lol I’m getting a lot of “to-do”s taken care of. I’m glad to have him home, but I actually miss driving back & forth to Houston (I really didn’t mind it in the first place).
#1 - Thanks. Yeah, I live off maters during the summer/late fall. (Wishbone Italian Dressing and maters - Umm)
#2 - The variety/size. (Limas are only native to the Americas) Both are “lima” beans (read: Genus/species). The “Southern/Classic” Butter bean is the Carolina Sieva (sweet) but I’ve had difficulties getting them so I’ve started planting this variety...,,, from my favorite seed house..
http://www.rareseeds.com/alabama-blackeyed-but-bean/
#3 - I stock up (and pickle) on them when they’re on sale at the Korean markets here in Atlanta versus planting them.. I’m going to order them next year instead of purchasing them.
http://www.rareseeds.com/beit-alpha-cucumber/
#3.1 - The Korean white cucumber is a wonderful, wonderful cucumber.. It produces fruit at every (4 inch) knot.. I get my seeds at my local Korean markets but you can get them online though the pic at the link doesn’t look right.
http://www.evergreenseeds.com/korcucwhitsu.html
Another pic of the Persian variety.
http://davidstable.com/2011/08/persian-cucumbers/
(#1) My son , the firefighter, works out every day and enjoys his baked chicken and/or potatoes with Wishbone Italian Dressing to keep high protein, and low carbs.
I know if he has used it with chicken and potatoes, maybe I can suggest tomatoes too now that they are comming into season , here .
(#3) I went to the evergreenseeds site , but it appears all their varieties are hybrids.
Have you ever tried to save seeds from the Persian cukes, and have they held true , or are they hybrids too ?
Thanks again ..
#1. Firefighter? Awesome..
Myth or fact? Eating tomatoes can help prevent sunburn.
FACT.
#3. Yes, they *are* hybrids.. No! Hybrids, never.., in terms of saving seeds.. I mean, you *may* get an acceptable product from a second generation seed (which is actually 3rd +)from hybrid fruit but you can’t expect to get the same product from seeds save via hybrid fruit.
Heirlooms = Wilt. I plant LOTS of heirlooms so that
I have LOTS of fruit before the “Wilt” kills them.
Wilt # 1.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fusarium_wilt
Wilt # 2.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verticillium_wilt
Wilt lives from the frozen tundra of Antarctica to the desert of the Sahara.. It affects everything from to tobacco to “taters”.
Rain returned last night with a big wind. Our neighbor's boat dock cable broke and the dock and pontoon swung around 90 degrees. I called and found he was in Denver.
Got it fixed, temporarily with a local dock repair guy...
TGIF everyone!
Greeneyes, I’m joining you in prayers for Johnny and Arrowhead.
Following is the 4th installment on BUGS. It is the continuation of a lecture in which our professor presented a number of slides and discussed them. I did not have access to the actual slides, but as in the previous installment, I did quick google searches for something that you could click onto easily to find some kind of reference picture.
I hope you find it helpful!
BEGINNING INSTALLMENT FOUR - BUGS
We got treated to a number of slides showing information on insect pests and beneficials. We were to guess which was which.
The first slide was a picture of 4 insects:
Who are the “Good Guys” and who are the “Bad Guys?”
It showed
1) the 6 Spotted Tiger Beetle
http://www.insectidentification.org/insect-description.asp?identification=Six-Spotted-Tiger-Beetle
2) Round Headed Borer – larval stage
Page 4 of F 7306 from OSU shows a picture of wood borers
http://pods.dasnr.okstate.edu/docushare/dsweb/Get/Version-5159/F-7306web%20color.pdf
This circular is a rather large file, but in addition to some pictures, it also shows what pests will attack certain trees, shrubs and flowers. It is potentially a useful trove of info for even folks from other states.
3) Bee – Pollinators! Everyone knows that they are the “Good guys!”
4) Japanese Beetle
http://www.gardeners.com/how-to/control-japanese-beetles/5163.html
In this slide, the “Good Guys” are the 6 Spotted Tiger Beetle and the Bees. The Round Headed Borers and the Japanese Beetles are pests.
The 2nd slide was 5 pix demonstrating the different kinds of Beneficial Insects
1) Parasitoids – the example here was the parasite wasp which lays its eggs into an insect that is a plant feeder. He credited this wasp’s behavior as having sparked his awe of the insect world and became hooked on the study of insects.
2) Predators – the example was Lady Bugs
3) Weed Feeders – insects which feed on undesirable plants
4) Pollinators – we were shown the bee again, but it was pointed out that they are not the only ones.
5) Decomposers/Scavengers – the example given was the Dung Beetle. This kind of insect is involved in the breaking down of waste. If these guys weren’t very busy, we’d be buried!
The 3rd slide was a picture of a group of similar appearing bugs with some minor differences. The caption was “Is This A Pest?”
The bugs in the slide were red, with black spots. They were Lady Bugs. They all were the same species. He said the way you can tell is that the area right behind the head has a white area, and in that white area can be found a black “M” or “W.” They of course, are good guys.
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/insect/05594.html
He did mention that in that family is a bug called the Mexican Bean Beetle, and they are in the pest category.
http://entomology.ifas.ufl.edu/creatures/veg/bean/mexican_bean_beetle.htm
In the picture of the adult Mexican Bean Beetle on the link, you can note that the white area with the “M” or “W” is missing.
He did say that often you will see cycles. If you have a big aphid year, that will often be followed by a lady beetle year. Their genetic impulse is to overwinter in cliffs and vertical structures. He noted that they can bite, but not hard, and they can stink. If they invade your house, there is a noxious odor associated with them. The best way to handle this kind of invasion is to suck them up into your vacuum bag and let them be contained and go dormant. Then in the spring, turn them loose in your garden.
End Installment 4 BUGS
Colorado is too cold for me. Plus the liberal component moving in and causing trouble.
Totally understand staying off roofs. Two rungs on a ladder make me dizzy. LOL
Another great installment. Thanks so much for these postings.
You are so welcome! Hope it is helpful!
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