Weekly Garden Thread August 31-Sept 6, 2019

August 31, 2019 | Diana in Wisconsin/Greeneyes

[daniel1212]

This year has been the best weather for us up here on the far north coast since I moved up here in 1954. Temps have been in the high 60s and low 70s like it was today

I has been quite a good year for gardens here in MA, but after a below average temps for August, the NOAA is at it again. Try to find any forecast of lower than normal temps (versus above) for the next 15 months for the nation:

Hope it turns out that way. Warming of a couple degrees here would be good overall.

Then try to find like maps of how the past predictions turned out. I did find this for Central Illinois (https://www.weather.gov/ilx/August_Wx_Summary) which admitted: "The average temperature for the month of August was 1-2 degrees below normal for central and southeast IL."

[daniel1212]

One thing I learned by accident about tomatoes is I grew a bunch of them once, and my neighbors told me they would give me all the tomatoes I wanted since they grew so many. So the next season I did nothing, and to my surprise some of the previous year's tomatoe plants reseeded, or grew to fruition in the second year. I thought tomatoes were a one shot seasonal deal?- Tom

They call them "Volunteers," and we have quite a few, though they do not get too big before the season ends, and due to the short season we usually have lots of green toms at the end, but which can ripen inside for a couple months.

Apart from store bought plants, harvest seeds goes as follows: Plant in April inside, with some grow lights since very little sun comes in where i can do it. Prepare ground and pray and plant in late May, since the ground is not 60F till maybe mid-June. Prop plants up so the often string wind does not break them. Wait a while before weather gets consistently warms and plants get situated and start to really noticeably grow, praise the Lord. Watch as they really take off in July, and start to produce in August-Sept, and we can share the crop, glory to God. See the multitude of green toms wishing they were in Florida as production slows in Oct. and pray the frost delays past that month. Pick them all before that occurs, and place inside to ripen toms up to the next 2 months, thanks be to God. In patience possess ye your toms (and Bttrnt squash).

May 7:

June 1

June 21

July 28

August 8

[daniel1212]

Sept. 1 Bless the Lord (Ps. 103)

[MomwithHope]

I have never heard that name before. It does make cloves but they are deep rooted and pretty much single cloves. I have use them but it is a lot of work. I’ll be on my desktop later and will get the name.

[MomwithHope]

Beautiful pictures! Thanks for posting them. Love a city garden.

[Liz]

How lucky can you get? Fresh figs and lemons. Heaven. Here's a luscious recipe using both fresh figs and lemons. Relive the taste of ripe figs plucked right off the tree on some abandoned road in Italy. Or the sweet, seedy flesh from those California farmers in pickup trucks would deliver to legendary Spago. Salad duplicates one enjoyed at Cafe Presse in Seattle. CHEF'S NOTE Taste and adjust seasonings--melon and figs are both sweet so you want the vinaigrette to be quite bright and pop-y.

DRESSING whisk/combine 2 tb lemon juice, 3 Tb ol/oil, tea honey, tsp champagne vinegar,Tb h/ cream, Salt, lots of pepper.

SALAD Toss Vinaigrette w/ 1/2 head red lettuce torn bite-size, 1/2 small Tuscan melon cubes or slices, 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced.

ASSEMBLY Plate dressed greens; finish w/ 5-7 fresh, ripe figs quartered, crumbled feta.

SERVE Enjoy immediately---nice side w/ Prosciutto Sandwich with Arugula.

Fig and Melon Salad / Creamy Lemon Vinaigrette / serves 4-6

[Grampa Dave]

This will be given to our Salad Queen, my wife.

It may find its way to the table tonight for dinner.

Thanks.

[Grampa Dave]

Looks great.

2 questions:

1. Can you plant Garlic now?

2. Will the raccoons dig it up at night and eat it?

[Diana in Wisconsin]

That’s too pretty to eat! :)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Yes. Garlic should be for sale now, and now it the time to plant. It needs a full-sun spot, a heavy mulch for the winter (I use straw) and it likes a fair amount of water, unless you get 1” of rain each week where you live.

If your soil is wimpy, you may want to amend it with dried blood meal. That will do two things - keep the raccoons away if they are a problem (I’ve never had ‘coons dig up my garlic - and we have plenty around here!) and give the garlic a good shot of nitrogen. Don’t go too heavy, or you’ll have big ‘tops’ and small bulbs.

Here’s a good printable primer:

http://www.groworganic.com/media/pdfs/garlic-l.pdf

...and a good overall article on growing garlic:

https://www.groworganic.com/organic-gardening/articles/9-steps-for-big-garlic

[Diana in Wisconsin]

[Liz]

Good to remember....we also eat with our eyes.

Presenting food in an attractive way stimulates the appetite.

[Liz]

A perfect summer salad---delicious combination of ingredients---beautiful to look at---heaven to eat.

Pear Gorgonzola Salad / Candied Nuts / Raspberry Dressing / 4 servings

ING • 4 handfuls salad greens, • 2 Anjou pears, in eighths • ½ cup sliced strawberries • 2 oz Gorgonzola • cup candied nuts

ASSEMBLY: Divide onto 4 chilled plates, lettuce, sliced pears, stawberries, crumbled Gorgonzola, candied nuts.

DRESSING whisk 2 tb ea l/juice • rice wine vinegar • balsamic vinegar • tb raspberry syrup • ¼ cup ol/oil; add s/p.

SERVE Just before serving, drizzle dressing over.

[tubebender]

I plant my regular garlic crop in mid October. The large cloves in my photo are actually a member of the onion family and I grow them for bragging rights. Some critter, perhaps a skunk will dig up a few when I first plant them. I do mulch them with rice hulls to keep the weeds down and conserve moisture ...

[Liz]

Here's a reliable recipe for candied nuts----either as a confection, a snack or for salads. These are quite addictive----makes a nice holiday gift packaged in cellophane. CHEF'S NOTES Omit cinnamon for buttery sweet almonds for salads. Toast almonds a few moments before adding--really improves taste.

METHOD Heat/melt 1/3 c butter on 15x10" sheetpan 325 deg oven 7 min. Meanwhile, beat 2 egg whites, dash of salt frothy, then gradually add cup sugar, beating to stiff peaks. Gently fold in 16 oz toasted almonds, 4 tsp cinnamon. Pour into pan; stir/coat w/ melted butter. Bake/stir every 10 min til almonds are crisp 40 min. Serve warm or room temp.

Glazed Almonds / ala Walt Disney World

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Nothing better than a perfect pear! My trees are too young yet, but in a few years I’ll have plenty. My apple trees are producing well this season. ‘Liberty’ and ‘Haralson.’ :)

[DuncanWaring]

Fall Garden Planting | How to Grow Cool Season Vegetables

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3775923/posts

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks, will give this to my head chef/gardener, my wife.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Thanks for the share/link! :)

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Baked a French Apple Pie with Haralson apples from our tree. This season we are getting a good amount of apples from the Haralson and the Liberty; none of our apple trees were sprayed and bugs that bother apples were at a minimum this year - but that was just plain luck! Both trees are three years old.