Posted on 05/23/2020 7:34:43 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
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.
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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! Send a Private Message to Diana in Wisconsin if you'd like to be added to our New & Improved Ping List.
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My herbs are looking really nice right now.
Maybe I’ll cook something. :-)
bunnies.
Thanks for the thread.
I don’t think I got a reply to my question as to what to do with gallons of tomatoes in my freezer from last year... but instead of canning I cooked it down to tomato paste. 5 lbs of tomatoes cook down to about once ice cube tray full of tomato paste.
I’d go with rabbits or squirrels. :(
Put up fencing if you can, otherwise try sprinkling Blood Meal around the base of your peppers. Critters don’t like the smell and it’s a nice nitrogen boost for the peppers.
Also, a product called Critter Ridder works well. Get the spray bottle. It smells like rotten eggs, garlic, hot pepper and other yucky stuff when wet but when it dries, humans can’t smell it but the critters can.
Also - don’t get any on yourself or your clothes when spraying. Ask me how I know, LOL!
You can use Critter Ridder on anything the critters are bothering - it’s non toxic to them, plants and people, but if you’re using it on salad greens or kale, chard or spinach, a thorough washing will be in order before eating!
Hav-a-Heart and Safer both make a version. If you look on line you can find a recipe for a homemade mix if you prefer.
A couple of us responded and said ‘go for it!’ but your solution sounds perfect as well! :)
I’m stocking up on canning jars these days, just in case there’s a shortage of the ones I like. ;)
There are recipes for crockpot tomato sauce.
Also, if you have a dehydrator, you could make tomato powder. That’s the most space efficient use I know of.
Tomato powder is really easy to use when you’re cooking, lots of info out there. I personally prefer it. Just need to keep it in ziploc bags or jars and somewhere dark.
Rain today, so it looks like Sunday afternoon:
Heirloom tomatoes.
Peppers - Red Bell, Jalapeno, hot banana and hot cherries.
Squash - summer and acorn.
Cucumbers.
Eggplant.
Potatoes
Garlic is a few weeks away from scapes.
Strawberries are in bloom and Raspberries a few weeks behind that.
So here is a "Sanford and Sons type approach:
Start with bare garden plot, with NE's major s best "crops" - plenty of rocks:
Then make a cheap screen out of junk lumber and 1/2 screen:
Shovel dirt onto the top to produce screened dirt:
Dig plot holes and place a little fertilizer, a soft cushion of screened dirt,
Add some water and place plants (from seedlings here) in them, and cover with more screened dirt, and water, and see garden, by the grace of God and to His glory:
The front plants (about 19 out of about 50+) are from Home Depot
Now to pray and see the fruit of this labor, which last years provided much to share and enjoy ourselves as well.
and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities [idols] unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein: (Acts 14:15)
You’ve got it down to a science! :)
Have fun! Prayers Up for the Mrs. Post more photos of your travels, if you can!
We made tomato soup and froze iit last year.
We also made pasta Putanesca and froze it.
We had the last soup from 2019 a few weeks ago.
I know you say each week it is impossible to hijack this thread....but if I posted in any detail how my day went yesterday with appliances breaking down and the serviceman who came to handle it for me.....well....lets just say you would be advocating for a mute button on FR
On the garden front, I replanted 3 tomatoes & they are looking pretty happy. Upon going in the ground, they had several days of heavy clouds/rain & when the sun came out yesterday, I fixed up a sun shade for them. They still get plenty of light, but it's more indirect. I've got milky white semi-transparent plastic 3/4 of the way around my columnar tomato cages. I can turn the cages so the opening allows in more sun, or turn it away for less. The plants are getting plenty of indirect light & over the next week, they'll gradually get exposed to more. I cannot afford to sun scald these tomatoes - I'm still kicking myself that it happened to the first ones!
Peppers will go in tonight when it cools off a bit (humid, mid-80's, bright sun right now). Something has pulled the first two little leaves off of two of my cukes. I may have to replant them. Everything else is growing well.
If you put one feeder by itself the hummingbirds will constantly fight over it. Put another one nearby and they will peacefully coexist.
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