The Old Folks Home

[superchemicalgirl]

THe rain has stopped here; sky is getting brighter but still completely overcast. A good soaking rain. Bit cold though.

What variety of melon do you plant??? Size doesn't matter if it grows and matures to an edible fuit.

I bought basil plants-- 3 six packs-- as I sure can't seem to start them from seed. I did start more tomatos seeds, old varieties, as I read that plants started later and have the fruit mature later in the fall store better. ( I maybe mixing this up with other veg that actually store in the root cellars.)

The melon is a hybrid (of course it is!) called sweet and early: http://www.burpee.com/fruit-plants/...arly-hybrid-prod000550.html?catId=3045&trail= There was another non-hybrid breed someone from NH told me about but I have been unable to find seeds for it.
I started basil from seed this year but they are just not growing well. I think I should have started them earlier but there wasn't any room in the seed starter.
Do you have any ideas on early watermelons?

It is worse a bit further north of us. The prediction for Redding CA is 111 for today. We have dropped down to 108 for today. When I was growing up in Red Bluff CA, We had two days with the temperature of 121.9. Go here and click on the record high tab: http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/96080

It is funny, the chart does not go up to 121, sot they had to drop it below 119 on the chart so that it could be seen.
I hope all is ok with the storm! We are separated from the ocean by a mountain range.

Without the mountains, we would have completely different weather here.

One of my original hens died overnight. It was probably heat stress but I will take her to CAHFS(California Animal Health and Food Safety) for a necropsy today. She was a 2.5 year old Black Australorp from Cackle Hatchery. I will have to check my records and see which one she was.

Wow. Your lowest low is 10 degrees! Our record is -32. Our highest ever high... 101.

The storm cleared up at some point while I was at work today. Blueish skies now. Just took the goats for a walk, soon I'm going to go down and see if the bees are still happy.

My poor little window A/C unit worked until 11:30 last night! It hasn't kicked on yet... Already 86 outside at 9:20 a.m.

Mister system worked well yesterday; glad I got it set up. I have already watered my garden really well.

No flock losses but everybody spent all day under trees, bushes, or the deck. Many panting and miserable with wings held well away from their bodies. Or in the house (house silkie hatched four chicks yesterday).

So very glad I am retired!!! I can check on the flock periodically.

Took me some time to figure out who Mr System was.

Pics of the silkie/chicks?

 

[Bunnylady]

Took me some time to figure out who Mr System was.

 

[pickitfarm]

Superchemgirl - Being in the south watermelon varieties available are abundant. But you might want to look at Blacktail Mountain watermelon. It says it is for cool climates. Now I don't know what they consider cool though.

 

[Arielle]

Do you have any ideas on early watermelons?

I have tried watermelons a couple times now. I can grow a good size plant by direct seeding BUT the fruit is worthless. I'm trying a smaller watermelon this year. Watermelons are not high on my priority list and I"m suspecting they need a lot of watering to get large.

I'm looking for more of the old seeds these days. Ever since I read up on the Vitamin B17 in so many of the foods we don't eat--wild blackberries, buckwheat, and yams and wild crabapples. I remember as kid eating what ever was on the tree, and it was so bitter my mouth would pucker up. NOW I understand why. THOSE are the good foods that I used to pick and can with my mother or just eat as we picked. Need to scout out some lingonberries-- I have had the area picked out for a few years, a low lying boggy area that just needs a few trees thinned out to get enough light in. We ate lots of wild cranberries. THose were very sour. lol

 

[ozexpat]

On my little farm in the Philippines we have Indian Mango, Papaya, Amas and Cavendish bananas fruiting.

Its hard to grow veggies as bugs and salt filled wind kill them quick. I do have calabasa (squash) and chinese long beans ready to harvest, Local stuff does infinitely better than imported seeds.

 

[drumstick diva]

Ronott 1 We(Chicago area) have had temps in the low to mid 100's since I was a little kid. But it doesn't happen that often.

In 1984 we set the state record for - 32 below in our village.Nothing moved, everybody just hunkered down till the temps moderated. Thank goodness no power outages - you really appreciate a working furnace then.

Temps seem to be rising a bit, in my school days it was common to have 10-12 degrees below zero - we walked to school about a mile. All I remember is when it was that cold your eyelashes froze Last few years I don't think we have hit much below zero. I take the cold much better than the heat - I must be a chicken at heart.

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Superchemgirl - Being in the south watermelon varieties available are abundant. But you might want to look at Blacktail Mountain watermelon. It says it is for cool climates. Now I don't know what they consider cool though.

I will get these from SandHill for next year. Thanks for the idea!

 

[Arielle]

On my little farm in the Philippines we have Indian Mango, Papaya, Amas and Cavendish bananas fruiting.

Its hard to grow veggies as bugs and salt filled wind kill them quick. I do have calabasa (squash) and chinese long beans ready to harvest, Local stuff does infinitely better than imported seeds.

Lot to be said for the local plants that have adapted to the region already--

I wonder what cavendish banana tastes like? Years ago I watched a TV program, a short segment, on bananas in Californina and the number of varieties was staggering. I would like to have tried everyone. Bananas are like many other fruits and vegies, only the varieties selected for commercial use can withstand the rough handling necessary to get to market. THe more flavorful and delicate produce is limited to farm stands locally. I would so love to try 30 different banana flavors. Someday . . .

 

[Arielle]

Ronott 1 We(Chicago area) have had temps in the low to mid 100's since I was a little kid. But it doesn't happen that often.

In 1984 we set the state record for - 32 below in our village.Nothing moved, everybody just hunkered down till the temps moderated. Thank goodness no power outages - you really appreciate a working furnace then.

Temps seem to be rising a bit, in my school days it was common to have 10-12 degrees below zero - we walked to school about a mile. All I remember is when it was that cold your eyelashes froze Last few years I don't think we have hit much below zero. I take the cold much better than the heat - I must be a chicken at heart.

I didn't know eye lashes could freeze!!!!



I've lived here in Mass for some 25 year now, and I still have not adapted to the warmer than Maine weather. I was made for the cold. We just had 4 90- degree days which is rediculuously hot. Every year it is getting warmer here.

 

[Bunnylady]

Lot to be said for the local plants that have adapted to the region already--

I wonder what cavendish banana tastes like? Years ago I watched a TV program, a short segment, on bananas in Californina and the number of varieties was staggering. I would like to have tried everyone. Bananas are like many other fruits and vegies, only the varieties selected for commercial use can withstand the rough handling necessary to get to market. THe more flavorful and delicate produce is limited to farm stands locally. I would so love to try 30 different banana flavors. Someday . . .

I believe Cavendish is the big yellow banana that is most commonly available world wide. I've heard that there is a fungal disease to which the Cavendish may be susceptible, so there is a effort underway to find or develop a variety that isn't affected by the disease, and which tastes the way most people think a banana is supposed to taste.