What did you do in the garden today?

[pennyJo1960]

Just training vines and pulling weeds.

Welcome to the thread

 

[pennyJo1960]

I take the zucchini slice it freeze it that way rind and all

 

[NightingaleJen]

Seeing and reading about so much gardening success makes me happy!

This is our first year growing cantaloupe. They seem to get to half size and stop. I am starting to think I have ripe mini melons. It is probably more likely we don't have enough water to grow them here.

Have never had much luck with them myself, even after trying some of the shorter-season types like "Minnesota Midget". At least the flowers are pretty.

They made a stirfry from the sprout tips, I don't have enough plants to do that really but I might anyway out of curiosity.

Ooo, that does sound lovely! I suppose you could always use them as garnish. Giggling over your birds being afraid of a strawberry. *teehee* And hurrah for okra!!! We have almost 75/80 days left, so I sowed some today myself.

Lard crust. Absolutely way to go, @Wee Farmer Sarah! Looks and sounds wonderful.

@AllenK RGV and @Sooner Magnolia I know someone else who found a blue heeler just wandering around, abandoned in the country. What is the deal? We're collie/herding dog people, but heelers are nice dogs. I don't get it.

There are ants in the raised bed so we'll need some more ant baits; I'm not so sure I want to spray permethrin and then grow food in there. I'll have to do some research on that. I've started drawing out my plans for the fall and winter garden. I need to check on time to harvest for a few things I've never grown before and possibly start a few things in the shade garden and transplant but I hope to direct sow as much as possible.

Ants in the garden are such a pain in the derriere. I really hate the things, and alas, have yet to find a really good solution! Pretty sure they ran away with many of the seeds I surface-sowed this spring. Little monsters. Happy planning! Will have to look into the Ruth Stout method. Am I correct in understanding that with a really thick (15-18") mulch, you just toss the seed onto the soil, pull the mulch over, and off you go (extreme simplification).

Thanks guys. I ordered the neem oil & the fels naptha. I'll give those a shot if Amazon delivers before it's too late, haha.

Fels Naptha is also supposed to be superb for removing poison ivy oils from clothing. We grabbed some when we were up at Lehman's last year for just that purpose...good to know it harms evil squash bugs, though, too!

@karenerwin, I do shred then freeze, but freeze the shreds in 2-3 cup "packets" of wax paper. These I toss into a gallon-sized zip bag. That way I can grab a couple of servings at a time in one packet without having to hack away at the frozen clump with a blunt object. Unless, of course, that's your cup of tea.

Just watering today, pulled a few suckers, made sure the tomatoes were staying trained up. Planted more pole beans and cukes, and sowed some calendula, peas, Gonzalez mini cabbage, chard, kale, etc in preparation for a fall garden. Does anyone have enough room to grow all they'd like? I really cram stuff in there...!

Yanked a sad bush bean, and tomorrow I'll be yanking the "Green Grape" tomato and just filing that container (which also has a nasturtium and the only marigold I've been able to get going this year) with herbs and maybe some greens. The plant itself is really pretty—it's full and sort of has a 'weeping' silhouette—but not a single blossom!

It is not as if I didn't warn this plant. I did. Time's up!

Supposed to be hot this weekend, again! It was hot and crazy muggy today. As in Hubby insisted upon turning the AC on, and I didn't put up any sort of protest.

Remember the sunflower I asked about after something nibbled off the top of the stem?

Short but still lovely! Since the raccoons/chipmunks/squirrel tore up or stole the 30-some other sunflower seeds I planted, both within and without the fence, I'm overjoyed with this one!

Our chicks ship Monday...!!!!

 

[Sooner Magnolia]

@NightingaleJen , heelers are herding dogs. Blue merle collies bred with Australian dingos. Amazing cattle dogs and incredibly brave. They are reduliculously smart and they need a job to keep them busy and engaged. If people try to leave them alone in apartments all day, that job might be disassembling the sofa. We have had one neurotic one who was a rescue. Always bit the same limb of the same tree every time we walked outside or someone drove up.to the house. Most have been so smart and protective. Toby was too... He just had issues.

 

[AllenK RGV]

@NightingaleJen , heelers are herding dogs. Blue merle collies bred with Australian dingos. Amazing cattle dogs and incredibly brave. They are reduliculously smart and they need a job to keep them busy and engaged. If people try to leave them alone in apartments all day, that job might be disassembling the sofa. We have had one neurotic one who was a rescue. Always bit the same limb of the same tree every time we walked outside or someone drove up.to the house. Most have been so smart and protective. Toby was too... He just had issues.

Ours has issues her main issue is she is the smallest in our pack, but she is the biggest one too. Out of the 5 dogs we have nobody wants to be on her shortlist of frenemys. We did lose another dog bed this week as we isolated her and 2 other trouble makers in an empty bedroom.

 

[igorsMistress]

Seeing and reading about so much gardening success makes me happy!



Have never had much luck with them myself, even after trying some of the shorter-season types like "Minnesota Midget". At least the flowers are pretty.




Ooo, that does sound lovely! I suppose you could always use them as garnish. Giggling over your birds being afraid of a strawberry. *teehee* And hurrah for okra!!! We have almost 75/80 days left, so I sowed some today myself.

Lard crust. Absolutely way to go, @Wee Farmer Sarah! Looks and sounds wonderful.

@AllenK RGV and @Sooner Magnolia I know someone else who found a blue heeler just wandering around, abandoned in the country. What is the deal? We're collie/herding dog people, but heelers are nice dogs. I don't get it.



Ants in the garden are such a pain in the derriere. I really hate the things, and alas, have yet to find a really good solution! Pretty sure they ran away with many of the seeds I surface-sowed this spring. Little monsters. Happy planning! Will have to look into the Ruth Stout method. Am I correct in understanding that with a really thick (15-18") mulch, you just toss the seed onto the soil, pull the mulch over, and off you go (extreme simplification).



Fels Naptha is also supposed to be superb for removing poison ivy oils from clothing. We grabbed some when we were up at Lehman's last year for just that purpose...good to know it harms evil squash bugs, though, too!

@karenerwin, I do shred then freeze, but freeze the shreds in 2-3 cup "packets" of wax paper. These I toss into a gallon-sized zip bag. That way I can grab a couple of servings at a time in one packet without having to hack away at the frozen clump with a blunt object. Unless, of course, that's your cup of tea.

Just watering today, pulled a few suckers, made sure the tomatoes were staying trained up. Planted more pole beans and cukes, and sowed some calendula, peas, Gonzalez mini cabbage, chard, kale, etc in preparation for a fall garden. Does anyone have enough room to grow all they'd like? I really cram stuff in there...!

Yanked a sad bush bean, and tomorrow I'll be yanking the "Green Grape" tomato and just filing that container (which also has a nasturtium and the only marigold I've been able to get going this year) with herbs and maybe some greens. The plant itself is really pretty—it's full and sort of has a 'weeping' silhouette—but not a single blossom!

It is not as if I didn't warn this plant. I did. Time's up!

Supposed to be hot this weekend, again! It was hot and crazy muggy today. As in Hubby insisted upon turning the AC on, and I didn't put up any sort of protest.

Remember the sunflower I asked about after something nibbled off the top of the stem?

View attachment 2247559

Short but still lovely! Since the raccoons/chipmunks/squirrel tore up or stole the 30-some other sunflower seeds I planted, both within and without the fence, I'm overjoyed with this one!

Our chicks ship Monday...!!!!

I love sunflowers. My favorite flowers actually, darn those rotten varmints! Yay for chicks, what kind?

Ruth Stout is basically that, yeah. Drop the seed on the ground for soil contact and cover. I usually add a thin layer of dirt to keep the seeds where I want them, and I'm not using that much mulch, maybe 6 to 8 inches. In summers past I would plant a shrub, top with a few inches of bark mulch and the thing would often die so I started transplanting in spring and fall only. This year I've transplanted many things in the summer heat, consistently over 100* every day, and most transplants are making it. This was even the case with heat and drought tolerant plants so I'm a fan. AZ is on the same plant delivery schedule as everyone else but ideally we should be planting in mid February. Then we have plants available all summer long but it's just too hot. Not logical.

 

[Acre4Me]

Garden Success (so far) with melons:

This one is a small one, hasn't grown much, so not sure how big it will get - need to check my notes.

Here is one kind of muskmelon.

Watermelon "Moon and Stars". These are pretty big, but not as big as they should get yet. They usually get one large yellow spot (the moon) and then lots of little spots (the stars). Never have grown these before, so new to me.

The bed I just planted a few days ago. The sprouts are Bush Beans (green beans), 4 types. The left side is just starting to break ground. In the middle I planted 2 types of beets, which are also sprouting, but so tiny, they are hard to see. Among the bean seeds I planted carrots, but those haven't sprouted yet.

Picked up fresh Michigan sour cherries (already pitted) yesterday and made my first Cherry Pie - it is fabulous!

 

[adirondak5]

Good morning all . Just start raining here , won't have to run the irrigation today . I did get my tomatoes fed early this morn before the rain started . I also promised my middle grandson that we would get some taters today so we dumped one of the small fabric bags (15 gallon) that were planted with 3 Kennebc seed potatoes , he was so excited we ended up dumping 2 of the bags . We ended up with a decent amount ( 8 - 9 lbs) and some nice size taters . This was the first time growing Kennebecs for me , very light skinned and firm , I like them , we'll see how they taste soon . This was also the first time I've grown in containers and fabric bags , it won't be the last time . I should have a pretty good amount of them when I get around to the rest of them , the tops have not died off completely yet so I have time .

 

[Acre4Me]

They say you really need the fatty acids in real soap to break down their soft little bodies. Plus ladybugs and other beneficial are not harmed.

My issue with soap spray is that it also breaks down the spring ( I guess) inside the spray bottle, cheap spray bottles from Walmart sold in the cleaning aisle. This happens within half a day! So, what are you using to spray the soap spray?

 

[Sooner Magnolia]

My issue with soap spray is that it also breaks down the spring ( I guess) inside the spray bottle, cheap spray bottles from Walmart sold in the cleaning aisle. This happens within half a day! So, what are you using to spray the soap spray?

Hmm. I also have a cheap one and have refilled a few times. We have used a pump sprayer like this on bigger areas. Not one previously used for weed killer, of course.