What did you do in the garden today?

[oldhen2345]

Just going out in the mornings and watering the purple hull peas I planted the other day. Meant to plant some carrots but got sidetracked- maybe this evening. My one bell pepper plant has gotten large and has 7 peppers on it. Some should be ready to harvest in a few days- yay.

 

[Birdsonghill]

The oppressive August heat and humidity makes it tough to get a lot done for me, as well! So I spent most of yesterday afternoon, canning and dehydrating. I completed a batch of watermelon rind pickles at about 11 pm last night. I make them every year for my family, friends and Myself! My heirloom, Tennessee red cob corn is drying in the garden and if the deer don't get it, it looks like a good crop and more great corn bread! The corn field beans are thick and plentiful too, but the heat is keeping me from picking them as hard as I should. I would like to suggest the heirloom variety, Tn. red cob corn for it's drought and heat tolerance. It is not a sweet corn. It does make great corn bread and performs well in years when the modern varieties struggle to survive. A forty foot diameter Three Sisters Garden patch(in the round) made me an over flowing bushel of dry corn kernels last year, no irrigation/watering, insecticides or fertilizers, except, a fistful of compost at planting time in each hill of four stalks. In years long past, I grew many times that area of field corn and had less yield(per square foot of planting area) with more fertilizer and corn ear worms and other problems common. The Seminole pumpkins (selected strain for larger fruit) grown under the corn and beans makes great pumpkin pies and I never fertilize, water or treat with insecticides. This year we have had periods of flood and extended hot and dry periods as well. The bugs and weeds are loving it! Happy gardening everybody!

 

[Sueby]

I'd hate to be without a generator here, we lose power all the time. We lost it for 8 days after a freak October snowstorm once, then out for a week after a hurricane. That was all the convincing I needed! Because of the ash vine borer & the damage the gypsy moths did to the trees the last couple of years we lose power at least every few weeks when it rains or the wind blows at all. I work from home, I need power.

So I blanched & froze this years first batch of green beans, yay! Time to start stocking the freezer. I want to wait for the blue lakes to do dillybeans, they're a little more uniform size wise for jars.

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

Good morning gardeners. Crazy busy the past two days. I got the green beans frozen, 2 pounds in addition to the other 1 1/2 pounds previously frozen. Yesterday I picked a good amount of chard again. More beans, 2 jalapenos and some tomatoes. Today I picked a few more beans and a few tomatoes. Yesterday I weeded and cleaned up the bell pepper and okra bed, then gave all the beds a sprinkle of Epsom salts to give them a dose of magnesium. I watered the hot pepper containers and the fig tree yesterday, today I watered everything in the back yard. Other than sitting with the chickens this afternoon, that is the extent of my outdoor work today. Yesterday got up to 91F, today should be around 93F. And did I mention it's really humid? Otherwise, the garden seems to be doing ok. Everything I planted recently is coming up and developing secondary leaves or more. The carrots are growing amazingly well. I thinned the rutabagas yesterday and they are looking good. Sorry about your water woes @gtaus. Those of us in New England understand after the drought we experienced last year. Fortunately my garden hose is long enough to reach all the garden beds. Today while watering my "corn patch" I noticed some silk streaming out of one of the little corn stalks. It's cute, however, I'm not holding my breath waiting for an ear of corn to develop. Seriously @Elyrian1, I would definitely consider at least a small generator just because sh** happens. I learned my lesson after the ice storm we had in the Pacific Northwest back in the late 90's. We went for a week without power. All we had for heat was a fireplace. Nothing really to cook on either. Today I am fully stocked up with a portable generator, a transfer switch, two grills and a butane stove. Tomorrow I'll be picking my first San Marzano tomato. I'm so excited. No bugs and no blossom end rot. Yay! Have a great day everyone.

It will be red by tomorrow morning.

 

[Sueby]

I'm so excited you are having a much better time with the SM this year @Wee Farmer Sarah! They look great!

 

[Birdsonghill]

I forgot to mention that the Seminole pumpkins are extremely insect resistant as well, I imagine that is why Native Americans were growing them when the Spanish arrived in Florida, Alabama and Georgia, 500 years ago. The vines do get very long and require lots of space but that helps in filling up the patch with fruit and shading out more weeds. A great feature, is that many of the pumpkins store for a full year and still taste great in a pie! I roast them cut in half, cut side down in a large shallow pan with a half inch of water, cool , then easily peel of the skin and use the flesh in pies, cakes and muffins. One small fruit makes a large pie or the larger ones two pies , occasionally, with enough for three pies! Give organic and historic gardening a try with a Three Sisters Garden patch!

 

[Sueby]

I wish I had room for pumpkins &/or melons. I have to be selective & whatever I grow has to grow up, I grow bush varieties of most things. Quite a few here do 3 sisters planting.

I didn't plan well for the cucumbers, the vines got so full & tall (I've never had such big cuke vines) that they're blocking light to everything around them - the tomatoes & peppers mostly. I need to really think about it next year with the cattle panel trellises I plan on putting in. I'm almost wanting to rip out the strawberries I just planted in the new beds & plant veggies instead. That would be a big ole waste tho. But those beds are so big, what I couldn't plant in there! LOL, already dreaming of next years garden.

 

[Acre4Me]

I forgot to mention that the Seminole pumpkins are extremely insect resistant as well, I imagine that is why Native Americans were growing them when the Spanish arrived in Florida, Alabama and Georgia, 500 years ago. The vines do get very long and require lots of space but that helps in filling up the patch with fruit and shading out more weeds. A great feature, is that many of the pumpkins store for a full year and still taste great in a pie! I roast them cut in half, cut side down in a large shallow pan with a half inch of water, cool , then easily peel of the skin and use the flesh in pies, cakes and muffins. One small fruit makes a large pie or the larger ones two pies , occasionally, with enough for three pies! Give organic and historic gardening a try with a Three Sisters Garden patch!

Now that my spouse enlarged the garden by trucking in about 20 tons of garden soil for a new bed, we might have the space! I do love growing pole beans! Where did you get the Seminole pumpkin seeds?

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

I'm so excited you are having a much better time with the SM this year @Wee Farmer Sarah! They look great!

Thank you @Sueby. I think loading the bed with calcium helped. I will likely plant these again since I mainly plant for tomato sauce.

 

[BullChick]

I wish I had room for pumpkins &/or melons. I have to be selective & whatever I grow has to grow up

Did you know that you can plant pumpkins, and have them rest on a table? Pinch off any babies not resting on the table or even coop/shed roof.
I lost one pumpkin, the big one is now to my knee, and the ones in the fence… I don’t know what will become of them.

This is the higher fence pumpkin.

The missing pumpkin … probably due to the chickens.