What did you do in the garden today?

[chickengr]

NEVER pay for something up front, ESPECIALLY from a friend or relative,

ask me how I learned this!

 

[Ascholten]

So im out feeding the chickens and I notice that the bees are all over my bahia grass, doing the pollen thing on all the strands that bahia is famous for putting up. Then it dawns on me, well DUUH.. why WOULDN'T the bahia make seeds with tiny little flowers, just like every OTHER plant makes seed with flowers and why wouldn't it take an insect like a bee to make it happen, like with any other flower?

Lord THANK YOU !!!! I now have another VALID reason for NOT MOWING MY LAWN!! Life is SO Wonderful

good morning everyone !

Aaron

 

[Elyrian1]

Wow Aaron, I needed that laugh. My father-in-law was sheepish once about not mowing his lawn for two weeks, said the neighbor made a comment. I told him he was just letting it go to seed to thicken up a bit was all!

Well y'all, the tomato plant that's been growing for months and months, and flowering for months with nothing to show for it, finally set some fruit. I counted 4. I think that means this particular variety won't produce if temps are above 95. Can't say I blame it. I won't work in that heat either! Lol. Now if only the other cherry tomato would do the same. Peppers are flowering. The jalapeno is covered and so is one of the two pequins. Okra is getting ready to inundate me in a few more days here. Should finally fill that bag in the freezer. This whole time only four of my nine-ish plants have been producing. Now the others all have flowers and okra on them, and they've even put up large side branches that are as tall as the rest of the plant and blooming and setting pods. This might get hairy. Get it? 'Cause okra's fuzzy? Sorry I can't pass on a good pun, lol.

I pulled a bucket full of grass yesterday for the chickens. Trying to do that once a day. They like the grass and love any bugs that brings them. I limit actual weeding to once a week on the weekend, either in the morning or the evening.

Our weather has finally turned and we have entered what fall is here. That means low 80s to low 90s in the forecast, occasional rain, some partly cloudy days that take the sting of the sun out. It's a good time to be gardening. I've got cool crops coming up. Planted a bit early I think, but we might be okay. If not I'll just replant as needed.

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

I leave the short stalk and the tomato roots in the ground until spring. Then they just come right out, no dragging a ton of soil with them.
Mine are starting to show signs of potassium and nitrogen stress, but it's too late to fix that now.

What does signs if potassium and nitrogen stress in tomato plants look like?


I have planted quite a few seeds the past few weeks and hardly anything is coming up compared to the amount of seeds grandson and I put out!
Mostly lettuces, kale, Swiss chard, radish.
Any clues as to why it wouldn't be coming up? We have gotten into the mid 50s at night this week. I've kept it watered well in between rains. Our highs have only been 85ish.

 

[WthrLady]

Canning jar recall-
Roots and Harvest is recalling over 15,000 of its wide mouth pint canning jars. Pieces of glass can be found in some of the jars, posing a laceration hazard to consumers.

If you have the recalled jars, contact the company to receive a full refund. The company says they will provide a return shipping container, free of charge and a prepaid return label.

 

[WthrLady]

What does signs if potassium and nitrogen stress in tomato plants look like?


I have planted quite a few seeds the past few weeks and hardly anything is coming up compared to the amount of seeds grandson and I put out!
Mostly lettuces, kale, Swiss chard, radish.
Any clues as to why it wouldn't be coming up? We have gotten into the mid 50s at night this week. I've kept it watered well in between rains. Our highs have only been 85ish.

Plants going pale
Leaves with large purple areas between the leaf viens.

 

[Ascholten]

Wow Aaron, I needed that laugh. My father-in-law was sheepish once about not mowing his lawn for two weeks, said the neighbor made a comment. I told him he was just letting it go to seed to thicken up a bit was all!

But that IS a valid point there, it does help fill in weak spots, but bahia is just so terrible to begin with that is rarely a problem for long.

Well y'all, the tomato plant that's been growing for months and months, and flowering for months with nothing to show for it, finally set some fruit. I counted 4. I think that means this particular variety won't produce if temps are above 95. Can't say I blame it. I won't work in that heat either!

Many tomato's will be like that, they dont like the hot very much

Lol. Now if only the other cherry tomato would do the same. Peppers are flowering. The jalapeno is covered and so is one of the two pequins. Okra is getting ready to inundate me in a few more days here. Should finally fill that bag in the freezer. This whole time only four of my nine-ish plants have been producing. Now the others all have flowers and okra on them, and they've even put up large side branches that are as tall as the rest of the plant and blooming and setting pods. This might get hairy. Get it? 'Cause okra's fuzzy? Sorry I can't pass on a good pun, lol.

Okra is a continually flowering / growing plant. it will grow, throw up an okra pod or two, grow some more, another pod, branch, throw up 2 pods, and keep slow growing like this, slow producing until it's shut down by frost typically at the end of the season or if it has grown a long long time, eventually just peters out. So yes you WILL fill that bag in the freezer. One note, Okra is MUCH better SMALLER over bigger. They will get woody and tough very fast, and even half a day to a day is enough to make the difference between a nice tender one and a tough one. I find about 3 to 4 inches is the best time to pick them. Use the thumbnail technique. Pinch it with your thumbnail, and twist, if it pinches mostly through and comes off nicely, you got it in time, if it's twisting like a piece of hemp rope and you need scissors, it may be a bit tough (perfect for okra, you simmer that tough out)

I pulled a bucket full of grass yesterday for the chickens. Trying to do that once a day. They like the grass and love any bugs that brings them. I limit actual weeding to once a week on the weekend, either in the morning or the evening.

mine follow me on the lawn mower feasting in the flurry of critters that come out right after the mower

aaron

 

[WthrLady]

Walked the garden and found another hornworm.

At least two more out there from the damage on other plants that wasn't there yesterday. Trimmed that off, will look again tomorrow. It's possible birds got to them this morning before my walk through.

Brought in a 41 pound basket of reds this morning. I'll process Saturday.

The sweet potatoes I have left our there, really came to life this past couple of weeks now that temperatures have come down some and we've had some real rain. They are flowering and vining like mad. I hope the next two containers have more than ONE potato in each LOL.

 

[Sueby]

Hey all, back from vacation! Did I miss anything? No way I can catch up!

DH did a good job pulling things from the garden while I was gone. I have tons of squash that I'm going to grate today & make some chocolate bread with. I have a bunch of green beans to blanch & freeze. We got a ton of rain just as the brandywines were ready to pick & by the time he got to them they wsplit & had bugs so the chickens got them. I'm sad about that. But still more coming along.

I pulled a couple sungold plants, they were taking over the blueberry bushes. The first planting of squash has been overrun with powdery mildew, I will pull them today - but they were a huge success trellised. The 2nd planting is still going, but I'm not sure I can tie they up without braking them. We'll see.

Peppers are coming in like mad, 3 gallon ziplocks so far to be made into hot sauce. & at least that left to go.

My lettuce is not coming up well at all, not excited about that.
The Dahlias are insane this year, I take it they love hot.

I ordered a peach tree, my MIL wanted to get me something to memorialize my Dad. I can't wait till it gets here. It's a Redhaven from Stark Bros so self-pollinating. I've never cared for a fruit tree so advice is very welcome!

Check back later...missed my garden & my gardening friends!

 

[Ascholten]

The sweet potatoes I have left our there, really came to life this past couple of weeks now that temperatures have come down some and we've had some real rain.

Sweet potatoes absolutely LOVE water, as long as they are not standing in it they are happy with as much as you can give them. What I did that worked very well in the past is, outside the house, the pipe where the AC dumps the water at that it collects (if yours is set up that way) plant some right there. They get constant water from the AC, now throw some compost on them / around them once in a while and you will get monsters from them at the end of the growing season.

Aaron