What did you do in the garden today?

[TJAnonymous]

I just took a bunch of squash beetles, eggs, and mating pairs of my cushaw squash plant. (NOT svb) they are so gross. icky icky icky. and the nymphs are so creepy and alien like.

I've noticed that squash bugs have a very distinct smell to them when you smash them. Not quite as bad as being sprayed by a skunk but definitely a chemical smell.

 

[Smokerbill]

I've noticed that squash bugs have a very distinct smell to them when you smash them. Not quite as bad as being sprayed by a skunk but definitely a chemical smell.

That's why they call them stink bugs. LOL

 

[WthrLady]

That's why they call them stink bugs. LOL

yep. I knocked the adults into soap water and scraped off eggs, drowned nymphs, and leaves that were too infested, I cut off and tossed.

 

[Happy hen lover]

I am feeling good about my fall garden baby plants that I planted. Tomatoes are all green so far. But I concentrated on beans, beets, and cucumbers this year.

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

Good afternoon gardeners. It’s been a busy few days. Still picking small amounts of green beans. I picked a couple of leeks yesterday to use in my vegetable soup for dinner last night. I am down to one small jar of tomato sauce, a few jars of jam, some pickles and salsa. Last years harvest lasted a good amount of time. The tomato plants are loading up with tomatoes. A few SM tomatoes are yellowing towards ripening. I counted 8 butternut squash developing too. Some of the corn stalks are up to my shoulder. I also have a small okra pod on one plant and I noticed a few of the sweet 100’s in the high garden are orange now. I will pick them tomorrow if Bambi doesn’t get them first. I’ve been plugging away at mowing the grass in the backyard for the past couple of days. But I did get the holes dug to plant the grapevines tomorrow. Sad news, my fig tree has turned yellow and is dying. I suspect root rot. It looked fine two days ago, loaded with baby figs. It’s finally stopped raining here as much and remarkably the ground is actually drying out.

My little corn patch / 3 sisters bed

Baby Lima beans.

 

[Happy hen lover]

I bought tomato plants from Walmart @2.00 a piece. Better boys such a disappointment! One fungus filled other just now setting on blossoms! I cut fungus one and replanting tub with beets for fall. Started some Abe Lincoln plants from seeds and they look good now it was so cold here in spring all are slow.

 

[WthrLady]

Sorry the tomatoes are struggling. @Happy hen lover
Mine are starting to show issues, but I'm not surprised with the incredible drought, then the insane heat and humidity, now the damp and insane humidity and lack of wind to dry them out.
I'll prune out the bad stuff as soon as the 'front porch of hell' weather moves along to somewhere else.

 

[gtaus]

Had to pull 3 t-posts from the rock hard dirt first. Figured out a trick using a shovel that worked pretty good. The point of a round shovel will catch the rivet head that holds the flat plate onto the bottom of the post. Using that the post can be leveraged out, with a little luck and jiggling.

I found an easy way to take out t-posts. I bought myself a good farm jack...

Then bought an attachment specifically made to pull out t-posts...

The Farm Jack with t-post puller attachment takes most of the work out of pulling up t-posts. I'm at an age where I was willing to spend some money on the equipment and save my back. Pulling out t-posts, even with a lever like you described, can still be hard work. I'm for less hard work at my age.

Speaking of saving work, I highly recommend using a t-post hammer to pound the t-posts into the ground....

I bought my t-post hammer about 30 years ago and it's still like new. Much easier to use this t-post hammer than to use a sledgehammer, for example.

 

[gtaus]

I guess beans can be pickled, can't they?

You can make great Spicy Pickled Beans and it's very easy. I don't can anymore, but the pickled beans will live in the refrigerator for months with plain glass jars and lids from other products - like a big applesauce jar. Here is one recipe from YouTube that is similar to what I do (I don't add the tabasco sauce).

 

[Smokerbill]

I found an easy way to take out t-posts. I bought myself a good farm jack...

View attachment 3597378

Then bought an attachment specifically made to pull out t-posts...

View attachment 3597380

The Farm Jack with t-post puller attachment takes most of the work out of pulling up t-posts. I'm at an age where I was willing to spend some money on the equipment and save my back. Pulling out t-posts, even with a lever like you described, can still be hard work. I'm for less hard work at my age.

Speaking of saving work, I highly recommend using a t-post hammer to pound the t-posts into the ground....

View attachment 3597386

I bought my t-post hammer about 30 years ago and it's still like new. Much easier to use this t-post hammer than to use a sledgehammer, for example.

I have the t post driver. Looks like you took a picture of mine. It's identical.
I saw your post pulling setup in another post of yours a while back. It would be easier, but the shovel worked just fine so I'm not going to get one.

Back in the day ..., Grandpa double wrapped a log chain around the bottom of posts, any kind. The chain went up over an old steel wheel and was connected to the John Deere B. That yanked the posts right up out of the ground when the tractor moved forward.

I did put my earplugs in before I used the t-post driver... That thing makes some noise!