What did you do in the garden today?

[TJAnonymous]

Good point! I should have mentioned that about the lye... Thank you both

 

[igorsMistress]

Afternoon everyone. I watered this morning and refilled the duck pool. That’s it outside, I was canning and dehydrating instead.

Has anyone here tried ForJars canning lids? I had one jar that didn’t seal so I threw the chili in the freezer instead, but it has been hit or miss with Ball lids and I’m kinda mad about it.

 

[CatInTheHenHouse]

Went to a seed swap today! Didn’t find anything I was actually looking for, but did bring home a bunch of seeds I can’t plant without risking cross-pollination with my existing lettuce and beans:

• Brentwood lettuce (it’s a red leaf lettuce, and alas! I am a sucker for funky colored veggies)
• Calypso beans
• Turkey Craw beans
• Iroquois Cornbread beans

Maybe I can stick one of them in the front in pots.

 

[cj2024]

Bulk 4 cu sq ft coarse vermiculite restocked on amazon. They only had medium a while ago. It's cheaper than what I can get from my local Lowes or Home Depot with free Prime shipping. I am mixing it with peat moss, Kellog's raise bed potting mix and steer manure for my potatoes.

 

[Nym]

A sunny 23.2C / 73.8F here this morning. I did a bit morning pruning and trimming - I'm finding it quite addictive grabbing the shears and secateurs on the way out to the coop each morning.

 

[chickengr]

Went to a seed swap today! Didn’t find anything I was actually looking for, but did bring home a bunch of seeds I can’t plant without risking cross-pollination with my existing lettuce and beans:

• Brentwood lettuce (it’s a red leaf lettuce, and alas! I am a sucker for funky colored veggies)
• Calypso beans
• Turkey Craw beans
• Iroquois Cornbread beans

Maybe I can stick one of them in the front in pots.

beans should not cross pollinate. if you have room keep some distance between them.

 

[cj2024]

This is an update on my red snapper tomatoes growing in my DYI earth box with the insect net covering. The weight of the tomatoes has pulled the branches down and kinked them. However, the tomatoes were already at a decent size, and I am just waiting for them to ripen. I am already at the point of getting tired of eating them and will start preserving them with my pressure cooker. However, as far as insects were concerned the insect net did a good job keeping them out and it didn't have to be airtight, since the insects didn't think to go under the net.

On my next grow out with my DYI earth boxes, I will try some 4-inch netting at 2 feet, 3 feet and 4 feet to support the branches. Hopefully, this solves the support problem. The downside with the insect net is it's hard to do work under it if you have an insect phobia and fear them getting in while you lift the net to do some work.

In comparison to the cloned Red Snapper tomato plant without the insect net, it had less sunlight and did not set as much fruit, but the plant looks healthy, and all the branches are supported over head on strings tied to the trellis I hung over head. However, I did run into a tomato boring worm that I could not find, it was boring a hole in the top part of the green tomatoes, but when I cut it open it was not there, so I put some captain jack dead bug brew powder in a spray bottle and mixed it with water and sprayed the plant. Whatever it was didn't like it and I think I solved the problem. There was a nice white film around everything when it dried, and the green tomatoes still look good.

Overall, the plant without the insect cover is better situated to carry more tomatoes without the vine giving way, since each branch is supported by a string. However, on the downside, I have to adhere to a strict insect spraying routine.

In my opinion, the cloned plant without the insect net will win in the end since its still growing out branches and those branches are still flowering and setting fruit whereas the other parent determinate tomato plants under the insect netting is approaching its end-of-life cycle.

 

[CatInTheHenHouse]

beans should not cross pollinate. if you have room keep some distance between them.

I don’t really have a lot of space either since I’m planning for squash and melons this year. Hence speculating about pots. I could try putting some on the front porch if I can find a simple way to protect them from critters, but I don’t check the front porch very often so there’s a risk of not watering them enough.

 

[Sally PB]

Has anyone here tried ForJars canning lids? I had one jar that didn’t seal so I threw the chili in the freezer instead, but it has been hit or miss with Ball lids and I’m kinda mad about it.

https://www.fillmorecontainer.com/tlg086lidct-86.html
I think these are the ones I ordered 3 years ago. I have had 3-4 FTS in that time, and I could attribute those to a tomato seed getting under the lid.

Filmore Container sells Ball lids too. I don't know if they're "as good as they used to be," or not.

 

[igorsMistress]

https://www.fillmorecontainer.com/tlg086lidct-86.html
I think these are the ones I ordered 3 years ago. I have had 3-4 FTS in that time, and I could attribute those to a tomato seed getting under the lid.

Filmore Container sells Ball lids too. I don't know if they're "as good as they used to be," or not.

Thanks Sally, I checked it out and wow that’s a good price!