What did you do in the garden today?

[erinszoo]

I used to get slugs really bad and the one year I had skinks nest in my potato bed, and I've never had slugs again. Not sure if the little skinks ate all the slug eggs or what, but I'm not complaining. I think I'll let my chickens have run of the whole garden this winter and see if that doesn't fix my squash bug problem too.

 

[Double Kindness]

This year the rain has been really heavy here in CO, I'm near Denver. Which brought slugs to my high mountain desert home.

My tomatoes did well as did my ghost peppers, cayennes half as long as my arm. I really am liking the German johnson tomatoes for their meaty quality. San marzano did very well, Cherokee purple are starting in along with zucchini. My salad patch is pretty decent, I'm thinking of maybe planting some garlic on the other side of the fence from my laying flock run.

I have 24 dp meaties working my raised garden bed atm, harvesting them in about 8 weeks.

And my medical secret garden is getting tore up by leafcutters! Argh! I'm going to go spray with food grade de, is that good to get rid of slugs too? We added 2 meat rabbit does this past week, so lots of awesome manure to use for spring planting, which we're beginning to plan. Next year we hope to establish even more and are planning for 3 beehives possibly 5.

I'm zone 5, anyone in my zone and what are you planting now or in the spring?

 

[erinszoo]

So I thought I was pretty well through for the year but I hadn't yet pulled out the maters. Today I wandered through and lo and behold every single tomato has put on new growth, is blooming like crazy, and filled with green maters. Guess I'll start hoping for a late frost or a good recipe for green tomatoes.

 

[Lacroix]

Today I made pear honey...it was most delightful. My tomatoes have a white web like filming them.I think I'll pull them out tomorrow.

 

[Double Kindness]

Lacroix- it sounds like you might have a good amount of spider mites on your tomatoes. What is this pear honey you speak of?

Erinszoo- I think green tomatoes will ripen on the counter top... but green 'mater relish, jam, salsa and tomatoes are great ways to use up green tomatoes. I have been making lots of sun dried tomatoes this year.

 

[Lacroix]

Pear honey is what I make when I have a lot of pears and time. When cooking pears for a couple of hours with sugar and vanilla bean you'd swear you where eating honey. First you peel, core and chop pears. Put them in a stainless pot with peels. Then cover pears with just enough water to barely cover them. Cook pear until mushy and soft. Use a potato masher and mash pears, cook for another 20 minutes. Then you get cheese cloth and strain pear mixture. I had 10 cups of golden liquid pears. Measure and use half the amount of sugar to liquid. So 5 cups sugar and 1/4 cup of lemon juice and vanilla or vanilla bean. Cook and cook for what seems like 2 hrs stirring every 15 min. The liquid will start to thicken. Cook until you can tell it will be similar to a honey texture. Test by putting a spoonful into fridge. When you get the texture you like, sterilize your jars and fill. Put jars on towel and cover jars with another towel and jars will seal. Pure Pear Honey

 

[Double Kindness]

Awesome! That sounds divine. I just jarred up some ginger lemon simple suryp and am about to up pot my meyer lemon trees and night blooming jasmine to bring inside for the winter into my indoor greenhouse.

I just need to finish hanging mylar on 14' vaulted ceilings and walls and order new 860 w cmh bulbs for my indoor cultivation for when I can't garden outside.

My tomatoes are still producing as well as strawberries, and all my pepper plants and broadleaf sage. I have a dozen meyer lemons growing on my trees outside. A trip to the garden center for 4" square pots is needed this weekend to up pot all my indoor seedlings I started.

I'm headed off to the neighbors to get fallen apples, they're overloaded with them and my chickens and bunnies love them!

 

[stasichick]

Wow! I love the pear honey recipe! I need to try that!!!!

We are thinking of doing a greenhouse in our yard next year... I am a bit hesitant because our yard is not very large... the perfect spot for a greenhouse would be right smack in the middle of the yard! still thinking about it.

 

[darina]

Yesterday, I prepped an area to plant seed garlic, by mixing compost and manure into the existing soil. The chickens helped me to stir it in well! I also picked a few strawberries (slugs were snacking on them) and made some spaghetti sauce from harvested tomatoes.

 

[stasichick]

Yesterday, I prepped an area to plant seed garlic, by mixing compost and manure into the existing soil. The chickens helped me to stir it in well! I also picked a few strawberries (slugs were snacking on them) and made some spaghetti sauce from harvested tomatoes.

LOVE IT! we make fresh sauce every time we pick a bunch of tomatoes!!! SO delish! and feels so good cooking not from a can!!!