What did you do in the garden today?

[GardenTillers44]

penny1960, post: "see that small sting will stop my heart I carry a epi pen when I am outside"

x2 my head is on a swivel when I'm outside.

 

[chickmom3941]

CapricornFarm: "I use Cedarcide every day. Don't like to use DEET."

Fortunately we only have occasional skeeters but the black flies are annoying, not northwoods annoying, but bad enough. We grow lemongrass, lavender and citronella plants in our herb gardens around the house and that seems to keep them off the porch. We'll rub some crushed citronella leaves on neck and arms before heading out to the back 30 and it seems to work good enough that we can lay off the deet. Works decent for deerflies too. Effects last about 2-4 hours.

That's a great idea! Where do you find citronella plants? Hubs uses the deet, but I won't. I've become very leery about all the chemicals in products. I don't use fingernail polish anymore, either, because I heard the chemicals sink through your nails. I've yet to go completely organic (like natural laundry soap, cleaners, etc.), but I'm going in that direction. Would love to have some natural skeeter repellant (because of all the lakes in MN, there's a joke that the mosquito is the state bird - lol).

 

[chickmom3941]

Ya'll here complaining about the heat... Well I have a cold problem! It's been so cold that my tomatoes won't ripen! Wish I had your problems....!

Pulled a couple of too close carrots today. They're VERY orange and bright and happy looking. The basil had to be topped as it was blooming again. Brought in another bundle of beans and a zucchini. Also a few more tomatoes, of the few that are getting ripe.

I know what you mean - here in MN the last month has been unusually cool. I absolutely LOVE it, and most of our crops don't seem to mind, but the pumpkins/winter squash are growing very slowly. I'm thinking it's not as warm as they would like. They survived being transplanted, but I don't think I'm going to get any fruit because it's not warm enough for them, and they're way behind. So bummed!

 

[igorsMistress]

Going out to water the lemon tree and wash chicken waterers. Using restraint and not watering the crepe myrtles yet, although they're showing transplant shock and wilting. Swept the patio and dumped chicken poop in the compost pile. Not much else today, hubs is home with back problems and the dog can hardly walk today. Guess who gets to take care of em both?
Humidity is up with a chance of storms tonight, asking nicely for a good gully washer

 

[GardenTillers44]

chickmom3941: "That's a great idea! Where do you find citronella plants?"

We found it at this garden center about an 90 minutes from us. It is perhaps the nicest, most comprehensive place we have ever seen. They have by far the best herb and garden plant selection we've ever seen, which makes it a very dangerous place to visit. Lot of good info on their website.
http://gardencenterohio.com/

Citronella is the tall light green one behind the okra. We just cut it back and hung some fresh in the coop to keep the mozzies away from the girls. We were just laughing about the okra. Planted it because we love it and it did so well for us in Texas. We have 3 little okras coming on, and with luck maybe will have an appetizer by Labor Day. Just not enough of that southern heat here

 

[GardenTillers44]

We are cutting sorting and drying literally bushels of herbs. What are your favorite methods of drying? We have a cheap little dryer we bought years ago to dry our mushroom harvest, otherwise we bind and hang bundles from the porch and use old framed window screens. It's smelling pretty good around here right now!

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Oooh, yeah I am lucky that I am not allergic to bees/wasps. It seems like the swelling in my ankle has gone down an it only hurts now if I poke at it.

I am also drying herbs. Basil mostly. Soon I will be drying thyme and parsley too. Maybe refreshing my stock of shiso leaf. Mine is a few years old now and it's not like I don't have plenty to go around.

I just stick mine on a clean surface in the sun and make sure they're protected from critters. Bugs don't usually try to hang around em since they're herbs and all.

 

[pennyJo1960]

love to dry my basil I have a small outside table metal it has weaving in it so air comes up from under also I use that to dry mine

 

[CapricornFarm]

That's a great idea! Where do you find citronella plants? Hubs uses the deet, but I won't. I've become very leery about all the chemicals in products. I don't use fingernail polish anymore, either, because I heard the chemicals sink through your nails. I've yet to go completely organic (like natural laundry soap, cleaners, etc.), but I'm going in that direction. Would love to have some natural skeeter repellant (because of all the lakes in MN, there's a joke that the mosquito is the state bird - lol).

I like Cedarcide for insect repellent. I put it on in the morning every day. Helps repel all sorts of bugs, i think it works better than deet. I should buy stock.

 

[CapricornFarm]

I know what you mean - here in MN the last month has been unusually cool. I absolutely LOVE it, and most of our crops don't seem to mind, but the pumpkins/winter squash are growing very slowly. I'm thinking it's not as warm as they would like. They survived being transplanted, but I don't think I'm going to get any fruit because it's not warm enough for them, and they're way behind. So bummed!

I will trade you. All my plants except peppers and tomatoes got eaten by some varmint. They just go from green filled raised beds to brown ones over night. I have never seen the culprit but would fill it full of lead. I spent a small fortune on boards and fencing and seeds and now i am back to bare dirt. I have lots of weeds left outside the beds, lol. Now i have invested in a solar fence charger. Hope to add a third ring of wire around the garden this evening. Disregard the bed on the left. Only plants there are in pots. I never dug that bed so only weeds in it.