What did you do in the garden today?

[igorsMistress]

Moved the compost pile, used the shovel to break up the tree trimmings a bit. Raked up all the leaf litter and dirt that had accumulated and piled that on, then watered it in. Chickens are finding lots of bugs where the pile used to be. Lots of crickets, no scorpions but I've heard they're bad this year. Going to shred the paper bags with chicken poop on them and add with litter from the coop next month.
Pulled grass away from the grapes, have cardboard ready for that area to try because the grass just won't stop there. Watered. Moved a load of rocks.

Taking a break and watching my EE jumping to get crickets off the wall. Need to get back to work, extreme heat warning for us today.

Have a good day all

 

[GldnValleyHens]

I made a basic H water spray, and tried to kill the evil squash bugs on my beautiful cucumber plant. They killed my zucchini and are damaging my pumpkin patch! There isn't a word that can describe the intense hatred I have for these pests. I dunno if DE is working, but I sprinkled it liberally by the cucumber, and what was left of the bag on the pumpkins. Is there any proven effective natural/organic spray or something I can use?

 

[CapricornFarm]

I don't know when i will get time to work in my garden. Apparently we are in for days of rain, and i am still trying to finish the never ending chicken coop build. I have a wagon load of bunny poop to work into the soil!

 

[Pensmaster]

I made a basic H water spray, and tried to kill the evil squash bugs on my beautiful cucumber plant. They killed my zucchini and are damaging my pumpkin patch! There isn't a word that can describe the intense hatred I have for these pests. I dunno if DE is working, but I sprinkled it liberally by the cucumber, and what was left of the bag on the pumpkins. Is there any proven effective natural/organic spray or something I can use?

You might try neem oil. Don't know if it kills beetles or hard shelled insects but they say it kills the grubs that turn into beetles. I'm using it on aphids this year and it seems to be working. It's not instant first day I was disappointed, second day they were dying. It's supposed to work on spider mites as well.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

You must be a pepperhead like my son! I just can't handle much heat in my food - too whimpy, I guess.

So which way do you prefer to do your tomato sauce - stove top or crock? I've not tried using a crock pot for that, but sounds like a good idea. What other ingredients do you add to your sauce? Is it going to be like a spaghetti sauce or something similar?

I haven't really absorbed any appreciation from my experimental crock pot batch just yet. it is.. yes, time consuming. but the fused flavor from min speed reduction time is still making me decide if it is worth the effort. i froze some containers, so have to wait for a stove top speed batch to be made to give an honest opinion taste bud speaking..
pros= walk away and no scorching/burning, no rapid dehydration.
cons= totally new to me. like a mad scientist in a basement throwing an experiment together and being on pins and needles waiting to see if Frankenstein was worth the effort.
only things added besides the ton of plumb toms I cut into dice chunks, my fresh garden basil, store bought dehide oregano, black peppercorn, fresh celery, fresh garlic, fresh diced onion and a pinch of sea salt.. Parm cheese and a little store bought tom paste to adjust thickness and creaminess.(last minute browned honegrown sausage)
First night lasagna, second night eggplant parm. the rest in frozen storage.
I think it tastes better if you are drove crazy from smelling it cooking for 2 days... your nose programs your brain and your taste buds agree reluctantly. I need to do a stove top version of the same method before I choose the winner...

 

[Beer can]

I've only grown paste tomatoes a few times. So dang small.
Here with our short season its usually early girl, I've tried early open pollinated ones but they just don't produce like early girl. Tried parks whopper improved this yr also, much bigger and actually matured just a few days before my early girls. Both are great eating maters, great canning maters, but a lot more water and not so meaty if your looking for sauce maters.
Once, just once, I had great luck with burgess triple crop 'vining' tomatoes, very meaty. They say;
"It is by far the most productive tomato, often producing 2 bushels from just one plant! When grown on a trellis the vines soar 12-18 feet and often to 25 feet"
The one time I got tomatoes from them they might have reached four foot, might do great in a warmer climate. Very super meaty though and why I have tried them other times.
Looking for sauce tomatoes I see sandhill has Provenzano paste tomatoes 1-1.5 lb very rare and they don't always have them, they also have and other places do Goldman's Italian American, 1 lb fruit.
Planning next yrs garden and ain't even done with this yr Lol!

 

[Pensmaster]

Couple more sunflowers just because they were begging to have a picture taken.
And the deer didn't eat them yet.

 

[lazy gardener]

For paste tomatoes that work up quickly due to bigger size, try: Amish Paste. They are OP, so you can save your seed. http://www.seedsavers.org/amish-paste-tomato

I've heard that Olpaka is a good one also. Need to put that on my must try list. http://www.seedsavers.org/opalka-organic-tomato

 

[Beer can]

Anyone have any experience growing tatume/calabacita sqaush?

 

[chickmom3941]

Couple more sunflowers just because they were begging to have a picture taken.
And the deer didn't eat them yet.

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Your sunflowers are beautiful! Looking at your pics reminded me that tomorrow is Sept. 1st. That's the arbitrary date I usually set to start putting out my fall decorations. I'm a real autumn zealot, and have all kinds of decorations I put out every year - scarecrows, mums, fake pumpkins & gourds, etc. Just love it! My real pumpkin/squash plants are growing well, but I'm certainly not going to have any fruit for decorating with (too cool this summer, I think). I will have some corn stalks I can use, though. I can't wait to get started decorating, but canning must come first! Do any of you guys put out fall decorations?