What did you do in the garden today?

[igorsMistress]

Sounds like you are in the SW too? What do you plant in fall? I usually put in my peas, all the different lettuces I like, as well as things like kale and tomatoes. I am going to try some herbs this year that I used to grow when I lived in Utah and Kentucky and see how they do in the winter.

Yes I’m in Phoenix. I have some dill, a couple thyme varieties and sweet mint I just put in. I’ll be planting carrots, garlic and lots of greens. Chard, lettuce, spinach, broccoli raab, mustard, kale, broccoli and I might try a bush variety of pickling cucumber.
I grow my herbs where they get full sun fall through spring but high shade in the summer so they don’t die off from the sun exposure.

 

[NewBoots]

Love the leeks @NewBoots. The first year I planted them they did ok. They weren't huge, but ok and had good flavor. I tried them in the new bed that got less direct sunlight and they didn't do well at all. Maybe they didn't like being close to potatoes. Something to ponder over winter.

Thanks, the ones pictured were planted by the berry bushes, one tomato, and clarkia and got pretty shaded. I have another clump of them planted by the towering mass of cherry tomatoes and I can't even see them so we'll be lucky if I get anything from them. But overall, they were a pretty undemanding crop that once I planted them I pretty well forgot about them. I'll plant them again next year.

Can you give me a quick overview of how you make your compost tea?

Sure, I planted tons of borage in the garden to bring in the pollinators (and they sure did) and once it gets going, it grow like crazy. So since it's one of a bunch of plants (I hear that stinging nettle is another one) that's recommended for making compost tea, I'd cut back the bloomed out areas, or where the growth was in my way and stuff it into a couple of 5 gallon buckets that have screw-on lids ('cuz they're easy to open again) and really pack in in there, stomping it down. Then fill the bucket to the top with water and put the lid on and leave it sit in the sun for 2 weeks. When you open it (it reeks) you separate the solids from the liquid (I have a box sieve) and mix the liquid with 10 parts of water to 1 part smelly liquid. It's super easy and free to make and is a mild fertilizer to use once a week. I get about 3 gallons of concentrate per batch.

Another 12 pounds of red and orange ones. That's it, she's done.
so 259 pounds for the season.

I'm torn between envy and relief. That is a LOT of canning.

Good morning gardeners, waiting to do anything in the garden until a little of the heavy dew burns off. Got more summer garden to clean up and put compost on, need to refill one of the compost tea buckets with the last of the borage, and really need to clean up the greenhouse. Next week they're going to lift it and redo the area under it so the grass will not grow through the freaking floor again. I do want to try starting some lettuce and greens in there for fall planting. And I HAVE to remember to take the tomatoes out of the freezer tonight so I can can salsa tomorrow.

 

[Allthefloofs]

Yes I’m in Phoenix. I have some dill, a couple thyme varieties and sweet mint I just put in. I’ll be planting carrots, garlic and lots of greens. Chard, lettuce, spinach, broccoli raab, mustard, kale, broccoli and I might try a bush variety of pickling cucumber.
I grow my herbs where they get full sun fall through spring but high shade in the summer so they don’t die off from the sun exposure.

I am in Phoenix too! When do you plant your carrots? I usually do mid October. I have never tried mustard, is there a variety you like? We have bad roof rats lately (we are in an area zoned for livestock so lots of horses about) and I can't get rid of them and they keep eating my cucumbers (and watermelons, and pumpkins, and broccoli). I hadn't though about garlic, that is a great idea! I have good luck with things like thyme, rosemary and basil and mint using the same light standards as you, but I would love to do some monarda and my lemon balm dies when day temps go above 90 no matter the shading or water.

 

[igorsMistress]

I am in Phoenix too! When do you plant your carrots? I usually do mid October. I have never tried mustard, is there a variety you like? We have bad roof rats lately (we are in an area zoned for livestock so lots of horses about) and I can't get rid of them and they keep eating my cucumbers (and watermelons, and pumpkins, and broccoli). I hadn't though about garlic, that is a great idea! I have good luck with things like thyme, rosemary and basil and mint using the same light standards as you, but I would love to do some monarda and my lemon balm dies when day temps go above 90 no matter the shading or water.

I can’t keep lemon balm alive either!
Our neighbors have seen roof rats run along their walls but so far we’ve been lucky. We poisoned one that was living in the shed but haven’t seen any around since. My melons were gown in a covered garden and might have been more work to get to than they cared to put in. I dunno.

I usually plant carrots mid October to November depending on temps. Have you ever checked out Native Seed Search? I love their seeds, usually have pretty good germination rates and they are from plants grown in the hot zones rather than the cooler climates. They aren’t as cheap as what you can find in the stores though.

I don’t have any particular favorites for types of anything yet, except the Scarlet Nantes carrots. They are shorter than what you get in the store but so good! I have bunnies too so whatever greens we don’t care for they get, but we share it all with them and the chickens.

 

[Allthefloofs]

I can’t keep lemon balm alive either!
Our neighbors have seen roof rats run along their walls but so far we’ve been lucky. We poisoned one that was living in the shed but haven’t seen any around since. My melons were gown in a covered garden and might have been more work to get to than they cared to put in. I dunno.

I usually plant carrots mid October to November depending on temps. Have you ever checked out Native Seed Search? I love their seeds, usually have pretty good germination rates and they are from plants grown in the hot zones rather than the cooler climates. They aren’t as cheap as what you can find in the stores though.

I don’t have any particular favorites for types of anything yet, except the Scarlet Nantes carrots. They are shorter than what you get in the store but so good! I have bunnies too so whatever greens we don’t care for they get, but we share it all with them and the chickens.

I like the Nantes carrots too, there is a Parisian variety that is round and those are incredibly sweet and tender, but one bite, which in the end makes me sad. I just grow lots of them! I'll check out the Native Seed Search, that sounds really interesting! A lot of what I grow is stuff we eat, and then about half is for the chickens. Sometimes my husband gets grumpy because I feed the girls the rainbow chard and he would like it for dinner!

 

[NewBoots]

The mustard we planted is doing well, and we picked leaves here and there and sautéed them for dinner - they were liked by all. It was our first time eating mustard greens. We have two types planted, so next time, I'll try the "Red Giant" variety, as those leaves were a little smaller than the green variety.

Dragon tongue was the one I planted last fall and they were delicious, I'll try to get some plants on our next trip to the nursery.

family Birthday weekend, so made a bundt cake called "Hot Chocolate Coffee Rum Cake". Yes, its as good as it sounds. Even better, it has a caramelized rum sauce poured over the bottom (after holes are poked into the cake) so the cake gets this caramelized sauce inside, then the rest is used as a glaze.

That sounds awesome! Of course you know thus means we need the recipe.

Sometimes my husband gets grumpy because I feed the girls the rainbow chard and he would like it for dinner!

Our rabbits and chickens have gotten the lion's share of the chard this year, DP has complained, but we had so much kale and beet greens we didn't really miss it. Since the chard is now the last green standing we'll get to have some now.

I just opened the bottle of southern pepper sauce and it's delicious! My lips are still hot. I'll try it on the chard and rice I'm making with dinner. Now I really want to try some of the cowboy candy.

 

[Acre4Me]

Here is the recipe for anyone interested along with @NewBoots.

https://wishesndishes.com/hot-chocolate-coffee-rum-cake/

The recipe calls for a "liquid Hot Chocolate" product .... OR Buttermilk. I used buttermilk, as the LHC product mentioned does not seem to exist

I mis-read the recipe and actually had my oven at 350F - It was perfectly cooked, so maybe the recipe had the typo.

But, the recipe is a keeper! And it was good for breakfast!

 

[Fishychix]

Here is the recipe for anyone interested along with @NewBoots.

https://wishesndishes.com/hot-chocolate-coffee-rum-cake/

The recipe calls for a "liquid Hot Chocolate" product .... OR Buttermilk. I used buttermilk, as the LHC product mentioned does not seem to exist

I mis-read the recipe and actually had my oven at 350F - It was perfectly cooked, so maybe the recipe had the typo.

But, the recipe is a keeper! And it was good for breakfast!

THANK YOU!

 

[Stepnout]

We already made 20 ponds of Green Tomato Chow. Remember I’m the guy who can’t ripen tomatoes! Well I’ve proven myself wrong. The first picture is from last week, wow these are so deliciou. The second picture is from today. Five gallon plant bucket of ripe tomatoes and 2 five gallon and 1 seven gallon green tomatoes. Wow what a year. We are expecting rain for the next 3 days so I picked them before they rot.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Great job nice tomato