What did you do in the garden today?

[Sueby]

We had a bad gypsy moth run - 3 years in a row & it decimated the trees 2 years ago. You see dead trees everywhere, they couldn't recover. We were losing power weekly because of rain or a little wind - dead trees coming down. The utilities have cleaned up a lot & it's better, but now our power prices are insane.

It was so disgusting, you couldn't even sit outside or you'd have 5 of them crawling up your leg. The picnic table had probably 200 of them on it & the poop just fell from the trees sounding like rain. You could even hear them munching. Absolutely disgusting.

It seems every 10 or 15 years or so we get them that bad.

 

[Elyrian1]

We had a bad gypsy moth run - 3 years in a row & it decimated the trees 2 years ago. You see dead trees everywhere, they couldn't recover. We were losing power weekly because of rain or a little wind - dead trees coming down. The utilities have cleaned up a lot & it's better, but now our power prices are insane.

It was so disgusting, you couldn't even sit outside or you'd have 5 of them crawling up your leg. The picnic table had probably 200 of them on it & the poop just fell from the trees sounding like rain. You could even hear them munching. Absolutely disgusting.

It seems every 10 or 15 years or so we get them that bad.

That sounds like it ought to be an Alfred Hitchcock movie.

 

[Sally PB]

About 20 years ago, we had gypsy moths bad. We had an arborist come out and assess the situation. He "injected" two things into the trunks of the trees: first, something to kill the caterpillars, and second, something to boost the health of the tree, like a vitamin tonic.

I remember caterpillars falling out of the trees. Talk about ewww. But the trees recovered well.

We might be doing that next May. Really, really don't want to lose our oaks.

 

[Sooner Magnolia]

@TJAnonymous , I can literally relate. Binding someone's wrists with this stuff would violate the Geneva convention.

@littledog, were you miserably hot today? My brother who lives near you said it was 90 degrees. It was only 72 here in Oklahoma. I joked that we traded weather to get them ready for our family reunion. Can't wait to see my nephew! He's a year old and I've never met him. I need to do a little garden and a lot of coop work tomorrow if the weather holds. Here are some picture updates.

Does anybody know if you can notch olive trees to encourage more branching? The leaves on mine look good, but it needs some new growth!

 

[WthrLady]

THat vine looks evil!!

The hay is in windrows, ready to bale as soon as it finished curing in the sun and wind tomorrow. I HOPE to bale about 4pm. I HOPE.

 

[TJAnonymous]

@TJAnonymous , I can literally relate. Binding someone's wrists with this stuff would violate the Geneva convention.View attachment 2729079

Yes! Exact same stuff I'm lamenting about.... There might be something redeeming about this stuff if it actually flowered, fruited, or did ANYTHING useful other than choke your plants to death and draw blood like a medieval torture device.... Useless, obnoxious weed that is impossible to eradicate.

 

[BReeder!]

Yes! Exact same stuff I'm lamenting about.... There might be something redeeming about this stuff if it actually flowered, fruited, or did ANYTHING useful other than choke your plants to death and draw blood like a medieval torture device.... Useless, obnoxious weed that is impossible to eradicate.

And I think thistle is bad... that stuff you have is brutal looking. If it's any consolation, I had to climb the blackberries Saturday while helping with tree removal on a side job. Eventually I got a chainsaw and just hacked them down. There's we're plenty left for the patch to regrow if they wanted it to, but I had enough cuts on me to like like I fought with a bobcat so I had enough of those blackberries.

 

[karenerwin]

Does anyone freeze garlic over the winter? I've been reading on it & am specifically interested the method where you peel bulbs, puree 2 parts oil to 1 part garlic in a blender & then freeze. It stays soft enough that you can scrape out what you need.

Just wondering if anyone has tried it. It seems very convenient & I think I'll have quite a bit of garlic so this sounds like it would last me till next years crop is ready. I would love to be garlic self sufficient.

ETA: I found it here so it's safe: https://ucfoodsafety.ucdavis.edu/sites/g/files/dgvnsk7366/files/inline-files/250352.pdf

You can also freeze garlic whole in the freezer. We did that last year (with store bought garlic). It's a bit soft when thawed but otherwise no problems.

 

[karenerwin]

I had to go get the mail... Here's some pictures.

View attachment 2728318
View attachment 2728319

And they don't go away after they die off in winter. Here's last year's vines
Still sharp and ready to slice you open.
View attachment 2728320



I have those vines here in Missouri but ours have flowers clusters on them. Last time I looked they weren't open yet but they looked like a bunch of small tear drop shaped green things hanging below leaves. I would like to know what it is as well!

 

[vall]

Still catching up on posts, but this is some of the fallout from last week's vacation, including my first fig! Have some pickling to do now. I saw the discussion on canning lids, I have been using the Walmart mainstays brand of lids for a couple years and never had any problems with seals. They are made in the USA.