What did you do in the garden today?

We have begun to pick beets from fall planting - we plated some on Aug 3, and cooked a few this past weekend!

We planted some green beans on August 1, and I've already harvested 3x from them! This variety is called "Jade" purchased in bulk from the feed store. We've had good luck with it last year and this year. I planted more Jade green beans a week later, but haven't harvested from them yet, the beans aren't ready yet. Planted a couple other types of green beans - not ready yet, and one was mislabelled bc it is clearly a pole bean.
 
I can't believe people waste straw, I wish I could find people around here willing to give it away! Instead I have to pay for it.
me too, I hate paying for it.

Nothing too exciting in the garden here, just starting to put some raised beds to sleep for the fall. I do have some fodder growing in two and it has taken off. I still have strawberries coming so I can't cover those yet, but am cutting back asparagus today and sprinkling some seeds.
 
We have nearly all oak trees, so they won't be dropping leaves for a while yet. I have hauled some garden weeds and stuff into the chicken run. That was a big hit.

Today I gave the chickens about half of the "stuff" left over from making bone broth. The mushy veg, and the bones that I can smash with a spoon. The pullets weren't sure about it, but the adults have had it before, and they love it.
 
I collect all our leaves and shred them.
Our trees are too small to give us much in the way of leaves but I'll sure take our neighbors leaves if we can get them. What do you use to shred leaves? Or anyone else who shreds their leaves?

Here's my home made rotel:
20210921_091816.jpg


I'll make another batch once I have enough tomatoes. The tastes I got of it while it was cooking convinced me that this was something I've been missing all my life. DP hates any taste of bell or hot peppers so I think it scratches that itch for me.

Oh and here is a picture of the rare "dog butt" tomato.
20210918_092747.jpg
 
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What do you use to shred leaves?
I have a chipper/shredder that I use when I rake up a bunch of leaves.
I also just run the lawn mower with the bag on it when there's a thin layer of leaves on the lawn. It chops them a but. Even better would be to pile the leaves in an area and then use the mower with the bag off to mulch the leaves. Then pick them up or suck them up with a shop vac and put them in your beds, compost bin or wherever.
If I am putting the leaves in the chicken run, I don't bother shredding them because the chickens will do that for me as the scratch through them.
 
@NewBoots - did you make it with half the sugar this time? I love Rotel but didn't make it because the recipe called for so much sugar that I just brushed it off. & we shred the leaves with the 0 turn mower, we have a vacuum attachment for it.
Not yet, the pic is of my first batch and I used the 1 1/2 cups the recipe called for, next batch will be half as much sugar. I'm wondering now if that will be safe for water bath canning? I know you have to be careful about changing canning recipes.
 
Not yet, the pic is of my first batch and I used the 1 1/2 cups the recipe called for, next batch will be half as much sugar. I'm wondering now if that will be safe for water bath canning? I know you have to be careful about changing canning recipes.
Typically, it is recommended to add lemon juice or citric acid to tomatoes to water bath can them. Not sure the amount, but it’s not a lot. It is added to each jar rather than to the batch.
 

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