What did you do in the garden today?

[Elyrian1]

It's hot in Greece. Hotter than the deep South where I grew up and Persimmons grew but tended not to fruit... I never, in 20 years, saw fruit on the grown persimmon trees at the back of our property.

 

[jerryse]

It's hot in Greece. Hotter than the deep South where I grew up and Persimmons grew but tended not to fruit... I never, in 20 years, saw fruit on the grown persimmon trees at the back of our property.

Persimmon have male and female trees and on occasion both male and female flowers on one tree . You may have had all male trees . Also some female trees are parthenocarpic . Meaning they can have seedless fruit if not pollinated .

 

[vall]

Squash have 4 common species and a fifth uncommon . Most of what people plant is in the C. Pepo group . So they cross readily . You can hand pollinate to save seed . Butternut is C. Moschata group and you are pretty safe there . Anything it can cross with Is going to give much the same flesh and flavor . C . Maxima is the big pumpkins and Hubbard types . C. Agrosperma is the Cushaw types . You could plant 1 of each group only and get pure seed . However your neighbor and the bees will likely mess up the C. Pepo group . You could plant Butternut , a Cushaw and a Hubbard and get pure seed . There is also the C . Mixta group but I can not remember any of the varaties .

Yeah, my issue was I hand-pollinated spaghetti with scallop pollen just to set fruit on the first female flowers. Next year I ran out of spaghetti squash seeds, forgot I intentionally crossed mine, said "oh my volunteers are always 100% spaghetti", planted the seeds, and ended up with something bland and watery, which is too bad because that cross is terribly prolific. I've actually never gotten an unintentional cross from the bees.

 

[jerryse]

Yeah, my issue was I hand-pollinated spaghetti with scallop pollen just to set fruit on the first female flowers. Next year I ran out of spaghetti squash seeds, forgot I intentionally crossed mine, said "oh my volunteers are always 100% spaghetti", planted the seeds, and ended up with something bland and watery, which is too bad because that cross is terribly prolific. I've actually never gotten an unintentional cross from the bees.

I have got crosses from bees . I had a Filipino lady living 1/4 mile away . I saved summer squash seed . The next year I got these really skinny and long squash . About 2 inches diameter and 18-24 inches long . Comparing info mine looked like her squash and her squash looked different .

 

[chickengr]

I have seen native persimmons all the way down to almost the gulf coast. They grow wild on my property and up and down the road side. Some seem to never fruit (male/females perhaps?) others fruit prolifically at a fairly small size (only 12 to 15 feet tall). The insects love them on the tree and the deer and raccoons love them on the ground! I have seen persimmons all across the state of Tennessee. And it gets pretty hot and humid in west Tennessee. Likely too little water at a crucial time after a new planting or too much! The wood is nice looking in a wood project. I have never tried to grow any. May I suggest a square yard of weed fabric around each young tree, as I saw that work well for a reforestation/enhancement project here. It keeps the competition down around the young plant, without constant weeding or chemicals and keeps the mower or weed eater away from them for a few years. I also see some nurseries use a lighter shade cloth (maybe 30 % shade) over young tree seedlings to help them in the hot summer sun. Also planting them where they can receive some afternoon shade will help reduce stress on new plantings. Good luck with your efforts! I have been wanting to do some similar plantings with Black Walnut, Catalpa and Tupelo trees. All are declining in this area from over harvesting and little to no replanting efforts.

thank you for the information.

we have a few weeks in summer of sahara hot and dry weather. at that time my persimmons, sour cherry, cherry and chestnuts died. all within 3 days

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

Good morning gardeners. Very wet and cold this morning. We're in the middle of a multi-day Nor'easter. I'm glad it's just rain. Nothing happening in the garden today. I may be able to get out there tomorrow and see if there's anything to harvest. I do need to bring in some more oregano to dry for the winter. The feed store trip went well. They haven't raised prices since the last time I was there. So there's that. Today is laundry and relaxing a bit. Transferring 100 pounds of chicken feed from the garage to the chicken coop is getting a bit more tiring these days. I've got more errands to run tomorrow then Thursday I'm planning on getting my Covid booster shot. Next week I'm hoping to carve out some time to make another big batch of applesauce. I still have some indoor plants that need repotting so I won't have anytime to get bored, that's for sure. I hope all of you in the path of the big storms out west stay safe and dry.

 

[jerryse]

Sunshine today . Weatherman said we have the second wettest October on record so far . Got my trees yesterday . Going to plant them today .

 

[igorsMistress]

Good morning gardeners. Still can’t do much reading as things are fuzzy. I was checking on the seeds I’ve started in the aero garden and all but the marjoram have sprouted including tomatoes!

 

[jerryse]

First photo 25 persimmon seedlings . Second 8 persimmon seedlings I bought 10- 2 years ago . So 8 survived . Been planting trees today .

 

[NewBoots]

Blowing hard with a heavy misty rain from the ocean side. Got the critters seen to and Penny walked before the blowing mist started. I think I'll make an apple crisp today, that or some apple bread. Or find a recipe for an apple monkey bread, seems a good day for a warm oven and cinnamon in the air.

The addition to the chicken run isn't small predator secure since it was made with horse panels but I had been locking the door from it to the super secure run and coop usually before dusk. But there's been a bunch of folks in town losing poultry to mink in the last week or so, so now I am very careful to make sure that door is closed and everyone secured well before dusk. With all the rain we've been having lately, there's water in all the drainage ditches (nearly every house in the town has a ditch in front) and the mink have spread beyond the lake shore area. They are bold as brass, I've had them come right up to me when I am fishing and wrestle with my fish cage trying to get the fish inside. I have to admit they are really pretty cute with that luxurious coat and those bright intelligent eyes but the thought of them getting to my ladies gives me cold chills. And go figure, all this going on when my egg sales have taken off. A month ago I couldn't give them away and was feeding them back to the hens and to the dog.