What did you do in the garden today?

[fuzzi]

Went down to the garden. Looking pretty good.
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Picked 5 heads of broccoli and 2 cabbages. Gave 1 cabbage to the chickens. That won't last long!
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I'll be picking more broccoli in a few days. Looks like it will be a nice harvest. Pretty happy about that.

Wow, nice!

In all the years I have gardened I can't recall ever doing any autumn garden. This year I have carrots, turnips, collards, and looseleaf lettuce.

Very modest.

 

[akroberts1085]

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Happy Thanksgiving ( from the cutest little turkey ever!)

So very cute. Thank you

 

[akroberts1085]

Didn't get dinner done until 4 pm for turkey day but it was awesome after that. My 2nd youngest grandson was SOOO giddy about the chickens. He was feeding them ham and crackers from a lunchable. He got so tickled by seeing them fight over the food. Then my youngest grandson gave me a Pippa pig stuffed animal and I asked him what does the pig say then I said oink oink and he said what pig say koink koink. I then put my finger on my nose and pushed it up and said oink oink so he put his finger on his nose and said koink koink. So adorable.

 

[chickengr]

2024 Gardening season, here I come!!

Just mailed my sweet potato order (Sandhill Preservation center) bc they just updated that portion of site for 2024. Old school, mail in order. But, they send confirmation with place in line sometime in Jan/Feb. I’ve ordered 8 orange varieties and 4 white varieties. All early season. So, clearly we will have lots of sweets next year.

Then, ordered some dried beans I’ve been wanting (grew in the past) but always out of stock where I’ve ordered them from in the past. Found a family farm that sells two I’ve been wanting, and two new to me varieties. Dried beans are great. They grow and you want them to dry out. No stress for picking at just the right stage.

Next up I should plan out the things we will plant and decide if I need to order any seeds. I shouldn’t really need any or very few.

how many plants of dried beans do you need to pick up enough beans for your family? and at what distance should we plant different varieties?

 

[FrannyNZooey]

Didn’t do much in the garden today. I pruned back a peony that completely died back. Also chopped back a fuscia bush. I added these cuttings to our second compost bin. I’ve been thinking of topping off our garden beds with raked leaves. I’ve never done that before, but it may help protect the soil, plus add some bulk so we have to do less top off in the spring.

I was sketching out where I want to plant our 2024 veggies. Somehow I need to come up with more square footage in our back yard! I also need to plan better for any fall planting next year. I think I started stuff too late this year. I’ve also been toying with the idea of building a temporary cloche thing with the extra marine vinyl I have from the chicken coop.

DH gets back on Monday evening so I’m probably going to make another batch of stuffing tomorrow night or Monday morning.

 

[Acre4Me]

how many plants of dried beans do you need to pick up enough beans for your family? and at what distance should we plant different varieties?

I’ve planted two 10’ rows of bush beans, and up to eight 4’ rows of pole beans to get around 1/2 to 1 cup of dried beans per foot of beans in any year. Since many recipes call for 1/2 -2C of dried beans, that is several hearty meals. It varies according to bean type -some are better producers than others. I plant pole or bush, and bush beans will sometimes grow, produce, and fully dry with enough time for a fall crop if something else, such as beets or spinach to follow. Pole beans are slower to grow and produce, but often mine will grow around the full 10’ height of my towers, so many beans on long vines.

The ones I just purchased are bush beans. The only bush beans I planted in 2023 were green beans and soybeans, so these dried ones will be a good addition for 2024.

As far as saving seed, I’m not sure- I can’t remember how easily beans will cross pollinate.

 

[Acre4Me]

square footage in our back yard!

Go up! Use your fence for things like peas and beans. Pots or grow bags along a walkway, or on wide steps. What is it that you want to grow?

 

[jerryse]

We have about 2 inches of snow and still snowing. Indoor stuff today. I hope DW is in a good mood.

 

[NanaK]

at what distance should we plant different varieties?

As far as saving seed, I’m not sure- I can’t remember how easily beans will cross pollinate.

I grow several types of beans too. We use them fresh, blanched frozen and dried. I also save seed each year. I have grown bush beans in the past. Now I mostly grow pole beans so I can stand or sit on a crate to pick. I have back problems so it is easier for me.

Beans don't cross pollinate easily. Here is a nice article from Sow True Seeds. It says,

Bean flowers are perfect and self-fertile, meaning they can pollinate themselves. While bees will visit bean flowers, cross pollination does not happen very easily. Different bean varieties only need to be separated by 10-20ft to avoid cross-pollination. That means making sure your Cherokee Trail of Tears, or your Kentucky Wonder, stays true-to-type is very achievable even in a small garden.

https://sowtrueseed.com/blogs/planting/beans-the-complete-guide-to-growing-beans-from-seed-to-seed

 

[Sequel]

I cleaned out the cleanout area under the roost today and flipped a huge compost pile. Whew! I am going down hill from there. Picked some daikon radish, bok choy, mustards collard and turnips. I am going to turn green if I keep eating so much of them! Made eggrolls and wonton soup for lunch. Now for a nap and we'll see about the chickens food and water later.

Yum! You made egg rolls???