What did you do in the garden today?

[jerryse]

42 yesterday 50 today. Rain coming tonight. We are going to make Holliday fruit cookies after many years of not making them. I found candied fruit hard to find. Hi Vee has some. I broke the mini flush cutting wire cutters doing black walnuts. I ground down a regular diagonal wire cutter to make it thinner but still strong. Seems to be a good fix.

 

[TJAnonymous]

A branch of my local bank still had their halloween/fall decor out-pumpkins,squash and bales.
I asked if they had plans for it and if not could I buy it all.
She said it was headed for the dumpster so they could put up Christmas- it's all donated to them.
She said if I wanted to haul it away and save them the work, I could for free.
Deal. 4-80 pound bales of HAY- and a dozen large pumpkins and squash for the hens.
She said I could do the same every year after Thanksgiving.

Score! Congratulations!

 

[TJAnonymous]

I’ve never covered my rosemary and we get down into the 30’s in winter, sometimes freezing. Of course we don’t get snow…

I didn't cover my rosemary last year and it died. Of course, we also had a freak polar freeze where the temperature went to like 20 below zero. This year I purposely planted the rosemary in a pot instead of the ground so I could bring it inside if/when it gets too cold. Of course, I haven't yet determined what threshold is "too cold." It got into the low 20s at night at least 3 times this week. It was covered with a tree cover and seems fine. Since they are predicting a colder & snowier winter than usual, I probably need to figure out when to pull the trigger on moving it. Since I have the new gardening shed in place, Ive toyed with the idea of just moving it in there with a grow light on a timer for the winter. It will still get REALLY cold in there since it's not insulated but at least it will be safe from wind, snow, and frost....

 

[fuzzi]

I didn't cover my rosemary last year and it died. Of course, we also had a freak polar freeze where the temperature went to like 20 below zero. This year I purposely planted the rosemary in a pot instead of the ground so I could bring it inside if/when it gets too cold. Of course, I haven't yet determined what threshold is "too cold." It got into the low 20s at night at least 3 times this week. It was covered with a tree cover and seems fine. Since they are predicting a colder & snowier winter than usual, I probably need to figure out when to pull the trigger on moving it. Since I have the new gardening shed in place, Ive toyed with the idea of just moving it in there with a grow light on a timer for the winter. It will still get REALLY cold in there since it's not insulated but at least it will be safe from wind, snow, and frost....

If I am unsure about a plant surviving a freeze and I cannot move it, I water it at the base, and also cover the roots if possible.

 

[igorsMistress]

I didn't cover my rosemary last year and it died. Of course, we also had a freak polar freeze where the temperature went to like 20 below zero. This year I purposely planted the rosemary in a pot instead of the ground so I could bring it inside if/when it gets too cold. Of course, I haven't yet determined what threshold is "too cold." It got into the low 20s at night at least 3 times this week. It was covered with a tree cover and seems fine. Since they are predicting a colder & snowier winter than usual, I probably need to figure out when to pull the trigger on moving it. Since I have the new gardening shed in place, Ive toyed with the idea of just moving it in there with a grow light on a timer for the winter. It will still get REALLY cold in there since it's not insulated but at least it will be safe from wind, snow, and frost....

I imagine it would be a good time now since you’re so cold there. I think inside as opposed to the shed though.

If I am unsure about a plant surviving a freeze and I cannot move it, I water it at the base, and also cover the roots if possible.

If I know it’s going to freeze here I deep water trees and shrubs over the couple of days before. Hasn’t worked for anything potted, but in ground it has saved a few.

 

[igorsMistress]

There’s a hack for sweet potatoes in this video, I’m going to try it this year.

 

[David61]

my U-Pick farm is not that far. The price and available of perfect produce i can hand pick is cost effective for the time and money i have been putting into a large garden. I only plant herbs, cherry tomatoes and strike green beans now. My freezer is full of white corn, Roma tomato sauce, field peas, baby lima, speckled, ford hook, purple hull, pepers, strawberries and okra along with the memories of the hand picked strawberries , out of the field watermelons and peaches. I have blueberry bushes and know where to pick blackberries. I olny wish razzberries grew around here.

 

[CedarLane]

Don't you want to plant the bigger potatoes rather than the small ones?

So you get bigger potatoes over time.

Maybe not mammoth ones but nicely big ones.

My in-laws regularly get large potatoes. One potato can be enough for them and their children. Potatoes must really like their soil. Ours don't grow like that!

 

[CedarLane]

I like medium. Not the tiny and not the huge.



We always saved medium potatoes that we saw eyes on for seed. The more eyes the better. Keep them dark and cool through winter.

Maybe 2 weeks before planting, move them where it's warmer with more light. I sat them in a box in an extra bedroom. Just light through the window, not direct. The eyes will start to sprout.

Several days before planting time we cut them. Allow about 2-3 eyes and some of the potato "meat" attached. Let the cut sides dry a bit. Then plant. We planted about 6-8 inches apart in rows about 2 feet apart.

One potato with eyes can give you 3 or more seed potatoes.

We used to plant 2-100ft rows. That's a lot of potatoes and a lot of digging!

Thank you! This is helpful.

 

[NanaK]

Thank you! This is helpful.

You are welcome!