Wisconsin "Cheeseheads"

[ElaineS585]

Quote:
Hey, Kristip,
Thanks very much for posting the plant sale at Shopko info last week. The stores on the east side of town were @ 75% off that day. I did buy a North Star cherry for $10 as they only had 2 left and I had been wanting one for awhile. I wouldn't have known about the sale without your post. I waited for 90% off. When that sale price hit, I bought a cherry & apple tree & 2 seedless grapes for my sister for her birthday. (She and I are each other's enablers.) Bought 2 seedless grapes for me & all the grapes ended up being $1.70 each! SCORE! Like you, I've been working on adding dwarf or semi-dwarf fruit trees for the last 3 years and I'm about out of room. I was really lucky last fall when a friend who was moving said I could have her 6 fruit trees if I wanted to dig them up which I did. They all survived the winter and are thriving this year. I might have to start ripping out ornamentals to make more room! ha This year my two apple trees have 2 fruit each (transplanted last Fall), a plum tree (transplanted last Fall) has 1 plum, but my peach tree must have 20 peaches on it. Several of my grape plants are starting to fruit as well. (I keep losing grape plants every winter and I'm not sure why that is. Maybe the kinds I bought are just short-lived?) I'm happy to see any and all fruit as I'm still learning how to prune properly. I'm hoping for a lot of fruit starting next year as most of the trees I planted take 3-5 years to fruit after transplanting. In addition to the 2 apples, 3 plums and 2 peaches, I have an 2 apricots, a nectarine, 3 pears & 2 Nanking Cherry. (I might take out the nanking cherries they take up an awful lot of space for minimal fruit.) I just bought a black berry bush from Home Depot for 50% off ($7). They had a bunch of semi-dwarf apples for 50% off if anyone's looking for apple trees. I'd like to add a couple more varieties of raspberries, a couple different gooseberries and maybe a currant or two and then I think I'll be done. With the price of food these days, I wish I would have started planting fruit trees SOONER! Ah, well, better late than never!

Well, I'm off to get some plants in before the heat takes over. Enjoy your Sunday!
Elaine

 

[kristip]

Yeah! Glad you found some Elaine! We are going back to the west side today to see if there is anything left. We have a couple acres and we are adding fruit trees all over. You have to tell me how you got your peach trees to go... mine do nothing. This year the apples have about 8 between the 2 of them and the pears are plentiful, but the plums did nothing. I have four dwarf plums and have not had luck with them. The grapes look good for the first year. I know I bought table grapes so we will gobble those up. We got a handful of blueberries this year from our 6 bushes. Would like to add some more in the future. It is fun. Enjoy

 

[Gaelio]

Your lucky fruit tree extravaganza in Madison gets me excited to go looking for something like that in Milwaukee or Waukesha cty. If anyone knows of a great sale, would you please post?
We had a thriving peach tree for about 5 years and then it died. Don't know why.
I've always used my grape leaves to make dolmas. Good and even good for you!

 

[MustLoveHens]

Morning all!

Just wanted to stop in and say Hi before I start and finish my chores to beat the heat! I need to stop looking at coops and get off the computer! LOL!!

I have much to reply to but can't remember any of it except to BigZ and his pepper problem? Right? I grow boat loads of them. I know a lot of people last year had trouble but I never did. Mine get so much fruit I give them away. I think I get so many because my dh loves to plant them and I hate most peppers except for Bells! The one kinds he dislikes! Anyway, I plant mine next to my tomatoes and they do super. I also use Osmocote plant food when I first plant them. They don't like a load of water so they either get rain or watered when they look wilt-y. I kind of ignore them since I don't like them so there you have it! Once they fruit however, I pick them often as this helps then re blossom and fruit quickly. This year all of my peppers and tomatoes are flowering and fruit-ing but they are slow to mature. I keep looking at my watch thinking "Hellloooo!!! Winter is around the corner! Wanna Kick with the food before the frost gets here!!!!" Argh!

Was it dk who was having container tomato troubles?- one of mine is rather blighty this year and I'm having trouble with Blossom End Rot on one hanging plant. I keep adding calcium to that one but not luck. I had trouble with B.E.R. on only one plant last year too. My garden maters are doing great though as in my other container tomato.

Ok gotta go!

 

[MustLoveHens]

SOUTHERN BASH QUESTION!!

Have we decided on a date and place? I have had a few people asking before they sign up!

Thanks

 

[Terri O]

good hot morning! Whew! It is close out there today again....we need a panting smiley! THe torts were more than ready to get out of their night time house today. THey started chowing down on roses and zucchini blossoms the minute I set them down. Today I am going to try and get the posts in and the new wire up for their "high security fence" I want to let them into the whole garden but do not want to lose them! Been there, done that!

Didnt like it one bit!

Glad you are showing the new dog that you're the boss Cind! That link was interesting that someone posted about reporting abuse. I had read it another time. Someone called the sheriff on me one time about 6 years ago. THey told him that my horses were standing in mud and sh1t up to their bellies! So the sheriff comes out, this was in a very wet spring, and asked if he could see the horses. They were out in the pasture so I called them in. They all come running to see if I have treats. He looked at them, checked the water tank, saw that they had plenty to eat and said, "well, I sure dont see anything wrong here!" HE said he would file a report and that was it. I think a lot of people dont understand how yucky it gets when you have animals in the spring. One time they called the sheriff on my friend up the road because a calf was laying out in the lane. It was there for two days...the farmer said it was there because that is where the mama told it to stay. The funny thing is that it was true. When the cows came back up the lane the baby would get up and walk with them and then when they went back to the barn she would "tell" the calf to stay there. Maybe so he wouldnt get trampled in the gate area? That calf laid down there for about a week and then she let it come along with the big girls!

Cant remember what I was going to say anymore...good thing I just ordered something called "Unforgettables" from Melaleuca. I sure hope they help me get some of my memory back...or maybe just allow me to keep what little I have?
Great scores on the fruit trees everyone! I would like to get some cherries too. The ones I had are gone now...got too shaded with the big maple and the black walnut trees in the woods I guess. Maybe I will take a drive to shopko today and see what they have. I know that my neighbor has pretty much bought out the store in Watertown...I will try Fort Atkinson. Maybe Menaard's will have some too? I do need to get the base at least for my new gazebo there so might as well check out the plants. Speaking of plants...I am going to plant my potatoes (finally) today too. I ripped out the last of the salad garden yesterday so I have some "easy dirt" to plant into. That's what I need...easy!

Well I suppose I better get off of here...BigZ that did happen to me with my peppers one year. I cant remember off the top of my head what it was--I will get back to you. I am thinking it was Nitrogen that was too high but I will check. Mine are producing this year...have eaten a few already! I picked 3 nice zucchini yesterday too and my pickles are 1" long!!!

DrH--when you are making all these quarts of pickles what method are you using? I would like to make some but the recipe that I have doesnt leave them crisp as I would like. Care to share yours?

Have a fantastic day everyone! Terri O

I have the same questions about the bash as MLH!

 

[jvls1942]

good morning, going to be another hot one today..

the sick poult did die.. but there is a replacement in the bator ..

The baby peacock is growing.. I am busting a vein trying to figure out where to put him next.. I am way over stocked with chickens.. no more empty coops or cages.. there are quite a few birds that are big enough to start free ranging, but the coops will be packed at night..

I wanted to finish pulling roots today, but it rained quite a bit so it might be too muddy to take the tractor down there..

BTW I do not purposely break things to create projects..LOL

You souther people are so lucky.. you get 2 extra weeks in the spring and 3 weeks in the fall for your growing season.. we can't even dream of pear or peach trees up north ..

You could have come here for free blackberry roots.. to have good blackberries, you need a good wet autumn.. we have blackberry stems like small trees, but no berries this year.. In other years we had hundreds of pounds of them.. One day Annie picked 100 pounds alone .. we made 40 gallons of wine that year.. we kept track of how many berries people picked that year.. it was close to 500 pounds...
To make blackberry wine, it is best to freeze the berries first.. freezing breaks down the "skin: around the seeds and releases the juice better.. probably would do the same for making jelly.....

Cind, all you have to do is show up here for an old-fashion.. I thought it was such a good idea, that I had two before bedtime..

blueberries need acid soil.. when I had them I would mulch them with pine needles..

I go through about 50 pounds of feed per day..

I remember the questions,, just not who asked..




..........jiminwisc.........

 

[ElaineS585]

Re: pickles, grapes, blackberry wine & the southern bash is still undecided

I just read yesterday (somewhere) that for really crisp pickles it recommended putting a fresh grape leaf in the bottom of the jar before packing. Am going to make some bread and butter pickles for the first time today or tomorrow and I will try it!

I checked my list and I now have 17 grape plants. It'll sure be fun when I get to harvest a lot but I don't expect full-blown crops since I don't have full sun. I make a delicious concord grape pie and love to make & eat grape sorbet (basically frozen grape juice whipped up in an ice cream maker) and can never have enough grape juice. Every year I think I'm going to make those rolled grape leaf things with rice, etc., and every year I fail to do it... Maybe next year?

Jim, you made me really, really jealous with your blackberry stories - wow, that's a lot of work to pick but a whole lot of bounty! Wow I am so impressed. Wonder why you didn't get fruit this year -- weather perhaps? Or are they known to skip now and then? Blackberry wine -- now doesn't that sound delicious! Makes me think of Strawberry Hill wine from much younger days - and haven't a clue why the association! Now with all the meds I'm on I drink very little and I do miss my margaritas & beer. (Beer gives me an instant headache now and it never used to. The only beer I can drink without an instant headache is a half of glass of hubby's homebrew.) And like Toby Keith's song says (and I know it's true for me), "Girl, you ain't much fun since you stopped drinking..."

Unless I missed it, the Southern Bash is still undecided both in final date and location. We really need to get that decided so everyone can figure out what's what. Although I think I am the one that originally brought up having a second mini-bash in So. WI, as a newbie I'm not comfortable making that decision for the group. I do hope it's in Dane County but will consider traveling if I can carpool with someone (and will share in gas expenses of course.) Not sure who to appoint as decision maker or how to go about it but as the saying goes, let's 'get 'er done!'
Elaine

 

[dkvart1]

ACCCCKKKK! Greetings folks! Had the entire post done and poof!

What I remember.... haven't seen calf in two days, maybe getting the help he needs, at least I hope so! Will check again tomorrow.

BigZ never had that happen with peppers and never heard of no blossoms, odd indeed.

Goth, glad kitty is doing well.

Cind, Benny was raised w/a yorkie and two cats...still wants to chase ours, he is undergoing crate training with kitties outside where he can see and smell them so he becomes accustomed to seeing them. He just wants to play, but it terrifies the girls.

Jim.. 50lbs of food a day???? not sure Noah went through that much

you must have some group of critters!

DH is out looking at a little putt putt boat so we can have our coffee on the river... yup a boat for coffee

thought I'd share a couple of nice shots I got yesterday of butterflies and queen annes lace that I especially liked.

Hope everyone is staying cool. I'm taking the day off (that said after 3 loads of laundry, sweeping the floors, walking the dogs, making breakfast, cleaning the litter box, cleaning up the laundry room...etc...)

"Take the day off" DH says, after all this... sheesh!

I'VE ONLY HAD A COUPLE OF RESPONSES ON DATE AND EITHER THE 1ST OR THE 8TH WAS GOOD FOR BOTH... NOT THE MOST DECISIVE GROUP ARE WE? I SAY GO WITH OCT 1ST (I figure I'll be a popsickle by then anyway).

Have a great day all!
Deb

 

[loadsofeggs]

Beautiful photos Deb thanks for sharing!