Gardening: 2015-2016

[HungryChris]

22 hours ago, Shelby said:

Gah, it is SO windy here.  Fires are raging again.  Need rain please

 

I was able to get out on Monday and plant lettuce, spinach, collards and brussels sprouts.  We will see if anything grows.

 

Yesterday I picked the first asparagus of the year. 

Shelby,

I wish I could send some of this rain your way!

Every morning I look at my asparagus bed and pull anything out that has come up that does not look like asparagus and so far, that means everything.

In spite of the nasty weather here, my ramps are up!!

[HungryChris]

On ‎4‎/‎6‎/‎2016 at 7:57 AM, rotuts said:

maybe the first daffodil will make it, the second looks pretty bad.

A similar sad commentary here as well. We can only hope that when the sun does come out, it will inspire these plants into a renewed vigor.

[sartoric]

I really can't imagine what it's like to live with snow. Okay, I did a few snow bunny seasons in my early twenties, so I can relate, but I wasn't trying to grow anything

These are the last of this summers tomatoes and a few chillies.

 

 

Plus us I harvested these kaffir limes this morning. I'm not sure what I'll do with them, any ideas ?

 

[KennethT]

Make curry paste!!!!  I was under the impression that kaffir limes don't have much juice, and are mainly used for their zest, which is used in thai curry pastes.. I don't know if it's use in curry pastes from other locales...

[HungryChris]

Brought the lettuce and mustard greens out from under the lamps to enjoy a taste of the real thing on the deck rail.

[djyee100]

On ‎4‎/‎9‎/‎2016 at 9:48 PM, sartoric said:

Plus I harvested these kaffir limes this morning. I'm not sure what I'll do with them, any ideas ?

 

I only use the peel in Thai cooking. Offhand, I can't think of any use except curry paste. When I have an excess quantity of limes, I wrap each lime in plastic wrap and freeze the limes for future use.

 

A curl of kaffir lime peel to garnish some limeade (made with regular limes)? The juice is very floral, probably not the best choice for most lime juice recipes.

 

My herbs are starting to wake up, but there's not much to see yet, only tiny buds and leaves on the Greek oregano, culinary lavenders, and lemon verbena. My rosemary plant has decided to live. I ended up ditching my other herbs from last year--the usual culprit, a whitefly infestation during the winter. When the weather warms up some more, I'll visit the nursery for new plants.

 

[sartoric]

2 hours ago, djyee100 said:

 

I only use the peel in Thai cooking. Offhand, I can't think of any use except curry paste. When I have an excess quantity of limes, I wrap each lime in plastic wrap and freeze the limes for future use.

 

A curl of kaffir lime peel to garnish some limeade (made with regular limes)? The juice is very floral, probably not the best choice for most lime juice recipes.

 

My herbs are starting to wake up, but there's not much to see yet, only tiny buds and leaves on the Greek oregano, culinary lavenders, and lemon verbena. My rosemary plant has decided to live. I ended up ditching my other herbs from last year--the usual culprit, a whitefly infestation during the winter. When the weather warms up some more, I'll visit the nursery for new plants.

 

 

Thanks @KennethT and @djyee100. Curry paste is all I've used them for previously. Google reveals some desserts and drinks. I think these guys will go in the freezer for now.

[Shelby]

Nice haul from the asparagus garden yesterday.

 

 

Storm alert just went off a while ago to warn me of a freeze tonight.  Sigh.  29 degrees.  Glad I didn't plant my 'maters yet.......  A bit worried about my peonies.  I've already sucker budded them so they are quite tall and I don't think I have buckets big enough to put over them.

[djyee100]

5 hours ago, Shelby said:

...  A bit worried about my peonies.  I've already sucker budded them so they are quite tall and I don't think I have buckets big enough to put over them.

 

A large plastic trash bag, preferably heavy-duty, held down by rocks? Plastic is very insulating. I've wrapped my sleeping bag in a spare (clean) trash bag during cold nights while backpacking in the Sierra Nevada. Really. Also 29 degrees is not that far below freezing. Are your plants close to the house? The warmth from the house will ease the chill around it.

[DianaB]

5 hours ago, Shelby said:

Nice haul from the asparagus garden yesterday.

 

 

Storm alert just went off a while ago to warn me of a freeze tonight.  Sigh.  29 degrees.  Glad I didn't plant my 'maters yet.......  A bit worried about my peonies.  I've already sucker budded them so they are quite tall and I don't think I have buckets big enough to put over them.

Love your asparagus Shelby. We've been trying to get some growing for three years now. Only one spear so far this year despite great foliage last year.

We've  grown them before with ease but this location seems unwilling to yield much. At least we have rhubarb this year, another plant that has grown like a weed elsewhere but here we have really struggled. Looking forward to a real old fashioned crumble and custard next weekend...

[ElainaA]

7 hours ago, Shelby said:

 

Storm alert just went off a while ago to warn me of a freeze tonight.  Sigh.  29 degrees.  Glad I didn't plant my 'maters yet.......  A bit worried about my peonies.  I've already sucker budded them so they are quite tall and I don't think I have buckets big enough to put over them.

I've used old sheets held down with rocks - I keep a stash for that very purpose. If it only goes down to 29 that should be sufficient. 

[shain]

Took out the fennel plants. Leaves and bulbs for today's launch, stalks and roots for upcoming soup or stew.

I can't make them grow as big and sweet as the ones on the market, but it's worth it just for the scent when you pass bay the plant.

 

Also, lovely wild allium of sort (can someone tell by the photo?). I ate one a month ago, had a small bulb with a nice leek-like flavor.

[KennethT]

My wife took this picture and posted it to Instagram yesterday...  this is the yu choy - ready for harvest!

[Shelby]

The rabbits ate all 5 of my brussels sprouts plants.  

[Anna N]

59 minutes ago, Shelby said:

The rabbits ate all 5 of my brussels sprouts plants.  

 But I bet they'll make tasty rabbit stew! 

[ElainaA]

1 hour ago, Shelby said:

The rabbits ate all 5 of my brussels sprouts plants.  

 The year that they got all my peas inspired a 4' fence, buried 4" below ground. 

[Shelby]

Damn it.  I love the little things...but we have a LOT of them.  My dogs have quit being able to catch them and I guess we have no cats around in the barn any more.  Sigh.

 

 

[ElainaA]

1 hour ago, Shelby said:

Damn it.  I love the little things...but we have a LOT of them.  My dogs have quit being able to catch them and I guess we have no cats around in the barn any more.  Sigh.

 

 

Last spring we had lunch at a friend's house. After the meal, as we sat around sipping limoncello my friend Judy nudged her husband and pointed out the window. He got up and left the room. A minute later we heard a gunshot. He came in, looked at Judy and said "Rabbit stew." I depend on our cats and the dog. And a fence. But I do like rabbit stew.

[Thanks for the Crepes]

If you get a young rabbit, they are also delicious fried. They are extremely difficult to keep out of a garden. Burying half of an eight foot fence of any appreciable perimeter, is quite the project. If you have "a LOT" of them now, you will have more very shortly. They are endearing creatures, but drastic measures are probably called for.

 

Good luck with your garden, @Shelby, between the coons and rabbits, it sure looks like you're going to need it. Many of us love following along with your bounteous garden adventures every year, the preserving you do as you harvest, and finally seeing the veggies appear in your summer and off-season dinners like the home canned tomatoes in the salad you made the other day.

[Tere]

Funnily enough, I have hares but not rabbits. My farming neighbour reckons they don't live well together. Regardless the new veggie patch has a large and deep fence around it

[ElainaA]

Today was transplant day here. That is, I moved most of my seedlings from seed trays into their own pots. I probably should have waited a few days to take pictures - the seedlings go into transplant shock for awhile - they'll look better soon. No plant goes out side here for another month.

 

Bel fiore radicchio in front, basil (still in seed trays - it is slow) and rossa di chioggia  radicchio in back.

 

 

One tray of tomatoes - there are 4 trays plus a few pots with the cabbage. 70 plants, 15 different varieties.

 

 

 

2 kinds of mini cabbage - a red and a green. Last year I grew gonzoles, supposedly a mini head type - they got huge. More tomatoes in the back of the tryay.

 

 

These are the extras for trades or give aways. They are not all claimed so anyone showing up in Virgil, NY can have some! As you can see from the question marks, I forgot to label some of the pots immediately. Nothing wrong with a little mystery. 

 

 

I'll trade some radicchio and tomatoes for pepper plants with a neighbor. Everything else in the garden goes in from seed. I'm hoping to start planting by early May. 

Edited April 16, 2016 by ElainaA (log)

[kayb]

Got the garden plots tilled up today. Will be off to Lowe's tomorrow to pick up compost and a hoe, as well as some kind of edging to keep it from migrating over into the yard. Plus herbs and tomatoes, and seeds for yellow squash, zucchini and cucumbers. If this goes well, we may add larger plots next summer.

[dcarch]

1 hour ago, kayb said:

Got the garden plots tilled up today. Will be off to Lowe's tomorrow to pick up compost --------------

 

Many town's recycling center can give you free compost. Truck loads if you want.

 

dcarch

[Paul Bacino]

Quick question..  Just bought some fresh Shishito peppers,,

 

What do I need to do for the seeds.. to start growing them ?

[rotuts]

take them out of the peppers.  wash and dry your hands first.  the issues are minimal, and probably only fungal.

 

put them in fresh, sterile growing medium.

 

wet the medium first.  then keep that medium moist in a warm place.   70 degrees.   in a few days they might sprout.

 

then sun.  leave them alone w bottom water until you see the first truer leaves.

 

they may or may not get 'damping off ' with attacks the very early stem, and then they die.

 

that's why fresh sterile medium etc.

 

let us know.

 

tomato seeds are different.  they have a 'gel coating'  that need to be fermented off.

 

Ive never seen a pepper with this.  but keep everything initially clean.