Gardening: (2016– )

[HungryChris]

Well, I may have a similar story..... kinda. My ex-wife loved roses and I bought a Mrs. Lincoln rose bush. I fertilized it, bone mealed it,  pampered it, read all about what they like, bought it and  applied it, nothing, not a single rose. I gave up and just ignored it. We split up, got divorced. Suddenly, that spring, there  must have been a thousand roses on the bush and it's been blooming every year since. Go figure!

HC

Edited August 7, 2017 by HungryChris (log)

[Shelby]

You guys are scaring me 

 

However, if I end up pregnant, then I will be divorced....so you could both be right

 

 

Edited August 7, 2017 by Shelby (log)

[dcarch]

7 hours ago, HungryChris said:

Most of my tomato plants are easily over 7 feet tall and being held aloft by all manner of ropes, strings and hooks.

 

I have about 80 plants, they are about 7' tall also. I use my "invisible staking system". It is working out nicely. Tomatoes are doing well.

 

 

A box of 30 lbs going to a friend. 

dcarch

 

[Shelby]

19 minutes ago, dcarch said:

 

I have about 80 plants, they are about 7' tall also. I use my "invisible staking system". It is working out nicely. Tomatoes are doing well.

 

 

A box of 30 lbs going to a friend. 

dcarch

 

Wow that is amazing!  They look so healthy.  I see that they are in raised boxes?  Do you can a bunch?  I know you 've been around here a long time but, unless I've missed it, I don't know about your canning or ????

[IowaDee]

Am I seeing some stowaway figs in the mix?   That is a beautiful assortment of tomatoes!  I can't imagine doing that under the best circumstances.  

[kayb]

13 hours ago, Shelby said:

We planted this tree like 13 years ago--maybe more--and I forgot what it was.  I see now that it's an apple tree .   It's never made fruit before.  Well, they look like apples and they taste like apples, anyway.  Very exciting.

 

 

 

 

Do you have deer? Deer will munch on all your apples they can reach, and ALL the windfalls.

 

If you need an apple butter recipe, I've got a fine one.

 

[Shelby]

9 hours ago, kayb said:

 

Do you have deer? Deer will munch on all your apples they can reach, and ALL the windfalls.

 

If you need an apple butter recipe, I've got a fine one.

 

We have tons of deer, but they haven't discovered this .....yet....  The tree is pretty close to the house so that might be the saving grace.  

[chromedome]

My father's deer-hunting blind overlooked one of the scrubby apple trees at the back end of his property.

 

(His place, and several on either side, occupied the former site of a farm that had been abandoned a century earlier.) 

[Shelby]

After many, many heartfelt talks with myself and making many, many heartfelt promises to myself, the zucchini have once again overtaken me.

 

I was doing so well.

 

I don't know what happened lol.

[dcarch]

On 8/7/2017 at 9:05 PM, Shelby said:

Wow that is amazing!  They look so healthy.  I see that they are in raised boxes?  Do you can a bunch?  I know you 've been around here a long time but, unless I've missed it, I don't know about your canning or ????

 

Amazing? Not at all.

Today's catch:

 

La Tomatina!!! Anyone?

I don't can. I dehydrate.

dcarch

[rotuts]

@Shelby

 

the zucchini have once again overtaken me.

 

count your small blessings

 

they might have been eggPlant !

 

[HungryChris]

17 hours ago, Shelby said:

After many, many heartfelt talks with myself and making many, many heartfelt promises to myself, the zucchini have once again overtaken me.

 

I was doing so well.

 

I don't know what happened lol.

OK, I'll come clean. Deb did bring some to work with her last week.

HC

 

[heidih]

I saw chomped foliage on my tomatoes and suspected those nasty caterpillars - nope - grasshoppers!  Hard to control - gonna yank them out if it gets much worse grrrr

[HungryChris]

This year I have been plagued by a family of Baltimore Orioles who cannot resist pecking holes in each tomato as it ripens. I have put up bird netting (which is a PITA to work with because it catches on everything). Next season I will erect a cage for it before the plants go in. I now pick them just as they  start to turn and bring them inside to ripen. I went out to shoo them away and one of the juveniles got caught in the netting for a bit. I am hoping that made a lasting impression.

HC

[IowaDee]

Don't know if it would help but I have found that the orioles would leave the tomatoes alone if I set some shallow dishes of grape jelly around.

Or, if you can find cheap ones, the birds go nuts over oranges cut in half.

[HungryChris]

18 minutes ago, IowaDee said:

Don't know if it would help but I have found that the orioles would leave the tomatoes alone if I set some shallow dishes of grape jelly around.

Or, if you can find cheap ones, the birds go nuts over oranges cut in half.

The orange halves was one of the things I did right away and so far, they have not been touched. I am sure we have jelly that we just don't use, I'll try that too. Thanks,

HC

Edited August 13, 2017 by HungryChris (log)

[JoNorvelleWalker]

6 hours ago, HungryChris said:

The orange halves was one of the things I did right away and so far, they have not been touched. I am sure we have jelly that we just don't use, I'll try that too. Thanks,

HC

 

 

Try mixing with strychnine.  And, yes, I am a Tom Lehrer fan.

 

[chromedome]

12 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

Try mixing with strychnine.  And, yes, I am a Tom Lehrer fan.

 

(Bows in homage)

[Okanagancook]

Shelby, look away or you may faint

 

Below is a picture my friend sent of her tomato garden against her house, southern exposure.  The field stone detailing wasn't done properly and it crashed down sometime yesterday morning.  Luckily she had done a 'pick' yesterday of any ripe ones.  I think there are two plants that were spared.  She was very distraught.

[Shelby]

1 hour ago, Okanagancook said:

Shelby, look away or you may faint

 

Below is a picture my friend sent of her tomato garden against her house, southern exposure.  The field stone detailing wasn't done properly and it crashed down sometime yesterday morning.  Luckily she had done a 'pick' yesterday of any ripe ones.  I think there are two plants that were spared.  She was very distraught.

Thank you for the warning.  I braced myself with a hearty drink of wine.  Ugh.  I feel bad for your friend.

[Shelby]

On 8/8/2017 at 10:32 PM, rotuts said:

@Shelby

 

the zucchini have once again overtaken me.

 

count your small blessings

 

they might have been eggPlant !

 

Don't worry.  Those are coming soon 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

I just brought in about 50 cracked tomatoes.  I'd been leaving the tomatoes on the vines because there is no room inside.

 

[Toliver]

18 hours ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

I just brought in about 50 cracked tomatoes.  I'd been leaving the tomatoes on the vines because there is no room inside.

 

You need a tomato mill. Then toss the juiced 'maters into plastic bags and put them in the freezer. You'll have the fixin's for tomato sauce any time you need it.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

9 hours ago, Toliver said:

You need a tomato mill. Then toss the juiced 'maters into plastic bags and put them in the freezer. You'll have the fixin's for tomato sauce any time you need it.

 

Yes, I bought one about a month ago:

https://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/moulinex-food-mill/

 

Haven't used it yet.  I have a few tomato dinners planned.  Freezer space here is at a premium.

 

 

[TicTac]

Finally something to share!  Far better than the bounty was harvesting them with my 4 year old son.  He was quite amused by the odd shapes of the cukes, to which I responded 'Welcome to Mother Nature and what real food looks like!'

 

Edited August 19, 2017 by TicTac (log)