Gardening: (2016– )

FauxPas · July 15

5 minutes ago, Smithy said:

Your season is amazingly different from ours! I don't think the potatoes will be ready for another couple of months! Sometimes I've seen sacks for sale by Labor Day.

Don't you get any of the new-potato varieties there before then, @Smithy? We are an in-between climate season here (I think) but we get the new Warba potatoes in late May or so. And others later in the summer.

What type of potatoes do you grow @Shelby?

**Shelby** · July 15

27 minutes ago, Smithy said:

Your season is amazingly different from ours! I don't think the potatoes will be ready for another couple of months! Sometimes I've seen sacks for sale by Labor Day.

It's soooo much hotter here. Actually I didn't get my potatoes from Burpee as soon as I should have. They ship when THEY think it's time to plant. It's about 2-3 weeks too late IMO. I used to plant right around St. Pat's Day. I didn't get my order until the end of March and really, this year, I would have planted the first week of March.

18 minutes ago, FauxPas said:

Don't you get any of the new-potato varieties there before then, @Smithy? We are an in-between climate season here (I think) but we get the new Warba potatoes in late May or so. And others later in the summer.

What type of potatoes do you grow @Shelby?

Russets and Yukon Gold

**Smithy** · July 15

1 hour ago, FauxPas said:

Don't you get any of the new-potato varieties there before then, @Smithy? We are an in-between climate season here (I think) but we get the new Warba potatoes in late May or so. And others later in the summer.

What type of potatoes do you grow @Shelby?

Actually, you're right: we get new-potato types here too. Offhand I can't think of the varieties. I was thinking of the large varieties -- russets and so on -- when I talked about not getting them until later.

Senior Sea Kayaker · July 16

This morning's sugar snap and snow peas.

Also getting lots of lettuces, chard and beet greens.

And the odd volunteer ( a collard plant from a dormant seed from last season).

Tomatoes coming along but not for a few weeks (5b zone).

Lots of herbs including dill, tarragon, oregano, sage, rosemary, spicy globe basil, green onions, garlic and regular chives, parsley and a lot of cilantro.

I was going to toss some old oyster mushroom substrate into the compost but decided to give it a soak and come what may.

Glad I did.

YvetteMT · July 19

Was watering the strawberries this morning and this guy decided it was a perfect spot for a shower.

FauxPas · July 21

For @Shelby, from Facebook Happy Gardens group

**Shelby** · July 22

3 hours ago, FauxPas said:

For @Shelby, from Facebook Happy Gardens group

OMG IM DYING LAUGHING!!!! SOOOOO true

Senior Sea Kayaker · July 26

Yesterday was garlic harvesting day.

As I was taking the photo I heard that familiar buzz, did a quick turn, and finally got a shot of the fastest 'grab and go' diner.

Paul Bacino · July 30

First Hatch

Senior Sea Kayaker · August 2

Beet greens, cukes, first bush beans, Chioggia beets (small but I grow beets for the greens), zucchini and fresh garlic.

FauxPas · August 2

48 minutes ago, Senior Sea Kayaker said:

I grow beets for the greens

I've probably seen posts where you use them, but if so I have forgotten. 🙂

Just wondering how you like to use your beet greens - cooked, raw in salads or maybe both? Do you have fave recipes or anything? I'm not sure I make the best use of mine - I use the younger ones in salads and some of the older ones in soups maybe, but I'm not very creative with them.

Senior Sea Kayaker · August 2

9 minutes ago, FauxPas said:

I've probably seen posts where you use them, but if so I have forgotten. 🙂

Just wondering how you like to use your beet greens - cooked, raw in salads or maybe both? Do you have fave recipes or anything? I'm not sure I make the best use of mine - I use the younger ones in salads and some of the older ones in soups maybe, but I'm not very creative with them.

I treat them as I would chard since they're very closely related (chard is also called silverbeet). Young for salads and more mature as you would chard. I've used them as mixed greens, along with radish greens, as a spanakopita filling, braised greens with some sausage or ham....lots of applications.

dcarch · August 3

This is a beauty, according to it's mother.

There are "Beauty Contests" for this kind of extraordinary beauties. I am sure this one will win a few contests.

dcarch

Edited August 3 by dcarch (log)

AlaMoi · August 3

that's a good candidate to submit to US Patents & Trademark people about the use of "Ugli"

Senior Sea Kayaker · August 4

It's going to be another heat advisory day so I was out early while still relatively cool.

Sugar snap peas are holding in there (the trellis is just short of 2 meters high) and producing. There are also purple long bean vines all along the trellis with lots of flowers and not quite ready to pick beans. A lot of produce for such a small footprint.

The empty area is where the garlic was and has been planted with 2 types of bush beans, orange and red chard and watermelon radishes.

Second bed with lettuces, beets, chard, bush beans cucumbers, 'mouse melons', zucchini, some determinate tomato plants and a late planting of more long beans (the snow peas didn't do well during the heat and had to go).

Carolina Reaper plant doing well and showing a lot of developing peppers. Successful red shiso and purslane.

And lots of tomatoes just starting to turn.

Edited August 4 by Senior Sea Kayaker (log)

KennethT · August 10

My turmeric plant just sent up a new shoot!

YvetteMT · August 10

@KennethT what is the electronic thing to the left in the soil?

KennethT · August 11

3 hours ago, YvetteMT said:

@KennethT what is the electronic thing to the left in the soil?

Capacitive moisture sensor

chromedome · August 11

Another hasty catch-up post. Harvested my garlic a couple of weeks ago, and this year's "jungle o' beans" is in full swing. This picture shows over 10 lbs from last night's picking (filet beans on the left, regular bush beans to the right) to go with the 20 that are already in my freezer. Need to find time today to plant another bed for a late harvest. About 5 pounds of cukes barely visible in the back left, and a big pile of lettuce (mostly Grand Rapids) at the back right. The first handful of pattypan squash and 4 pounds or so of tomatoes in the front right (they're just starting to hit their stride). Between the tomatoes and beans you'll spot the last handful of peas from my early planting. The new bed is beginning to push out blossoms and I should see pods any day now, so I somehow timed that just about right.

Tomorrow I'll run through the greens again and harvest another big shopping bag of kale and chard. I have my first few pounds in the freezer, but I'll be going hard on the greens in the second half of the gardening season to try and build up the winter stash in my freezer. A few years ago I managed 30 lbs of blanched and frozen greens, which lasted us just about to my first harvest the next year. Given that we now live with the stepdaughter and grandkids, I'll need a bit more this time to get us through the winter. Also last year's 50 pounds of beans were gone by February, so I'm hoping to do better this year.

I've done late plantings of Early Wonder beets (which I grow primarily for the greens), a lacinato-type kale called Black Magic, and also spinach and cauliflower. I've never had any luck with early plantings of those last two (our springs just aren't long enough) but I had modest success a few years ago with a late planting of cauliflower so I'm trying it again. So far, so good. Also my broccoli were late getting started, because I had a bed wiped out early in the season, but they're cold-hardy and I'm hopeful to still get a decent yield. My handful of pepper plants are bearing, but not heavily. I forget the name of this year's cultivar, but next year I'll definitely go back to last year's Red Knight hybrid which was sturdier and bore more heavily.

I have lots of dill and cukes, but haven't done much pickling. I have a batch of Lady Ashburnham started, which I'll finish and can today (Lady A is a local variation on mustard pickles, made with diced mature cucumbers). I may have enough small cukes for a tiny batch of dills, and I'll use a few of the mid-sized ones for bread & butter pickles.

TicTac · August 12

On 8/11/2024 at 6:43 AM, chromedome said:

Another hasty catch-up post. Harvested my garlic a couple of weeks ago, and this year's "jungle o' beans" is in full swing. This picture shows over 10 lbs from last night's picking (filet beans on the left, regular bush beans to the right) to go with the 20 that are already in my freezer. Need to find time today to plant another bed for a late harvest. About 5 pounds of cukes barely visible in the back left, and a big pile of lettuce (mostly Grand Rapids) at the back right. The first handful of pattypan squash and 4 pounds or so of tomatoes in the front right (they're just starting to hit their stride). Between the tomatoes and beans you'll spot the last handful of peas from my early planting. The new bed is beginning to push out blossoms and I should see pods any day now, so I somehow timed that just about right.

Tomorrow I'll run through the greens again and harvest another big shopping bag of kale and chard. I have my first few pounds in the freezer, but I'll be going hard on the greens in the second half of the gardening season to try and build up the winter stash in my freezer. A few years ago I managed 30 lbs of blanched and frozen greens, which lasted us just about to my first harvest the next year. Given that we now live with the stepdaughter and grandkids, I'll need a bit more this time to get us through the winter. Also last year's 50 pounds of beans were gone by February, so I'm hoping to do better this year.

I've done late plantings of Early Wonder beets (which I grow primarily for the greens), a lacinato-type kale called Black Magic, and also spinach and cauliflower. I've never had any luck with early plantings of those last two (our springs just aren't long enough) but I had modest success a few years ago with a late planting of cauliflower so I'm trying it again. So far, so good. Also my broccoli were late getting started, because I had a bed wiped out early in the season, but they're cold-hardy and I'm hopeful to still get a decent yield. My handful of pepper plants are bearing, but not heavily. I forget the name of this year's cultivar, but next year I'll definitely go back to last year's Red Knight hybrid which was sturdier and bore more heavily.

I have lots of dill and cukes, but haven't done much pickling. I have a batch of Lady Ashburnham started, which I'll finish and can today (Lady A is a local variation on mustard pickles, made with diced mature cucumbers). I may have enough small cukes for a tiny batch of dills, and I'll use a few of the mid-sized ones for bread & butter pickles.

VERY Impressive!!!

What size is your garden?

gulfporter · August 12

This isn't the result of my gardening, just foraging on my part.

Each of past 3 days I have foraged an intact aguacate in my yard, fallen from my neighbor's tree. Usually when I get to them the ardillas (squirrels) have chomped on them. Or they suffered severe damage from the fall.

These are not Haas, they are natural ones, natives. Very mild, not good for guac, we eat on side with the local hot sauce and/or a sprinkle of Tajin.

chromedome · August 12

2 hours ago, TicTac said:

VERY Impressive!!!

What size is your garden?

I'm not sure off the top of my head. I worked it out last year, I'll see if I can find that post. Each kind of beans is in a bed that's roughly 3'x6', IIRC, and I plant them thickly so they'll crowd out the weeds once they hit a certain size. It's a bit more work "beating the bushes" to find the beans, but I can grow a lot in a small space. Pole beans apparently give greater yield for a given space, but I haven't had much success with them yet in this garden. This year I haven't planted any at all, though I'm hoping to still get some in before it's too late.

dcarch · August 13

Squash greens are delicious.

Pick them young. After cooking the fussy hair will all get very soft.

dcarch

Edited August 13 by dcarch (log)

TicTac · August 13

56 minutes ago, dcarch said:

Squash greens are delicious.

Pick them young. After cooking the fussy hair will all get very soft.

dcarch

They are indeed. Very nutty flavour to them, and quite healthy as well.

Too bad I did not do squash this year...love the flowers more than anything.

However, the tomato crop this season is a bumper. And my hot Fish peppers are pumping!

Paul Bacino · August 15

My Pretties!!

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