Veggie Tales - May 2018
Jamie
4 years ago
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LoneJack Zn 6a, KC
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoKevin Zone 6b - PIT, PA
4 years agoRelated Discussions
Veggie Tales -August 2018
Comments (229)Wow. Another week gone by and a lot going on. This year has been a fairly disappointing harvest for me so far due to all the pests, however. I caught four rats this week in the Ratinator and was able to drown them out of my garden. And I have two Jarrahdale pumpkins that must be 20lb a piece. Don’t think I’ll get much melon but we will see I guess. The one spot of success this year was the purple corn and the beans! Having a drip system set up made me realize how much I’d been underwatering food crops. I picked about 2lb of beans today and there’s tons left. Also got about 10-12 ears of the corn, although some of it wasn’t as big as I’d hoped , I had to get it picked before the rats got it. Darn critters. Anyhow. Got six new chicks this week so that’s been keeping me busy. First time raising them from babies. I think having a constant supply of fresh eggs has eased the pain of getting hardly any tomatoes this summer. However the basil is doing amazing - I have a pound of pesto in the freezer and will be able to make as much pesto as I can, provided I have the cheese! So I’m doing that tomorrow. I asked a local landscaper to come by and give us a quote for the front yard and he didn’t even bother. So we are thinking about doing that ourselves, and I’m also rethinking my plan to do an expensive retaining wall in the front, maybe thinking we will cut back the cactus as much as we can(it is edible and delicious) and then use the sloped part of the front yard for herbs. I got a lot of cuttings of African blue basil and Cleveland sage from a friend today, both are perennials in this climate and loved by pollinators. Always the same issue - not enough space!! Wondering how people prefer to plant for maximum yields? Especially in small spaces. Any advice welcome. Hoping everyone is doing well. Lookin forward to this heat being over......See MoreVeggie Tales - October 2018
Comments (191)Yeah sorry I should have been more specific! Cat tunnel is short for Caterpillar Tunnel. It is a more economical version of hoop houses or high tunnels. The other advantage beside the cost is that they are more readily movable. Since there are minimal endwall/sidewall structures to assemble and take down its as "simple" as driving new rebar stakes, taking the plastic off, and moving the hoops one by one. Its a good way to ensure you arent growing tomatoes in the same place year after year after year. This is an installation video from the company that I ordered from. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QK_HFoS3hU Jack - we are crossing our fingers that the weather will cooperate! Good luck with the broccoli and cauliflower! How many frosts have you received so far? It looks like you have some decent weather over the next week or so!...See MoreVeggie Tales - December 2018
Comments (388)stacy You have a real challenge there, trying to grow heirlooms and not having control over what's around your own space. My uncle ran a community garden here 35 years ago and I had a plot there for two seasons. I've been fighting blight for about 8 years. I've found that I can grow tomatoes in a new plot, and I can lower the problem, but not totally eradicate it by rotating crops. But it's apparent to me that you must rotate crops if you want to grow heirlooms today. I grew 10 different beefsteaks, a yellow pear and a yellow Kellogg's Breakfast tomato last year. I had two plants, each of most of those. I've decided that I won't buy transplants in the future. So I grow my own from seed I saved, although I do add varieties from purchased seed. I've also decided to stick to heirlooms as much as I can, because it gives me the ability to save seed and in many cases they're the best tasting varieties. I intentionally set 4 tomatoes out in mid June with the idea that I may get the big tomatoes that I seem to get in the first flush. That worked great. The plants were the last to start showing blight and it was minor. This year I plan to repeat that and try setting out a plant in the 3rd and 4th week of June. It's my opinion that what you learn growing heirloom tomatoes will make you a much better gardener with your non heirloom varieties. If you can grow heirloom tomatoes you can grow anything! Grow at least a few in the middle of your plot, while leaving room for a few next year....See MoreVeggie Tales - May 2019
Comments (526)Richard - That's a real bummer about the critters! I hope you can come up with a solution. I'm a LONG way away from having to worry about anything getting tomatoes in my garden. I did notice blossoms on the Bolseno plants this morning. Also have blossoms on Sweet Million, Sungold, and Supremo. When it comes time for me to have real tomatoes, I'll be harvesting at the first flush of red, which helps. Thanks all for the vote of confidence for my friend's bean planters. I have passed along your comments. The tomato plants I gave her are looking good - pepper plant too. I gave her a couple zucchini seeds to put in a little raised bed by her shed and one sprouted. She's thrilled. The onion sets which grew into nice little green onions are about harvestable size now. I may make her a gardener yet! This morning I picked my sugar snap peas. Nice harvest. I'm not sure I will be able to eat all these between now and when I pick again in 2 days. The good news on the pea front is that the snap peas are still blooming! The heat will start soon, so I may not see many more blooms, but I'll take what I can get. The Maestro shelling peas, on the other hand, are not blooming. They're about done. <Will edit to post pics from my phone> Look at this forest of onions! I have a little over 100 plants here in this 4-wide row....See MoreChris (6a NY)
4 years agoLoneJack Zn 6a, KC
4 years agohtwo82
4 years agoChris (6a NY)
4 years agoJamie
4 years agoJamie
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agojacoblockcuff (z5b/6a CNTRL Missouri
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoKevin Zone 6b - PIT, PA
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoKevin Zone 6b - PIT, PA
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoLoneJack Zn 6a, KC
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoJamie
4 years agoKevin Zone 6b - PIT, PA
4 years agocindy-6b/7a VA
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoJamie
4 years agojacoblockcuff (z5b/6a CNTRL Missouri
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoJamie
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoJamie
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoLoneJack Zn 6a, KC
4 years agohtwo82
4 years agoChris (6a NY)
4 years agocindy-6b/7a VA
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoLoneJack Zn 6a, KC
4 years agohtwo82
4 years agoKevin Zone 6b - PIT, PA
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agohtwo82
4 years agoSteve Lng Islnd NY Z-7a SunSet Z-34
4 years agoLoneJack Zn 6a, KC
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoChris (6a NY)
4 years agohtwo82
4 years agoLoneJack Zn 6a, KC
4 years agoSteve Lng Islnd NY Z-7a SunSet Z-34
4 years agocindy-6b/7a VA
4 years agoChris (6a NY)
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoKevin Zone 6b - PIT, PA
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoKevin Zone 6b - PIT, PA
4 years agoitsmce (zone 6b, Kansas)
4 years agoChris (6a NY)
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoKevin Zone 6b - PIT, PA
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoJamie
4 years agoJamie
4 years agoitsmce (zone 6b, Kansas)
4 years agoKevin Zone 6b - PIT, PA
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoChris (6a NY)
4 years agoSteve Lng Islnd NY Z-7a SunSet Z-34
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoJamie
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoJamie
4 years ago
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