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Veggie Tales -August 2018

Jamie
5 years ago

August has arrived and my garden here is slowing down a bit. It’s time for me to start making plans for fall and winter (After our summer vacation trip haha!)


Comments (229)

  • itsmce (zone 6b, Kansas)
    5 years ago

    I am a bit hesitant to set my trap. I’m not sure what i’d do if Jack is right and I caught a skunk! I’m guessing whatever it is, it will return. Insert grumpy face here!

  • cindy-6b/7a VA
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    My guess is raccoon, too, itsmce.

    Kevin, that's quite a harvest!

    Had a vacation for the past week. Went to Maine, Bowdoin College in Brunswick, and then to Portsmouth. Saw Joshua Chamberlain's house, and Winslow Homer's studio. If you've ever seen the movie Gettysburg, Chamberlain is the officer from Maine and Bowdoin. Also, at the beginning of the movie are scenes from the civil war which were painted and drawn by Homer, my favorite artist. Also went to the Wyeth Museum in Brandywine, PA.

    Just picked: Ausilio peppers. To me, it's a little less hot than a jalapeno but still has a kick. Just the right amount of heat that you don't panic.

    Delicious!

    Also picked three varieties of green beans. Still need to pick the tomatoes.

    Had 2.45" of rain here in the past two days. Big storms last night, too.

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  • Kevin Zone 6b - PIT, PA
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    Cindy - sounds like a nice vacation! Those Ausilio peppers look amazing! And I am really liking the description - something just a tad below jalepeno heat can be very useful in lots of different things! Gonna have to check that one out.

    Itsmce - if its raccoon like we suspect, they will be back for anything else that's edible. If you happen to get a skunk in the trap you could probably just let him go if you don't want to deal with the spraying issue. I've heard its not as bad as one might think to release them - involves walking behind a tarp or sheet to not spook them. Easier said than done, I am sure.

    Answering your question about the market gardening - yes we have created a bit of a following! Around 30 different people have bought our 'veggie boxes' or other produce in some form or fashion so far, all by word of mouth or facebook/instagram leads. We've been putting together maybe four or five boxes per week selling down the list of customers. I don't think we will have a problem with interest for next season. Plan is to grow 40 CSA shares worth, and have somewhere around 25 to 30 recurring customers, the rest will get sold at market or a first come first serve basis

    Right now we are trying to get rid of the glut of tomatoes / peppers by putting on a 'salsa special' - everything except the vinegar, sugar, spices, and tomato sauce/paste for people to make a canner load of Annie's salsa or whatever else they'd like to use it for. Note the habaneros are optional.

    Cherry tomatoes are going crazy! These were all picked within the past week. Pint sized containers. Somewhere around 9 lbs total shown. Have done 60 lbs of cherries total.

    Bok Choi harvested. These ones had just started bolting or looked like they were going to be soon. Have never cooked with them so if anyone has any good recipes I'd appreciate it!

    Beans have sprouted as of this past weekend. As long as mother nature cooperates they should have enough time to get a decent crop. 54 days until average frost here. Geez where did summer go>!?!

  • cindy-6b/7a VA
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    Kevis - Here's what it looks like inside, relatively small ribs. None of the ribs were cut away.

    Saving the seeds, too.

    And I have to tell you, the two I had tonight with dinner were not hot at all. The one that I had last week had the perfect heat to it. It does say in the info about it that every now and then one will have more heat. Now I'm thinking that it's the exception if one has heat.

    https://www.seedsavers.org/ausilio-thin-skin-italian-organic-pepper

    Sorry to mislead you. Was not at all intentional on my part.

  • Kevin Zone 6b - PIT, PA
    5 years ago

    Cindy - thanks for the info and “gut view” :-P. No worries, they still sound and look like a nice variety!

  • itsmce (zone 6b, Kansas)
    5 years ago

    Kevin - The only way I've used Bok Choi is in stir fry. Think Chinese takeout. I'm sure there are other ways to use it, but that all I've got.

    I didn't notice any additional damage in the garden this morning. I'll keep my fingers crossed that even if the critter returns, it can't figure out how to get inside my tomato and pepper cages.

  • htwo82
    5 years ago

    Hey all! It only took me a few hours to read through this months thread! LOL Norm, very sorry to read about your injury - hope you're healing up!

    I've finally pulled my cucumbers and squash after a serious SB invasion while on vacation. Tomatoes are still going strong, but I've noticed that all my CP's are splitting this year, right when they start getting ANY color. I would pick them green, but they're too small.. so I let them go and they split. My amana gold only produced 6 or 7 pieces of fruit, but they were all huge and delicious. Otherwise, I've canned around 20 quarts of stewed tomatoes and tomato basil soup (which I shouldn't have added extra citric acid too - cause it's too acidic!) and I've made several batches of fresh salsa.

    My fall plans haven't gone so well, mainly because I just haven't had time..

  • cindy-6b/7a VA
    5 years ago

    Welcome back, Heather!

    Today's harvest, and this is just the tomatoes. Still need to pick most of the peppers and green beans. This is what happens when you go away for a week in August!


    And there is another bucket full that did not make the photo.

    Called my chef to come an get some and he will be here later this afternoon, thankfully.


  • Jamie
    Original Author
    5 years ago

    Oh my, Cindy!

    Welcome back, Heather!


  • Kevin Zone 6b - PIT, PA
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    Cindy - nice haul!

    Itsmce - yeah I'm thinking stir fry and maybe oriental slaw for the bok choi - we're going to try it out this weekend. I ate a stalk raw yesterday and it had a very mild flavor, texture sort of like celery. Should be good cut up real thin, tossed with some rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, honey, a little hot sauce, and thinly shredded carrots and maybe onions or cukes.

    Have also read that it can be frozen pretty easily for future use in soups and stir fry.

    https://brooklynfarmgirl.com/how-to-freeze-bok-choy-without-it-turning-mushy/

    We crossed the 850 lb harvest mark this week (850.25 to be exact), which is more than we had last year all together! But things do seem to be slowing down a bit. I've laxed on feeding the tomatoes with TTF and have not noticed a lot of new blossoms. Any that start now will be hard pressed to be ripened before frost.

    Looking back at past year's numbers and what's in the garden to try to estimate what harvest numbers I might expect the rest of this year:

    1. I had just under 1/2 of the total weight of tomatoes harvested by the third week in August last year. I'm already at 365 lbs of tomatoes this year so I could get another 375 to 400 and be up over 750 lbs in just tomatoes this year if all goes well.

    2. For peppers, I had 1/4 of total harvest at this time last year. So far this year I have 48 lbs, so could get another 150 lbs of those for 200 lbs total.

    3. I have probably 100 lbs or so of pumpkins on the vine.

    4. I have sweet potatoes growing. Didn't grow them last year and have no idea what kind of harvest I will get. Maybe assume 5 lbs per plant for total of 20 lbs?

    5. I expect to be harvesting somewhere around 3 lbs of lettuce greens/spinach per week until I cant anymore. Assume 10 more weeks so 30 lbs.

    6. Cabbage - have around 24 plants - assume 1 lb per = 24 lbs

    7. Cukes - little leaf are just now starting to fruit. maybe get another 20 lbs of them.

    8. Beans - 15 lbs off one bed.

    9. Peas - 7 lbs off one bed.

    1. Beets - no clue. 5 lbs?

    11. Chard, kale, kohlrabi - assume 2 lbs per week for 10 weeks - 20 lbs

    1. Herbs - assume 1 lb per week for 8 weeks - 8 lbs

    Adding all that up, I would be up over 1600 lbs from my 1700 sq ft garden. I'll be happy with that, it will take some kind of miracle to get to my 2000 lb goal!

    Slow day at work this morning... lol.

  • 14tomatoes_md_7a
    5 years ago

    Tomato Topping report:

    30 days after cutting down to about a foot here are these 4 determs. The one with the least disease damage is already setting fruit! The two that had moderate disease damage are filling in and have flowers already. The one with severe disease damage is dead. Now IF they stay healthy I'll get a second harvest from these three!

    Tony

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    before

    after

    up close -- see fruits

    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    before


    after

  • Jamie
    Original Author
    5 years ago

    I got a few more ripe orange hat micro tomatoes yesterday. We still like the flavor and I think these are keepers. The other plants have flowers but so far, no fruits. I’ve been gently shaking the plants to help with pollination. I’m still hopeful haha

  • cindy-6b/7a VA
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    Waaaaah. I'm going into withdrawal from the lack of posts on this thread!

    None of my jalapenos are hot this year. They are so mild that I am having to add cayenne and/or chipotle powder to my chipotle ketchup. I really want it to have some kick.

    So far, I've canned 23 pints of salsa. Still working on my first batch of chipotle ketchup which I'll finish up tomorrow morning. Also made tomato soup when it was cooler last week.

    I've managed to give away, eat, or can most of my excess tomatoes. Hope to finish up the rest tomorrow or Tuesday.

    Anyone else?

  • itsmce (zone 6b, Kansas)
    5 years ago

    Kevin - You and your spreadsheets! How fun to try to predict this year’s harvest totals based on last year. It will fun to follow along as the summer turns to fall. I’m sure you will keep us all informed.

    Tony - Thanks for the update on your tomato topping! Looks like it was worth it. My Margherita plants have done the same thing on their own. They were looking pretty sad and i’d harvested about everything several weeks ago and then they started putting out a bunch of new, healthy, growth. All 4 of the plants are now blooming and setting fruit.

    Jamie - Keep on shakin’! Those micro tomatoes that you and Tony are growing are sure interesting. I never would have thought you could grow tomatoes totally inside had I not read about it here.

    Cindy - I agree! Not sure why everyone is so quiet on the weekends, especially. Too much going on, I suppose.

    I suppose I got my fall garden in today. I FINALLY got some carrot seeds in the ground. I hope they sprout quickly and grow fast! I set out broccoli plants I bought last week. I put them in a bed outside of my main garden. I am hoping the local rabbits don’t find them. Quite an experiment...I started some On Deck sweet corn in 6-packs a couple weeks ago. I transplanted the little corn plants into the spot that held bran plants until this morning. Out with the old, in with the new, right? Sadly, today’s weather was less than optimal for transplanting. The high was over 90 and the wind was quite strong. I wonder what i’ll find when I check the garden in the morning.

    And speaking of old, I finally had to pull out the last (2nd) zucchini plant today. Amazing that it lasted basically the whole summer. I do have a brand new zucchini sprout in a pot on the patio. it will be a race to see if I get any off of the new plant before frost. I noticed today that the baby plant is putting out it’s first true leaf.

    Jamie thanked itsmce (zone 6b, Kansas)
  • Jamie
    Original Author
    5 years ago

    My beds have been coating for a couple of weeks. I have made all of my plans for the fall and am starting seeds for some of them. I also started some pansies this weekend. This is my first time growing them from seed - I hope they do well.

    I have a few peppers that are still producing and I’m waiting for my sweet potatoes to get ready.

    In another week or so, a landscaper is going to start working on some drainage issues in our yard. The end result will be that about 1/4 of the back yard- including The area around our raised beds will be all gravel. His work shouldn’t affect my fall plans, though.

  • LoneJack Zn 6a, KC
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    Good morning everyone!

    Cindy - I wonder if all of the rain you've been having caused the Jalapenos to be mild? I know it can cause tomatoes to be bland and watery. Have you tried Mucho Nacho? You're 3 pints of salsa up on me. I'm not getting enough tomatoes at one time now to make any more of anything but I'm fine with that. I've got other things to preserve like these dehydrated cherry tomatoes. I filled 3 racks yesterday and set the temp to 125F. They should be done by the time I get home from work.

    Garden pictures · More Info

    Itsmce - I've had something nibbling on my broccoli and cauliflower. I'm not sure if it is a rabbit or deer or both. One plant is completely AWOL. I have shade cloth over the beds on PCV hoops but the wind last week did a number on it which exposed some of the plants. I added more binder clips and rocks around the edges to secure the shade cloth better. Do you have some fencing that you can put around the broccoli while the plants are still small?

    Kevin - You've still got a lot to harvest! My total is not going up very fast with just a few tomatoes and peppers coming in at the moment. My zucchini and yellow squash are blooming but the male and female flowers are not blooming in sync. I have some acorn squash blooming not far away that should help with the pollination. I saw the first baby green beans forming on my patch of Provider yesterday, I might get a small harvest by Labor day but it will probably be the following weekend before a get a big flush.

    I went over to check on the melon/pumpkin patch yesterday. As expected the squash bugs were having a party. I counted 7 full size pumpkins and a couple smaller ones. A few of the full sized ones were starting to turn. I saw one little melon trying to get pollinated. It better hurry!

    I started hardening off these lettuce starts, From left to right: Breen, Dragoon, Dragoon, Ridgeline, Muir. They will go out next weekend.

    I need a phone that takes better pictures!

    Garden pictures · More Info

  • Jamie
    Original Author
    5 years ago

    Jack- will you keep that lettuce all through the winter? Are you planning to use a low tunnel or some other protection?


  • cindy-6b/7a VA
    5 years ago

    Good morning all!

    Jack - I also thought that the peppers were getting too much rain. I remember reading once that they need a little stress in order to develop some heat. They certainly have not been stressed at all lately.

    I'm growing Biker Billy Jalapenos and Jaloro Pepper (yellow jalapeno). Biker Billy is supposed to be one of the hottest jalapenos available. In previous years I did grow Mucho Nacho and may still have some seeds for it. Will put it back in the line up for next year, thanks.

    And yes, I've noticed that many of my tomatoes taste somewhat flat and watery this summer. But they are big!!

    I have the same type of dehydrator. May have to get it out once this current heat wave breaks. Four days starting today will be into the 90s with air quality problems. I noticed an air quality problem yesterday, too.

    Jamie and Tony - I may have to try growing a micro tomato plant this winter. Maybe it will help keep the winter blahs away. :-)

    Tony - that's really great that you were able to resuscitate your determinate tomato plants.

    Back to canning!

  • LoneJack Zn 6a, KC
    5 years ago

    Jamie - the lettuce should be headed up by sometime in October so I won't need to cover them. In the past I usually planted them out by mid August but the last few years a late September hot spell caused them to bolt prematurely. Hoping to avoid that by putting them out a couple weeks later.

    Cindy - We've been in the 100s for heat index the last few days here too. The humidity has been terrible. I'm looking forward to a cool spell forecast this week,

  • Jamie
    Original Author
    5 years ago

    Out heat index has been upwards of 100 also after a brief cool spell. It looks like more of the same this week

  • cindy-6b/7a VA
    5 years ago

    Same for us, Jamie. It was code yellow yesterday and already is today. Expecting it to get worse.

  • Kevin Zone 6b - PIT, PA
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    Jack - dried cherry tomatoes - that sounds like a great way to preserve. I might have to pickup a dehydrator.

    With our market garden sales we have not really had much chance to keep a lot of our stuff. Cherry tomatoes get sold as fast as we can pick them. Some of the uglier beefsteaks get thrown in the freezer for a future sauce/salsa canning day. We did make up a few quarts of quick pickled peppers and a gigantic dish of bruschetta that we brought to a party this weekend.


    Its funny - my wife bought onions the other day - she said its worth it because they are cheap (Aldi) and taste the same to us, and this way she can include our homegrown bulbs in the sale boxes.

    Here's a family portrait - ghost dad on left, habanero mom on right, scary cool kid in middle. The plants are going gang busters.

    I've had a fair share of ugly fused blossomed tomatoes, but check this pepper out. Yes all of that is connected as one 'monster fruit'. This is one of the crosses.

    We picked pumpkins yesterday as the vines were basically keeled over with PM. A little early as far as trying to keep until Halloween, we are gonna clean them up with a bleach / water solution to see how long they will last.


    Have 1/10th of an acre (5000 square feet) tarped on the farm. This is about half of the space we have planned for next year's market garden plot.

    We have a line on as much horse manure / old bedding as we can take on a family member's farm about 45 minutes away... trying to line up a way to economically get it over to our plot. The idea will be to pull the plastic up after a month, till in a good bit of the manure, and tarp it back over to cook up over the rest of the winter. If we can get a bunch more manure the rest will probably just be placed on the other half of the plot and either passively let go or if I have time I will till in and cover crop it with a winter rye or something. If the plastic works out well I may just bite the bullet and pick up some more and just tarp the either plot over winter.

  • Kevin Zone 6b - PIT, PA
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    Jamie - are you in all clay there at your house? Sounds like it. Do you think thats going to affect your garden's irrigation requirements?

  • Jamie
    Original Author
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    Kevin- yes, pretty much clay and it drains very poorly. My mother-in-law lives in the middle of the Mississippi Delta in Arkansas and she has the opposite problem- the soil there is very sandy and drains like a sieve, so she has to water a lot more than I do.

    I'm only planting in raised beds, so the gravel won't affect my irrigation requirements. My beds are about 18" deep also, so the roots of the plants do dot typically get down to the native soil.

    I even build up the beds for my ornamental plants. Over time, the soil does improve but it takes a lot of effort and a lot of compost. I have been taking the short cut and mixing in some amendments then piling good stuff on top of the bad stuff.

    I am thankful, though, that we do not have to deal with rocks when digging as a lot of y'all do in the rest of the country (and in Middle Tennessee where I grew up).

  • LoneJack Zn 6a, KC
    5 years ago

    Kevin - Your farm is coming along! Nice score on the manure. Do have any friends or family with a dump truck that would haul it in trade for a CSA share next year?

    The pumpkins look good. I bet they will hold until Halloween. Just keep them out of direct sun and don't let them freeze if you get a early freeze.

    LOL on the pepper family. That's some serious heat right there. That other pepper is a mutant. I've never seen anything like that.

    I have this Nesco dehydrator. I think I paid around $40 at Walmart about 15 years ago for mine and then bought some more racks a few years later. They seem to have gone up a lot in price since then. Just make sure you get one that has adjustable temperature control.

  • ninecrow
    5 years ago

    Who was it I Asked for an Pepper OverwinteringVideo from, Please May I still have it?

    Thanks

    Poor thing is just sitting there doing Not a Lot but then again its been dull as hell here so as soon as it brightens up a bit Hopefully He will get on with Ripening the Peppers He has already....

  • htwo82
    5 years ago

    I finally got my fall seeds in the ground (and flats)! The only thing I have left to get planted are carrots, and I just didn't have the energy last night. They're going under my tomatoes, so I'll need to be gentle when pulling the tomato cages out when they're done. I still think they have at least a month in them, tho.

    I'll try to snap a pic of my seed packages tonight, but I got kale, spinach, lettuce, broccoli, brussels sprouts, carrots and snow peas.

  • htwo82
    5 years ago

    Oh, and I have purchased all the supplies to make each bed into a cold weather frame. I'll use the supports for cloth covers for now, and I'm still searching for a good cloth.. My beds are 4'x8', so I'm thinking I'll need a minimum of 8'x12' pieces of cloth for each bed??

  • Jamie
    Original Author
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    Heather - I ordered a roll of this from Johnny's to use this winter:

    http://www.johnnyseeds.com/tools-supplies/row-covers-and-accessories/row-cover/agribon%2B-ag-19-30-x-100-row-cover-9054.html#q=AG-19&lang=en_US&start=1

    You might find something similar locally or elsewhere online.

  • itsmce (zone 6b, Kansas)
    5 years ago

    Jack - I have a couple milk crates that I put over a couple of the broccoli plants. Since I've seen rabbits in the yard, I know I need to just buckle down and break out a little fencing to protect it all! How will you use the dehydrated cherry tomatoes?

    Kevin - Cracks me up that your wife BOUGHT onions rather than using those from your garden so that your CUSTOMERS could have those you grew.

    Hot and Windy here today. Oh, how I long for Fall weather!

  • Kevin Zone 6b - PIT, PA
    5 years ago

    Ninecrow - sorry I do not know of videos, but this is good resource on bonchi if your interested:

    https://www.fatalii.net/bonsai_chiles_bonchi

  • LoneJack Zn 6a, KC
    5 years ago

    Itsmce - It was hot and very windy here yesterday too. Strong enough to rip my PVC hoops and shade cloth right off my beds. My broccoli and summer squash plants were pretty droopy when I got home so I had to do some quick emergency watering. More of the same today but then it cools off for a couple days. I see highs forecast in the 70s here starting 9/6 so an end is in site.

    I'll probably use the dried tomatoes mostly in soup and stew. I need to try to reconstitute some to see how that works. This is the first time I've ever dried any so it will be a learning experience. I want to make some zucchini chips too,

    Heather - I tried direct sowing snow peas a few weeks ago and got zero germination. I think the soil was just too hot. I'm going to try again this weekend. Spinach also won't germinate when the soil is above 80F and prefer 70 or below. I started my spinach indoors on 8/19 and double seeded 36 cells. As of last night a had a total of 4 sprouts. It is slow!

  • ninecrow
    5 years ago

    Thanks Kevin as I'd REALLY Like to keep the Pepper I have but We'll have to see How He fairs and Plus I'm Lossing a Windsill {Bedroom} for Plants......

    ***GRUMP***

    But HOPEFULLY Gaining an Outside Thingy to put Plants on So Hopefully Not All Bad Stuff Happening Here....

  • htwo82
    5 years ago

    Jack, good to know. I am going to try to get some shade cloth up immediately. For my spinach bed, the only thing that may help me is that it's behind the chicken coop and doesn't get any sun after noon. My peas however, are in full sun.. I should have known to start it inside, but I'll chalk it up to being a beginner. I also did a really dumb thing.. by not labeling any beds. I started a full flat of seeds, as well, but don't remember what they were! All I know is that the seed packet told me that they needed temps below 75.. we'll find out!

    We were lucky and had some really mild weather last week - makes me really want fall!!

  • cindy-6b/7a VA
    5 years ago

    Kevin - Are you having t-storms tonight?

  • jacoblockcuff (z5b/6a CNTRL Missouri
    5 years ago

    Here is a look at what is worth showing in my garden at the moment!

    Brussel sprouts looking good.

    Some of my late cabbages are beginning to form heads.


    I took this picture of my carrots a few days ago. They’ve already doubled in size since then. I need to thin them a bit more in places.


    My tomatoes are producing quite well again, and my beetroot is flourishing, but haven’t managed to get a picture. Weeds are taking over in the top garden. I guess it’s that time of year when the garden gets pushed to the back burner a bit. Just been too busy to do much in it with being back in school, chores, etc. That‘s alright. My fall lettuces just have not done all that well, mainly in germinating. Our weather has been mild, rarely exceeding the 80’s, so I’m thinking it’s more of an issue with lettuce having a hard time pushing through my clay soil. Yet, if I surface sow lettuce, the soil just dries out too quickly this time of year. So I’m starting them in paper towels one last time, which usually works just fine. Guess I learned a lesson- direct sowing lettuce just doesn’t do well for me.




  • jacoblockcuff (z5b/6a CNTRL Missouri
    5 years ago

    HOUZZ, I just lost my POST!!!!!


    Will rewrite it tomorrow :/

  • LoneJack Zn 6a, KC
    5 years ago

    Jacob - I see your post. Your carrots look great and a real nice stand. Mine aren't near as far along and one area of the bed got mowed down by slugs before I put out some Sluggo.

    I always start my lettuce indoors in both spring and fall. Mine are hardening off right now and I plan to put them out on Monday. I'm up to 5 sprouted spinach plants now! Out of 72 seeds surely I can get a dozen plants! Today is day 11 since sowing,

    I picked the first zucchini from one of my fall plants. I had to squish a bunch of squash bugs in the process. Yellow squash is still lollygagging.

    Over the last 2 days I have had heavy rain in all 4 directions from my house but it hasn't peed a drop on my garden. It looks like that is going to change in a couple hours as a big system is heading right for me.

  • jacoblockcuff (z5b/6a CNTRL Missouri
    5 years ago

    I’m glad to see my post came back!

    Jack, thanks. It’ll be a gamble to see whether those carrots will root up in time. Shade is coming quickly in my garden!! Fall crops are always a gamble.

    Last week and the week before we got quite a lot of rain, almost every day, and yesterday we got a bit. The soil has lots of moisture in it now. Very happy about that. I just hope we don’t fall into drought again.

    Sowing lettuce indoors has always worked wonderfully for me. Direct sowing is just such a pain with lettuce in heavier soils.

    Im hoping to get a soil test done pretty quickly. I’m going to get one of my raised beds (because the soil is heavily amended, completely different from elsewhere), the top garden, and my back garden. The soil in my back garden is really, really nice. When we first bought this house the back yard was covered in leaves, ankle deep, if not more. Our neighbor’s had all told us they’d been back there building up for years. I’m wondering if the decomposition of those leaves is what helped the soil so much.


  • ninecrow
    5 years ago

    I've Cut My Pepper back as it Wasn't doing anything, I've cut it back to some lower branches in Hope that He'll Start to Flower Again....

  • LoneJack Zn 6a, KC
    5 years ago

    Jacob - I bet those leaves did wonders for the soil over the years. I built my house in the middle of the forest about 20 years ago and the undisturbed areas have about 1.5' of beautiful black gumbo full of nutrients.

    Maybe you should try sowing radish seed along your lettuce rows. The idea being that the radishes break the soil surface first so the lettuce doesn't have to do it. I've heard of people sowing radishes along carrot rows for the same purpose.

  • jacoblockcuff (z5b/6a CNTRL Missouri
    5 years ago

    Jack, what a thought. I’d heard of using radishes to mark the rows, but never thought about using them to break the soil up for the lettuce....Going to try it!

  • ninecrow
    5 years ago

    Anybody else Started to think About What Peppers They are going to Try and Bonsai Over Winter Yet?

    I Not Only Have My Bell Pepper but I Also Have a Chilli That I'm Messing About With....

  • Kevin Zone 6b - PIT, PA
    5 years ago

    Jacob - your fall garden is looking wonderful!

    Cindy - yes we got hit with a good storm. Unfortunately I was driving home from Kentucky while it was coming it...seems like we we were driving under the same rain cloud for 2+ hours until we got smart and decided to stop for dinner and let it pass. Did you get hit?

    Ninecrow - I'd like to bonchi at least five plants - the two chilis that I overwintered last year (ghost and hab), one of the "children"/offspring from those two plants, a thai chili which is just a really pretty ornamental, and a filius blue ornamental.

  • cindy-6b/7a VA
    5 years ago

    Kevin - So far the storms haven't made it here. Was actually looking forward to them as it's been 9 days since we had rain. They are supposed to be here overnight, though they may just be showers, which is fine with me.

    I did pick all of my blushing tomatoes today in anticipation of rain. Only picked around 50 lbs today and am happy with that. Still waiting for the peppers to heat up here.

    All of my cukes have succumbed to various wilts and I am missing them very much.

    Hope to plant my fall crops this weekend.

  • Norm Wilson(zone10/Sunset zone24)
    5 years ago
    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...
  • ninecrow
    5 years ago

    Kevin

    Do You Have any photos of Your Plants You'd Like to Bonchi?

    Please and Thank You as I'm Intreaged on How the the Ex-Bonchi' s Look at the Moment.......

    The Chilli I have Looks Like the Blue but is Red, If that Makes Sense......

    I'll See IF I can Find another Tomorrow as a Back Up, Even Though I DON'T Eat Chilli's I DO LOVE the Look of Some of The Plants....


    Now I'm Wondering IF this Process Will ONLY Work on Chili's NOT Sweet Bells.....

  • jacoblockcuff (z5b/6a CNTRL Missouri
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    Christmas came early!!

    I’ve been saving up my money for quite a while for this handy tool. So sick of the cheap tools that are made anymore. I went out and dug a sample plot with this fork, and it makes my life so much easier when digging through tree roots and rocks like I have to. Very pleased! I’ve never handled a tool this sturdy before ha! It feels nice.

  • itsmce (zone 6b, Kansas)
    5 years ago

    Congrats, Jacob, on the new tool. It looks like a great one. Having quality tools for any job can make a huge difference in your ability to do a good job.

  • Jamie thanked jacoblockcuff (z5b/6a CNTRL Missouri