I got on my computer to start a thread and it wanted me to sign in which of course I don’t remember my password. Too lazy to look it up so I’m glad you started Amy. I did a garden tour and mosquitoes were terrible so I came in. I’m gonna work on the kitchen getting jars washed and sterilized and ready. I have seven canning projects waiting for me. I’m sitting here eating Malto meal trying to decide. Do I want to make pear honey or just pear sauce and do I wanna make applesauce or apple pie jam obviously, the honey and jam take longer. I am off tomorrow so I have two fabulous days to, get some things done here.

Thanks for starting the thread, Amy. I cant remember how to start them anymore.

Happy Birthday to grandson, and I am sorry for hubby's kidney stone. My uncle has really been having a rough time with them for months, the have got some to pass, but others just wont pass.

The kids came over and raided the garden, and the load of sweet potatoes in the back of the RTV, I need to get the RTV emptied so I can use it for other things.

I planted two 30' rows of carrot seed, and 40 -50 bunching onion bulbs. I used some of the bulbs as row markers, because I never know if my carrot seeds are going to come up. I tilled in 6 bags of potting soil, I think I will go out and cover the row with the empty potting soil bags, hoping it will improve germination.

Well, I have sit out the seeds that I want to plant today, arugula, parris island lettuce, georgia collards, bloomsdale spinach, southern giant (curly) mustard, and of cource you know I will not get all of that planted. Its not that planting taks so long, its ground prep that take so much time. When I first started gardening, one of the things that I read was, "put a $5.00 plant in a $20.00 hole", that has stuck with me a long time, and it seems to work, it sorta seem as tho you take care of the ground, and the plant will take care of its self. I might add that I just love working with the soil, and the tools required to do so.

So Larry, somewhere (undoubtedly from Dawn) I learned to add a few radish seeds along the carrot row. We don't even eat radishes. They break open crusted soil so the carrots can come up. They're ready to pick before the carrots, so you can have both.

Jennifer good to see you. I think a lot of people in general are taking a serious look at what they are doing and if it’s necessary. I had to drastically downsize after last year and laser focus my efforts to only grow what I eat and preserve. I do that to Amy it really does help.

Madge just made some Habanero peach jelly, I think enough of that stuff could reduce our heating bill this winter, but it sure is good.

Amy, I found a couple of small containers of Daikon radish seeds. I think that I will plant another row of carrots and drop some radish seeds in the row. I have not eaten many of the Daikon radishes, best I remember is that I thought they were too hot, but I bought them mostly for soil improvement and erosion control. I have planted them in the wildlife garden, but cant remember ever planting them in the house garden.

I often plant small seeds so thick that they would bust the crust all together and come up in clumps, but that happens because I cant see the small seeds well enough to tell what I am doing. And this brings up another question, how do y'all plant small seed?

Good question Larry.

I tend to plant a little too thick in order to guarantee a good stand.

But I'm not too good at thinning.

This is a planting of turnips coming up.

A lot of times it grows up too thick to make a bigger bulb root , but I get the greens ( at least till it gets too tough).

I do a lot of stir - fried greens and onions through the winter.

I usually do the same whether spring or fall with other greens,....kale , collards ..

I also broadcast seed over an area and plant in rows both .

Don't know which is better. It's just a toss of the dice like everything else.

Really just need a cool rain.

Come on October.

+

Rick

Rick, thanks for responding, It sounds like you and I have a lot in common. I most often plant in a row in the garden, and broadcast when I plant them in the wildlife garden. I think you get more bang for the buck broadcasting, but I have a harder time making them look nice that way, and I get nicer turnips that way, but I have to look for a spot where did not sling as many seeds. I have not planted turnips yet, I have the seeds, and open space, but I have been busy with other things.

I might add, that your soil does not like it crust over as bad as mine does.

Amy, I am sitting here reading over the forum again, and happened to think that I have okra seeds running out my ears, so why not try dropping some okra seeds in with the lettuce seeds and see if they can bust the ground for the lettuce, and then just clip the okra off after the lettuce comes up. Years ago I use to plant okra in my strawberries to give them shade.

I will scratch the okra because of soil temp.

Diakon radishes have long deep roots that would compete with your carrots. I get the little round ones that are ready in 30 days. They are quick to sprout. I don't know if diakon sprout quick. (I know they are used to break up new gardens by growing in winter. I tried it, in a wet spot, during a wet spring. Didn't work.) The idea is to break the soil crust for the carrots and then pick the radishes before they interfere with carrots growth. You could use anything quick to sprout as long as you pull it before it competes with your carrots.

Your comment about extra okra seed sparked something in my brain. Okra seed is edible and nutritious. You can roast it and use it as a coffee substitute. You can grind it into gluten free flour. Use the ground up seed to thicken soup. It can even be pressed for oil. That came from this article https://sowtrueseed.com/blogs/gardening/growing-eating-and-appreciating-okra#:~:text=Dry%20and%20powder%20them%20for,can%20easily%20pass%20for%20coffee!

Another article said they use the big white seeds in the woody pods in granola. Now you know,

Thanks, Amy, I had not thought about using okra seeds for dry food, but it sounds good. I love okra in soup, but Madge things its slimy, but I get her to use a little in the soup anyway.

Rick, I planted some White Icicle radish, Daikon radish, Purple Top turnips, and Curly kale.

To cut down on walking, I have a 2 x 6 with 1/2" plastic pipe sticking through it that I drag across the garden to mark the spots where I want to drop the small seeds. I cant see where the seeds go, but I am sure some fall in the grooves, and some in between. I sit at the edge of the garden on a stool and spray water on the area seeded causing the edges of the grooves to wash to the bottom, hopefully covering some of the seeds to the proper depth. I have to make it rain through a garden hose, or use an irrigation tube, but that tube at the side of the row is only 30' long, I need to make some longer tubes.

The grooves are set up on 6" centers, and I try to drop seeds in every other groove ( on most small seed) there will be enough seeds miss their target that the bed will look solid when the plants are mature, and I always get the seeds too thick.

Amy, I have not planted anymore carrots, and I agree about the Daikon competing with the carrots. The reason I like using the Daikon for erosion control is because in my hard tight ground a good bit of the radish grows up out of the ground. In the wildlife garden I have contoured to have drainage channels. I try to keep vegetation growing in those areas, and with the Daikon sticking a few inches out of the soil, sticks and grass catches on them and helps filter the soil out of the run-off. I then take the tractor and scoop out the drainage channel and replant. Once I get Bermuda growing in the channel I have less problem with erosion.

I will have to ease the okra seed idea on Madge slowly. She was not high on the Habanero jelly idea, but tried it, and, it is great, but it sure has a kick to it, and she said that she only used 4 habaneros for 5 half pint jars of jelly.

It feels like August out there. But the nights and early mornings are nice.

I'm feeding my neighbors animals this week (she has all the things I have plus horses and mules) and it feels really great in the morning during feed time. For both households.

A lot of my lettuce was pulled last night. It bolted so quickly. I only got a couple of salads from it. If I can find time, I need to start some more seed directly into the Greenstalk. The few lettuce plants in the Vego bed are doing a little better but they have shade cloth. I do think 2 weeks ago when Oklahoma was hitting near 100, the shade cloth kept blowing off and no one was around to consistently put it back (while I was enjoying hoodie weather in Oregon). Even so, those plants look okay. I pulled several salad turnips last night. Carrots, radishes, and beets are still looking good. I was so tired last night (it's that sort of tired that you feel like you have mono) that I got a chair so I could sit while watering a few things and pulling the turnips.

The school had a field trip to Orr Family Farm so I was on my feet all day, plus the mental drain of the people. A lot of parents and grandparents attend the field trip with us (which is a great thing!) but I have to be "on". And I had a temporary crown put on at 7:30 yesterday morning so my mouth was all numb and weird.

Today is much better. I'll probably water those plants tonight and care for all the animals. Losing daylight makes it tricky to get everything done.

I'm sort of at the point this year where I'm ready for the dark season. Tom and I talked about really pushing ourselves in getting several outside chores done over the next two weeks and then calling it good for the year. I'm ready.

Of course, I'll continue to water the hoop house, hinged hoop, Greenstalk and Vego beds.

Other than that, Rick brought over some onions sets. They'll go into the Vego bed too. And it's nearly time to plant Garlic.

I planted a few more onions sets today. I hate to through anything away that still has some value to it, but then I say what value is an onion when you have onions running out your ears. I also made another small bed for carrots. I may also plant some carrots in some mineral tubs tomorrow. I need to be doing something besides planting seeds, but I can't see well enough, or get around well enough to repair the tractors.

We had company today, which is really nice when you get old, more so than when you are young. I would have sent veggies home with them, but the wife (my SIL. ) has had a stroke, and hubby says mac and cheese is about the extent of .his cooking. I went to see aunt and uncle yesterday and took sweet potatoes. I really hated to leave because my uncle was wanted someone to talk to, I stayer awhile, but need to get home and do a few things. Both, aunt and uncle are not doing well. My cousin's husband is coming over tomorrow to pick up peppers and sweet potatoes, he is not doing well either.

Jennifer, I have over 400 garlic cloves ready to plant. I also have some spots under one of the trellises that I need to dig to see if any of the Elephant garlic survived. I planted the garlic under one of tomato trellises, trying to make better use of my space, but by the time the garlic got ready to harvest the tomatoes had over grown them, and some I did not dig for fear of damaging the tomatoes. It seems as tho no matter what size your garden is, you still don't have room to plant everything that you would like to plant.

I need to shut up, I don't have anything interesting to talk about anyway. I hope that all of you make better use of your time than I do.

Hope everyone is doing well. I planted my fall garden but it turned hot and dry again. I think I seen some beets popping through.

I had to go to the muscogee va yesterday to renew mymycardmy my va card. The online method wouldn't work. My back just doesn't like those long trips. 200 miles for a round trip.

I caught a big vole or rat in my greenhouse yesterday.

I had to spray some liquid bt in the Cole crops in the greenhouse since the cabbage loppers have already showed up.

It isn't looking good for the garden if we don't get some rain.

My cabbages were under netting but still getting chewed on. I never saw a moth inside the netting. I checked carefully for those little green loopers, but didn't find any. BUT, Rick and I found 2 fat cutworms on them. I guess those things were already in the soil. I sprayed BT and it seems better now.

I think I see a few beets poking through the soil, but it is very few. I see some arugula and lettuce also, I think. I drew a layout of where I planter things, and now I cant find it.

I called the water department and was told that the restrictions had been lifted, so maybe I can get a few things up.

Its 91 degrees here, and it seems hot, but mornings have been nice.

My roselle is blooming!!! Not sure if I said that or not. I’ve got probably 1000 buds!!!!

I think I have more pig weed coming up than beets.

I spent half a day putting one of those combination meat band saw and grinder together. Chinese instructions that had 2 small pictures and a couple thumbnail size pictures that you couldn't tell anything apart.

It should help us process our porchporkporchpork uggg pork and I'm going to do my own beef also.

I know it's not garden related but I do other things to stay a little more self sufficient.

On another note, does anyone here have any experience with 4 herb tea? I've seen and heard from a couple locals that have used it to help overcome some illnesses. I got some from herbal healer.com. pretty interesting stuff.

My 2nd attempt to post - first long post completely disappeared when I hit submit

Jennifer, my garden zeal is fading fast, I kerp watering the okra and peas because they are still producing, but I’m giving the okra away because I have plenty in the freezer and of course everyone wants okra. I planted green beans, radishes, mixed greens zuchinni, lettuce that came up and soon after were gone due to heat or grasshoppers. I have 5” grasshoppers that would be great fish bait if I liked to fish. My old tomatoes and the new ones I purchased for Fall are loaded with small tomatoes - hoping they will make it. New yellow squash and cucumbers are looking great and blooming, just not setting fruit yet. I have collected almost a bushel basket of dried zinnia, marigold, and cosmos seeds for next year. Amy, I hope Ron recovered from the kidney stones, I’ve had them 3 times in last 4 years-they dole out a lot of misery. Larry, I want a barrel of whatever you take to keep working so hard- you are like the Energizer bunny on steroids! My energy burns out a lot faster as I get older. Some days my garden is a chore instead of a joy. My daughter and her husband have a pumpkin patch on our farm during October - if you live near Edmond its called Walnut Woods and children love it. We help them a lot where needed and that plus more and more doctor appointments means less time for garden chores. I will be so happy when it cools off, and doesnt heat up to mid 90’s during the day. Keep posting, I love hearing about your efforts.

Glenda, it is so nice to read your post. I really dont feel that I get anything done other than play on my laptop. I go out to the garden and work a short while, but I have to do almost everything sitting down, or on my hands and knees, and I am so slow, and it seem as tho everything hurts, but I get really unhappy if I cant get out and try.

My kids seem to be showing more interest in gardening. I don't know if it is real interest, or if they know it makes me happy, but they have been carrying home the produce, they are trying to cure sweet potatoes, dehydrate peppers, freeze okra, and trying to pickle a few things. I the kids often say, "so and so said that they would like to have ( what ever ) if we have any extra". It make me feel good to see the kids give produce to others. For me, giving food away is one of the joys of gardening.

Well the sun had come up, and the temp is rising, its up to 56 degrees now, so I should get out and try to do something. I have okra that needs pulled and burned. I cant pull it by hand, much of it is larger than my wrist, but I have rigger up some straps that I can drop over the trailer hitch on the RTV, and I think I can pull it with the RTV.

Rlck, Is this team work? I dropped these turnip seeds about dark, but it would not have made any difference if it were high noon, because I still cant see them, or where they fall, but I know some will fall in the groove made by my scrathing tool. My soil crust over so bad that is seem a small single seed cant break through. I noticed a scab sticking up, and I lifted it off, and found a bunch of small plants trying to push the soil off. It looks as tho I need to be placing potting soil in the groove to plant on, then just sprinkle some potting soil on top of the seeds.

When I got down on my hands and knees I found other areas where I had seeds sprouting, but I did not label the rows, and I cant remember what I planted..

Glenda, I just looked that up--Walnut Woods. Pretty sure I looked at a house online that was for sale on your street.

I'll have to take my little grandson there next year. He's only 4 months old now. We take our school to Orr because it's close.

Larry, it's great that your family is appreciating all the homegrown food! And it's great that you grow it for them.

We got up early to feed the animals at both homes and then got to work outdoors. I was able to put down cardboard in an area in the native garden that I want to be more of a perennial garden for native plants. But, left a small spot for the gaillardia and poppies (I know they're not native). I left about a 10' x 8' spot for them.

Once the cardboard was down, I hauled woodchips to the put on top of the cardboard. I pushed through although I didn't feel like doing that chore at all.

Tom was going to help but started working on an antique bed that has been in the shop for years. It was really dirty and needs some work. He offered to help me, but I'm thrilled he's working on that bed. I want to put it in Ethan's room. There's a dresser and a washstand that goes with it, but those items need a lot more work. He already has the bed about ready.

Here's a story about that furniture (skip ahead now if that is boring to you. I should really write all of this down in a journal instead of a gardening forum.)

About 27 years ago we lived in Tom's hometown. A doctor (from another country) had a practice there as well as a factory that made a certain medical thing). He asked me to clean a rent house that he had. He had brought over young men from his home country to work in the factory, but they decided to go home. I walked in and I kid you not, there were millions of roaches all over the house. There was no way to clean it. I told him that he needed to spray, and he said to clean around the bugs. I'm not sure if he had actually looked at the house, but there was not an empty, roach-free spot to even wipe a cloth or sponge, If you had knocked them off, more would be immediately there. Nope. Not doing that. Apparently, they young men who went back to their country, left food in the freezer/refrigerator/pantry. Doctor shut of the electricity because no one was living there, and he was cheap about certain things.

So, he finally had it sprayed. And I cleaned. Nasty work and I wasn't paid near enough.

This house had been AMAZING at one time. I couldn't get over the details and just how lovely it truly was. It was 3 stories......the staircase--wow! But, he had made it into apartments on each level with a kitchen. When he purchased the house, it came with some of the original furniture including that antique bed. I loved the bed and asked if I could buy it. He gave it to me because he saw it as junk. He understandably had no appreciation of American antique furniture. Honestly, we took the dresser and washstand without asking too. And one of those wooden sewing stands that hold thread and all. I knew he thought it was all junk and it was shameful how much he paid me. I had agreed to the price before seeing the house and the cockroaches.

Anyway...that's the story of the bed. We used it two houses ago in our room. I did some research on it and it was probably made in the 1920's.

This doctor was a piece of work. He asked us to take the nasty sheets home to wash. Nope. Not taking anything like that into my home or washing machine. So, we threw them in Tom's truck and planned on taking them to a laundromat. But it rained on them and they got all nasty (nastier) so we tossed them. The doctor got SO mad that we threw them away. He was probably in his 60's and said he had those sheets since he residency. Yeah, but they have roach eggs on them and they got rained on. And just gross..

He got over it and asked us to watch their little dog while they went back to their home country for a bit. Little dog ate part of our bathroom door. LOL

I watered a few things and am about to shower. We're going to stay with our baby for a bit this late afternoon.

I had a thought about what I would do if I could go back in time regarding the garden. But that is a discussion for another time. I wasted all my time talking about the antique bed.