Garden planning, planting time

Gardening and Household tips. Good food. The Lighter side...

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Cherry Kelly
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Post by Cherry Kelly » 07-22-2011 10:00 AM

Garden and heat does cause problems for many plants. Watering is done only later in the evening so the water goes into the ground for the plants and does not 'steam off' in the heat.

As the tomato jungle here is producing several tomatoes on one stem or in clusters (the varieties I grow normally do not produce the clusters) we have removed some of the extras - while green - to produce pickled green tomatoes. 8pints and 1 quart with peppers added and 7 quarts with just dill, grape leaf, garlic cloves, brine and quartered green tomatoes (packed well) and canned. They will make great eating in the winter (and gifts to family and friends).

Sweet corn is being blanched, kernels cut and frozen into pint size servings (vacuum packed).

Green beans are surprising me this year. In the heat thought the beans would quit - instead they are continuing to bloom and produce. This means more frozen green beans for winter. (We prefer frozen to canned.)

Peppers continue to produce and are now turning to red, orange or yellow mature colors. Some of course are still green and growing nicely.

Squash (with bug dust to keep bugs off the stems) are doing well as they are mostly in afternoon shade. Zucchini still doing well in spite of the hot temps. Cucumbers are slower but doing fine.

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Fan
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Post by Fan » 07-22-2011 10:31 AM

Cherry Kelly wrote: Fan - the egg layers - not good and too late by that time. Need to spray rose leaves earlier...then there would be no eggs laid on the leaves. Try it next year...

===


ya and if you pick them off (which is what most people say you have to do) early in the season then they don't get established. Apparently mulch helps since they want dirt to pupate in. Problem is the egg layers are flies, so it is pretty much impossible to stop them, you have to pick off the caterpillars that grow. Who knew gardening was so gross :crazyjump

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Post by Cherry Kelly » 07-23-2011 02:26 PM

Fan -- shucks that's not gross - can think of a lot of other things far worse! :)

Seriously when leaves first come on - when you first see ANY flies - do the dawn bit - flies don't like that either!

===

11 pints sweet corn, blanched, cut and frozen and I need another cup of coffee!! This heat is not good on sweet corn so its a rush to get the corn as quickly as it turns ripe. BUT worth it as this winter will have only the BEST corn for eating (or adding to other to stews, casseroles - etc.

Course I still have to take care of the peppers and ocra that were also picked to keep them from getting all burned up from the heat. Plants will be fine and produce more when temps cool down a bit.

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Post by joan roberts » 07-30-2011 07:41 PM

Thanks for the info, guess your pretty busy, hope you will

keep us updated:)

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Post by Cherry Kelly » 08-03-2011 03:16 PM

Sweet corn done! now to cut the stalks and let horse have them...

Doing tomatoes ripe ones - canning. They are ripening on about a two day time. Some will be JUST tomatoes, some will be tomato and zucchini.

Pickled some super hot Jalapeno peppers - for those in the family that like HOT kind. Wearing plastic gloves to cut them into about 1/4 inch slices. 8 pints worth (was 9 but one of the glass jars went bust (?) looked like a good pint jar, but must have had a flaw of some kind. (That happens.)

Another cucumber and will have enough for some pickles. Other peppers ripening and will be preserved - canned or frozen, depending on the type.

It is a busy time of year, but worth all the work!

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Post by joan roberts » 08-03-2011 07:43 PM

Hi Cherry you really have been busy, still have loads of

tomatoes here, eating them too, cucumbers, zucchinis,

string beans and swisschard, all very tasty......

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Post by Cherry Kelly » 08-05-2011 01:45 PM

joan ya and on Thurs we did 7 qrts - tomato/zucchini (with 6 having a little bit of ocra), then 8 pints of ripe tomatoes and last - hottest was 4 pints of garden salsa - these are long finger/finger half wide, but 7" or more long and HOT HOT -- cut into quarter inch slices and packed - colorful!! some were red some were semi-green-red.

And with two days of rain (in morning) haven't been able to get out into garden (too muddy) and I know there will be a lot more produce to pick.

--
CAN or freeze your extras for winter use!!

Simplest and best tomato canning - drop ripe tomato into boiling water - minute or two depending on size - then into ice water, easy removal of skins, cut into quarters or smaller (depending on size) and pack tight -- in pints or quarts add 1T lemon juice for pint, 2 for quart) - wipe top of jar and put on lid and ring - water pack 30-40 minutes. allow to cool (listen to pops!) -- and you'll have some of the finest winter tomatoes!

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Fan
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Post by Fan » 08-05-2011 02:58 PM

This is a pretty cool book on natural storage of produce: http://amzn.com/0882667033

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Doka
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Post by Doka » 08-05-2011 03:53 PM

Cherry Kelly you are a wonder! Do you have a large garden?

I have enough room for a couple of tomato plants and a zucchini plant. We had such a cold spring and summer, until now I didn't know if anything would ripen. I finally pulled back on watering the tomatoes and they are turning color. My younger sister does like you do. And I must say I really enjoy her Christmas gifts!

Doka
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Post by joan roberts » 08-05-2011 04:09 PM

Always a pleasure to read Cherry's posts, and good tips

and thanks to Fan and nice to hear Doka is gardening

too:crazyjump

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Post by Cherry Kelly » 08-06-2011 11:33 AM

Doka very good on even a few plants! Many years ago when I lived in a townhouse - all I had were a few buckets with tomatoes and some fresh herbs. Main thing is to make sure those planters have a hole in the bottom to let out excess water. Glad to see and hear of anyone with even a few plants growing.

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Post by joan roberts » 08-09-2011 01:00 PM

Hadstring beans off the vine last night so fresh and good

tasting, anything I have bought tastes like paper out of

a magazine:)

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badspell
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Post by badspell » 08-09-2011 07:59 PM

Cherry Kelly wrote: Doka very good on even a few plants! Many years ago when I lived in a townhouse - all I had were a few buckets with tomatoes and some fresh herbs. Main thing is to make sure those planters have a hole in the bottom to let out excess water. Glad to see and hear of anyone with even a few plants growing.


The summer has been brutal to us down here in sw mo. Water water water…..still injoy your post Cherry Kelly. Always good advice!!
:)
All hear few listen

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SquidInk
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Post by SquidInk » 08-09-2011 08:06 PM

Badspell... it's been a spell!

For if it profit, none dare call it Treason.

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badspell
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Post by badspell » 08-09-2011 08:07 PM

Aquaponics….. Seeing good results from my sons system. What do you think?
All hear few listen

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