Garden Time Coming

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

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Cherry Kelly
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Post by Cherry Kelly » 07-25-2014 09:38 AM

Leslie -- squash bugs are a problem - so are grasshoppers around here this year. Last night someone suggested duct tape to get rid of the squash bugs and their eggs. That works if you have the physical time to go through the plants or only have a few plants. Never tried that one, but who knows?

Its too early here to do fall planting (let alone it gets too hot). Strange weather patterns have given us odd 2 days of 90 plus heat with feels like 100 - then a few days of normal mid 80s. (repeat)

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LeslieV
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Post by LeslieV » 07-25-2014 10:12 AM

I have two beds along the south fence that are now starting to get shade so they will cool down first going toward fall. I am planting there in the one and the other one is open trench for kitchen waste that gets put in then covered. By spring that bed will have composted most of it and be ready to plant.

I've been doing the bugs and eggs by hand while watering. Makes it easy to wash the fingers off and water the plants at the same.

I watered pretty good last night then went into get on the ham radio as I am net control for the traffic (message) net Thursday.

Forecast had storms in the area but the were to clear out by 7PM. They were late so by the time I got on the air things started up so I shut the net early and as I did the WX radio went off telling me what I already knew; a severe storm. Did get 0.10 inch of rain so the garden will be good for a couple days.

Picked the last of the cherries this morning so need to process them then get them ready for a cherry pie. It will be cooler this weekend so baking a pie won't be a heat strain.

I was picking peas this morning when the 'skeetrs' came up so gave that up. I'll head back out in a little while and finish the job as the buggers will be confused now by the heat and wind.

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Post by Bobbi Snow » 07-25-2014 03:10 PM

Oh, yeah... stay away from those critters! You never know what they're carrying, these days! We rarely ever see them here, especially since we haven't had much rain in a couple of years.

I had my gardner transplant my cactus I'd kept in a large planter on the back deck for several years. Babies were crowding the two large ones to the point where they won't bloom this year. He put them out in the front corner of our rose garden where they have lots of room to grow. He says they should bloom now - probably by the middle of September. They get morning sun, and sun from about 3pm until dark, so they should do well. The city is begging people to plant things that won't take a lot of water, so this should make the neighborhood happy.

I hand-water the roses, now; had to stop that station of sprinklers because of the drought. Our reservoirs are less than half full over most of the state, so conserving water is critical.
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Post by Cherry Kelly » 07-26-2014 11:15 AM

They had rain in the forecast - then took it out, and yup - we did get rain this morning. Don't know how much as it started - stopped and now raining down again :) Much needed for sure.

Picked peppers and tomatoes in the morning yesterday - got hot so said - ehh. After supper picked green beans and sweet corn... ya not the best time to be out - mosquito time, but did manage to get done before the mosquitoes. Swallows had a "blast" flying through the air to catch mosquitoes.

Garden is later than normal this year - but doing fine.

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Post by Fan » 07-30-2014 08:44 AM

Japanese beetles have eaten all my roses again. Bastards.

Skeeters are almost non-existent this year surprisingly, so that is nice :)
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Post by Cherry Kelly » 08-29-2014 12:02 PM

Garden produce filling boxes with tomatoes being picked when they show pink/red - as grasshoppers have been bad as have ants.

Been using the Victorio Strainer to make paste from tomatoes for use in producing spaghetti sauce and a variety of salsas and this year - catsup! Interesting and the taste is great.

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Post by Cherry Kelly » 09-19-2014 11:58 AM

Still canning! Fresh tomato sauce, spaghetti and yes, home made ketchup and one more batch of salsa.

NOW its pepper picking time... hot peppers, get your hot peppers... ohh ya.. :)

Funniest thing, thought my Roma tomatoes were finished - nope - blooming?? ok weird!

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