Hows everyone's Gardens doing?

[paintponylvr]

Well - I didn't do so well with my first attempts at container gardening. I'm sooooo jealous of you all getting the yields that you do!

I planted 4 containers - big ones. Turned out the one I didn't have enough drain holes in and it filled with water, refused to drain (even after we added some more holes to it??) and drowned the 3 bush pea plants in it. The cucumbers (also 3 plants) grew well, but didn't put out much in the way of "fruit". I ate some - gave a few away and missed quite a number that turned bad on the ground. Will continue to learn in that type!

I planted a different type of squash and couldn't tell when it was ready to harvest. I tried taking some before it was ready (YUCK), and then also lost quite a few when I then let them go to long. At least they are now in the compost heap! The carrots... Well.... I planted way too many and way to close together and then had trouble weeding them out. I've always been told baby carrots are ez to grow - but they sure aren't in my experience... The rabbit liked them - even if they weren't developed enough for us to eat!

Overall, I still got MORE veggies than I did last year at a much lower cost. It was my first attempt at growing from seeds and I was so excited to have all the plants come up!

*************

So, today, I cleaned out the "K-cups" with our granddaughters and mixed the coffee with the potting soil (some folks say that's good, some say it's really bad - we'll see). Probably did way too many seeds in each cup - maybe should have done only one (that just doesn't seem right??). Not only did I start with seed - but this is the first time I'm planting (ever) in the fall AND doing several different types of lettuce's . I hope it works - I would love to get this worked out so that I can grow my own - for me, for the chickens and when we can't eat it - for the compost heap. If everythng grows from seed -it is SOOO much less expensive than going with the already started plants.

A pic of 2 yr old Gwen & almost 4 yr old Gracie helping to clean out the "K-cups". I don't have pics of the wonderful mess made when we mixed the soil w/ the coffee and then planted the seed (s). We shall see how this goes...

We finished the "planters" in front of the barn (first time in years don't have stacks of junk wood and "stuff" in front of the barn) - and I will transfer the seedlings into them when they are ready in a couple of weeks. I will be purchasing the potting soil, fertilizer & vermiculite next weekend. I will not be using any of my own compost this year - it's my understanding that it needs to age much longer than a couple of months (especially since I don't turn it or get it wet but just let it sit in layers in the compost bin) since some of our hay suppliers use broad leaf herbicides on the hay that I purchase that will still kill garden plants.... I will need to make some type of cover out of PVC and chicken wire to keep the chickens out of the planters - then will change to plastic to make a cold frame when the temp drops. I'm really HOPING the lettuce(s), swiss chard and broccoli grow well. There's some others as well...

The planters are re-purposed wood from landscaping timbers and 4x4s on our property. Instead of bolting them together, I used the hay string and did them in "layers" - "x"ing the string to hold them together. Then, I'm putting straw between the open areas - to hold the soil in place. For the landscaping fabric, I stitched feed bags together in rows. Should work well! Will need to finish them next week when I'm able to buy the things I want to try using (mix of potting soil, manure fertilizers & vermiculite), then fill them w/ some Mums and the veggies I'm starting from seed right now...

A pic of the first planter - it's about 8' long, but 2' "deep" (front to back) and about 14" (? maybe) in depth. O, yes, and the natural fertilizer being added right now, LOL... The one to the right of the barn is not as long and is a little closer to the door (won't be able to walk between door and the planter) - I needed to still be able to turn in front of the barn and get between it and the burn pile... Again, we'll see if it works.

While also providing meals for us, the planters should work well to keep the doors in place when there are storms (instead of the junk heaps we did have holding the doors). I'm optimistic that all of this will come together for us and we WILL have some fall/winter veggies.

OK, off to bed now...

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Using the Kcups is good idea!

I would not put hay, which I knew came from fields treated with 24D into my compost. It is a component of Agent Orange and does not biodegrade like Roundup does. I'm rethinking even using the hay that has gone through my horses in my compost.

I don't use much hay, as I have pasture, but I'm thinking that cleanup the morning after a hay night, that manure may have to go somewhere besides my compost.

I need to look for some prairie hay bales, complete with weeds.

 

[Debby - LB]

Marsha I hope your finger responded well to the antibiotics! that's scary but you'll probably never know exactly what caused it. I don't wear gloves out there working either but I know I should.

Reignmaker WOW that's a lot of carrots out of a small area. I love carrots. Do you ever juice any of them?

paintponylvr I love your planters! that looks like something I would do...and may do! Isn't it amazing what we can do with that baling string?

We have some tomato plants that are still producing and some green limas that are almost ready to pick again... may get 3 or 4 more quarts out of those. Sweet potatoes need digging now, once those are done we'll be done!

I have one more canning of my grapes to go.This year I did one canning of Scuppernong jelly, this last one I'm going to make muscadine/jalapeno jam. I usually only make jelly so will try the jam.

I have 8 gallons of wine working now that should be done mid Nov.

We will probably plant some collards, mustard, turnips and lettuce for the cool months. We are supposed to have some cooler weather this week. I'll be glad when it gets here I sorely need to get out there and work in my herb garden.

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

I've never juiced the carrots. They usually get eaten so fast that I never really think of doing anything but eating them raw rather than cooked. I bet they would be stupendous juiced tho. They are so sweet. I grow a type that is extra high in vitamins and are sweeter for raw snacking than the storage carrots you can get here. Since mine don't last more than a few weeks I just clean them and put them in the fridge (we have a spare fridge thank heavens lol). I'm always sorry to see the last ones eaten.

 

[Riverrose28]

I'm so jealous over your carrots, ours didn't grow at all, and now I must buy them at the store. Thinking I'll go to the amish market and buy some to can. My grandaughter was over yesterday and she picked two buckets of green beans, then she snapped them and took them home with her. She also took the last pumpkin so she could carve it for the porch. The weeds are taller then I am and no rain so the ground is hard as a rock and I don't haqve the strength to pull them out. Fields got bushed hogged this weekend as some weeds were popping up out there as well. Hubby has a small patch of ground were he planted asparagus and the dang weeds have taken it over, so I'm afraid that will have to be bush hogged as well before tilling, then move all the stalks by hand back to the woods. I only had a few ears of corn left maturing out there and deer eat it. It's bow season and they got payback because our friend came over and shot an eight point buck with his bow and arrow. It is the first buck of the year and of course the talk of the town. My green beans won third prize at the fair as did my relish and salsa. Third place is better then nothing. I'll do better next year, lol.

 

[Debby - LB]

omg husband dug those sweet potatoes today and man did they ever make! and some of them are huge! I don't know why some got so darn big..., I now have a lot to cook fresh, can, and give away. I love sweet taters, good thing too LOL.

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

You may well envy my carrots but the things you can all grow makes me green (and not my thumbs lol) I wish I could get corn, even a few cobs that I had to fight the deer for (actually only the moose are brave enough here to challenge the dog for the right to be in the yard) and sweet potatoes... oh my goodness, I love sweet potatoes and yams. They are a special occasion food in my house and then I have to buy them from the store. I don't like buying vegetables that are shipped long distances so if I can't grow it or get it from a neighbour it remains a rare treat if I must have it. Locally grown is fresher and just tastes better anyway.

Congratulations on your placing! Third is nothing to be unhappy about, I suspect it is a sign of how tough the competition is

Someday I might get my act together and enter some of my produce in the fair here, so far I have always skipped it because the fair is in early August and my garden just isn't at its best yet then.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

omg husband dug those sweet potatoes today and man did they ever make! and some of them are huge! I don't know why some got so darn big..., I now have a lot to cook fresh, can, and give away. I love sweet taters, good thing too LOL.

I dug around my sweet potato and got a giant one. I cooked, purreed, and froze half. The other half became a fantastic pie. We actually like sweet potato pie almost better than pumpkin.

Don't know if there are more potatoes under there; I'll leave it a little longer before pulling it up. Mine is Vandamant variety. I think I like the Beauragards that we did last year better.

 

[vickie gee]

You sweet sweet potato gals need to make you some sweet potato tater chips. Peel 'em, slice 'em thin, coat with a little vegetable oil and sea salt, and bake at 250 degrees for 2 hours. Yum yum.

 

[Debby - LB]

that sounds good!

 

[Marsha Cassada]

I generally dehydrate my extra sweet potatoes. They reconstitute well to cook with, and my dog and horses enjoy the dried ones as treats.

As an aside, I'm glad I got the oral antibiotic for my finger. It is almost well. The skin all sloughed off a couple of days ago so it is very tender. I was hoping I had learned my lesson about digging in the dirt bare handed, but I was back at it today.

Our kale is coming along, the romaine is pickable. A volunteer crop of black eyed peas are coming on, and the zuchinni has little fruit--hope it does not shrivel but continues to grow.

I dried some of my kale, some plain and some after tossing in olive oil/garlic salt.

Most of my flowers are fading away, though there is still enough color to be pretty. And maybe someone knows why my naked lady lilies are so sparse this year? They are usually a large clump and this year only 3 lonely flowers came up. I'm hoping some more will still spring up, but it doesn't look promising. They are a lovely red color.

Beginning the round of watering; all the rain has missed us lately.

 

[Debby - LB]

I am glad to hear your finger has gotten better! bad-bad poking it back in the dirt! just what I would do though.

kale sounds good, I like that so many ways to fix it.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

Here are my 3 lonely naked lady aka surprise lilies. The basal foliage all dies and there is no sign of anything. Then Surprise! the stalks spring out of the ground with the lovely flowers. After the flowers die, the foliage grows and stays green all winter. I don't know why my large clump is reduced to only 3 stalks.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

For supper tonight, we had romain lettuce, chard, kale, and onion from the garden. A lonely tomato. Yard long green beans (I love those!). The zuchinni is bearing, so we had that also. I'm so happy to have some fall things coming on. The broccoli is doing well. I almost dug up the sweet potato, but decided to wait a little longer.

If we could get a nice rain, we could have some pretty fall color.

Anyone know why there are NO mesquite beans this year? That is an important food source for wildlife, and there is not a bean anywhere.

 

[Debby - LB]

I didn't know that was the name of those lillies! I have those and love to see them come up every year.. right now I have a lone one in the back yard but it reminds me soon there will be more to enjoy.