Gardens 2020

[DirtDiva]

I will try out some this season. After eating dried figs I was shocked at how soft and juicy a fresh fig was. It really wasn’t bad tasting, just so far from what my expectations were that I wasn’t prepared I guess. Do you season them, par boil or anything?

If the skins are tough I split and drop them in boiling water and remove the skin like a tomato. That is not necessary though and usually I just dry. I grind the figs when dried sometimes and use them to fill cookies at Christmas. Fig preserves on a hot buttermilk biscuit is my husband's favorite.

 

[Brent S]

If the skins are tough I split and drop them in boiling water and remove the skin like a tomato. That is not necessary though and usually I just dry. I grind the figs when dried sometimes and use them to fill cookies at Christmas. Fig preserves on a hot buttermilk biscuit is my husband's favorite.

I googled fig preservation and quartering them seemed to be the best common way I read. You can dry whole but it takes much longer. I’m eager to start this season. I’m still not exactly sure how to tell when they are at the peak of ripeness though.

 

[Danil54grl]

If the skins are tough I split and drop them in boiling water and remove the skin like a tomato. That is not necessary though and usually I just dry. I grind the figs when dried sometimes and use them to fill cookies at Christmas. Fig preserves on a hot buttermilk biscuit is my husband's favorite.

When we had a fig tree years ago the only way I could get hunny to eat any was make it into a mock strawberry jam. Learned that one from my grandma.

 

[DirtDiva]

When we had a fig tree years ago the only way I could get hunny to eat any was make it into a mock strawberry jam. Learned that one from my grandma.

Yep I have some in my pantry right now.

 

[DirtDiva]

I googled fig preservation and quartering them seemed to be the best common way I read. You can dry whole but it takes much longer. I’m eager to start this season. I’m still not exactly sure how to tell when they are at the peak of ripeness though.

I have cut them in half but never quarters. I think alot would depend on the size of your figs to begin with. Usually cutting them in half for me is about the right size. Remember the smaller the pieces the less time they take to dry. With a solar dehydrator it doesn't matter as much I just leave them there until they are done.

 

[Petoski]

Planted some more fruit trees. Cherry, pear and apple. Will plant some more but have to wait for some construction work to complete as the machine will need access to that area first.

 

[KateMTx]

I will try out some this season. After eating dried figs I was shocked at how soft and juicy a fresh fig was. It really wasn’t bad tasting, just so far from what my expectations were that I wasn’t prepared I guess. Do you season them, par boil or anything?

Fresh figs are the best! Perfectly sweet and juicy. Our tree never produced a lot - just enough for us to enjoy fresh. Sometimes our friends or neighbors would give us a bunch but I always hated to do anything with them because nothing compares with eating them fresh.

 

[Brent S]

Fresh figs are the best! Perfectly sweet and juicy. Our tree never produced a lot - just enough for us to enjoy fresh. Sometimes our friends or neighbors would give us a bunch but I always hated to do anything with them because nothing compares with eating them fresh.

I feel that way about most fruits and vegetables when fresh but I had only eaten dried figs before and somehow expected them to be similar. The fresh ones are really soft and juicy. Not bad just totally different from my mental expectation. I have 4 trees that are mature and they produce loads of them now. It probably took 5 years before they started really producing more than just a few handfuls.

 

[Robinjopo1]

I've been in the gardens since 7:45. I am being over run by a weed we call Speedwell. It came when we planted a bag of winter rye 3 years ago.

I have weed eat and put down so much newspaper that you can't see the crops.

My husband who never gets closer to a garden than looking from the porch, said " which crop do you grow that has to be covered in paper"? Bless his heart.

I planted 4 rows of corn and with so much rain, I have had 5 plants grow. I've never had luck with corn, but dang. I planted some okra in the rows. It does well there.

 

[DirtDiva]

I've been in the gardens since 7:45. I am being over run by a weed we call Speedwell. It came when we planted a bag of winter rye 3 years ago.

I have weed eat and put down so much newspaper that you can't see the crops.

My husband who never gets closer to a garden than looking from the porch, said " which crop do you grow that has to be covered in paper"? Bless his heart.

I planted 4 rows of corn and with so much rain, I have had 5 plants grow. I've never had luck with corn, but dang. I planted some okra in the rows. It does well there.

This has started out to be quite the gardening year. Late frosts, record breaking torrential rain and even a tornado. My weeds are thriving!

 

[Proud Prepper]

This has started out to be quite the gardening year. Late frosts, record breaking torrential rain and even a tornado. My weeds are thriving!

That's good that your weed crop is thriving, now that its legal in so many states now.

 

[DirtDiva]

That's good that your weed crop is thriving, now that its legal in so many states now.

I wish it was that kind of weeds And I assure you hell will freeze over before it is legal in TN. They have been trying to get liquor into the county for 40 years.

 

[Brent S]

I was 100% caught up on weeding a week ago and it’s allready time to start again.... I set up a 16’ above ground pool this morning and am filling it now so took off from the garden today.i did water the greenhouse but that’s about it. It’s time to fertilize agin too. It never ends!!!

 

[Robinjopo1]

This is my first year using DE. How good is it killing bugs that are eating my leaves. I'm having a few days without rain and need to get them when the DE won't wash off.

Do you sprinkle it on the leaves or just around base. Flying bugs won't touch the base.

 

[Danil54grl]

My peppers are still looking quite sad but a few are trying to finally recover. My squash plants are another story though. I will eventually be losing the majority. Just been to set for where they are planted a d that is even after I built their beds up a good 8 inches. I went from getting at least a dozen a day to 4 today. So that is the bad news. . .

On the other hand my tomatoes are doing great. I have been picking on and off now for a few weeks. Today I ended up picking almost 8 gallons of different varieties. Thank goodness cause I am running very low on diced tomatoes and Rotel type on my shelves.

 

[DirtDiva]

This is my first year using DE. How good is it killing bugs that are eating my leaves. I'm having a few days without rain and need to get them when the DE won't wash off.

Do you sprinkle it on the leaves or just around base. Flying bugs won't touch the base.

While I have DE I find it not good for my area. You go out and sprinkle it on your leaves and 20 minutes later an afternoon shower and you have to start all over again. We get way too many rain showers for it to stay on long enough to work. I instead have went with some of the more organically approved pesticides. Bt, pyrethrin, Neem Oil, etc. I have to get my licks in between rains and make it count

 

[Brent S]

I am just now starting to get pole beans and squash. Need to pick the broccoli today too. All the plants are looking great in both gardens and are nearing production but not quite there yet. Both Cherri trees were picked clean just before fully ripe by birds again.... I don’t think I will ever get a fresh cherry! Blueberries are so loaded with berries they are sagging. Grapes setting fruit and blackberries are loaded too. My collards are getting eaten by leaf eaters but since my homemade collards aren’t as good as my favorite diners I don’t even mind so much.

 

[Robinjopo1]

Started early because it's going to be 92 today. The humidity was already high and I was a mess within minutes.

I wont do much today or tomorrow.

Oh, I have poison ivy on my forehead, eye lid, cheek, arm and fingers.

 

[Danil54grl]

Started early because it's going to be 92 today. The humidity was already high and I was a mess within minutes.

I wont do much today or tomorrow.

Oh, I have poison ivy on my forehead, eye lid, cheek, arm and fingers.

It's so hot outside you have to start early a d even then by the time you come in it looks like you already had a shower your so drenched with sweat!

sorry about the poison ivy. . . Hope you have some stuff to put on it.

 

[Brent S]

Started early because it's going to be 92 today. The humidity was already high and I was a mess within minutes.

I wont do much today or tomorrow.

Oh, I have poison ivy on my forehead, eye lid, cheek, arm and fingers.

Yeah, I plan my days early and late as much as possible too. Sorry about the poison ivy. I had some recently and the doctor didn’t want to give me prednisone as it could lower my immunity to covid. The cream he gave me was worthless. Two weeks of itching sucks but it does go away eventually....