What have you done for garden prep so far?

[DrPrepper]

We finially finished replanting the garden today right before dark. Our garden slopes down toward the corral and a lot of the garden soil had washed into the corral from Friday nights storm, taking much of the seeds that we planted with it.
About an hour after we finished planting the garden another fast moving storm blew in from over the mountain. We'll see in the morning if we need to replant again. Right now we're getting high wind and rain.

If you have to replant again, I would be ready for a fist fight with Mother Nature. I hope it works out.

 

[SheilaT.]

We finially finished replanting the garden today right before dark. Our garden slopes down toward the corral and a lot of the garden soil had washed into the corral from Friday nights storm, taking much of the seeds that we planted with it.
About an hour after we finished planting the garden another fast moving storm blew in from over the mountain. We'll see in the morning if we need to replant again. Right now we're getting high wind and rain.

I hope it's not another washout AD. Would you consider terracing the garden in the future? it might stop erosion of the garden in a storm.

 

[Danil54grl]

It's gotten really hot (w/ humidity 101) around here with no rain in sight this week for us. This morning I need to get out to harvest some more cucumbers and green beans along with a few squash. Tomatoes are loaded but the only ones that have turned red are a few cherries. Probably need to prune back the suckers too. Also need to replant the yellow squash that was split by Saturday's storm. After standing back up all the corn that got blown over they are looking ok so not a loss thankfully. The contenders are not liking the hot humid weather so I replaced with the Roma variety. They tend to do better, just not as prolific. After they get done, I'll start putting in the dry beans this year. Seems like all the melons are living this type of weather though.

 

[brandx]

I should plant a flower someday, but so far have only played with things I can eat! Even in a small space you can produce alot more than most people think.

you could plant nasturtiums and eat them.

 

[Brent S]

you could plant nasturtiums and eat them.

I don’t know what those are, but I’ve read many flowers are edible. I haven’t mowed as much as I should be keeping up with and have enough dandelions to feed a small city! I just saw a documentary that said a cauliflower plant is wholly edible, yet we only eat the head, about 25% of what’s edible.

 

[brandx]

I don’t know what those are, but I’ve read many flowers are edible. I haven’t mowed as much as I should be keeping up with and have enough dandelions to feed a small city! I just saw a documentary that said a cauliflower plant is wholly edible, yet we only eat the head, about 25% of what’s edible.

Dandelions taste good too, I haven't had the greens but the flowers, just dip in batter and fry.

 

[Arcticdude]

We had another storm move in last night. It rained all night and it's still raining this morning. But at least we're not getting the high winds and hail like last week's storm. The garden is still where it's supposed to be.
A woman in town has an excess of tomato plants from her greenhouse. She said we can have as many plants as we want. We still have room in the garden for more tomato and pepper plants.
Most of the peas, corn and cucumber seeds washed away in last weeks storm, so I'll plant some more when the weather clears and it warms up. It's in the low 40's today.

 

[Maverick]

Weather not being overly friendly, since Thursday we have had rain, hail, snow, rain, high winds, lightening strikes and rain again, today it is blue sky's and sunny.

 

[Danil54grl]

The garden was drying out finally where I was beginning to get to harvest my different squashes with out them turning mushy. Patty was coming out totally soft and zucchini and yellow on the one end so most could be salvaged. Picked some yesterday and canned them up for frying later. It was a recipe I ran across on Deep South Homestead YouTube that I wanted to give it a try. it is a very easy process that doesn't require a lot of time. I don't normally watch you tube but I find I enjoy this couple and he is pretty good explaining some of the challenges we face in the South trying to grow with out chemicals. @Gazrok I thought of you when I heard of this recipe since you had said you were wanting to have some canned veggies for stir fry at one time. I am waiting a few weeks before I open a jar to try out.

This morning I woke up to rain. . . Last night on the news they said we could get up to 6-8 inches. I may not be getting as many squash after this but my eggplant, melons and tomatoes will love it. I am still struggling with most of my peppers and just getting a handful of each variety a day. Habenero and Tabasco are doing great though. Did get to harvest my first sunflower head yesterday. Seeds were taken off and will be saving a few for next time. I meant to start soaking them in salted water but that totally slipped my mind when I got in last night. So this morning that will happen and then roasting them.

 

[DrPrepper]

I have an announcement to make....... I have a tomato from my garden . The first one. I picked it while it was green. There were about 4 more, but something was enjoying them. I don’t think bugs are eating them. I looks like someone took a knife and sliced about 1/5 of the edges off.

 

[Danil54grl]

Yesterday the tomatoes got pruned and training down to go back into the cage. Still getting plenty of cherry tomatoes but the others are slow producing now. Day before all the squash type plants got pruned and have lots of girls going on there. Since we had a lot of rain July 4 th weekend I started getting water logged squash again and now drying out. Cantaloupe and honey few were very flavorful and sweet on my trellis but the row I planted of cantaloupe a few weeks later have no taste and very disappointing. Those I am pulling as ripe and feeding to the pigs. Still have an over abundance of dukes so cutting those up for Mikey, my goat. He is currently in the isolation pen. He is one that gets pushed around and I'm trying to make sure he gets enough to eat. He is one of my problem child's who has a tendency to get worms and the worm meds do not kill all types so you have to alternate between them.

 

[DrPrepper]

Yesterday the tomatoes got pruned and training down to go back into the cage. Still getting plenty of cherry tomatoes but the others are slow producing now. Day before all the squash type plants got pruned and have lots of girls going on there. Since we had a lot of rain July 4 th weekend I started getting water logged squash again and now drying out. Cantaloupe and honey few were very flavorful and sweet on my trellis but the row I planted of cantaloupe a few weeks later have no taste and very disappointing. Those I am pulling as ripe and feeding to the pigs. Still have an over abundance of dukes so cutting those up for Mikey, my goat. He is currently in the isolation pen. He is one that gets pushed around and I'm trying to make sure he gets enough to eat. He is one of my problem child's who has a tendency to get worms and the worm meds do not kill all types so you have to alternate between them.

I am glad to read that you can prune down tomato plants. My were so big they started falling down on the ground. I cut them way back about 4 days ago. There were no tomatoes on them, so I figured I had nothing to lose. The one tomato that I did get to eat was excellent.

 

[SheilaT.]

I've been struggling to get the squash to produce female flowers in this heat only one plant so far has fruit on it. One planter of beans has finished so I pulled them out and sowed 4 zucchini seeds if I'm lucky I might just get some fruit late september. Nothing ventured and all that

 

[Brent S]

I probably have 50ripe tomatoes in the greenhouse right now. I hope to pick them tomorrow, but honestly have been so busy with work I almost don’t care. It is tough to neglect one of my favorite hobbies, but it seems hard to keep a balance in life sometimes.

 

[Maverick]

So far everything I planted are doing great, peppers are thriving in this heat with low humidity, the tomatoes love the not so much the low humidity but they are doing good. Been going into the 90s with humidity around 35% at the house and 45-50% at the garden probably because of the underground soaker in the garden.

 

[Robinjopo1]

View attachment 8784 This is part of my harvest today, but we had a storm move thru so had to stop while picking my greenbeans. . . And it had hail. A lot of my 6ft tall corn is leaning over but not all. It's just too wet to try to stand it back up tonight so hoping in the morning I can. They were putting on ears that should be ready in just 2-3 more weeks. It was dusk when I could get back out so will need to check the extent tomorrow, but it looks like everything else will be ok, I hope. I did get all my tomatoes prunes this morning and have a bunch of green tomatoes and blooms. Cucumbers have been producing very well so far and so have the green beans. I pulled up the first row that I planted cause they were done and replaced that row with Crenshaw melons. Planted purple hulls in a row that I had let mustard go to seed and then some Silver (something) Line. . . It's a type of melon I had never heard of so wanting to try it out. I'm just now picking yellow squash and zucchini. The patty squash are producing very well. Got to pick my first jalapeno and two banana peppers.

My cucumbers and squash are almost done for the year. I do have a second round of squash planted. The only squash my family will eat are yellow and zucchini .

I canned lots of dill pickles. I have also given the neighbors lots of them too. I hate plain cucumbers and just grow them for my family.

 

[Robinjopo1]

You could probably find blackberries on line and have them shipped to you. I love Amazon. I planted a little early too, and need to go put in a few more seeds in some thin spots. Overall though most things did fine. I already am behind in thinning and weeding!

I have planted 17 blackberry plants, but they are young and produced about 10 berries total. Those rogue weeds have taken them over in 2 weeks time. They love the rain and I am overrun with them. I'm trying to get them before they are able to go to seed, but there are so many.

 

[Squirtgunsquirter]

Processed about 30 big onions, still that many left. We are taking a break. Onion eyes.
Best part, I had the angry prepper podcast playing in the background and the wife didn't complain.
Progress. I'll take it.

 

[Squirtgunsquirter]

The hydroponics did ok this year. We will get mmm 20 some? Cherry tomatoes, they aren't ripe yet. A ton of mint, and a bunch of herbs.
The wife making pesto ice cubes, which I'm not into, and we are dehydrating the rest and putting in jars.

 

[Brent S]

I have planted 17 blackberry plants, but they are young and produced about 10 berries total. Those rogue weeds have taken them over in 2 weeks time. They love the rain and I am overrun with them. I'm trying to get them before they are able to go to seed, but there are so many.

Yeah, my blackberry patch is overrun with weeds right now too. I need a full time Gardner here....