Gardens 2020

[DirtDiva]

The freeze did not miss us! Lots of frost. Peaches are gone on both trees just fell off. The plums are still hanging in there. Both catalpa trees were just budding out so those new leaves got zapped as did the mulberry tree. Grapes got zapped for the second time. Potatoes same way. Covered what we could though.

Most of the garden is cold weather tolerant crops such as cabbage and peas so they came through fine. Have been doing some lawn patching hauling dirt and planting grass seeds. If I don't keep the grass thick one dog has a tendency to want to dig. The other dog digs moles all year and every spring I have to patch all the holes and reseed them Guess it is worth it to get rid of the moles.

Hoping to plant some warm season crops this week if the temperatures continue to rise.

 

[DirtDiva]

What is ready to pick lettuce, rhubarb and asparagus. Coming along despite the frost are mustard greens and cabbage they are growing despite the cool weather. And the green peas are blooming. Onions, garlic, beets and turnips look like they came through the frost unscathed as well. Potatoes look kind of rough in spots despite being covered loosely with straw. Blackberries, blueberries and plums all still have fruit as do the currants and gooseberries. Pawpaw trees took a hit and the grapes. Now that my front yard is over seeded and fertilized I will have to wait on another load of top soil to do some work on the back. Need dirt over sewer lines that were installed last year where the dirt has settled out. A little dirt on top and some grass seed and they should be good to go. When your property runs down hill have to keep a good covering of grass to prevent the soil from washing down the hill. Loving having extra hands around with the two kids to help with the heavy stuff. Stay safe and I will be quilting today and watching it rain.

 

[Danil54grl]

All I did in the garden was walk it mainly. Did get another gallon of green beans blanched and going into the freezer. Right now they are laid out to dry first. Less sticking together, then vacuum sealed. Picked a slicing eggplant that I will try up for lunch. Got 3 more patty squash (which can wait) and by tomorrow I think close to a dozen yellow squash will be ready. Think I will can those to fry later. Spaghetti squash are big but still haven't turned color yet and so are the butternut squash. Some days I am just too impatient! Melons all are blooming but haven't seen any fruit set as of yet. And none off my tomatoes are turning red yet. . .

 

[DirtDiva]

All I did in the garden was walk it mainly. Did get another gallon of green beans blanched and going into the freezer. Right now they are laid out to dry first. Less sticking together, then vacuum sealed. Picked a slicing eggplant that I will try up for lunch. Got 3 more patty squash (which can wait) and by tomorrow I think close to a dozen yellow squash will be ready. Think I will can those to fry later. Spaghetti squash are big but still haven't turned color yet and so are the butternut squash. Some days I am just too impatient! Melons all are blooming but haven't seen any fruit set as of yet. And none off my tomatoes are turning red yet. . .

What Agricultural Zone are you in? I am in 6B. You are way ahead of us. We are still fighting those late season frosts. It will be atleast 6 weeks before I am where you are. Curious about you canning squash for frying. How long do you process and what consistency is the squash when you fry? I freeze my squash mashed in bricks and vacuum seal to use in casseroles and I also make a squash soup with mashed squash and chicken broth, cream and spices. Sometimes cheese. I never cared for the consistency of canned squash.

 

[DrHenley]

I never cared for the consistency of canned squash.

Squash is too squishy for me even fresh, LOL. Except zucchini.

 

[DirtDiva]

Squash is too squishy for me even fresh, LOL. Except zucchini.

We like zucchini grilled with olive oil and sea salt or zucchini bread

 

[Danil54grl]

What is ready to pick lettuce, rhubarb and asparagus. Coming along despite the frost are mustard greens and cabbage they are growing despite the cool weather. And the green peas are blooming. Onions, garlic, beets and turnips look like they came through the frost unscathed as well. Potatoes look kind of rough in spots despite being covered loosely with straw. Blackberries, blueberries and plums all still have fruit as do the currants and gooseberries. Pawpaw trees took a hit and the grapes. Now that my front yard is over seeded and fertilized I will have to wait on another load of top soil to do some work on the back. Need dirt over sewer lines that were installed last year where the dirt has settled out. A little dirt on top and some grass seed and they should be good to go. When your property runs down hill have to keep a good covering of grass to prevent the soil from washing down the hill. Loving having extra hands around with the two kids to help with the heavy stuff. Stay safe and I will be quilting today and watching it rain.

I'm in 8 borderline 9.

http://www.doomsdayprepperforums.com/index.php?threads/canning-squash-for-frying-later.10334/

This is the recipe and what I thought about it. The breading stays on a lot nicer than you would think and it is not "mushy". You do get a slight vinegar taste, but really not over whelming.

 

[Danil54grl]

What Agricultural Zone are you in? I am in 6B. You are way ahead of us. We are still fighting those late season frosts. It will be atleast 6 weeks before I am where you are. Curious about you canning squash for frying. How long do you process and what consistency is the squash when you fry? I freeze my squash mashed in bricks and vacuum seal to use in casseroles and I also make a squash soup with mashed squash and chicken broth, cream and spices. Sometimes cheese. I never cared for the consistency of canned squash.

I also found when pressure cann ing, if I removed the seeds I liked it much better to use in casseroles and soups.

 

[Brent S]

I had fried potatoes with yellow squash and zucchini mixed in tonight. I throw in the squash and zucchini about half way through frying the potatoes. Wonderful stuff but unfortunately I didn’t get them from the gardens. I have plants growing but none near producing yet.
I got a lot of weeding done today and tilled up the onion patch I picked a few days ago. I also reseeded a few thin spots that the last cold spell did a little damage. Not sure what I will plant in the onion patch tomorrow but have every seed known to man in the freezer.
I had transplanted a bunch of blueberries and blackberry plants a few weeks ago here. I have one of the blueberries that is hurting but hope to keep it alive. Most are doing great and the majority even kept their berries on them. It looks like I lost two of the blackberries but I have more than enough and they self propagate every year anyways, as do the blueberries. I’m considering making another blueberry patch somewhere with all the new shoots popping up around the mature plants.
I see lots of fruit on the apples and plums so far. Luckily none of the last frosts were too bad here.
I’m in constant mowing and weed eating season here now. Luckily with the self isolation I have time to maintain everything for the first time in ages.

 

[Danil54grl]

Has anyone used the aspirin tablet dissolved in a 2 gallon waterer to ward of blight? I was thinking about trying it once we got summer temps just to see how it goes, but would like to hear from anyone who has tried it out.

It is supposed to make the plant think it is under attack and 'beef up' it's defences.

 

[DirtDiva]

Has anyone used the aspirin tablet dissolved in a 2 gallon waterer to ward of blight? I was thinking about trying it once we got summer temps just to see how it goes, but would like to hear from anyone who has tried it out.

It is supposed to make the plant think it is under attack and 'beef up' it's defences.

Blight on what?

 

[Danil54grl]

Blight on what?

tomatoes mainly, but I also read it was good for viruses. I'm just trying to find new tricks of the trade. As you know living in LA (not sure how close to the coast you were) at one time, rain, heat and humidity are breeding grounds for all kinds of things so trying to stay ahead of the game. One trick I found was dipping Q-Tips in vinegar and placing them dip side up around squash type plants will repel squash bugs. Only down side is you have to redo every so often. Another was when I was milking Bestey Lou and had gallons of extra milk I could use as a fertilizer and also helped with powdery mildew.

 

[Danil54grl]

It has been spitting rain off an on since I got off this morning. Was out in the garden by daylight and running back and forth. . . Now it is finally raining. Got 3 spaghetti squash, a couple dozen yellow squash ( 1 big, apparently missed that one so will shred), 2 slicing eggplant, 3 zucchini, a couple patty squash, a couple more gallons of green beans, and still working on pepperd. . . I have one bell pepper plant that has 10 bells but is only knee high. I am going to let them get a little bigger and take 3 or 4 off. Split in half, deseed and throw in a freezer bag for the freezer. I go thru these like crazy. Once I get a couple gallons full I will start vacuum sealing. It just makes it so easy to grab whatever amount I need and run under some warm water to defrost and cut up to use for meals.

 

[Danil54grl]

I had fried potatoes with yellow squash and zucchini mixed in tonight. I throw in the squash and zucchini about half way through frying the potatoes. Wonderful stuff but unfortunately I didn’t get them from the gardens. I have plants growing but none near producing yet.
I got a lot of weeding done today and tilled up the onion patch I picked a few days ago. I also reseeded a few thin spots that the last cold spell did a little damage. Not sure what I will plant in the onion patch tomorrow but have every seed known to man in the freezer.
I had transplanted a bunch of blueberries and blackberry plants a few weeks ago here. I have one of the blueberries that is hurting but hope to keep it alive. Most are doing great and the majority even kept their berries on them. It looks like I lost two of the blackberries but I have more than enough and they self propagate every year anyways, as do the blueberries. I’m considering making another blueberry patch somewhere with all the new shoots popping up around the mature plants.
I see lots of fruit on the apples and plums so far. Luckily none of the last frosts were too bad here.
I’m in constant mowing and weed eating season here now. Luckily with the self isolation I have time to maintain everything for the first time in ages.

Have you tried frying your yellow squash and zucchini with butternut squash? It's almost like a sweet potato. Good stuff. . . I use bacon grease. Butternut is very versatile if you haven't tried it. Grows on running vines. Last year I did it in a raised bed. This year I have been trying it out on a trellis. So far so good. They are getting the right size, but I am waiting for the curly tail to turn brown along with them. Right now they are green. .

 

[Proud Prepper]

Problems with squash bugs?

Self-rising flour is a natural alternative to pesticides with harmful chemicals. Gardeners swear by self-rising flour since it is believed that squash beetles will attempt to eat the flour. The yeasts in the flour, which is the self-rising part, will then get moist in the pest’s gut and expand.

To use this trick, fill a small container like an old Parmesan cheese shaker bottle with the self-rising flour. Shake the flour over the main stems of all the squashes, which are the pest’s favorite spot. It’s also safe to sprinkle a bit of flour over the leaves.

Check your squashes regularly. There should be fewer egg patches. Re-flour every other day and keep checking.

After several weeks, you’ll notice an improvement in your crops.

 

[Danil54grl]

Problems with squash bugs?

Self-rising flour is a natural alternative to pesticides with harmful chemicals. Gardeners swear by self-rising flour since it is believed that squash beetles will attempt to eat the flour. The yeasts in the flour, which is the self-rising part, will then get moist in the pest’s gut and expand.

To use this trick, fill a small container like an old Parmesan cheese shaker bottle with the self-rising flour. Shake the flour over the main stems of all the squashes, which are the pest’s favorite spot. It’s also safe to sprinkle a bit of flour over the leaves.

Check your squashes regularly. There should be fewer egg patches. Re-flour every other day and keep checking.

After several weeks, you’ll notice an improvement in your crops.

I hadn't ever heard of using self-rising flour. Good to know! Do you have anything for bacterial leaf spot? This normally effects my peppers at one point or another when it gets rainy, hot and very humid. Since I haven't found a trewtment, I will sit down and remove all effected leaves, then spray with a concoction of neem oil basically.

 

[Danil54grl]

Problems with squash bugs?

Self-rising flour is a natural alternative to pesticides with harmful chemicals. Gardeners swear by self-rising flour since it is believed that squash beetles will attempt to eat the flour. The yeasts in the flour, which is the self-rising part, will then get moist in the pest’s gut and expand.

To use this trick, fill a small container like an old Parmesan cheese shaker bottle with the self-rising flour. Shake the flour over the main stems of all the squashes, which are the pest’s favorite spot. It’s also safe to sprinkle a bit of flour over the leaves.

Check your squashes regularly. There should be fewer egg patches. Re-flour every other day and keep checking.

After several weeks, you’ll notice an improvement in your crops.

wonder if Just baking powder would work since that is the rising ingredient? Or even baking soda? I buy the big bag of that since I use it out for my goats regularly.

 

[Proud Prepper]

I hadn't ever heard of using self-rising flour. Good to know! Do you have anything for bacterial leaf spot? This normally effects my peppers at one point or another when it gets rainy, hot and very humid. Since I haven't found a trewtment, I will sit down and remove all effected leaves, then spray with a concoction of neem oil basically.

Hydrogen peroxide works for that, as well as many other natural anti bacterials

 

[Danil54grl]

Hydrogen peroxide works for that, as well as many other natural anti bacterials

I will look into that. Thank you!!

 

[Robinjopo1]

Yay. It's getting warm again. Today I planted 4 rows of beans, weeded, cut some limbs that were overhanging the garden, cut some bean poles and other things.

I'm exhausted but it feels great being in the sunshine. It's getting really windy here.