Gardening

Karen_S · August 2012

Bumper crop of basil this year. It must like dry weather. I made almost 6 cups of Pesto, frozen in ice cube trays and bagged for quick use in soups, pasta, vegetables. I still have quite a bit more basil, but will hang it to dry.

gagrice · August 2012

I love pesto based bread dipping. I found that site you posted. I think you are right. I sent pics for positive ID to the Mushroomexpert.

Kirstie_H · August 2012

My basil is going crazy too - good idea making pesto cubes. I don't know what I'll do with all of it otherwise. I've had good success drying all of my herbs (including basil) for my italian herb mix by putting them in the oven at 180 for 20-30 minutes.

I have lime basil & lemon basil this year too. I love the taste of them, but have no idea what I'll use them for.

Karen_S · August 2012

If you're freezing the Pesto, leave out the cheese. You can add it later in whatever dish you're using it for. Also, I add some Fruit Fresh. Keeps it from getting too dark. You can use lemon juice too, but I think the Fruit Fresh works better.

stever · August 2012

Went to a U-Pick but got rained out before we were done. Settled for 25 pounds at $1.50 a pound. Wanted to get 40 but the freezer probably wouldn't have held all of them anyway. Some unknown (to us) variety of domestic blueberries. The wild ones didn't produce much this year.

If you like to make pies, the unripe ones will thicken the innards much like pectin does for jams.

gagrice · August 2012

How long did it take to pick 25 lbs of berries? They are soooo good and good for you. I was glad to get a few black berries from the squirrels this year. They also chew up the vines pretty bad. You eat the same brand of yogurt my wife likes.

stever · August 2012

Uh, we took about two hours (not counting the drive) but lost at least 25 minutes between checking in, ATVing to the fields, running back to the counting shed in the rain, walking back to the fields during a break in the rain, and walking back to the shed, and checking out.

My wife got the Mountain High stuff in Boise all the time but she can't find it here. Something must have gotten packed in that container during the move. She mostly gets Fage but we'd both prefer something more white bread and plain but the only other option here is Dannon. I'm not a big fan of the creamier Greek stuff. Should just start making it ourselves.

Picked two okra pods yesterday.

ateixeira · August 2012

We're in a drought so the only good crop I've had is banana yellow peppers. They are mildly hot and work perfect for an Italian style salad. Yum.

Karen_S · August 2012

Canned several pints of these recently. I'd like to do a batch of Honey-Dill relish also, but the cucumbers are dwindling. May have to hit a farmer's market, or steal 'em from my neighbor's garden. :shades:

ray80 · August 2012

I just made a batch of Christmas pickles. I had remembered someone at work made some about 20 years ago, but at the time I had trouble finding cinnamon oil. Now a days with the internet its easier. Something a little different.
link title

Karen_S · August 2012

I've never heard of Christmas pickles. Looks interesting. I wonder if fresh cherries would work with that? May have to do some web research. :shades:

Speaking of finding anything on the internet, I recently purchased a stone crock for pickle making and other brining use. I think it really made a difference in this 7-day batch. Before, I made them in a stainless steel pot and they would turn dark and get mushy.

imidazol97 · August 2012

Well, I learned something. Christmas pickles!

Cherries for red color. I notice there's a lot of sugar in that too.

ray80 · August 2012

'I notice there's a lot of sugar in that too'

Needs it to offset the vinegar

imidazol97 · April 2013

The permafrost has thawed here on the tundra of Western Ohio. It's time to think outdoors, yards, and gardening again.

On the yards part, I have bird feeders on wrought iron shepherds hook poles. The squirrels keep shimmying up the metal rod despite chassis grease and vaseline on them. Is there any way to keep them off those feeders? Too, is there any kind of toxin that I can put out that the squirrels will take but the birds will not get at? I looked at the pellets of gopher poison I have, but I'm afraid the birds will peck at it if I put it up for the squirrels in some way. Ideas? The squirrels are driving me crazy.

gagrice · April 2013

We have a horrible time with ground squirrels in CA. I keep them under control with this bait block product I get from an exterminator friend. I make a T with 3" PVC using 2 foot pieces and put the bait blocks in the middle on a piece of brazing rod. I used to dump them in and the squirrels carried it off too fast. This way they eat in in the PVC. I have kept them under control the last 4 years and the quail population has soared. I have quail everywhere now that the squirrels are not eating their eggs. Birds don't seem interested in the stuff. I put it in the PVC to protect dogs that might get at it. I used to trap and kill. That was hit and miss.

gagrice · April 2013

The Wisteria, Blue Hibiscus, Freesia, Iris, pansies all like the cooler weather we have had this Spring. The first of the roses are now coming on nicely. We have had Snow Peas, Swiss Chard and Beets for the last few months. We have planted 17 Heirloom Tomato plants that are about a foot tall. Some from seeds we harvested last year. We will be giving away a lot of wonderful tomatoes this year. I also installed a drip system on each plant to make sure they get enough water.

stever · April 2013

My picnic table reappeared last week.

Mr_Shiftright · April 2013

pellet gun works very well. :P

gagrice · April 2013

I have a very high powered pellet gun as a matter of fact. I am not comfortable shooting it most times as the squirrels are on big boulders and I don't want to have any ricochets hitting a window. I am just close enough to my neighbors that using the 22LR is not good either. Bait blocks also keep the rat population at a reasonable level.

Mr_Shiftright · April 2013

Oh I don't think those pellets would ricochet. They mushroom very easily. But you're right in not taking a chance if you aren't 100% comfortable with the shot.

Once I got the squirrel population down to an ecological balance, we're all at peace once again. They have enough to eat without getting destructive, and I don't have to repair all their damage.

gagrice · April 2013

I see about one squirrel a day when it warms up a bit. My property borders a 19 acre parcel with old buildings on it. Now if I could just get a handle on the bunnies. They are everywhere on the property. This year they got a taste for my patch of Hyacinths and have kept them chewed down to the ground. Last year it was my Sweet potato patch. They like variety.

PF_Flyer · April 2013

The "bucket of death" works on the chipmunks here in the east. Take a 5 gallon bucket (like an old drywall bucket), fill it about halfway with water, pour a layer of sunflower on top of the water and prop a piece of 2x4 on the edge of the bucket. The pests definitely fall for this one.

gagrice · April 2013

I like chipmunks. Though we don't have any around here. Any animal that is not kept in balance can be a pest. Birds like the starlings & pigeons are a real nuisance without any natural enemies.

Mr_Shiftright · April 2013

My GF wants to plant a flower bed directly on the edge of the lawn (I plant mostly in pots or runners or boxes).

We have gophers but do they eat flower roots, or just bulbs? So do we need to put down some wire or....???

gagrice · April 2013

Gophers are voracious eaters of roots of all kinds. If they come across them in their digging most likely they will eat them. I had a beautiful rose bush die on me. It had no roots left and a labyrinth of gopher holes. I did catch him with a trap. I put wire mesh in the hole before planting a new rose. I have a lot of iris they don't seem to bother. Rabbits are more of a problem with flowers. Squirrels like the veggies more.

PS
A Gopher also destroyed a small fig tree before I caught him.

imidazol97 · April 2013

Here we have more trouble with voles, squirrels, and rabbits. A young rabbit will get into the yard despite the chicken wire we had up along the bottom of our fence and neighbor's fence. They nibble young flower shoots killing them. We tried apple, carrots, lettuce in a chipmonk trap and couldn't catch different ones. As they become older their tastes change and it's possible to entice them; the young ones just seem to have eclectic tastes. They didn't even react to the fox urine granules.

But the squirrels do react to fox urine.

Mr_Shiftright · April 2013

Anyone have some ideas for my garden. I have one area of full sun that I'd like to use for a nice flowering bush that can get fairly large over time...maybe 24"-30" across eventually? perennial of course, with summer and fall flowers? I can set up irrigation for it.

It's near a fence but I don't want anything clinging since the fence will be coming down this fall.

Kirstie_H · April 2013

A hardy hibiscus will do that. Lots of big flowers all summer and does well until frost. Returns yearly and grows pretty quickly.

Butterfly bush is another option - very low maintenance, quick grower. You DO have to prune it, or it will get quite tall and wide; however, it's not picky about when you prune it, and it's all but impossible to kill unless you intend to.

ateixeira · April 2013

Azaleas, if your climate allows.

Forsythias also look good.

Mr_Shiftright · April 2013

Great! Thanks to both, I'll look these up.

gagrice · June 2013

If you want a very informative site on Aquaponics and other urban farming, this may be the best I have found. Actually my son and daughter in law found it. Very good DIY videos.

http://theurbanfarmingguys.com/category/aquaponics

My Heirloom tomatoes are just starting to get ripe. I have a nice big Captain Lucky that will be ripe in the next day or so. Get some pics soon.

imidazol97 · June 2013

>Aquaponics and other urban farming,

Reminds me that I've noticed that a floral shop with some annuals part of the year apparently closed and was empty for almost a year. Now the building is open as a hydroponics specialist store. Somehow I don't get the feeling we are their target customer as gardeners raising vegetables and flowers at Casa Imid.

I have a feeling their target is interested in a leaf similar to The Ohio State University's Buckeye. I'll have to stop and investigate.

gagrice · June 2013

I would say the industry you alluded to has probably done much to expand hydroponics. With aquaponics when they get the munchies they can have fish and chips.

gagrice · June 2013

My wife just picked this Captain Lucky. They are multi colored. Will take pictures of the inside when we cut and eat, mmmmm. So glad home grown tomato season is here.

gagrice · June 2013

I took this from my computer chair. We feed the quail just outside our office window. Very relaxing to watch the birds feeding and splashing in the water.

stever · June 2013

I miss those guys.

gagrice · June 2013

Just got a few shots of two baby quail following after mom and dad.

gagrice · June 2013

If you don't raise anything else in your garden, I would raise a few Heirloom tomatoes. The taste is SOOO much better than the hybrids sold in the stores. As you can see they are not all uniform and pretty. This Captain Lucky a new registered strain in 2011 is so sweet and very little acidic taste. It could become one of our favorites. You cannot tell if heirlooms are ripe by color. Only by feel. We don't pick until they feel ripe. We have 17 varieties this year so keeping up with which is best will not be easy. My wife also picked a pretty Indian Stripe this morning. It will be in our salad tonight.

stever · June 2013

As you can see they are not all uniform and pretty.

Kind of an understatement. :shades:

Can't you clone them to be bright red and square for shipping?

gagrice · June 2013

Maybe we can get Monsanto on that right away. :sick:

There are some of the heirlooms that are nice and uniform. The Kosovo, Virginia sweet, Cherokee green and Cherokee purple that we have raised.

Went to the Farmer's market Friday. Only one actual farmer selling produce he raised. Thank you CA regulators. The others buy their produce from the same wholesaler as the local market. Raise the price above the supermarket and have very low overhead. We bought some great Russian Kale, breakfast radishes and funny looking lettuce from the Farmer. He is not sure he will survive with the expense of water, fuel and licensing.

Our entire cherry crop from 3 trees was eaten by the birds. Same for our blackberries. The apples, pears and peaches are looking good. We have a beautiful apricot tree. Over the last 6 years we have gotten ONE apricot. We see trees on abandoned properties loaded with apricots. Not sure what we are doing wrong. I think I will pull it out and plant one of our Champagne Mango trees grown from seed. Our figs are looking good. One tree I planted when we first bought this place is finally producing figs. I love fresh figs. We have 3 varieties.

stever · June 2013

Thank you CA regulators.

Veggies are nasty things. (science20.com)

The neighbors just planted their garden; t'was a late Spring so they're a week late. Up in Anchorage, our friends have been warned not to count on a 90 day season this summer.

gagrice · June 2013

Speaking of dirty water contaminating our veggies. When the guy came to replace our RO water filters I had him run his test on the rain water sitting in barrels. It was at least a couple weeks old. It tested cleaner than the water run through the Reverse Osmosis. And hundreds of times cleaner than the city water.

I am using more worm castings and I use that Alaska fish fertilizer every couple weeks. Not sure how salmonella would get into our pots and beds. I suppose anything is possible. I feel safer with what I grow than the produce that is mostly from Mexico. Worse yet Chinese produce and food products.

gagrice · June 2013

Looks like we will have more tomatoes than we can eat shortly. Probably can a lot. Also I am growing Champagne Mangos from seed. Not sure how long it will take before they produce. They do not grow very fast here.

imidazol97 · June 2013

I enjoy your updates and pictures on your gardening. Keep it up.

Our tomatoes are about 1 ft to 16 inch tall for the earliest. Have others later.

Darned baby rabbit kept nipping off stuff at ground level. Got 10 or so pea plants that were forming pod ready to grow the peas inside. They were planted very early here.

Finally trapped the little rabbit after 3 or so weeks. He had nearly doubled in size. I was ready to borrow a pellet gun to try to get him.

gagrice · June 2013

I would imagine your rabbits are edible. Ours are not for human consumption. Unless you are really hungry.

We keep pinching off the taller stems on our tomatoes. We have snow peas all winter long. The sun kills them off by this time of year.

gagrice · June 2013

The talk of OJ, I thought I should post one of the lemons we are now using. These are big with thick soft skins. Very mild flavor. I think it is a Eureka Lemon.

There are four different heirloom tomatoes in this salad. The Pineapple tomato is yellow and very sweet.

Our cactus garden and crepe myrtle tree are happy this year.

gagrice · July 2013

We got tomatoes coming on strong and getting big. This is becoming one of my favorites. Called Pineapple. So sweet almost tastes like fruit. I guess it is a fruit.

stever · July 2013

Oh no, the Supreme Court (and Ronald Reagan) both said tomatoes/ketchup are veggies. Can't let something silly like botany get in the way of commerce.

Since we cook up seedless grapes and Italian sausage now and then for dinner, I don't buy the "fruit is only for desert" argument (not to mention the lemon chicken we cooked last night).

Crepe myrtles are one of the trees and shrubs I miss from the South. The one I tried in Boise couldn't handle the heat or sand or something.

gagrice · July 2013

We have several crepe myrtle trees. They have grown a lot in the 6 years we have lived here. Also the black locust trees with their beautiful pink blossoms in the Spring. The Jacaranda I planted is finally taking hold and growing well. I don't think it is the soil with crepe myrtle trees. As we have horrible DG soil. Cactus grows well here without any help from me. I like that.

burdawg · July 2013

Jacaranda's are pretty trees, but very messy during the summer. Those little lavender flowers get all over everything.

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