Gardening

stever

This outfit's freight charges are too high, but I like his philosophy:

-Tony " I consider every plant hardy until I have killed it myself...at least three times." Avent

Plant Delights

They put out some good catalog covers too.

gagrice

The purple taters never did much for me,

They are higher in anti oxidants than white potatoes. I agree growing potatoes in ID seems silly. When I visited my folks in Nampa in the 1960s, they could not give them away unless they were in bags ready to go. Here red potatoes & sweet potatoes average a buck a pound. Growing russets is a waste of time and water. For the soil question. The patch that produced the best sweet potatoes last year we had about 30% mulch and 20% sand in the local clay. I keep hauling in trailer loads of different amended top soil to see which works best. For starting potatoes I used Miracle Gro potting soil and it was so much faster. Those plant are huge and the potatoes in the ground are just now coming up. It is all a learning process for me.
Pics today:

One of the Hooded Orioles that hang out by my office window. They go through humming bird nectar at the rate of about a gallon a day now. The other is one of 3 tomato patches. We have little gold cherry tomatoes that should be ready in a week or two.

stever

We quit using Scott's products several years ago. Don't like the way they do business.

Are those really sweet potatoes you're growing? I like the Garnet yams the best. Bake 'em until some of the skin almost turns black and it starts to bubble over. Russet production is losing out in number of commercial acres planted around here, but I still like eating them.

We've been looking but haven't made a definite siting of our Bullock's Orioles yet.

It continues to be a cool and wet spring here. Nothing much edible out in the yard but the chives and onion tops and some herbs. Nice crop of blooms on the plum trees until the rain knocked them off.

gagrice

This is a cold year for us also. A late frost may have destroyed the peaches on one tree that bloomed early. I just planted an avocado and hope that one cold day did not damage it. We had near 100 degrees last week and this week is cold and not so nice. I blame it on Al Gore.

Yes I believe ours were garnet Yams. They have the prettiest flowers. I don't have any starts this year. They may come up again as I don't know if we got all of them out of the patch last year.

We have three orioles that feed at our nectar feeders. The Scotts have not shown up yet. We have several pairs of the Northern or [non-permissible content removed] Oriole. They are so pretty.

ateixeira

Man, I've tilled the soil, but I STILL haven't planted anything. I'm way behind this year.

I missed a good chance to start early because the weather has been very warm.

sky23213

Thank you for the nice words . Sorry I did not reply earlier, I was hoping to get around to taking some pictures, but the weather here had other plans
Those tomatoes are from two years ago, I believe. We still get the seeds from my wife's parents. She thinks we still have some left, so we'll check and I'll be happy to mail some so you may try them
This year we were hoping for an early start and replanted them outside about two weeks ago. The weather did not cooperate though We had a Frost Advisory in mid-May, so had to even cover the plants one night just a few days after we replanted them. Then we had a few very windy days and some of the plants did not make it. I had to get creative and stick yogurt containers (with cut-out bottoms) around the plants to protect them. This was the first time we had to replace plants. Fortunately, we still had some inside in the pot where we initially planted. The wind also broke all the cucumbers plants we had planted in the newly made beds. But the weather is much better now, although it's quite dry. I think all the plants have caught now and getting stronger, but nowhere near two feet yet
I'll try to post some pictures tomorrow.

ateixeira

So I'm finally set, got maters, cuces, banana peppers, squash, and pumpkins.

So far lots of rain, not so much sun, but the yellow squash seem to be taking off.

Mmm, stuffed squash...

gagrice

I should be getting a good crop of tomatoes very soon. First planting of corn is about 6 ft tall now. Purple potatoes are lush with lots of flowers. Not sure how many potatoes under the garden. I will have 6 varieties of tomatoes and just planted seeds fellow poster Chris sent me. I will post pics when they get up and producing. State is cutting back on water, so not sure how that will impact us yet.

ateixeira

Lookin' good. So far only my yellow squash have even started.

Kirstie_H

Nice, Gary! Is that a model train track you've got running around the flower bed in the first photo?

gagrice

Yes, at Christmas I get out my G scale trains and run them for the grandkids. The garden kind of takes over come spring time.

gagrice

The corn is tasseling. No silk yet. Wife went out to oil it today. Considering our temps are about 15 degrees below normal this Spring I guess the corn is doing ok. Not near enough sun so far this year. I'll bet the folks up North would like a little global warming about now. Plums are nearly ripe. Nothing like last years crop. Good thing we made lots of jam and brandy last year. Still have plenty left. Good peach, grape and apple crop and not a single cherry on 8 trees. I think the late frost got em.

stever

Pretty fun. Our plums are getting big (for us) but won't be ripe for a few more weeks. We're about 50% higher than average for rainfall for the whole month already. The grapes seem to be going gangbusters and we're going to have about 3 dozen blooms on two prickly pear cactuses. And we're eating some leaf lettuce and arugula now.

Did you know that every single silk goes to a single niblet on the cob?

PF_Flyer

That's odd... I thought every single silk went to a spot between each of my teeth :P

ateixeira

The good news is these are taking off. The bad news is they make use up all the space in my garden, and I won't have a crop until October.

Cherry tomatoes also are coming in strong. Too early for fruit but I can just tell it'll be a good year for those.

PF_Flyer

That's why you grow the pumpkins around the corn in all that unused space! :P

gagrice

Our corn is looking good. My wife says she may pick some for this evening meal. With the CA water shortage this may be the last year we grow corn. They have doubled the price of water over last year. Plus penalties for using more than 90% of last year's usage. It made it to 10 foot this year on the first planting. Purple potatoes in the other part. We have dug a few and eaten them. Taste like potatoes.

ateixeira

Those are tall corn plants! On the eastern shore of MD they're only about half that tall right now.

I've gotten a yellow banana pepper, a squash, half a dozen cuces, and a few cherry tomatoes so far.

The pumpkin plant is taking off, so hopefully I get a few to make jack-o-lanterns for Halloween.

gagrice

I think the soil has more to do with the food value in the produce than the fertilizer and pesticides used. In the USA the Organic Food produce industry is not all it is cracked up to be.

Organic food is no healthier, study finds

LONDON (Reuters) - Organic food has no nutritional or health benefits over ordinary food, according to a major study published Wednesday.

Researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine said consumers were paying higher prices for organic food because of its perceived health benefits, creating a global organic market worth an estimated $48 billion in 2007.

A systematic review of 162 scientific papers published in the scientific literature over the last 50 years, however, found there was no significant difference.

"A small number of differences in nutrient content were found to exist between organically and conventionally produced foodstuffs, but these are unlikely to be of any public health relevance," said Alan Dangour, one of the report's authors.

"Our review indicates that there is currently no evidence to support the selection of organically over conventionally produced foods on the basis of nutritional superiority."

The results of research, which was commissioned by the British government's Food Standards Agency, were published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Sales of organic food have fallen in some markets, including Britain, as recession has led consumers to cut back on purchases.

The Soil Association said in April that growth in sales of organic products in Britain slowed to just 1.7 percent in 2008, well below the average annual growth rate of 26 percent over the last decade, following a plunge in demand at the end of the year.

tallman1

"Our review indicates that there is currently no evidence to support the selection of organically over conventionally produced foods on the basis of nutritional superiority."

I'm a bit confused about the study... I always thought eating organic food was about avoiding chemicals, not about better nutrition.

Mr_Shiftright

That's true...but you will find unsubstantiated articles from health magazines, etc. implying that organic veggies or fruits have more nutritional value.

My feeling is that the health value from eating an apple outweighs any possible risks, especially after you wash it thoroughly.

I made a GREAT apple sauce from the apple trees in my back yard last year. I guess they are "organic" but Santa Cruz county did do some bug spraying last year, so I dunno. I'm still alive though. :P

gagrice

If you check out the regulations on what can be called Organic in the USA, it is pretty sad. The FDA allows chemicals. Most organic produce comes from mega farms that are no more safe than any other farm. Of course I am all for home grown in possible.

PS
I only use fish fertilizer on food crops.

ateixeira

I'm with you...wash thoroughly.

I don't spray any pesticides on my veggies, to be honest I think my problem is birds anyway.

gagrice

We have so many critters it is hard to pinpoint the culprits. Our entire plum crop was taken without a trace. I am thinking possum. Last year we had a bumper crop of plums and little loss. Peaches are great this year. We are sharing with the birds. Hopefully our great apple crop is ours to eat. Tomatoes have not been pilfered at all this year. No pesticides around my food crops. I do put snail bait around all the flowers. The citrus seem to be safe from pests.

Pollan's book Omnivore's Dilemma blows the whistle on some of those organic mega farms. Finding local grown meat & produce is ideal. Though not always possible.

Mr_Shiftright

Shopping for local grown food is a really beneficial thing to do for all concerned. Ever try netting for your fruit trees? I don't mind sharing with birds either as long as they don't get piggy about it.

gagrice

We net the small trees and grapes. Our trees are getting large and I am getting lazy in my old age. I would think the 100 lbs of bird seed a month and a gallon of sugar water a day for the hummers and Orioles would be enough. We enjoy the birds. I really like the quail that come past my office twice a day.

Mr_Shiftright

I found that once you start feeding the birds they will eat an enormous amount of seed. Not that I mind. I like 'em around, too---they can be a bit messy though.

okko1

my tomato plants are huge. now if i can get some tomatoesrpie by the 4th of july i will be happy.

ateixeira

The ones I put in the ground are still growing, only about 2 or 3 feet tall right now.

I put one in one of those Topsy Turvy thing-a-ma-jigs and it's about 5 feet tall, but no fruit yet. Wonder how that'll turn out. I did use better soil.

It's a lot of work to set those up, but then no weeding all season. Anyone else use those before?

Back to the regular garden...

I've had some green beans and plenty of Cilantro and Parsley. The herb garden is new, I put a raised bed garden in for my wife, she loves it.

Everything else is still growing in. I should have snap peas soon. Tomatoes and Cucumbers later. Maybe some green peppers (I rarely have luck with those).

gagrice

Our snap peas are almost done for the summer. Been a good crop. Our tomatoes are just getting ripe on the plants that survived the mild winter. We planted a variety of tomatoes and most have set fruit. We will be swimming in them before long, if I can keep the squirrel population in check. They have eaten lemons and oranges. I found on in the lemon tree chewing off the stem. I am using rat bait in PVC feeders and that seems to be killing a few of them off. We are right next to a 19 acre empty field that is alive with the stinking little critters. Too many houses to be shooting them. Rabbits by the truck load. They pretty much stay close to the ground eating out flowers.

Kirstie_H

All of my herbs are in pots so that I can enjoy them year-round. I started them last Winter and they're having fun in the sun now - parsley, cilantro, oregano, basil, and mint.

I didn't use the topsy-turvy thing for tomatoes (they're doing well in the garden, but yes... there are weeds) but I did use the flowers-for-hummingbirds version. You're right - they are a PAIN to put together and they're super-heavy. I might try w/tomatoes next year, but I'll make my own using a regular hanging basket & a drill. The plastic sheeting on the outside hasn't held up well, and I'm sure mine will cost less, be less heavy, and more durable.

ateixeira

Funny you mention that - I used a drill on some plastic pots and have snap peas and green beans growing out the sides. They grow straight up! Especially snap peas.

Some of my in-ground pea plants are 8' tall!

okko1

i planted a couple of hills of cucumbers and they are a little weak. on the other side of the coin i am having to trim the volunteer tomatos. i am trying beans and peppers with morning to early afternoon sun. :confuse:

gagrice

Is this caused by the burning of oil and gas from the oil spill?

Toxic Oil Spill Rains Warned Could Destroy North America, Gulf of Mexico

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXlC7gvvJZw&NR=1

Mr_Shiftright

Not nearly enough evidence to speculate yet.

stever

Not much planting going on, although we did bring a pot of basil and some Mexican Feather Grass starts down to Taos to try to get established here.

Karen_S

Yeah, and this report is about crops in Tennessee. Any similar reports from the Gulf states yet?

Mr_Shiftright

If you're going to grow anything in Taos, bring some water, too ---LOL!

Taos is a great place. I baby-sat an old adobe there one summer. It can get hot, and downtown can get crowded with tourists, but a little off the beaten path is very peaceful. I love the smell of the desert sage and the pinion burning at night in fireplaces----*great* food, too... I'm about OD'd though, on turquoise and Georgia O'Keefe

stever

We watered this morning - all the water is collected in rain barrels and the house has two big cisterns for collecting water from the roof for household use. There was a chance of thunderstorms last night and we got all excited but we never saw a drop.

I haven't measured the level in the cisterns yet. The owners of this house (strawbale with "adobe" on the outside) have never had to call the water truck, but that's an option.

The most robust looking plant, besides the native sage, is a Siberan pea.

(Oh yeah, the kitchen counters are concrete - stained turquoise. )

ateixeira

I wonder if it's the gasses that are also leaking, if those replace oxygen, then plants then would not have oxygen to thrive.

What a mess. I can't even bare to watch the news reports.

stever

Just checked and Taos and Boise get almost the same amount of annual precipitation. Boise gets more rain in the Spring (March) while Taos gets more in the late summer (August), but both places get it spread out pretty evenly over the year.

We're talking 12 inches of precip a year; not a lot. The stupid thing you see in Boise are all the fountains everywhere, especially at subdivision entrances - must be the Vegas influence. That doesn't seem to have caught on here. Boise has a lot more irrigation canals though - haven't noticed any here.

Farmer's market this weekend so we may have to hit that, since we won't be growing anything.

gagrice

Just an update for all you gardeners. We are having a bumper crop of great peaches. Birds got the few plums this year. Lots of pears and apples coming on soon. Here is today's harvest of tomatoes and peaches. Also several Japanese cucumbers already in the crisper.



We have a good crop of butternut squash from just one big plant.



I am finally getting tomatoes from the seeds one of the posters sent me. They are Bulgarian and his father sent them from over there. I nursed the plant all winter and now it is producing. Very dark red tasty tomatoes.

gagrice

PS
My wife has already canned about 40 jars of really good peach jam. We are blessed for sure. It does not take long to get rid of the excess. When friends and family find out you are picking they drop by and get a load. After we pick them of course.

stever

Mmm, that all looks great!

(and we found out that Taos has lots of canals - they are just smaller than the ones around here - sure didn't see any veggie gardens like yours though before we came home).

ateixeira

Let's see:

Parsley - 3 types, more than we can use, awesome crop!
Dill - a little bit
Cilantro - good yield, wifey made some salad dressing from it

Tomatoes - still waiting for them to ripen

Green peppers - plants look ok, but still no yield, hoping soon

Cuces - had 5 a bit over-ripened when I got back, 2 more since

Green beans - decent crop, hard to pick (my fault, bad layout)
Snap peas - terrible, birds got everything

Not bad considering I was out of the country for 3 weeks and neglected it. :lemon:

gagrice

Our Japanese Cucumbers are coming on way faster than we can eat them. So we made a batch of Bread and butter pickles. They are Sooooo good. We will probably make several more batches this summer.

ateixeira

I had those cuces a couple of years ago. An asian friend from work gave me seeds - it was my best crop ever.

So far this year's crop is about average, maybe a little better than average since I created a new raised-bed garden for my herbs. Wifey is happy, she's made tabbouleh (sp?) once and promised to make more.

Karen_S

I've got a fantastic recipe for Honey-Dill pickle relish. Unfortunately, my cucumbers are not cooperating. So far, just enough to slice up on salads. However, I have TONS of grape and sugar sweet cherry tomatoes.

Finally got smart this year and put in just one zucchini plant. It's producing one every few days so we aren't being overwhelmed.

And peppers are not producing well either. Only one Habanero, a few jalapeno, half a dozen chilis, and no sweet ones at all. Making it difficult to make my killer salsa.

gagrice

I have given up on peppers of all sorts. They are so cheap in the stores. I get most different peppers for 99 cents a lb year round. Same goes for cilantro. 3 bunches for a buck. I did not plant any zucchini this year. We have a friend with lots. We trade for peaches and tomatoes. I finally got a decent sunflower. The last few days it is covered with gold finches eating the leaves. Don't know if we will get any of the seeds when they ripen.

ateixeira

Cherry tomatoes...don't remind me. That's the one variety I forgot to plant. Big regrets!

BTW, my big boys are not getting red, any advice? More water? Pick them and put them in a grocery bag to finish ripening? Or what?