Gardening

Kirstie_H

I've had stellar luck with peppers this year, for no apparent reason. Tomatoes are going crazy too. My own salsa is sad because I can't get the cilantro to stay alive.

ateixeira

We had good cilantro, first time ever. Wifey made some pesto salad dressing...mmm.

gagrice

The Bulgarian Tomato plant I kept all winter is now bearing excellent fruit. I plan to keep a few seeds to plant next year. They are as good as tomatoes get. Thanks to Chris in MN for the seeds last year. The seeds are from his father in Bulgaria. No genetic engineering in these. Just wonderful fruit and a long growing season.

gagrice

The hummers are going through about a gallon every 3 days. Is this early feeding frenzy a sign that winter is going to be early?

ateixeira

I have big 'maters but they're staying green. Not enough sun? Not enough water?

Cool pic with the hummingbirds.

ateixeira

I take that back!

Came back after a week at the beach and picked 5 beautys! Some of them were positively HUGE! :shades:

Also got another cucumber, so time for a yogurt salad with dill, cuces, and maters. Mmmmm.

gagrice

Sounds like a nice Greek salad.

I prefer my cucumbers pickled, bread and butter style, with a Habanero pepper to kick them up a notch. Wife picked 5 more Japanese cucumbers this morning.

ateixeira

My cucumber bush is fizzling out, not sure why. The maters look good and should still have a nice yield.

Karen_S

Same here. I have 5 feeders and by the morning of the 3rd day after refilling, all are empty. Didn't know that signified an early winter. I figured it's because I'm the only one that has feeders in my neighborhood. :shades:

stever

I was sitting in my hammock yesterday bemoaning the fact that we didn't plant any veggies when I glanced over and noticed the plums were looking ripe. They were. :shades:

Mr_Shiftright

squirrels? I bought a feeder called a "Squirrel Stumper" and so far, so good.

sky23213

Thanks for the kind words!
I know we e-mailed already, but I have to tell my father-in-law that he's popular now
Yes, no genetic engineering whatsoever, although looking at the size one might think otherwise. I'm so glad you liked them!

sky23213

I might really depend on the type. The tomatoes we keep bragging about with Gagrice get close to 2 lbs, but never really red, just kind of pink. Yet that's when they are ripe.
Gagrice can post a picture, I never figured out fully how to do that here

gagrice

Chris, here are your Tomatoes for all to enjoy.





PS
I have dried a lot of seeds from several tomatoes for next spring.

ateixeira

Very nice. You gotta pick those suckers so that more can grow.

Ours have improved, we actually have enough maters to feed our family now.

Not enough to give away to friends, though.

Karen_S

The feeders with seed are suspended from a 15' metal t-pole that my husband welded. We did this because cats (ours and the neighbors) can't jump that high and grab the birds. However, the squirrels could still climb it. Every month or so I liberally swab the pole as high as I can reach with Vaseline. A few squirrels do attempt to scale it, but quickly decide that it's best to forage for the seeds dropped on the ground. :shades:

ateixeira

So basically it's a giant fireman's pole for squirrels. LOL

gagrice

If you live in So CA and don't want to lose your entire crop to ground squirrels, there is only one good remedy. This also gets the rats and mice. I go through about 9 lbs every 2 months in the Spring and Summer. Any PETA people out there, you are welcome to come and get all you want. As long as you don't live in So CA. Rabbits are bad also this year. They eat a lot of flowering plants. Right down to the ground.

ateixeira

Will dogs eat it?

We are dog sitting starting tonight, by coincidence.

tallman1

so I liberally swab the pole as high as I can reach with Vaseline.

I used mineral oil but it didn't last long. Fun to watch the squirrels slide down though. Then I found this wrap around baffel. It attaches to the middle of the pole so that nothing can climb up. Works like a charm.

I've got another feeder that has springs attached to a cage-like device that slides down and covers the seeds whenever something heavier than a bird touches the perch. It is similar to the second one in this link, only cheaper. I'm not sure I'd pay the price of the first one!

gagrice

I built a 3 inch pipe feeder to keep the bait from dogs, cats and children.

Mr_Shiftright

I think it's illegal to poison squirrels, so be careful.

gagrice

If it was illegal to poison the little pests, they would not sell squirrel poison at Home Depot and every hardware and feed store. They are a horrible nuisance and need to be controlled. Here is what UC Davis has on the subject.

Ground squirrels are troublesome pests for homeowners and gardeners. The California ground squirrel, Spermophilus beecheyi, is the most common species in gardens. This squirrel’s habitat includes nearly all regions of California except for Owens Valley, located in the southeastern part of the state, southward into the desert regions.

Toxic Baits

Anticoagulant baits, available at county agricultural commissioners’ offices and some retail outlets, can control ground squirrels. The squirrel must eat the anticoagulant in several feedings during a period of 5 or more days in order for it to be effective. Because of this feature and because an antidote, vitamin K1, exists, this bait is relatively safe for use around humans and pets.

http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7438.html

I did not realize why we have so many quail this summer. It is because we have controlled the ground squirrel population. The Squirrels eat the quail eggs. I have not seen a squirrel in over a month, and the bait lasts a lot longer. We have several covey of quail feeding around the place now. They like to hide in the rosemary bushes which we have a lot of.

Just doing my part to balance out nature. We have forced all the predators out of the area so the pests have no one but me keeping them under control.

gagrice

I prefer the quail as they only eat what I put out for them. Don't destroy my garden and flowers.

Karen_S

I shop at Wildbirds Unlimited on occasion and have seen that baffle. Unfortunately, it wouldn't fit. Our pole is at least 3" in diameter. The vaseline trick has worked so far, but I think the squirrels are now more interested in our beechnut, hickory and walnut trees. Acorns are dropping by the buckets now also.

Karen_S

I had to take down all of my feeders for a couple of days. They were being swarmed by bees. And I mean completely covered with them! This is the first time I've ever had that problem. Did some reading and it is recommended that you go to 1 part sugar-5 parts water rather than 4 to 1. Did that and seems the bees don't like it as much. Still, I only put up two feeders. They will be migrating soon anyway.

tallman1

Unfortunately, it wouldn't fit.

Time to try one of those dog collars vets use to keep them from chewing or licking themselves!! I'm sure they'd never chew through the plastic.

stever

I'm in chickadee country; nice to be able to see those guys again.

gagrice

They were being swarmed by bees

You mean like this? I will try a weaker nectar. I go on a light 4 to 1 most of the time. They also say you can move your feeders around and the bees take a while to find them. They don't seem to keep the hummers from feeding. The bees get what the hummingbirds dribble. Pure cane sugar honey in the making.

Karen_S

Yep, it was just like that and at a similar looking feeder. I put those away and just using these now. The bees don't like them as well.

gagrice

I have one of those 8 holers and like it for the hummers. I have drilled the holes slightly larger in the other ones to satisfy the Orioles that are nectar feeders. They seem to be gone for the season. I will try the one like you have. Good idea.

Mr_Shiftright

Corrrect. It is in fact illegal to poison *tree* squirrels, but not ground squirrels (although I think you can apply for permits). That's why I suggested being careful. But it seems like you know what you're doing.

This seems to be the best method, all things considered:

http://groups.ucanr.org/GSBMP/CONTROL_METHODS/Broadcast_Baiting.htm

gagrice

This tree has two types of lemons, tangerine and navel Orange. I should have thinned the lemons. Too late now they are all ripe. Have to give a bunch away.

gagrice

ateixeira

That's funny...gotta love the self-preservation instinct.

gagrice

These two Hummingbirds are about to fledge. Great litte webcam

http://www.ustream.tv/hummingbirdnestcam

gagrice

This is our best year yet for Snow Peas. Must be the cold rainy winter we have had. No frost just cold and rainy.

ateixeira

I tried those last year and they basically ended up being really good bird food. Seriously, the birds ate ALL of them.

Oddly, the green beans close by did OK. Wonder why?

ateixeira

Just picked one up and installed it. 65 gallons capacity.

It came in a nice kit at Sam's Club, in recycled plastic with a terra cotta finish. Pretty nice, around $80 or so IIRC.

Filled up after a big storm we had that night, too. Came with brass fittings so I just connected a hose and voila. Water pressure isn't so good so it pours slowly, but it works like a charm.

Here's a small picture, but mine's bigger than this 50 gallon model. I have the same space at the top for flowers, too:

http://scene7.samsclub.com/is/image/samsclub/0085451800240_A?$img_size_112x112$

gagrice

We have lots of birds. None eating the snow peas. I do feed the birds pretty well. We had to put them up in barrels to keep the squirrels and rabbits from eating them down to the ground.

ateixeira

I had them in the ground, staked. They climbed up the stakes very nicely. Beautiful vines, just no output once the animals feasted on it.

stever

Our neighbor was just telling us that she'd made her first plant order for the summer. There's a pile of snow next to her driveway that's 6 feet high.

We're between zone 3 to 4 here. I think it's going to be a short, but intense, season. May have to get back into growing Yukon Gold potatoes and making some raised beds.

Funny, we lived on a sand dune in Boise and now we're on beach sand. Should be easy digging.

gagrice

Anyone here try this system of raising fish and veggies in a small area. It has me intrigued. I am going next week to visit a company that is just getting started. I have not eaten any Tilapia so not sure I would want to raise them. I plan to make some Tilapia Tacos as a test. I will keep you posted.

http://inhabitat.com/farm-fountain-by-amy-youngs-and-ken-rinaldo/attachment/1174- 4/

stever

Tilapia is fine. Just a mild white fish. Kind of like most fish, a lot depends on the cook. The haddock I had last night was a tad greasy. I was leery but my wife tried the salmon and it was quite tasty (it's good to be back in Friday fish night country).

I'm waiting for the ice to go out and the summer fishing season to get going here so I can buy some red wigglers. Hate to pay the freight on mail ordering them. Otherwise my worm composter is ready to go and I have a good spot in the basement for it.

gagrice

That was one of my favorite pastimes living on the farm in MN. Fishing just a few miles from the house. CA is a horrible place to fish. Figure $50 for a day fresh or saltwater. cheaper to get some Vietnamese Ahi at Costco. I have always steered clear of farm raised fish. I am about to make an exception.

gagrice

The wife fixed Tilapia with a cream based cilantro lime sauce for dinner. I am impressed. For a filet that sells at $4 per lb it was tasty with no nasty fishy taste. Next week Tilapia tacos.

ateixeira

I think it was How It's Made, or another show on the Sciene Channel, that had an episode on the subject. It was very interesting to say the least!

gagrice

I was picking lemons to take to church tomorrow and found this monster lemon. I should not have picked it as it is still not ripe. I don't know how big it would have gotten. You can see it in the basket and on the scale just over one pound.

stever

Crazy. I'm always searching for the little ones to fit in my lime squeezer.

Fun drive coming down south and seeing all the dogwood and redbud trees blooming in the woods.

ateixeira

Wow!

Were it not for the pic still on the tree, I'd have thought it came from the radiated parts of Japan!