The Garden Thread

[woodworkingboy]

I grew some basil this year, one plant that did well and got about three feet high. A neighbor who operates a very successful French restaurant was hitting on it, and the Italian parsley. I didn't know that there were different kinds, do they taste much different? Fresh basil is good on pizza.
Kate, you really should try the aerated compost tea. The basil loves it.

 

[Al Smith]

The grandchildren came over yesterday and I let them pick a few tomatoes and cucumbers .It's amazing how just such a trival thing can bring such delight in the eyes of a little kid .

 

[stig]

And you should really try making some pesto from that fresh basil, Jay.
It is ever so good!

 

[Burnham]

We did just last night, Stig. Made a batch for dinner over home made fettuccini, and put two more meals worth in the freezer. We put about 20 meals worth up each year...nothing beats home made pesto come January.

 

[stig]

You got that right!
That is about what I've put away myself, along with 26 pint jars of pickled jalapenos.
I won't make it through that many, but both Richard and Anders like hot stuff, so I'll give some to them.

I'm just loving that greenhouse.
I bought it for my wife as a retirement gift for some money I had made selling elm burl, and it has just turned out to be the best idea I ever had.
She goes up there every morning, to have her coffee and talk to the plants, and this year we've pretty much lived off our own produce for 2 months.

 

[Burnham]

How big is the greenhouse, Stig? Got any pictures...or have I missed them?

 

[Thor's Hammer]

I love pesto, and fresh Basil is wonderful. Shame I dont grow any - but I plan on changing that. We've just had a fantastic crop of plums, my wife has just made 2 batches (about 24 jars) of plum ketchup.
Not quite gardening, but last week I slaughtered a couple of roosters and prepped them. Nothing like some home reared meat.

 

[treetx]

112 here after being 112 yesterday. That is only 44 C. I picked a good year to NOT have a garden..... and to stay in an office job :-)

 

[Burnham]

No kidding, Nate. Our good friends who make Austin home have been telling horror stories all late spring and summer...y'all have had it BAD.

 

[MasterBlaster]

Just wait until you're down here next month. It won't be as bad as now, but it won't be much better!

 

[woodworkingboy]

Growing in a greenhouse is more inviting to disease, or less so, and how do you get around rotating crops? Sure is a lot of disease of one sort or another. I see why people use chemicals and give up on organic. Here especially with the rain during summer, often too much of it.
I understand that with grafted seedlings, rotation is not a concern.. More costly to purchase though.

 

[Paul B]

J, proper air flow is important, positive air in and positive air out is best, oscillating fans within the foliage also help to stimulate strong stems AND move the air (and the moisture) away from the foliage. Rotating crops is of course moot if its container growing but if in native soil in beds or some such in a greenhouse it would behoove the grower to use judicious amounts of fertilizewr, in whatever form is deemed just. Organic mulch, compost tea, mineral fertilizers etc.

One of the best ways to learn to grow in a contained area is to see a well managed pot grow room, very valuable crop so doing things efficiently is paramount. I have seen rooms with machinery for CO2, ambient temperature, water level, humidity, nutrient levels, nutrient solution temperature management etc, fantastic attention to detail and control.

in regards to grafted seedlings having disease resistance, the only plant I know of that has an effect that way is tomatoes. On the label you may see "V' 'F' 'N' and/or 'T' which are indications of resistance to pests or disease such as: verticillium wilt, nematodes, fusarium wilt and Tobacco mosaic virus (I think).

 

[woodworkingboy]

After a number of days of heavy rain and lack of the circulation that you mention, Paul, my tomato plants developed what I diagnose as 'bacterial speck'. Earlier I had removed most of the lower leaves and did some pruning to help air flow, but the rain deluge was more powerful than my protection efforts in keeping trouble at bay. It isn't bad and I jumped right on it by removing the infected leaves, and so far the production isn't harmed and the vast majority of leaves aren't infected yet. I'm hoping the tea will help provide some resistance as well. Wonder if the plants were infected with the bacteria or fungus already present on the seeds? There doesn't appear to be any certified disease free seedlings available in my area, and the place to purchase that was recommended to me is a location where local growers sell their seedlings, as opposed to the big home center garden places where the plants apparently come in from a lot of different areas, sometimes from far away. On some squash leaves that developed a mold that appears present in most gardens, I tried some organic treatment methods, but they didn't work at all. Apparently a chemical treatment will clear it right up if you want to go that route. Resignation to pests and disease, it seems to come with experience is my impression from talking to people. Most folks don't seem very diligent about fighting it. Perhaps with a completely organic method, too much trouble for the lack of results. Loss is just a part of the equation, but it bums me out to have what appeared to be healthy plants, suddenly acquire disease over night. Some gardens appear almost completely wrecked by disease I notice, then when the rain stops the plants make a comeback. Plant pathogens is a very deep subject I gather, and a lot isn't so well understood.

 

[Paul B]

we have problems here with bacterial blight on tomatoes, can occur overnight after a rainfall in the late summer. It resides in the soil for a few years and is spread through water. Rain splashing is enough to do it, I think copper spray will be somewhat preventative.

 

[Labour of Love]

I grew some basil this year, one plant that did well and got about three feet high. A neighbor who operates a very successful French restaurant was hitting on it, and the Italian parsley. I didn't know that there were different kinds, do they taste much different? Fresh basil is good on pizza.
Kate, you really should try the aerated compost tea. The basil loves it.

With parsley, there is "pretty" (the curly stuff) and "flavorful" (flat leaves). Not that curly parsley doesn't taste fine, it's just not nearly as good as the flat-leaved sort.

I'd be VERY afraid if my basil were any bigger - I have pesto every day and lots of it already frozen (no nuts or cheese, if it's going to be frozen for more than a couple of months - put those things in before serving).

 

[Cobleskill]

I planted late tomatoes last summer on new ground. Never had grown tomatoes in the past. Blight killed them just as they were starting to get ripe. Sad to see all those nice tomatoes turn to crap. I have to think it came in on wind/rain. Planting early seems to work.

 

[Burnham]

Just wait until you're down here next month. It won't be as bad as now, but it won't be much better!

Good thing I mostly get to stand around and be wise and judgemental, instead of really working .

 

[MasterBlaster]

Truely an Awesome Gig!

 

[CurSedVoyce]

For breakfast this morning I made three fold garden omelette's. Only thing not from the garden was the cheese and the eggs... Eggs are from the coop.
Broccoli, onion, bell pepper, zucchini, summer squash, tomatoes... YUMMY!

Flat leaf parsley is less bitter than curly leaf and works better for cooking, easier to prepare as well. Parsley helps freshen your breath after a meal if you eat it. Why it has been used for a garnish on plates. Your after dinner breath mint.. without the minty taste

I am now craving a pesto tomato omelet with all this basil pesto talk

 

[Al Smith]

From what I've seen certain tomatoes are prone to blight some not .If you have walnut trees you stand good odds of getting blight .

Most hybrid tomatoes are more prone to blight than older indeterminant varietys such as Manalici or Margold .These older non hybrids don't get as large nor do they produce as much but they are more hardy .They are also hard to find with most gardeners prefering the hybrids .

 

[Al Smith]

Ha eggs ,side track .This young eager gent at work had the bright idea to buy 200 day old chicks .He processed about 150-160 of them and kept half a dozen rooster that fight and 40-45 hens . Lawdy the time he had those chickens in the freezer he had 6 bucks a piece in them .

Now he's got 40 50 eggs a day he's not sure what to do with .I have 3 dozen in the refridgerater he gave me .Free eggs, not a bad deal .

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Katy tried that with her first year with chickens... It was out of control... The flock got thinned

 

[Al Smith]

I'll have to say that this summer has been the best tomatoes I've grown in years .Seems to be about a nice basket full every couple of days and maybe 4-5 nice cucumbers as well .

Most are given away ,the two of us can't eat them all .

 

[CurSedVoyce]

We are finally getting about a 3 gallon bucket every other day of just nice sandwich tomatoes and a couple of gallon tubs more of the romas and cherries. I picked up a bunch of lunch meats and breads, bacon... I am sooo loving the tomatoes for lunch every day. Used bunches tonight in the burritos

 

[Al Smith]

It's gotten chilly and if that continues very long the tomatoes that do ripen will have tough skins .No big deal I guess .Besides that I haven't had a mess of green fried in almost forever .