The Garden Thread

[Burnham]

'taters need to be rotated I believe. Have they been in the same spot for a number of years?

I move the rows almost every year, Justin. Did this year. I think it's maybe the odd weather, long cool spring/early summer, then instant warm weather, though not hot like too many places have been.

Now that was mean, Burnham.

Sorry, mean? Missing something.

 

[woodworkingboy]

Fresh potatoes are so tasty. I don't grow them, but a friend does on a fairly large scale, and he invites me over to help myself during the harvest. Three varieties, and stored in a cold part of my shop they will last until late next spring. You guys know that when you store potatoes, if you put a couple apples in with them then it stops the potatoes from developing shoots? It works real well, some gas gets released by the apples that does it.

 

[woodworkingboy]

not a washout either, like some peoples around here.

 

[Paul B]

some gas gets released by the apples that does it.

Likely ethylene, the same stuff that ripens tomatoes and kills bananas.

 

[Paul B]

some gas gets released by the apples that does it.

Likely ethylene, the same stuff that ripens tomatoes and kills bananas.

 

[Burnham]

Ohhh...no Jay, I meant around here...i.e. the spring weather in NW Oregon put the kabosh on alot of the berry crops....

 

[woodworkingboy]

Of course, just joshing with ya.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

We picked the corn a tad early to bring on vacation. Been blanching and freezing green beans like crazy. Had some fresh green beans we brought with us with BBQ pork tonight. We barely saw any tomatoes as yet. See what happens in a week.

 

[sotc]

Man, my blue berries and rasberries did well this year.
My father in law grows corn for our annual church convention and then sells the rest. He hasover 700 tomato plants in the ground with the intention of selling them u-pick

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Bees were late out to pollinate this year as well... Things are just a little behind with all the cold wet we had this year. Hell, we took a frost in friggen June

 

[sotc]

My berries are finished here

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Blackberries are really coming ripe right now. Strawberries did good.

 

[sotc]

Yeah, now our black berries are behind this year. In fact, most of our native berries

 

[CurSedVoyce]

I have fond memories of picking black berries with my grandma for my aunt along the Rogue River My aunt would bake (pies) and can berries (jam) for us to enjoy while we visited. My grandma would make HM biscuits to go with the jam

 

[sotc]

Some big fat ones along the river. I usually go for the huckle berries and black caps up higher though, don't really want to shoot a fish bear!

 

[CurSedVoyce]

My aunt and uncle just lived across the hwy from the river. So we just crossed the hwy and started picking. I went up there a couple times as a kid in the 60s

 

[squisher]

My berries are finished here

'Bout time, you've got enough kids for now.

Lol.

 

[sotc]

Those berries too

 

[Cobleskill]

My Grandmother used to say he, she whatever, is the berries. It meant nutty, wild, too much. I don't know if it was a common expression or not.

 

[Al Smith]

Cucumbers and yellow peppers have been doing great .The tomatoes are just coming on .First the early girls which should heve been ready three weeks ago .By the mid ,last of August the big ones should be ripening .Big boys and a variety of beefsteak .

 

[woodworkingboy]

Anyone here growing vegetables, ever try using "compost tea"? I have put a lot of reading into the subject of making teas for both foliar feeding and to use for your ground watering. The newest approach to this is aerating the tea to increase bacterial activity, and I have to say that using this method the results have been fantastic. It makes a whole lot of sense to fertilize this way if you look into it. It's fun to watch the mix brewing away, and the plants go ape sh@t over it when applied. My guys take on almost an iridescent color after a foliar dosage. Once per week is my routine, and easy to do. The tea smells good too, no offensive odors like when just saturating compost or manure for days. The aerated kind is sweet yeasty smelling, and ready to use after 2-3 days, I find. Really great stuff for both both vegetables and ornamental plants. I add some fish meal, molasses, epsom salts, and seaweed to the mix, a real nutrient boost to the plants, and some say the stuff works as a disease preventative and also helps to repel insects. My soil isn't the greatest, but the plants are super healthy and productive.

 

[squisher]

The opposite here. My soil is black gold and manure compost will be added for the fall. I've heard good things from other people about the compost tea too though.

 

[woodworkingboy]

My findings based upon looking at a whole lot of gardens this year, is that if your soil is rich like yours Squish, the tea isn't required, well maybe for some insect defense, but basically, as with the general theory about organic gardening, the nutrients in the soil are the most important factor beyond anything else. I do think that the tea makes up for soil deficiencies, which is the case with a lot of gardens, including mine. The almost instant effects from foliar feeding is a cool thing to observe. It is established that plants take in nutrients through their leaves, though it was once debated.

 

[Paul B]

I have used compost tea a few times. I bought it from a vendor that had a 250 gallon (I think) vat he made it in from his recipe of ingredients every few days. Sadly he didnt find enough market for it and stopped production. He offered to sell me the digester thing but I had nowhere to store it.

 

[Paul B]

Spuds are starting. harvesting a couple pots at a time.