Thread: In the Garden 2016

Can't wait till next year ,ll be full force now that I got some f the new gardener mess ups out of my system,, but here's what we did this year
Tomatoes were still picking enough every day to eat em for lunch and dinner
Cucumbers we had all we could eat and then some
Radishes, poor
Zucchini, not good
Onions, good, but not as sweet as I was hoping for
Green none were ok
Snow peas did very good
Cantaloupes were off the hook
Watermelons were very small but tasty
Jalapeños didn't produce much
Serranos were crazy, every time I picked them I got 30-40 peppers all on just one bush
Going to go all container this coming year, those galvanized metal 36"x24" 18" tall, I put in 3 of them this year for the peppers and the cucumbers, really like them so. Ordered 10 more, one will be dedicated to asparagus, and one for my blueberries that should produce this coming year.

There was some disappointment but I,m still excited about next year.
Plus next year I,m moving the tractor to the farm and we're going to put n a big patch of corn and potatoes

Hang in There Glen. Tc

My garden is all done for the season. We had good eggplants and zucchini, also some nice tomatoes. I let the last of the beans mature and dry on the plants in the pods and will split the pods open and store the dried beans for soup on some cold winter afternoon.

The super-hots pepper experiment finally came to an end last weekend because they were not handling the colder nights. So, after about 10 months of caring for these plants and spoiling them to no end I felt a bit of relief as that responsibility was lifted. They were a huge success and the 12 plants produced more peppers than I could count. It was fun and I learned a lot about these awesome plants. More than that, I made connections with a bunch of people I probably never would have before. Even at work people who I've never talked to before were coming up to me to talk peppers. So I'm grateful for this thread and you guys who were checking it during the season, it was nice to share and hear about all the gardening experiences.

Originally Posted by Hirlau

You will get better at it.

Most of the World's population has no idea what is involved in farming.
Farming is a skill, at a critical level that most do not understand & never see.

This is very very true

I giggle every time some "Zombie Hunter" says "I bought a Heirloom seed bank so I can grow all the food I might ever need if the SHTF"

Riiiiiiiiiiight !!!!

I read when I started this that it takes about 5 years before you even know what works well, let alone how to produce food with it..
We are having fun with it so it serves two purposes for us..

My grandfather got to a point in his later years that he could feed his family by farming 4 days a week & fishing on his boat the other 3 days. He came in from the field one day, had dinner, took a shower,, laid down on the bed to sleep,,, that was the end.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

I read when I started this that it takes about 5 years before you even know what works well, let alone how to produce food with it..
We are having fun with it so it serves two purposes for us..

Five is what I've read and been told especially this far north. It's all about heat units and the wine industry has been buying up the goods spot around here for the last twenty years now. Har!!

Next year will be our fifth. The soil we started with had too much clay in it and had to replace it. Har! The next soil we bought had too fresh wood chips in it. Took two seasons to figure that one out. Dawn's parents are long time gardeners and they have helped us figure some stuff out like the wood chips problem. After this winter I think we will have our soil up to speed. We've been trying different things to see what grows and what doesn't. Got a spiral notebook almost full of all our notes on this and that. And then sit back and see what Mother Nature decides will happen. The hail was a bust for sure. Pun intended. Har!

Life was a challenge before grocery stores for sure. Not having to depend on it for food has made it a fun thing for both of us. I've been taking photos, like the one above, every couple days with security cam to put together an ani-GIF of the season. Should be a good goof.

Great sharing folks thanks.

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A fellow named Larry Noggle prints a chili calendar. His website is:

PEPPAHEAD - WELCOME PAGE

The calendars are beautifully photographed and full of recipes. I think most of the recipes are beyond my level of acceptable pain. He likes Carolina Reapers and Ghost Peppers. They are out of my league.

The website if full of links and pepper related articles and suppliers.

But, maybe next year....

I do have to confess that anytime I am in the tractor seat I am usually singing one of these two songs

Badly, Loudly, and off key

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LX153eYcVrY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWu4aynBK7E

That second video was an example of spending to much time on the tractor without proper hydration; Kenny was hallucinating !

Or is it overly hydrated... Har!

The wind helped with harvesting last night. Our Heirloom San Marzano tomatoes took off late summer and had started to produce tons of tomatoes exploding over the top of a six foot tower. The wind took our tower down. The tower let go at a joint so no real damage just had to bend back a little.





From the ground to fresh fruit forward marinade in 30 minutes. Add a little Chianti with homegrown rosemary, oregano and garlic. Pasta tonight with a good Chianti...



All's good...

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