Gardens 2014

[aschumacher]

BEES...Our garden is in full bloom. All sorts of flowering trees and bushes and flowers. My wife noted that we don't have any bees flying around savoring the blooms. Anyone else noticed a shortage of our flying friends ?

 

[mmasheris]

Better living through Monsanto,killing the bees with BT Roundup

 

[kmcconaughey]

The Crab Apple tree, the Rhododendrons, the Azalea, and the Nanking Cherry in my yard were all buzzing like crazy with bumble bees this spring.

 

[jbaker]

...Monsanto
...................

 

[dschwandt]

Things are coming right along in the garden thanks to the 3" of rain last weekend. Taters are about to bloom, corns about 10", maters are ready for cages and the beans are starting to climb.

Yep....life is good!!

 

[rgreenly]

Dave S...That's a nice looking garden!!

 

[dschwandt]

Thanks Ron! We try to take care of it. That's my home place in the background. We remodeled it about 10 years ago and I have an excellent renter in it. There has been a garden there every year for at least 70 years and my grandparents before then.

 

[rgreenly]

Dave..Wow! That's some impressive history! Keep up the great work and hope it stays in your family for another 70+ years.

 

[lhinds]

Nice garden David. If we don't get some rain my garden will dry up. It is in the stage where it is going to have to have water. Is that tomatoes in the pots?

 

[dschwandt]

10-4 on the pots Luther. Well, not really pots, just a couple old pieces of 8" tile that have survived unbroken for years. Most of the rest, about 15 or so, have coffee cans around them. I put down a piece of ground cloth around each one to fill the space between them and then will stand a cattle panel up on each side of the row about 18" apart. The mater cages you buy at the store are all but worthless I have found.

Also I have made a few single cages from regular fencing, securing the ends with a length of 5/16" steel tube brake line crimped over the loose ends. Works well with a fence post to keep it from tipping over. These work well for the cherry tomatoes or any tomato actually as you can reach through the fence ta pick 'em. All this hardware is kind of a pain to store though, I will admit!!

 

[lhinds]

We harvested our red potatoes, carrots, Butternut squash and about 1400 ears sweet corn this week. Made some neighbors happy with part of the corn and mustard and turnip greens. I told one neighbor I had 3 fifty foot rows of bush beans I was not going to harvest and he could have them. He asked if I would pick them and bring them to his house. I fired up the 149 and mowed them down.

 

[mgwin]

Way to go Luther!

 

[kmcconaughey]

Luther,

 

[kmcconaughey]

Harvested the garlic earlier this week. Not nearly as much as I used to harvest thanks to a pocket gopher eating most of my garlic a few years back. I'm slowly rebuilding my seed garlic stock. The cloves from the nice big bulbs will all get replanted. Doesn't leave much for eating.

Also the Oriental Lilies are in full bloom. The fragrance from them is wonderful!

 

[aschumacher]

Kraig, the unfortunate thing is that garlic I've seen in the stores is from China ! I think my local 'farm store' is getting some from here in NJ.

 

[kmcconaughey]

Allen, yeah, hard to say where the garlic in stores is from. This is a German extra hardy variety that I bought back in the early 1990's from Johnny's Seed in Albion, Maine. I've always saved the biggest bulbs for replanting. Johnny's does not sell it anymore and I thought I was going to lose it all when the gophers ate it.

 

[lhinds]

Can someone tell me what causes the big tomatoe to be deformed. It was the first to ripen on the vine. Theere is about 10 others that are normal like the green one. This got so heavy it broke the vine and fell off.

 

[kmcconaughey]

Luther, what variety is that? It looks like a typical Brandywine (a popular heirloom). Not sure what causes it but for the 20+ years I've been growing heirloom tomatoes, a good percentage of them grow like that. I prefer Brandywine but Rose is another good heirloom. Both are "beefsteak" types.

 

[lhinds]

Thanks Kraig I am sure it is brandywine. The seeds came from one a lot larger than this one that was a perfect tomatoe. I only use Epsom salt for fertilizer so that probably isn't the problem.

 

[vthomley]

Brandywine Tomatoes! MY FAV!!! Mine are still green, I'm patiently impatiently waiting.....

I did have my first tomato a week ago, a little yellow one. Very tasty for 1/2 a second - it was gone before I knew it.

Kraig, what brand or variety of Garlic do you grow? I'm planning to plant some again this October