Support
Contact
Ace:
aceofspadeshq at gee mail.com CBD: cbd.aoshq at gee mail.com Buck: buck.throckmorton at protonmail.com joe mannix: mannix2024 at proton.me MisHum: petmorons at gee mail.com J.J. Sefton: sefton at cutjibnewsletter.com | Saturday Gardening Thread: Advanced Puttering [KT]Here's a couple of pictures of my sunflowers. The tall one is about 10' tall. (I measured it against Mr. L who is about 6') Sunflowers are my favorites so I try to grow a few each year. They seem to love the Indiana clay soil. Other that watering, I do nothing to help them along I also included a flower head that had gone to seed that my birds and squirrels enjoyed. Who else but me could find a "puttering" article that's about building something AND gardening at the same time, eh? CBD? No! MisHum? No! OrMuse? No! Stinky ol' Hank Curmudgeon...That's who! (Dramatic aren't I?)We love you, Hank. Stay away from the hobos, though. It's too much. He sent in a piece with detailed instructions on how to build a folding tricopter plant inspection gardening drone! It uses near infrared imaging to inspect plants. At our weekend house we've a nice little garden with a lot of fruits and vegetables but sometimes it's just hard to keep up with how the plants change. They need constant supervision and they're very vulnerable to weather, infections, bugs, etc...Here is the drone in action. What does it remind you of? Do you remember the do-it-yourself wasp and yellow jacket trap at the end of this post? Sounds effective, but there might be a place for some drone reconnaissance in a campaign against cranky yellow jackets, too. Or maybe you just need an excuse to putter around with a drone. Bird Dog at Maggie's Farm put up a post about yellowjackets recently, listing 6 characteristics that make them dangerous. This is number 3: They're defensive. Yellowjackets vigorously defend their nests. They will assign a "guard" to stand watch at the nest opening and alert the colony to a threat. Swarm attacks can occur when someone accidentally steps in, hits, or even comes too close to a nest. Attacks of hundreds of yellowjackets from underground nests can also be triggered by ground vibrations - thus, mowing lawns can be hazardous during the late summer season when colonies are large.Got a plan to prevent attack? Now in my 3rd year in the mountains of Tennessee, I'm still trying to learn all the native trees and plants, which are so different from those I knew most of my life in Central Texas. One thing I'm curious about is the food that can be foraged here. I'm curious if a couple plants growing in the woods around my house are edible. On these two pictures are: 1) Ferns - these ferns are growing in the woods at the back of my property. When they sprout each Spring they are rolled up tight and look like the "fiddleheads" that people forage for and eat. I'm curious if any lurker can identify if these are indeed the edible fiddleheads? 2) Berries - These berry plants are common in the woods here, and I assumed they were wild blueberries, but upon closer inspection I see that the bushes have thorns, which rules out blueberries. I then figured they must be huckleberries, but when I do image searches of huckleberries, the leaves don't look as rounded. Again, I'm curious if any lurker can identify this berry bush, and if the berries are edible. It looks like the berries are ripening to a dark blue / purple color. Hi KT, this is BeckoningChasm. I took this picture a couple of years ago; it's an insect called a Wheel Bug. It looks like it came out of a video game, and for all I know, it has made its way into a video game or two. They are very beneficial to gardens as they eat a lot of insect pests. Supposedly, the bite is painful but they are described as "shy" so that being bit might be rare. Kind of looks like she might be carrying eggs in this pic, but I don't know; they're common in the US but this is the only time I've seen one. I always enjoy the Gardening Thread (and the Thread Before the Gardening Thread) so I thought I'd contribute. The wheel bug, Arilus cristatus (Linnaeus), is a moderately common, widely distributed, beneficial assassin bug that preys on pest insects. However, its bite can be more severe than a bee sting, and both nymphs and adults should be avoided or handled with caution. Adult: The wheel bug adult usually measures from 1 to 1.25 inches long. This assassin bug is a dark, robust creature with long legs and antennae, a stout beak, large eyes on a slim head, and a prominent thoracic, semicircular crest that resembles a cogwheel or chicken's comb. This is the only insect species in the United States with such a crest.Bad enough being bitten by a little 1/3 inch assassin bug. I would hate to be bitten by one as big as these! Symptoms and treatment described at the link, along with life cycle photos and particulars about why this insect is valuable. So, which is more threatening: a wheel bug or a yellowjacket? Thanks for the great link, Hank. Butterflies and Passion Flowers More from Beckoning Chasm: Here are a couple of butterfly photos taken today. According to what I can find on the web, the species is a Gulf Fritillary. As you can see, not only is the upper side of the wings quite lovely, but the underside is as well. (These are two shots of the same creature.) I had to use PhotoShop to sharpen the upper side photo, as my idiot phone decided, "Oh, you want to focus on the sidewalk! Got you covered, chief!"Our first semi-impressionistic insect photo! Love the sort of Monet-like flower details, too. Not that we haven't had artistic photos on other threads. This unusual flower is widely distributed in the Southeast, especially from Florida to Texas. The plants were given the name Passionflower or Passion vine because the floral parts were once said to represent aspects of the Christian crucifixion story, sometimes referred to as the Passion. The 10 petal-like parts represents the disciples of Jesus, excluding Peter and Judas; the 5 stamens the wounds Jesus received; the knob-like stigmas the nails; the fringe the crown of thorns.The fruits are edible, but lack the intense tropical flavor of "passion fruit", which comes from a different species. I can't say if the common name "Maypop" comes from its late emergence in Spring (in May?) or from the sound of the fruit popping when you step on one. The plant has been used medicinally, and people still make tea from the flowers or the plant (watch for cyanide). Butterflies which lay eggs on this the Maypop in the USA are listed as Gulf Fritillary, Zebra Longwing, Crimson-patch Longwing, Julia butterfly, Mexican Butterfly, Red-banded hairstreak, Banded Hairstreak and Variegated Fritillary. I'm pretty sure that the first four use passion flower plants exclusively as larval food sources. I don't know what the "Mexican Butterfly" is. Among the passion flower butterflies, I found a "Mexican Longwing", but it doesn't range into the USA, and a Mexican Fritillary, which comes into Texas and Arizona in the summer. It resembles the Variegated Fritillary. Maybe that's the "Mexican Butterfly". You can bring Gulf Fritillary caterpillars indoors to raise them into butterflies in the summer, if you live where they do. Nice life cycle photos here. Because of the way the caterpillars often wave their heads around, they sometimes remind me of little Chinese dragons ready for a parade. The spikes are harmless. Gulf Fritillaries are quite bold around people in the garden. Cheerful to have around. The Gulf Fritillary occurs throughout the southern United States southward through Mexico, Central America and the West Indies to South America. In Florida, it can be found in all 67 counties. The butterfly undergoes distinct seasonal movements each year. Adults move northward in spring and form temporarily breeding colonies throughout the southeast. Individual vagrants may occasionally reach into the central U.S., but rarely into the Midwest. Starting in late summer and continuing through fall, huge numbers of adults migrate southward into peninsular Florida. Adults overwinter in frost-free portions of their range.The Gulf Fritillary also lives in some parts of the Southwest where people have planted passion flowers, like coastal California. Don't try to overwinter caterpillars. The chrysalis of the Variegated Fritillary is a shiny, pearl-colored white, and looks like an expensive piece of jewelry! It is mottled with small black and brown spots and streaks, along with rows of shiny gold spikes.Earrings? This is Passiflora 'Incense.' Now I try to grow native as much as possible but when I saw this striking purple color and smelled the beautiful flower, I had to have it! It has such a wonderful fragrance. This passionflower is a hybrid of Passiflora incarnata (which is Native) and Passiflora cinnicata. Some of you may recognize Passiflora incarnata as Maypop. P. 'Incense' is a fast growing vine that tolerates sun or shade and flowers from spring through summer. Sometimes people are hesitant to plant passionflower when I suggest it for their butterfly gardens because it grows so vigorously. I planted mine in a pot and it is doing great. There are lots of flowers and it has successfully attracted Gulf Fritillaries. We found 3 caterpillars munching on its leaves this week! If you would like to send information and/or photos for the Saturday Gardening Thread, the address is: ktinthegarden at g mail dot com Include your nic unless you want to remain a lurker. Comments(Jump to bottom of comments)1
Now that I'm reasonably settled into the new house I'm garden planning for next year. My next door neighbors are pretty prolific gardeners (she's a retired botanist), so I can get some insight from them.
Posted by: Bert G at September 14, 2019 12:54 PM (OMsf+) 2
Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return. -- Genesis 3:17-19
Posted by: Insomniac at September 14, 2019 12:55 PM (NWiLs) Posted by: KTbarthedoor at September 14, 2019 12:58 PM (BVQ+1) 4
My garden grows bitter regret and thorns of resentment.
Posted by: Insomniac at September 14, 2019 01:05 PM (NWiLs) 5
Fantastic!
Posted by: KTbarthedoor at September 14, 2019 12:58 PM They had me come over during the spring to select some salad makings from their spread, including four varieties of lettuce. Posted by: Bert G at September 14, 2019 01:06 PM (OMsf+) 6
Another nice thread, KT. I will get that wild rice piece done for you very quickly, as it is wild rice season here in Minnesota.
Posted by: Gordon at September 14, 2019 01:07 PM (UUPhR) Posted by: KTbarthedoor at September 14, 2019 01:09 PM (BVQ+1) Posted by: KTbarthedoor at September 14, 2019 01:10 PM (BVQ+1) 9
That wheel bug looks amazing.
Put it with a wind scorpion and you would have the beginning of a movie. Posted by: KTbarthedoor at September 14, 2019 01:11 PM (BVQ+1) 10
The fiddleheads around here are bracken fern that mostly grows in open woods and in margins of pastures. I would need a closer look to ID yours them.
Americans eat the young fiddleheads before they get all tanin-y and get bitter and leave a film on your teeth. My Korean acquaintances eat the stems when they are mature, and they promise to teach me how to prep them. Posted by: Kindltot at September 14, 2019 01:16 PM (xG/b0) 11
I love Beckoning Chasm's photo of the wheel bug. Very cool. I'm fascinated by all insects and spiders.
Central Ohio is dry as a desert right now with no rain in sight. I'm done trying to keep it watered. What will be, will be. Posted by: Ladyl urgent prayer needed for Laura and Allison at September 14, 2019 01:17 PM (TdMsT) 12
love the sunflower!
Posted by: phoenixgirl at September 14, 2019 01:18 PM (0O7c5) 13
What gorgeous fruit! I have no foraging skills myself, unless poisonings count.
My favorite hostas, the ones I got from my mother's garden back home, are blooming like crazy. They are sooo pretty... except that the slugs are once again eating them. I put down the earth they hate and tried the beer-in-cup to kill them this spring, and things looked better until this past week. On Wednesday and Thursday it rained, so three little bastards (and they ARE smaller this year) were up on the siding over the hostas. I added salt. But I'd like any suggestions about killing them off. I'm afraid I will have to follow Anon a mouse's advice last summer: Mutually Assured Gardening - You have to destroy the garden in order to save it. That would mean cutting all the hosta to tge ground, clearing the surface, and digging up the dirt to remove any of the white webbing where they laid eggs. Yuck! Posted by: NaughtyPine at September 14, 2019 01:20 PM (/+bwe) 14
ladies and Gentlemen, how about a BIG hand for MISTER SUNSHINE !......
Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return. -- Genesis 3:17-19 Posted by: Insomniac Posted by: JT at September 14, 2019 01:23 PM (arJlL) 15
Hiya Mrs. Leggy !
Posted by: JT at September 14, 2019 01:24 PM (arJlL) 16
Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return. -- Genesis 3:17-19
Posted by: Insomniac Posted by: JT at September 14, 2019 01:23 PM (arJlL) Isn't this the mission statement of the left? Posted by: Ladyl urgent prayer needed for Laura and Allison at September 14, 2019 01:25 PM (TdMsT) 17
14 ladies and Gentlemen, how about a BIG hand for MISTER SUNSHINE !......
Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return. -- Genesis 3:17-19 Posted by: Insomniac Posted by: JT at September 14, 2019 01:23 PM (arJlL) Take it up with God. Posted by: Insomniac at September 14, 2019 01:28 PM (NWiLs) 18
If I ever go to Australia, I will not touch a single living wild thing. Maybe not even a dead one. Posted by: Blonde Morticia at September 14, 2019 01:28 PM (13CQC) 19
Oh, so far I have canned about 14 quarts of tomato juice out of my garden. This year has not been so good for the cherokee purples, but the volunteers have done well.
next year I will investigate the black krims. The original base stock for the tomato is a creeping vine from the Andes that has a small fruit that has an overtone of cat urine. domestication has changed it enormously. They are investigating related species, including a salt tolerant one from the Galapagos, to see if it is possible to domesticate that species as well and keep the salt tolerance and apparently because of greater tolerance for cold. On other complaints, I bought 3 Cayenne plants this spring, and they turned out to be something closer to and Ancho, and not spicy at all. Fortunately I planed a bunch of seeds from the bottom of my veggie dryer and they turned out to be Cayenne (I thought they were Thai) and they are as hotter than I expected them to be. Posted by: Kindltot at September 14, 2019 01:29 PM (xG/b0) 20
Great pics of butterflies and baby butterflies!
Posted by: kallisto at September 14, 2019 01:30 PM (DJFLF) 21
Isn't this the mission statement of the left?
Posted by: Ladyl urgent prayer needed for Laura and Allison at September 14, 2019 01:25 PM (TdMsT) Nah. Their mission statement is by the sweat of your brow someone else will eat your food. Posted by: Insomniac at September 14, 2019 01:30 PM (NWiLs) 22
Isn't this the mission statement of the left?
I think they eat the non-meat -meat products seasoned with unicorn turds and BO drippings. Posted by: JT at September 14, 2019 01:31 PM (arJlL) 23
18
If I ever go to Australia, I will not touch a single living wild thing. Maybe not even a dead one. Posted by: Blonde Morticia at September 14, 2019 01:28 PM (13CQC) Oh, but many living wild things will want to touch you. Posted by: Insomniac at September 14, 2019 01:31 PM (NWiLs) 24
I let an arborist plant two holly trees and a juniper on the side of my house and I can't remember why. Now I watch those things like a mother hen and I get thrilled beyond words to see new leaves on them. Can't tell whether the juniper is getting taller. I ought put marks on the fence next to it the way my mom drew lines on the kitchen wall when my sister and I were growing up. Posted by: Blonde Morticia at September 14, 2019 01:34 PM (13CQC) 25
Nice black chicken.
There's an all-black breed, Ayam Cemani, with black comb, beak, meat and bones: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayam_Cemani Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at September 14, 2019 01:34 PM (kQs4Y) 26
Take it up with God.
Posted by: Insomniac Okaaaay, but if I get a lightning bolt on the ass, I'm gonna litigate. Posted by: JT at September 14, 2019 01:34 PM (arJlL) 27
There's an all-black breed, Ayam Cemani, with black comb, beak, meat and bones:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayam_Cemani Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at September 14, 2019 01:34 PM (kQs4Y) Handy for summoning those Loas. Posted by: Kindltot at September 14, 2019 01:37 PM (xG/b0) 28
I think the Chinese like black chickens for new years dinners or some such.
I just think it looks very Goth. Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at September 14, 2019 01:38 PM (kQs4Y) 29
I found a dead butterfly on my patio last weekend. It wasn't half chewed up or anything like that. It didn't look diseased. It was perfect and beautiful. I can't recall ever seeing a dead butterfly before. I don't know how it died. It certainly didn't get attacked by a predator.
Posted by: JuJuBee at September 14, 2019 01:39 PM (5itaF) 30
I think the Chinese like black chickens for new years dinners or some such.
I just think it looks very Goth. Posted by: All Hail Eris, She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at September 14, 2019 01:38 PM (kQs4Y) Only if the roosters get silver spurs and tge hens have chains hanging from their beaks. Posted by: NaughtyPine at September 14, 2019 01:40 PM (/+bwe) 31
My wife bought a bunch of peaches to can 1/4's & halves.
With the skin, and all the parts that weren't pretty enough to can, she boiled the leavings for about half to one hour (enough to soften them and extract the pectin). Ran it through a strainer, (cheesecloth) and then measured it. Recipe calls for 1/2 quantity sugar, we used honey at slightly less than half. Boil that down gently til it hits the consistency you like, and Voila! Peach honey... from scraps! Posted by: MarkY at September 14, 2019 01:40 PM (eMZAQ) 32
I found a dead butterfly on my patio last weekend. It wasn't half chewed up or anything like that. It didn't look diseased. It was perfect and beautiful. I can't recall ever seeing a dead butterfly before. I don't know how it died. It certainly didn't get attacked by a predator.
Posted by: JuJuBee Mebbe it was Epstein's butterfly and somebody didn't want it to talk. Posted by: JT at September 14, 2019 01:41 PM (arJlL) 33
30 I think the Chinese like black chickens for new years dinners or some such.
Didn't know BBC was a thing in China. Posted by: Insomniac at September 14, 2019 01:42 PM (NWiLs) 34
I attempted apple butter last weekend.
I opted for the "stand there and stir forever" technique instead of the crockpot. Didn't ever get the caramelization I wanted, but it ended up pretty good. More like an improved apple sauce than butter. I still canned it! Posted by: MarkY at September 14, 2019 01:44 PM (eMZAQ) 35
Oh, but many living wild things will want to touch you. Posted by: Insomniac ======= *shuts door* *pulls drapes* Posted by: Blonde Morticia at September 14, 2019 01:44 PM (13CQC) 36
I would have guessed chokeberry on the Cumberland Astro berry, but on checking, the leaves are not right. The leaves remind me of the white swamp oak which we have in a abundance, but no berries on those.
Posted by: illiniwek at September 14, 2019 01:45 PM (Cus5s) Posted by: KTbarthedoor at September 14, 2019 01:46 PM (BVQ+1) 38
31 My wife bought a bunch of peaches to can 1/4's & halves.
With the skin, and all the parts that weren't pretty enough to can, she boiled the leavings for about half to one hour (enough to soften them and extract the pectin). Ran it through a strainer, (cheesecloth) and then measured it. Recipe calls for 1/2 quantity sugar, we used honey at slightly less than half. Boil that down gently til it hits the consistency you like, and Voila! Peach honey... from scraps! Posted by: MarkY at September 14, 2019 01:40 PM (eMZAQ) That sounds very lovely. Posted by: Ladyl urgent prayer needed for Laura and Allison at September 14, 2019 01:47 PM (TdMsT) 39
My pear recipes:
Pear Jam: Peel and core dead-ripe pears (windfalls are the best so cut out the bruises too), shred finely, use for jam, following the instruction on the pectin box. Dead ripe pears make the best jam, no spices or additives needed. +++++++ Pear Crisp recipe: Peel and core and chop 2 - 4 dead-ripe pears into smallish bits, put in a 10x10x2 casserole. Dot with butter. (while prepping the pears) Mix together 1/2 C oatmeal, 1/4 C brown sugar, 1/4 C wheat flour, 1/4 C butter, and a dash of salt, until it makes crumbs. Spread the crumbs over top of the pears in the casserole dish - it will heap up a bit, but it should slump when you bake it bake in a heated oven at 350F for 40-45 minutes Once again, dead ripe pears don't really need spicing Posted by: Kindltot at September 14, 2019 01:47 PM (xG/b0) 40
Kindltot,
We bought our seeds this year from a Community Gardens... packed by volunteers. Our jalapenos turned out to be something akin to Anaheims. We did get a second planting in, but are just now getting some peppers. May be too late to get enough for all the pickles we go through. Good to know folks can screw up the plants, too! Posted by: MarkY at September 14, 2019 01:48 PM (eMZAQ) 41
Oh man, There are some great photos here. Thanks to everyone who submitted them.
But that thread title is messing with me. Now I'm starting to think about all the little jobs that need to get done this autumn. And a local nursery sent out a mailing and emails about fall crops that can be started now, such as radishes. All this stuff is playing havoc with my stringent schedule for taking naps! Posted by: JTB at September 14, 2019 01:48 PM (bmdz3) 42
KT, sorry, the base stock for all tomatoes are that tiny fruited creeper. It was well domesticated by the time Pizarro took Peru though.
Posted by: Kindltot at September 14, 2019 01:48 PM (xG/b0) 43
NaughtyPine at September 14, 2019 01:20 PM
You might try a pet-friendly slug bait. I think they are based on iron phosphate. Posted by: KTbarthedoor at September 14, 2019 01:49 PM (BVQ+1) 44
Illiniwek, you're mistaking an oak for the vine leaves in that pic.(maybe?)
Posted by: MarkY at September 14, 2019 01:50 PM (eMZAQ) Posted by: JT at September 14, 2019 01:51 PM (arJlL) 46
Kindltot at September 14, 2019 01:47 PM (
Those recipes look great. My grandmother used to make a jam-like mixture called "heavenly hash" that included pears, oranges and other things. Posted by: KTbarthedoor at September 14, 2019 01:51 PM (BVQ+1) 47
And that vine looks like cat-briar leaves, but the fruit looks like poison ivy. Is it ID'd and I just missed it?
Posted by: MarkY at September 14, 2019 01:52 PM (eMZAQ) Posted by: KTbarthedoor at September 14, 2019 01:54 PM (BVQ+1) 49
I got back from the local pop-up market. They have a couple apple varieties that I have never seen before: Molly's Delicious and Japanese Rose. I picked up some of the latter since the sellers say it's a short window of availability.
Very pretty little apples and sweet! Posted by: NaughtyPine at September 14, 2019 01:55 PM (/+bwe) 50
What do the wooly worms say about the upcoming Winter?
Posted by: Bertram Cabot, Jr. at September 14, 2019 01:59 PM (aKsyK) 51
We have some foragers in The Horde. Can anybody help Cumberland Astro?
Those ferns look like hayscented fern, which is not good to eat. If a freshly broken/crushed frond smells like freshly mown hay, then it's hayscented fern (duh). Even if it's not, it's probably not good anyway. The fiddleheads eaten most often come from the ostrich fern, which grows quite large on moist ground. It can be found in the wilds, or maybe in your local garden center, since it's a popular ornamental fern. Those berries are those of green briar, and are not good to eat. I've heard of a tea made with briar leaves, and an edible jelly made with briar roots, but the fruit? Nope. Just remember, if you don't know what a wild fruit/plant is, don't eat it. It's just not worth the risk. Posted by: Equirhodont at September 14, 2019 01:59 PM (+2GwM) 52
"Illiniwek, you're mistaking an oak for the vine leaves in that pic.(maybe?)"Posted by: MarkY
oh, you may be right, a smaller leaf below ... could be chokeberry I guess. The freckled leaves don't really look like chokeberry either. idk Posted by: illiniwek at September 14, 2019 02:04 PM (Cus5s) 53
cool drone video, and all the detail to build it, nice. I bought a Force One quad copter drone, just have to put the legs on and try it out. It came with a camera, but not the infra-red thing,which is pretty nifty. Mine was like $80, came with two batteries they say last about 10 minutes each. Looks fun .... I've never flown one.
Posted by: illiniwek at September 14, 2019 02:10 PM (Cus5s) 54
What do the wooly worms say about the upcoming Winter?
"Hello everyone, this is Howahd Cosell. I've been re-incarnated as a wooly worm, and I gotta tell ya, its quite a bit different than my previous life. For example, I now shave five tines a day. And I can only hope that Dandy Don Meredith hasn't been re-incarnated as a size fifteen shoe. What was the question again ? Oh ! Winter ! Well, this winter will be just like last winter, only different. The days will be shorter and the nights will be longer and there will be snowstorms and ice storms but there probably won't be many cases of heatstroke. Posted by: JT at September 14, 2019 02:12 PM (arJlL) 55
We are getting the very last of the cherry tomatoes. Each week I assume the plants are done and the next morning some ripe ones greet me. These were grown in tubs as an experiment. It worked so well we will do it again next year and maybe put in a couple more tubs.
Cleaning out the tubs and Earth Boxes is one of the major autumn chores but it isn't too bad. Mrs. JTB takes the ones on the ground, I do the elevated ones. I would do it all but she says it's not worth listening to me bitch and moan about bending over so far. It is settled science that the ground is getting farther away each year. Posted by: JTB at September 14, 2019 02:13 PM (bmdz3) Posted by: JT at September 14, 2019 02:17 PM (arJlL) 57
We had a rather basic garden this year: salad greens, cherry tomatoes, and herbs and a few other things. Not everything worked but what did work was great. Over the next couple of years I really want to expand the garden but I'm not in shape to do much. (The years do catch up with you.)
Anyone else use gardening as a spur to get in better shape? Posted by: JTB at September 14, 2019 02:32 PM (bmdz3) 58
illiniwek at September 14, 2019 02:10 PM
Cool that you have a drone. I've never heard of near infrared for plant inspection. I've used ultraviolet to find little critters. But I don't know that it would work from a drone. Posted by: KTbarthedoor at September 14, 2019 02:38 PM (BVQ+1) 59
I use my bad shape as an excuse not to do gardening. My wife still tries to do a little and I get to kibitz.
Posted by: Ronster at September 14, 2019 02:38 PM (CdMUP) 60
Nearly done with this year's container garden: got just enough poblano, jalapeno and habanero peppers to make a batch of salsa... Grew only 1/2 the needed tomatoes, so bought the rest from a local roadside stand. Damned blossom-end rot!
Big pots of mixed coleus, lime-green sweet potato vines and pink/red begonias were outstanding despite the neglect they received. Will plant them all again next year for sure. Posted by: JQ at September 14, 2019 02:42 PM (gP/Z3) 61
Anyone else use gardening as a spur to get in better shape?
Posted by: JTB at September 14, 2019 02:32 PM Yes. Last year I was injured and started this year with physcal therapy and using a cane so this spring was Gardening Bootcamp. I had a lot of work to get done. After about a week, I was annoyed by my weakness. When I went for my annual checkup in August, the conversation was about joint pain. So the nurse practitioner put me an anti-inflammatory diet and extra exercise - and I have quite the garden/yard To Do List this fall which requires heavy lifting. Posted by: NaughtyPine at September 14, 2019 02:52 PM (/+bwe) 62
Equirhodont at September 14, 2019 01:59 PM
Wow. I'm impressed that you can tell ferns apart. And the greenbriar! Smilax? Where did you learn this stuff? I read that if it is Smilax rotundifolia, the young shoots can be eaten like asparagus, which might help control their spread. And you are right. Positive ID is important. Read that one or more Smilax species are used to make sasparilla. Not this one. The roots are the part used. Posted by: KTbarthedoor at September 14, 2019 02:53 PM (BVQ+1) 63
JTB, I want to try vegetable gardening next year. Do you use just containers or potato sacks, too?
Posted by: NaughtyPine at September 14, 2019 02:53 PM (/+bwe) 64
JTB at September 14, 2019 02:32 PM
Yes, a lot of people use gardening to get in shape. Some make raised garden beds taller, though. Posted by: KTbarthedoor at September 14, 2019 02:55 PM (BVQ+1) Posted by: KTbarthedoor at September 14, 2019 02:56 PM (BVQ+1) 66
63 ... "JTB, I want to try vegetable gardening next year. Do you use just containers or potato sacks, too?"
We had the cherry tomato plants in 10 gallon tubs on the ground. The Earth Boxes are sitting on an old extention ladder laid across saw horses which works well for my 6'5" height. Haven't tried potato sacks. The Earth Boxes work great for salad greens and herbs and will do the job for small crops of carrots and radishes. But I eventually want to use an in-ground garden for bigger tomatoes, summer and winter squash (I'm a fanatic), and some beans. Posted by: JTB at September 14, 2019 03:10 PM (bmdz3) 67
@29 butterflies don't live all that long, it might have died of "old age."
Posted by: BeckoningChasm at September 14, 2019 03:13 PM (l9m7l) 68
Naughty Pine, the lovely Miss Tracy does slug abatement at night, when the slugs are out. She wears a headlamp, spots them and salts to taste. There are fewer slugs to be sure, and plant damage is kept to the minimum. She loves executing the slug horde...
Posted by: Jesse in DC at September 14, 2019 03:14 PM (ouR/N) 69
Thanks, JTB. Have nothing in-ground except rhubarb and chives, and it's a constant battle to keep creepers and noxious weeds out of them. I want cherry tomatoes next year and maybe zucchini, but not sure if I can grow squash in containers.
Posted by: NaughtyPine at September 14, 2019 03:21 PM (/+bwe) 70
Naughty Pine, the lovely Miss Tracy does slug abatement at night, when the slugs are out. She wears a headlamp, spots them and salts to taste. There are fewer slugs to be sure, and plant damage is kept to the minimum. She loves executing the slug horde...
Posted by: Jesse in DC at September 14, 2019 03:14 PM Thank you for the advice. I have a headlamp, but hadn't thought about hunting them and night. Posted by: NaughtyPine at September 14, 2019 03:23 PM (/+bwe) 71
Easy Peach Cobbler recipe
bit.ly/2mhTmdm Posted by: tmitsss at September 14, 2019 03:25 PM (WYDJb) 72
Little late but been wondering why some of my hot peppers are hotter than others that should be hotter, mostly talking Anaheim and jalapenos.
Posted by: Skip at September 14, 2019 03:26 PM (u/gSm) 73
69 ... "but not sure if I can grow squash in containers."
Naughty, I believe there are bush or smaller sized squashes meant to be grown in containers. Pretty sure Parks has seeds for them and Bonnie Plants offers the seedlings. We haven't tried them (yet). Posted by: JTB at September 14, 2019 03:46 PM (bmdz3) 74
One of the reasons squash like butternut do so well when zukes get hammered by squash borer and such is that they root as they sprawl along the ground.
I'd think with a container plant, you'd be "taping" eggs pretty often. Course in a container it wouldn't be that big of a deal, I guess. I helped my wife one time "tape" squash bug eggs, for about 1/2 hour, and went and mixed up some permethrin. Organic my foot! Skip, my wife insists the degree of hotness in peppers is due to water and maturity. Dry peppers get hotter, older peppers are hotter. Posted by: MarkY at September 14, 2019 04:03 PM (eMZAQ) 75
One day I may get a more expensive quad copter drone, this one is a trial run. The more expensive one for ag ... can chart a course and it follows it, can get them to do IR and it can spot areas of stress in the fields, or disease or weed outbreaks I guess. They have even more expensive ones that will do spraying ... pretty cool tech coming along.
https://tinyurl.com/y27d6kxl When prices come down some, it might be very useful for a smaller horticultural operation. California hires helicopters to do much of that I guess, but those above can do about 7 acres at a time iirc. I'd never thought of using ultraviolet for finding pests ... this is video of some guy using a $5 UV flashlight to find hornworms on his tomatoes. https://tinyurl.com/yxdua22c Posted by: illiniwek at September 14, 2019 04:07 PM (Cus5s) 76
Skip at September 14, 2019 03:26 PM
Access to water? Could be something in the soil, too. It makes sense to me that stressed plants would produce hotter peppers. And peppers on the same plant could be exposed to different climate conditions over time. Posted by: KTbarthedoor at September 14, 2019 04:09 PM (BVQ+1) 77
Take it up with God. Posted by: Insomniac at September 14, 2019 01:28 PM (NWiLs) You're the one who basically spams the gardening thread with your obnoxious SSDD post, and now you have to get contentious with JT - who has been nothing but amiable to you. And KT is gracious enough to not call you out for it. But I get it, misery loves company. You do you, insom. The rest of us will enjoy gardening, the creatures of the forest and field, enjoying the good food that comes from our work in the garden - and that of our generous friends and neighbors. While you keep spamming, and we keep scrolling past it. Posted by: kallisto at September 14, 2019 04:21 PM (kD8Fh) 78
Those passion flowers are certainly eye-catching, but all caterpillars must DIE in my yard.
Posted by: 40 miles north at September 14, 2019 04:32 PM (o2vOl) 79
Mon dieu Miss Katy, today's array outdid your bad, bad self. I love the bugs, both pretty and less so, and seeing them together with some striking flowering desert"ish" buds really fun, as in God can be snarky.
Looking forward to the Harvest Moon I'm told, via local radio, to expect. OT/Sort of: my far better half Debra just went nuts with a large chunk of her inheritance and bought an Equestrian Ranch in Temecula. My step daughter has been in different stages of the Equestrian biz for last 25 years. Successfully. It's gonna be fun watching the hard working young lady give it a go. We get, along with typical Ranch junk we get horses, barn cats, 3 donkeys (A. O. & C.?), some chickens, goats and rabbits. I've been in and out of significant treatment at the CoH, so I haven't been there yet. But, I look forward to taking lots of pics of the different plants a flowers and desert fauna as soon as practical. Thanks for showing off our stunning world. Tom Posted by: The Invisible Hand at September 14, 2019 04:41 PM (YpRda) 80
Unfortunately I can't help Cumberland Astro ID the berry plant. On my daily walks, there are at least three wild berry-laden plants hanging off trees and over fences. I wish I knew what they were. Some are a deep deep blue, one is reddish-orange.
?? Posted by: kallisto at September 14, 2019 04:49 PM (kD8Fh) 81
Equirhodont: Thank you! I looked up Green Briar and that is definitely the leaves and berries.
Posted by: Cumberland Astro at September 14, 2019 04:56 PM (iF4iV) 82
So many great pics this weekend. The bug pics make me itchy. I've candied some peaches, gave away bags of them to the neighbors and they did peach pies (not my favorite), peach habanero salsa, cobbler, peach jam (meh) and dried peaches. I prefer peach daquiries. I just canned several jars and see what I can use them for this winter.
Posted by: S.Lynn at September 14, 2019 05:03 PM (oYThS) 83
Front Range, CO - broccoli, onions, cukes, kale, collards, pumpkins, asparagus - were great. Tomatoes very late and few, potatoes - blight. Few nectarines and all pecked by birds for moisture. Small batch of nectarine butter - excellent. Free table on sidewalk - folks took zuchs, cukes, onions and pumpkins which were all big hits.
Posted by: stonecutter at September 14, 2019 05:03 PM (Bfr22) 84
Guess KT that's a possibility
Posted by: Skip at September 14, 2019 05:17 PM (u/gSm) 85
You're the one who basically spams the gardening thread with your obnoxious SSDD post, and now you have to get contentious with JT - who has been nothing but amiable to you.
And KT is gracious enough to not call you out for it. But I get it, misery loves company. You do you, insom. The rest of us will enjoy gardening, the creatures of the forest and field, enjoying the good food that comes from our work in the garden - and that of our generous friends and neighbors. While you keep spamming, and we keep scrolling past it. Posted by: kallisto Nah, Me and Insom are pals. We goof on each other; mebbe its not evident. Posted by: JT at September 14, 2019 06:03 PM (arJlL) 86
KTbarthedoor at September 14, 2019 02:53 PM
Wow. I'm impressed that you can tell ferns apart. And the greenbriar! Smilax? Where did you learn this stuff? --------------- I grew up in the wilds of NJ and spent a lot of time in the woods and fields, and when I wasn't out and about, I devoured books on native flora and fauna, from the dry scientific texts to the related folklore and the ways the old timers used the natural bounty around them. I just figured if I was going to be spending so much time hiking though the wilderness, it only made sense to learn as much as I can about that wilderness. Posted by: Equirhodont at September 14, 2019 06:05 PM (+2GwM) 87
Sure, KT, I made notes... and they'll be lost... just like last year's notes, and the year before's, lol.
Maybe I'll just stick to the flowers next year-- they've always performed better in pots than the veggies anyway. Posted by: JQ at September 14, 2019 06:17 PM (gP/Z3) 88
Natashas kitchen is a lovely website and her very simple yet fail safe peach cake is just delicious! Bet you could use it with pears too.
https://tinyurl.com/y2boxzlp Every summer it's my go to. Posted by: keena at September 14, 2019 07:05 PM (RiTnx) 89
I do not plant sunflowers. The squirrels in my neighborhood, however, have other ideas, and plant sunflowers under my deck with the birdseed I put out. Apparently the afternoon sun is enough that they get some real beauties. They have been harvesting this week, although I suspect a raccoon got at least one of them because I found the de-seeded sunflower head on the deck.
Posted by: Nancy at 7000 ft at September 14, 2019 09:31 PM (0tmoY) 90
One can certainly grow squash in a Grow Box from Garden Patch. The yield can be very good. But squash plants are greedy about light, and can overshadow any other plants in the box.
I have a volunteer acorn squash growing out of the compost pile. It's blooming, although it might be a bit late. Sadly, it has grown into the neighbor's yard, so any bounty will be theirs. When making peach jam, we no longer peel the skins. Sometimes you can see a bit of it in the jars, but I can't say I've ever noticed it when eating. Posted by: Gordon at September 14, 2019 11:21 PM (UUPhR) Processing 0.01, elapsed 0.0193 seconds. |
MuNuvians
MeeNuvians
Polls! Polls! Polls!
Real Clear Politics Gallup Frequently Asked Questions
The (Almost) Complete Paul Anka Integrity Kick
Primary Document: The Audio
Paul Anka Haiku Contest Announcement Integrity SAT's: Entrance Exam for Paul Anka's Band AllahPundit's Paul Anka 45's Collection AnkaPundit: Paul Anka Takes Over the Site for a Weekend (Continues through to Monday's postings) George Bush Slices Don Rumsfeld Like an F*ckin' Hammer Top Top Tens
Democratic Forays into Erotica New Shows On Gore's DNC/MTV Network Nicknames for Potatoes, By People Who Really Hate Potatoes Star Wars Euphemisms for Self-Abuse Signs You're at an Iraqi "Wedding Party" Signs Your Clown Has Gone Bad Signs That You, Geroge Michael, Should Probably Just Give It Up Signs of Hip-Hop Influence on John Kerry NYT Headlines Spinning Bush's Jobs Boom Things People Are More Likely to Say Than "Did You Hear What Al Franken Said Yesterday?" Signs that Paul Krugman Has Lost His Frickin' Mind All-Time Best NBA Players, According to Senator Robert Byrd Other Bad Things About the Jews, According to the Koran Signs That David Letterman Just Doesn't Care Anymore Examples of Bob Kerrey's Insufferable Racial Jackassery Signs Andy Rooney Is Going Senile Other Judgments Dick Clarke Made About Condi Rice Based on Her Appearance Collective Names for Groups of People John Kerry's Other Vietnam Super-Pets Cool Things About the XM8 Assault Rifle Media-Approved Facts About the Democrat Spy Changes to Make Christianity More "Inclusive" Secret John Kerry Senatorial Accomplishments John Edwards Campaign Excuses John Kerry Pick-Up Lines Changes Liberal Senator George Michell Will Make at Disney Torments in Dog-Hell Greatest Hitjobs
The Ace of Spades HQ Sex-for-Money Skankathon A D&D Guide to the Democratic Candidates Margaret Cho: Just Not Funny More Margaret Cho Abuse Margaret Cho: Still Not Funny Iraqi Prisoner Claims He Was Raped... By Woman Wonkette Announces "Morning Zoo" Format John Kerry's "Plan" Causes Surrender of Moqtada al-Sadr's Militia World Muslim Leaders Apologize for Nick Berg's Beheading Michael Moore Goes on Lunchtime Manhattan Death-Spree Milestone: Oliver Willis Posts 400th "Fake News Article" Referencing Britney Spears Liberal Economists Rue a "New Decade of Greed" Artificial Insouciance: Maureen Dowd's Word Processor Revolts Against Her Numbing Imbecility Intelligence Officials Eye Blogs for Tips They Done Found Us Out, Cletus: Intrepid Internet Detective Figures Out Our Master Plan Shock: Josh Marshall Almost Mentions Sarin Discovery in Iraq Leather-Clad Biker Freaks Terrorize Australian Town When Clinton Was President, Torture Was Cool What Wonkette Means When She Explains What Tina Brown Means Wonkette's Stand-Up Act Wankette HQ Gay-Rumors Du Jour Here's What's Bugging Me: Goose and Slider My Own Micah Wright Style Confession of Dishonesty Outraged "Conservatives" React to the FMA An On-Line Impression of Dennis Miller Having Sex with a Kodiak Bear The Story the Rightwing Media Refuses to Report! Our Lunch with David "Glengarry Glen Ross" Mamet The House of Love: Paul Krugman A Michael Moore Mystery (TM) The Dowd-O-Matic! Liberal Consistency and Other Myths Kepler's Laws of Liberal Media Bias John Kerry-- The Splunge! Candidate "Divisive" Politics & "Attacks on Patriotism" (very long) The Donkey ("The Raven" parody) News/Chat
|