Saturday Gardening and Puttering Thread, October 17, 2020 [KT]

Greetings, everybody! Thought about Halloween at all this year? Or has the entire year made Halloween seem rather ordinary? Hope you see something to interest you in the thread today.

Don in Kansas went to an orchid show not long ago. Some of the flowers he photographed were a little Halloween-ish. Others were strikingly beautiful. Take a look at the link. About the flower above:

There were . . . a few Catasetinae with dark flowers. The darkest was the multigeneric hybrid Monnierara Millennium Magic "Witchcraft", above, which is such a deep burgundy-maroon that it can be called black. . . (It's a recent hybrid, and probably not the source of Basil St. John's black orchid serum. My best guess is that his orchid was an obscure Dendrobium.)

The orchid (below) is a form of Habenaria Jiaho Yellow Bird. Evidently the color is variable. I photographed it at the monthly orchid society meeting this week.

I like the helmets on those little birds.

Here's another orchid that I thought looked sort of Halloween-ish.

And here is a Hoya carnosa. Not an orchid. Kind of a Halloween-ish name. I like the fuzzy flowers.

Next week, some actual carnivorous plants.

Don also had a cactus bloom at home. You'll have to go to the link for the fancy photography stuff:

I wasn't expecting much action from my cacti until things warm up again in the spring, but the Turbinicarpus roseiflorus that I started from seed a few years ago popped out a couple of flowers this week. It's a small plant, slightly over an inch in diameter, exclusive of spines.
Both photos are stacked-focus, the one above compiled from 40 separate images. As usual, click the pictures to see them larger and with better color. Open in a new window for maximum detail.

Halloween

Four small projects. Anybody know where to get a plastic rat? Don't forget about drainage.

Think you could manage one of these projects?

Know anybody who needs a googly-eyed bat quilt?

You could whip one up in your spare puttering time this week, couldn't you?

The Edible Garden

The famous Pat*'s Chile harvest:

All the poblano peppers from 4 large and 2 small plants. I'm busy making pre-made chiles rellenos and freezing them, the cutting the rest up for a casserole version.

My favorites.

We had just one Anaheim pepper plant, but it was productive, and ripened almost all its peppers. I'll try chiles rellenos with these as well.

These, when ripe and dried, are the Chile California often sold whole in bags for pozole and menudo.

Gardens of The Horde

Here are some interesting details about Mr. Jimm's goldfish pond:

We used to have some koi, but they grow SO large SO quickly they're hard to keep alive over the winter, but the 15 goldfish you see in the picture have survived at least 7 winters outdoors (& maybe many more with the previous homeowners). Our neighborhood is chock-full of raccoons, opossums & skunks, but we've never lost a fish yet.
Note the Canna Lilies in the upper right (red) and lower left (yellow) corners of the pond; you can buy them in pots almost anywhere, rinse the dirt off the roots and just plop them in the water in a spot where they'll get some good sun. They suck up all the, ah, 'fertilizer' the fish produce and will triple in size between May & September, producing nice foliage and beautiful flowers. You can try to store them over the winter indoors, but for $7 apiece it might not be worth the hassle.
Love your column, BTW; been following all of Ace's various thread-editors for too many years to count now.

From Wee Kreek Farm Girl:

My Carrion cactus has loads of blooms on it and is ready to start stinking the place up. It sits in front of where we keep our garbage, so I can never tell if it is flowers or stinky trash.

What amazing flowers!

If you would like to send information and/or photos for the Saturday Gardening Thread, the address is:

ktinthegarden
at that g mail dot com place

Include your nic unless you want to remain a lurker.

Posted by: Open Blogger at 01:03 PM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Good afternoon Greenthumbs

Posted by: Skip at October 17, 2020 01:05 PM (OjZpE)

2 The missus is out puttering in the garden. I'm going to get the chainsaw running and deal with some deadfalls.

Posted by: Trimegistus at October 17, 2020 01:06 PM (QZxDR)

3 Still getting hot peppers and some tomatoes, haven't had a frost though hoping my Anaheim peppers in the mini greenhouse will survive a light one. Picked 5 Anaheim the other day, even if just starting to turn picking and setting on counter they ripen quickly.

Posted by: Skip at October 17, 2020 01:09 PM (OjZpE)

4 Have strange pink mold or mushrooms going outside, thought of seeing if I could get a picture.

Posted by: Skip at October 17, 2020 01:11 PM (OjZpE)

5 is doing laundry considered puttering?

Posted by: DB- just DB. at October 17, 2020 01:11 PM (iTXRQ)

6 Two inches of snow fell here, and stuck, this morning, in northern WI.

Posted by: davidt at October 17, 2020 01:11 PM (l3+k2)

7 And here is a Hoya carnosa. Not an orchid. Kind of a Halloween-ish name. I like the fuzzy flowers.
the wax plant! Brings back memories. When I was a teen I got one from local garden center. It was pretty small, and of course, slow-growing. But I faithfully cared for it, then I went away to college.

When I came back I found it blooming with the flowers pictured above. I was so surprised, didn't expect any flowers. Mom must have done a good job watering while I was away. Wish I could find one now.

Posted by: kallisto at October 17, 2020 01:11 PM (DJFLF)

8 What a beautiful pond!

Posted by: Tuna at October 17, 2020 01:13 PM (gLRfa)

9 Just finished digging up some Blue Daze Evolvulus (a low growing relative of the Morning Glory), which I'm going to try and winter over in the house. They were originally in the church yard, where they made a spectacular ground cover, with lots of little blue flowers. We'll see.

Posted by: pep at October 17, 2020 01:15 PM (v16oJ)

10 again with the bats?

Posted by: Kindltot at October 17, 2020 01:15 PM (WyVLE)

11 Pond!

Posted by: Gilded at October 17, 2020 01:16 PM (BRkq2)

12 Got up early for an 8:00 dental appt and found my car windows frosted over. Winter is coming.

Posted by: Tuna at October 17, 2020 01:17 PM (gLRfa)

13 8
What a beautiful pond!

Posted by: Tuna at October 17, 2020 01:13 PM (gLRfa)
yes that's a very nice water feature.
Posted by: pep at October 17, 2020 01:15 PM (v16oJ)
I had mini-evolvulus in a pot this year, I hadn't thought of trying to over -winter it. Might be a good idea!

Posted by: kallisto at October 17, 2020 01:17 PM (DJFLF)

14 Yard work today. Raking leaves and maybe clearing some brush.

Posted by: Kindltot at October 17, 2020 01:18 PM (WyVLE)

15 Yellow jackets can have nests in the ground. I learned that the really, really hard way.

Posted by: shibumi, living in Clown World at October 17, 2020 01:20 PM (ZCiJZ)

16 Wish I could find one now.
Posted by: kallisto at October 17, 2020 01:11 PM (DJFLF)

Logees.com has several varieties of Hoya plants. I've had good experiences ordering from them.

Posted by: Emmie at October 17, 2020 01:21 PM (4JM5Y)

17 Those are some really nice peppers. Time for homemade picanti sauce.

Sort of on thread....cleaning out the monkey grass in the front island of leaves and found a yellow jacket nest. They took umbrage at my presence and activity and let me know in very clear terms that i wasnt welcome in their neighborhood.

Anyone know how to get rid of them?

Posted by: BifBewalski AOS Moron at October 17, 2020 01:22 PM (VcFUs)

18 My puttering right now is learning how to operate the camper we bought this week and outfitting it for the TX MoMe trip. (We've never owned a camper before.)

Posted by: Emmie at October 17, 2020 01:24 PM (4JM5Y)

19 Anyone know how to get rid of them?

From orbit. It's the only way to be sure.

Posted by: pep at October 17, 2020 01:24 PM (v16oJ)

20 Had a yellow jacket nest few years ago near my compost bin, got stung 7 times in 5 seconds. Scouting their location prepared with a bucket can of hornet spray first light out, crept up, hit it with full can slammed bucket over the hole to keep poison and them in from escaping.
End of Yellow Jackets, with extreme prejudice

Posted by: Skip at October 17, 2020 01:25 PM (OjZpE)

21 Saw a story on the weather channel app about vandals slashing and destroying multiple Saguaros in Saguaro Nat'l Park.

Posted by: Tuna at October 17, 2020 01:27 PM (gLRfa)

22 Hi shibumi,

That's where they are. In a hole up under the monkey grass. Hole is about 2 inches in diameter. I got stung about 12-15 times. My sholder is on fire, hoping the antihistimines kick in soon and take the edge off.

Posted by: BifBewalski AOS Moron at October 17, 2020 01:27 PM (VcFUs)

23 Black orchids!

it's like you called my name.

lovely plants today - am pondering what small decorative tree to get for my dog's ashes

he will be the third beloved pet to be so commemorated here

Posted by: BlackOrchid_j9HX3 at October 17, 2020 01:28 PM (j9HX3)

24 Slowly getting a whole bowl of Ceyanne peppers, would like to give away but hard finding someone. Wife did dry and grind up some for future.

Posted by: Skip at October 17, 2020 01:29 PM (OjZpE)

25 Posted by: BlackOrchid_j9HX3 at October 17, 2020 01:28 PM (j9HX3)

Japanese Maple. Very pretty small tree / large bush.

Posted by: BifBewalski AOS Moron at October 17, 2020 01:30 PM (VcFUs)

26 Love the gardening thread! Thanks KT!

This was not a good year for me for gardening, whatever grew was whatever was already in the ground, i.e., perennials, bushes, and trees.

Tried to save some cuttings from the in-laws house before it was sold. I think one of the 30 cuttings of clematis I took has finally rooted. Let's see if it survives the winter.

Unfortunately I tried everything to root some concord grape cuttings. Must have taken a hundred of those. None rooted.

Posted by: Boots at October 17, 2020 01:32 PM (oGBso)

27 ''That's where they are. In a hole up under the monkey grass. Hole is about 2 inches in diameter. I got stung about 12-15 times. My sholder is on fire, hoping the antihistimines kick in soon and take the edge off.''

They''re active in the fall. Little b**turds. Take care. If the antihistamines don't work hit the urgent care center.

Posted by: Tuna at October 17, 2020 01:32 PM (gLRfa)

28 I so admire the fortitude of people who live where there is snow.

Pat's peppers look pretty enough to be in a food spread.

Getting a little cool here, so I'm trying to judge when to harvest all the basil, so it doesn't die in a freeze.
Dried some to make Italian seasoning and will chop up the rest, mix with olive oil and freeze.

I re-purposed a multi-shirt hanger as a drying rack to use in the new shed. It seems to be working well and I can dry
larger batches of herbs I grow a lot of, like mints.

We have one (1) Morning Glory bloom so far, but other buds are fattening up.

Starting to infuse the calendula blossoms and when that's done will be making salves with that, and a balm with the cedar oil from this summer. That way I only have to mess with the beeswax once.

Posted by: Sal at October 17, 2020 01:38 PM (KTdeA)

29 Boots at October 17, 2020 01:32 PM
Depending on the time of year, getting cuttings to root can be a real challenge.

Posted by: KT at October 17, 2020 01:40 PM (BVQ+1)

30 Japanese Maple. Very pretty small tree / large bush.

yes Bif that is what we have for the previous two

could stick with that sort of thing or try something different maybe not sure

Posted by: BlackOrchid_j9HX3 at October 17, 2020 01:40 PM (j9HX3)

31 That quilt is great! The mirror image piecing on the two wings gives it a great symmetry
Moderne quilters are endlessly creative.

Posted by: Sal at October 17, 2020 01:45 PM (KTdeA)

32 Those red and green long peppers look like mine, but we were surprised with a 24 degree freeze yesterday morning, so most things are done. The purple top radishes in the deer food plots probably survive that fine though, some (started early August) are as big as baseballs.

A variety of orangish gourds will serve as my fall decorations, no pumpkins. The vines really took off, climbed the fence, were heading into the corn field ... gave away a bunch, still found a bunch more down in the grass. They last better than pumpkins, if you don't need to make a jack-o-lantern. I used to do a Smashed Pumpkin volleyball tourney every year, but we never actually smashed pumpkins.

cheers to the growers ...

Posted by: illiniwek at October 17, 2020 01:51 PM (Cus5s)

33 Smoke some of those jalapenos, Skip.
Then grind for chipotle powder.

I'm gonna smoke the last of ours tomorrow along with 3 pounds of cured bacon (maple cured this time).

Posted by: MarkY at October 17, 2020 01:58 PM (oIasP)

34 If you can't find a plastic rat in a craft or Halloween store now next place try a pet store

Posted by: Skip at October 17, 2020 01:58 PM (OjZpE)

35 Sort of on thread....cleaning out the monkey grass in the front island of leaves and found a yellow jacket nest. They took umbrage at my presence and activity and let me know in very clear terms that i wasnt welcome in their neighborhood.

Anyone know how to get rid of them?
Posted by: BifBewalski AOS Moron at October 17, 2020 01:22 PM (VcFUs)

Sevin liquid concentrate. Mix concentrate with water, poor down hole. This is best done at night, when they aren't flying. That'll get the poison all the way to the bottom of the nest.

You can use the Sevin dust in water, too. Not certain of the dust to water ratio, I would guess the more the better.

Posted by: Evasiveboat42 at October 17, 2020 02:03 PM (Rz2Nc)

36 hiya

Posted by: JT at October 17, 2020 02:04 PM (arJlL)

37 Pondered making a hot sauce

Posted by: Skip at October 17, 2020 02:04 PM (OjZpE)

38 Planted a mess o' daffodils in Mom's back yard. We were pleasantly surprised at how profusely they bloomed this Spring considering the half-assed job I did. This year I bought a bulb-planter thingy and it really made punching holes easy(ish). It was a mixture of classic, double, and giant daffs.

Got a few of these critters too:

https://www.brecks.com/product/green-with-envy-daffodil

Posted by: All Hail Eris, Counter-Revolutionary She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes at October 17, 2020 02:07 PM (Dc2NZ)

39 hot sauce
Posted by: Skip

Found this. Looks good. Never made it, so don't blame me!

https://www.mexicanplease.com/jalapeno-hot-sauce-recipe/

Posted by: MarkY at October 17, 2020 02:10 PM (oIasP)

40 Eris I love the green with envy daffodil! Gorgeous!

Posted by: Jewells45 at October 17, 2020 02:13 PM (nxdel)

41 Orchids are gorgeous and that's a very cool bat quilt. I recently ran across a bat knitting motif, but I'll resist the urge.

Posted by: CN at October 17, 2020 02:14 PM (ONvIw)

42 Got a few of these critters too:

https://www.brecks.com/product/green-with-envy-daffodil
Posted by: All Hail Eris, Counter-Revolutionary She-Wolf of the 'Ettes 'Ettes

Nice !

Posted by: JT at October 17, 2020 02:14 PM (arJlL)

43 'Sup, y'all? Not at the farm-o this weekend.

Posted by: Weasel at October 17, 2020 02:16 PM (MVjcR)

44 Garden here is all gone, well except for the kale & herbs ... Mrs Eez has planted about 200 garlic seeds in a big patch we have great hopes for.

Next year (she says) we are going to concentrate on greens, particularly Chinese cabbage and Chinese broccoli, and not so many tomatoes and cukes.

Still making baggies of chopped & frozen "soup greens" - parsley, arugula, Chinese cabbage, kale, basil.

We sold off all of our pumpkins to a local dealer - the biggest one sold immediately to a bar for a "guess the weight" contest; it happens to be the one that we weighed, so if we were inclined to cheat ...
which we are not.

Eating up the last of the locally grown tomatoes this weekend, back to the store-bought ones for another winter; but we have lots of juice canned ! yay !

Posted by: sock_rat_eez, we are being gaslighted 24/365 at October 17, 2020 02:16 PM (KGlll)

45 Hiya Weasel !

Posted by: JT at October 17, 2020 02:18 PM (arJlL)

46 Anyone know how to get rid of them?
Posted by: BifBewalski AOS Moron at October 17, 2020 01:22 PM (VcFUs)

Napalm

Posted by: Fox2! at October 17, 2020 02:21 PM (qyH+l)

47 45 Hiya Weasel !
Posted by: JT at October 17, 2020 02:18 PM (arJlL)
-----
Howdy, bro!

Posted by: Weasel at October 17, 2020 02:21 PM (MVjcR)

48 Holy crap. I know this is too early to go off thread, but the usually useless VAGOP or the Gade campaign actually had someone knock on my door!

Posted by: Jean at October 17, 2020 02:29 PM (Xih1H)

49 No gardening here today. Finally warmed up but it's windy as hell, gusts up to 45 mph. Can't work in the wind. Rain tomorrow. I have one more area to clear out dead stuff then I want to rake all the old mulch and put new in. I'll need my son to help me with that. I snagged some pretty tulip bulbs from my old job and have the perfect spot to plant them.

Posted by: Jewells45 at October 17, 2020 02:32 PM (nxdel)

50 Wow, all the photos excellent. Those orchids are incredible. The older I get, the more I believe there was some one who created all this beauty and diversity.

Anyway, incredible effort those of you who submitted photos and text.

Posted by: MikeM at October 17, 2020 02:32 PM (3F0Ql)

51 Keep an eye on those black orchids. Nero Wolfe is totally going to swipe them.

Posted by: MW at October 17, 2020 02:34 PM (gWtVa)

52 Hi Weasel !

bought a sporterized 03A3 last week, but we can discuss that tomorrow.

Posted by: sock_rat_eez, we are being gaslighted 24/365 at October 17, 2020 02:34 PM (KGlll)

53 Flower-birds with dick heads.

Right.

Posted by: Banned at October 17, 2020 02:39 PM (mXBk+)

54 Chinese broccoli

Me likee.

Posted by: Banned at October 17, 2020 02:41 PM (mXBk+)

55 I was walking around the neighborhood this week and spotted an interesting-looking flower. Really saturated red, like "tawdry wallpaper in a wild west cathouse" red. It actually spoofed the auto-exposure on my phone, it was an overcast morning and I guess it thought the red was TOO red. My plant identifier phone app said it was "rugosa rose", a.k.a. hedgebog rose, beach rose, and, among others, "potato rose".

Anyway, "Potato Rose" would also be an excellent name for a burlesque performer who had an affinity for this color:

https://stoatnet.org/potatorose.jpg

Posted by: hogmartin at October 17, 2020 02:43 PM (t+qrx)

56 Tuna - Thank you! I really should have written more about it, but I threw it in along with the daylily pics last week and concentrated much more on them.

The pond has 3 waterfalls towards the back that are hard to see in this pic; the pump is underground, off to the side behind the yellow Canna.

Over the winter I have a heater which keeps a 2 foot hole in the ice open so the fish can breathe, and last year I added 2 air bubblers after I lost a 9-inch koi (grown in one summer from a 3-incher) over the winter.

Posted by: MrJimm at October 17, 2020 02:51 PM (w0GHq)

57 https://stoatnet.org/potatorose.jpg
Posted by: hogmartin at October 17, 2020 02:43 PM (t+qrx)

Yep, that's red alright.

Reminds me of some of the more recent car paint colors - - so red it would be impossible to be any redder. I've seen some Jeeps in that color.

Posted by: Emmie at October 17, 2020 02:54 PM (4JM5Y)

58 The birds in the photograph of Habenaria Jiaho Yellow Bird orchid are flying backwards. The helmets are actually roosting pads. The birds were alarmed by sudden sound and they all flew off at once. The photograph is upside down! I love it when you guys pull these jokes on us.

Posted by: bour3 at October 17, 2020 02:59 PM (KXQr+)

59 Put up a bird feeder my wife purchased a couple days ago. It's supposed to attract those yellow and green finches. It looks like a small laundry sack or a sock hanging in the tree. Not attractive at all...

Posted by: Martini Farmer at October 17, 2020 03:00 PM (3H9h1)

60 MarkY all except cilantro looks tempting.

Posted by: Skip at October 17, 2020 03:00 PM (OjZpE)

61 PET NOOD IS UP

Posted by: Skip the guy who calls noods at October 17, 2020 03:01 PM (OjZpE)

62 Slowly getting a whole bowl of Ceyanne peppers,
would like to give away but hard finding someone. Wife did dry and grind
up some for future.
Posted by: Skip at October 17, 2020 01:29 PM (OjZpE)

You can chop them fine and then add a couple teaspoons per half cup of sesame oil, and you can add ginger as well.
Either let it sit for a week, or heat it in mason jars in a pressure cooker for a bit to drive the Cayenne flavor into the oil.

That makes a hot chili oil that you can give to all your adventurous, masochistic friends.
Warn them it is too hot for them to take large amounts so they glob it on, at least the first time.

It is really good on rice dishes, and noodles and a number of other dishes, it really makes the cayenne flavor pop.

Posted by: Kindltot at October 17, 2020 03:06 PM (WyVLE)

63 We have two quart jars full of dried cayenne peppers. That should last us until next year. One is a purple variety from NMSU (turns red at the end). It is the sekrit ingredient in the wife's sausage gravy.

The difference in taste between homegrown and that Chinese stuff in the stores is astounding.

Posted by: Gordon at October 17, 2020 03:09 PM (fE9nD)

64 My cayenne are fire engine red, and very hot

Posted by: Skip, the guy who says NOOD at October 17, 2020 03:12 PM (OjZpE)

65 My Anaheim chiles are turning red, Poblanos ripening also.

I'm thinking of making salsa with them, just whatever I end up with after roasting/peeling and no other peppers added. Have been blanching/peeling and chopping/freezing tomatoes as they ripen. Now I think there's enough for a couple of batches although I'll have to purchase the onions...

Any advice or recipes to share?

Posted by: JQ at October 17, 2020 03:21 PM (whOIk)

66 JQ, put it all in a big pan, add some chopped onions, some peeled garlic, and a bit more salt than you think. Simmer for 45 minutes. Use an immersion blender. Eat some. If any remains, process according to Ball canning rules.

Posted by: Gordon at October 17, 2020 03:28 PM (fE9nD)

67 bought a sporterized 03A3 last week, but we can discuss that tomorrow.
Posted by: sock_rat_eez, we are being gaslighted 24/365 at October 17, 2020 02:34 PM (KGlll)
------
OK!

Posted by: Weasel at October 17, 2020 03:35 PM (MVjcR)

68 My Anaheim chiles are turning red, Poblanos ripening also.

I'm thinking of making salsa with them, just whatever I end up with after roasting/peeling and no other peppers added. Have been blanching/peeling and chopping/freezing tomatoes as they ripen. Now I think there's enough for a couple of batches although I'll have to purchase the onions...

Any advice or recipes to share?
Posted by: JQ

Food thread manana...
Wife does a killer fresh salsa, and her canned is almost as good.

Posted by: MarkY at October 17, 2020 03:51 PM (oIasP)

69 Will have to catch Food Thread later next week, too many obligations tomorrow.

Posted by: JQ at October 17, 2020 05:12 PM (whOIk)

70 JQ, the wife says I left off the cilantro, vinegar and lime juice.

Posted by: Gordon at October 17, 2020 08:28 PM (zgooi)

71 Thanks KT for this thread, I love the exchange of info. Late as always, worked today and tried to tend a bit to the garden as it gets dark so early.

Recently have got some results from my fall plantings, salad greens and peas, and of course the tomatoes are still producing. We had a light frost that ust nipped the top top of the tomatoes and I'm covering them so hope to keep them going for another week.

This is late for a hard frost here. It's usual average is 10/4 my birfday. We'll see how long I can keep this stuff alive, I like a challenge.

Tomorrow I'm going to pot the smallest spinach plant from the spring planting and a patch of the small salad greens and nurse them inside. Really like to add those to my salads.

Posted by: Farmer at October 17, 2020 10:59 PM (yMKLy)

72 From Idaho's Treasure Valley, Boise area: I was able to bookmark last week's Garden Thread, so I saw S.Lynn's photo of her harvest of the potato starts I gave her last year. Have to admit, I did not think to photograph any of my potato harvest, I only weighed it (25# fingerlings, 1# Purple Majesty from a few very piddly starts, did not weigh the Yukon Golds).

We were out of town last weekend (Coeur d'Alene), so I took a lot of notes on Tues. 13th after we got back. We did need to rake up and shred some linden and crabapple leaves - the various maples are being slow to turn color.

I cut down the green bean plants. We harvested all remaining cantaloupes, and I cut up and froze whatever was ripe or nearly so. We keep picking red raspberries, but these late season ones are for juicing, not eating. I picked more of our cherry tomato 'Indigo Blue Berries', which alas I would not recommend to you all. They were nicely productive, on vigorous plants, but the ripened color didn't live up to the hype, and the flavor wasn't anything special.

I picked and processed some last Romas - everything else is for the neighbors to glean, or for trash. As you saw, I harvested all the poblanos - 32 of them became frozen pre-made chiles rellenos, and the rest will be chopped up for our casserole recipe.

I also harvested all the Anaheims. The latter, when broiled/blistered, were very hard to peel the skin from - when I made rellenos from ones with the blistered skin still on, and we ate them, the texture was not good - we may not grow them next year. I have more peppers of both types to process, tomorrow night and Monday.

Husband burned the fall burn pile on Tues., as we had had rain enough to prevent stray embers for igniting nearby fields (it poured on Sat. in Coeur d'Alene). He's also turned off the irrigation (we'll get the blowout done in early Nov.), and this let him spray weeds without worrying about our irrigation system schedule.

We would normally have winterized our trailer at this point (puttering), but we have one more trip to do with it, so we turned the heat inside on Low one night this week, to keep the water tank from freezing. When we travel, of course, the heat will be on at night to keep *us* from freezing!

Remember that I'll be missing next week - though I hope, as before, to be able to bookmark the Garden Thread to read. And on Halloween, I'll likely post late in the evening.

Until then, dear friends, if you have any free cash, I suggest yet more prepping - buy extra of whatever you're most worried will have supply chain disruptions, or whatever you can least do without. I've been prepping... well, since even before I first heard about the Wuhan coronavirus - but even more so in these weeks leading up to the election. Stay safe, stay healthy, and stay prepared.

Posted by: Pat* at October 17, 2020 11:21 PM (2pX/F)

73 For those with frost fears, when a light frost is imminent, i throw patinters plastic over the plants and a couple of pocket heating pads under the plastic sheet. Light frost takes very little heat to deter, is you use the packets late in the evening, they last through the night. For a colder hard frost, you can use an extension cord and a treblelight or other light bulb source and the old style light bulb which puts a a lot more heat. Any type heat source can be tried, don't put the heat source near anything burnable, and water safe heat source is safer and best.

Posted by: ron n. at October 18, 2020 03:49 PM (om5HK)

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