Gardening, Puttering and Adventure Thread, Oct. 21

Alpine Loop (Utah) Annie Giles

Saturday Greetings! We're starting to get some hints of winter in some places. Any signs of winter in your yard, garden or neighborhood?

It's still getting hot here in the afternoons on some days, but nights are getting cold. Carrot-pulling season soon for some folks.

Edible Gardening/Putting Things By

$math 60 cantaloupes.jpg$

Cantaloupe season is about over here in the Central Valley of California, but when melons are stored longer, the risk of contamination grows.

When in doubt, throw it out. https://t.co/tsD1yE4Umz
— The Sacramento Bee (@sacbee_news) September 29, 2023

The recalled melons at risk of salmonella contamination are from Arizona. California grown cantaloupes are not part of this recall. California cantaloupe growers follow rigorous food safety practices, and they are inspected multiple times by third party auditors.

There have been melon recalls from several states and countries. Do you take precautions?

Have you seen sweet potato prices start to drop yet? Ever grown them? Know how to cure them?

California sweet potatoes are awesome! Most are grown in Merced County. #CAgrown https://t.co/JiW75r6mnb
— Westside Farmer 🦅 (@JoeDelBosque) September 28, 2023

Catalogs

Victory Garden Seeds just sent me an email with lots of good growing information about onions. It starts like this:

Selecting the right onion varieties is crucial, because different types are better suited to specific climates and regions. If you live in a northern area, long-day onion varieties are your best bet. These onions require a significant amount of daylight to form bulbs. In contrast, if you reside in a southern location, short-day onion varieties are more appropriate. These onions need less daylight to bulb, making them well-suited to southern growing conditions. Intermediate-day onions can thrive in regions with moderate day length.

There are other important things to know about growing onions.

Are you setting up for next year's garden choices yet?

Ah, Nature

We were relieved to hear from Neal in Israel yesterday (see the preceding thread). The last photos he sent us were from a visit to the USA, including butterflies from the Smithsonian Natural History butterfly room. Here are some of them.

Which do you recognize? Which is your favorite?

Puttering and Home Improvement

Costumery:

But why take chances when you could make your neighborhood safe with just a little puttering?

Having a roof re-done with a skeleton crew:

🌭🏎🌭🏎🌭🏎🌭🏎🌭🏎🌭🏎 pic.twitter.com/BC6IGYyyVq
— Janey Mack (@JaneyMackWriter) October 20, 2023

Adventure and Big Machines

Gardens of The Horde

From back in May, Independence Day decorations in the garden of Neal in Israel:

It's fall now. Anything going on in your garden?

Hope everyone has a nice weekend.

If you would like to send photos, stories, links, etc. for the Saturday Gardening, Puttering and Adventure Thread, the address is:

ktinthegarden at g mail dot com

Remember to include the nic or name by which you wish to be known at AoSHQ, or let us know if you want to remain a lurker.

Week in Review

What has changed since last week's thread? Gardening, Puttering and Adventure Thread, Oct. 14

Any thoughts or questions?

I closed the comments on this post so you wouldn't get banned for commenting on a week-old post, but don't try it anyway.

Posted by: K.T. at 03:23 PM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Gardeners and putterers have been called.

Posted by: Grumpy and Recalcitrant at October 21, 2023 01:25 PM (qPw5n)

2 That loop starts less than two miles from my house.

Posted by: Half Dozen at October 21, 2023 01:27 PM (eHovo)

3 Time musheen?

Posted by: Commissar of Plenty and Lysenko stuff in solidarity with the struggle to maintain Moron standards at October 21, 2023 01:29 PM (CZccC)

4 Half Dozen at October 21, 2023 01:27 PM

Spectacular! And fascinating when you get out near the water.

Posted by: KT at October 21, 2023 01:30 PM (rrtZS)

5 Good afternoon Greenthumbs
Still have peppers growing, 1 more batch of chili in them I think

Posted by: Skip at October 21, 2023 01:32 PM (fwDg9)

6 I made sauerkraut. I fermented peppers for hot sauce. I might be helping a lady with her own small orchard make apple juice.
I am far behind in making firewood this year.

this is the time of year I am startled, once again, by how vibrant and green my yard is. It probably isn't because of the wood ash or the bentonite clay I sprinkle on it, it is just because it started raining again.

Posted by: Kindltot at October 21, 2023 01:32 PM (xhaym)

7 Have F-1 live from Texas on, showing 89 degrees, think Corsicana isn't far from Circuit of America but not sure

Posted by: Skip at October 21, 2023 01:37 PM (fwDg9)

8 The clearing of my back property (started in late May) is now complete. What's next? We are plagued with gophers which are denying me a stable place to walk without fear of breaking an ankle. So, I've got a crew coming in next week. They will first grade the area so it drains toward the back, put down gopher wire (the heavy duty stuff). Then a border will encompass the area (18'x20'), that will then by filled with decomposed granite. I am told that will eventually harden into a sort of quasi pavement. I will then be able to enjoy my back property, install a grill, some furniture, some planter boxes, raised beds, etc. So, more of a landscaping job in preparation for next years plants.

Posted by: gourmand du jour at October 21, 2023 01:44 PM (MeG8a)

9 hiya

Posted by: JT at October 21, 2023 01:48 PM (T4tVD)

10 gourmand du jour at October 21, 2023 01:44 PM

What a project!

Posted by: KT at October 21, 2023 01:48 PM (rrtZS)

11 Carrot-pulling season soon for some folks.

Gettin' kinda personal aintcha ?

Posted by: JT at October 21, 2023 01:49 PM (T4tVD)

12 Windy out thar.

Posted by: JT at October 21, 2023 01:49 PM (T4tVD)

13 Maybe I'll compile some before/after pics and send them in, KT.

Posted by: gourmand du jour at October 21, 2023 01:53 PM (MeG8a)

14 That drill on the dugway looks nuts. Or maybe he's tied on. Can't tell.

Drill a bunch of holes, back way up, and shoot.

Posted by: Mr Gaga at October 21, 2023 01:56 PM (4ZE6o)

15 My puttering lately consists of trying to do no-knead dinner rolls, and I have yet to get them crusty on outside, and light and airy in.

Bread flour. Yeast. Water. Sugar.

Gonna try a small loaf, same ingredients, same no knead, but do first proof for 18 hours, 2 cups flour, etc., and do it in a small 2 qt. dutch oven. After first proof will stretch and fold 4 or 6 times.

Posted by: Mr Gaga at October 21, 2023 02:00 PM (4ZE6o)

16 I grew sweet potatoes last year. In my zone (6), they didn't grow quickly. I dug them up in October and had a couple of really big ones, but the rest were tiny.

Planted more this year, but I'm going to wait until it's frosted to dig them up. I'm afraid I won't have many again, as I planted them next to the shed, and in a smaller area, and the vines climbed instead of sending more roots down. Live and learn.

Posted by: Dash my lace wigs! at October 21, 2023 02:01 PM (OX9vb)

17 Substitute poster from the Boise, ID area again:

We've been having a bit of Indian summer: Highs to the upper 70s and even 80, giving us a bit of late season ripening. First frost is likely next week, which is late for our area.

Still getting and freezing red raspberries. Picking some more paste tomatoes for indoor ripening; slicers are nearly done. Even got one last batch of cherry tomatoes.

Processed most of those poblanos. Gave away a 5 gallon bucket full to our 4-H friends. There are still 10 big ones to be stuffed and frozen, stashed in the 'fridge until Pat* can attend to them. We may not even grow those next year, we got so many.

We will likely strike out on late season cantaloupe, meaning we'll have harvested *one* for the entire season, due to ill-timed heat spell. Butternut squash will be let go until hard frost, to ripen and harden off.

1/2

Posted by: Pat*'s Hubbie at October 21, 2023 02:01 PM (9vW5k)

18 FYI, CoTA (where the F1 race is) is about 200 miles south of Corsicana--but it's less than 40 miles from my house. It's 91 here so I'll bet it's plenty hot in the stands and on the track.

I loved the hot dog delivery device!

Posted by: Art Rondelet of Malmsey at October 21, 2023 02:05 PM (fTtFy)

19 We usually save our next year's garden planning for sometime in the winter, when the seed catalogs have arrived and we're getting a bit shack happy and need a reminder that spring will come again. But some things we have already learned/decided:

We tried various tomatoes in 20 gal cloth pots this year. Cherry tomatoes loved it, slicers and Roma-types not so much. So reprise the former, and give the extra pots to cucumbers, which struggled this year - we got *one* edible one and two stragglers that have yet to be tried.

Peppers will probably get a skip, and we may get enough squash to skip them as well, leaving some room for experimentation TBD, or to fill up on beans or 'maters for preserving.

We got the first good crops from our new orchard, of pears, peaches and Golden Del apples. This year we improvised what to do with them, next time a better plan in advance. (And see how our experimental batch of raz-perry turns out.)

2/2

Posted by: Pat*'s Hubbie at October 21, 2023 02:08 PM (9vW5k)

20 Mmmmm... them some nice melons.
So round and firm.
Just the way we like them...

Posted by: Mister Ghost at October 21, 2023 02:10 PM (TGPs7)

21 Going adventuring in California next weekend. Hitting Disney Land (my wife likes Disney). Son and I are taking the mountain bikes to do a couple of rides on the way back as we head through the Lake Tahoe area. Any mountain bikers that want to suggest some rides would be appreciated.

Posted by: Lemmiwinks at October 21, 2023 02:10 PM (R8Jig)

22 Lemmiwinks, I don't know if this qualifies as mountain biking but there is a nice paved bike trail that goes from Tahoe City over to Squaw Valley.
Follows the Truckee river in many places. You can take it all the way to Truckee if you like. For off road, the Tahoe rim trail may allow bikes in places. You will probably encounter some bears up there.

Posted by: gourmand du jour at October 21, 2023 02:18 PM (MeG8a)

23 Going adventuring in California next weekend. Hitting Disney Land (my wife likes Disney). Son and I are taking the mountain bikes to do a couple of rides on the way back as we head through the Lake Tahoe area. Any mountain bikers that want to suggest some rides would be appreciated.

Posted by: Lemmiwinks at October 21, 2023 02:10 PM (R8Jig)

Ride around Washoe Lake. Is it still there?

Posted by: OrangeEnt at October 21, 2023 02:30 PM (Angsy)

24 Lost a lot of pine trees this year. Probably due to stress from drought a couple years ago, also some beetle kill. The
Spruce a Fir all died. Lots of dead Elm trees (no big deal). Will cost over 5k to have the dead mess cleaned up. It's always something.

Posted by: Ronster at October 21, 2023 02:31 PM (Eitak)

25 I think some of those butterflies might be foreigners.

Posted by: KT at October 21, 2023 02:40 PM (rrtZS)

26 That excavator on a mountain pic is incredible. IMO, someone took a dramatic roadway excavation photo and then rotated it clockwise about 30 or 40 degrees to make it look even more dangerous. Very dramatic.

Posted by: Crashex at October 21, 2023 02:44 PM (rCpWx)

27 I have half pines on my ground, many these last 5 years are seeing them die.

Posted by: Skip at October 21, 2023 02:45 PM (fwDg9)

28 Love the Utah mountains.

Mexican Hat rock is a fun place to visit.

https://tinyurl.com/5n73usx

Posted by: Maj. Healey at October 21, 2023 02:46 PM (l10hq)

29 >>23 Going adventuring in California next weekend. Hitting Disney Land (my wife likes Disney). Son and I are taking the mountain bikes to do a couple of rides on the way back as we head through the Lake Tahoe area. Any mountain bikers that want to suggest some rides would be appreciated.

Posted by: Lemmiwinks

Keep the family well fed while traversing Donner Pass.

Posted by: Maj. Healey at October 21, 2023 02:48 PM (l10hq)

30 Our local hummingbirds were last seen on Oct 12, but we had a migrant pass through on the 15th. None seen since then, but I'm keeping the feeders up for stragglers.

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at October 21, 2023 02:49 PM (Mzdiz)

31 I'm slowly getting around to mowing down sunflowers and Colorado Bee weeds now that they are done. I'm hoping the mowing may help the Bee weeds.

Posted by: PaleRider at October 21, 2023 02:51 PM (3cGpq)

32 Enjoying the last few days of shorts weather. Leaves are starting to turn on some of the ground hugging plants. Swatted what I hope was the last mosquito of the year last night. It's nice to live in a place with all four seasons again.

Posted by: Blanco Basura - Z28.310 at October 21, 2023 02:51 PM (Bd6X8)

33 Come on. That track hoe has got to be shopped

Posted by: Redenzo at October 21, 2023 02:52 PM (V/pbu)

34 There are several YT videos about growing various kinds of beans from grocery store bags of beans. Looks interesting to try. Some are getting good results as long as they separate out the obviously dead ones before planting. It would certainly be cheaper than ordering seed packets and if you aren't using hybrid types.

Posted by: JTB at October 21, 2023 02:53 PM (7EjX1)

35 There were some good seed sales a few months back, and I bought a lot for next year. I still have to organize them, because some will be sown this fall (some perennials and seeds that need a cold spell).

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at October 21, 2023 02:54 PM (Mzdiz)

36 Oh, I have a butterfly question. We've got swallowtail caterpillars on the dill. Will they have a chance to make it to next year?

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at October 21, 2023 02:55 PM (Mzdiz)

37 Swatted what I hope was the last mosquito of the year last night.

Look forward to cooler SoCal weather, doggone tiny flies from produce fed to pet bird. Can't use poison due to same, rubbing alcohol in sprayer barely fazes them.

Posted by: Commissar of Plenty and Lysenko stuff in solidarity with the struggle to maintain Moron standards at October 21, 2023 02:55 PM (CZccC)

38 60 melons.

What kind of melons.

Posted by: Is important. at October 21, 2023 02:56 PM (KFhLj)

39 forty-second!

Posted by: deep thought at October 21, 2023 03:02 PM (edU/H)

40 Now that the new garden is laid out, I hope we'll get things planted in good time next year. The pumpkin-types didn't have enough time to get going.

I'm going to have to stay on top of the tomato seedlings, though, Too many got multiple heads and I didn't get the yield I was hoping for. I'd been collecting them and cutting them into pieces (to discard the bad spots) and freezing them until I could can some marinara sauce. Publius and I did that this past week.

So instead of placing them in bins where you can't see what they're up to since they're too close together, I'll have to check them every other day or so.

Also getting a grow light for the metro shelving. I love my porch but it obviously cuts down on sunlight coming through the windows.

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at October 21, 2023 03:03 PM (Mzdiz)

41 The mention in the post about the melon recall could change our gardening plans and produce buying. Seems I hear about produce recalls more often these days concerning bagged leafy greens and store bought herbs as well as other things. We can grow salad stuff and herbs even in our little garden and cherry tomatoes. And we should use the local farmers market for things like melons, peaches and berries from vendors we know are local and the produce is fresh from the vine.

Posted by: JTB at October 21, 2023 03:04 PM (7EjX1)

42 Tomatoes are basically done, rotting before they ripen, but...peppers are still flowering and producing.
LOTS of people posting "What is this Bug" on next door, LanternFlies, some major hatches of hundreds. They sort of look like they are wearing Palestinian "fishnet" keffiyah,(if you squint a bit)
NW Ohio, on the mich line

Posted by: birddog at October 21, 2023 03:05 PM (1E8/t)

43 Love the cartoon. Last weekend someone in the neighbrood had a 'pop-up farmers market' So I went to check it out. I did buy a jar of local honey. I guess the organizer had a bit of produce, which I never even saw as it was tucked behind the kiddie bouncy castle. It was just small pop up canopy vendors of random stuff. But it was just down the street, free admission and I did get the local honey so was ok.

Posted by: PaleRider at October 21, 2023 03:07 PM (3cGpq)

44 There are several YT videos about growing various kinds of beans from grocery store bags of beans. Looks interesting to try. Some are getting good results as long as they separate out the obviously dead ones before planting. It would certainly be cheaper than ordering seed packets and if you aren't using hybrid types.
Posted by: JTB at October 21, 2023 02:53 PM (7EjX1)

I have mentioned this a dozen times, but I spread old seed packets and Roma beans on my garden plot after I dug my potatoes. Romas are a shell bean but I planted them because I had them because I bought them on a whim in the store, and I wanted a nitrogen fixer with my cover crop. I have been eating the flat green beans off and on and they are nice tasting.
I have also planted black beans and kidney beans because I couldn't find green beans when I wanted to plant one spring.

Last fall I planted garlic and only got about 10 plants in the ground. I replanted some of the bulbs this year, as well as the "seeds" from the flower heads. I also got some soft neck garlic to plant in the beds as well.

Posted by: Kindltot at October 21, 2023 03:08 PM (xhaym)

45 flat green bean pods, I guess is better said.

Anyone have any comments on spreading charcoal in the garden?

Posted by: Kindltot at October 21, 2023 03:11 PM (xhaym)

46 "Oh, I have a butterfly question. We've got swallowtail caterpillars on the dill. Will they have a chance to make it to next year?"
Yep...I have sweet fennel just for them. It gets several pretty large crops of caterpillars, 10-20 at a time, but they all seem to disappear at once, not a large number of butterflies, but over 4 years it has gone from One now and then to several nearly daily.
I have never been able to find a pupa though, I think they move off the plant to pupate.

I really like the caterpillars, not only because they are bright striped, but the "Touch them and they sprout red devil horns" factor is cool to show people, particularly kids

Posted by: birddog at October 21, 2023 03:13 PM (1E8/t)

47 No frost hete but couple tomatoes still have green ones on them

Posted by: Skip at October 21, 2023 03:14 PM (fwDg9)

48 shelving

Every thread comes down to boobs or shelving.

Posted by: Commissar of Plenty and Lysenko stuff in solidarity with the struggle to maintain Moron standards at October 21, 2023 03:14 PM (CZccC)

49 Anyone have any comments on spreading charcoal in the garden?

Don't do it immediately after grilling.

Posted by: Blanco Basura - Z28.310 at October 21, 2023 03:15 PM (Bd6X8)

50 We have about half a row of black beans that refuse to dry up so we can harvest them. My wife has two full mason jars of the dried beans from earlier, but these guys... they just wont die.

The tomatoes are still producing as are the peppers, but the quality has gone down. Did get an armful of Roma's the other day and they're going into lasagna later in the week.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at October 21, 2023 03:16 PM (Q4IgG)

51 I have never been able to find a pupa though, I think they move off the plant to pupate.

I really like the caterpillars, not only because they are bright striped, but the "Touch them and they sprout red devil horns" factor is cool to show people, particularly kids

Posted by: birddog at October 21, 2023 03:13 PM (1E8/t)

I wonder where they go. They'd have to crawl out of the raised bed, which is about 25 feet from the woods here.

I didn't know about the red devil horns!

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at October 21, 2023 03:19 PM (Mzdiz)

52 Planted more this year, but I'm going to wait until it's frosted to dig them up. I'm afraid I won't have many again, as I planted them next to the shed, and in a smaller area, and the vines climbed instead of sending more roots down. Live and learn.
Posted by: Dash my lace wigs!

We waited until after frost last year on ours and had some so big that one fed an entire Sunday dinner with guests... over 10#.
Hardeing is just letting them dry in warm conditions outside of sun. Do NOT wash. Store. We have wire racks in a root cellar (type room).
We swore we would harvest earlier this year, but are slated for next weekend. Heh

Posted by: MkY at October 21, 2023 03:21 PM (cPGH3)

53 Carrot pulling season? I just planted my seeds. I won’t start harvesting carrots until March or April. Likewise for cauliflower and broccoli.

Posted by: Advo at October 21, 2023 03:24 PM (VHN21)

54 So we've escalated from deep-fried bacon to deep-fried ghost pepper beef jerky. Oh the humanity!

Posted by: Eromero at October 21, 2023 03:24 PM (ZLJsX)

55 We're getting serious about making some gallons of creamed honey. I submitted it to CBD on the food thread, but its gardening... kinda. We did NOT use the buckwheat honey, which has a distinct and interesting flavor.

Posted by: MkY at October 21, 2023 03:27 PM (cPGH3)

56 Someone asked about Washoe Lake earlier in the thread. With the winter we had this winter it is fulll

Posted by: Carol at October 21, 2023 03:29 PM (eOvjG)

57 Weather

Posted by: Carol at October 21, 2023 03:31 PM (eOvjG)

58 Already had one night hit 32. I put frost covers over the roses in containers. Need to get those protected better

Posted by: Notsothoreau at October 21, 2023 03:33 PM (cLWyk)

59 We had a cool spell when we stopped seeing egrets and cranes coming through, but it is heating up a little again, and they are back in their favorite apartment complex in town.

Posted by: KT at October 21, 2023 03:34 PM (rrtZS)

60 Some of the longwing butterflies above probably live in Florida and/or Texas, but I don't know if all of them do.

I don't recognize the yellow striped one.

Posted by: KT at October 21, 2023 03:37 PM (rrtZS)

61 JTB at October 21, 2023 03:04 PM

"Organic" is not necessarily an advantage with regard to food contamination, since manure is a big source of such contamination.

Posted by: KT at October 21, 2023 03:38 PM (rrtZS)

62 One of the most famous cases of deadly food contamination was organic sprouts in Germany.

Posted by: KT at October 21, 2023 03:39 PM (rrtZS)

63 For seeds, we’ve had very good results with Territorial seeds. They’re in the pacific northwest, so sometimes we have to explain that south Texas is in a very different growing season, but they have a good selection and excellent germination rates.

Posted by: Advo at October 21, 2023 03:42 PM (VHN21)

64 Cooling off out thar.

With a YUGE assist from the wind.

Posted by: JT at October 21, 2023 03:43 PM (T4tVD)

65 gourmand du jour at October 21, 2023 01:53 PM

That would be great!

Posted by: KT at October 21, 2023 03:43 PM (rrtZS)

66 The Bitter is Better mix is doing well in the hydroponic setup. Have been making side salads from it. I think I'll see how long I can harvest from it.

Posted by: Notsothoreau at October 21, 2023 03:44 PM (cLWyk)

67 Quick question.
Does anyone grow parsnips successfully?
We can't seem to. Too hot (KCMo)?

Posted by: MkY at October 21, 2023 03:44 PM (cPGH3)

68 What I know about growing onions: If one has a few volunteer onions growing in the back of the back yard, and ChemLawn comes in and sprays, one gets 3 foot tall onion stalks. God help you if you break one off! The smell will make you run away.

Posted by: Gordon at October 21, 2023 03:45 PM (kYiXt)

69 Pat*'s Hubbie at October 21, 2023 02:08 PM

Thanks for the details.

Posted by: KT at October 21, 2023 03:46 PM (rrtZS)

70 The details from Victory on onions are really quite good, if anyone has plans. Fall planting is in order in some climates.

Posted by: KT at October 21, 2023 03:47 PM (rrtZS)

71 The only time I grew parsnips, I started with the top of a store bought one that had sprouted. It grew about three feet tall and produced a lot of seeds. Per Steve Solomon, parsnip seed needs to be fresh, year old at the most. But you might give it a try.

Posted by: Notsothoreau at October 21, 2023 04:28 PM (cLWyk)

72 MkY at October 21, 2023 03:44 PM

I think parsnips are one of those crops that generally do best in a cooler climate, but they need a longer season than most cool-season crops, so need to be planted earlier than most crops that mature in cool weather.

They may be one that you would check with your extension agency about.

Posted by: KT at October 21, 2023 04:38 PM (rrtZS)

73 Looks like there won't be any frost here before November. That's always good.

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at October 21, 2023 05:12 PM (Mzdiz)

74 Quick question.
Does anyone grow parsnips successfully?
We can't seem to. Too hot (KCMo)?
Posted by: MkY at October 21, 2023 03:44 PM (cPGH3)

Steve solomon also suggested planting parsnips as a fall crop, his concern in Oregon were the nematodes or some such pest, but I think they also get sweeter when they get chiilled as they mature.
My experience is they don't do well once the weather gets hot.

Posted by: Kindltot at October 21, 2023 05:19 PM (xhaym)

75 Prayers up for Neal in Israel and all those in that blessed country.

Posted by: Mrs Leggy at October 21, 2023 06:18 PM (Vf4Y7)

76 I still have lettuce coming up - and am starting to prepare to put hardneck garlic in - elephant and german red. A new attempt for me.

Getting blackberries still - a few tomatoes - peppers still coming. A frost threat tonight. Herbs are still nice - used some chives and italian parsley that still tasted great.

Just need to get my tiller fixed quickly.

Posted by: Black JEM at October 22, 2023 03:49 PM (UVyKP)

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