Gardening, Puttering and Adventure Thread, Nov. 4

Cold yet where you are? I've seen a brave Painted Lady Butterfly, and had a horde of starlings in the front yard. Seemed like the movie. A little too close to Halloween . . . .

Edible Gardening/Putting Things By

From By-Tor:

Got these Lucy Glo apples for a pie because they were big and firm.
Turns out they are bright red inside.
Came out great!

Never heard of them. They look fun. I've had crabapples and small apples streaked heavily with red, but not big ones like that! The ones I've had were for fresh eating, and they were good.

Wonder which climates the Lucy Glo trees like?

Anybody growing apples for pie? Making pie from fruit you grew?

Things people grow for us

Banana Cableway

Banana cableways are an important logistic component in plantations: how they are powered is actually an open choice.pic.twitter.com/QTfgKmkAwz
— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) November 3, 2023

Nature

Weird, left-over Halloween thoughts about a root parasite, triggering stream-of-consciousness foray into details about relatives of the host plant:

Last week we featured carnivorous plants. This week we have a root parasite:

The bizarre floral appearance of Hydnora africana seems almost extraterrestrial, but in fact it is finely adapted for pollination in its arid habitat. This plant, resident of southern Africa only emerges from the soil to flower. After the fleshy petals open, the flower begins to emit an odor of rotting meat to attract its pollinators, carrion flies and beetles.

The unusual underground habit and lack of leaves may be explained by its mode of nutrition. Hydnora africana is a root holoparasite. Thus it has no need for sunlight to generate sugars, it has no chlorophyll and attains all nutrients and water from the roots of its shrubby host plant (in the background) Euphorbia mauritanica.

Here are some notes on the host plant of the parasitic plant above, from Africa:

Euphorbia mauritanica L. var. mauritanica

Family: Euphorbiaceae

Common names: yellow milk bush, golden spurge (Eng.), geelmelkbos, beesmelkbos, gifmelkbos, kaalmelkbos, kleinmelkbos (Afr.)

A tall succulent shrub with bright yellow flowers eminently suitable for a rock garden.
Description
Euphorbia mauritanica is a monoecious, spineless, much-branched succulent shrub, about 1.5 m high, with branches arising from a thick root stock. Branches are yellowish green, pencil-thin, cylindrical and smooth, with alternate leaf scars. This plant produces yellow cyathia (the term used for the inflorescence of euphorbias) that are in a compact group at the end of each young branch. The flowering period is in spring, between August and October. When the plant is injured, it produces milky sap at the cut.

Derivation of name and historical aspects
The species name pertains to the Mauri tribe (after which the Moors were named) of the ancient country of Mauretania in North Africa. Dillenius in 1732 originally described the plant as Tithymallus aphyllis mauritaniae, the 'leafless Tithymallus from Mauritania '. When Linnaeus adopted this name he had little idea how inappropriate this name would be.
Ecology
Johan Booyeens photographed ants, bees, wasps and flies visiting a flowering specimen of this plant over a three hour period in at Kirstenbosch. He suggests that possibly because it is a generalist as regards pollination, this aids its success as a pioneer plant as it reproduces easily. It is also known to be fast growing.
This euphorbia is sometimes the host plant for Hydnora africana the parasitic plant commonly known as jakkalskos (jackal's food).

Jackal's food. Wonder if coyotes would like it? Here's the host plant growing in the USA, probably somewhere near or in San Francisco.

Notes from the San Francisco Bay Area:

Euphorbia mauritanica "Pencil Milkbush"

Grows quickly to about 2-3' tall and 4-6' wide with the best, densest habit occurring in full Sun. A true Winter bloomer, producing small, bright yellow flowers in clusters up to 1" across at the tip of each branch for a vibrant display during the dreariest of months. Needs little to no maintenance beyond occasional water. Provide good drainage and protect from frost.

So, it blooms in winter in some climates, I guess. Tall and skinny.

There are a lot of other euphorbias that are grown in the garden or as houseplants, including poinsettias and a wide variety of other plants from small annuals to tall trees. Some are often mistaken for cactus. Some are weeds. You might recognize Spotted Spurge from your lawn or sidewalk.

Animals generally don't like to eat euphorbias, which are poisonous, but keep the sap out of their eyes and your eyes. With some species, you may want to wear eye protection while working around the plants and wear gloves and/or wash your hands afterward. Some species are much more irritant than others. Spotted spurge (and maybe some close relatives) is a mild irritant, but gives some people a rash. Again, wash your hands before touching your eyes after working with it or other euphorbias.

Euphorbias are among the host plants for caterpillars of the Giant Leopard Moth. Other hosts include broccoli flowers and bitter, unripe vegetables.

The caterpillars look a lot like "wooly bear" caterpillars. "Though the caterpillars resemble woolly worms because of their hairy appearance, they are not harmful like the latter."

Be careful about touching hairy caterpillars. Even with types that are "not harmful", wash your hands before touching your eyes.

This Giant Leopard Caterpillar is rolled into a defensive position. They overwinter as caterpillars, and you may see them walking around, looking for a place to spend the winter, in the fall.

Back to Euphorbias:

Etymology
The common name "spurge" derives from the Middle English/Old French espurge ("to purge"), due to the use of the plant's sap as a purgative. The botanical name Euphorbia derives from Euphorbos, the Greek physician of King Juba II of Numidia and Mauretania (52-50 BC - 23 AD), who married the daughter of Anthony and Cleopatra.[12] Juba was a prolific writer on various subjects, including natural history. Euphorbos wrote that one of the cactus-like euphorbias (now called Euphorbia obtusifolia ssp. regis-jubae) was used as a powerful laxative.[12]
In 12 BC, Juba named this plant after his physician Euphorbos, as Augustus Caesar had dedicated a statue to the brother of Euphorbos, Antonius Musa, who was the personal physician of Augustus.[12] In 1753, botanist and taxonomist Carl Linnaeus assigned the name Euphorbia to the entire genus in the physician's honor.

This video from North Carolina State University and Longwood Gardens includes lots of interesting information on a wide variety of euphorbias.

You can't say they're all the same!

NCSU also has much more detailed plant profiles for individual species, with growing tips and such.

Do you grow any euphorbias, either accidentally or on purpose?

More Nature

In the forests of South America, there are dragons

This is a baby dragon mantis (Stenophylla sp)pic.twitter.com/jsU9kxoNa7
— Science girl (@gunsnrosesgirl3) November 3, 2023

"Meh" - Florida https://t.co/K5EvY7ZlAY
— NiedermeyersDeadHorse aka NDH (@NiedsG) November 4, 2023

life lessons from the garden

There are life lessons for all of us in this. pic.twitter.com/TyqEmZdNqC
— Katharine Birbalsingh (@Miss_Snuffy) November 2, 2023

A thread full of interesting information and photos of big trees

A woman admires the enormous size of a Sequoia tree in the 1950s. Giant Sequoias are a type of redwood that grows in the high-altitude Sierra Nevada mountains of California. While many of them can grow to be as massive as the one shown in the photo, in this particular case, it� pic.twitter.com/d8Y22sYuZI
— Historic Vids (@historyinmemes) November 2, 2023

Puttering and Adventure

From Rodent:

Sorry I missed for this weeks garden thread. Although not gardening, the fall foliage photos at the link (I've attached a couple of them) from my current state of New Hampshire and home state of Vermont came up in my social media feed from the Photographers of New England group.
They were posted by Riad Morshed Rezaul with a caption of "I live in Montana. This is my first visit to Vermont and New Hampshire. October 14-15, 2023."
Thanks for the wonderful content. Always nice to take a break from the ever present and exhausting politics, war, and other bad things in the world.

Lovely photos:

Gardens of The Horde

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. 28

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 01:25 PM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 I’m having a Salad. That counts, right? It’s kinda like gardening.

Posted by: Common Tater at November 04, 2023 01:32 PM (Q+P0Y)

2 Fall in my town is sort of a letdown. It's about 95% oak trees everywhere, so it goes dull red for 10 minutes, then gray. As for my yard, my trees are cherry blossoms and crepe myrtle, so the flowers just fall off. I get some dull yellow, at least, but most leaves come down when they're still partly green anyway.

The upshot is, I live 1-2 hours from temperate, deciduous rainforest as far as the eye can see, so I'm a day trip away from some of the best autumn vistas in the New World. We go for my wife's birthday. This year we did Tail of The Dragon and Cherohala Skyway. Last year was Blue Ridge Parkway. I don't know which is better, honestly. Both are just amazing. But there are more. This is one of the leaf capitals of the world.

Posted by: Brandon at November 04, 2023 01:36 PM (0FoWg)

3 Good afternoon Greenthumbs
Hopefully my remaining hot peppers survived a light frost, maybe gather them in soon to let ripen as they will picked

Posted by: Skip at November 04, 2023 01:37 PM (vMQVJ)

4 Off, decrepit old molester & President sock

Posted by: Yudhishthira's Dice at November 04, 2023 01:38 PM (0FoWg)

5 I hope you peppers survived, too, Skip.

We're doing garden clean-up. Lots of goathead stickers. Blech.

Posted by: KT at November 04, 2023 01:40 PM (rrtZS)

6 A lot of unusual military jet traffic last hour or so. Anyone else? We usually only see this a few times a year with a flyover for football.

Posted by: nckate at November 04, 2023 01:45 PM (SnxUt)

7 nckate at November 04, 2023 01:45 PM

2 weeks ago for us

Posted by: KT at November 04, 2023 01:48 PM (rrtZS)

8 I've never seen that variety of apple. Beautiful!

Posted by: Tom Servo at November 04, 2023 01:49 PM (S6gqv)

9 I put in a paver sidewalk last winter, and bedded it in with crushed gravel. It was not level so I decided to let it settle for the summer and reset it.
I leveled it out a bit with extra rock, and then decided to fix the pavers in place by sweeping sand into the gaps between them.
I found that sand in a bag was around six dollars, and then I discovered that crushed limestone for barn floors was about 4 dollars for the same weight. So I bought one of each and mixed them and swept them into the cracks between the pavers.
with luck it will dissolve a bit of the limestone to cement the sand. And if not, then it still made the pavers a bit brighter. The rain is showing me that the limestone is making the bricks more waterproof than the sand alone would have.

Posted by: Kindltot at November 04, 2023 01:54 PM (xhaym)

10 Greetings! Some lovely contributions today, thank you.
On my personal landscaping project, the ground has been made level, and to drain away from the house. Border is complete and the gopher wire is installed. All that remains is to take delivery of the decomposed granite product, distribute it evenly and smooth it all out. Once that is done, all future plants will be in either boxes or pots. It's been quite a journey, as I started this project back in late May of this year.

Posted by: gourmand du jour at November 04, 2023 01:58 PM (MeG8a)

11 Anyone who goes through the Southern San Joaquin (Visalia, Bakersfield) should plan on going to Sequoia NP and the Big Tree area (stumps left when logging was attempted in the 1800s. Logging failed because when the Giant Sequoia's fell they fracture so were not good for lumber.). You can stand on the stumps and be *amazed* at the size 15 and 20 ft off the ground.

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at November 04, 2023 02:00 PM (/d595)

12 I think I'll paint my old truck in Leopard Moth format.

Posted by: Eromero at November 04, 2023 02:03 PM (o2ZRX)

13 I leveled it out a bit with extra rock, and then decided to fix the pavers in place by sweeping sand into the gaps between them.
I found that sand in a bag was around six dollars, and then I discovered that crushed limestone for barn floors was about 4 dollars for the same weight. So I bought one of each and mixed them and swept them into the cracks between the pavers.
Posted by: Kindltot

Good idea.
I rebedded a flagstone patio with decomposed granite under and between the flagstone. Now the critters either move the DG to check for bugs or dig burrows under the flagstone.
I'll check and see if crushed limestone is available around here.

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at November 04, 2023 02:03 PM (/d595)

14 Red apples inside and out seem other worldly

Posted by: vmom stabby stabby stabby stabby stabamillion at November 04, 2023 02:04 PM (vHIgi)

15 Yeah in my city it's that time of year where it's 40 degrees out, but somehow still humid, so you're both cold, and also sweaty.

Posted by: Rbastid at November 04, 2023 02:08 PM (J1gxW)

16 Love the big trees.

There's a little hike in the Mt Rainier National Park named Grove of the Patriarchs. It took until just a couple years ago for our annual group to reach all the way around one of the cedar trees. The kids finally got big enough for the eleven of us to reach hand to hand around the trunk.

Posted by: nurse ratched, otter 841 has a BABY! at November 04, 2023 02:08 PM (1JnfY)

17 vmom, do you think those apples came from a tree in Eden?

Posted by: Eromero at November 04, 2023 02:08 PM (o2ZRX)

18 Yup, that's fall out here among the cows & corn! Lovely!

Garden is pretty much kaput, everything but the kale (no Brussels sprouts this year) has been pulled out & piled up; yesterday Mrs Eez planted the garlic for next year, today I will cover everything up with hay.

Love those apples up top, and I marvel at someone who has one of those apple-machines that seems to work! What kind ?

I think it was about 2 weeks ago that I saw the last hardy Monarch butterfly. We had an amazing huge moth visiting the garden every night in the summer but it moved so fast we never could get a decent picture. Can't remember the name of it.

Well, a happy weekend to all! Chores await!

Posted by: sock_rat_eez - these lying bastardi e stronzi have been lying for decades at November 04, 2023 02:08 PM (hXr4C)

19 17 vmom, do you think those apples came from a tree in Eden?
Posted by: Eromero

Or from an evil question ueen's basket

Posted by: vmom stabby stabby stabby stabby stabamillion at November 04, 2023 02:10 PM (vHIgi)

20 the crushed limestone is sold for stalls, it improves footing on slick concrete, and is supposed to keep the gutters sweet.
They use if for liming fields, too, since it cuts the acidity of the soil. The grass seed fields here tend to use a slaked lime, instead, since it works faster. It costs more, though, and the whole point was that I wanted to save a buck or two.

If you mix slaked lime with sand it makes mortar. It will also turn your hydrangea flowers pink.

Posted by: Kindltot at November 04, 2023 02:11 PM (xhaym)

21 Aaaaaand after seeing that spider I'll be buying a blow torch, or surrounding my house in a tent.....or moving to the sun.

Posted by: Rbastid at November 04, 2023 02:11 PM (J1gxW)

22 Or from an evil question ueen's basket
Posted by: vmom stabby stabby stabby stabby stabamillion at November 04, 2023 02:10 PM (vHIgi)

One of the locally developed apples is the Airle Red, which is a "found" apple that has pink or red flesh. It was a sport from an orchard found in Airlie Oregon, north from Corvallis.

Posted by: Kindltot at November 04, 2023 02:13 PM (xhaym)

23
Love those apples up top, and I marvel at someone who has one of those apple-machines that seems to work! What kind ?

Posted by: sock_rat_eez

"Apple Peeler Corer", we've had one *forever* and when people see us using it they are completely in awe.
Great for making pies or slicing for caramel dipping!

Posted by: AZ deplorable moron at November 04, 2023 02:16 PM (/d595)

24 I guess this falls under adventure and there's also some nice fireworks. Aerial hijinx.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ch7Bq1deLy4

Posted by: Anonosaurus Wrecks, Now With Pumpkin Spice! at November 04, 2023 02:17 PM (FVME7)

25 My ‘hood looks like the one in the top pic. Houses built early1900s with old big leafy trees that turn into magnificent reds, yellows and oranges in Sept/Oct. Then by late Oct into Nov about 17 metric tons of leaves are on the ground.

Posted by: Montec at November 04, 2023 02:19 PM (3/3Mz)

26 evil question ueen's

***

Thank you, autocorrect
I forgot that no queens are evil
Lol

Posted by: vmom stabby stabby stabby stabby stabamillion at November 04, 2023 02:19 PM (vHIgi)

27 "Apple Peeler Corer", we've had one *forever* and when people see us using it they are completely in awe.
Great for making pies or slicing for caramel dipping!
Posted by: AZ deplorable moron

This is a tool that Grandma has no trouble finding kid help for. Everyone wants to peel (and core) the next.

Posted by: MkY at November 04, 2023 02:21 PM (cPGH3)

28 We had 20 degrees last week, so only the tented lettuce and beets are growing. Pulled the landscape fabric today.
We did get all the stuff we wanted out. I don't know how to count the sweet potatoes... 20 gallons or so?
Wife is using last year's to make some pies. Gots to make room.
Tomatoes are ripening awfully fast in the basement. May or may not have any for Thanksgiving.

Posted by: MkY at November 04, 2023 02:25 PM (cPGH3)

29 Sending prayers up for Neal in Israel. I know he checked in a while back but I'm sure life must be extremely stressful for him. I love his flower pictures.

Posted by: Mrs. Leggy at November 04, 2023 02:26 PM (Vf4Y7)

30 Nice fall pics. I'm surrounded by evergreens, so the only color change is white when it snows.

Posted by: Blanco Basura - Z28.310 at November 04, 2023 02:27 PM (Bd6X8)

31 Mrs. Leggy at November 04, 2023 02:26 PM

Second that. Prayers for Neal and his family.

Posted by: KT at November 04, 2023 02:27 PM (rrtZS)

32 We're making notes on how to do things differently next year. First year for garden fabric (we're gonna use more) and first year for drip tape irrigation. We're gonna use more of it, too. May use emitters for the viners... (cucurbits and sweet tates).
We're also taking 1/3 out of production, and planting cover crops. We'll rotate that 1/3.

Posted by: MkY at November 04, 2023 02:28 PM (cPGH3)

33 Just yanked out my potatoes and put the bed in order for winter. Piddly little crop this year, but i was experimenting with doing a deep bury and minimal mounding. It worked, but not nearly as well as just doing it properly.

Posted by: Warai-otoko at November 04, 2023 02:31 PM (9UlRk)

34 So much good stuff here to digest. Thank you, K.T.!
The euphorbia video was fascinating. I think I've got weeds that belong to that group, but it was interesting to see so many things that looked like cactus plants (not gonna attempt to pluralize that) that weren't. Weird.
This is such an enjoyable thread, thank you for all of the work that you put into it. (Every week)

Posted by: Appycay at November 04, 2023 02:33 PM (EdYR/)

35 What prevents onions from making a big bulb. It was discussed on one of the garden threads. I can't remember the reasons.

Posted by: Ronster at November 04, 2023 02:35 PM (oTrbT)

36 Howdy green thumbs. Yesterday I burned some weeds along with paper trash, just tidying a bit near the burn barrel. A couple of weeks ago before it snowed I got the wildflowers and weeds mowed in the horse pens. I actually collected some seeds from the Navajo spinach flowers and spread them in the pen that had hardly any this year. I like those purple flowers, read online that the seeds should be spread in the fall, they need the cold and thaw cycles. So maybe leaving them standing previous falls was reducing the amount of germination.

Posted by: PaleRider at November 04, 2023 02:43 PM (3cGpq)

37 What prevents onions from making a big bulb. It was discussed on one of the garden threads. I can't remember the reasons.
Posted by: Ronster at November 04, 2023 02:35 PM (oTrbT)

I think it is a combination between the right onion for your area, the right time of year since they bulb according to day length, and the right watering.
I got my first onion that bulbed this hear but I think I planted it as a sprouting bulb last fall when I planted my garlic

Posted by: Kindltot at November 04, 2023 02:50 PM (xhaym)

38 The local stone here is limestone. They used to quarry it for fence posts.

There are a few Seqoias in Clark and Skamania county, WA state. They slso have some up at the old arboreteum above Carson WA.

Posted by: Notsothoreau at November 04, 2023 02:51 PM (cLWyk)

39 Three nights in the low-mid 20's earlier in the week killed off everything in the garden. We did scavenge some Roma tomatoes though.

The Basil is brown but the Rosemary, Sage and Chives didn't seem to mind the freezing temps.

The front end loader goes on the tractor soon so we can clean out everything and prep the garden plot for winter.

Posted by: Martini Farmer at November 04, 2023 02:52 PM (Q4IgG)

40 East Tennessee reporting in. We've been having a drought for about a month and a half with one brief rain a week ago. Everything in my garden boxes is dead and was finished off by two hard freezes this week. I will have to find out what to do about my dead eggplant and my dead canna Lily

Posted by: Beverly at November 04, 2023 02:54 PM (Epeb0)

41 We got our first frost in the early morning hours of November 2. I went out to the raised beds with a flashlight to harvest the remaining green peppers beforehand. The dill survived, which was nice.

We've brought the tender plants that we wish to keep into the house or garage. Last year when we got that super cold pre-Christmas chill (7F, which is unusual here) the garage temp dipped to 32. I know because I had the night shift for turning the hot water circulator on every half hour or so. We thought it best to be safe rather than sorry. Five geraniums and a few others from planters. Also my patchouli plant, which I don't think is hardy.

Posted by: Miley, okravangelist at November 04, 2023 02:55 PM (Mzdiz)

42 Posted by: Warai-otoko

Haven't seen you in a bit. Hope you are well.

Prayers for Neal in Israel.

Posted by: nurse ratched, otter 841 has a BABY! at November 04, 2023 03:01 PM (uaMaZ)

43 This week, I paid for the removal of my favorite oak (and the neighborhood squirrels'). It never recovered from the flux (aka wet wood). This summer, the original site grew wider and the other side of the trunk split open from the base to about six feet high. Its leaves wilted and every strong wind brought down more dead branches.

The only bright side - literally - is the pin oak will get more light and grow into the gap.

I brought in the overwintering plants and will repot them.

Posted by: NaughtyPine at November 04, 2023 03:09 PM (RWCc+)

44 Hiya Mrs. Leggy !

Posted by: JT at November 04, 2023 03:19 PM (T4tVD)

45 That root parasite looks like something from one of the ads on the front page.

Posted by: Oddbob at November 04, 2023 03:21 PM (8XS+E)

46
Looking into getting a small scale green house from Amazon - around $150.00. My wife loves spinach which has really gotten pricey. I have a good location to tuck it into with decent solar input. I figure break even at six months. I could stash my solar powered battery and small heater in it and keep it above freezing with ease.

My Dad used to love his greenhouse. I'm sure he kept a bottle of scotch in it - for medicinal purposes.

Posted by: Divide by Zero at November 04, 2023 03:23 PM (enJYY)

47 Just did my leaf culling. I have a low fallow area behind my yard I can throw them in.

How much dirt though do the leaves end up becoming? I've been throwing the leaves back there for years and I only see a slight raise in the level...

Posted by: 18-1 at November 04, 2023 03:25 PM (XqcwY)

48 Leaves on their own decompose to the water and CO2 they are made from, maybe a trace of minerals as well.
If you want to make soil you probably need stuff that won't decompose, add in silt, sand and charcoal maybe.

Posted by: Kindltot at November 04, 2023 03:32 PM (xhaym)

49
How much dirt though do the leaves end up becoming? I've been throwing the leaves back there for years and I only see a slight raise in the level...

Posted by: 18-1 at November 04, 2023 03:25 PM

I had a neighbor down the street with a farm. He offered to take the entire towns leaf supply off them because it was so good for his crops. In answer to your question? Not much, but it's close to the ultimate potting soil you can find if you give it a few months to break down. Circle of life and stuff.

Posted by: Divide by Zero at November 04, 2023 03:37 PM (enJYY)

50 Those Lucy Glo apples look amazing. never saw anything like that before. Re: Neal in Israel, prayers and hopes for all. Funny that we never see pictures of flowers, trees or fruits posted from the paelostinians; but that would be life, not death. Sorry for going OT.

Posted by: Rufus T. Firefly at November 04, 2023 03:41 PM (XuPWx)

51 I pick up leaves with a vacuum trailer that also chops them pretty fine. I only do this with grass twice a year, with the leaves and once in the spring. Turned with the tractor bucket several times, by the middle of summer the leaves form a couple of acres will yield from 3 to 6 cubic yards of rich soil. We put wood ash from the stove, plus coffee grounds and eggshells in that mix, but no other foodstuffs. Definitely worth doing, especially since you no longer have to rake and blow.

Posted by: Way, Way Downriver at November 04, 2023 03:46 PM (4PZHB)

52 I use a tow-behind sweeper for picking up leaves and clippings. It doesn't chop, but I don't use the leaves for compost anyway --too much walnut.

Beats raking! Of course, still need to can/bag it all manually.

Posted by: JQ at November 04, 2023 04:05 PM (njWTi)

53 Set up just right, one of those sweepers will pick up the actual walnuts. I've seen the last black walnut I ever want to (I'm getting the good part now -- the lumber). My dad used to have the hobby of 'inventing' crackers for those things. It was amusing, if you weren't in the business, to see a black walnut blow out a piece of galvanized pipe, or the threads on a cheap vise.

But English walnuts aren't quite as bad to deal with, and not as poisonous to all the other plants around them. One good soak and rinse, and then mild heat in the oven, and they will open up. Worst part is that to a squirrel, a walnut on the hoof and a young peach look the same. Tree rat will try a bite. If he likes the nut, he throws it down to bury. If it's a peach, he throws it down anyway and ruins it.

So, a couple of times, we have swept up those walnuts for a harvest. Wishing I could just harvest the squirrels.

Posted by: Way, Way Downriver at November 04, 2023 04:17 PM (4PZHB)

54 Oh, yeah... sweeper picks up the walnuts too! It's awesome! Best $$ I've ever spent.

Cat 'harvests' the squirrels. Mostly. There's one or two running around that he hasn't caught yet LOL. Used to be dozens of them.

Posted by: JQ at November 04, 2023 04:46 PM (njWTi)

55 I think it's amazing that Anthony and Cleopatra even get involved in the story of naming Euphorbias.

Posted by: KT at November 04, 2023 04:53 PM (rrtZS)

56
Beef stew status: really, really good. A can of tomato soup really sweetened up everything - surprisingly. Short version of the ingredient list; stew meat from Aldi's, tomato soup, onion, celery, garlic, corn, mixed vegetables, zucchini, onion, carrots, peas, potatoes, mushrooms. Prolly forgot something or three.

Exact amount of each ingredient or cooking order? Yeah, no. That requires a brain wired better then mine. Wife asks, "How many?" and I reply, "Three." Three is perfect, four is too many, two is too few. Why did she even ask? How did she not know the answer to such an obvious question?

I absolutely loved the movie 'Burnt' where one hungover chef is saying to the other, "These eggs are really good," and the other chef says, "Of course." What other answer is there?

Posted by: Divide by Zero at November 04, 2023 05:39 PM (enJYY)

57 Pink Pearl apples are yellow with the pink/red inside showing thru the thin skin. Sweet/tart with a good flavor and press into pink lemonade colored juice. We get consistent crops here in eastern Oregon (3500 ft elev) Z5.

Posted by: Hal Dall MD at November 04, 2023 07:21 PM (7XbtS)

58 Husband and I are OK. It's raining. Maybe a post next week - today was too busy.

Posted by: Pat* at November 05, 2023 01:23 AM (wd7fb)

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